The Pub Discussion Board

Corvis · 2008-08-05 13:59:04

Hello, all

Hmm... Actually, it's more of a hypothetical scenario than a question, but I hope you'll pardon the inaccuracy.

Back in the Victorian era what we would call freak shows were at their height. Travel to the various nations of the world was not only possible, but faster than ever before thanks to such wonders of industrialization as widespread railroads and steam ships. It seemed more feasible than ever before that wonders could be found in distant lands and brought to the towns and cities of North America and Europe. Improved travel conditions also made it an easier matter for the traveling shows to range far and wide in search of audiences.

A circus would often have an attached freak show, but such was the popularity that such a traveling show of "scientific curiosities" could sometimes travel alone. There were also "museums" such as the one built by P T Barnum in New York, which were essentially huge, non-traveling freak shows.

As we know now, and many people knew then, such shows and museums were largely or totally fraudulent. They would exaggerate or lie outright about the origins and abilities of their performers and exhibits, they would manufacture creatures, such as Barnum's infamous South Seas Mermaid, and many would also sell medicines of dubious value to the suckers.

But, what if such a traveling show was genuine? What if every person and animal in the show was exactly as advertised? What sort of people and unusual creatures would such a show contain? How would the owner of the show keep control of his or her unusual performers?

I have a few ideas of potential performers based on fiction and speculation of the time. More ideas are of course welcome.

1. A genuine clairvoyant or medium. "Pyschical Research" had a heyday during the Victorian era, and many people were certainly ready to believe in unusual powers of the mind and mental contact with the dead.

2. An artificial person. Once the scientists of the day succeeded in synthesizing organic chemicals that occur in living animals, there was speculation that it was only a matter of time until living creatures and even humans could be synthesized.

3. A real mermaid. None of that fish and monkey parts sewed together nonsense. A real living mermaid. In your face, Barnum!

4. A person with real magical talent. No sleight of hand or smoke and mirrors, but the real deal. Magic, ironically, was another subject the supposedly rational Victorians were interested in. Whole mystical societies rose up to study magic and Alister Crowley made a fair amount of money selling his books and tarot cards.

5. The immortal head of the mythic Hydra. Someone looked under the right rock, and there it was. 3dsmile

6. A troop of fairies. The famous fraudulent fairy photos were made a bit later on, but there was a fair amount of speculation that fairies might be real during the Victorian era.

So, it's 1875, or there about. These performers, and any you think might fit in with such a show, are roaming the English speaking world from London to Tombstone. What sort of problems and adventures might they encounter? Might they come across new performers to join the show?

Jefferson · 2008-08-05 14:32:36

1) A real abominable snowman, a yeti or Bigfoot. Possibly, all the same thing.

2) A real life sea monster. A Giant squid would do nicely.

3) According to Wikipedia, "Nessie" was first reported in 1871 so a Loch Ness Monster would be interesting.

Eric Storm · 2008-08-05 19:32:43

Just a couple points, Jefferson:

1. While Sasquatch and Yeti are supposedly only related, "abominable snowman" and Yeti are definitely the same creature, just in two different languages. 3dsmile
2. The giant squid is a real animal, which has been seen by scientists.

I agree, though, that Sasquatch would be a good addition.

Once you mention mythical beasts like the hydra, it just leads to the whole mythical menagerie. Personally, I'd like to see a unicorn, Pegasus, and the griffin.

I would think that the performers in this "freak show" would either have to be VERY well paid and pampered, or the owner of such freak show would need to be another kind of freak: a mind controller. There's little hope of keeping control of a magician or a fairy without some form of supernatural control.

Oh, and "a troop of fairies"... Don't we already have "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy"? (Sorry, I just could not resist that one... 3dwink )

Eric

triton · 2008-08-06 01:23:10

How about they find some kind of legendary animal from the old west like a jackalope? Maybe they could have a dragon? A faun could be kewl. And how about instead of a mermaid a merdude? Don't know why Id think that would be better 3dsmile 3dtongue

Gay fairies! Yay! 3dbig_smile

Eric Storm · 2008-08-06 01:34:20

LMAO.

Um... Merman... you realize, given WHERE the split takes place, that a merman wouldn't have any genitals? At least, not human ones...

