Penny Arcade - Comic - Ultraswine

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Penny Arcade - Comic - Ultraswine

Videogaming-related online strip by Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins. Includes news and commentary.

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v2micca

I am actually a huge fan of the IN MEDIA RES convention. When used properly, it can help create some really dynamic storytelling. But yeah, you don't hit a dude with Hyperpigs IN MEDIA RES.

Golden Yak

Is that like a paypig but in space?

RatherDashing

"The pigs were hyper, to begin with."

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a hyper pig in possession of a mercy sphere, must have survived the conflagration."

"Call me Hyperpig."

MichaelLC

Golden Yak wrote: »

Is that like a paypig but in space?

She only holotransfers creds to his account if he begs on his neograv knees.

Grendus

I'm reminded of the cystypigs from Outer Worlds.

But I have no idea what a hyperpig is. Cystypig makes sense - it's a pig with meaty cysts you can eat. What's so hyper about a hyperpig?

Aldo

Jerry's post made me laugh out loud, it is exquisite.

Emperor Megaman

Okay, is there really a novel with Hyperpigs? is it a funny name made up for the comic? There really are pigs of the hyper variety in Machine vendeta?

Overkillengine

(inspired by the newspost)

Gotta make a move to a town that's right for me
Town to keep me movin', keep me groovin' with some energy

Well, I talk about it, talk about it
Talk about it, talk about it
Talk about, talk about
Talk about movin'
Gotta move on
Gotta move on
Gotta move on

A-won't you take me to Thinkytown?
Won't you take me to Thinkytown?
Won't you take me to Thinkytown?
Won't you take me to Thinkytown?

Overkillengine

v2micca wrote: »

I am actually a huge fan of the IN MEDIA RES convention. When used properly, it can help create some really dynamic storytelling. But yeah, you don't hit a dude with Hyperpigs IN MEDIA RES.

That's my main problem is it often gets abused as a crutch in the stead of proper world building by someone that wants to skip to the "cool explosions" part of the story.

Quid

Emperor Megaman wrote: »

Okay, is there really a novel with Hyperpigs? is it a funny name made up for the comic? There really are pigs of the hyper variety in Machine vendeta?

Alastair Reynolds' books have a genetically engineered species derived from pigs to serve as organ donors for some group of humans. At some point some got away. They're also cops in a lot of places.

I personally don't like them but the books are well done IMO. There's no unified humanity but instead lots of different governments, organizations, tribes, etc all doing their own thing across space. Different books are set in places and times that can be thousands of years and light years apart.

Johnny17

Gabeface!

dennis

I was wondering if I was the only one who'd read Reynolds books. Though I'm pretty sure Mike has mentioned reading them before. Hyperpigs are key to a whole bunch of his novels set in this universe. I'm glad he doesn't explain everything every time, especially in Book 3 of a series that's in a universe with like a dozen other novels.

That said, I did laugh at the comic.

oh3fiftyone

dennis wrote: »

I was wondering if I was the only one who'd read Reynolds books. Though I'm pretty sure Mike has mentioned reading them before.

Jerry talked about Chasm City a long time ago.

oh3fiftyone

In defense of Reynolds, he did ease us into hyperpigs in Revelation Space 24 years ago.

Emperor Megaman

oh3fiftyone wrote: »

In defense of Reynolds, he did ease us into hyperpigs in Revelation Space 24 years ago.

So the issue is indeed Gorb starting with a book that's best read after having read previous books featuring the pigs.

dennis

Emperor Megaman wrote: »

oh3fiftyone wrote: »

In defense of Reynolds, he did ease us into hyperpigs in Revelation Space 24 years ago.

So the issue is indeed Gorb starting with a book that's best read after having read previous books featuring the pigs.

Pretty sure Mike has read Reynolds' earlier works. But apparently not Gabe.

This is the third book of a prequel series in the Revelation Space Universe. I know a hyperpig featured heavily in the second one (the main character was his mentor). And I'm pretty sure Mike read the other books in the universe before this series.

Though Gabe has, if you believe in Dreaded Continuity:


Edit: Ah, yes, in that newspost and the comments it definitely sounds like Jerry never read the but Mike has probably read them all:
https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2022/05/09/books-and-their-covers

Edit: But apparently he jumped into this prequel series at the end! From Mike's post:

I am now aware that Machine Vendetta is apparently the third book in a series that I am sure introduces Hyperpigs early on.

Still, I find it hard to believe he read many of Reynolds books and missed the hyperpigs in the other ones. But maybe he didn't read as many as the above makes it seem.

Tastyfish

I think they're vaguely there in Chasm City and more in the follow on books that explore that area. I definitely don't remember them playing as big a role in the Inhibitor Phase series as in the others.

dennis

Tastyfish wrote: »

I think they're vaguely there in Chasm City and more in the follow on books that explore that area. I definitely don't remember them playing as big a role in the Inhibitor Phase series as in the others.

Scorpio isn't in the first of the Inhibitor Sequence books (Revelation Space), but is a significant major character in all the books after it. Remember he's the one who

killed Clavain (at Clavain's request because it was required by the villain.)