Through The Wind Door

The Wise Man and the Fool - Part 4 (Tiger’s Eye)

"...this is not the first time that we will see someone react harshly to what they percieve as a calamitous threat. Someone far more sympathetic, someone that has lots of evidence to hand as to how things could turn out if not addressed. In the case of Hakka, the situation is framed very differently, and his story comes back to us now at the end to give us context to make us sympathetic to his journey. For those of you that haven't read the other books of New Century, you'll have to imagine what it's like on the other foot. When we have a clear protagonist having these kinds of conflicts with other protagonists. Indeed, you already got a little taste of it back in Secret Rooms. Where Annie encouraged Abigail towards empathy in regards to other humans, and Frank had to talk James down when the doctor claimed that they might not be treating the *wendigo* with empathy. So keep all of that in the back of your mind when we move on to Arlington and other future books."

Part 4 of our analysis of the final chapters of Tiger's Eye, and what it has to say about Hakka's journey.

We stop talking about Yesterday and start discussing Today. Seeing Durga tribe  from Haka's perspective, discuss what Hakka might be like as a teacher and his understanding of his student. We dig deep on how Hakka feels about everything, how his anger and desperation grows as the events unfold, and his interaction with The Silent One as one firetalker encounters another, and they test each other. 

We come close to the end, of Hakka's journey as well as Hrao's and Miguel's, to be resolved... next time.

 

The New Century Multiverse Website:

https://www.newcenturymultiverse.com

The New Century Multiverse Podcast Feed:

https://newcenturyshow.podbean.com/

Fireside Alliance: https://firesidealliance.squarespace.com/

 

Intro is "The Legend of El Dorado" by Derek and Brandon Feitcher

Outro is "I Will Not Bow" by Breaking Benjamin

 

The Wise Man and the Fool - Part 3 (Tiger’s Eye)

"... okay, well, [Hakka and Hrao] are very much not aligned with one another. And yet, there is a familiarity there. And that just kind of gets the gears turning. But then, once the fight in the ruins happens, everything about the way Hakka speaks towards Hrao just feels exactly like an ex who still does care about you, but] is just so fundamentally not 'getting it'. The conversation on the surface is him trying to convey his goodwill towards her... it is very much a reminder of 'this is why we broke up'. It's kind of the energy of that fight scene."

Hope you love Hakka talk. Cause we gonna talk-a about Hakka.

This episode focuses of the revelation of Hrao and Hakka as mates. Both during their time together, and what it is for them now that they are apart with all of the baggage in play. How Hakka's insecurity and view of how the world should work spells doom for that relationship, and in the process, coming back to a serious discussion of how we relate to these stories and the people involved in their creation.

 

The New Century Multiverse Website:

https://www.newcenturymultiverse.com

The New Century Multiverse Podcast Feed:

https://newcenturyshow.podbean.com/

Fireside Alliance: https://firesidealliance.squarespace.com/

 

Intro is "The Legend of El Dorado" by Derek and Brandon Feitcher

Outro is "All Time Low" by Jon Bellion

New’s Of The Century: Stonespring Maidens

"The artist deals with what cannot be said in words. The artist whose medium is fiction does this *in words*. The novelist says in words what cannot be said in words." - Ursula LeGuin

In 16 days, it will be the anniversary of the first time Toby and I Skyped on the subject of New Century. One year of discussing our favorite series. And there's no better way to mark the occasion than a Non-Quick Review of book 10, Stonespring Maidens.

Our hearts are full, and we are overcome with this journey of creators and fans. This was amazing to record, and heart wrending to edit. We love you all. Here's to another year of the same.

 

Infographic - Where to Start?: http://tinyurl.com/ccyz42ny

 

The New Century Multiverse books and audio dramas can be found on:

https://www.newcenturymultiverse.com

 

Intro is "Humanity" by Scott Holmes of FMA

Outro is "The Power of Two" by Indigo Girls

The Wise Man and the Fool - Part 2 (Tiger’s Eye)

"...if we don't tell Hakka's story, then it fundamentally changes the story itself. Treating him only an an antagonist would be anathema to the nature of what Tiger's Eye is trying to do. And it needs to be here not just for those larger themes, but because his journey helps bring resolution to both Miguel's journey and Hrao's journey. And their journey's resolution to his."

Here, we start getting into the meat of our final chapters. What it means to go all the way back to the beginning with Hakka, what it means to suddenly flip the script and talk about Tiger's Eye's secret protagonist.

And we also start making our way through these defining moments of the young red tiger that would one day become a shaman. About learning the wrong lessons, or just finding your mentor lacking. 

 

To those of you that have not heard it: the Guardians of the Galaxy 2 speech referenced in the podcast: https://youtu.be/4U_2Qq-oLwk

Why No One Likes Ares: https://youtu.be/kfnc-iARu48

The Underworld/Death: https://youtu.be/Z4dAMMkqPoY

 

The New Century Multiverse Website:

https://www.newcenturymultiverse.com

The New Century Multiverse Podcast Feed:

https://newcenturyshow.podbean.com/

Fireside Alliance: https://firesidealliance.squarespace.com/

 

Intro is "The Legend of El Dorado" by Derek and Brandon Feitcher

Outro is "Breathe (2 AM)" by Anna Nalick

The Wise Man and the Fool - Part 1 (Tiger’s Eye)

"So much of New Century's fiction is the confrontation of big, frightening concepts. Things that will drive people into existencial depression.  But the author - and by extention, Hrao - looks at that and finds something that you can hold onto. Leon may well be a country with a lack of compassion. But there are still people within it that are willing to nurture hope."

And here is the beginning of the end. Part 1 of our look at chapters 21-25, though this one really only focuses on the first of these chapters. We make further commentary on what is going on inside Captain Queensbury's head as well as speculation on her future. We also dive deep into the dashing Quincy Matthews and the final communion between Hrao and Doctor Shera. Tying off the major events of the last several chapters... and gearing up for a Tomorrow... born of all of Hakka's Yesterdays.

 

The New Century Multiverse Website:

https://www.newcenturymultiverse.com

The New Century Multiverse Podcast Feed:

https://newcenturyshow.podbean.com/

Fireside Alliance: https://firesidealliance.squarespace.com/

 

Intro is "The Legend of El Dorado" by Derek and Brandon Feitcher

Outro is "16th Century Man" from The Road to Eldorado, by Elton John and Time Rice.

Unpathed Waters, Undreamed Shores - Part 3 (Tiger’s Eye)

"[Mohawk] has defined himself by his cruelty. And once his cruelty has been forcibly stopped and [the totems] he has stolen have been stripped away from him and given back to who it belongs to... what is Mohawk? In the end, we never know him by his true name. So, by the end of this, it's decided: 'We will not communicate with you. We are not going to suffer your presence any more, and we are denying you the spiritual close and the idea that you may come back in whatever form is next. Just go'. it is a complete disintegration of what Mohawk is and what he has done. In the end... Mohawk is nobody."

Part 3 of our look at... what was it? Chapters 16-20? Yes, those. Man, that was a lot of talking. looks ahead to the amount of talking on the final chapters 

...well.... shit. There's nothing for it, I suppose.

But in the meantime, enjoy our conversations on the fate of Mohawk, Captain Beatrix, Doctor Shera and our aboriginal cats. Our thoughts on the look into the hearts and minds of secondary characters, and how we feel about growth and second chances.

And prepare yourselves for what is coming next.

 

The New Century Multiverse Website:

https://www.newcenturymultiverse.com

The New Century Multiverse Podcast Feed:

https://newcenturyshow.podbean.com/

Fireside Alliance: https://firesidealliance.squarespace.com/

 

Intro is "The Legend of El Dorado" by Derek and Brandon Feitcher

Outro is "Colossus" by Afrocelt Soundsystem

Whitescarves Team-Up! #6, Pt. 2 - Spencer Leeb

"Hakka is ultimately- he's a kid. Like, in a way that a lot of adults secretly are. Especially at the age I kind of was when I was reading him. There's a lot of people who don't mature past a certain point, and fortunately got the opportunity to do so. But he- he very much thinks he's an adult. He thinks he's the shaman of the tribe. Much like Baltus: 'i'm this important pillar'. But the difference between him and Baltus is that Baltus believes that despite all the evidence to the contrary. Whereas Hakka is almost the other way around." - Spencer

Part 2 of our glorious interview with Spencer. But as per the in joke of this episode, I have only two words to describe it:

"Hoof hands."

Enjoy.

 

The New Century Multiverse books and audio dramas can be found on:

https://www.newcenturymultiverse.com

 

Intro is "The Avengers" by Alan Sylvestri

Outro is "Starlight Brigade" by TWNP ft. Dave Avidan

Whitescarves Team-Up! #6, Pt. 1 - Spencer Leeb

"With all loss, almost all grief, all pain... this isn't a question of if you can. It's whether you really think it's worth doing it. Because you will keep going. Almost whether you like it or not." - Spencer, talking about coping in the aftermath of tragedy and trauma.

