Golems

8 Responses

1. An additional bit of pop culture that’s worth considering is ‘The Goldman and the Jinni’ by Helene Wecker, which I enjoyed. It’s been a while since I read it, but I think it at least touched on the question what it means for a golem to give consent. There’s an interesting contrast between the golem, which is free but desires a master, with the jinni who has been bound but wants nothing more than freedom.

2. Fantasia Faust was actually first introduced in Willigham’s original comic The Elementals, where she was introduced as an assassin.

3. The Onyx path rpg Promethean the created allows players to take on the role of various flavors of golems attempting to find the secret of becoming truly human through a spiritual journey called the pilgrimage. Its worth running an eye over if your looking for an unusual Halloween games night

4. Great ep, guys. Very entertaining. I have to side with Kevin about the definition, though, regarding whether Science can make a golem. IMHO, I’d say there has to be some kind of religious or mystical element to it, otherwise the Terminator would also be a golem, and Wall-E, and they’re not who I think of when I think of golems. Just my two cents.

5. Something you all (particularly Toren) might be interested in. A new comic from Mike Mignola called “Joe Golem: Occult Detective”.

   http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/first-look-hellboy-creator-mike-823997

6. One of my characters I use for roleplay is a golem made out of dirt, with fungi and flowers growing out of his head.

7. Oh, and my favourite part of those Pratchett stories (featuring golems) is that the protagonist is named Moist von Lipwig. It just tickles my funny bone. Not that one, Kevin, the other one.

8. I know that going postal was mentioned but prior to that Pratchett did “Feet of Clay” as part of his nights watch subset of disc world books and it is an utter delight.
   A Golem murder mystery with all the classic elements slavery, free will and the definition of what it is to be alive shaken up and given a special little Pratchett twist.

   For example, and a little spoiler here, one of the murder victims is found with a tiny paper scroll stuffed in his mouth covered in carefully written religious text.
   At first this is believed to be the killers twisted calling card.
   Only later do the investigators realise that this was a golems attempt at reviving the murdered man making a copy of the words which gave it life and popping them under his tongue.

   Dragon Age also had an entertaining War Golem character whom the player can free from his imprisonment as a statue.
   Comic high points include him have a pathological hatred of birds after many years of getting pooped on and the story of how his wizard owner reduced him from his formerly imposing size so that he could fit inside the house.
   “Did he use some manner of spell?”
   “No. He used a chisel and a great deal of patience.”