Talk:Santa's Other Workshop/@comment-28266772-20170111151840

I don’t have an exact reason to describe why I like this story so much. It’s difficult because it comes down to a few different things; I know you’ve been working on developing your style over time with the aim of recreating the classic fairy-tale style. And I think there’s something about seeing that process borne out in such a perfect way with this story that is cathartic and reaffirming. If you’ve had the long-term goal of writing a fairy-tale, not just a pastiche or a tribute, then I think this is the story that achieves that aim. There’s so much to like about it, I suppose I should get down to brass tacks and be a bit more specific though.

So one of my favourite parts is just the premise alone. I love the idea that all those shitty, boring, half-hearted toys that you see in bargain-buckets, hanging up in petrol stations, and occupying Christmas crackers come from Santa. There’s this strange balance of naivety and cynicism in the idea that Santa, dedicated to giving all children toys, would still make sure naughty kids get some toys. But obviously he can’t be fucked to give them the good stuff so they get crap like this. It’s captures that strange dissonant quality of “oh the world is a wonderful place with talking cats and magical beans, oh shit a witch just ate a kid!” that is so ubiquitous in fairy-tales.

It’s a perfect fairy-tale setup. Like I said, Santa’s still this nice guy, he cares about everyone, but he’s still got time to keep and things to do so he isn’t going to waste too much time. I really like that idea.

My favourite part though is the main character. Like all fairy tales he’s a bit sad. Not just in a ‘horror story’ kind of ironic-sad way either. There’s something inhuman and absolute about a reality in which elves are expected to work for no reason at all. They’re expected to be selfless, and magical, and perfect and when they fall short of that they’re punished, brutally. At the same time Erg (I can’t possibly write the full thing out each time!) isn’t a hero, or even a tragic villain. There’s something palpable about his disdain. Maybe it’s the way he’s hammering a nail into his hand to regain control over it in a super-human display of conviction and hatred, maybe it’s the way he’s tucked away in a hidden corner scheming revenge against a child. You get from him a sense of bitterness, and loss. Before you even mention why he’s down in that workshop you’ve made it clear that an elf has to have committed a great wrong to get there; when we first see him you’ve planted all the right ideas in our head.

I respect that balance. It’s not easy. He’s sad, a little tragic, but he stinks of hatred and bitterness. There’s a great economic efficiency to how much character you pack into this guy when you’re working so quickly and in such limited space. I also enjoy the ever-so-slight hint of Lovecraftian nastiness displayed in the Elf’s name. Like I said this doesn’t feel like an out-and-out horror story, but there’s the hint of something living under the surface. There’s the sense of a magical world lost to time (loss is a recurring motif actually), and the Elf’s name is a nice subtle nod to the idea that Santa’s whole schtick is a remnant of a time defined by human insignificance and powerful, inhuman, forces that ruled the world.

There are lots of other stylistic touches to like. The picture of the rabbit is a great choice, the little rant as the elf makes the rabbit is captivating and at once beautiful and ugly, and the rules that accompany the rabbit are cute but, given the circumstance, also menacing and off-putting.

If I have one complaint it’s that the rules seem to come out of nowhere. Are they just a distraction? Or are they actually part of the game? I got the sense that the Elf made the rules because he knew the naughty child would never obey them, and would instead immediately look into the rabbit’s eyes. I suspected that such an action would instigate, or be somehow crucial, to the curse.

Overall though this is a minor complaint. This is one of those rare stories I’ve read that has left me wishing I had the budget to do an animated feature film. It’s an original, interesting, and macabre story that’s a superb display of your talent for fairy-tales. And it goes beyond being a pastiche and feels original and interesting enough to qualify as a fairy-tale in its own right. I really hope it continues to get more recognition and traffic.