Thursday Next Extreme: Ina

Dear Mr Fforde,

Adventure equipment all packed I made my way through the German Elbsandstein-Mountains. After hours of hiking I reached a calm spot in the forest that I considered a perfect starting point for my true travel destination. I made myself comfortable on a fallen tree and began my journey by opening my travel book: Something Rotten. The title should have cautioned me for what was to come, but I guess nothing can prepare you for that.

It all began harmlessly enough with those giant trees making conspicuous cracking sounds and bending somewhat unnaturally. They just seemed to grow old a bit quickly - within seconds in fact. But who cares about rotting trees if he can meet with Thursday Next? Then, all of a sudden, the soft forest ground gave way and the tree I sat on jumped upright only to sink down, down, down into whatever was waiting under the sand and the needles. Too late! I was already caught by the book. No chance of throwing it away and running for my life. All I could do was holding on and keep reading happily, as the tree I clang on to sank into the void. The world around me started spinning certainly unnaturally. But I just read on, oblivious to being in the center of an earth-swallowing vortex.

I do not exaggerate when I'm telling you that my jump into "Something Rotten" occurred at last breath.

Anyways, I thought you ought to know what your books do to our own world when being read in incompatible places. You should consider printing a warning note on the first page; otherwise there might be enormous compensation claims soon. My travel insurance for example doesn't cover book jumps as I had to find out the hard way: Since my return I'm planting seedlings at some desolate spot in the Elbsandstein-Mountains and hardly find the time to read any more of your novels - which is a pity for both of us, you and me. So, talk to your publisher, please.

Best regards from the Elbsandstein-Mountains

Ina

To go back to the Thursday Next X-treme 2010 nominations page, click HERE.
To go to the 2009 nominations page, click HERE.