SF Signal Mind Meld: “Who Has Your Back When Monsters Attack?” — I Field An All-Heroines Dream Team, But There’s MOAR!
I had a lot of fun writing my contribution to the latest SF Signal Mind Meld, addressing the very important question of “Who Has Your Back When Monsters Attack?”
Because I am posting the regular “Fantasy Heroines That Rock My World” guest series on SF Signal right now, I “felt consistency required that I put together an All-Heroines Dream Team.” So I did just that—and am sure there’s no need to assure you that my team kicks butt and takes names in the best heroines style.
Agatha Heterodyne — Girl Genius (© Studio Foglio)
You can check out who (altho’ the pic is a giveaway for one member of the team…), and how, as well as all the other Mind Meld contributions, by clicking on:
Who Has Your Back When Monsters Attack?
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But it doesn’t end there. I had so much fun putting together my All-Heroines team for SF Signal that I thought I should go the extra mile and field an All-Heroes team here today. So here goes:
The SF Signal premise: Who Has Your Back when Monsters Attack — We all know the monsters are coming, whether they are zombies, vampires, orcs, dragons, or aliens. They are coming: it is known. So who would you want by your side when they arrive?
The very first name that sprang to mind for my All-Heroes team was instantaneous: it had to be Druss, the legendary axeman from David Gemmell’s Legend. Druss might be getting a bit long in the tooth, but he’s still a powerful fighter—and one who has fought almost every enemy going and prevailed. He also has considerable field experience, but more than this, he has Snaga, the axe of legend. Definitely a case of monsters beware!
Druss is tough, but as with my All-Heroines team he’ll need a company to back him up. And given no one knows quite what monsters will manifest, or in what order, if not all at once, I think the team needs a battle mage—and I can’t think of anyone better than Ben Adaephon Delat, better known as Quick Ben, mage for the 9th Squad Bridgeburners in the Malazan Book of the Fallen (Steven Erikson.) Powerful, clever, and devious, Quick Ben is definitely the mage for a tight corner, or when facing overwhelming odds. After all, this is the mage who took down an entire phalanx of K’chain Nha’ruk in The Bonehunters (Malazan 6.)
Those monsters might include dragons, though, so even with Druss’s axe and Quick Ben’s magic, the team could still use a proven dragonslayer. In which case, they had better have John Aversin, the dragonsbane from Barbara Hambly’s book of the same name. John may be a knight, but he also has considerable intellectual curiosity and is a man who thinks outside the square, qualities that are important as courage and ability with weapons—both of which John has, too—when facing opponents with unknown capabilities and powers. Like several members of the All-Heroines team, John Aversin also has a strong moral compass, which can be as vital as magic and weaponry when facing overwhelming supernatural odds.
David Tennant; 10th Dr Who
The possibility of aliens in the mix means the team needs additional diversity in its skill set—in fact, I’m pretty sure it needs the Doctor! Dr Who, that is, complete with time-travelling Tardis and sonic screwdriver. He may be a little whacky, but like John Aversin he can be relied upon to think outside the square and save the day when the aliens-and-monsters chips are down. He’s more than a dab hand at dealing with evile angels as well…Plus the Tardis would be invaluable for when the team needs to beat a hasty retreat—ahead of regrouping, of course!
As with the All-Heroines Dream Team, I am going to include one of my own characters—not least because, like both Druss and the character in the SF Signal Mind Meld, he sprang instantly to mind. The fifth and final member of the All-Heroes Shining Company is Raven, the hedge knight from The Gathering Of The Lost. Harder-edged than John Aversin, he’s as adept with weapons as both the Dragonsbane and Druss, while bringing considerable tactical leadership to the team. And like his opposite number in the All-Heroines team he appears to be immune to magic—very useful when facing an assortment of monsters and supernatural nasties.
Personally, though, looking at our All-Heroes lineup of Druss the Legend; mage-extraordinaire, Quick Ben of the Bridgeburners; John Aversin the Dragonsbane; Dr Who; and Raven—I dunno for sure, but somehow I doubt those monster hordes are goin’ to dare show up at all, let alone stick around. 😉
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But don’t forget, to check out the awesome that is the All-Heroines Dream Team and the rest of the Mind Meld fun, click on:
