Comments on: Cage Match 2010, Round 1: 1) The Shrike versus 32) Arthur Dent

By: kheller

kheller — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:51:38 +0000

Thanks for commenting! Comments are now closed on this post, but you can follow this match’s winner in the next fight, open 3/15 at 10:30 EST!

By: Grayson Towler

Grayson Towler — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 21:38:37 +0000

Hmm. Pity about that result. I was really pulling for Arthur Dent on this one.
I’m curious as to why the ability to fly wasn’t listed amongst Dent’s assets, though. Seems that was the deciding factor last time he ended up face-to-face with a killer android. Oh well.

By: Me

Me — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 07:09:18 +0000

I think someone needs to look up the meaning of Deus ex Machina. It really doesn’t mean what you think it means. Unless you are suggesting that the fight will end with some previously unmentioned character showing up and suddenly solving the entire problem.

By: Citizen

Citizen — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:37:02 +0000

This one should have gone to Dent. He has infinite improbability. It’s not just a property of the Heart of Gold, but also of DentArthurDent himself. Only someone who can alter the fabric of the universe should have beaten him. Ged is a good candidate in the brackets. Alternatively, both Lyra and Locke Lamorra would probably have beaten Dent, because he wouldn’t have infinite improbability in those cases.

By: DiapDealer

DiapDealer — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:14:26 +0000

Right down to the wire! They should all be this hard fought.

By: kanatablues

kanatablues — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:05:39 +0000

To paraphrase another author who doesn’t have near enough protagonists in this cage match:
“The chance of Arthur Dent beating the Shrike is a one in a million longshot. However, we all know that one in a million chances work 100% of the time.”
Great matchup – winner, Arthur Dent.

By: DavidM

DavidM — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:21:42 +0000

Very well said, Requiem.

By: BBQ

BBQ — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:21:09 +0000

As long as it ain’t Stavromula Beta, even Shrike can’t kill Dent

By: Requiem

Requiem — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:42:12 +0000

This is one of the more interesting ones due to the nature of the two contestants – they are almost made for each other. I think the shrike pulls ahead on this though for a few reasons:
1) Dent may not be able to die, but the Shrike doesn’t kill all its victims. Indeed, the Tree of Thorns seems to keep them alive indefinitely.
2) The Shrike defies probability. Thats one of its main “effects” on the universe. The AI’s are unable to predict anything regarding Hyperion despite having a +99.9% accuracy in all other predictions. Dent exploits an almost completely inverse ability, taking advantage of the remotest of remote possibilities – but for the Shrike things that should be impossible are not (rather than the unlikely being likely).

By: Michael

Michael — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:13:32 +0000

Bollocks. You can defeat Arthur Dent easily, but some superinvulnerable nigh-unstoppable killing machine ain’t the way to do it. Stop bitching that Dent winning this round means he’ll win the whole thing.