[Shinrei]

For the record, if his name selection is based on the World of Darkness Vampire role-playing game, then I am sufficiently geeked out to get the reference.
With that said, I give you "Sombra".


1) How were you introduced to the Malazan series?

Perusing the book stores, I had seen GotM on the shelves for a while, but was confused by the blurb and thought the cover artwork sucked - it was the green/blue one with the dark figure holding a sword aloft. This opinion has not changed - dreadful stuff really. Nice to see later book covers got better. Mostly.

Anyhoo, it wasn't until DG that I noticed something in the story that interested me, but due to a long indoctrination in fantasy reading, I believed I had to read the first one to read the second one.

Silly me.

This was in about late 2001 to maybe the start of 2002. It's all blurred by the mists of time and the sepia tone imagery of my memories. It also has an accompanying honky-tonk piano score.


2) What brought you to Malazan Empire forums?

The lamentable combination of an abundance of free time, a lack of anything resembling a social life and Google.

At least I THINK it was Google. Oh well, some web search thingy.


3) How did you choose your username?

I liked the name "Lasombra" because it sounds all Spanish and ... foreign-ly cool. Plus I am a geek. If you recognise the geek reference, this means you too are a sad loser.
However, Lasombra was taken. Fuckers.

So "Sombra" it was, and shall remain.
Reality check people: changing your username doesn't make you any less of a sad geek. Be zen - embrace the sad inner geek and make it the sad outer geek.

Actually, scratch that. Seems many of us have done that already.


4) Do you remember your first post? What was it and who responded?

No frickin' idea, sorry. Probably still waiting for a response.


5) Which members do you feel a special connection with?

The female ones. Or at least I'd like to.


6) What are your favorite parts of the forum?

The Inn,
Other Literature (what, we're dignifying it by calling it "Literature" now? Well lah-de-dah ...),
the DB is good for a hyuk now and then,
love a lot of the art, some scarily talented people out there. Some just plain scary ones too.

I lurk a lot in the book sections, but since I always get the books well after the northern hemisphere people, everything has been discussed to death by the time I get it, so unless I feel sufficiently moved/intrigued/snarky/whatever I generally don't have anything to contribute to a serious discussion.

Those of you hoping this would extend to the rest of the forum can blow me.


7) On a scale of zero to dirty, just how much of a dirty old man are you?

Subjectively - not very.
Objectively - I can't answer that.

Really depends how you define "old".


8) What are some forum "events" that stand out in your memory?

Actually, they tend to pass me by, what with them being "other time zone" events normally. So I get to read about them in the past tense mostly. But that's OK, I'm not much of a spammer (mostly), and I honestly don't pay all that much attention to them. Remind me of some, please?

9) What members would you particularly like to meet in real life?

The female ones. Duh.

Have you met any already?

Not enough. Nor drunk and suggestible enough. Mez is taken so that doesn't count.

(SEE, I HAVE MORALS! NYAH!)


10) Do you get annoyed at people continually thinking you're ripping off Abyss with the end of post signatures, when you in fact did it first?

May I answer that question with a question?

...

Seriously, draw your own conclusions.


11) If you were stranded on a desert island with only one MBotF, which one is it?

Deadhouse Gates. Besides being a shit-hot read it also has handy desert survival tips.


12) If you met Steven Erikson and you could only ask one question, what would it be?

An extremely open-ended one.


13) Who is your favourite character from the series?

I actually don't have a single favourite character.


14) Being a forum ancient, who do you really miss who is no longer around?

Far too many. From other ancients like Loosecannon and Calto ... er I mean Calot to more recent people. Even Marduk/Wiggles. I guess everyone with over 100 posts has contributed something to the ongoing "organic" (yay, wankword bingo!) evolution of the forum. I wish they'd all come back, or at least drop in and say hi every once in a while.

15) Who wins?

More accurately, who cares?


16) Is there any famous person in this world, that if you met them face to face, you would punch them and then kick them while they're down?

Most of them.

If I had to narrow it down, pretty much anyone famous just for "being famous", who actually doesn't contribute anything positive, just eternal chick-mag fodder. I'm sick of entire forests being pulped just because some silly bint is under the impression I give a fuck about some other silly bint and her highly publicised malfunctions.

I would quite cheerfully shoot all these people for free, piss on the corpses (OK, that will involve a lot of hydration but I am up to the attempt) and then have a nice deep guilt-free sleep, if only that amendment I asked for gets passed.


17) Do you do any creative writing yourself?

If you consider answering these questions, then "Yes".

Otherwise, "No". I'm painfully all too aware of my many limitations and that bitter fact is I have to work within them.


18) When not reading MBotF, what are you typically reading?

Other "speculative fiction" - I believe that's the new PC term. Plus some occasional history, biography, science, that sort of thing. I'm a bit of a news/analysis (hehe, it has "anal" in it) junkie too.

Mostly nerd candy though.


19) Do you keep a personal library, or do the books just cycle through your possession?

My library will be the only evidence of my existence when I am gone. I hope by that time it will be visible from space with the naked eye.

