Discussion Friday

[geraineon]

I was just recently on a three day long train trip, which got me thinking:

1) if you were to go on a three day long train trip, are there any cnovel characters you would like to be your travel buddies? And who do you think will be a terrible travel buddy, and why?

2) if you have read any novels involving train travel that you enjoyed, what role did that train/train travel play in the novel?

Any other train related comments, all good too!

Comments

[halfcactus]

1) Would travel with - Modu edition: any character that would parent/look after me (Tao Ran, with Lang Qiao as the fun aunt/jiejie). Xiao Haiyang seems like he'd be reliable at creating the itinerary and per cdrama evidence his phone is always fully charged. :P

People NOT to be travel (for leisure!) buddies with: Luo Wenzhou and Fei Du as a tandem. Like obviously everything will be fine and they do take care of people and know how to get out of trouble, but they are historically too chaotic (and often too distracted by work) when they try to go on vacation LOL. Plus they wouldn't be able to get their hands/off each other, I'm sure.

2) I liked the train arc in My Five Elements Like You by Xi Zixu! Kind of a mystery-horror "there's a doppelganger inside the train" thing. Same with the Little Mushroom train scene, except with more horror and trauma - I do remember a friend commenting as we were reading the book that she had a hard time believing that trains could be so functional and on time in the apocalypse. XD

Also in They All Say I Met a Ghost by Cyan Wings, the ML was always traveling by train and it was funny though I can't remember the details now. I just realized most of my examples are horror-adjacent...

[lessonsinescapology]

I never thought of trains as a horror setting😄

[halfcactus]

HAHA I never thought of it as a trope but now that you mention it there are multiple KR horror/thriller movies that are set on a train! XD

[geraineon]

Train to Busan! (Wait that's a zombie movie... Is that horror? I've not actually watched it)

[halfcactus]

Zombie horror, yeah! And I (horror-/thriller-/zombie-averse) did really enjoy that for the ensemble feelings but I can't seem to get other people to watch it haha!

[geraineon]

I want to! I'm just awfully bad at watching things on my own orz

[geraineon]

I'd agree with the criteria "anyone who would parent me" but I know that my own control issues will make me fight against it 😆

I hope there are no murder cases if travelling with the Modu people!

They All Say I Met a Ghost, iirc was a bus. But the ML did travel by train briefly! (It's been a while since I read it though)

Mystery horror train is a great combination!

[halfcactus]

but I know that my own control issues will make me fight against it
this is a good point lol

Mystery horror train is a great combination!
it's like a locked room, except they're moving! XD

[geraineon]

My SG friend tried to take care of all my travel itinerary/needs/etc. the first time we organized to meet up, and it led to some friction because of my control issues + her control issues (both eldest daughters XDD)