It's time to play "name that author". I've had this idea in my notes for a while. After coming up with the themers I thought filling in the rest of the grid would be a snap. Not so! Good luck as you jump into the grid and attempt to solve the meta. The answer to the meta is an author. Answer & explanation: https://www.xword-muggles.com/viewtopic.php?p=182468#p182468
Check out "The MOAT Mini Pack of Marching Bands" here: https://www.ephesusscroll.com/about/interest4.html. US$5 gets you 7 Marching Bands which, hard enough on their own, now contain metas too. And once again there's a mega-meta!
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Comments
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Berto 1:00 · 7 months ago
Wow, it was right there staring at me lol. Nice one Ben!
I'm just glad I found a way to get KRADACKLEDACK into a puzzle!
hoover 7s · 7 months ago
I had never heard that style of stache called a KRADACKLEDACK, and I had never heard of the relevant series or author, but you left quite a few breadcrumbs so I got there anyway. Thanks for the puzzle!
Ditto for me. Lost count of how many variants I googled before I got here. Of course, I'm just now catching the last name across the top of the grid! Wonder what else went over my head.
THere's dark.. and it's in positions. But I'd never think to specifically say "rising" (although in hind-sight that's a second meaning for the title. Small d'oh). I just thought of all phrases with dark ("dark and stormy night" "Left (because they are backwards) hand of darkness" "heart of darkness") and it took me a long time to think of "The dark is rising" which, had I not been familiar with the book (I loved it when I was in my kid-lit teenage phase-- not sure how I'd feel about it now) I never would have phased it that way.
Whew. After Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Ursula LeGuins "Left Hand of Darkness", Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness", Bill Inge's "The Dark at the Top of the Stairs", and even Stephen King's "The Dark Tower", suddenly "The Dark is Rising" came to me and that just felt right.
But is there a way to solve this other than guessing. I'd assume the series is too obscure for common knowledge. Or people just generally good at visual puns? I love visual puns but when I don't get them, gosh, am I lost at see.
hoover 7s · 7 months ago
To be fair, my first attempt at googling was for DARK UP or UP DARK before I figured that maybe RISING had a better ring.
Absolutely loved this series as a kid. All the Welsh and Arthurian mythology was fascinating. The movie was disappointing though. Thanks for the puzzle, Ben!
KayW 🤓11:35 · 7 months ago
VERY nicely constructed! I confess I did not know the author or the series - tho I may have heard the phrase somewhere because I eventually thought to google it.
whimsy 13:10 · 7 months ago
Totally missed the NW and SE gimme's! I solved "the old-fashioned way; I earned it." (Thank you, John Houseman!) Glad you managed to pull off the grid, Ben -- it certainly increased my vocabulary! Thanks!
lbray53 2s · 7 months ago
Google lists 596 books with DARK in the title. Lucky for me the correct one was number 12.
Bird Lives 3s · 7 months ago
Never heard of her, but as soon as I finished the grid, I knew what to Google. Thanks for one I could solve. Now about my moustache. . . .
I’m sure others googled DARK rise rising rises etc. and got some of the same good alternative answers I did! And that moustache word? I’m sure I’ve never heard it called that but googling that word was entertaining.
imontoo 3s · 7 months ago
Enjoyed it, Ben!
Carolyn 3s · 7 months ago
finally.... got it
Qmark 3s · 7 months ago
Thanks for another fun meta, Ben. I was not familiar with the author...but after doing some reading online, I am now.
Tyrpmom 2s · 7 months ago
Susan Mary Cooper = incorrect
Cooper = incorrect.
Dark (desperate times) = incorrect
Review of grid. Oh suesan cooper. Got it!
Since MGWCC is delayed I continued my trip back in time through last semester's MOATs. Had to reveal the grid in a few spots, but the first thing I did was write the themers backwards and spot the DARKs. Never heard of the series or the author, and the google click was a little wobbly, but I got there. :) Think I only have about 5 left to do