Author Topic: Group Re-read 2.0 #17 The Underground  (Read 5031 times)

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Offline RYTX

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Group Re-read 2.0 #17 The Underground
« on: March 03, 2012, 01:34:39 PM »
Synopsis
There's nothing to fear but the Yeerks themselves....
Easy to make and part of a balanced breakfast, instant maple and ginger oatmeal has never been a big part of any known battle. When the Animorphs find out this food stuff can drive Yeerks mad, a trip to the supermarket is in order. But if this new weapon is going to work, the Animorphs need to once more get to the Yeerk pool. The risk for failure, and death, are as high as ever, but even if the succeed, the Yeerks aren't the only ones that will suffer....

Questions
   1. Hunter robots and the Gleet Biofilter are both introduced in this book, in addition to a secret code being used to enter the Yeerk Pool. What do you think of the efforts the Yeerks put in to protecting their base?

   2. Rachel makes several introspections in this book. What do you think of the way she acknowledges and deals with her fears? How do these factors influence her actions, and her interactions with the rest of the team?

   3. In this book the Animorphs make use of a mole morph to burrow to the pool. What do you think of the utilization of this morph for their goals and the account of its instincts? What do you think of the experience Rachel has with it, initially overwhelmed by it's mind, but than still subject to her own human concerns of being underground?

   4. What do you think of the ethics using oatmeal as a weapon, considering the effect it has on the Yeerks, and their host? Is a drug a drug because of what it is, or what it does? What do you think of the notion of the Animorphs utilizing this form of warfare?

   5. If you were an Animorph, would you decide to use the oatmeal in this manner? If someone close to you were a Controller, would you give them a personal dose of the stuff? How would you justify releasing it and allowing others to suffer it's effects?

   6. Approximately when is the last time you read this book? What changes do you expect or would like to see in a re-release?

   7. Anything else?

Answer, ignore and submit your own questions and comments as you please; but remember to vote!

Next week: #18 The Decision

Something, something, oh crap I pissed everyone off again....

Offline Ember Nickel

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Re: Group Re-read 2.0 #17 The Underground
« Reply #1 on: March 07, 2012, 09:23:37 PM »
Interesting line about hope there, seems to fit well with some of the early-book themes at least. Glad the Yeerks are making an effort with the Biofilter, that's a little more realistic. Rachel's speaking out loud during the sneaking-around-the-Yeerk-pool scene felt a little off. The thoughts, sure, but actually talking?

I would not give oatmeal to a Controller I knew--if we keep fighting they have a chance at full freedom whereas this seems to be locking them into a halfway-point.

Offline RYTX

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Re: Group Re-read 2.0 #17 The Underground
« Reply #2 on: December 28, 2012, 04:14:14 AM »
   1. It's the little things that make the world big. Stolen or not, this seems like very clever technology, and just as clever is the way the Animorphs work around it.. Though that does leave me to sulk that it doesn't seem to advance over time. And "A Happy Meal with extra happy"? Right up there with "do you hate trash cans", Animorph's immortal slogans.

   2. In my eyes this is where Rachel is starting to derail. Acknowledging your fears and facing them is different that acknowledging them and then actively looking to confront them. It's the difference between being willing to protect yourself, and walking up to a thug and saying "hit me". It makes her very valuable to the others; it's nice to have someone face your fears first, but it's self destructive.

   3. Definitely not one of those critters I consider often. I wouldn't like that loss of vision. Bad vision in the light is still better than bad vision underground. If I recall, moles burrow, not just make tunnels, so that aspect would be alright-little underground bunker would be cool to have. Being so visually dominated, it seems challenging to have to really on mechanical and chemical stimuli, and good diggers or not, you can only move so much earth at that size: feeding seems rough. No as exciting as some others, but would be cool body to try out for a while: radically different, especially considering it's still a mammal.

   4. A drug is a drug for what is does. For humans, food isn't a drug, unless you have an eating problem. It's a cruel fate to impose on the Yeerks and their host. I said recently the Animorphs are segueing into the terrors of war, and this is maybe as soft or comical bio/chemical warfare gets, but once you get past the jokes, it's fairly dark stuff. That said, Animorphs are out gunned on all levels, can't fault them for trying.

   5. I can say I wouldn't give it to someone I care about. For that reason, I should be opposed to doing it on a large scale. And yet....I can't say I wouldn't. You're deeply overwhelmed, you need every advantage, but if you can't do it to one, how can you do it at all? I think deep down, put to a vote I'd say yes, and go with the group either way, but one on my own would choose not to . Stupid mind vs emotion.
   
