By The Book (comic story)

By The Book was a standalone Jenny Everywhere comic story written by Grant and illustrated by Withiel S. Black.

It was notable, among other things, for its unique depiction of Shifting: in this story, Jenny leaves or enters scenes by lifting the actual comic panels and emerging from behind them as though opening a cat-flap, a highly metafictionally-loaded visual (although Jenny does not otherwise acknowledge being inside a comic book).

When a monkey finds a dying missionary in a ruined temple in the middle of a Guatemalan jungle, it alerts Jenny Everywhere, who takes it upon herself to, if not save the man, then at least give him a primer on how to save himself. As the two begin to talk, however, the ideological differences between their worldviews become hard to ignore.

Worldbuilding

Jenny

Jenny Everywhere appears in an incarnation who can pass for one of the native inhabitants of Guantemala, although she notes that she isn't actually Guatemalan. She has fairly long hair, wears a black vest and full-length trousers, and carries a small backpack.

Universes

This story takes place all in one universe.

Other

Brother Martin is an evangelical Christian, who believes in God and in Jesus Christ as an incarnation thereof.

Behind the scenes

Although it remained unfinished until 2005, the story was first mentioned by Grant on February 20th, 2002 and was one of the earliest Jenny Everywhere story ideas proposed on the Barbelith Forum.^[2]

Mine's set in a Guatemalan jungle, it's about two hours solid work from being done, done. She is never named - the whole thing is a conversation between her and a wounded man. She's sort of an uber-backpacker in my piece, a little childish, but in that 19-year-old been-there, done-that kind of way. And there's a monkey.

—Grant