What’s a good spec fic story without some good conflict? And what’s a good conflict without a bit o’ bada$$ weaponry?
What would I have in my arsenal?
-The subtle knife from Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy.
Being able to slice a hole between worlds? I’d be visiting Chocolate World like crazy. Not to mention that knife is EXTREMELY sharp. Remember what happened when that kid accidentally nicked his finger with it?
“Dear Wendy’s, I found this finger in my chili…”
-Scientific formulas that give me powers, tattooed on my body a la Michael Reisman’s Simon Bloom series.
Oh, what’s that? You’ve got a cute little bunny tattoo? Well, my heat formula tattoo gives me the power to turn your bunny into hossenfeffer!
-Shield bugs from Angie Sage’s Septimus Heap series.
We’re not talking your garden variety squashables. These bad boys will fight to the death for their masters, and when they’re done, you can use them in your insect collection!
-Fawkes the phoenix from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series.
You knew I had to mention Harry Potter at least once. And with Fawkes at my side, I’d be close to immortal. Come on, Fawksy. Cry for mama!
-Bartimaeus the djinni from Jonathan Stroud’s Bartimaeus trilogy.
He can shapeshift, which makes him an excellent spy, and he’s got an excellent sense of humor. Granted, he’s kind of a douche who would sell you up the river for his freedom, but come on….he can turn into Gerard Butler, ladies!
So, sound off! What (or who) would accompany you into battle?
Chris Eboch
Greg R. Fishbone
Nick
lindajoysingleton
Parker Peevyhouse
Joni Sensel
The “who” would probably be Iorek Byrnison from the Golden Compass. I’d be mighty reassured to have that big ol’ bear and his armor on my side.
The “what” might well be Arthur Dent’s towel from the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Most other weapons prove to have a weakness, but somehow that clean towel kept him out of all sorts of trouble.
Ha! I almost forgot about Arthur Dent’s towel.
Iorek would definitely come in handy, and he doubles as a form of transportation!
I personally wouldn’t mind a dragon. You can be a total woosie and kick butt with a fire breathing, magical dragon.
Yes! Let us not forget the value of a dragon nor the Dragonriders of Pern. (Sorry, Christopher Paolini, but you’ll have a take a back seat on this one).
To heck with weapons; those can be lost or stolen. I’m a mano-a-mano girl. I didn’t much like Graceling, but I’m all for the MC being the weapon. (Katniss is almost as good because she’s so darn smart and can turn anything – berries – into a weapon.) Skills can’t be dropped over the cliff.
Excellent! You can be part of my front line. And I’ll split my winnings with whatever’s left of you!
I’m going with the Subtle Knife. Granted, I’ll probably end up chopping off something valuable to me in the process of protecting myself, though.
Remember, put down the knife BEFORE going to the bathroom.
I want a troupe of tengu (via Little Sister by Kara Dalkey). They are trickster shapeshifting bird demons that are brilliant at martial arts.
Aslan would be another good companion. Can’t think of much he couldn’t win.
I want Riptide from the Percy Jackson series, as well as Annabeth’s Yankee’s invisibility cap.
The Maurader’s Map would be extremely useful (if of course it could be used outside the bounds of Hogwarts).
Dragons are always good too (a mind meld like the Pern series would be excellent).
I wouldn’t mind Arthur Dent’s towel either.
Hmmm…
Sabriel’s bells
Vin’s Mistborn abilities
Katniss, Peeta, Gale and Haymitch all at once. And Cinna, just because I love him.
And one wish from a magic lamp.
Yeah, I could be pretty much set then. ^_^
I think, Heather, with company like that, you’d be unstoppable. And Riptide would be handy, because I’m always losing pens.
What would your one wish be? Or would it depend on the circumstances?
The Subtle Knife is a great one. I’ve thought about how powerful that thing really is.
Most useful weapon? I love the magic lamp idea
I’m still grooving on the Gerard Butler thing. Totally blocked me on anything else.
Gerard Butler, David Tennant, MacGyver Richard Dean Anderson, so many choices. That would be nice!
Wait…Richard Dean Anderson, or Richard Dean Anderson as MacGyver? Because he would also come in handy if I ever needed to build an airship out of plastic bags.