   7. I probably should have inquired about the guy and his suicide, but that whole aspect of the book left me underwhelmed. Maybe uncomfortable, but I don't know why. I think from the get-go he should have ran, and glad he did at the end. Still getting hope via bitter-sweet endings throughout the series, to the say the least.
Something, something, oh crap I pissed everyone off again....

Offline Tim Bruening

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Re: Group Re-read 2.0 #17 The Underground
« Reply #3 on: July 18, 2015, 10:37:47 PM »
At the end, Marco's Dad makes him dispose of the oatmeal, so Marco brings it to Rachel's house.  Why should that be the end of the use of oatmeal?  Can't the Animorphs just hide it somewhere else, such as in Ax's scoop?

Offline Redtailednothlit

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Re: Group Re-read 2.0 #17 The Underground
« Reply #4 on: August 10, 2015, 01:43:49 AM »
Synopsis
There's nothing to fear but the Yeerks themselves....
Easy to make and part of a balanced breakfast, instant maple and ginger oatmeal has never been a big part of any known battle. When the Animorphs find out this food stuff can drive Yeerks mad, a trip to the supermarket is in order. But if this new weapon is going to work, the Animorphs need to once more get to the Yeerk pool. The risk for failure, and death, are as high as ever, but even if the succeed, the Yeerks aren't the only ones that will suffer....

Questions
   1. Hunter robots and the Gleet Biofilter are both introduced in this book, in addition to a secret code being used to enter the Yeerk Pool. What do you think of the efforts the Yeerks put in to protecting their base?


I think it makes sense, and I wonder why the Yeerks never did it sooner. Surely after being attacked the first time, way back in #1, they would have immediately upped their security?

Quote
   2. Rachel makes several introspections in this book. What do you think of the way she acknowledges and deals with her fears? How do these factors influence her actions, and her interactions with the rest of the team?

   3. In this book the Animorphs make use of a mole morph to burrow to the pool. What do you think of the utilization of this morph for their goals and the account of its instincts? What do you think of the experience Rachel has with it, initially overwhelmed by it's mind, but than still subject to her own human concerns of being underground?


I'm going to reread the book before I answer these, because I honestly can't remember!

   
Quote
4. What do you think of the ethics using oatmeal as a weapon, considering the effect it has on the Yeerks, and their host? Is a drug a drug because of what it is, or what it does? What do you think of the notion of the Animorphs utilizing this form of warfare?


It doesn't sit comfortably with me. Not out of any concern for the Yeerks - I'm all for killing them and have none of Cassie's moral concerns about their sentience - but because of the human struggle. The hosts can't escape their Yeerk prison, because the oatmeal removes the need for Kandrona. The Yeerk goes slowly insane in their brain, and yet the host never regains full control of their body. It's sad. Once hope is lost, the war is lost.

Quote
   5. If you were an Animorph, would you decide to use the oatmeal in this manner? If someone close to you were a Controller, would you give them a personal dose of the stuff? How would you justify releasing it and allowing others to suffer it's effects?


No, no and no. I couldn't do it. Like I said, loss of hope is the loss of the war.

Quote
   6. Approximately when is the last time you read this book? What changes do you expect or would like to see in a re-release?


I last read it back in 2005 (or thereabouts). I'd like re-releases to be longer, more in depth, with perhaps more scenes outside of the war. Just simple scenes between the characters - I'd  love that.

Quote
   7. Anything else?

I still think the fact that the man tried to commit suicide at the beginning of the book should have warned them against this idea. I seem to remember Tobias opposing it, but I don't remember Cassie's reaction.

Offline Tim Bruening

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Re: Group Re-read 2.0 #17 The Underground
« Reply #5 on: August 16, 2015, 01:44:03 AM »

   
Quote
4. What do you think of the ethics using oatmeal as a weapon, considering the effect it has on the Yeerks, and their host? Is a drug a drug because of what it is, or what it does? What do you think of the notion of the Animorphs utilizing this form of warfare?


It doesn't sit comfortably with me. Not out of any concern for the Yeerks - I'm all for killing them and have none of Cassie's moral concerns about their sentience - but because of the human struggle. The hosts can't escape their Yeerk prison, because the oatmeal removes the need for Kandrona. The Yeerk goes slowly insane in their brain, and yet the host never regains full control of their body. It's sad. Once hope is lost, the war is lost.

I have a possible solution to the insane Yeerk problem!  [spoiler]Book 2, The Visitor: PP 102-103: Visser 3 shows Chapman how he morphed into a Vanarx to suck a Yeerk right out of its host's head and ate it!  Book 54, The Beginning: Visser 3 is forced to exit his host Alloran, thus freeing Alloran.  I propose that Alloran morph into a Vanarx and suck out all the oatmeal addled Yeerks and thus free their hosts![/spoiler]