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Post by frankthetriviaman on May 26, 2018 14:54:34 GMT -5
Hello everyone; today we are looking back at the villains of LM and seeing how they stack against each other. For this list, we are looking at individuals and organizations that have gone up against our detectives, and ranking them based on three key factors:
1) How memorable they are
2) How much of a threat they are to the hero
3) the impact left on our hero
Let's get started
#15- The Man, Literary Mosaic 8
Starting this list, we begin with the villain that wants more than anything to kill Hartley... "The Man." Though the story seems to indicate he has a desire to punish those the police cannot capture, he was overall a very underdeveloped and underwhelming villain. With almost no character development, and his confrontation with Hartley ending rather anticlimactically, with The Man being shot four times and stumbling out of Gunnarson's apartment, he left no impact on our hero and compared to the main rogue's gallery, his role in the story was vastly overshadowed. The fact that he retreated after he was shot calls to question how committed he is to his goals.
Though his return has been declared for LM 20, his abrupt departure and arrival between the volumes, with no build up, makes his return not one to be anticipated. Although it has been stated The Man will get a big reveal, the lack of a build up does not "make it work" in the big picture.
Memorable - 1/5 Threat - 0/5 Impact- 1/5
Score: 2/15
Frank's thoughts: Hands down, the weakest villain to date. Though a motive was hinted at in LM 8, his lack of development and characterization and weak motives (*cough cough, retreated like a coward cough cough*) make him just so... uninteresting. It was the Rippers that really got me excited in this book, and if anyone Lord Bury should be the main villain of LM 20, with The Man's plot for another book.
Toz's thoughts: The biggest problem I have with the Man is that he was introduced too early. Maybe he will turn out to be important, complex, and menacing, but he was introduced in an already overcomplicated narrative with no clear purpose. If he had at least been introduced in, say, 11, I would have liked him more. That said, I don't want to write him off just yet. Let's see what Eyes has planned.
Tug's thoughts: I don't like him. He seems pointless in the grand scheme of things and barely has done anything of value, He honestly brings down the character found in and between Hartley and Cricket.
Eyes's Thoughts: My favorite LM character. I'm quite proud of his creation but I certainly messed up his introduction. Hopefully I can iron him out in future.
#14- The Black Scorpion, Literary Mosaic 6 and Literary Mosaic 8
Introduced as one of "the largest criminal organizations in London" The Black Scorpion was hinted at as having many plans that would have rocked London to the core. Lead by a mysterious "big boss" they were set to be a rather large threat to Gunnarson. But they were rather anticlimactically defeated in a massive arrest of their leaders at a hotel.
They got a little vindication in Literary Mosaic 8 though, when they were the ones who broke Dr. Drugg out of prison, catapulting the events of the whole novel into place. But even then, they contributed little to the story; by the end the leadership is murdered by the Blade Syndicate and Irish Mob, as are the lower ranked individuals who rescued Drugg.
While they could have been memorable and a substantial threat to Gunnarson, ultimately they were overshadowed by the usual rogues gallery.
Memorable- 2/5 Threat- 1/5 Impact-1/5
Score: 4/15
Frank's thoughts: I think that a lot of potential went unused here. LM 6's rather anti-climactic end however, killed any chance of having the organization properly do anything. Given only two book appearances, its pretty understandable why the only thing they are ultimately remembered for is breaking Drugg out of prison
Toz's thoughts: Honestly, I dislike them more than The Man, due to their wasted potential. They were a big crime syndicate, built up as a huge threat... and they died offscreen. LM8 could have redeemed them, but in an already crowded story, couldn't. About the only thing I like about them is the power vacuum that the Rippers and Blade's Gang filled, but more on them later.
Tug's thoughts: For what was set to be the next great criminal group of Literary Mosaic, they had an anti-climatic downfall and even the next time they appeared was just as uninteresting as the first go around, and all for a Star Wars joke no less...
Eyes's Thoughts: I dunno, they appeared and disappeared quite fast.
#13- Gunnarson Impostor, Literary Mosaic 10
In a twist no one saw coming, the Gunnarson we were following throughout most of the novel was in fact an impostor. Though his motives seemed to be a bit muddled and he never directly confronted Gunnarson, the memorability of the twist alone makes him stand out, even if he unfortunately killed himself before a motive could be determined.
Memorable- 3/5 Threat- 1/5 Impact- 1/5
Score: 5/15
Frank's thoughts: In hindsight, perhaps his suicide was a bad idea on my part. Though I will be honest- I only did that because I couldn't think of a motive. I suppose it works in context, but perhaps I should have developed him a bit more.
Toz's thoughts: This one is my doing, and at the time, people loved the twist. In retrospect, though, it wasn't even the first "double" twist in LM, and the execution could have been better. I am not a fan, to be honest, although it still holds up okay.