This is the day you've waited for, where we finally interview the noteworthiest of Nags, Spencer Leeb.

As with all our other New Century voice actors, we grill him on his origins, and discover he has a performative past. We get in deep discussing his longest running character, Frank Butler, and discuss Spencer's tendencies towards playing various kinds of soldiers. Comparing and contrasting them all, especially those new audiences are most familiar with, Rafe and Butler.

We also get into the antagonistic Baltus, and have some deep, serious conversations about running themes within his characters. There's laughs and sobering seriousness. And that's only the beginning, with even more conversation hot on it's heels.

 

The New Century Multiverse books and audio dramas can be found on:

https://www.newcenturymultiverse.com

 

Intro is "The Avengers" by Alan Sylvestri

Outro is "Center Stage" by Indigo Girls

 

Unpathed Waters, Undreamed Shores- Part 2 (Tiger’s Eye)

...Mohawk took [Hrao's] agency... and this is the first concrete step to fucking taking it back. She will not let his actions define her.

 

Part of our discussion of Chapters 16-20, as we finally move away from the events of Chapter 16, and back to Miguel's narration. We discuss the difference in the capacity of for understanding the passage of time, because Miguel is used to thinking in discrete time units even if he cannot record them. And then we discuss the other weighty topic of these chapters: Miguel killing a lion in cold blood, and all the stuff that entails. How he reaches his lowest point, but has to come out the other side without time to properly come to terms with what he has done.

We also finally start to discuss one of the most heartwarming moments of the book, how it resonates even more in respect to the events a few chapters ago, and the unification of One Tribe accepting Miguel as one of them.

 

For those that make it to the outtakes: a picture of Toby and his hamster, Apple.

 

The New Century Multiverse Website:

https://www.newcenturymultiverse.com

The New Century Multiverse Podcast Feed:

https://newcenturyshow.podbean.com/

Fireside Alliance: https://firesidealliance.squarespace.com/

 

Intro is "The Legend of El Dorado" by Derek and Brandon Feitcher

Outro is "Together We Stand" by Scott Holmes of freemusicarchive.org

Unpathed Waters, Undreamed Shores - Part 1 (Tiger’s Eye)

The parts of Tiger’s Eye that the story focuses on and we tend to remember and value are the feelings of freedom and the vibrancy of this other world, and the uplifting connections between people who were previously disconnected and have every reason to be at odds with one another. This moment [Hrao's rape] is the antithesis of that, framing it as the darkest point of opposition against all that is valued and celebrated within this narrative.

Part 1 of our discussion on Tiger's Eye, chapters 16-20 (or 16-21 in the audiodrama). And this one is a doozy, discussing one of the hardest hitting moments in the New Century ouvre.

This episode focuses mostly on the events in chapter 16 itself. We talk about some of the elements of the chapter that hearkened back to other pieces of media like the 1977 miniseries "Roots" (remade more recently in 2016). And we also discuss how the central theme of communication is finally brought to focus now, during this dark hour. About how Hrao rises above despair and uses the knowlege that she has gained in order to rally the aboriginal cats, to the goal of One Tribe. But this conversation is bracketed by a discussion of rape in media, as this is one of the distinguishing events of this chapter.

Trigger Warning: For those to whom any discussion of rape might be triggering in any way, the timestamps to avoid such conversation is 24:24 to 1:05:55. (This means a bulk of the episode is verboten, but everyone needs to make their own call.)

We hope we have done our best to address such a serious subject, and that you are also able to come with us on this journey. But if not, less fraught fare will be available next week.

 

Roots - The Golden Cannon: https://youtu.be/fZWiEi1XBv8

Levar Burton's speech about the Roots remake: https://youtu.be/43F7BFETmyg

Anansi Tells A Story: https://youtu.be/BgOH-3vcWro

Why is it we made a joke about different versions of Tiger's Eye having different faces: https://tinyurl.com/y88m8ngf

 

The New Century Multiverse Website:

https://www.newcenturymultiverse.com

The New Century Multiverse Podcast Feed:

https://newcenturyshow.podbean.com/

Fireside Alliance: https://firesidealliance.squarespace.com/

 

Intro is "The Legend of El Dorado" by Derek and Brandon Feitcher

Outro is "Secure Yourself" by Indigo Girls