September 26th, 2010
Shadows of Dooooom! – part 30
I don’t know whether it comes across but the way the mysterious monster laughs is supposed to be creepy because of how weird it is. Usually tickled laughter I think of as more of a “hee hee” or a giggle. Not a “hardy har har”. It’s like it has no idea how to laugh. That’s kind of terrifying to me. The absense of humour is real terror. If you can laugh about something you know you’re on the way to healing from whatever tragedy you’re facing.
The word Humanish came about because I realized there is no England on the Princess Planet so they wouldn’t be speaking it. There might be a Wingland or a Kingland, but no England.
September 26th, 2010 at 2:35 am
There could be Angle-land, with a cute angle with a crown on their flag. And Obtusealia where all the Anglish criminals were sent 200 years ago.
September 26th, 2010 at 8:15 am
If I were going to represent “wrong” laughter, rather than the usual “ha’s” and “hee’s,” I would probably use entirely new words. Something weird like “wuh hyuh hyuh hyurg yerg hurf.” I agree with you that there’s something extra-creepy about a being that has no idea how to laugh…what could be more inhuman than inhumor?
September 26th, 2010 at 9:39 am
Zarquon – Nice. There could be a small island of Isosceley too.
Jackson – Yeah, I think you’re right. Maybe what I was going for is not just no ability to laugh but a weird mockery of laughter learned from seeing but not doing? Anyway, I liked you suggestion.
September 26th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
The Mysterious Monster’s hooded face reminds me of a Ringwraith. I’m getting this weird image of Frodo in the first LoTR film hiding from the Ringwraith just a few feet away from him, then jumping out to tickle it while the other hobbits run away…
September 26th, 2010 at 10:16 pm
As much as Angle-land is fun, it seems like “Kinglish” would fit more with the Princess Planet.
September 27th, 2010 at 5:19 pm
“Baker’s dozen team him” made me laugh way more than it should have.
Zarquon – I trust there would also be a Principality of Scaleneland on a tiny abandoned raft a few feet from the Angleland shore (or possibly on an old sandwich someone left lying on the beach)?