Tug's thoughts: I honestly barely remember The Tables Turn and out of all the Mosaic stories, it had the most uninteresting main plot, hell I remember the restraining order subplot from the book more than I do Gunnarson's trial.
Eyes's Thoughts: I still love this twist. Toz is a genius and he made it work. The character? Not so much, but he was utilized quite nicely for it.
#12- James Hartley, literary Mosaic 1
Next on the countdown, we go to the beginning. Though the ending of this novel was somewhat confusing... given the three separate endings and ambiguous motives, the twist that the writer of the story turned out to be the prime suspect for Gunnarson was actually rather unexpected, and for a first novel, quite memorable. The only reason Hartley isn't higher on this list is because he isn't truly a villain and the impact left on Gunnarson wasn't as great compared to other villains
Memorable- 2/5 Threat- 1/5 Impact- 2/5
Score: 5/15
Frank's thoughts: A memorable twist, but beyond that there is little to say about "villain" Hartley. In fact, if we go by the canon ending (the last one written), Hartley wasn't even a villain all together, it was more a misunderstanding than anything else.
Toz's thoughts: The "twist" in LM1 is so stupid. I hate it. It makes no sense, the narrator being evil. Especially since LM5 undid it. Hands-down, the worst to date.
Tug's thoughts: Seemed to only have been designated the villain for the twist or shock value, brings down the overall good story that was Murder of the Doctor, for a first outing at least. This twist was one of the many reasons why The Past Never Truly Dies became so complicated.
Eyes's Thoughts: What is he even doing in the list? Nonsense.
#11- The Ellis Siblings, Literary Mosaic 7
The Butler and Housekeeper to Dr. James Walker, in a simple murder mystery that took inspiration from Clue, it was revealed that they killed their employer out of resentment for being paid poverty wages for the amount of work they do. Although they were memorable as villains they are not higher on this list because they were not a threat to Gunnarson, and compared to other villains they left little to no impact on the Swede himself.
Memorable- 3/5 Threat- 1/5 Impact- 1/5
Score: 5/15
Frank's thoughts: The original ending missed the point of this book entirely; so it was a relief to find out in LM 11 that the second ending was the canon ending after all. Granted, not the biggest threats to Gunnarson, but they were memorable nonetheless.
Toz's thoughts: Too many LM novels have been bogged down by a "twist" that makes no sense in context. LM7 is a good example in that I barely remember the actual ending because of the convoluted "first ending". No comment really.
Tug's thoughts: They made good villains for Tangled Webs as it was supposed to be a simple story based on the board game Clue, so I don't mind that they haven't left that great impact on the overall story.
Eyes's Thoughts: Eh.
#10- The Assassins, Literary Mosaic 13
Getting into our number 10 spot, the assassins were introduced as the last holdouts of an ever shrinking "business." As we find out in conversations from Gunnarson and Elvira, assassination in London has hit an all time low by the late 1940s. There are only two contractors who act as middlemen between the assassins and clients, Raleigh and Hughes. There are two bosses who employ and manage the assassins, Bennett and Carnegie. Finally there are five assassins, with Shakes, Lion and Ironside work Bennett and Rawhide and Juno working for Carnegie. At first introduced in passing by Gunnarson, they first appear in a meeting; Lord Bury having declared war on the Blade Syndicate and the assassins were his "insurance policy" in his fight against them. But in a twist that's almost too hard to believe, it is Elvira herself who is responsible for the attack that results in the capture of all nine, eventually leading to the climax.
Though definitely memorable, they are not higher on this list because despite being a substantial threat to Gunnarson, Stein and Marlena, by the time our heroes confronted them they were in bad shape, having lost an arm each and spending weeks slaving away in a mine. Their lack of characterization (I swear, that's on me, sorry guys) and minimal impact on the heroes due to them all being arrested or dead by the end of Nemesis lands them in this spot.
Memorable- 3/5 Threat- 2/5 Impact- 1/5
Score: 6/15
Frank's thoughts: In hindsight, I wish I developed them more when introduced. In the end, all were either arrested or dead by the end of the book, preventing them from any future character development. The return of Shakes and Lion in LM 14 however, does leave me interested for what toz has in mind for them
Toz's thoughts: Perhaps it's because it's more recent, but I have a soft spot for these ones, especially Shakes and Lion. There's a reason I brought them and McLean back in LM14, after all. I'm thinking about making them more comical recurring villains, a la "Bugs Meany" but a more LM tone.
Tug's thoughts: They haven't left quite an impact on me and seemed to be a means to an end, but I value where Toz intends to take them for the future.
Eyes's Thoughts: I stopped reading LM 13 because I got bored.
#9- Darcy Mclaughlin and Kate, Literary Mosaic 9
The villain of Stein's second novel and his sidekick, they made themselves infamous as the Dullahan and Banshee; demons of Irish mythology that preyed on English nationals. Stein's quick thinking saved him from death, but Darcy was not finished even after his arrest. Proclaiming that he was taking revenge against the British for what they did to Ireland, his final act of defiance is singing "A Nation Once Again" as he is hauled away to face trial in Ireland.
