11 Februar 1887

Emily Webb

wird geboren. Nach ihrem frühen Tod bei der Geburt ihres zweiten Kindes ermöglicht es ihr der Spielleiter, einen Tag aus ihrem Leben noch einmal zu erleben und sie sucht sich ihren 12. Geburtstag aus.

(Thornton Wilder, "Our Town", 1938)

09. Februar 1962

Leo Fortier

der Serienmörder, der von Temperance Brennan überführt wird, wurde an diesem Tag geboren.

(Kathy Reichs, "Deja Dead", 1997)

It was a bitch wind, knife sharp and cutting, and it blew
bad and cold.

And they came with it, scurrying and skittering, like yellow
leaves and old newspapers, from a thousand places and from nowhere at all.

They came in their suits and their tee shirts, carrying rucksacks and briefcases and suitcases and plastic bags, muttering and humming and silent as the night.

It seemed like the bitter fall wind brought them there.

Perhaps it did.

----------

The first wind of winter blew from the North, and it had ice and rime on it's breath.

It was dirty and sharp and it cut like a razor, and if it touched you, you could wash and wash until your skin was tattered and bloodied, but you'd never be clean again.

It scattered them into the night, the quiet ones with death in their eyes.

But they left more tentatively than they had come, as if they had seen something unholy inside themselves, something they would never be able to forget.

And they left slowly, one by one, with reluctance, leaving the safety of the light for the chill uncertainties of the darkness.

It seemed like the night sucked them up, took them into it's dark heart.

It seemed like the darkness swallowed them ...

Perhaps it did.

(Neil Gaiman, "The Sandman Library II - The Doll's House", 1990)

29.Januar 1962

Andrea Saint James

wird von ihrer Mitbewohnerin Annie Wilkes ermordet.

(Stephen King, "Misery", 1987)

29. Januar 1981

Herold Prowse

der üble Ehemann von Wavey Prowse kommt auf See in einem Sturm ums Leben.

(Annie Proulx, "The Shipping News", 1993)

24. Januar 1856

Jungfer Henriette von Grieshuus

das einzige Kind von Junker Hinrich wird geboren.

(Theodor Storm, "Zur Chronik von Grieshuus", 1884)

Kürzlich hatte ich das Vergnügen, Bücher von zwei Autoren nacheinander zu lesen, welche - nicht nur in Bezug auf ihre Dialoge - absolut gegensätzlich sind, aber dennoch beide unfehlbar auf ihre Art ihre Leser zum schmunzeln, wenn nicht gar zum laut herauslachen bringen.

Tanya Huff schreibt in ihren Valor-Bänden (und nicht nur da) absolut beneidenswert knappe Dialoge:

Torin sighed. "Mr. Ryder, you blind jump out of Susumi space in a vessel smaller than the average SRM. You secure potentially hazardous salvage in vacuum, with no backup, leaving you essentially screwed if something goes wrong. I do not think you're a coward."
He cocked his head and she could see a glint in the blue eyes. "You think I'm a scavenger who makes his living off the misfortune of people you call friends."
"It's like you were reading my mind, Mr. Ryder .."
"Call me Craig."
"... but that doesn't make you a coward."
"Or a marine."
"What makes you think we'd have you?"
"Ouch again."
"Lick your wounds a little quieter, please, they're starting."
"Are you smiling?"
She was. "No."
"Okay."

-------------

"You know, for a cadmium-haired sex maniac, you're a decent shot."
"Thanks. For a .."
"Superior officer."
"... Human, you're a decent pilot."
"Was that an insult?"
"Up to you."
Starboard thrusters. Full topside. The bottom of the Jade skimmed the side of the pen.

"Fuk!" Dursinski twisted around in her strapping. "I could read 'made by the H'san coalition' on the bottom of that thing!"
"You can read?" Werst snorted.
"Up yours."
Morale seemed fine, Torin noted.

(Tanya Huff, "The Better Part of Valor", 2002)

In Steven Brusts Taltos-Bänden sind die Dialoge ähnlich knapp und spritzig, aber in den Khaavren Büchern macht er sich einen Spaß daraus, alle Konversationen so weit in die Länge zu ziehen, bis man um Gnade wimmern möchte:

..Tazendra suddenly announced to Khaavren and Pel, "I have been wondering again."
Pel shrugged. "I had thought you had given over such activities."
"Well, I seem unable to stop myself."
"It is a sign of intelligence," said Khaavren, "to be unable to stop wondering."
"Is it indeed?" said Tazendra, who was greatly pleased by this thought.
"Entirely."
"Well, that is good; I had suspected I was intelligent, now I know that I am, and because of it-"
"Well?"
"I will continue to wonder."
"That is right," said Khaavren.
"And yet, I should like an answer to the question that has been knocking about my head so insistently."
"I understand your annoyance," said Pel, "but I beg you to reconsider."
"Reconsider?"
"Exactly."
"Why?"
"Because, if you ask your question, it might be answered."
"Well, but that is what I want."
"No," said Pel, "it is not."
"How, it is not?"
"Not in the least in the world, I assure you."
"But, it seems to me that is just why I want to ask the question."
"And you are wrong to do so," said Pel promptly.
"But, will you tell me why?"
"I should be delighted to do so."
"Then I am listening."
"Well, here it is: if your question is answered, you will no longer wonder."

(Steven Brust, "The Phoenix Guards", 1991)