What you'd like more of

[rodentfanatic.livejournal.com]

What is something you'd like to see more of in the Anita Blake books to come? I know we all want more ass-kicking and less ardeur, but what specifically would you like to see given more spotlight and development?

What I want most is expanded information on the supernatural species that populate the ABverse. I'd like to know more about the trolls, gargoyles, and dragons, most definitely, and I'd also like some equal time for the shapeshifter species that aren't wolves or big cats. Equal time meaning exploration of their histories, societies, etc., not Anita banging them and becoming their new leader.

How about you all, my lasher friends? What's something you feel needs to be expanded or focused on at long last?

Comments

[firefox1490.livejournal.com]

DRAGON! I was teased with them and I WANT MORE. And Fairies.

[raven-tiger.livejournal.com]

Yes, faeries!

[rodentfanatic.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I really liked the Bouviers and Bloody Bones (who is one of my fave legends, and I actually LIKED LKH's depiction of him/it!) so seeing more bogies and fey would be quite fine with me so long as she doesn't just copy the ones she uses in the Merryverse. I haven't read the Merry series, but I'm not impressed from what I've seen here. AND YES. YES DRAGONS. Weredragons (I think) were mentioned once as having existed but now being extinct. I'd be quite keen on their history, so long as it didn't turn out that they're still around (because they'd be too overpowered to work, in my opinion) and, god forbid, Anita adding one to her inner zoo.

...I really hate how there's a "but/unless" caveat after every one of my "I want more of..." wishes. Alas, LKH, if only I could trust you enough not to feel such a caveat was needed!

[cherose228.livejournal.com]

Hi, firefox:

Read the American Elven Princess books if you want to know what lkh thinks about the fae.

[c-l-craft.livejournal.com]

A new main character?

I would like to see more necromancy come back into play, and more faeries. I would also like to see more of the mundane world, if that makes any sense? Also, have we heard anything about any other vampire hunters besides Edward and Anita? I can't remember, but I always thought it would be a neat idea if we learned more about them and their community.

[rodentfanatic.livejournal.com]

A new main character?

LOL BEST ANSWER why didn't I think of that?!

Yeah, I think I get what you mean about the mundane world. For instance, I miss Anita's old apartment with the penguin collection and the lady next door who owned a Pomeranian named Custard. I think it actually males all the supernatural stuff seem stranger if it's juxtaposed against this background of perfectly normal everyday life. If the monsters and their world are all you're focusing on all the time, you forget they're not normal, which sort of defeats the original idea of the AB series world, doesn't it?

Also, you're right, there totally needs to be more hunters and info about them.

[mizmalice.livejournal.com]

I want to see there be actual consequences for Anita's actions. I haven't read in a while so I don't know how current my info is, but there are a lot of things she does that at the very least should have ramifications in terms of her position as a US Marshall. I'm actually kind of suprised that she hasn't been fired from the Marshall service to be honest.

I'm probably not explaining myself well but I would probably start reading again if they had Anita facing real life, negative consequences to her actions.

[subtle-shades.livejournal.com]

Forget losing her job as a US Marshall, she should be in jail or executed for the things I remember from the early books. All those "missing" people (that she summarily executed in actual fact) or driving-by gun fights ought to have tipped someone off.

[aikaterini.livejournal.com]

/I'm actually kind of suprised that she hasn't been fired from the Marshall service to be honest./

Especially since she rarely does her job and she's rarely in her office. Most of the time, she's far more interested in feeding the ardeur than anything else.

[magdalen77.livejournal.com]

I'm kind of a legal dork and I would have liked to see what went into vampires being declared legal citizens.

[rodentfanatic.livejournal.com]

That'd be neat! The whole legal ins and outs were one of the things that charmed me into reading the series (and I neither understand nor have an interest in law for the most part) and, I think, were part of what made the series unique back in the day (that the monsters were out in the open). But did we ever even learn what Addison vs Clarke was about?

[rodentfanatic.livejournal.com]

I am imagining her hitting the Avada Kedavra key in your icon XD

Sadly, you're right. It really does need to just die already, much as there's more I'd like to know and see.

[the-mome-wrath.livejournal.com]

I'd like Edward to remember he can kill six people with one bullet if he killed Anita. I remember in the early books he was only on her side as long as he got to kill more people protecting her than going after her. It would be interesting to see him suddenly switch sides.

Also, I'd like to see more of the government and legal system. How are the police equipped to deal with all these supernaturals running about? Do they just blow them up? Seems like you'd cause a lot of property damage that way which won't make those in power very popular with the masses. Also what does the government think of all these supernatural groups? The vampires and weres are essentially gangs and mobs.

[rodentfanatic.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the way the police and government interacted with the supernatural was one of the things that really got me into the books back in the day, and that was BEFORE I knew that was a unique angle in urban fantasy. I was always hoping for more tidbits about that sort of thing every time it got mentioned, but now it...really doesn't anymore.

Also heck yes original Edward.

[astronauta.livejournal.com]

1. World Building. There is a lot going on in the background and I want to see more of that.
2. Jean-Claude as a Master Vampire, not as Anita Blake's lover.
3. Jobs supernaturals occupy outside stripping/entertainment.
4. Anita's biological family. Long as this series has been, I'm kinda surprised we've never seen Anita call or meet with them. I know they're kinda estranged, but still.
5. Human baddies! I like the psychological aspects behind them. With supernatural baddies, I think LKH relies too much on their abilities than what made them what they are. They tend to feel 2D. Like, they're bad guys solely because they're a rivalry clan, etc. [not sure if I'm being clear with this last one]

[rodentfanatic.livejournal.com]

WORLD-BUILDING YES. I want this so very badly. And ahahah, so I'm not the only one who notices that all supernaturals seem to have the same job.

