Ok, I'm being dense (not a real big surprise).......

Here is my question:

How did T.J. and Rodant get "ahead" of Ruby and Andor in the tombs? I've listened to the story many times and never really understood the "plot twist".

Oh, I'll have to listen to it and see... now that sounds dumb too, doesn't it?

They mentioned that time was running at different speeds for TJ and Rodant than for Ruby and And/Or. I think that explained it. However, to borrow from my own comment from another thread, whenever Ruby gets involved with changes in time, Summa Nulla seems to lose another moon. It must be down to only two now.

Because the tombs were in a "Time-Space Cosmic Pretzel", of course!

The fact that it doesn't make sense is part of the humour, no?

I've noticed that Meatball Fulton is a fantastic writer of dialog, humour, ambience, and mysticism, but he never really worries too much about plots that have a beginning, middle and end!

For instance, at the beginning of Ruby 6, we're told the whole thing is "The Mentor's" story... This introduction is completely forgotten about, and never really explained at all (unless there's some abstruse allusion I've completely missed!)

Also, at the end of Ruby 5, who or what is "The Night Crawler", and what does he have to do with anything? How does that story even end? It's just left completely up in the air!

Don't even get started on Ruby 2 (In one of the podcasts, the author himself even admits it has no plot whatsoever!!)

That's a good point! The mystery of Venus Velvet is never revealed in "The Incredible Adventures of Jack Flanders" either.

Or who the mystery "Future Jack" is from "Dreams of India..."

Don't get me wrong... I think he does the "plotless" plot thing deliberately for the most part, as a device to achieve the "dream-like" atmosphere of most of the ZBS productions. (although it annoys me when I want more answers spelled out for me than I get!)

Incredible Adventures is the most overtly "dreamlike" story in that it has recurring scenes that are never resolved, time is jumbled up, characters come and go without being introduced, and Jack is plonked into the middle of situations where something seems to be going on that he's not privy to.

I got the impression that it all takes place in a "dream reality" drawn from Jack's own mind, so Venus Velvet is probably some aspect of Jack's own subconscious, who sent himself the invitation (the overstuffed chair) to simultaneously create a world, and explore it.

I've also noticed the author (Fulton) seems to inject himself into his stories - Ruby 1 overtly talks about the author controlling/being controlled by his characters. Also, the Mysterious Stranger in Saratoga Springs, and Jack Flanders himself I'd always taken to be the author's persona; the mystical traveller. He seems to have a penchant for exotic, sexy women (in almost every story!), and the name "Venus Velvet" seems to typify that to the extreme, so I reckon Venus Velvet is the author's ultimate fantasy woman, who, being a fantasy, of course exists only in his dreams! (ie. It's himself)

Sorry for the waffle, but nobody I know has even heard of Ruby or Jack or ZBS. It's interesting to be able to read what other people think of these obscure little treasures that I've been listening to by myself for so long!

Cheerio for now

Most of us come from a similar "lone fan" perspective, it's okay. It's always fun seeing other peoples' viewpoints on the stories, because the opinions have had time to ferment and fully develop in each mind. And the questions that stick in one's mind have usually ossified as well. I like it. We, like Meatball's characters, are an odd bunch.

Personally I prefer the surrealism. IAoJF is my favourite piece for exactly that reason. I don't need resolution or neatly zipped up plotlines.

Also as far as Meatball's "self-insertions," don't forget that at the end of 4thTower Lady Jowls tells Jack "The Narrator is going into town, and he can give you a ride." Not much of a role, no lines even, and I think the story was narrated by Kirby Airs (I'd have to look it up to be positive, and I'm too lazy right this moment), but still, a fun self-referential moment.

Someone looked up Venus Velvet - it's kicking around somewhere in the Jack Flanders forum. It was a pencil... which could well stand for imagination and creativity, which would make a lot of sense, but it was also an dancer, a movie, and a kind of grass. Who knows what Meatball is or isn't thinking? Maybe he just made it up.

I liked someone's idea that Venus Velvet was the Anima to Jack's Animus, the unconcious projection of female self. In that sense, he also sent himself the chair.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anima_and_animus

And yes, TummyJellyJon, most of us have lived our whole lives thinking we were the only fans of ZBS on the face of the Earth. It wasn't until the internet spread and I was brave enough to put "Jack Flanders" into a Yahoo search engine that I actually made contact with anyone else I could wax nostaligic with about things like "Little Frieda" and "Hail, Fair Birds..."

Also speaking of self-insertions...

I am listening to Ruby 4, and there is a scene where Teru kills Egad, then decides he doesn't like how that played out so asks Meatball to roll back the tape and play the scene a different way. Very funny!

4th Wall violations. Sometimes fantastic. I like it when Meatball does it, despise it in my own writing.

I liked it when Teru decided he didn't need to kill Egad and just went with hitting him with his trusty .45 instead. It was a surprise when Ruby went back to the temple and removed the explosive devices. She usually just likes to blast things.

Well I reckon Meatball likes to keep us off balance.

He does it well. I also like that every time I listen can I catch something new.

Always! So many layers to hear and discover. Unless, that is, you're listening to it while you sleep. Then you probably won't catch nuances. Well, your unconscious mind will, but that probably won't help.

Back to FFF 6.5, we went to the same planet twice in a row which is unusual for Ruby. I thought that when they separated and went into different places in the forbidden tombs, that they were in sort of maze like labyrinth sort of place and it was easy to get ahead of Ruby.