Though memorable and he did leave a little bit of a mark on Finn, his impact on Stein was minimal, and the threat was also not as high compared to the usual rogues' gallery. While he did kill several men before confronting Stein, the fact that ultimately he was defeated when Stein spooked his horse, throwing Darcy to the ground and making Kate break character, the lack of character development (again, on me) and minimal impact on Stein brings their score down.
Memorable- 3/5 Threat- 2/5 Impact- 1/5
Score: 6/15
Frank's thoughts: The epilogue has got to be my favorite part of the book. Even in defeat, Darcy's passion cannot be tamed and his final act of defiance, singing A Nation Once Again, is perfectly juxtaposed against Finn lamenting the situation when he sings Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye. Perhaps Kate could have been a bit more developed, but that is my only regret with these one-off villains.
Toz's thoughts: This is how you do a good twist. Linking them to the mob was a clever idea, and it led to one of the better LM endings. I usually dislike Stein novels for being too disconnected, so this one tied things together nicely for me and I wouldn't mind at least a cameo from these two in LM14.
Tug's thoughts: The Dullahan and the Banshee is one of my favorite Literary Mosaic stories, so while they may not be as important from here on out, I did value their mystery and maybe will revisit them one day, since they are quite a good pair.
Eyes's Thoughts: I loved LM9, don't remember the actual villains as well but it was a great little novella.
#8- Nigel Wolff, Literary Mosaic 4
The first Stein Novel villain, tug brilliantly introduced a criminal no one could have anticipated. Building off of the "Curse of the Wolff Family" that floated in the background of the story, Nigel Wolff was the estranged brother of Wilbur Wolff; a man who lived in solitude following the death of his wife and children in the Spanish Flue epidemic. He trained dogs to kill people and made for a very interesting villain. While memorable and definitely a threat to Stein and crew, ultimately he falls short on impact; unlike the Gunnarson Rogues' gallery he appeared only once and after his arrest left no impact of note on Stein. Tug mentions a desire to bring him back though, so be on the lookout for Nigel Wolff in a future volume
Memorable- 3/5 Threat 3/5 Impact 1/5
Score: 7/15
Frank's thoughts: Tug's first time as "in control" of the story really paid off; the villain, despite only directly appearing briefly at the end, he proved to be quite the memorable villain. To be honest, I am surprised he is returning, given that he was originally intended as a one-off villain.
Toz's thoughts: I... don't care? He has a cool gimmick, sure, but bringing him back over Kate and Darcy seems odd to me. However, I am curious what Tug has planned, so I'll reserve judgement.
Tug's thoughts: Mr. Wolff holds a sweet spot for me since his whole concept stems from my love of the Holmes' story "The Hound of the Baskervilles" so when I say the Blizzard of the Forgotten setup I couldn't resist. I plan to bring him back in the future for entirely selfish reasons, so I hope when I do and can showcase my strange love for Wolff in greater detail for others to understand.
Eyes's Thoughts: LM4 is a classic. Sometimes villains aren't as outstanding as the stories they came from and this applies to Wolff and so many others of ours. So... yeah. Good.
#7- Franz Gelb, Literary Mosaic 2, Literary Mosaic 5
The man who killed Walter Farley, or did he? Though the evidence was strong against him, Gunnarson insisted that the murderer was Elvira Revinev, the infamous assassin. Gelb was grateful to Gunnarson and became a free man... or did he?
Enter Crown Prosecutor Henry Taylor; he didn't buy Gunnarson's story for a second, and ultimately decided that Gelb would be the one prosecuted for the murder.
Despite getting little character development, Gelb ultimately becomes quite the memorable character, for being the first "real" villain Gunnarson faces in the Literary Mosaic Universe and for his personal twist... that he killed Farley out of what he sees as self-defense, and that ultimately he was getting a harsh prison sentence not for his murder, but for being a German-born Englishman in World War II England. He is memorable and left a small impact on Gunnarson, but ultimately he wasn't that much of a threat, bringing him only to number seven on this list.
Memorable- 4/5 Threat- 1/5 Impact- 2/5
Score: 7/15
Frank's thoughts: The Elvira twist in assassin came off as rather... forced, to say the least. So Franz Gelb's return in LM 5 helped close a lot of loose ends and even set the record straight. He won't be returning, but his two stories I feel were enough to tell his story.
Toz's thoughts: The convoluted endings of LM2 and LM5 made me almost forget who he is. While he had potential, I feel like he was ultimately underwhelming.
Tug's thoughts: Assassin is probably the weakest Literary Mosaic story, so I really did not care for Gelb whatsoever, but I'll give the Past Never Truly Dies helped his character a bit... But not by much.
Eyes's Thoughts: I don't care about him whatsoever.
