#1563; A Cold Stare From a Tall Bookshelf (Part 2 of 4)

Comic Transcripts

The Reader, BRINDLA, a woman with a book in her hand last seen being overwhelmed by books in the previous comic, is now speaking with a new friend, KYLEEN, who is sprawled casually over a park bench.

BRINDLA: So now I’ve read HEADSTABBERS: FATHOMS, but I’m unsure if I want to read any more of the series.

KYLEEN: I’ve read them ALL. Here’s the lowdown:

(Kyleen then starts an exhaustive recap of the series as men in the background lug huge piles of tottering books around. What’s their deal? We will never know)

KYLEEN: After FATHOMS, read LOWDOWN DEEP and CONTINENTAL SHELF OF DECEPTION.

Only the first half of WHALEFAULT is relevant. The second half is part of the Dreamvoid, which sucks.

Then: Skip the first nine in the CYANIDE ARMADA subsaga, but come back to the tenth after you’ve read DROWN BABY DROWN. It fills in the backstory of the Trench Butler, who goes on to play a big role in DEPTHS OF DESPAIR.

All the ones with sharks in the title are Kazunaga’s childhood fables. You can read them if you want, but they don’t relate to the main saga except alegorically.

HAMMERHEAD SPRING is the best of them, but it all takes place on a planet we never hear about again. It’s set a thousand years in the past.

QUEEN OF LONELY ISLES is the first one by the original author’s SON. THAT guy has some VERY odd ideas about what headstabbing is all about.

BRINDLA: Which ones have the most cute stuff with Vertebrakz?

KYLEEN: Oh, HONEY. Vertebrakz… Well, I’ll just say DO NOT read CORRUPTION OF SIRENS.

BRINDLA: I’m not sure if I should read ANY of them.

KYLEEN: AH. Yes. I remember back when that was still a choice before me

#1563; A Cold Stare From a Tall Bookshelf (Part 2 of 4) transcribed by in

The Reader, BRINDLA, a woman with a book in her hand last seen being overwhelmed by books in the previous comic, is now speaking with a new friend, KYLEEN, who is sprawled casually over a park bench.

BRINDLA: So now I've read HEADSTABBERS: FATHOMS, but I'm unsure if I want to read any more of the series.

KYLEEN: I've read them ALL. Here's the lowdown:

(Kyleen then starts an exhaustive recap of the series as men in the background lug huge piles of tottering books around. What's their deal? We will never know)

KYLEEN: After FATHOMS, read LOWDOWN DEEP and CONTINENTAL SHELF OF DECEPTION.

Only the first half of WHALEFAULT is relevant. The second half is part of the Dreamvoid, which sucks.

Then: Skip the first nine in the CYANIDE ARMADA subsaga, but come back to the tenth after you've read DROWN BABY DROWN. It fills in the backstory of the Trench Butler, who goes on to play a big role in DEPTHS OF DESPAIR.

All the ones with sharks in the title are Kazunaga's childhood fables. You can read them if you want, but they don't relate to the main saga except alegorically.

HAMMERHEAD SPRING is the best of them, but it all takes place on a planet we never hear about again. It's set a thousand years in the past.

QUEEN OF LONELY ISLES is the first one by the original author's SON. THAT guy has some VERY odd ideas about what headstabbing is all about.

BRINDLA: Which ones have the most cute stuff with Vertebrakz?

KYLEEN: Oh, HONEY. Vertebrakz... Well, I'll just say DO NOT read CORRUPTION OF SIRENS.

BRINDLA: I'm not sure if I should read ANY of them.

KYLEEN: AH. Yes. I remember back when that was still a choice before me

If you're ever in a situation in which you're unsure what headstabbing is all about, or maybe you've just forgotten or gotten lost in the details, there's an easy mnemonic to remind you: HEAD...STABBING