Necromancy

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

Hold on, this isn't a thread complaining about the recent rise of Forum Necromancy happening around here.[footnote]It is related as I fell for one last night and it got me thinking about the subject.[/footnote] This is a thread about gold old fashioned necromancy. That's right, we're bringing back the dead. But only one, only for a day and he/she's not a zombie.

Who would you bring back and why? What conversation would you like to have? What of the new, magical 20XX years would you show them? How do you expect them to react?

Spoiler: My choice.

Personally I'd bring back William Hamilton Merritt, a Canadian cavalry officer from 1812 because I'm a nerd like that. I'd find it really interesting to hear a first hand account about how life in Canada was before it actually was a separate country from Britain. I'd also think he'd be amazed by how large the country has become. I'd really want to know what he thinks of the modern Canadian, to see if we are, in his eyes, more American than Canadian. Also he'd speak English so I could converse with him. That helps.

I'm expecting a lot of more outlandish answers than mine. Use your dark magic and let the dead walk among the living!

 

[Thaluikhain]

There was a cracked after hours video that dealt with this very subject...at least at some point, they tend to wander through topics..

http://www.cracked.com/video_18397_if-you-could-have-dinner-and-sex-with-any-famous-figure.html

 

[OneCatch]

Even though I'm an atheist I'd possibly say Jesus, but it would probably be cruel to tell him what had been done in his name.

Maybe Cicero - plenty of interesting discussions about political theory. He'd probably be broadly impressed with Western civilisation, and would be easier to get along with than most Romans on account of not being quite so militaristic as was the norm.

Alternatively, Archimedes or Da Vinci - just to get to the bottom of how much of their tech actually worked so that all those archeological engineers can get some closure!

Alexander would be potentially interesting - he's always struck me as something of a dichotomy. On one level utterly barbarous in terms of massacres and invasions, but on another quite progressive compared to his contemporaries in terms of things like race, cultural mixing, meritocratic leanings etc. Can I resurrect him from before he went mad and started demanding deistic titles and killing his own officers though?

Lastly, Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein. Pretty much the inventor of modern sci-fi, so plenty of interesting discussion. Feminism in general would be an interesting topic also. Plus she's relatively recent and had fairly scientific background, so would more easily understand technology and how it ties in to modern culture than the rest on my list (even the scientists).

 

[Vegosiux]

I'd bring back Nikola Tesla and ask him if the world's anything like he imagined it would be around this time. I'd also tell him that he's a major and recognized figure now (but he'd likely not like that). And finally, whether seeing the world as it is now gave him any new ideas that I would then of course promise him I'll try to get them looked at. Depending on whether or not this necromancy was a known practice, I'd maybe have to take the credit myself, just so I don't get declared crazy after saying I spoke to Zombie Tesla. But if there was no risk of that, I'd give him full credit.

 

[Someone Depressing]

Margaret Cho.

...She's not dead?

Ok, The Bavarian Illuminati's president. I want him to do my sister's paper on feminist theory. I'm sure she will buy me many things in return.

 

[Flutterguy]

Well the aboved named Nikola Tesla, or the great Manly Palmer Hall. Both incredibly knowledgable men Id no doubt learn much from.

If language barrier was not a problem then I would go with someone more historical like Achenaton, muhammed, jesus or something of that nature.

 

[JoJo]

Hitler so I can punch him in the face.

Or maybe not. But the biologist in me says I might bring back Charles Darwin so I could show him the evidence that's been uncovered since his death that's shown many of his conjectures to be right, for example before genetic material was discovered in the 20th century no-one knew how traits were inherited and the fossil record was much sparser than it is now. It'd be great to show him everything we've found out, I think he'd be particularly interested in human evolution.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I would bring Heath Ledger back, just to let him know that he won.

 

[Loop Stricken]

I'd probably say my father; give the family a chance to say goodbye properly and all that.

Balls to famous people, they're just people too.

 

[Wyatt Wilkerson]

I would have to say machiavelli ever since someone said that il principe might be a satire its been driving me nuts so i would love to know that and i would love to see his reaction to the history of politics after his time.