#6- Terry Mason, Literary Mosaic 10
The defense attorney Gunnarson hires turns out to have quite the conflict of interest. Revealed to be in league with the Gunnarson impostor, Mason's true goals were... confusing, to say the least. Did he want to exonerate "Gunnarson" and make a name for himself, despite showing obvious incompetence during the trial? Or did he want to have Gunnarson convicted for unspecified reasons? Ultimately, we never learned the motives involved, but his memorable "betrayal" and the impact he had on Gunnarson is all too present.
Memorable- 3/5 Threat- 2/5 Impact- 3/5
Score: 8/15
Frank's thoughts: I think him as a villain happened purely by accident; had the twist of the notes being stolen not taken place, chances are he would have just been the lawyer, nothing else. Although there are no plans for him to return, his one appearance was satisfactory, in my eyes.
Toz's thoughts: This is another character that should have been developed more. Quite frankly, all I remember about him is Frank being excited because he was based on a television lawyer. I even forgot he was the villain! This novel needs reworking and he needs a motive.
Tug's thoughts: See my thoughts on Gunnarson's impostor to get the idea of my thoughts on Mr. Mason.
Eyes's Thoughts: I didn't even remember him... oh now I do. He was a villain? Oh...
#5- Ripper Underground, Literary Mosaic 8, Literary Mosaic 13
There's no denying it- the beginning of Literary Mosaic 8 was a mess with no defined direction. So when tug took the reins and introduced Lord Bury and the Ripper Underground in the last third of the story, he hinted that something big was going to happen down the line. The Rippers, while not as established as the main rogue's gallery, proved that they were no joke- killing four members' of the Blade Syndicate and revealing that Lord Bury intended to unite all crime under his umbrella. Though memorable and quite the threat, they ultimately only get to number five for the simple reason that to date, they have not confronted our heroes directly and thus fall short.
Memorable- 4/5 Threat- 4/5 Impact- 1/5
Score- 9/15
Frank's thoughts: They have so much potential and I love what Tug has in store for them. Once Blade has his last stand, they will do excellent for the next generation of our "rogues' gallery"
Toz's thoughts: Unpopular Opinion: I'm not a fan. With Drugg, Blade, the Mob, Gunnarson, Walton, and The Man, LM8 was already too crowded, but what makes it worse is how little impact they've had since. My personal head-canon is that the Blade Syndicate kept them down for a while, and after their collapse Bury will actually do something. Soon.
Tug's thoughts: I love the Rippers, mostly due to the behind the scenes work I'm doing on them with Frank, but as they stand right now they look no better than the Black Scorpion. Though I promise much work is going into them, as of now, with the exception of Bury, they are quite underwhelming...
Eyes's Thoughts: Nice.
#4- Elvira Revinev, Literary Mosaic 2, Literary Mosaic 5, Literary Mosaic 8, Literary Mosaic 13
The first, and to date only major female villain in Literary Mosaic's story universe, Elvira Revinev had a bit of a rocky start- showing little character development and her arrest at the end was rather confusing; how was she convinced to come to Gunnarson's apartment and why didn't she just kill everyone and escape again? Later explained that she was mentally traumatized by extreme survivor's guilt following the sinking of the SS Caledonia when she failed to board it, she was committed to Broadmoor Hospital in Literary Mosaic Five. Despite a brief escape, she ultimately proved to be nothing more than a puppet for Dr. Drugg and was defeated when Blade hit her over the head with a pipe. She was subsequently recaptured and brought back to Broadmoor.
By Literary Mosaic 8 she is still in Broadmoor; and despite a murder attempt by the surviving members of The Black Scorpion, she was rescued by Blade and teamed up with the Irish Mob and Blade Syndicate to fight the Ripper Underground. Dr. Drugg nearly killed her, failing only because he mixed up a powerful poison cocktail with a mild sedative.
It is not until Literary Mosaic 13 where we finally see her develop as a character; her internal conflict of being an assassin trained to see human life as a commodity and her new role in the now no-kill Blade Syndicate creating tension and an internal struggle for her. Eventually, she does escape capture from the Authorities; and along with Ruocco starts a new life in Egypt, leaving her criminal past behind and living the rest of her days in peace.
A substantial threat and quite a memorable character, compared to the rest of the Rogue's gallery she had the least impact on Gunnarson, because despite all her appearances, she only directly interacted with him in Literary Mosaic 2, and even then their interaction was limited and lacked character development.
