Fan Fic: Stuff I've Read
Jan. 15th, 2007 12:30 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
trancer21This will be the last one of these for a bit. I need to actually start sending out feedback for some of these stories and also start concentrating on my own writing a bit more. This is like a smorgasborg of fic, covering a wide range of fandoms. These are arranged in no particular order other than the order in which I picked them before reading. As always this nothing more than 'in my opinion'.
8 Fics I Read - Star Wars, Grey's Anatomy, Imagine Me & You, Lost, Stargate: Atlantis, BSG, Resident Evil and The Fast & The Furious -
Star Wars - "Purpose" by helgaleena, Knight Elke Vetter/Princess Marasiah Fel. Two things first - I was in a bad headspace when I read this, ie, kept getting interrupted, couldn't concentrate, etc. Plus, I'm an American which means I'm too lazy to go back and reread it. Second, I'm a Star Wars movie geek and know *nothing* about the book/comic-verse. So, honestly, I have no idea what to think about this fic. I *think* it's good. The author does take a bit of time to introduce the characters. But, having not read the source text, it felt like eavesdropping on a conversation where a third of the words are missing.
The language is, I don't want to use the word flowery, but at times I had a hard time figuring out who was doing what and to whom. There's also a powerplay of sorts going on that I wasn't entirely comfortable with. The Princess is Elke's padawan but it felt like she, the princess, was exerting her power over Elke because of her status as royalty, and not necessarily from their bonds as Jedi. If that makes any sense and I'm not totally sure it does. Like I was left with the impression, were they not teacher and student, Marasiah still would have had sex with Elke.. because she could, ya know. Which goes with the theme of the fic, I guess. But, I'm not sure the author intended for me to think Elke's "purpose" was ultimately nothing more than that of sexual conquest.
Grey's Anatomy - "From the Outside" by callieluvr, Addison/Callie. A PWP I couldn't resist because it was Addison and Callie, which is like a formula for instant hotness. This takes place back during season two when Addison was still married and Callie was still new to the scene. When they're both feeling like outsiders and find comfort in each other. This is one of those 'almost hits the mark' but just barely misses due to slight punctuation and grammar errors. It doesn't make the fic horrible in any way, but as a reader it made me kinda stumble out of the moment due to them.
Imagine Me & You - "A Thornless Rose" by d-fyingxgrav_ty, Rachel/Luce. Okay, I'm not gonna lie, this fic is a *chore* to get through. One in which the author seriously needed to apply the 'less is more' theory. It's a reimagining of the scene where Luce and Rachel make out in Luce's flower shop and what would have occured had Heck not interrupted. At times overwrought, excessively wordy, and filled with thought bubbles. It's like one of those movies you watch where the execution is subpar but you can appreciate what the director was *attempting* to convey.
The biggest problem I had with this fic, aside from those damn thought bubbles, was.. well Lena Headey and Piper Perabo were 32 and 29 respectively, when this film came out. Yet, the two are constantly referred to as 'girls'.
For me, what makes a good PWP is how an author is able to convey what the characters are feeling, doing, thinking all while leaving *something* to the imagination. And that's where the excessive wordiness comes in. It's like, okay, I get it they're undressing each other but do I have to read about each individual article of clothing being removed until the scene is sapped dry of any eroticism whatsoever? The sex could have been hot had it not been written in that 'how-to' kind of way, ie, Luce put her right hand here, then put her left hand there, Rachel moaned and put her hand here.. etc. It's not a train wreck. But, man, those brakes are screeching along the rails the entire trip.
Lost - "Read My Body Language" by femme_f, Kate/Juliet. This is a sequel to two previous fics - Bittersweet and Red Blooded Woman. But one doesn't need to have read those to understand/enjoy this. It's basically a PWP with Juliet taking Kate out of Kate's cage and into Juliet's cabin and the two screw each other senselessly. It's not that I don't find the pairing hot but the sex here is a bit.. pedestrian. Like "A Thornless Rose" suffers from 'how-to' type sex - they moan, they cry, they scream each other's name's. And because of that particular style of writing I felt a bit too disconnected from their passion.
Stargate: Atlantis - "There Is No Fucking In Hades" by mirabile-dictu, Elizabeth/Teyla. This is a lovely story. A hurt/comfort of sorts, Teyla has gone missing and Elizabeth sets out to find her. She tracks her down on Shay, a dystopian planet, destroyed by the Wraith and inhabited solely by women.
