Skip to main content

story identification - Pub or tavern reached from many time periods


This has been tickling my mind for a while and I'm not sure if it's an actual story, if it's from a series of short stories, or if it's just something I think I remember.


I don't remember a storyline, only the setting. It's a pub or tavern, and I think the interior was more like the medieval era than anything else. It somehow transcended time. There was no explanation, but either the tavern or the tavern keeper (or some force) picked who could come there. Some people might come there multiple times and others might only come once if they weren't well received. People would enter from all different time periods.


On one night a person might go through a door (or find the door, if they knew what it looked like?), go through it, and end up talking with people from the 5th century B.C., from 1492 A.D., and a number of other time periods as well.


This would have been in a collection of short stories, but I don't remember a plot or storyline, which makes me think it might have been a sketch. I know it was something I read, not a movie or something someone told me about.



Does this setting of a tavern with guests from all eras of history ring a bell with anyone?



Answer



It sounds like you've described the World's End Tavern from Sandman. There's a series of six stories in the middle of the Sandman series where a couple from our time take refuge from a storm and end up in the tavern, meeting people and beings from all times and places who have all happened to stumble into it to take refuge from the same storm.


Six of the people they meet in the tavern tell short stories, each forming one of the comics. It meets the description of a collection of short stories, but I suspect you may have remembered if it was a comic.


It appears to be a fairly well known trope - I wonder if you can find the example that you're thinking of on that page. I'm pretty sure that the other example I was thinking of was Honest John's in The Riftwar Cycle, as per the linked trope page.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

futurama - How much time is lost in 'Time Keeps on Slippin''

In time Keeps on Slippin' , Farnsworth creates a basketball team which he matures by abusing Chronitons. This leads to time skipping forward by random, but ever increasing amounts. How much time was skipped in this way? Answer Unfortunately, I don't think a good estimate can be made for this, for two reasons: Many of the time skips move forward by an indeterminate amount of time. At one point, the Professor mentions localized regions of space skipping forward much more than others. We then see two young boys on the street below complaining about having to pay social security, only to suddenly become senior citizens and start complaining about wanting their money. Thus, each individual could have experienced a different amount of time skippage.
Post a Comment
Read more

game of thrones - Is Syrio Forel dead?

In the episode 'The Pointy End' (Season 1 Episode 8) when Arya runs from the Lannister guards you hear the sound of a sword being dropped (around 4:56): [embedded content] After that neither Syrio or Ser Meryn Trant is never mentioned or seen in the show again, except when Arya mentions to the Hound that Ser Meryn Trant killed Syrio. Is there any mention in the books that Syrio actually dies?
Post a Comment
Read more

tolkiens legendarium - Difference between elves and dwarves blacksmithing in the Lord of the Rings

Both the elves and the dwarves were famous for their metal work in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but what is the difference between what they made, and which one had the better skill of making amours and swords? Answer James Christopher's answer sums up the second part of your question well, but as to the difference in what they made, a little more detail is needed. Once the Elves learned to forge with steel, the shape of the sword changed, now being able to take on the form of a great broadsword or a light and agile curved sword. Additionally, they took great pride in decorating their swords. As we see in the Lord of the Rings , some swords like Sting had magical properties such as glowing blue when orcs are near. As far as the use of Mithril, lotr.wikia has two contradictory passages: Thus, Elven blades became renowned as great weapons, capable of performing deeds beyond the skill of their handlers and were even more glorious when the use of Mithril was allowed to the Elves. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

How do Pokemon trainers collect their winnings?

According to Bulbapedia , Prize money is the money that a Trainer pays out at the end of a battle. So we know that the money comes directly from the trainer that just lost, and not some third-party committee or sponsor. But how is this done? It can be easy seeing the random trainers who challenge you along the way wanting to wager and then, after admitting defeat, sticking to their word and handing over their hard-earned pokebucks. Then there are the likes of Team Rocket and Giovanni, who also give money once they lose. This doesn't seem like something people in a criminal organization would willingly do. From this it appears that trainers have no say in whether or not they cough up the dough after losing, but I can't find anything on how exactly the funds are transferred from loser to winner. So how do Pokemon trainers receive their winnings?
Post a Comment
Read more