Eric

WarLord · 2008-08-06 01:37:11

Greetings

I like the concept and the time frame

How about all these performers in their brightly colored wagons blunder into an indian attack?

Jugglers throwing their ten pins, magician making real fire balls...

Why didn't the mentalist see it coming? The medicine man, perhaps?

Or maybe a ship wreck?

Stranded on a deserted island...

Like I said fun story line to play with, go for it

Enjoy the journey

WarLord

Corvis · 2008-08-06 03:28:50

Hmm, a bigfoot could be fun, and a smallish sea serpent. Too big and it might be too hard to transport. A mythic menagerie would be very nifty. Gee, TRITON, I can't think of any reason why you'd think of a merman 3dsmile . A Jackalope could be funny, if I recall the legend correctly. An Indian attack might be too obvious. Maybe they stumble into the middle of one of those private wars that went on in the west from time to time, getting caught in a literal crossfire?

the mention of a juggler makes me wonder, should the more mundane performers be normal folks, or should they be unusual in some way as well?

Eric Storm · 2008-08-06 03:46:26

A four-armed juggler? Just think of the routine! 3dbig_smile

Eric

Corvis · 2008-08-06 03:52:24

hahaha! and maybe a strong man who was a troll or ogre?

Don't let your children wander to close to Giganto, the Strong. He might mistake them for lunch!

Black Rose · 2008-08-06 04:58:29

A homunculus? (I just like that word.) A real Frankenstein? Umm... I guess it'd be a little early for Dracula. Maybe some Indian or Chinese mythical creatures? I think there was a fascination for such things. Oh, and Egyptian stuff. I suppose there's always mummies. Or a real life Sphynx? I'm not conversant enough with these mythologies, I think.

Veritas · 2008-08-06 19:06:15

If I remember correctly a homunculus is an artificial being (doll sized) given life through alchemy, made normally out of manure and special plants.

How about a vampire noble/royal who has fallen on hard times - his castle is mortgaged, he sold his lands and a great deal of his personal and family belongings - and is trying to make a living.

How about some strange artifacts: a human skeleton with wings; a bush that continualy burns without consuming itself; a giant or miniature (palm sized) skeleton; a perfectly human shaped tree; etc.

Storymaster69 · 2008-08-07 00:07:42

Any or all of the mentioned creatures could work in such an organization. I don't see why sentient creatures in the group could not decide to just band together to see the world. As for opposition, lets look at man kind, if a town will lynch a man because of the colour of his skin, can you imagine given the right rabble-rouser what he would do when presented with creatures such as this?

Corvis · 2008-08-10 02:50:26

Hello, all

Hey Veritas 3dsmile I like the idea of a vampire noble who's down on his luck. Having to help with the work around the show (How was I to know the bleach was only for whites? I had servants for that sort of thing back home.)

Hey, Storymaster. Yes, a rabble rouser isn't much fun in the best of times. Still, hopefully enough folks would value a good show over a good hanging enough for them to make a living. 3dsmile

Neitherspace · 2008-08-11 08:15:00

ok my post disappeared i had shit conection atm

my 2 suggestions were a snake oil salesman who's potions work as that could be a sub set of stories in it self

the other was to find the most verbose way to say Dr. lying's traveling freak show there's a great sounding word for the good doctors sir name searching for the word Fib in the thesaurus but i forget it now

but i've had more since then

i also suggested a spidtar woman (human w spider lower body) who had a insane sweet tooth and as a result can spin cotton cany instead of webing

don't forget the tattooed man but have his ink do something other than come to life its been done

ohh how bout thy only have one rousty (roustabout) he runs everything but you never explain how hes in multiple places at once, or is he

a mad scientist ala Nicola Tesla crossed with dr. evil could be interesting 2 (possibly as an antagonist)

Last edited by Neitherspace (2008-08-11 08:16:46)

Eric Storm · 2008-08-11 10:24:21

LADIES....AND....GENTLEMEN!

I present to you today, for the cost of but one shilling....

Dr. Palter's Mobile Menagerie of Eccentricities and Anomalies!!!

