[Shinrei]

Here it is, the long awaited, next installment of 20 Questions! This time it's a well known and well connected member. But for those of you who have not met him, here's Stone Monkey.

1) How were you introduced to the Malazan series?
I read a rather glowing review, by JV Jones of all people, of GotM in the UK sf magazine SFX... It took me a while to get around to actually buying it because I'm terminally indecisive.

2) What brought you to Malazan Empire forums?
Googling...As I've said before, I joined in a bit of a rush of fanboyish glee and stayed for the people.

3) Are you a member of many other forums?
Just the one. It's a forum called I Love Everything, which is about as random as it sounds...

4) Do you remember your first posthere? What was it and who responded?
Knowing me my first post was probably on the Other Literature forum – I really don't remember all that much about it as it was quite a long time ago. I joined back in 2003 using what was probably a steam powered computer that issued packets by carrier pigeon. I don't think that makes me the eldest of we antediluvians, but I'm up there in thetop 10%, I think.

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

I suspect it's probably moderately well known that there is one particular member with whom I feel a very special connection. There's also the Manchester crowd (past and present) Cougar, Mezla, Broody,IH, Fid and not forgetting our very own Grumble... I also get on very well with Morgy and Rodeo (who attended a Manky meet way back when).And there are our lovely hosts Hetan and Mal who are simply beautiful people.

6)Which monkey best describes you – see no evil, hear no evil, orspeak no evil? Why?
Speakno evil is probably me – mainly because I rarely have a bad thingto say about anyone.

7) What fantasy series would be yoursecond choice behind (obviously) MbotF?
LotR...which would actually be my first choice tbh.

8) Ever had aquavit? Why or why not?
LOLMorgy put you up to this, didn't he? I have had aquavit... And that'sunlikely to happen again; my liver still aches.

9) What members would you particularly like to meet in real life (who you have not met previously)?
Theobvious answer is Abyss... So I'll say Apt...

10) Any pets?Why monkeys? Why stone?
As I suspect anyone who knows me personally will say, I can barely look after myself, let alone anything else; so no pets. The subtext of this question would seem to be: Where did my user name come from?That's a fairly easy one to answer – the character from JourneyTo The West (or more accurately, the classic tv show of my youth Monkey).

11)If you were stranded on a desert island with only one MBotF, which one is it?
Deadhouse Gates by a mile.


12) If you met Steven Erikson and you could only ask one question, what would it be?
I've actually met him four or five times now, so I've already asked him all the questions I want. I guess I'll have to wrack my brains for something sensible to ask him the next time I bump into him

13)Who is you favorite character from the series?
That's a hard one – I don't think I have a favourite character. At a push I'd say Quick Ben – ironically enough, more than one member (all of whom are far too kind) has told me that I look like how they imagine him; which is odd, because I don't look all that much like the way he's described.

14) What is one thing you own that you cannot live without?
Currently I'd say it was my mobile phone – for entirely practical reasons. Although I'm quite appalling at taking the blasted thing along with me when I leave the house...

15) Who wins?
Charlie Sheen thought he was winning for a while; but I think he was probably mistaken.

16)If you had to move from your home country, where would you most liketo find yourself a home?

I shall decline to answer that one, despite the fact that my actualanswer to the question is probably a bit obvious... The glib answerwould be anywhere where it rains less than it does here inManchester; which would only exclude tropical rainforests and Indiaduring the monsoon season... I'm actually surprised that we native Mancunians haven't evolved webbed feet yet.

17)Do you do any creative writing yourself?

Ihave done. And I may do again. Although I'm self aware enough to knowthat I'm nowhere near as good at it as I'd like to be.

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

Mysingle favourite book is probably my rather battered edition of JorgeLuis Borges' CollectedFictions.I'm also to be found reading InfiniteJestby David Foster Wallace on a fairly regular basis. Otherwise I'msomething of an sf reader, but I will read pretty much anything thatgrabs my fancy, whatever genre.

19) Do you keep a personal library, or do the books just cycle through your possession?
I own way too many books and there is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY ON EARTH that any of them are leaving my possession. The last time I counted (which was a few years ago) I had over 2000. I have what you might call an horrendous book buying habit, so that must have gone up by at least two or three hundred in the intervening years.