Mmmmm ... naked ...


20) Please bare one random little known fact about yourself for the peanut gallery please.

I LOATHE spicy food. Spices were used to cover the taste of rancid meat back in the days before refrigeration. We now have refrigeration, so it's no longer needed. Eating something to deliberately cause yourself all sorts of physiological pain reactions is retarded. Plus it stinks. And makes it hard for the rest of us to use the toilet for ages afterward.

[Macros]

I agree with the origins of spicy food, but I likes it

[Aptorian]

Why do I always mistake Sombra for Darkwatch?

[Thelomen Toblerone]

BECAUSE YOU TOUCH YOURSELF AT NIGHT!

[Aptorian]

No that's why I wear contacts.

[Slow Ben]

I wish my blurred memories had a honkytonk piano score.

[Mushroom]

Shinrei, on 27 September 2009 - 07:43 PM, said:

7) On a scale of zero to dirty, just how much of a dirty old man are you?

Subjectively - not very.
Objectively - I can't answer that.

Really depends how you define "old".

Objectively, my answer is: About a 8. That is on a scale of 0 being an inncvent toddler and a 10 being Dennis Fergusen/Josef Fritzel...

You dirty old man Sombra...heheehe..

I remember you, brood and me were having a converstion about soccer (ahem footbal) while a the same time just you and me were having another conversation about the 'talent' walking by. Some of which I dare say was probably NOT legal.

This post has been edited by Mushroom: 28 September 2009 - 05:21 AM

[Morgoth]

that was a pretty amusing interview. I could definitly hear Sombra's voice there.

[Shinrei]

Morgoth, on 28 September 2009 - 06:06 AM, said:

that was a pretty amusing interview. I could definitly hear Sombra's voice there.

You make it sound like you suspected I was going to make it all up myself and stamp Lasombra on it...

[Macros]

All I could hear was that infernal piano

[Morgoth]

Shinrei, on 28 September 2009 - 07:26 AM, said:

Morgoth, on 28 September 2009 - 06:06 AM, said:

that was a pretty amusing interview. I could definitly hear Sombra's voice there.

You make it sound like you suspected I was going to make it all up myself and stamp Lasombra on it...

I would only be implying that if I suspected you of being the secret leader of the bot army... and that would be silly. haha.

[Darkwatch]

Interesting stuff.
I agree about the book forum lurking, since here in Canada we get the book after people on the ISS.

Also you are an Old Dirty Bastard, accept it and be proud.

Aptorian, on 27 September 2009 - 08:00 PM, said:

Why do I always mistake Sombra for Darkwatch?

Why do you always say that?

[teholbeddict]

Fantastic interview Sombra! Although I am a little concerned with this obsession you seem to have for wanting to get closer to the ladies of the board. I'll have to make sure to double check the locks on my doors at night

[Darkwatch]

@TB:
I hope this isn't the first time you've noticed this. Because if so you may be surprised to find he already has his ticket for Winterpeg.

[teholbeddict]

It is actually the first time I've noticed it. I mean I always knew he was a dirty old man, but I hadn't realized he extended that creepiness to the ladies of the board! I should have known better! I guess I will have to double up on security or something like that. I'm sure there are other ladies on here he'll visit first, that should buy me some time.

Just want to say again, this was a really entertaining interview. Thanks for sharing Sombra!

[Darkwatch]

teholbeddict, on 28 September 2009 - 02:57 PM, said:

It is actually the first time I've noticed it. I mean I always knew he was a dirty old man, but I hadn't realized he extended that creepiness to the ladies of the board! I should have known better! I guess I will have to double up on security or something like that. I'm sure there are other ladies on here he'll visit first, that should buy me some time.

His nickname is "Boobverine".
And he's already met most of the Aussie women and Mezla is off limits to him.
So...

[teholbeddict]

Darkwatch, on 28 September 2009 - 03:31 PM, said:

teholbeddict, on 28 September 2009 - 02:57 PM, said:

It is actually the first time I've noticed it. I mean I always knew he was a dirty old man, but I hadn't realized he extended that creepiness to the ladies of the board! I should have known better! I guess I will have to double up on security or something like that. I'm sure there are other ladies on here he'll visit first, that should buy me some time.

His nickname is "Boobverine".
And he's already met most of the Aussie women and Mezla is off limits to him.
So...

Eek! Boobverine! This really is cause for serious concern! I'll have to get my boobs and I to some safe location!

I am taken as well though and off the market, so he'll have to go visit one of the other lovely ladies of the empire.

[Thelomen Toblerone]

He has an epic snore, lest we forget.

This post has been edited by Thelomen Toblerone: 28 September 2009 - 07:06 PM

[Mezla PigDog]

Shinrei, on 27 September 2009 - 07:43 PM, said:

Not enough. Nor drunk and suggestible enough. Mez is taken so that doesn't count.

I may have been drunk, but I am never suggestible! I think.... Anyone remember?

[Macros]

you were getting everyman in the place to try put that shoe on, like a drunken Cinderella looking for charming