The Sword and Laser discussion

I've heard about there being lots of mistakes in the ebook version, but I am reading the Corgi paperback edition, and just came across an error on a par with, if not worse than the Bluetooth/Bounder one mentioned in the Downbelow Station thread.

During a particularly important dragon flight (I'll put the rest in spoiler tags in case) (view spoiler)[Ramoth and Mnementh are just, erm, entwining, and Lessa kept her mind with Ramoth until: "Lessa reeled, her hands wildly grabbing out for any support. He seemed to be exploding back into her body, every nerve throbbing." After carefully re-reading the whole section a number of times, I think I'm right in saying that it should be she seemed to be exploding... Read this way, her conciousness had been focused elsewhere, and the sudden impact of returning her conciousness back into her body was uncomfortable and jolting. But if it is he then what is implied is that F'lar, later shown in close proximity to Lessa, has started having sex with her, forcefully, not at all gently, and without consent since Lessa's mind was elsewhere. This error completely changed the way the passage was viewed, particularly since they were kissing only moments later. (hide spoiler)]

It's really spoilt this part of the book for me, since I can't quite shake the way the reading seemed to me originally, before I went back to re-read, because...surely not!

Was I the only one to notice this?

Haven't started to reread yet. But I remember another typo, I think in Dragonsinger? Anyway, I had the worst time figuring it out, because a dragon "bulged". Huh?

He actually "bugled."

Ruth wrote: "I've heard about there being lots of mistakes in the ebook version, but I am reading the Corgi paperback edition, and just came across an error on a par with, if not worse than the Bluetooth/Bounde..."

I've always read that particular line as him taking her virginity. I just checked my version of the book and its definitely "he". Sex is a given in this world when your dragon is mating, which is part of why they talk about the dragon riders being more open about sex than the Holders. Lessa however having come from a Hold is in a very different situation and doesn't necessarily understand what this is all about, which by our modern standards is definitely a problem.

It's both a typo and the conclusion about F'lar is correct. I'll be interested to see what others here think about (view spoiler)[McCaffrey's use of VERY questionable sexual mores throughout this book and the rape in this scene. Yes, yes, published in 1968. Yes, different world, etc. But it's still rape and the rest of the book has Lessa living with and sleeping with her rapist, not dealing with the situation and eventually finding True Love with him. One of the reasons I lemmed this book though not the only one. (hide spoiler)]

Well, I'm quite sure, and was expecting, that they would sleep together at this point in the book, but the error (Mel, I'm sure the 'he' really was an error; the line makes much more sense in the correction) makes it seem like a much more cruel and vicious act than I think was intended. Perhaps I need to read a little further?

I'm reading the e-book I borrowed from my library and it is correct in my version: "She seemed to be..."

That's not to say that I haven't caught a couple of other typos, one just a mispelling of dragomnen [sic] and the other was the word "bad" instead of "had"

Thanks, Cliff, I'm glad to know I'm right about the typo, since it was quite an unpleasant and shocking reading otherwise. I haven't read much further in the book, partly because I've done a lot of overtime at work, but mostly because this error really threw me out of the book, but I'm beginning to wonder if this isn't the source of the whole 'rape' accusations I've been hearing on the forum.

No, I think the rape stuff comes about later on. In fact, McCaffrey herself uses the word. But it is implied that it was not intentional and the character feels remorse even so.

Ruth,

She's shocked into her body in part because F'lar is having sex with her.

Rick, I'm not sure that is the case. I felt that it was more the strong emotions of the dragons that threw her out. I only read it the way you interpret the first time because of the typo. Saying that, I find that McCaffrey isn't particularly clear in her writing, which is a flaw in my eyes.

Cliff, I've come across that part now, and again, there is a lack of clarity as to what was meant by the word, and how the relationship between the couple has been evolving. I really wish we'd had more from Lessa about this.

Rick wrote: "She's shocked into her body in part because F'lar is having sex with her."

I agree with Ruth. The passage in question is about Ramoth's mating flight. Lessa is drawn so deeply into the experience that she's experiencing the flight from Ramoth's view. She's having an "out of body experience" if you will. Thus, "exploded BACK into her body" is simply a reference to the fact that the experience ended very quickly for Lessa and she became aware of herself rather than of Ramoth.

The sex she has with F'lar occurs shortly thereafter, but not right then and there. It's pretty much "off-camera."

I also agree that the subsequent rape discussion could use some clarity from Lessa's view. But in part because this book was originally written as a series of short stories, we never really see any of the build-up of F'lar and Lessa's relationship. It's fairly clear that by the end of the book, the two are emotionally together.