Author Topic: Group Re-Read 2.0 #39 The Hidden  (Read 4688 times)

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Offline RYTX

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Group Re-Read 2.0 #39 The Hidden
« on: September 29, 2012, 11:46:34 AM »
Synopsis
To morph or not to morph? That is the question.....
The Yeerks have managed to rebuild a bit of Helmacron technology. Now they're tracking the blue box, and the Animorphs, and there's nowhere they can hide. To make matters worse, a little accident has made one of the zoo animals morph capable. With the Yeerks and a Chapman morphing buffalo in pursuit the Animorphs' luck may have finally run out....

Questions
   1. What do you think about the Yeerks pursuing the Animorphs through the remnants of Helmacron technology?

   2. The plan of Drop Whale-Cassie has been executed with varying degrees of success multiple times now. What are your thoughts on this, and any other, Animorph battle tactics and their enemy's responses: practical, creative, or b.s.?

   3. What did you think of the Buffalo obtaining the morphing ability? Did it being able to morph a human in anyway make it a human? Was it really learning or just mimicking?

   4. What about the ant? It seemed as terrified of the human mind as the Animorphs had been of the ant mind. Why did it not come to show any human behavior as the buffalo did?

   5. What do you think of Cassie in this book? Were her efforts to indulge the buffa-human as long as she did wise? Was her revulsion to the ant-human in character? Why was she so quick to eliminate one, and not the other? What does this say about her?

   6. One of the most formidable creatures on land, even without morphing, is the Cape Buffalo. What did you think of this animal, as an animal, in this book? Do you think the descriptions of it's attitudes and abilities were accurate, undersold or exaggerated? What do you envision the experience of being a cape buffalo to be like?

   7. What would you do with a non-sentient, but morph capable creature? Would you kill it straight away, or wait and see? Would you try and hide it? Would you encourage any human behaviors it managed to express?

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

   9. Anything else?

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

Next week: #40 The Other
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Offline Ember Nickel

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Re: Group Re-Read 2.0 #39 The Hidden
« Reply #1 on: October 05, 2012, 09:12:33 PM »
I have to know--are buffa-Chapman and ant-Cassie naked for all of this? They have to be, right? That just makes it so much more awkward.

Jake/Cassie notes for the future:

<He should trust me to do the right thing,> I said.
<He does, or he would've made somebody else carry the cube.

I couldn't drop the blue box, so I couldn't fight.

<Run, Cassie!> Jake shouted. <Just go! Head for the beach! We're right behind you!>
Leave them and run?

Offline RYTX

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Re: Group Re-Read 2.0 #39 The Hidden
« Reply #2 on: January 23, 2013, 01:00:48 PM »
They keep saying buffa-human was ridiculous hairy. Ant-Cassie, I always think not enough of the body morphed to tell, but that is left kinda open....

   1. Amongst their more clever methods-if painfully reminiscent of the Veleek. Though why it took them this long to fix a Helmarcon ship is beyond me.

   2. It wasn't b.s when done on the Veleek, the variation on it in 34, and weighing down the original Helmacron ship wasn't too bad. And really it wouldn't have been bad here-it was the pairing of this solution with the Veleek hunting plot that makes it seem worse here than it is. It says something about the Yeerks that they've yet to prep counter measures for such a tactic. I can't think of any other real tactics they repeatedly employ in fight: there's the constant replay of savagery that comes with animal combat, but nothing like organized formations, which isn't a surprise, but at this point I figure it's 2 years at war, I would have expected something.

   3. This occupies that unique niche between funny and sad. And violation of several preexisting rules of the story. It is in no way a human, just as Jake is not a tiger, Cassie is not a skunk, and Tobias is only a circumstantial hawk. I imagine a buffalo learns in it's own right, but I don't think it was learning as a human, and if it was it certainly shouldn't carry back to buffalo.

   4. More gross than sad this one. Why didn't it learn: well either this suggest that the while the learning was enabled by the human mind, it was rooted in the buffalo mind, but not in the ant, or (more likely) the writers and editors didn't check their own rules. It made for an exciting chapter, but it was such a break from regulation that I get mad at it.

   5. It says Cassie is a dirty filthy hypocrite that wants to protect things that appeal to her just like the rest of us. Keeping the buffa-human: bad. Encouraging it to talk or come with them or whatever: bad. Murdering the crap out of an ant and calling it an abomination: yes. I'm just starting to think that like Rachel, Cassie is regressing. She's now getting so desperate to return this semblance of morality that her judgment, once incredibly acute, has become impaired as we go on, but because luck favors Cassie, it doesn't seem as bad.

   6. So this was my favorite feature of the book. I'm not a big game person so I can't swear to it, but I picture this bad boy being more mellow when it's not in fight mode. I still wouldn't what to be any where near it, but that's my general experience with bovines. No doubt tough, but fighting with your head is not like fighting with your limbs and jaws, and it would concern me if fighting something like a Hork-Bajir: you have to get close, and your spine is right at blade levels. If this thing learns at all, it smells like me should not equate to it is me, but I've never stopped to consider a grazers sense of smell. Good I'm told, but the use so different than a predators, that alone should be a fun new experience.

   7. I'm not saying killing it would be easy or enjoyable, that's what should have been done. You can't hide it, and even if it is learning, well they show that it's not going to learn enough to make it safe to have. First opportunity I'd have nipped it in the bud. And then spend the night weeping for both of us.

   8.

   9. Unoriginal, not very well done, really short, nothing developed, little gained. An introduction to wrap up a loose end that wasn't there. Shame. Unnatural scent of man? WTF. Still had a couple good laughs.
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Offline Tim Bruening

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Re: Group Re-Read 2.0 #39 The Hidden
« Reply #3 on: August 16, 2015, 11:22:35 PM »
How was a buffalo able to focus well enough to first acquire Chapman and Alloran, and then to morph them?  How was the ant able to focus enough to Acquire and morph Cassie?

Offline matthew

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Re: Group Re-Read 2.0 #39 The Hidden
« Reply #4 on: August 16, 2015, 11:51:05 PM »
Quote
How was a buffalo able to focus well enough to first acquire Chapman and Alloran, and then to morph them?  How was the ant able to focus enough to Acquire and morph Cassie?

Because this book is terrible and makes no sense.

Offline Tim Bruening

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Re: Group Re-Read 2.0 #39 The Hidden
« Reply #5 on: August 19, 2015, 10:49:45 PM »
I propose the following experiment: Give dolphins, primates, and other really smart animals the ability to morph, to see if they could be taught how to morph.  The Animorphs could show those animals the ropes.  Dolphins would be able to walk on land.  Chimps would be able to swim in the sea.  A whole new world could dawn!