My Favorite Things is a parody of My Favorite Things from Rodgers and Hammerstein 's musical The Sound of Music , dedicated to all the fen who appreciate filk. It has references to these stories:
Her Majesty's Wizard
The first verse and the hook (refrain) mostly refer to characters in John Ronald Reuel Tolkien 's popular Legendarium , with one reference to Isaac Asimov 's novel The Currents of Space .
Gardening spiders refers to Ungoliant , who took the form of a giant spider and, along with Dark Lord Melkor , Later known as Morgoth Bauglir destroyed the Two Trees of Valinor .
swords that are broken
refers to
Elendil
's
sword
Narsil
,
called The Sword that was Broken
after its damage in a battle
against
Sauron
,
and later carried by
Aragorn
(Strider
).
The Black Speech is a language constructed by Sauron for Mordor .
Unfaithful stewards refers to Denethor , the 26th ruling Steward of Gondor .
An Orc is an evil monster bred by Sauron. A neuronic probe is a fictional device in Isaac Asimov 's novel The Currents of Space .
favorite kings refers to Aragorn, king of Gondor.
Verse refers to characters in The Two Towers , volume 2 of "The Lord of the Rings". Saruman is an istar (wizard) who was the head of the White Council but was tempted by power and allied himself with Sauron. Saruman and Sauron sent orcs to capture the hobbits Meriadoc Brandybuck (Merry) and Pippin Took . The hobbits escaped into Fangorn Forest after a rescue by the Riders of Rohan.
In Fangorn Forrest the hobbits met Treebeard, the oldest of the ents, and told him of their adventures. They convinced the ents to destroy Saruman's tower of Orthanc. After the battle, the hoobits were reunited with their party and the enraged Grima Wormtongue threw a palantir at Gandalf, not realizing its value.
Verse refers to characters in three unrelated stories by Anne Inez McCaffrey and James Henry Schmitz .
Peddlers refers to a zone agent of the Confederacy of Vega
in the story
Agent of Vega
.
Pretty young ladies Who can speak to dragons refers to Lessa in the novel Dragonflight , the last surviving daughter of a conquered noble family, who has been recruited as a dragonrider.
ship who sings refers to the character
Helva in
The Ship Who Sang
,
a girl whose body was severely deformed at birth and who could
never have lived a normal life. Her brain has been wired to the
controls of a spaceship, and she identifies with the ship. Unlike
most of the brains
, she has musical talent strong enough
the make her famous as the ship who sings.
Verse refers to Robert Anson Heinlein 's story ‘—All You Zombies—’ , The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction : March 1959. In verse 4, Time traveling bar men refers to the narrator, who, with the aid of a time machine and a sex change operation, is his own father and own mother. Heinlein is known as the "dean of science fiction writers"; his stories ‘—All You Zombies—’ and By His Bootstraps are the seminal stories of the genre.
Verse refers to characters in the Lord Darcy stories by Gordon Randall Phillip David Garrett (Randall Garrett) . Lord Darcy is the Chief Forensic Investigator for the Duke of Normandy; Master Sean O'Lochlainn is Lord Darcy's magical aide.
Verse refers to characters in Poul Anderson's 's Trader Team, Analog Science Fact & Fiction : vol. 75, no. 5, July 1965, part of his Polesotechnic League series.
Over-sized lizards refers to Adzel, a reptilian alien partnered with the human David Falkayn.
Verse refers to characters in
Poul Anderson
's
Operation Changeling
, the final chapter of his
Operation Chaos
.
Witches and warlocks refers to Werewolf Steven Matuchek and his wife Virginia (Ginny
) Graylock.
Whose babies are taken refers to their daughter Valeria, whom agents of the Hell world have replace with a changeling.
Don't take it lightly refers to Steve and Ginny's rescue mission.
The Hell World is shaken refers to the havoc that their allies wreak on the Hell world.
, , and refer to characters in Henry Beam Piper 's novel Lord Kalvan of Othewhen .
Calvin refers to Calvin Morrison , a Keystone cop who is accidentally taken into and stranded in an alternate universe by a paratime transporter : he later learns that the region is called the princedom of Hostigos . The locals later have trouble with his American name and refer to him as Lord Kalvan.