Memorable- 5/5 Threat- 4/5 Impact- 2/5
Score: 11/15
Frank's thoughts: I planned on killer her off in LM 8 because I felt her story was complete and there was no need to force it along further. So her "revival" took me by surprise. That being said, I enjoyed her appearance in LM 13 because it gave her much needed character development, whereas in the first two appearances she was just "there." Overall, a memorable villain, even if her impact was small
Toz's thoughts: I've always thought she was one of Eyes' best creations, and her introduction was what got me interested both in LM and in making a Rogues' Gallery. Though her motives were inconsistent in LM2, becoming a puppet of Drugg's in LM5 and 8 gave her some staying power. Once her interactions with Blade's gang had been established, however, I took pity on her, and decided to make her part of Blade's Gang in LM 13. Around that time, Frank introduced the other assassins, giving me the hook to give her some development based on her trauma and her violent past. My only regret is her love affair with Ruocco. While it was meant to show how she had regained her humanity, the lack of focus on it made it feel tacked on and unnecessary, and something I'd want to expand in the rewrite.
Tug's thoughts: I really don't know how I feel about Elvira. I had fun with her in the beginning of Assassin but after that ending, her character went off the rails for me. Toz tried to salvage her with the Blade Syndicate, which worked for the most part, wasn't a big fan of the romance, but I do think she earned her place as a member of the original Rogues' Galley.
Eyes's Thoughts: I always liked Elvira and I'm glad Toz gave her some new life. Should be higher IMO. Oh wait...
#3- Irish Mob, Literary Mosaic 3, Literary Mosaic 5, Literary Mosaic 8, Literary Mosaic 13
We're getting into the big hitters now. Elvira may have been just as big a member of the main rogues' gallery, but the other three had a substantially larger impact by comparison. When we first met the mob in Literary Mosaic 3, no one could have expected what was to follow. In a chaotic shootout with the Home Guard, they managed to make off with much of the weapons stored under the Gadfrey home and leave a trail of destruction close behind. When they confronted Gunnarson in Literary Mosaic 5, they actually almost succeeded in killing the Swede; throwing him off the deck of a ship with the intent to drown him. Though Gunnarson survived, it would be wrong to say he got away unscathed. Despite not directly confronting Gunnarson in Literary Mosaic 8 or 13, they still made their impact, delivering a hard blow against the Ripper Underground and Blade Syndicate, respectively, before being forced to pull out.
They were memorable, a threat to Gunnarson and they left an impact on the Swede. Why aren't they higher, you ask? Despite numerous members being named or mentioned, only a handful have received significant development, like Finn and O'Connor, and although they are no joke, the "mobster" type villain is one that is quite frequently visited in this genre. Though Finn's reveal to be a mole in the organization is a unique twist and the mob's final bow in Literary Mosaic 14 is sure to be their most memorable appearance yet.
Memorable- 5/5 Threat- 4/5 Impact- 3/5
Score: 12/15
Frank's thoughts: Though they often were forced to share the spotlight with the Blade Syndicate, Tug brilliant executes the "mobster" villain archetype with the Irish mob. And though they will have their final bow in LM 14, they will remain a favorite of mine from the rogues' gallery. And this isn't the end of the story for Finn, rest assured; we'll be seeing him again sooner than you think.
Toz's thoughts:
Tug's thoughts: Currently my pride in Literary Mosaic, I quite enjoy writing for these crazy bastards. Out of the original Rogues' Gallery, I think they brought a different flair to Gunnarson's enemies besides to typical mad doctor, assassin, and one arm removers. I will admit, besides Finnegan and O'Connor, the mob did not receive much development, I hope to improve upon that aspect with my planned future development for the Ripper Underground, since the Mob's creation was quite honestly spur of the moment.
Eyes's Thoughts: Never cared for them much, but they're okay.
#2- Dr. Gunther Drugg, Literary Mosaic 5, Literary Mosaic 8
Arguably Gunnarson's greatest enemy to date, Dr. Gunther Drugg is a villain that is almost unstoppable by traditional means. To call him a "genius" is an understatement; he is a prodigy with complete mastery of chemistry, biology, biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology and other related fields. His total understanding of the human body and how it interacts with certain compounds allows him to create numerous "cocktails;" mixtures of drugs and other chemicals that can make a person do anything from fall into a coma for a predetermined period of time, to entering a state where they are extremely vulnerable to suggestion, i.e. a more practical form of hypnosis. He successfully drugs Elvira to do his bidding, and almost kills Gent and Gunnarson. But he was stopped and arrested. By the time of his reappearance in Literary Mosaic 8, it was clear how coveted a man he was, given that it was Lord Bury who directed the surviving Black Scorpion Members to break Drugg out of prison. Drugg's death at the hands of Gent and the subsequent destruction of his notes brought an end to his reign of terror... the last legacy of Drugg being a coded, incomplete copy of his notes which will also soon be destroyed.
So for such an important villain, why only two appearances before his death? As brilliant as he was, he was a one-note villain with a single shtick: drugs. He was killed and his notes destroyed for a simple reason- to prevent the same story and plot element from being used over and over again, and encourage more original villains in future volumes. To be honest, the third epilogue in Literary Mosaic 8 is unnecessary; there is no need to continue Drugg's story in any form; his story is complete and there is no need to force it along any further now that he is dead.
