31 March 2003
Time and Chance by Dayspring. Mpreg fic. Usually I don't go for this, because there's often a
cringe-inducing attempt to turn the unlucky guy (or lucky, if you prefer) into a hormone-crazed, feminized
freak. Though I guess it's irresistible to some people. In this case, Lex
get pregnant, but can't abort because it would cause massive blood loss and he
would die. No cutsy babies to look forward here, because Lex is mad at
Clark for knocking him up, and of course, Lex could die. Is it wrong to
say how much I love the characterization of Lex, who is both human and (can
be) loving, but also controlling, ruthless and something of a bastard? His soft
spot for Clark is understood. Absolutely adorable, this Lex.
Her Clark is a little too declaratory, I think; as in "I love Lex and it's him and me, forever." Not that there's anything with that, but it doesn't ring quite true to me--especially when you consider the ambiguities of Lex's morals, image, the entire Smallville community.
30 March 2003
Read Mercy by Koi. More like sci-fi than Clex, which surprised
me for a while; I've been reading too much Clex, obviously. And wow, it's
seriously depressing; had me fearing for Lex's sanity. Thankfully, I also
read the next installment of String Theory, both distracting and
amusing. Especially when it has passages like:
He narrows his eyes and decides that it's not immoral to kill people who are obviously asking for it. He will call it public service. People in higher tax brackets will mail him fruit baskets care of City Hall and talk about him in broad, fond tones over expensive champagne at parties. Lex will be so overcome with gratefulness that he will be forced to take off Clark's pants with his teeth, which Clark is okay with, really.
29 March 2003
To my astonishment I caught Kristin Kreuz in a re-make of Snow White
(movie). Wow, she must have been much younger than she currently appears
on SV.
And yay! Update at Kouri and Karasu's site. Awakenings, a crossover fic set in Ruroni Kenshin and peopled with X/Tokyo Babylon characters, has a delightful start and they've even brought Seimei (from Atropos) back Ties That Bind have Nicky and Alec conversations; swift and intriguing interaction there.
Note to self: have been overusing "intriguing".
27 March 2003
New resolution: not read any fic that has a "bond". After being faced
with too many stories with a weaselly plot of some telepathic/magical/alien
stuff bond between the two lovers, I've had enough. I jeer at you, so-called
bonds.
I mean, really, am I to expect to swallow that there's a "bond" between Clark and Lex, or between Harry and Draco (or bet. Harry and another person) in lieu of an actual interaction? Not that it can't be a useful device, but I hate that it's being used as a prop so that conversations and sex between the two of 'em can be easily staged. Worse, it plays into the idealistic concept of "you're the one for me, I'm the one for you". Gugh. The point of having angst and UST is so that the two of 'em can work towards some resolution, not to have the solution handed down like a limp sock! And it makes love look so trivial. Love has nothing to do with magical/telepathic/alien bonds. It's usually hard work, with misunderstandings, expectations, trust and other stuff. To substitute that with a miserly "bond" makes me feel like the characters have been cheated.
There. Said my piece.
26 March 2003
My eyes have become very good at sliding over pictures. I don't really know
why that is; maybe it's from the days I shared a computer and didn't want people
to know about my fandom addiction. But now it's almost instinctive; be it
artwork, photographs, large colourful images, I tend not to look at them, and in
fact almost scroll down immediately to avoid having to look.
I say this because I was at Beth's miscellany, which now has a photograph, either of her or of someone, and I was remembering the saucer-sized pair of eyes (anime-styled) that she used to put up instead. Well, at least the photograph isn't as scary.
Read The Long Road Home by Sunhawk, a title that didn't quite justify the story. I think it's not as edgy-though I hesitate to say not as good-as the other chapters on the Road Trip arc. The angst isn't really there, and I didn't really get the feelings of helplessness, etc., that Duo gives the impression of existing. It could be that Duo and Heero aren't exactly helpless people. Still, I think I was expecting a stronger, or more intense reaction from them to the feeling of being lost, bewildered, etc., by the prospect of living in peacetime for them. I still love GW fics. One would think that five years or so (has it really been that long?) would be more than enough, but not really. When I read a good story, I cheer silently and savour it.
24 March 2003
Re-read Convergence by Rushlight on a whim. Actually, not a
whim. Was remembering a comment by a reviewer of The Hours that there are
many crappy double stories but very few good triple storylines. At that time I
thought, not true! Well, not if you've read Convergence recently.
Then again, the joy of fanfiction is that there are so many different formats and genres where story-telling is concerned--and that I'm able to read such a variety of stories due to my love of fanfiction. If it were up to me in RL, I would never go for these types of stories. My non-fanfiction-reading self is quite conservative.
The weekend's my busiest part of the week; perverse, isn't it? At least where computer time is concerned; I spend my time running errands or doing chores instead. Did make time to watch The Hours. Yes, it's good; Julianne Moore's acting is really fine. Why aren't there more actresses like that?
20 March 2003
Part 24 of Demon of Justice is out, yay! Though I must say
it's more like a bridging chapter than anything else, and Relena is too
nice. I'm not used to that. I'm more used to the rabid, insane
"Come and kill meee, Heero!" Relena. Part 25 is going to be out
soon, too, and I'm looking forward to it. I figure that I deserve some
kind of recompense. (Crappy day at work. Don't ask.)
