August TIOLI #2 - Pig-boy/Pig-girl

I need help defining "pig-boy" and "pig-girl" story. The best I can come up with is: a poor/abused/average boy/girl/man/woman finds out she is special - usually fantasy.

Examples:

Crystal Singer by Anne McCaffrey
Dragonsinger by Anne McCaffrey
Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings
Magician: Apprentice by Raymond Feist
Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher

The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman
The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander
Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

Main TIOLI Thread:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/121262

I don't quite understand this one morphi but do you think The Pigman might fit? I'd like to read it again as my son's reading it from his summer reading list but I can't remember what it was about. I think the neighbor was special in some kind of way. I'll wait for your response.

No, a pig boy story really has nothing to do with pigs. It came about from the trope of a farm boy (i.e. pig boy) finding out he is really a king (or wizard.)

The original Star Wars is a pig boy story. Kung Fu Panda, Matrix are both "pig boy" stories. The Sword in the Stone is a pig boy story.

Here's a link for the trope: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FarmBoy

Basically an ordinary person finds out they are special in some fantastic/unusual/noble way.

Oh! Here we go. I see you are reading a Harry Potter. He fits the definition of "pig boy" - thought he was a nobody, ends up he's a wizard.

Oh, I see! Thanks for that link and explanation. Well then, Harry will be added. Great challenge!

Morph....Here's a question...
If it's a character in a series, does it have to be the first book, or can it be any in the series?

As long as they were once a pig-boy/girl, any book in the series is fine, such as with Harry Potter. Only in the first was he a pig-boy.

And I just finished Crystal Singer for a Challenge this month....

Actually, I don't think I would have come up with Crystal Singer as a pig girl story, but you're right, it fits. I don't think I'll have any trouble finding books for this Challenge, Morphy. Thanks.

Yeah, it's wide open to interpretation. I hope people aren't put off by the unfamiliar name of the trope.

Morphy, where was that thread we had in Green Dragon about it? It had lots of suggestions.

Here are several fantasy suggestions more aimed at the pig-girl trope.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/92634

Morphy --

That thread has some great books on it -- many of which I've read, so clearly I have a fondness for pig boys and girls. Hmm...I'm not sure that sounds quite right.

Anyway, may I also suggest Caroline Stevermer's A College of Magics? I read it several times but I may dig it out and read it again.

Several of Sharon Shinn's books might qualify also. Troubled Waters comes most easily to mind.

Lackey is famous for pig boy/girl stories - Arrows of the Queen, Magic's Promise, Owlflight, Joust. Same thing with Tamora Pierce.

I'd like to find some pig man/woman stories and some that aren't fantasy.

Hmm, Undead and Unwed by MaryJanice Davidson could qualify - blond ditz is the vampire queen.

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card? A little boy saves the world.

Urban Shaman by C. E. Murphy - cop/mechanic finds out she's a shaman

A really interesting challenge and some great suggestions for books to read. I'm going to add The Naming by Alison Croggon (my version is called The Gift) which was recommended on the other thread you linked to as well as The Sheepfarmer's Daughter by Elizabeth Moon.

I've also got Lioness Rampant by Tamora Pierce - would that count?

> 13 Ohh -- I love The Sheepfarmer's Daughter and its sequels. I've read them many, many times. I hope you enjoy it.

>12 Morphidae: Isn't just about everything Lackey's written pig boy/girl?

I think Ender's Game counts -- and Urban Shaman, too. She's saved the world several times in that series.

I keep trying to think of some SF examples, but am drawing a blank, even though I know they're out there. It's Friday -- maybe I'll think more clearly over the weekend.

>13 souloftherose: Alanna is, so yeah.

>14 Dejah_Thoris: Well, not so much some of the later Valdemar - Winds of Fate comes to mind and the Exile's Duology.

> 15

You're right -- actually, I don't really like Winds of Fate so I must have blocked it from my mind...

#13, 14 - I have a copy of Sheepfarmer's Daughter on the TBR pile. Had no idea what it was about though the title itself might suggest that it fits this challenge. I'll try to read this one especially if Heather is reading it too.

This sounds like an interesting challenge. I am currently reading the first HP book and I was hoping to finish it this weekend. Now the question is do I read up till the last chapter on Sunday and finish Monday morning?

Well if you do, we'll have a shared read. I've been wanting to re-read the series this summer and this challenge is a good excuse to get on that.

>18 crazy4reading:-19

I've been thinking of going back to the HP beginning, so if you hold off until Monday, I'll probably join you.

I will hold off till Monday to finish it. I haven't read too much today and tomorrow I would like to get some housework done before having to go to a picnic. Now I will go add it to the Wiki.

Oops. I knew Monday was the first, but somehow I got it into my head that I could finish HP and the SS today. Ah well. It's still a shared read.

You can still read the rest of the series and have it count!

I'm reading three for this challenge

Lady Friday - the Garth Nix Keys to the Kingdom series Book 5
The Lost Hero - the first in the Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan
The Red Pyramid - the first in the Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan

The Nix books I found at the beginning the summer and they have me captivated, and I've had the two Riordan books on my list the entire year, now is the perfect time for them! Now if I could only find a copy of the last Temerie book, I'd be set!

Just finished Jhereg which could almost fit as a pig boy story. Much to my surprise!

I think the main character was pretty set in life though, wasn't he? As far as career and such.

#26 well, it starts out when he's a boy, and an Easterner, looked down upon by the primary race. So, yeah, sort of, and then by the end he finds out he's not exactly what he thought.

I did say almost, lol.

The book I'm reading now The Black Prism turns out to be a pig-boy story. I'd never have guessed that - certainly not from the cover art.

I've just finished reading the wonderful The Mirror of Her Dreams and am moving directly to the seqeul A Man Rides Through. These are rereads for me -- I think they fit the pig boy/girl trope just fine.

Edited to add:

I just took a look and it seems that people either really like these two books that form Mordant's Need or they really don't. Many people seem to be bothered by the female character's passivity in the beginning, but that's largely the point; Terisa changes. So does Geraden, the pig boy.

They both seem to fit, no problem!

I finished my read for this challenge, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I will be starting The Chamber of Secrets next.

Would you take Taran Wanderer, the 4th in the Prydain series? He starts out as an Assistant Pig-Keeper, and does some heroic deeds along the way (though I haven't got to the end to find out if he turns out to be a prince or anyone like that).

Sure thing!

#32 As I hadn't heard the name 'pig-boy' given to this trope before this thread, at first I took it very literally, and the only character I could think of to fit the bill was indeed Taran, who starts out as Assistant Pig-Keeper. You'll have to keep reading the series to find out whether he discovers he has any other identity. But he's definitely a pig-boy both literally and metaphorically!

>34 gennyt: : Exactly; since I'm working my way through the series, I thought Morphy had set up the challenge just for me!

I am about halfway through Eon: Dragoneye Reborn and I realized that this book has a pig-girl archetype, so I have added this title to the challenge. And this is turning out to be a great book also. I think it will probably be one of my top reads of the year.

I just started listening to Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Askaban this morning and I hope I am able to finish it for this challenge.

I never did get round to starting Sheepfarmer's Daughter in August, but I am grateful to Morphy for introducing me to the pig boy/pig girl story.