The Chav Prince by Michael Arram

[Rutabaga]

I'm titling this post "The Chav Prince" in recognition of that story's inclusion as a Dude's Pick from the Past, but I would really like to talk about this entire series.

As unlikely as it seems that anyone reading this will not have been familiar with Michael Arram's extraordinarily engaging Peacher/Rothenia series, I thought I should make brief note of it here just in case. My biggest warning, and one to be taken with dead seriousness, is to make sure you have A LOT of time available once you get started.

I strongly recommend reading the stories in sequence. Go to the author page here: http://www.awesomedude.com/mike_arram/and commence with the Peacher Series.

In correspondence with Michael Arram I learned that there are two earlier stories, "Toward the Decent Inn" and "Terry and the Peachers," hosted at CRVboy. I hope they will make their way here in due course.

The most extraordinary aspect of this was experiencing Michael's incredible rewrite of the final story of this series, "The Fall," as it unfolded here at Awesome Dude. He told me in correspondence that he had been unsatisfied with the original ending, and wanted to try to improve it. To call this revised version an improvement is a gross understatement; it is a mind-blowing expansion and completion of the tale that has enough content for two or three novels.

Anyway, as I say, if there happens to be anyone who has not experienced this series, put it on your list.

R