3dsmile

Veritas · 2008-08-11 13:17:31

Storymaster69 wrote:
As for opposition, lets look at man kind, if a town will lynch a man because of the colour of his skin, can you imagine given the right rabble-rouser what he would do when presented with creatures such as this?

A good point.

How about, this fictional world is slightly more supernatural - the neighborhood palm reader is more accepted and believed; some people really listen to their grandma with 'the sight'; curses are major insults; fables and superstition are more acredited.

On the other hand, maybe people simply believe they are fakes. No matter how much evidence they see, they rationalize it or outright deny it.

Neitherspace · 2008-08-11 18:39:56

Eric Storm wrote:
LADIES....AND....GENTLEMEN!

I present to you today, for the cost of but one shilling....

Dr. Palter's Mobile Menagerie of Eccentricities and Anomalies!!!

i think i came up w

Dr. Sigmund Prevaricate's Miraculous Transmundane Mobile Amusement (and Fried Chicken*)

*a joke my dad an i started when we noticed a local gas station tsold fried chicken we started adding "and fried chicken" to the ends of store names

Eric Storm · 2008-08-11 19:54:09

The only problem with yours, Neitherspace, is that people recognize the word "prevaricate", but hell, *I* had to look up "palter"... 3dsmile

Dr. Otto Von Palter's Mobile Menagerie of Eccentricities, Anomalies and Exotic Edibles! 3dbig_smile

Eric

WarLord · 2008-08-11 20:13:57

Greetings

I seriously like the Tesla reference sorta takes it in a whole "Steam Punk" direction with those menagerie wagons being pulled by big smoking steam traction engines. Steam engines maintained by dwarves. Little soot covered leather aproned cigar smoking cussing dwarves...

That and making the oils and potions actually work would be a fun switch on the snake oil salesman idea

Enjoy the journey

WarLord

Neitherspace · 2008-08-14 06:06:41

steampunk came t be in the late 1800's jules vern is considered the father of steampunk by many

why would he mechanic be a dwarf (or do u mean a little person w a Scottish/German accent and long beard)

WarLord · 2008-08-14 10:57:22

Neitherspace wrote:
steampunk came t be in the late 1800's jules vern is considered the father of steampunk by many

why would he mechanic be a dwarf (or do u mean a little person w a Scottish/German accent and long beard)

Greetings

The dwarf thought came because in 'quest' stories I see them portrayed as sword smiths, metalworkers, and artisans. Just took it one step further, they're in charge of boilers and the traction engine that pulls them across the prairie - Be a fun little subset of stories on their own

Enjoy the journey

WarLord

Neitherspace · 2008-08-15 09:48:23

well its off topic anyway most stempunk sories only have human or enginered creatures unless theres magic

Veritas · 2008-08-15 19:40:35

Take a look at WarCraft; there's a great deal of technology (steam engines, gadgets and firearms) mixed in a fantasy world. Dwarves appear as builders and engineers, Gnomes are scientists and Goblins are mad tinkerers.

Another game named Arcanum, shows a fantasy world during an early industrial period.

If done right, the genres can blend together quite easily.

Off topic, but if you want to take it further, the rpg DragonStar blends a fantasy world with space opera/adventure.

WarLord · 2008-08-15 23:02:30

Neitherspace wrote:
well its off topic anyway most stempunk sories only have human or enginered creatures unless theres magic

Greetings

I'm playing with a steampunkish alt.reality story called "The Navigator" that has humans, elves and dwarfs (so for) just at the cusp of steam replacing sail on the ocean...

So far no magic unless you count gun powder 3dwink

Enjoy the journey

Neitherspace · 2008-08-16 04:31:20

well i never siad there wernt exceptions

Im working on a steampunkish storey that has a form of magic so who am i to judge

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#1 2008-08-05 13:59:04

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#15 2008-08-11 10:24:21

Re: Another Hypothetical Question

#16 2008-08-11 13:17:31

Re: Another Hypothetical Question

Storymaster69 wrote:

#17 2008-08-11 18:39:56

Re: Another Hypothetical Question

Eric Storm wrote:

#18 2008-08-11 19:54:09

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#19 2008-08-11 20:13:57

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Neitherspace wrote:

#22 2008-08-15 09:48:23

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Neitherspace wrote:

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