Paratime mystery refers to the existence of alternate universes and of paratime transporters. Prince Ptosphes refers to the prince of Hostigos and lovely young princess refers to Princess Rylla, the daughter of Prince Ptosphes and eventually Kalvan's wife.
Peasants are fleeing refers to a raid by Nostor , a hostile neighbor of Hostigos; he can yell louder refers to Kalvan's rallying the fleeing peasants into a counterattack, during which Rylla inadvertently shoots Kalvan and, realizing her error, brings him home to recuperate.
The locals believe that gunpowder can only be made by the priests of Styphon . They thought they were lost refers to an embargo by Styphon's House against selling gunpowder to Hostigos when it is on the brink of war with Nostor.
Their hopes he's igniting refers to Kalvan, who has studied military history, the rudiments of military science, including the manufacture of gunpower, rifling and counterespionage. He is attempting to teach things that can be done with existing infrastructure, while laying the groundwork for more advanced technology. Yet he can't keep Rylla his Love from the fighting refers to Rylla's strength of character; neither Kalvan nor her father can keep her from the front lines for long. Ptostophes has no son, and has raised Rylla as his heir; she is courageous, intelligent, strong and devoted to the welfare of her country.
Being a rival To all the great kings refers to Great King Kaiphranos of Hos-Harphax, , to whom Hostigos nominally owes allegiance.
Verse refers to characters in Christopher Stasheff 's novel Her Majesty's Wizard .
Untenured scholars refers to English student Matthew Mantrell , who is transported by magic into an alternate universe.
Deposed royal ladies refers to Princess Alisande , the daughter of the deposed king.
Summoning dragons refers to Mathew's attempt to conjure a source of light for his cell; he inadvertently summons the dragon Stegoman instead.
With tears in their wings refers to the maiming that Stegoman's tribe imposed in order to protect themselves from his erratic behavior.
Verse refers to
Esther Friesner
's
fantasy novel Gnome Man's Land
.
A
Bean-nighes
("washwewoman"), aka nigheag na h-ath ("little washer of the ford"),
when seen washing bloody clothes in a stream, is a portent of death, as is a
bean sidhes
In the novel a Bean-nighe is seen washing bloody clothes at a laudromat.
Verse , and refer to Eric Flint 's novel 1632. The West Virginia town of Grantvile has been tranported, by means unknown, to the middle of Thuringia in the year 1631.
The residents of Grantville have organized a makeshift army with plans to destroy an invading Catholic mercenary army. In addition, they intend to lure out Protestant mercenaries lead by Ernst Hoffman, who have occupied the nearby town of Badenburg and are abusing the townsfolk under the guise of protecting them.
Gretchen Richter is a teenage camp follower, kidnaped by mercenaries after they murdered her parents. Gtetchen has a surviving brother Hans, a surviving sister Annalise, a surviving grandmother Veronica, a baby Wilhelm, and a group of fellow victims whom she has taken under her wing. While Gretchen is a kind girl, she will do anything to protect those whom she has taken under her wing.
During the Battle of the Crapper
, Gretched hides women and
children under a desserted outhouse. Jeff Higgins, is
one of four teenaged motorcycle riders assigned the task of
warning off Hoffman's mercenaries away from the camp
followers, with orders to not take any risks. When Hoffman sees
Gretchen threatened (Over my dead body
) by the mercenaries,
he ignores his orders and intervenes, follwed in short order by
his friends.
Verse refers to David Weber 's stories A Beautiful Friendship and The Honor of the Queen , set in the Honorverse .
Treecats are a highly social nonverbal species native to the planet Sphinx in the Manticore binary star system. While telepathic among themselves, they are only able to read human emotions. Due to the native predators on Sphinx, treecats have evolved an impressive ability to defend themselves, and it would be a fatal error to assume due to their gentle nature that they are helpless.
Treecats exposed to humans often form a strong lifelong telempathic bond with them; separation is painful for both partners. With friends that are royal refers to the royal House of Winton on Mantcore, which is a protector of the treecats, with several members have bonded with them, including the reigning Elizabeth Adrienne Samantha Annette Winton (Queen Elizabeth III)
Mess with their twolegs refers to an assassination attempt against Grayson Planetary Protector Benjamin Mayhew IX at a banquet honoring Honor Harrington. Honor and her treecat Nimitz are severely injured while defending Mayhew.
And see what that brings refers to the damage Nimitz inflicted on the assasins.
