Really enjoyed this, a worthy follow-up to the original. A bit less raw metaphor, but I think it works, since quality makes up for quantity here. Stretched metaphors are amusingly cheesy the first time around, but seem desperate if repeated. That's what it's like to achieve mastery over one's power, such as it is. I also enjoyed the paradox, that's one of my favourite classic logic puzzles. Always two! The Mythos never really gets old either - I can't remember if it had any place in the first story, but it slots in nicely here.
Part of me wants to see what future shenanigans Manse gets up to, and part of me also hopes he gets to exit the stage and just enjoy a normal life. Man's definitely earned it twice over by now. Even indirectly experiencing Quantum Suicide-type effects is a really big burden to carry around, nevermind the other horrors...
(Several typos with repeated words, mostly in the latter half. No mention of flames in room description when first observing book vault. And you also refer to The Oracle as The Horror once.)
Thanks so much! I can't promise I'm all out of stretched metaphors, but I wanted to have some variety in how things play out. I have also spent a significant amount of time thinking about Newcomb's paradox; I might have been a reluctant one-boxer prior, but now I feel like Detective Manse would judge me a little for surrendering to fate. The Mythos for me was an undercurrent from the beginning, more explicitly referenced this time around.
That is a fundamental issue with sequels, perhaps a point explored in the story itself! I do think Manse's unusual mental resiliency mentioned in the original story due to his constant internal re-filtering of his reality is a factor in his ability to come out the other side of everything he experiences. My intention is to write more at the moment, but keeping in mind those thoughts as well.
Thanks for the catches on the typos, and appreciate the patience.
Really enjoyed this, a worthy follow-up to the original. A bit less raw metaphor, but I think it works, since quality makes up for quantity here. Stretched metaphors are amusingly cheesy the first time around, but seem desperate if repeated. That's what it's like to achieve mastery over one's power, such as it is. I also enjoyed the paradox, that's one of my favourite classic logic puzzles. Always two! The Mythos never really gets old either - I can't remember if it had any place in the first story, but it slots in nicely here.
Part of me wants to see what future shenanigans Manse gets up to, and part of me also hopes he gets to exit the stage and just enjoy a normal life. Man's definitely earned it twice over by now. Even indirectly experiencing Quantum Suicide-type effects is a really big burden to carry around, nevermind the other horrors...
(Several typos with repeated words, mostly in the latter half. No mention of flames in room description when first observing book vault. And you also refer to The Oracle as The Horror once.)
Thanks so much! I can't promise I'm all out of stretched metaphors, but I wanted to have some variety in how things play out. I have also spent a significant amount of time thinking about Newcomb's paradox; I might have been a reluctant one-boxer prior, but now I feel like Detective Manse would judge me a little for surrendering to fate. The Mythos for me was an undercurrent from the beginning, more explicitly referenced this time around.
That is a fundamental issue with sequels, perhaps a point explored in the story itself! I do think Manse's unusual mental resiliency mentioned in the original story due to his constant internal re-filtering of his reality is a factor in his ability to come out the other side of everything he experiences. My intention is to write more at the moment, but keeping in mind those thoughts as well.
Thanks for the catches on the typos, and appreciate the patience.