"Merlin is dead."
It was no more than a whisper, and the man who breathed it was barely at arm's length from the woman, his wife, but the walls of the cottage's single room seemed to catch and throw the sentence on like a whispering gallery.

(Mary Stewart, "The Wicked Day", 1983)

Erste Sätze

On Vikar's shaved head is tattooed the right and
left lobes of his brain. One lobe is occupied by an extreme close-up of Elizabeth Taylor and the other
by Montgomery Clift, their faces barely apart, lips barely apart, in each other's arms on a terrace, the two most beautiful people in the history of the movies, she the female version of him, and he the male version of her.

(Steve Erickson, "Zeroville", 2007)

Erste Sätze

This is a story about magic and where it goes and perhaps more importantly, where it comes from and why, although it doesn't pretend to answer all or any questions.
It may, however, help to explain why Gandalf never got married and why Merlin was a man. Because this is also a story about sex, although probably not in the athletic tumbling, count-the-legs-and-divide-by-two sense unless the characters get totally beyond the author's control. They might.

(Terry Pratchett, Equal Rites, 1987)

Erste Sätze

That evening it was dark early, which was normal for the time of the year. It was cold and windy, which was normal.
It started to rain, which was particularly normal.
A spacecraft landed, which was not.

(Douglas Adams, 'So long and thanks for all the fish', 1984)

Erste Sätze

Luftig und locker wie ein Brautschleier schwebt die weibliche Stimme herab aus dem Lautsprecher.
"Monsieur Malaussène bitte zur Reklamation."
Eine nebelumflorte Stimme, als würde ein Hamilton-Photo plötzlich sprechen.

(Daniel Pennac, Paradies der Ungeheuer, 1985)

Erste Sätze

Berg und Tal begegnen sich nicht, wohl aber die Menschenkinder, zumal gute und böse.

(Die beiden Wanderer, aus: Grimms Märchen, ab 5. Auflage, 1843)

Erste Sätze

Sie zogen aus, bis an die Zähne bewaffnet, an die dreitausend, an die dreihundert, an die dreissig, schrecklich anzusehen in ihrem Kriegsschmucke.
Unten steckten sie in langen Stiefeln, oben in kühnen Hüten. Um ihre Unterleiber schlotterten oder strammten sich rauhe Jacken, deren Taschen reichlich mit Nikotinspargeln gespickt waren. An der Seite hing ein Ränzlein, strotzend von braunen, grünen, roten oder gelben Hülsen, enthaltend das scharfe Pulver, ferner eine Flasche, enthaltend das nicht minder scharfe Visierwasser, und diverse Pakete, worin die kurzgehackten sterblichen Überreste toter Schweine und Kühe waren.

(Hermann Löns, "Mümmelmann" {Kurzgeschichte}, 1909)

Erste Sätze