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Bewildering Stories

Challenge 649 Response

Oikos Nannion

with Elous Telma

Oikos Nannion appears in issue 649.

What does oikos mean, in Greek?

“Oikos” means "house,” and it may refer to the physical structure of a house or that plus its denizens. Wikipedia has a good and much broader explanation. For the title, I allowed myself some vagueness; I hope I have not done so in the story itself. Being a research scientist, I value precision, but it doesn’t mean I always achieve it!

A BwS principle: “If you have a good character, for pity‘s sake, don’t kill her!” Is the fate of the kindly old lady a disappointment or a portent of dread?

Thank you for implying the old lady is a good character. I liked her, too. But she had to go in that precise way, not for practical reasons — e.g. Nannion’s abandonment, gradually introducing too many characters, etc.— but because her fate is a portent of a particular atmosphere that is important later on in this saga. More info would probably come with spoilers, so perhaps I should avoid that.

Copyright © 2016 by Elous Telma

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