Verse refers to characters from From the Highlands in Changer of Worlds .
Audobon dancers refers to members of the Audubon Ballroom , an anti-slavery organization widely banned as terrorists.
Have strange bedfellows refers to Victor Cachat from the People's Republic of Haven and RMN Captain (inactive) Anton Zilwiki from the Star Kingdom of Manticore, whose nations are at war.
, and refer to the Vorkosigan Saga stories by Lois McMaster Bujold .
Betan survey ships refers to a ship from the Survey Service of
Beta Colony, captained by
Cordelia Naismith.
Beta Colony has a reputation for pacifism, which some mistake for cowardice.
Whose captains are taken refers to the capture of Cordelia by
Captain Lord Aral Vorkosigan
from Barrayar, near the beginning of
Shards of Honor.
.
During her captivity Captain Vorkosigan has ordered his armsman
Sergeant
Konstantin Bothari
to treat her as a guest. Bothari has
extreme mental illness dues to his mistreatment in the military
but is extremely loyal to Captain Vorkosigan. Bothari refers to Cordelia
as The Captains Lady
.
Vorbarran warships that with strife are shaken refers to a mutiny
on Aral's ship. Codelia, in the midst of an unwanted rescue by her
crew, foils the mutiny before escaping.
Mess with
Cordellia
A slit throat she brings
refers to an incident
where Admiral Vorrutyer has tied Codelia, a prisoner for the
second time, to his bed, tortured her and ordered Sergeant Bothari
to rape her. Bothari instead slits Vorrutyer's throat.
In the novel Barrayar , Cordelia, pregnant with Miles Vorkosigan , is exposed to a the teratogen Soltoxin during an attack on her husband Aral. The treatment would have killed Miles, so the medical staff transfer him to an artificial womb.
Stealing the son refers to the capture of Miles's artificial womb during Count Vidal Vordarian 's coup. Aral refuses to divert the resources needed for a rescue attempt.
A helpless Vor Lady refers to Cordelia, who organizes a forbidden rescue party including armsman Bothari .
Losing your head is the fate that it brings is what happens to
Vordarian after Cordelia captures him. He refuses to accept that
his cause is lost, Cordelia orders Bothari to execute him, and he
says What? You're a Betan! You can't do—
. Bad guess ;-)
When she starts to go shopping refers to an incident soon
after Cordelia returns home with her rescued son. Security staff
want to see what is in the bag containig Vordarian's severed head,
after looking they ask how to list it in the security inventory,
and she says
Put it down as a Winterfair gift for Admiral Vokosigan.
Aral has ordered that she be taken to him as soon as she returns,
and she joins a sealed meeting. Aral's father, Count
Piotr Pierre Vorkosigan
,
angrily asks her Good God, woman, where have you been?
,
she holds up the bag, replies Shopping. Want to see what I bought?
,
and spills the head on the table.
Verse refers to Labyrinth, included in the collections Borders of Infinity, Miles, Mutants & Microbes and Miles, Mystery and Mayhem.
Vorbarran agents refers to Miles Vorkosigan in his persona as Admiral Naismith, on a covert mission to extract Dr. Hugh Canaba from House Bharaputra's Laboritories on Jackson's Whole, with a cover story of weapon shopping from House Fell.
A gene-tailored soldier refers to an 8" tall super
soldier
developed by Dr. Canaba and commissioned by people who
has never seen combat, known only as Nine
and treated as a
laboratory animal. Dr. Canaba insists on retrieving samples of
radical advances in gene engineering, encapsulated and injected
into Nine's thigh. He explains that Nine has been sold to
House Ryoval. Miles infiltrates House Ryoval in an attempt to
extract Nine, but is caught and thrown into a basement with her.
She won't believe that Miles considers her human unless he makes
love to her. Miles, appalled at her treatment, names her Taura,
helps her to sabotage an irreplaceable collection of samples and
almost succeeds in escaping with her, but they are fetched by
Baron Ryoval,
A rescue shuttle refers to Bel Thorne's mission to ransom Miles, exchanging him for the quaddie Nicol. Miles conveys a cryptic order to fight, and his party is able to subdue the guards and escape in the shuutle. The shuutle is damaged by enemy fire but escapes with Miles, Nicol and Recruit-trainee Taura unharned.