Yeah, I remember at one time I kept wanting/expecting for Anita's family to show up, but then they never did and I forgot she even had one except for when she starts to whine about her mom and how she was a brunette in a family of blondes THE HORROR.

Ooh, that's a really good point about human baddies! You are being pretty clear actually, and I think you're right!

[akaibara.livejournal.com]

DEATH. I want the blood of the paramours spilled until the streets run red with it.

Anita can then pull her head out of the soul-sucking pit between her legs and cry me a river.

Oh, I also want Anita to get her ass kicked. Completely trounced. No power-up, no ardeur them into submission. I want a giant, shoe-shaped bruise on her ass and a massive dent in her ego.

[rodentfanatic.livejournal.com]

There would be SO MUCH GOOD if both these things happen. I say this not just because of grudgy-ness, but also from a writing standpoint--it's about damn time Anita really loses and faces REAL challenges again.

[plastraa.livejournal.com]

Yes, there is no danger or tension to this series. We know everyone is safe. I want to see this thing go off the rails and actually think 'maybe something bad CAN really happen to these people'. I want to think maybe she won't be able to take off her pants and save the day!

Please, let her fail. Let her get hurt, badly. Let some of her harem get killed, on her watch, and she can't save them. Yes it's time to say goodbye to some of them. And it might hurt, but it's well past due.

[plastraa.livejournal.com]

I would love to see Anita go into a scene with law enforcement where it doesn't devolve into all the men hating on her because she is a woman, and a tiny thumbelina-sit-in-the-palm-of-your-hand sized woman. And/or no one wanting her so badly they have to act like asshats. And none of women having to hate because she is just the most special snowflake in the sky. If we could see a scene where she just goes in, does her job, utilizes some of the skills of the people around her and then leaves...that would nice! I would like that! Also she isn't allowed to have sex with any of them either.

I would love to see her harem disbanded, via death, or just losing interest in her vagina. That would be good.

A plot device that isn't located between her legs.

Seeing her family.

Seeing Sigmund the penguin, maybe he should have his own branched off story series. ;-P

Anita to get some freaking therapy and stop being such a creepy abuser. Or LKH to get some therapy and realize Anita is such a creepy abuser. :-\

Seeing her scrape and beg for her ex-bestie Ronnie to forgive her for being such a self-absorbed brute with a God complex.

Basically I would love to see a problem that can't be solved with sex.

And finally I would love a scene of utter mayhem where all the supernatural population (in the world) tires of her and sets upon her 'family' and destroys them...and then THE END to be put on the the series. YAY!

[rodentfanatic.livejournal.com]

Yes, yes, all of this sounds EXCELLENT!

Basically I would love to see a problem that can't be solved with sex.

Gasp!

Also, re: the law enforcement, I would also like said scene to not have the cops be so abominably stupid that Anita even needs to tell them crap like OH THESE TWO PUNCTURE MARKS IN THE NECK MEAN A VAMPIRE BITE and other similarly obvious stuff. This is a world where the supernatural have been known to exist for centuries, I'm pretty sure that the police didn't need to call an "expert" in for THAT. I'd like for the law enforcement to just not be stupid in general, in fact. Honestly, if the only way Anita can look competent is if LKH makes the cops utter morons, then Anita's actually totally incompetent. But we knew that. Also, can't have anyone else knowing anything or doing anything right, that might take the spotlight off her for a second!

[aikaterini.livejournal.com]

/I would love to see Anita go into a scene with law enforcement where it doesn't devolve into all the men hating on her because she is a woman, and a tiny thumbelina-sit-in-the-palm-of-your-hand sized woman. And/or no one wanting her so badly they have to act like asshats. And none of women having to hate because she is just the most special snowflake in the sky./

Basically, I would like LKH to grasp the simple concept that protesting sexism only because it's bad for you and demeaning women in the same breath is not feminism. And that creating sexist cops just to make your heroine look strong doesn't work when your alleged heroine wants to be like them and acts just like them towards other women.

/Anita to get some freaking therapy and stop being such a creepy abuser./

I would like to see Anita go to jail for being an abuser, murderer, and rapist. To a jail for long, substantial periods of time.

/Seeing her scrape and beg for her ex-bestie Ronnie to forgive her for being such a self-absorbed brute with a God complex./

And seeing her apologize to Monica as well.

/And finally I would love a scene of utter mayhem where all the supernatural population (in the world) tires of her and sets upon her 'family' and destroys them...and then THE END to be put on the the series. YAY!/

That would be a great ending. :)

[rodentfanatic.livejournal.com]

I like Edward remaining a stone-cold solo sociopath myself, but that route could certainly be interesting if handled right, and his personal problems would at least be more engaging to read about than Anita's constant spewing of Tell Me I'm Not A Slut/That I'm Prettyt, One of the Guys, Black Sheep In the Family, etc. that she's always hauling out and never actually working through in any way. And I most certainly support Edward coming in to take her out once she finally starts being seen by everyone as what us lashers know she already is; heck, it's been stated plenty of times in canon that he'd like to see who would win, him or her, and I think there was something or other about how each would kill the other if they went to the dark side or something? He's probably just waiting for her to get a little more power to her for extra challenge before he charges up that flamethrower, in fact.