Story Review/Discussion - Moving Targets

[sraun]

Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar books are among my guilty pleasures. I got Moving Targets and Other Tales of Valdemar yesterday, and finished the title story (by Mercedes & Larry Dixon) this afternoon.

I'm not certain what it is - maybe an homage? A pastiche? A shaggy dog story?

The narrator is an experienced Herald of legendary patience. The time is before Foundation - apparently there are a lot of newly Chosen, so many that our narrator is stuck as mentor to a group of four. The group is sometimes described as 'all together they make up one perfect Herald".

The group was ringing vague bells as soon as they were all introduced. But it wasn't until the old man at the end was un-masked and said, "And I would have gotten away with it if it hadn't been for you meddling Heralds!" that I caught on.

They're caricatures of the Scooby Gang! And they even have a Mystery Machine - Rod's father gave the group a high-quality traders-caravan wagon to travel in!

Original Cartoon Character	Story Character
Scooby-Doo	Ryu, a young adolescent kyree
Daphne	Laurel
Velma	Alma
Shaggy	Arville
Fred	Rod

Comments

[azurelunatic]

A kyree would make it a shaggy dog story. :D

[norabombay.livejournal.com]

I cannot figure out if the idea of a Scooby Doo: Valdemar is awesome! or the WorsT Idea EVAH.

All I know is that I'll probably read it.

[debmats.livejournal.com]

I think it I figured it out that it was a Scooby Doo story as soon as the kyree said something like "rut ro"... *g*

[sraun]

That was one of my "what am I missing?" points. I knew there was something else going on, but ...