Verse and
refer to two stories by
Patricia Collins Wrede
,
Mairelon the Magician
and Magician's Ward
,
republished in a single volume as
"
Magic and Malice
".
Thieves dressed as boys refers to Kim, an adolescent girl who dresses as a boy because she is afraid of being forced into a brothel if her sex is discovered. She is hired to break into the wagon of Mairelon the Magician, who does a magic show, and to look for a silver bowl. She is caught by Mairelon and coopted into assisting him in an investigation.
Kim discovers that Mairelon is actually Richard Merrill, a real magician and member of an aristocratic family. Towards the end of the investigation Merrill realizes that Kim can see magic being used, when she hides behind a table and prevents a magical disaster by interrupting a spell being dangerously miscast. Merrill propses making her his ward and taching her magic.
Kim lives with Merrill in his brother Andrew's house,
along with his paternal aunt Agatha Lowe, his maternal aunt.
Mrs. Lowe has strict notions of propriety, and is bent on finding
a suitable
situation for Kim, i.e., marriage to a
respectable
husband; Kim, whoever, has repeatedly declared
her unwillingness to marry a toff
. Mrs. Lowe constantly
chastise Kim for her lack of decorum and for spending too much
time at her studies, while Merrill and his mother Lady Wendall defend her.
Students of Magic refers to Kim after Merrill adopts her. Her lessons include texts in multiple languages.
Who their decorum refers to behavior that Merrill does not find objectionable but that Mrs. Lowe, who has no magical talent, finds improper.
Rescue their teacher refers to an incident where Merrill is part of a group casting a spell and Kim discovers that he is in danger of insanity as a byproduct of the spell. She trades places with him, risking her life, and averts disaster.
And get wedding rings refers to Merrill's proposal to Kim after she recovers from her participation in the spell.
Verse and refer to the Vorkosigan Saga stories by Lois McMaster Bujold .
In the novel
A Civil Campaign
,
If you like Science Fiction and have a sense of humor, this is a must read.
Miles is in love with the recently widowed
Ekaterin Vorsoisson
,
whose husband
Etienne Vorsoisson
died while engaged in a treasonous plot. Due to security issues,
neither Miles nor Ekaterin is permitted to divulge the
circumstances of Etienne's death. Ekaterin admires Miles, but wants
a year in peace to recover from her disastrous marriage to Etienne
before even thinking of remarriage. Miles, afraid that someone
else will propose before him, hires Ekaterin to design a garden of
native Barryar plants as a ruse to spend time with her. Miles,
however, foolishly confides in his cousin
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
,
(That idiot Alex
), who decides to prank Miles.
Bungled Proposals refers to Miles's panicky proposal after Simon Illyan , the former head of Imperial Security (ImpSec), asks about Miles's intended proposal to Ekaterin. She is beyond angry at the deceit, even though she might have been receptive to a more honorable approach.
Nikolai Vorsoisson (Nikki) is Ekaterin's 9-year old son, who admires Miles and is obsessed with starships. When you mess with Nikki refers to a polical attack agains Miles by the head of the Conservative Party, Count Boriz Vormoncrief , and his nephew Lieutenant Alexi Vormoncrief , which includes spreading rumors about Ekaterin and Miles, which they are unable to refute without reveling highly classified information. Nikki is distressed, and Miles asks Emperor Gregor Vorbarra to tell Nikki as much as he can. The emperor swears Nikki to secrecy, explains that there are some thiings that he cannot be told, tells Nikki that the rumors are false and gives him permission to call if he feels the need to discuss it further.
Concerned by the rumors, Etienne's brother Vassily Vorsoisson , who is Nikki's legal guardian under Barryar's archaic patriarchal laws, and Ekaterin's brother Hugo Vorvayne , threaten to take Nikki away if she won't stop seeing Miles.
Gullible inlaws refers to Vassily, who, along with Hugo, is panicked by Alexi Vormoncrief, and attempts to take Nikki away. In an absolutely hilarious scene, Ekaterin, who normally controls Nikky's assertive streak, gives him free rein, Nikki calls Emperor Gregor, and ImpSec brings the entire party to the palace. The emperor rebukes Vassily for his gullability.
Meddlesome shavetails refers to Lieutenant Vormoncrief, whom Gregor decides to exile to Kyril Island , a deadend and unpleasent duty station where he can do no harm.