S&L Podcast - #520 - Alternate Batman
/Tom reports from the Matt Dinniman book event in LA, we kick off our Interview with the Vampire read, and share our last spoilery thoughts on The Hexologists and why we think the writing doorway is the strongest one for this book.
WHAT ARE WE NOMMING?
Tom: Chicken McNuggets
Veronica: Apple cake
QUICK BURNS — add time stamp!
Any news or announcements
Tamahome: A full-scale National Novel Writing Month 2025 event will be hosted this November on FicFan. Please welcome NewNoWriMo 2025!
trpw: Jill Bearup, author of the meta-fantasy Just Stab Me Now (based on her YouTube shorts), has started a new series of shorts based on a Sci-Fi heroine. Watch here.
Jan: From Locus Mag: 2025 Sunburst Award
Nalo Hopkinson has won this year’s Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic for her novel Blackheart Man.
From Goodreads:
Veycosi, a scholar of folklore, is put in charge of the situation when conquerors appear on the magical island of Cynchin to force a trade agreement, but quickly finds himself in way over his head.
Bad turns to worse when malign forces start stirring. Pickens (children) are disappearing, and an ancient invading army, long frozen into piche (tar) statues by island witches, is stirring to life—led by the fearsome demon known as the Blackheart Man.
Trike: Crowdfunding for the graphic novel expansion of Dungeon Crawler Carl begins October 1st on Backerkit.
Written by Matt Dinniman and Michael Moreci (for V: pronounced like “Morrissey”), it’s canon.
The Dungeon Crawler Carl Universe is expanding!
Direct from the spectacular minds of series creator Matt Dinniman, writer Michael Moreci, and artist Brett Bean comes an explosive, brand-new, and 100% canon expansion to the DCC universe!
Featuring a fistful of your favorite characters (and some brand-new friends, enemies, and exceptionally concerning weapons), you’ll see the opening of the World Dungeon like you’ve never seen it before—from a new character’s perspective.
From the Monday conversation with Felicia and Matt Dinniman:
His Excel sheet is 208 pages long and has a second sheet to keep track of what’s in that one
Book 8: two floors. Book 9: one floor. The rest in Book 10
Book 8 is Mario Kart-ish
Book 9 is violent Stardew Valley with gods
Matt used to write Transformers and GI Joe fan fiction as a kid
He has a map of the Iron Tangle he made in the HTC Vive
I have a signed copy of Book 7 to give away that comes with a DCC bookmark and Princess Donut temporary tattoo. They encouraged us to do very short inscriptions, so I chose:
“New Achievement for Sword and Laser.”
BARE YOUR SWORD
Feedback from the audience
Ruth: On the question of books featuring married couples with healthy sex lives, I thought of the central couple from previous S&L pick The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal, who regularly have “rocket launches.” 🚀
Tamahome:
I hope they didn’t have too many “Apollo 13” mishaps.
Trike:
“We got a wicked shimmy!”
BOOK OF THE MONTH DISCUSSION
Kick Off
Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice — Amazon link | Bookshop link
Wrap Up!
Hexologists by Josiah Bancroft — Amazon link | Bookshop link
trpw:
In the novel, there is a “Crumpet” paragraph, where we are told that our lead male character presents his mother-in-law with a single crumpet, wrapped up with a nice bow.
Crumpets have a flat top with many small cylindrical holes and a spongy texture.
They are made from a batter (not a dough) and cooked on a griddle like a thick pancake.
They are not eaten right after cooking but are generally toasted to crisp and/or brown the flat surfaces.
While still hot, their top surfaces are generally spread with butter, which melts into the holes.
They should be eaten while still warm.
The presented crumpet can’t be a toasted or buttered crumpet (too messy and not likely still warm). Also, my local cheap supermarket sells crumpets in packs of 4 for about 20 pence each (about a dollar for the pack of 4).
If you want an approximate US equivalent, it is like presenting someone with an unadorned, unfilled bagel, wrapped up with a nice bow. Not a particularly good gift for a mother-in-law.
This might have taken you a while to read; it is about as long as the “Crumpet” paragraph took me out of the story. Discussion link.
On “Alternate Batman”
So this drove me crazy. Apologies for the tl;dr.
A batman is a personal military servant to a military officer. Usually, they are a Private or Non-Commissioned Officer serving a senior officer, usually at or above the rank of Captain. The military here would usually be Army.
Lance-Corporal is the most junior Non-Commissioned Officer rank in the British Army (not sure of other armies). It is one step above a Private.
You do not pass successfully out of a Military Academy with a Non-Commissioned Officer’s Rank, especially one only one step above Private. The whole point of Military Academies is to produce Commissioned Officers, NOT Non-Commissioned ones.
A Batman’s job is very menial—preparing food, baths, and cleaning (lots of cleaning). It is a demeaning job, not meant for an Aristocrat.
I think the word(s) the author was looking for were either Equerry or Aide-de-Camp (ADC). That role is more like a personal assistant to a high-ranking (or royal) officer. It is not menial, works as a companion to a Prince or King, is done by a Commissioned Officer, and is more suitable for someone of Aristocratic (possibly minor royal) rank.
Discussion link.
Ricardo:
Just wanted to post some quotes that I found delightful.
“Isolde went on to explain, in explicit detail, that the marital act stimulated the mind and carried in its ecstasies epiphanies that cannot be summoned in the library or the laboratory. Sex helped her think. Their intimacies had a very different effect on Warren. He found their pairing to be akin to an emotional exorcism, as all the tangled and unsettled feelings, anxieties, and dread that had gathered in him during the course of the day were all at once blown to the ether, as undiluted serenity rushed in to fill the void..”
A very insightful (and mature) take on how a couple views sex.
“You remind me why echoes make the best houseguests: they only answer, never ask.”
“Fortunes are mostly made thanks to a surfeit of luck and a paucity of morals. Tenacity, talent, and principles are all common enough; it’s avarice that’s scarce.””
And I’m a sucker for mortals talking to eternal beings on the meaning of life:
“Is it satisfying, knowing all the secrets of the world? Is it enough? Are you content, or does the ever-swelling bubble of reality make fulfillment impossible? ... Do we need mysteries to survive?”
Discussion link.
Bill:
I raced to finish the last half, so I obviously enjoyed it. Oddly enough, I’m fixated on what I didn’t like.
The pacing feels off. The last 10% races through tying everything up.
Bancroft’s use of language is notable—lots of “dollar words.” (I kind of like this 🤭)
I love Iz being hyper-focused, blunt, unpleasant, but also loving with War. Their relationship is a highlight.
The magic system is different enough to be interesting.
And the sequel comes out next week!
Discussion link.
Seth:
I started pretty late this month, but finally wound things up. It was perfectly pleasant to read, but not much more.
Setting: Fine, but very British. Maybe it should just have been British? A secondary world is fine, but I wondered if real-world historical weirdness would have been more effective.
Characters: Both main characters were great, if not terribly deep. Quippy and quick-witted, but very modern in their outlook.
Plot: With so few characters, by the end you know everyone must be involved—there’s basically a plot twist for each of them.
Goodreads discussion.
ADDENDUMS
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