I.A.V. Dortmunder?

POSTED BY: Medusa
UPDATED: Wednesday, June 23, 2004 14:42
VIEWED: 1996
PAGE 1 of 1

MEDUSA

Wednesday, June 23, 2004 11:33 AM

When I saw the pilot I could’t believe my eyes: Alliance Cruiser I.A.V. “Dortmunder”!? Dortmund is my hometown and it’s in Germany. Does anybody know how it comes that Joss Whedon named a starship after a German town? Is it coincidence? Or does he know (and like) the Dortmunder beer? Maybe he's a soccer fan? We have quite a team over here in Dortmund. Or is it just because the Germans are always good "bad guys"? Anyway, it does not happen every day, that you read the name of your hometown in your favorite SF-show!!!!

LANEYCLASSIC

Wednesday, June 23, 2004 12:05 PM

Considering that the Alliance is Sino-US, and that we have come across Chinese place names from time to time, another name rooted in reality only adds to our suspension of disbelief.
Yeah, and it sounds a little sinister to an english ear, though I wouldn't entirely discount the Beer thing
I'm still wondering what 'I.A.V' stands for? My guess is 'Intergalactic Alliance's Vessel'.

DIXIEFLATLINE

Wednesday, June 23, 2004 2:42 PM

Another possibility here: there's a series of (very funny) crime novels by Donald E. Westlake whose hero is a burglar named John Dortmunder. (What's The Worst That Could Happen, Drowned Hopes, The Hot Rock, and many others. Highly recommended.)

My first thought was that Joss had named the cruiser for Westlake's character, although of course that begs the question of where Westlake got the name in the first place.