This is clearly a conspiracy

[rachelmanija]

I see that fantasy authors are still doing their damndest to gross me out. I never thought I'd say this, but I would have preferred vomit.

Poll #3362

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 79

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There is a reference to the "nether regions" of a dragon. The "nether regions" are the dragon's...

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Soft underbelly.
22 (28.6%)

Feet.
0 (0.0%)

Genitalia.
47 (61.0%)

Ass.
8 (10.4%)

Some other part, which I will name in comments.
0 (0.0%)

The context is that giant parasitic worms are sticking out of the "nether regions." NOW you think the "nether regions" are the dragon's...

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Soft underbelly.
10 (13.0%)

Feet.
0 (0.0%)

Genitalia.
9 (11.7%)

Ass.
57 (74.0%)

Some other part, which I will name in comments.
1 (1.3%)

I regret clicking on the link now.

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Yes.
5 (6.3%)

No.
7 (8.9%)

YES.
28 (35.4%)

Thank you for warning me about Robin Hobb's "Dragon Haven."
18 (22.8%)

Are you sure you didn't accidentally read "Touched by Venom?"
21 (26.6%)

Comments

[jonquil]

4. I HATE rachelmanija FOREVER.
[x] Yes.

[rachelmanija]

You were warned!

[kore]

THIS

[coraa]

EW.

Honestly, someone has to write like an angel and plot like a fiend to make me keep reading past "parasitic worms," unless it's non-sensationalized nonfiction, and even there it's a dubious sell with me.

[rachelmanija]

Only James Herriot can make me enjoy a story with the possibility of ass-worms.

(I am honestly not sure if that's what Hobb meant to imply, or not. It's pretty gross even with the "belly" reading.)

[inkstone]

O.o

[jinian.livejournal.com]

And I LIKE parasitology!

[buymeaclue]

I see no possible justification for parasitic ass-worms.

There may be in-story justification, but I find it inadequate without needing to know what it is!

[rachelmanija]

The in-story justification is that caring for the worm-infested dragons leads to some character development, and also for a character to get splattered with dragon blood, which has some spoilery properties. However...

1. The character have been caring for sickly dragons for the entire previous book, so the worms per se were unnecessary.

2. They are traveling in dangerous terrain, where a dragon could easily be bitten by an animal, cut by debris, etc, so parasitic worms are unnecessary to cause bleeding.

[cofax7]

This entire post is why I skipped every other chapter in Peeps.

[rachelmanija]

Me too! And I really liked the chapters I did read.

[quivo]

Man, I want to reread at some point, but I STILL have this thing for washing my hands for 10 minutes after I do everything just because of that book D:

[vehemently]

Aw, I ate that stuff right up. Especially the endnote section, where it's all just "And this thing can kill you THIS way! And don't ever pee in a river in Brazil!!"

I mean, also, in sexuality textbooks, I'm the one who opens the book to the STD pictures right off the bat.

[meara]

I put "ass" in the poll, but really I meant "assular region"--could encompass genitals, depending on, er, where dragon genitals are? "nether regions" is rather unspecific, and I would expect it to encompass a whole back area, as it were. And dragons being, in my mind, large, I'd expect that whole back area to be...large. And now I'm envisioning HUGE WAVING PARASITIC WORMS OUT A LARGE DRAGON'S ASS, TYVM.

[rachelmanija]

That is basically exactly what I pictured.

[snarp]

Robin Hobb is not invited to my birthday party.

[starlurker]

The pasta with pesto I'm making has taken on a new dimension.

[coraa]

Okay, I think you win my 'horribly vivid mental image' award for this poll!

[quivo]

Whyyyy

[sutlers]

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

*wheeze*

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[shati]

Well, er, at least it wasn't that Stephen King novel with the alien ass weasels?

I guess that's not the brightest of bright sides.

[tool-of-satan.livejournal.com]

I would have forgiven Robin Hobb everything if she had used the worms to set up the old tapeworm removal joke. Well, nearly everything. Nothing will induce me to buy the end of the Tawny Man trilogy.

My personal least favorite parasitic worm is whichever one has to be slowly pulled from under your skin by winding it around a stick. Like, over a period of weeks slowly.

[rachelmanija]

Guinea worm. Don't wade in stagnant water! Also, it causes elephantiasis, which can make your balls swell until you have to cart them around in a wheelbarrow - I think that is actually not an exaggeration.

[ironed_orchid]

Y'know, having filled out the poll, and rushed to work, this has been bugging me all day, partl because of the gross, but mostly because I can't remember whether lizards even have separate genitalia and anuses. I know most birds don't, and they're basically lizards with wings.

Of course putting a search for "lizard genitalia" into google is just asking to be bombarded with furry (or scaly) pr0n, so I'm not even going to try. I'll have to corner a biologist at a party and find out.

[jonquil]

Good point. LIzards have cloacas. But I think maybe boy lizards have penises...?

[oyceter]

AIIIEEEEEE! And I speak as someone who enjoyed the parasite chapters of Peeps.

[saladinahmed.livejournal.com]

My novel (featuring the same world/characters as a short story of mine which you kindly shouted out a year or so ago) has a couple of vomit moments, though not lovingly described. No ass worms. Hope you'll still read it if/when it's published.

Thanks for the 'friend' add!

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

I will definitely read it! I loved that story. And hey, no ass worms is always a plus.

[aeriedraconia.livejournal.com]

Ewwww! I'll add that to the list of 'NO! Do Not Want!'
1. Rape scenes (I'm sick of them, they are way too common in fiction)
2. Vomit
3. Ass-worms

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

I ditto all three!