The pace is slow in a good way as the author builds the world Elizabeth finds herself in, and we see it as Elizabeth sees it, a series of contrasts, desolate and destroyed to peaceful and calm. She eventually finds Teyla, who's suffering from amnesia, and it's through this - helping Teyla heal on a world far removed from her own, that Elizabeth finds the courage to admit, to herself and to Teyla, what her heart wants. The rest of the SG team are featured in passing, but they each get their own little character moments that make them feel 'real'. Even though this is an Elizabeth piece, I still wish the author had expanded a bit more with the characterization of Teyla. Her transformation felt a bit too convenient, even for Teyla, considering the trauma she'd been through. That and Elizabeth is the leader of SGA and after a couple days planet side, with no mention of communication with Atlantis, I kept waiting for *someone* to come looking for her.
BSG - "Straight Blush" by technosage, Kara/Cally, Helo/Racetrack, Chief/Cally, Helo/Kara implied. This story had me at Kara/Cally and hits my favorite BSG kink - Pilot!Sex. But, be warned, this isn't strictly femslash since there's hetsex as well. Cally is invited to play a game of strip Triad. Which gives her the opportunity to play out a fantasy she used to share with the now gone Socinus. It's a character piece, told from Cally's POV (but not first person). I think this works because the author uses Cally's memories of Socinus to weave in Cally's attraction to Kara. As the game continues, and Cally loses more and more of her clothing while becoming more and more intoxicated. The ante continues to build until its more than just clothing being offered on the table.
It's erotic, hot, endearing, funny and through Cally's eyes, each of the characters get their little characterization moment that kinda makes this more than just 'hot people having sex' and how, in the belly of Galactica, the crew finds ways to bond with each other. Sure, it's with booze, gambling and sex but what the heck *else* is there to do?
Resident Evil - "No Time For Apologies" by Harper, Alice/Rain. This starts at the tail end of the movie. A first person narrative from Alice's POV as the events unfold around her, it's not just memories of Spencer Alice remembers. She remembers Rain, how the two were a couple, the emotions between them and how it all sorta inadvertently fell apart. What I like about this story and Harper in particular, is the economy of language. There's no flowery purple prose or filler.
One of the reasons I dislike first-person narrative in fan fiction is too often I feel like I'm reading the thoughts of the author instead of the character. There's none of that in this fic. This *feels* like Alice. Which makes the story both hot and tragic. There's no happy ending for Rain and Alice in this, but, as the last line shows - there will be retribution.
The Fast & the Furious - "Running Hot" by Harper, Mia/Letty. Whoa, this was hot. It's a first person narrative from Mia's POV. It takes place right after the end of the movie. Mia's bitter and angry. On the run, her friends are either dead or on their way to prison. Abandoned by her brother. Betrayed by the man she thought she loved. All Mia has left is Letty.. and a million dollars. With no one in her life left except Letty and nothing to lose, she decides to act on her attraction to her brother's now ex-girlfriend.
8 Fics I Read - Star Wars, Grey's Anatomy, Imagine Me & You, Lost, Stargate: Atlantis, BSG, Resident Evil and The Fast & The Furious -
Star Wars - "Purpose" by helgaleena, Knight Elke Vetter/Princess Marasiah Fel. Two things first - I was in a bad headspace when I read this, ie, kept getting interrupted, couldn't concentrate, etc. Plus, I'm an American which means I'm too lazy to go back and reread it. Second, I'm a Star Wars movie geek and know *nothing* about the book/comic-verse. So, honestly, I have no idea what to think about this fic. I *think* it's good. The author does take a bit of time to introduce the characters. But, having not read the source text, it felt like eavesdropping on a conversation where a third of the words are missing.
The language is, I don't want to use the word flowery, but at times I had a hard time figuring out who was doing what and to whom. There's also a powerplay of sorts going on that I wasn't entirely comfortable with. The Princess is Elke's padawan but it felt like she, the princess, was exerting her power over Elke because of her status as royalty, and not necessarily from their bonds as Jedi. If that makes any sense and I'm not totally sure it does. Like I was left with the impression, were they not teacher and student, Marasiah still would have had sex with Elke.. because she could, ya know. Which goes with the theme of the fic, I guess. But, I'm not sure the author intended for me to think Elke's "purpose" was ultimately nothing more than that of sexual conquest.
Grey's Anatomy - "From the Outside" by callieluvr, Addison/Callie. A PWP I couldn't resist because it was Addison and Callie, which is like a formula for instant hotness. This takes place back during season two when Addison was still married and Callie was still new to the scene. When they're both feeling like outsiders and find comfort in each other. This is one of those 'almost hits the mark' but just barely misses due to slight punctuation and grammar errors. It doesn't make the fic horrible in any way, but as a reader it made me kinda stumble out of the moment due to them.
Imagine Me & You - "A Thornless Rose" by d-fyingxgrav_ty, Rachel/Luce. Okay, I'm not gonna lie, this fic is a *chore* to get through. One in which the author seriously needed to apply the 'less is more' theory. It's a reimagining of the scene where Luce and Rachel make out in Luce's flower shop and what would have occured had Heck not interrupted. At times overwrought, excessively wordy, and filled with thought bubbles. It's like one of those movies you watch where the execution is subpar but you can appreciate what the director was *attempting* to convey.