So what prevents him from being he number one villain? Two key factors. Although very memorable and a large threat, the impact left on the story was mitigated by two key factors: with our hero (Gunnarson) crippled in the hospital, he was killed by Gent, who at best is a supporting character. Furthermore, his impact on Gunnarson perhaps was not brought to its full potential. While it is true that Gunnarson nearly committed suicide because of Drugg, and Drugg very nearly had Gunnarson shot by a police officer, his lack of interaction with Gunnarson in LM 8 lowers his impact score. Finally, throughout Literary Mosaic his actions only affected a few individuals. The #1 villain left a far larger impact by comparison
Memorable- 5/5 Threat- 5/5 Impact- 3/5
Score: 13/15
Frank's thoughts: That's right; I killed him off. Despite his popularity and him being the "Moriarty" of Gunnarson villains, in the end he was a one-note villain who, if appeared again, it would just be the same story over again. It frustrates me that we have to deal with an incomplete, coded copy of Drugg's notes in a future volume. Drugg had two great story appearances, and I would rather leave it at that. And his drugs, I did not want to become an over-relied on plot device. So in the end, I decided to give him the send off he deserved- a death at the hands of an important character, and the destruction of his notes, so we would not be burdened by them. The destruction of the copy though, will be the end of Drugg's legacy, and the completion of his story, I assure you.
Toz's thoughts:
Tug's thoughts:
Eyes's Thoughts: Eh... he amounted to little. Disappointing.
Before we get to the number one spot, here's an...
Honorable Mention- Cricket, Literary Mosaic 11
It's no secret that Cricket is the least popular character among the collective writers; a dimensionless character who has contributed nothing meaningful to the story, she is the archetypal "forced love interest" character. So it was really refreshing in Literary Mosaic 11 when tug pulled off one of the most brilliant twists in Literary Mosaic to date- the major's murderer was in fact Cricket, and she only killed him because she was trying to kill Gunnarson. It was almost too perfect; Cricket revealed in detail that she had been trying to kill Gunnarson from the beginning and that she only was in a relationship with Hartley to use as a stepping stone to get to Gunnarson. She even reveals that several things that didn't quite add up in Literary Mosaic 8 were because she was an assassin. ("Seriously, did you honestly believe an angry father would forgive THAT easily and take away a restraining order that quickly? He was a hired thug pretending to be my father!"). This super memorable twist of a villain that was a major threat to Gunnarson left a great impact on both our hero and Hartley... it's only unfortunate that it was rendered non-canon.
Memorable- 5/5 Threat- 5/5 Impact- 4/5
Score: 14/15
Frank's thoughts: In all honesty, this ending should have remained canon. Cricket was better as a villain than a love interest, and the twist was so brilliant. It also kinda hurts that, the follow up post I did, that I worked so hard to make powerful, poignant and meaningful, was ultimately rendered meaningless by the "dream." The fact that it helped account for several holes from LM 8 also helped strengthen the ending by far, and made Cricket all the more memorable. By far, one of the most memorable villains to date.
Toz's thoughts:
Tug's thoughts:
Eyes's Thoughts:
And now...
#1- Blade Syndicate, Literary Mosaic 3, Literary Mosaic 5, Literary Mosaic 8, Literary Mosaic 13
It doesn't get much better than the Blade Syndicate. Introduced in Literary Mosaic 3, Lionel Kenneth, AKA Blade, leads a 15 member syndicate with one goal in mind: to obtain the Gadfrey Emeralds and become the top of the food chain in the London criminal underground. They get their emeralds, but at a great cost when most of the syndicate is arrested. The surviving members appear in Literary Mosaic 5 working with Drugg, and though most are taken down by a brainwashed Elvira, Blade shows he is no pushover when he is the one who knocks her out. Forced into hiding again by the end of the story, they reappear in Literary Mosaic 8, breaking out the rest of the syndicate and working with the Irish Mob to get revenge on Dr. Drugg. Clearly more skilled than average mobsters, though not quite as skilled as Elvira the assassin, Blade's syndicate infiltrates a prison and overnight slaughters The Black Scorpion leadership and major members before going after Drugg and the Ripper Underground. They then turn on the mob and have several of their members arrested and turn them over to Gunnarson, on the condition that he let Blade and his men go free. Blade shows a complex character here; by the time Literary Mosaic 13 rolls around, the Syndicate reaches its peak; taking over an abandoned mine in Scotland, Blade's main crew recruits Elvira to their cause, captures all nine members of the assassination "business" in London, and now having an army of "grunts" under their command. Dozens, if not hundreds or even thousands of criminals, from petty thugs to major arms dealers, each lose an arm and are forced to labor in Blade's mine, a fate worse than death.
Literary Mosaic 13 was also the end of the golden age for Blade; by the end of the story his mine is compromised and his syndicate wiped out. The only men left under him are Mueller and Byrne. Despite this heavy loss, Blade is not done yet, and his last bow in Literary Mosaic 18 will be an adventure not to be forgotten.
