Owner's Share: The conclusion?

[JaneAtPlay]

I think we've all read enough fiction to know [article 37], in some shape or form had to happen, but the structural scaffolding of the story is so well layered with characters we care about that we still gasp, maybe shed a tear when it hits.

Ya know...  when someone says "such and such had to happen", because of some theory of over-all story structure a la Joseph Campbell - I have to wonder why we don't just program the computers to automatically crank out stories to fit the formula.

I don't entirely disagree.  There's enough awful fiction out there to make me think that might not be a bad idea some days!  I don't think every story has to follow a "Challenge/Conflict/Setback/Unravelling the Knots/Soldier-On" model, but at this point, Ishmael is such a well established classic Hero (wtih a capital H), all that missing the the Chorus.   

[ratz]

The claim of 'nothing ever happens' isn't new and in some ways valid d.        

Agreed and btw that is what they always said about the first 4 books of Asimov's Foundation series,
and of course those were the best of the books

[Dav1d]

Well the sign of a Master wordsmith is to leave them wanting more. Dr. Lowell has left me wanting more, there are two episodes left, and there is no way he can answer my questions in sixty minutes or so...

I thought that in five books I knew Ish, now I wonder if I ever understood him at all? For me OS paints a very different Ish, one that I'm not sure I like at all. I'm certainly waiting for the last two episodes, and I'd love them now.

[junkfoodmonkey]

The claim of 'nothing ever happens' isn't new and in some ways valid in that there's there's no zombies, no evil aliens, no pirates (although it would be entertaining if High Tortuga is really out there) to kick up the body count.

The remarkable thing for me in these books - especially the earlier ones - is that it's true for a lot of the time "nothing happens" but in a totally compelling way. It was about small battles and triumphs, not big adventures.  

[mimccart]

Well, I changed my vote.  I would still be very pleased to have more in the Share series and originally voted for more.  After seeing how Nate put this one to bed, though, I have to say that if he thinks it should end here and this way, I would have to agree.  The more time I get between Ep 30 and now, the more I am pleased with the results.  Besides, not only did Nate say there would almost certainly be more stories with Ish, he left door so wide open at the end of OS that it would be a travesty for him not to go through it.

I can't say, "The King is dead, long live the King!"  So how about, "Ish, live long and prosper."

[nlowell]

I think we've all read enough fiction to know [article 37], in some shape or form had to happen, but the structural scaffolding of the story is so well layered with characters we care about that we still gasp, maybe shed a tear when it hits.

Ya know...  when someone says "such and such had to happen", because of some theory of over-all story structure a la Joseph Campbell - I have to wonder why we don't just program the computers to automatically crank out stories to fit the formula.

I get this a lot. I think the idea has been transmogrified. It's not that it has to happen because of Joseph Campbell. It's because it has to happen in support of the story. Campbell merely pointed out the pattern that has been in place in human's story telling as far back as he can find stories.

The Incident in episode didn't happen because Joseph told me I needed to make that happen. The story required the traumatic, shocking event to spark the necessary change in the character - to motivate the action to follow. How that's applied, where it happens, what it is...all that is up to the story teller. But when all is said and done, there's pretty much always one of these catalysts in every story because, without them, it just becomes an essay.

There are plenty of ways to end the series. Any of them that maintain the status quo, fail to provide sufficient motivation to grow, or otherwise try to dodge the reality that I believe the story requires would be the end of Ishmael Wang for me. I would have kept my promise not to kill him, but there probably would be no other stories with him from me. Not that there couldn't be more stories. They're just not sufficiently interesting for me to invest in telling them.