 

[Nokturos]

I'm going to bookmark this thread, then post in it in six months.

 

[gigastar]

Just for something different, I would bring back a 15th century crusader and watch hilarity ensue.

I'm going to bookmark this thread, then post in it in six months.

Dont forget to use the thread necromancer card.

 

[the December King]

I'd love to sit with Tolkien, and watch the 'Rings with him. It'd be an honor, even if he hated them.

Or Howard Phillips Lovecraft... but I wouldn't know what to say to him. I'll have to think on that.

 

[Harleykin]

bring "back" jesus
arm him
send him to all those ppl claiming doing his work. sounds fun to me...but that might be a diffrent problem

to serious i guess for 1 day it wouldn't meana nything but if were like a year or some months i'd definitly go with tesla too. give him all he needs and try and see what would happen and what might be achieved

 

[Something Amyss]

There was a cracked after hours video that dealt with this very subject...at least at some point, they tend to wander through topics..

http://www.cracked.com/video_18397_if-you-could-have-dinner-and-sex-with-any-famous-figure.html

Unless it's Spider-Man. Then they just torture Dan.

Hitler so I can punch him in the face.

Or maybe not. But the biologist in me says I might bring back Charles Darwin so I could show him the evidence that's been uncovered since his death that's shown many of his conjectures to be right, for example before genetic material was discovered in the 20th century no-one knew how traits were inherited and the fossil record was much sparser than it is now. It'd be great to show him everything we've found out, I think he'd be particularly interested in human evolution.

I want to see Darwin take on Ken Ham and Ray Comfort. So this has now become my vote.

 

[Something Amyss]

bring "back" jesus
arm him
send him to all those ppl claiming doing his work. sounds fun to me...but that might be a diffrent problem

I'm not sure arming Him would do any good. There's a reason the Bible doesn't end with the Apostles busting in, tossing Jesus a sword, and kicking Roman ass before they ride into the sunset with Mary Magdalene.

Or Howard Phillips Lovecraft... but I wouldn't know what to say to him. I'll have to think on that.

I have a feeling he'd be too preoccupied with all the brown people in the US to care.

 

[Sir Thomas Sean Connery]

I'd bring back Nikola Tesla and ask him if the world's anything like he imagined it would be around this time. I'd also tell him that he's a major and recognized figure now (but he'd likely not like that). And finally, whether seeing the world as it is now gave him any new ideas that I would then of course promise him I'll try to get them looked at. Depending on whether or not this necromancy was a known practice, I'd maybe have to take the credit myself, just so I don't get declared crazy after saying I spoke to Zombie Tesla. But if there was no risk of that, I'd give him full credit.

I heartily second Tesla.

Hopefully he could be acclimated to the new world and start working on the incredible stuff in his head that he never got the chance to figure out.

Or he would just be senile and spend the rest of his new life working on a Death Ray that wouldn't function.

Either way, I'd use him as a means to meet TheOatmeal to get signatures and photos.

 

[the December King]

Or Howard Phillips Lovecraft... but I wouldn't know what to say to him. I'll have to think on that.

I have a feeling he'd be too preoccupied with all the brown people in the US to care.

I would rather show him some stories and movies that came about from his works- it's like TED Klein said, some had to face his greatness the second his name became an adjective to describe a particular horror!

Sadly I suspect that he would be very preoccupied by the racial mix, like Robert E Howard (who was my third choice, but I still have the same problem, not sure what to talk about), and I don't think spending all day trying to convince someone from another time that everyone is equal would be very successful.

Or, maybe it would be, on the other hand, successful.

And maybe it would mean something, but since he (either HPL or Robert) would only be alive for the day, it wouldn't really effect anything. Except for myself, of course... by making Howard a living person instead of a legend on a pedestal, maybe with rational discussion I could appeal to his intellect, just like many of his protagonists did, and show him that we are all human, there's no need to fear, and we all should be seen and treated as equal.

Well, either that or we'd just get drunk and walk in an old cemetery. That'd be cool, too.