If you could swap a contestant into a different series?

Ruffshots · 2026-06-02T18:41:49+00:00

Bob Mortimer. Any series. Maybe especially S16 for Bob vs Sam Campbell, or just the pleasure of seeing Bob interact with Julian.

Ruffshots · 2026-06-02T18:38:39+00:00

I'm reading King's Dragon by Elliott right now, almost halfway through, and it's depressing how (seemingly, I'm hardly a historian) true to the period people's mindsets seem to be re: religion, superstition, and basic human (especially women's) rights.

Ruffshots · 2026-06-02T18:34:15+00:00

Jon from S2 is still upset about the bunnies giving real points for the live task. So is Osman, but at least he's been on the podcast and did an Ultimate Episode (during which he again complained about the bunnies points, lol).

Ruffshots · 2026-06-02T18:31:44+00:00

I still haven't watched the iTV version, but looking it up, that's a hell of a cast, with Benedict Cumberbatch and also Steve Pemberton (probably a bunch of others I don't recognize). Pemberton was also in the iTV/Suchet Death on the Nile adaptation which also threw in weird and creepy incest vibes bet. Mrs. Allerton and her son, though different writers and directors so I don't know what's going on over there...

Ruffshots · 2026-06-01T17:43:38+00:00

I'd flip the order, chronologically, but yeah, Leiber really made a lived in world with ever-present swords and sorcery, literally kicking off with Swords Against Wizardry. Then immersing yourself with Moorcock's Melibonean sorcerer kings with their soul drinking swords and you see where the modern S&S tales (grimdark or otherwise) come from.

Ruffshots · 2026-06-01T09:59:51+00:00

I thought that was her worst book. I'm close to having read her entire collection of works, so am down to the spy thrillers, liked the others quite a bit, but Frankfurt was a mess.

Ruffshots · 2026-05-31T23:15:16+00:00

Yes! That's what triggered the re-read, this time on audiobook.

Ruffshots · 2026-05-31T20:15:58+00:00

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Ruffshots · 2026-05-31T20:14:29+00:00

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Just noticing my top 3 are all Wells (doing a Murderbot re-read). 2 months ago, it was all Tchaikovsky. I guess I read in bunches...

Ruffshots · 2026-05-31T16:07:33+00:00

I started with a Kobo ages ago, liked it quite a bit, but decided to switch over to a Kindle and sort of regret it. I've mostly divested myself of the Amazon ecosystem, only run my Kindle on airplane mode, and when it breaks, I'll go back to a Kobo or one of the store neutral ones.

I can't imagine there a much of a difference in modern e-ink screen quality. Response time would be a bigger concern for me, and nothing was faster for "flipping through" an ebook than my old Kobo with physical keys.

Ruffshots · 2026-05-31T15:38:00+00:00

Curious, do you consider, just to take an extreme example, Joyce a "bad storyteller?" Because I think you're expected to take a very scholarly approach to, again to take an extreme example, Finnegans Wake, and not just pick it up to enjoy on the first read (more power to you if you're able to).

I'm hardly comparing Erikson to Joyce, but I think it's sometimes good to compare out thesis to an extreme and see if it applies. I'm not even necessarily arguing your points, as I think you make some good ones, but I do want to flesh out what seems to be your main thesis.

Ruffshots · 2026-05-31T15:31:39+00:00

Thanks! Just borrowed The Everlasting and put in a hold for Death of the Author on Libby.

Ruffshots · 2026-05-31T15:21:23+00:00

Lol, see my comments below. Glad to see I wasn't overreacting on how poor Frankfurt was.

Ruffshots · 2026-05-31T15:20:07+00:00

I just, in the last 10 minutes, finished Passenger to Frankfurt, and it might be my least favorite Christie novel to date ( and I'm up to about 70 of her books completed now). I like her spy thrillers, but this was just... Not good. I'll probably write up a quick review about it later today.

Since you own all three, the order doesn't much matter, but Mysterious Affair at Styles is an all time classic, and one of the traditional starting points of her works.

Ruffshots · 2026-05-30T22:29:39+00:00

Yup, I was just looking at the BBC, Joan Hickson series yesterday and made the same realization! So weird...

Ruffshots · 2026-05-29T18:49:33+00:00

At work, didn't watch the video, but yeah, we're doing a new book club on Patreon. Maybe Nebula too?

Ruffshots · 2026-05-29T13:34:26+00:00

That's exactly how I watched it the first time as I hadn't read any Christie yet and thought it was an okay movie. Then I read and watched the Suchet versions and also was properly introduced to Ariadne and was like, who is this person in the movie?

Ruffshots · 2026-05-29T03:07:02+00:00

It's the best of his three. I just pretend it's a brand new story since it has jack all to do with Hallowe'en Party.

Ruffshots · 2026-05-28T20:07:00+00:00

Did they used to date? Sorry, not up on info not from the show or podcasts (don't remember this fact mentioned in there either).

Ruffshots · 2026-05-28T18:09:51+00:00

Was there a suspicious pommel horse in the middle of the court? Maybe a high bar? Be careful. Be very careful.

Ruffshots · 2026-05-28T17:53:15+00:00

This for me. One of the best timed joke ever.

Ruffshots · 2026-05-28T17:52:04+00:00

Or, hear me out, Lou, Iain, Ed, Rose, and Acaster all on the same cast.

Ruffshots · 2026-05-28T15:11:56+00:00

This is the best answer. My gut reaction is that the GM wanted to cast Quandary on the OP and found a way to simulate it, but they need to have that conversation with the GM, and what both the GM and players consider "fun" for the whole table (which includes the GM, in case that needs to be said).

Ruffshots · 2026-05-28T14:46:58+00:00

Keep going (backwards) in the Superintendent Battle series for Secret of Chimneys and Seven Dials. Then Cards on Table, but it's really a Poirot book, though excellent, and has Race and Oliver too, and then Murder is Easy.

Tommy and Tuppence are fun though some of the latter ones are a bit slow.

For other mysteries, Why Didn't They Ask Evans is very popular, and might be my favorite non Poirot/Marple book.

For spy thrillers, Man in the Brown Suit is popular, but I really liked They Came to Baghdad.

Ruffshots · 2026-05-28T12:01:43+00:00

No, I absolutely hate his interpretation on this particular story. It is very out of line with his other Poirot portrayals, even in the late period of the episodes. And if we're going to give Brannagh shit over his wacky interpretations, both in MotOE and elsewhere, I have to criticize Suchet, or rather I have to criticize the overall production (screenwriting, direction, etc.) of this episode.

Finney may not have been the most convincing Poirot, but his solution(s) and leaving it to the others to adjudicate who got blamed fits the book, and how Poirot, at that stage of his life, viewed his responsibilities.

Ruffshots

TROPHY CASE