Memorable- 5/5 Threat- 5/5 Impact- 5/5
Score: 15/15
Frank's thoughts: I wasn't sure what toz had in mind for them when introduced... but by LM 13 it was clear that he had done something brilliant. As tempted as I was to give Dr. Drugg the top spot, ultimately, based on the matrix given, I had to go with Blade. Though his final bow will be in LM 18, he will go down as one of, nay, the best villain of Literary Mosaic. He was memorable, a true threat to Gunnarson, (and even Stein and Marlena), and left a heavy impact not just on our heroes, but the Literary Mosaic canon as a whole.
Toz's thoughts:
Tug's thoughts:
Eyes's Thoughts: Okay, I get how they got so high. Don't care for them, but don't dislike them either. I approve of the number 1 choice overall.
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Post by Toz76 on May 28, 2018 13:54:10 GMT -5
Toz's thoughts on: The Man- The biggest problem I have with the Man is that he was introduced too early. Maybe he will turn out to be important, complex, and menacing, but he was introduced in an already overcomplicated narrative with no clear purpose. If he had at least been introduced in, say, 11, I would have liked him more. That said, I don't want to write him off just yet. Let's see what Eyes has planned. The Black Scorpion- Honestly, I dislike them more than The Man, due to their wasted potential. They were a big crime syndicate, built up as a huge threat... and they died offscreen. LM8 could have redeemed them, but in an already crowded story, couldn't. About the only thing I like about them is the power vacuum that the Rippers and Blade's Gang filled, but more on them later. Gunnarson Impostor- This one is my doing, and at the time, people loved the twist. In retrospect, though, it wasn't even the first "double" twist in LM, and the execution could have been better. I am not a fan, to be honest, although it still holds up okay. James Hartley- The "twist" in LM1 is so stupid. I hate it. It makes no sense, the narrator being evil. Especially since LM5 undid it. Hands-down, the worst to date. The Ellis Siblings- Too many LM novels have been bogged down by a "twist" that makes no sense in context. LM7 is a good example in that I barely remember the actual ending because of the convoluted "first ending". No comment really. The Assassins- Perhaps it's because it's more recent, but I have a soft spot for these ones, especially Shakes and Lion. There's a reason I brought them and McLean back in LM14, after all. I'm thinking about making them more comical recurring villians, a la "Bugs Meany" but a more LM tone. Darcy and Kate- This is how you do a good twist. Linking them to the mob was a clever idea, and it led to one of the better LM endings. I usually dislike Stein novels for being too disconnected, so this one tied things together nicely for me and I wouldn't mind at least a cameo from these two in LM14. Nigel Wolff- I... don't care? He has a cool gimmick, sure, but bringing him back over Kate and Darcy seems odd to me. However, I am curious what Tug has planned, so I'll reserve judgement. Franz Gelb- The convoluted endings of LM2 and LM5 made me almost forget who he is. While he had potential, I feel like he was ultimately underwhelming. Terry Mason- This is another character that should have been developed more. Quite frankly, all I remember about him is Frank being excited because he was based on a real lawyer. I even forgot he was the villain! This novel needs reworking and he needs a motive. Ripper Underground- Unpopular Opinion: I'm not a fan. With Drugg, Blade, the Mob, Gunnarson, Walton, and The Man, LM8 was already too crowded, but what makes it worse is how little impact they've had since. My personal headcanon is that the Blade Syndicate kept them down for a while, and after their collapse Bury will actually do something. Soon. Elvira- I've always thought she was one of Eyes' best creations, and her introduction was what got me interested both in LM and in making a Rogues' Gallery. Though her motives were inconsistent in LM2, becoming a puppet of Drugg's in LM5 and 8 gave her some staying power. Once her interactions with Blade's gang had been established, however, I took pity on her, and decided to make her part of Blade's Gang in LM13. Around that time, Frank introduced the other assassins, giving me the hook to give her some development based on her trauma and her violent past. My only regret is her love affair with Ruocco. While it was meant to show how she had regained her humanity, the lack of focus on it made it feel tacked on and unnecessary, and something I'd want to expand in the rewrite.
I'll tackle the last few later.
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Post by Tug on May 30, 2018 0:51:25 GMT -5
My Thoughts:
The Man - I don't like him. He seems pointless in the grand scheme of things and barely has done anything of value, He honestly brings down the character found in and between Hartley and Cricket.
Black Scorpion - For what was set to be the next great criminal group of Literary Mosaic, they had an anti-climatic downfall and even the next time they appeared was just as uninteresting as the first go around, and all for a Star Wars joke no less...
Gunnarson Impostor - I honestly barely remember The Tables Turn and out of all the Mosaic stories, it had the most uninteresting main plot, hell I remember the restraining order subplot from the book more than I do Gunnarson's trial.
