Desist

Desist is the informal name given to the 32 chapter fiction written by Stephen Hennelly and Bernard Healy, during the academic year 1996/97. The work is more properly called 'The Scarlet Hypercube - A Tale of Mystery and College Politics.' It was first published on the Redbrick Bulletin Board System. (BBS)

Desist began as the result of a scholarly argument between Mr. Healy and Mr. Hennelly. Healy, a noted scholar of the works of the Irish author, inventor, scientist and political figure Pius d'Alton took issue with Mr. Hennelly's unauthorised use of Dr. d'Alton's work. The dispute snowballed into a parody of Dr. d'Alton's 'St. Harleband's College' series of novels, and included such characters as the enigmatic Autocrat and the guileless Senior Wrangler who appeared in the original series of novels, and new characters such as the unconventional Thayl, the cross-dressing Shadow, the skittish sisters Tanya and Sarah and the secretive inn-keeper Caine.

The story plots the battle between the Autocrat, Thayl, Senior Wrangler and associates and the evil Hjalkar and his spineless puppet Sir Geoffrey Walton of Hertford College.

Some commentators have claimed that many of the characters in the tale bear striking resemblences to prominent Redbrick members of that era, although the authors themselves have refused to confirm this assertion. Documentary evidence exists suggesting that this opinion was widely held at the time and e-mail records reveal that attempts were made by several members to secure a minor role in the story through offers of money and/or sexual favours to the authors. Messrs Healy & Hennelly vehemently deny compromising their artistic integrity in this manner.

(Desist can be seen at www.redbrick.dcu.ie/~autocrat/desist.html)

--Autocrat

Origionally from the Encyclopedia