Aphelion

Yes ... they do sneak up on you. Then the next day, all your painstakingly acquired grammar and spelling skils ar gon.<br><br>Robtre M.

This story didn't really work for me, and I'm not sure why. I think it's supposed to be a comedy of sorts, but it never really gets started as a story. The pace is meandering, and I wasn't even really sure until the end that I was meant to be reading a letter of some sort.<br><br>The tie-ins to various historical and media events was amusing, but after the third or fourth iteration, I really was just waiting for something to *happen*. There's a lot of exposition with no real payoff in the end, which left me feeling vaguely dissatisfied by it.<br><br>And a final nitpick, becuase I'm a pedant. The first episode of Doctor Who was aired on November 23, 1963, the day *after* the Kennedy assassination, not the day of. (November 22, 1963, also marked the deaths of Aldous Huxley and CS Lewis. But I digress...)<br><br>To summerize, this story need a clearer structure, but more importantly, for something to actually happen in it. As it stands, it's a series of vaguely amusing anecdotes that leaves me still hungry for a story at the end.

don't think this really was designed as a story, more of an anecdotal spoof or a roast of british history, and as such cannot be critiqued as a story proper. thus i disagree with what Rob W. said.

<br> <br>But it was presented as a story, and my expectations were set that I would get a story. Hence, I was unsatisfied in the end. I was left with an overwhelming sense of "So what?"<br><br>

PS: Rob...can't believe you missed on that one! spelling and langauge issues? prominent figures? replaced by world-domination scheming aliens? come on!

<br><br>Now this elicits a prickly response. I apologize in advance.<br><br>Comedy is hard. One of the many reasons why comedy is hard is because everyone has a unique sense of humour. What works for one person may not work for another. As a result, the notion that if someone didn't enjoy a particular piece of humour, it is becuase they didn't "get it" is both useless and offensive.<br><br>For what its worth, I found bits of the story amusing, if not laugh-out-loud funny. As a matter of fact, I went to read this story first out of the issue, because I fully expected that I would enjoy it greatly. And I was disappointed, because it didn't meet my expecations.<br><br>Does that mean it was bad? Hardly. De gustibus non est disputandum, and all that. But it just didn't work for me, at least not as a whole piece.<br><br>

I thought this was a well written story, both fun and funny.  I didn't see the ending coming, and when it came I liked it.  But I fear for Britain if people who aren't very good at spelling are 'oids'.  I think the 'oids' are winning...

<br><br>Its knot jest Birtian yu shood whirry abbot.<br><br>Robert M.

yeah, but Rob M, you still haven't caught on to who's also an oid. a fave or yours i think.

Lee

<br><br>Nah. Dubya and Dan Quayle never COULD spell.<br><br>Robert M.

...Sorry, editors, for trying to entice your loyal readership to a different site.

Gareth

<br><br>We don't mind, as long as you MENTION APHELION EVERYWHERE YOU POST OR PUBLISH ANYTHING, FOREVER AND EVER (if not longer).<br><br>Robert M.

There's certainly nothing wrong with experimenting with different formats of stories. And I appear to be in the minority, so it probably worked better for most people than it did for me. :)