James Hartley - Seemed to only have been designated the villain for the twist or shock value, brings down the overall good story that was Murder of the Doctor, for a first outing at least. This twist was one of the many reasons why The Past Never Truly Dies became so complicated.
Ellis Siblings - They made good villains for Tangled Webs as it was supposed to be a simple story based on the board game clue, so I don't mind that they haven't left that great impact on the overall story.
The Assassins - They haven't left quite an impact on me and seemed to be a means to an end, but I value where Toz intends to take them for the future.
Darcy and Kate - The Dullahan and the Banshee is one of my favorite Literary Mosaic stories, so while they may not be as important from here on out, I did value their mystery and maybe will revisit them one day, since they are quite a good pair.
Nigel Wolff - Mr. Wolff holds a sweet spot for me since his whole concept stems from my love of the Holmes' story "The Hound of the Baskervilles" so when I say the Blizzard of the Forgotten setup I couldn't resist. I plan to bring him back in the future for entirely selfish reasons, so I hope when I do and can showcase my strange love for Wolff in greater detail for others to understand.
Franz Gelb - Assassin is probably the weakest Literary Mosaic story, so I really did not care for Gelb whatsoever, but I'll give the Past Never Truly Dies helped his character a bit... But not by much.
Terry Mason - See my thoughts on Gunnarson's imposter to get the idea of my thoughts on Mr. Mason.
Ripper Underground - I love the Rippers, mostly due to the behind the scenes work I'm doing on them with Frank, but as they stand right now they look no better than the Black Scorpion. Though I promise much work is going into them, as of now, with the exception of Bury, they are quite underwhelming...
Elvira - I really don't know how I feel about Elvira. I had fun with her in the beginning of Assassin but after that ending, her character went off the rails for me. Toz tried to salvage her with the Blade Syndicate, which worked for the most part, wasn't a big fan of the romance, but I do think she earned her place as a member of the original Rogues' Galley.
Irish Mob - Currently my pride in Literary Mosaic, I quite enjoy writing for these crazy bastards. Out of the original Rogues' Gallery, I think they brought a different flair to Gunnarson's enemies besides to typical mad doctor, assassin, and one arm removers. I will admit, besides Finnegan and O'Connor, the mob did not receive much development, I hope to improve upon that aspect with my planned future development for the Ripper Underground, since the Mob's creation was quite honestly spur of the moment. Drugg -
Cricket -
Blade Syndicate -
(Will finish the last three when I get my thoughts in order)
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jun 15, 2018 1:40:42 GMT -5
So, in keeping with the direction of this being a creative writing forum now, here's a new series of sorts for the blog.
............
THE WRITER'S PERSPECTIVE
PART ONE: INTRODUCTION
A while back, it was decided that this forum would be taking the direction of a creative writing focused forum, rather than a Thomas the Tank Engine focused forum. As part of this new direction, the blog will now host a new series. The Writer's Perspective will help shed insight into the creative process and what goes into writing a story, from the perspective of one of the writers himself. (Why am I writing in third person?). Join me, Frankthetriviaman, as I pull back the curtain and talk about what it's like, putting words to sentences, and sentences to paragraphs, as we bring worlds to life through creative writing. From the tools of the writer's arsenal, to a behind the scenes look at some of our favorite stories, it's one thing to read about them in the context of a story, and now we'll shed some light on them from a different angle... that of the writer's perspective.
So what exactly will this series entail? With every post, I will tackle an aspect of writing, and talk about it so as to shed some insight into the writing process. Anything is up for discussion in The Writer's Perspective; in some posts, I will talk about an aspect of the creative process. In others, I will tackle tropes and other writing tools. It is all for one purpose: to share thoughts on how story writing works from The Writer's Perspective, rather than from that of a critic or a reader.
Here is a taste of what is to come in future entries:
.The creative process at work: Join me as I take you on a behind the scenes look at how, as a writer, I create a story
.How to World-build: Many of our stories share a common canon. How does one build the world in which these stories exist?
.To Trope or not To Trope: Tropes are all too common in the written media, and all other forms. Is it better to accept and use them, or try to avoid them? Join me as I try to answer that question.
.Acknowledging your Flaws: Though I am quite proud of the work I do around here, even I must admit that my writing does have its flaws. Join me as I don't hold anything back and openly admit that despite what I can do, there are also things I am not so good at.
.Literary Mosaic- Behind the Scenes: It is one of our longest running and most established series on the forum. Join me as I take you beyond the written words and into the process that has gone into creating the Literary Mosaic Canon.
.Why the "Dream Twist" Should be Discouraged- There are several tropes I am not a fan of; here, I break down why the Dream Twist is one that should be avoided in stories.
Small sample of tropes to be discussed in future posts:
Deus Ex Machina
Anti-Climax
Stormtrooper Effect
Even Evil Has Standards
... and don't forget all the multitudes of character archetypes. Stay tuned, for we will soon see all of these from The Writer's Perspective.
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