timeline for Dirty Job and Bloodsucking Fiends

I'm thinking that the action in A Dirty Job and Bloodsucking Fiends overlaps chronologically, becuase when Alphonse Rivera comes in to Asher's store, and I think also when he meets him in the alley throwing fireworks at the sewer harpies, Rivera is working on investigating some of the deaths in Bloodsucking Fiends.

Now Christopher Moore's next book is going to pick up right where Bloodsucking Fiends left off (he said that at a book signing - maybe it's in print somewhere as well), so I wouldn't be surprised if we encountered Rivera again in his Death persona in the new book.

But I digress. Mainly I wanted to ask if other people think the two books are happening at the same time. Does that seem right?

Peace,
Beverly

I didn't notice the plots of the two novels as interlocking chronologically. It just seemed to me that in ADJ Rivera was still working in SF. Likewise, Jody is still "living" in the city when she shows up (unnamed) at Charley's store.
_________________
"If you allow yourself to be offended, then you're a bit of [a] nitwit."
(Christopher Moore)

revised theory re chronology

I didn't think the two books were interlocking exactly, more just that there are some cross-references for CM fans to catch. But actually I've realized I'm probably wrong, and the two stories are consecutive, not concurrent. Here's why.

On pages 69-71 in ADJ, when Rivera comes into Charley's store because he is investigating the disappearance of James O'Malley, who had cancer, I was thinking that it was one of the disappearances from Bloodsucking Fiends. But just this morning I remembered that Rivera also mentions in ADJ that he had "a short run of good fortune a while back" (page 71), and I'm sure that is referring to the sale of the salvaged treasures at the end of Bloodsucking Fiends. Which still works - Jody (and probably Tommy) would still be around harvesting terminally ill people, and James O'Malley could be one of them.

This doesn't preclude the possibility of Rivera being in the next book. Guess we'll just have to wait a year or so and see.

I've loaned both my copies of BSF to other people, so I can't check. If James O'Malley is one of the missing people in that book, then, as Biff would say, CM is fucking with us.

Cheerio,
Beverly

Interesting ideas, Becky. Great avatar, too. What are their names?

LOL Lemmy and Cyb

Hi, Lisa.

They are two-year-old littermates, commonly known as Lemmy and Cyb, full names Sarsenstone Lemony Snicket and Sarsenstone Cybele. I call that my mc escher kitties photo.

How about yours?

I'm Beverly, by the way.

Cheerio!

B.

Re: timeline for Dirty Job and Bloodsucking Fiends

bezm wrote:

I'm thinking that the action in A Dirty Job and Bloodsucking Fiends overlaps chronologically, becuase when Alphonse Rivera comes in to Asher's store, and I think also when he meets him in the alley throwing fireworks at the sewer harpies, Rivera is working on investigating some of the deaths in Bloodsucking Fiends. Now Christopher Moore's next book is going to pick up right where Bloodsucking Fiends left off (he said that at a book signing - maybe it's in print somewhere as well), so I wouldn't be surprised if we encountered Rivera again in his Death persona in the new book. But I digress. Mainly I wanted to ask if other people think the two books are happening at the same time. Does that seem right? Peace, Beverly

They are happening at the same time, but while A Dirty Job covers 6 years, the time frame of Fiends and You Suck are considerably shorter.

At any given time in your life, you may be playing a bit part in someone elses life, even though you are the star of yours. It's sort of how you should look at the overlap of the books. Everyone is living his or her own story, but sometimes their paths cross.

You'll see.

Cool, thanks! I like that. It's fun crossing paths with the same characters at different times in their lives - they turn into something like old friends, Alphonse Rivera being the prime example. When I tell people about your books, I often mention that certain characters recur but that the books are in no way sequels - can't say about You Suck, of course, but the others all clearly stand alone just fine.

Beverly

If I'm not mistaken, I think Rivera holds the current title for being in the most books -- he's in Practical Demonkeeping, Bloodsucking Fiends, You Suck, and A Dirty Job. And it seems likely he will be in the sequel to You Suck as well -- though he retires at the end of ADJ, that happens years after the end of YS.

Most importantly, he is the prime link between the Pine Cove books and the San Francisco books.
_________________
Good Mungle blaith our meathalls
Woof mebble morn so green the wheel
Staggaboon undie some grapeload
To get a little feel
of my own faulty bagnose.

E. Q. Taft wrote:

If I'm not mistaken, I think Rivera holds the current title for being in the most books -- he's in Practical Demonkeeping, Bloodsucking Fiends, You Suck, and A Dirty Job. And it seems likely he will be in the sequel to You Suck as well -- though he retires at the end of ADJ, that happens years after the end of YS. [...]

ADJ (near the beginning) takes place partly during Jody and Tommy's adventures, because Jody shows up at Charlie's store.
_________________
"If you allow yourself to be offended, then you're a bit of [a] nitwit."
(Christopher Moore)

mllefifi wrote:

ADJ (near the beginning) takes place partly during Jody and Tommy's adventures, because Jody shows up at Charlie's store.

Yes, I know, but the end takes place years later -- Sophie has time to become a six-year-old. So theoretically there could be any number of sequels to You Suck that happen concurrently. Well, any number except 917 -- that would obviously be absurd.
_________________
Good Mungle blaith our meathalls
Woof mebble morn so green the wheel
Staggaboon undie some grapeload
To get a little feel
of my own faulty bagnose.

Re: timeline for Dirty Job and Bloodsucking Fiends

chris wrote:

At any given time in your life, you may be playing a bit part in someone elses life, even though you are the star of yours. It's sort of how you should look at the overlap of the books. Everyone is living his or her own story, but sometimes their paths cross. You'll see.

Profound, yo.

sugarraydodge wrote:

chris wrote: At any given time in your life, you may be playing a bit part in someone elses life, even though you are the star of yours. It's sort of how you should look at the overlap of the books. Everyone is living his or her own story, but sometimes their paths cross. You'll see. Profound, yo.

Truly!