Group Re-Read: Week 16, #14 The Unknown

[Terenia]

Summary
There's a new rumor in town. Someone has discovered an item that proves life on other planets exists. And they've been hiding it on a base called Zone 91. The Most Secret Place On Earth.
Cassie, the other Animorphs, and Ax already know about life on other planets. Too well. They also realize the Yeerks will try to access Zone 91. To find out if what's there will threaten their mission. So the Animorphs decide to pay Zone 91 and the Yeerks a little visit. But what they discover is not at all what they expect...

Questions
1) This is Cassie's first "humorous" book. How do you think it worked out for her? Cassie isn't usually someone people would equate humor to. Any favorite moments?

2) Shifting away from the books slightly. #14 was based on the Area 51 rumor. Any believers out there in Roswell? Anyone think that we might be hiding an Andalite toilet irl? :wink:

3) Honestly, I can't think of many good questions for this book....so just go ahead and discuss whatever you'd like!

Next week we'll be reading #15: The Escape.

[Gafrash]

Hey Terenia,
I recall quite enjoying this book. It did have a fun tone to it.
It took the piss out of the whole Area 51 fiasco. It also confirmed the question I had going at the time, that Yeerks can control ANY creatures that give it enough head space. Not necessarily sentient ones. Think about it, had the Yeerks pushed this any further, they could have had even more subtle ways to finding the Anis. Of course, they didn't know they were humans, so scrap that.

The racing bit felt a bit forced. I understand this was to spiff up the whole morphing a horse thing.
But I loved the way it ended in that action race to protect the Sargent guy at The Gardens. Possibly a fond memory I have of this story is when Cassie in wolf morph gets called by an innocent little boy bystander at the park, "Here boy! Heeere boy!" The kid not realizing that the 'doggie' was a wolf. Heheheh.
Anyone notice how, in most of her books, K.A. always had a way to flip on some action in the last few pages in order to 'wrap up' the plot. You'd be reading the book and nearing the end and suddenly things would really heat up.
Kind of like the way the series ended in that final MotherShip strike, but sadly, not quite to the same punch.

[Chad32]

I don't remember much about this book. I remember yeerks infesting horses, and a woman talking about aliens. Rachel thinking she's talking about Yeerks, but it's different aliens. Also the Andalite toilet, and Ax being embarrased to say what it really is.

it's a wonder why Yeerks care to take sentient creatures at all. It seems the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. Though, if you have the mindset that Yeerks are avobe everything, and hosts are nothing but vehicles, then I could imagine why they wouldn't care.

Still, you can train an animal. I doubt in the old days, Gedds were kept in cages. After enough time, they were likely trained to come back and forth from the pools at some kind of command or prompt. They even have technology to make unsuitable hosts like sharks more suitable for infestation.

Strange race, I tell you.

[Terenia]

I think it makes more sense for Yeerks to infest sentient creatures because the sentient creatures are better adapted for other sentient creatures. What I mean is, yes horses worked well for the purposes of infiltrating a desert military base, but hooves will only get you so far on a Bug Fighter.

I suppose a creature like monkeys would be suitable, but I think that its become a part of the Yeerk culture to deal with the presence of another conscious mind in your host.

[dolphin4077]

I like this book more now than I did when I first read it.

[Terenia]

I like this book more now than I did when I first read it.

Any reason why?

[dolphin4077]

I think it's because I'm less concerned about plot.  When I reread 14, I was able to really appreciate the fun and funniness of the adventure itself without worrying how this was going to affect the war, etc...   

[Gafrash]

In the long run, though, would infesting a horse or a monkey make it excusable for Yeerks?!
If the Yeerks hypothetically agreed to release sentient races, for, say, all the wild primates of Earth, would that be a treaty everyone would be okay with?!

[Chad32]

Yes, I don't see why they wouldn't. The creature would basically be a pet or work animal, and as long as they are cared for I don't see the difference between a Yeerk with a nonsentient host, and a Human that keeps dogs or horses. Yeerks do take care of a host's physical needs, though emotional needs can be seriously neglected. Judging from your exclamation marks, I'm assuming you would have a problem?

[Gafrash]

My '?!' are my own overused trademarks. You really shouldn't look too much into it.

But as a matter of fact, yes, I, for one, would have a problem if in a peace treaty with the Yeerks on Earth, they find their parasitic ways into the fauna. It would upset the natural balance of things, for one, and two, we all know this wouldn't last, for the tendancy is for Yeerks to want more feasible bodies.
I am trying to remember the kinds of feedback the horse-Controllers gave, but can't right now. I imagine that they weren't very fond of them. My argument is to do with the fact that they are after the dominant species of the planet, the fact that they are sentient or not is redundant.

The case in point would have monkeys with a sentient drive and the Yeerk way is not always in tune with the host's way, nor necessarily the environment. We all know not all Yeerks are the peace seeking agents we all would like them to be.

Willingly subjecting themselves into nothlits, may well have been the only solution to the conflict on Earth, really.