Wednesday, February 6, 2013

The Host--chapter 7

Wanderer is teaching a class on Worlds' History. This is different from World History because it is about every world the Liberal-Yeerks Souls have ever conquered.

And you know what? Most of my love for this book died a horrible fucking death when I figured out what S. Meyer was on about. Oh, don't get me wrong, Blog-readers. I am going to interprete the plot my own fucking way, which is Social Justice ALL THE WAY TO TOWN (nevermind that I am the LAST PERSON ON EARTH) qualified to preform SJ commentary) but I want to make it real clear: just like Sparklepyers=MORMONS in Twilight, souls=LIBERALS.

Anyhoo, today's subject is apparently the one world that Wanderer has not lived on. Apparenlty its primary inhabitants--the Fire Breathers AKA dragons--have to burn other sentient beings--the Walking Flowers--and ingest the smoke to survive. The Souls cannot stand this idea, espeically because several of their worlds have plant based organisms and many Souls remember plant-lives fondly, because apparently plant-lives are more peaceful than meat-lives.

...so. Is anybody else thinking of the Hork-Bajir?

Anyhoo, dragons. Fire breahting. Burning flowers, disgusted Souls, Wanderer attempting to explain that this is how biology on this planet works, while simultaneously trying to explain that the Souls are trying to "fix" it.

However, I have to give S. Meyer worldbuilding brownie points. In explaining about this world, she tells us a lot of things about how Souls operate. Apparently a world, once conquered and fully settled, becomes "closed", and souls looking for a new place to party have to go find somewhere else. Apparently they've never heard of population control (More on that later)

One soul becomes particularly stridant about how barbaric this alien world is, and how it should have been abandoned by the Souls as being too nasty to live on. Wanderer blames it on him being the Earth-born child of an earth-bound Mother. 

Just to let you know, guys? S. Meyer has serious issues with motherhood.

Meanwhile, Melanie is keeping up a pretty decent commentary on Wanderer's thoughts, and the Seeker is skulking about in the back of the class. Just another day in an Animorphs rip-off. Too bad nobody's turning into flies.

Wanderer closes the class and leaves, with the Seeker following behind her, asking truely obnoxious questions that quickly disintegrate into shouted accusations and harrassment:

She shrugged and smiled a tight smile. “I’m sure it is too late… for voluntary information. But if you don’t cooperate, she might just lead me to them yet.”

 “Lead you?” 
“When she takes full control, and you’re no better than that weakling, once Racing Song, now Kevin. Remember him? The one who attacked the Healer?”
This Seeker, boys and girls, is a fucking sociopath.

She tells Wanderer that eventually Melanie will control everything and Wanderer will be the one to disappear. Melanie and I are both rooting for that outcome right now, but then the Seeker crosses the line:

I saw in your file that you have the potential for Motherhood. If you gave yourself to be a Mother, at least all that would not be entirely wasted. Why throw yourself away? Have you considered Motherhood?”

At this point, even the Seeker knows she's made a mistake, but Wanderer takes great delight in telling her to go get fucked. The Seeker says "Inform me when I am to call you Melanie!" as Wanderer starts the long trip to Chicago to speak with the Healer.

And the chapter ends with Melanie rooting for Wanderer to kill the Seeker. Because why not?

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