The biggest problem I had with this fic, aside from those damn thought bubbles, was.. well Lena Headey and Piper Perabo were 32 and 29 respectively, when this film came out. Yet, the two are constantly referred to as 'girls'.
For me, what makes a good PWP is how an author is able to convey what the characters are feeling, doing, thinking all while leaving *something* to the imagination. And that's where the excessive wordiness comes in. It's like, okay, I get it they're undressing each other but do I have to read about each individual article of clothing being removed until the scene is sapped dry of any eroticism whatsoever? The sex could have been hot had it not been written in that 'how-to' kind of way, ie, Luce put her right hand here, then put her left hand there, Rachel moaned and put her hand here.. etc. It's not a train wreck. But, man, those brakes are screeching along the rails the entire trip.
Lost - "Read My Body Language" by femme_f, Kate/Juliet. This is a sequel to two previous fics - Bittersweet and Red Blooded Woman. But one doesn't need to have read those to understand/enjoy this. It's basically a PWP with Juliet taking Kate out of Kate's cage and into Juliet's cabin and the two screw each other senselessly. It's not that I don't find the pairing hot but the sex here is a bit.. pedestrian. Like "A Thornless Rose" suffers from 'how-to' type sex - they moan, they cry, they scream each other's name's. And because of that particular style of writing I felt a bit too disconnected from their passion.
Stargate: Atlantis - "There Is No Fucking In Hades" by mirabile-dictu, Elizabeth/Teyla. This is a lovely story. A hurt/comfort of sorts, Teyla has gone missing and Elizabeth sets out to find her. She tracks her down on Shay, a dystopian planet, destroyed by the Wraith and inhabited solely by women.
The pace is slow in a good way as the author builds the world Elizabeth finds herself in, and we see it as Elizabeth sees it, a series of contrasts, desolate and destroyed to peaceful and calm. She eventually finds Teyla, who's suffering from amnesia, and it's through this - helping Teyla heal on a world far removed from her own, that Elizabeth finds the courage to admit, to herself and to Teyla, what her heart wants. The rest of the SG team are featured in passing, but they each get their own little character moments that make them feel 'real'. Even though this is an Elizabeth piece, I still wish the author had expanded a bit more with the characterization of Teyla. Her transformation felt a bit too convenient, even for Teyla, considering the trauma she'd been through. That and Elizabeth is the leader of SGA and after a couple days planet side, with no mention of communication with Atlantis, I kept waiting for *someone* to come looking for her.
BSG - "Straight Blush" by technosage, Kara/Cally, Helo/Racetrack, Chief/Cally, Helo/Kara implied. This story had me at Kara/Cally and hits my favorite BSG kink - Pilot!Sex. But, be warned, this isn't strictly femslash since there's hetsex as well. Cally is invited to play a game of strip Triad. Which gives her the opportunity to play out a fantasy she used to share with the now gone Socinus. It's a character piece, told from Cally's POV (but not first person). I think this works because the author uses Cally's memories of Socinus to weave in Cally's attraction to Kara. As the game continues, and Cally loses more and more of her clothing while becoming more and more intoxicated. The ante continues to build until its more than just clothing being offered on the table.
It's erotic, hot, endearing, funny and through Cally's eyes, each of the characters get their little characterization moment that kinda makes this more than just 'hot people having sex' and how, in the belly of Galactica, the crew finds ways to bond with each other. Sure, it's with booze, gambling and sex but what the heck *else* is there to do?
Resident Evil - "No Time For Apologies" by Harper, Alice/Rain. This starts at the tail end of the movie. A first person narrative from Alice's POV as the events unfold around her, it's not just memories of Spencer Alice remembers. She remembers Rain, how the two were a couple, the emotions between them and how it all sorta inadvertently fell apart. What I like about this story and Harper in particular, is the economy of language. There's no flowery purple prose or filler.
One of the reasons I dislike first-person narrative in fan fiction is too often I feel like I'm reading the thoughts of the author instead of the character. There's none of that in this fic. This *feels* like Alice. Which makes the story both hot and tragic. There's no happy ending for Rain and Alice in this, but, as the last line shows - there will be retribution.
The Fast & the Furious - "Running Hot" by Harper, Mia/Letty. Whoa, this was hot. It's a first person narrative from Mia's POV. It takes place right after the end of the movie. Mia's bitter and angry. On the run, her friends are either dead or on their way to prison. Abandoned by her brother. Betrayed by the man she thought she loved. All Mia has left is Letty.. and a million dollars. With no one in her life left except Letty and nothing to lose, she decides to act on her attraction to her brother's now ex-girlfriend.
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no subject
on 2007-04-11 11:38 am (UTC)I appreciate honest critique's.
Nicely done.