20) Please bare one random little known fact about yourself for the peanut gallery please.
The most pointless fact about myself that I can think of is that I cannot ride a bicycle, I just never got around to learning. And I have a truly awful sense of balance, so I'm amazed that I've even managed to master walking upright.

[Obdigore]

Good questions. Bravo!

[Macros]

Can't ride a bike?
Seriously?
Best random fact since the failed rap career of hd or rly (I forget which)

[Tsundoku]

Hmmm, I had always thought he was on here before me.

I see we have the same views on keeping our books. Damn fucking straight!

Ah well, I'm sure I'll get to meet the wise monkey one of these days when I'm next in Pomgolia ... if he's up for the challenge?

[Morgoth]

Akevitt (Aquavit) is a glorious drink made for gods amongst men!

[Tsundoku]

Morgoth, on 04 January 2012 - 11:35 AM, said:

Akevitt (Aquavit) is a glorious drink made for gods amongst men!

This is the fucking deranged berserker Viking nutjob showing through in your genetics.

[worry]

That speak no evil answer is kinda bittersweet, in a missed opportunity kind of way. You're probably the smartest dude on an international board full of geeks. You could dominate them, subjugate them, and send them forth to do your bidding worldwide.

[Tsundoku]

worrywort, on 04 January 2012 - 12:42 PM, said:

You could dominate them, subjugate them, and send them forth to do your bidding worldwide.

Ppppfffft, all he needs for that is tits. Not moobs, mind.

This post has been edited by Sombra: 04 January 2012 - 12:44 PM

[QuickTidal]

worrywort, on 04 January 2012 - 12:42 PM, said:

That speak no evil answer is kinda bittersweet, in a missed opportunity kind of way. You're probably the smartest dude on an international board full of geeks. You could dominate them, subjugate them, and send them forth to do your bidding worldwide.

^^indeed this. More often than not SM's answers to posts are as clever as they get. Minions they'd be, minions!

[Abyss]

Shinrei, on 04 January 2012 - 10:25 AM, said:

...I'm actually surprised that we native Mancunians haven't evolved webbed feet yet. ...

Oh please... give Cthulhu a little more credit than that, especially after that mess at Innsmouth...

[Morgoth]

Sombra, on 04 January 2012 - 12:42 PM, said:

Morgoth, on 04 January 2012 - 11:35 AM, said:

Akevitt (Aquavit) is a glorious drink made for gods amongst men!

This is the fucking deranged berserker Viking nutjob showing through in your genetics.

The world is never so clear, so pure, as when you feel the tidal wave of berserker rage carry you to the gods.

[Ulrik]

Good one! As usually!

[Aptorian]

Please. Akvavit (snaps) is what you have for breakfast here in Denmark. If you want to taste the real nectar of the gods you want to go for Honingsyp. Honey and Snaps distilled into pure gold. Getting drunk never tasted so good.

[HoosierDaddy]

Macros, on 04 January 2012 - 10:51 AM, said:

Can't ride a bike?
Seriously?
Best random fact since the failed rap career of hd or rly (I forget which)

That'd be me.

Nice interview!

[RodeoRanch]

Great stuff! It was awesome meeting stone monkey in Manchester. I was hammered drunk for most of it!

[stone monkey]

Thanks for the compliments people... You are all, as usual, far too kind.

Although I should point out at this juncture that my plans for world domination actually involve armies of giant robots... And trained cyborg lobsters with lasers on their eyestalks and chainsaws for claws... I suspect that a worldwide army of geeky minions might come in handy though, I shall factor that into my plans for the Second Wave.

Kudos to Shin for engaging in this task.

[Illuyankas]

Shinrei, on 04 January 2012 - 10:25 AM, said:

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

I suspect it's probably moderately well known that there is one particular member with whom I feel a very special connection.

Oh stonky, you shouldn't have!

[stone monkey]

It had to be said sooner or later. The bond is just too strong...

[Morgoth]

I think the medical term is a "tight psychological grip".

[stone monkey]

The bond is practically covalent