Author Topic: Group Re-Read 2.0 Megamorphs #4 Back to Before  (Read 1892 times)

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Offline RYTX

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Group Re-Read 2.0 Megamorphs #4 Back to Before
« on: October 20, 2012, 11:40:23 AM »
Synopsis
The war has gone on for far too long. So many terrors and nightmares. So many horrible deeds done. Jake wants out. And he's given an offer, by none other than Crayak's standard-bearer: the Drode. A chance to go back. To never gain the morphing power. Never met Elfangor. Never become leader of the Animorphs. But just because the Animorphs aren't fighting, doesn't mean the Yeerks don't exist. And even without the knowledge, even without the power, Jake, Rachel, Tobias, Cassie, Marco and Ax are not free from the fight for Earth's survival....

Questions
   1. What do you think of the Animorph's lives in this altered reality: Tobias in The Sharing, Rachel and Marco dating, Ax's solo escapades, and the invasion by the Yeerks, etc?

   2. Cassie is subtemporaly grounded. Thoughts? What do you think of Animorphs presentation of differing time-lines and how they can, and cannot, be changed? And what of the small rifts in time they all seem to sense?

   3. Of all the events and revelations of this book, one remains pertinent, even if understated, in the rest of the series: " Elfangor's  brother? His time-shifted son? This anomalous  girl here? And the son of Visser One's  host body? A group of six supposedly random humans that contains those four! You stacked the deck!" What do you make of this information? How do these attributes of these four make them suitable to form Earth's resistance? What about the other two? What does it mean to you that someone set much, if not all of this in motion in advance?

   4. In one reality or another, most if not all the Animorphs have died at least once in this series. What do you think about death in the Aniverse? Is it at all equatable to death in the real world?

   5. What do you think of Jake accepting the offer to never get involved in this fight? Is it understandable after all he's done? Acceptable? What would you have done? The deal is offered by the Drode/Crayak: how does this affect the situation?

   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: #41 The Familiar
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Offline RYTX

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Re: Group Re-Read 2.0 Megamorphs #4 Back to Before
« Reply #1 on: January 26, 2013, 11:12:06 AM »
   1. The only one who strikes me as different from his life as an Animorph is Tobias. I don't consider him being voluntarily, but for several reasons normal reality Tobias wouldn't go into The Sharing. Other than seeing through space-time, Jake and Cassie seemed normal, though Cassie griping about her thighs was odd. Rachel's not as aggressive, but still has that lust for action. Marco was much the same, though must have been something different having managed to win over Rachel. Everything Ax did was in the realm of possibility for the real time I thought. Take over was messy, but I felt it was, or could have been, much more progressive than what was going on in the main story

   2. BULL***********.  I hate Cassie for this more than anything else. Not only does it seem a timeline cannot be permanently changed, but it's Cassie's fault, and I hate her for it. I guess because of that, it doesn't make sense for me to be proud that the other Animorphs saw breaks in the illusion as well, but that perfect Cassie is the breaking point-epic boo. So long ago we were told everything changes the future, but it would seem that nothing can change the past. Sad. And I blame Cassie, even for the times it wasn't apparently her fault.

   3. This information ruins so much for me. I know my evaluations are always a bit snide, but that they go ahead and say some greater than thou power fixed them into it ruins the idea that it was six random kids. Sure, that was questionable as soon as you had Elfangor's son and brother together, but this was the final nail in the coffin. It breaks the dream. About these four, Ax and Tobias I guess as they would "inherit" Elfangor's fight, Cassie because she's a freak, any really, son of Visser One's host isn't all that more important than the son of any other Yeerk's host. A little, cuz of the kids but...Really, if this was the angle, they should have used one of Allison Kim's children. Jake and Rachel are then my last line against a destiny, but that it was two people, tied by a family of strong character, not as certain, but not chance either. This revelation cost me a lot. If I could change one thing in the series, it would be to set them as agents of chance, not fate. Never fate.

   4. Death in the Aniverse scares me more than death in the real world. It's seems to be oblivion, nothing, which I think death is (though hope it's not), but different than the type of nothing of the series. Not zero space, not beyond space-time like the Ellimist and Crayak, but somewhere else, beyond them. That gives me a little hope, death here seems so far removed, and yet they so often come back, with nothing to say of the experience that it frightens me. Much more intense that the oblivion I envision, or the next life so many speak off.

   5. Understandable, yes. Acceptable, harder to say. They've done so much, it's unfair to ask more, but still, it should be apparent that they are critical in the protection of the planet. (Even though it is not, to the reader. I think that last slow down of invasion efforts was probably the trilogy-maybe the TV guru.) I want to say I'd have passed on the offer, having endured so much will myself for more, but it's hard to be sure. The deal with the devil makes it easier. Knowing how much the Drode hates you, I'd never assume he's acting in my best interest. Much easier to say no then.
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Offline Tim Bruening

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Re: Group Re-Read 2.0 Megamorphs #4 Back to Before
« Reply #2 on: July 15, 2015, 12:22:47 AM »
Quote
author=RYTX link=topic=9499.msg746873#msg746873 date=1350751223]

   3. Of all the events and revelations of this book, one remains pertinent, even if understated, in the rest of the series: " Elfangor's  brother? His time-shifted son? This anomalous  girl here? And the son of Visser One's  host body? A group of six supposedly random humans that contains those four! You stacked the deck!" What do you make of this information? How do these attributes of these four make them suitable to form Earth's resistance? What about the other two? What does it mean to you that someone set much, if not all of this in motion in advance?


The Drode talks of six supposedly random humans, but Ax isn't human!

Quote
   5. What do you think of Jake accepting the offer to never get involved in this fight? Is it understandable after all he's done? Acceptable? What would you have done? The deal is offered by the Drode/Crayak: how does this affect the situation?

In Jake's shoes, I would have demanded that Crayak promise to ensure that the Yeerks never discover Earth!