The World Famous Wrestling Bear by Mike Phillips

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Lester Curtis
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The World Famous Wrestling Bear by Mike Phillips

Post by Lester Curtis »

This was a nice enough story, but I had a couple problems with it.

Specifically, what will become of the bear once it belongs to Miss W?

And, generally, I thought the ending was too abrupt.
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Re: The World Famous Wrestling Bear by Mike Phillips

Post by Robert_Moriyama »

Lester Curtis wrote:This was a nice enough story, but I had a couple problems with it.

Specifically, what will become of the bear once it belongs to Miss W?

And, generally, I thought the ending was too abrupt.
Miss W., you may recall, is the Crow Witch... and quite capable of finding a place where the bear can be a bear without bothering (or being bothered by) people. (They are, after all, in a small town within streamer effect (weather term for snow generated by strong winds crossing a body of water) range of Lake Superior.)
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Lester Curtis
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Re: The World Famous Wrestling Bear by Mike Phillips

Post by Lester Curtis »

I suppose she's capable of figuring out a way to feed him. Maybe he'll come in handy in a future story. She can't let him go feral, though, since he's been declawed.

I heard once what the trick was with bear-wrestling -- a human can't win -- at all, ever. The bear doesn't really try to wrestle; it just leans on you, and down you go.
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Re: The World Famous Wrestling Bear by Mike Phillips

Post by Robert_Moriyama »

Jaimie wrote:I liked this little tale. However, I didn’t realize the protagonist was part of an existing series. As a standalone story, it’s not fantasy-- not that witches can’t have a bit of an escapade without magic involved.

It’s like reading about Harry Potter having a muggle adventure. That might be pretty cool, but only because I know of his character.

Perhaps this story needs an introduction? Or even a casual reference to her being a witch? Something...?
As meditor (meddling editor), I was tempted to add some little detail indicating that the bear really WAS old enough to have entertained the last czar ... but let it stand. Think of it as rural fantasy -- set in an America where a huckster could get away with hauling a bear around and using it for cheap entertainment without getting sued and picketed by PETA. (Kinda like the bareknuckle fights in the first X-Men movie -- almost certainly illegal, but nobody from that area would ever complain.)

Or perhaps Miss W. could have caught the bear's eye and exchanged Meaningful Glances so it would be ready to cooperate -- an opportunity to mention that as a shapeshifter, she was (a) particularly sensitive to something that exploited and humiliated an animal and (b) able to communicate with various furry and feathered creatures. Of course, as a Librarian, she already has the Stare of Death in her repertoire, usually reserved for people who cause a disturbance amongst the stacks, or worse, ABUSE A BOOK.
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Re: The World Famous Wrestling Bear by Mike Phillips

Post by Megawatts »

This story was entertaining, and that’s what matters. I liked it. A nice read, almost
something that one of my daughters might have wanted me to read when they were in school. For me, a poignant story----I always love the little man beating up the big bad aliens or the dinosaur attempting to bite off some explorer’s head, but when it smells his prey’s hair lotion, decides against it!

I read this as a stand-alone story since I don’t know anything about a serial with Miss Weigenmeister in it as a witch. She fit the part of a librarian in a more stereotype character, but not one too bland. However, her role as a stereotype librarian added more to the story, I think.

I didn’t know that two-stroked engines were used in snowmobiles, yet. I had to look that one up.

Not a bad story, well written and entertaining, and that is what we want in a story!

nice job
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Re: The World Famous Wrestling Bear by Mike Phillips

Post by Lester Curtis »

TaoPhoenix wrote:I too missed that Ms. W. was from a prior series. Going by the theme of Muggle Adventure, without all those clues it's "just a nice story". With the Magical backdrop I'd be looking for the "payoff" since in a way the entire point of a Magic world is ... to use Magic. In fact, that's one reason I have trouble reading a lot of ordinary fiction, especially Slice of Life - without the zing of the genre tones, it can feel unbearably boring.

"Once upon a time, a man decided he wanted a candy bar. So, he went to the store, but stood there debating whether to buy a Snickers or a Mars bar. He decided to go with the Snickers. The End."
Which is why I don't bother with Facebook, or look for blogs to read . . .
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Re: The World Famous Wrestling Bear by Mike Phillips

Post by Robert_Moriyama »

TaoPhoenix wrote:I too missed that Ms. W. was from a prior series. Going by the theme of Muggle Adventure, without all those clues it's "just a nice story". With the Magical backdrop I'd be looking for the "payoff" since in a way the entire point of a Magic world is ... to use Magic. In fact, that's one reason I have trouble reading a lot of ordinary fiction, especially Slice of Life - without the zing of the genre tones, it can feel unbearably boring.

"Once upon a time, a man decided he wanted a candy bar. So, he went to the store, but stood there debating whether to buy a Snickers or a Mars bar. He decided to go with the Snickers. The End."
On the other hand, I really enjoy John Irving's stuff, and much of it is "slice of life" -- albeit rather quirky life -- aside from things like Owen Meany's glass-shattering scream. And bears, real and sexy girls in bear suits*, are a recurring feature in Irving's work.

(*Nastassja Kinski played "Susie the Bear" in the movie version of "The Hotel New Hampshire".)
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