Also read The String Theory by Prufrock, on her website. V. interesting premise: Clark meets Lex in Metropolis, whereby Lex is Clark's chemistry professor, and Clark (as Superman) rescues Lex's daughter. Mmm. I love long stories, and this one looks to be really entertaining. Love the Lois hatred. And in it, Superman was apparently a college kid, not yet a reporter, when he begins saving people.
18 March 2003
I love the Smallville.slashdom.com archive. Today I read Psychobabble
by Prufrock. Measured, and very smooth, it made me wish I had a few hours to
myself so that I could savour it over and over again.
I've been reading a lot of Clex stories that are from Clark’s point of view. I guess it’s because fans first knew Superman as a superhero, an alien from another planet, and we always wonder what it’s like to be him. And once we find out that he’s Clark Kent, reporter, curiosity increases because having double identities is everybody’s fantasy, right?
Then again, when you think about it, Lex Luther seems to be the more complex character. Especially if us slash fans harbour fantasies that there is a Clex, not just a Luther-Superman enmity. Why a billionaire would be interested in a farmboy, and all that. Could that be why many of the likeable fics are from Clark's point of view, where he tries to figure Lex out? Occasionally, I think, Lex is much more secretive than Clark. Then I watch another episode, and I know that he is.
17 March 2003
Lullaby of a Dragon (again, from PSA) is interesting; a spell
causes Harry to turn into a child that will age one year every day (until he
reaches his actual age), and makes him fixated on Draco. Draco raising
Harry. There's something wrong with this picture. . . but at least it'll
never be dull.
I always wonder why some writers have this habit of calling certain characters "the brunette". I think the problem is that I usually see it being used for females, and in any case Harry has black hair, not brown! It's worse when I find mentions of the "blonde". Why not just say "Harry" or "Malfoy" (or "Draco")? Saying the "brunette" is just wrong and so . . . spineless.
That goes for GW fics too. I cringe, I truly do, when someone describes Quatre or Zechs as "blondes" or Treize as the "brunette". As if that were the sum of their identities. I can't help thinking that the writers who use such referents also describe the people around them by hair colour: the blond/blonde, the brunette, the redhead, etc. Plus, will these writers please make the distinction between "blond" (for males) and "blonde" (for females)? It's really very frightening to read a fic and realise that ultra-masculine Leon Orcot has been emasculated into "the blonde".
14 March 2003
Have checked in at Kouri and Karasu's web site. I love the way The Ties
That Binds You is developing, and am developing a raging curiosity about
Alec. (Another Alec. The world's just full of Alecs, isn't it?) Also speculating
if Nicky and Alec are related.
I was surprised by the Weiss Kreuz fic With Friends Like This. Didn't see the point of the first couple chapters, but now that chapters 5 and 6 are up, I can hope for a good story.
13 March 2003
Am on a HP slash reading-bash. Was reading Underwater Light by
Maya (at PSA, yes). Must find time to email and gush. No, not being sarcastic,
because I really liked it, and nearly behaved (in public) in that squealy
fangirl way I reserve for rare occasions. Basically the fic is: it's brought to
Harry's attention that Malfoy is important to him, so he decides to try and be
friends with M. The recipient of Harry's clumsy attempts doesn't seem too
repulsed, so they begin their awkward, weird relationship of insults,
counter-insults, getting drunk and wardrobe cleaning(s). I really love M
here. He's so wonderfully mean, insulting, contrary and over-dramatic.
Reminds me of Alec in Swordspoint (by Ellen Kushner), arrogant and snotty
and doesn't care about things like protecting other people's sensitive feelings.
Of course, you have to be able to carry it off, and I think in this case it
worked great.
Anyway, something about Malfoy’s attitude made me think of a couple of lines from a book. After being (sort of) rebuffed, the male character (who is, incidentally, a witch) says: “You might have enjoyed it. I was planning on being very nice to you.” (From Changeover, by Margaret Mahy.) Exactly the kind of cheek I’d imagine M here to show; I wouldn’t expect him to be nasty about being rejected, but to toss off an insouciant comment before sauntering away and not letting the other person feel awkward or embarrassed, yet not going out of his way to provide reassurance.
09 March 2003
About HP fics. Isn't it curious that they often have Harry referring
to Voldemort as "Lord Voldemort"? I thought Harry had nothing
but hatred and contempt for him. He might say "Tom
Riddle", but I strongly doubt that Harry would use a title
"Lord". The Death Eaters, of course, do so, but they're on
Voldemort's side. I suspect such slip-ups (if indeed they are) are the
result of fans wishing/fantasizing about Harry turning to the Dark Side.
Either that, or Voldemort has a larger following among HP fans than I expected,
not that it's a bad thing, only I don't think much of Voldemort as a villain and
don't care for him to claim some title.
Still, I find it disconcerting to realise that Harry, suddenly turns round and refers to his parents' murderer as "Lord Voldemort" (or worse, "the Dark Lord") instead of something like "rat-scum Voldemort". V. jarring. Only Voldemort's followers do that, right? Tack on a title, I mean. After all, god forbid that the likes of Lucius Malfoy and other snobbish Deatheaters grovel at the feet of some proletariat. The aristocracy might collapse. Dumbledore also calls him "Voldemort", too. Whenever I hear Harry say "Lord Voldemort", I get the impression that Harry secretly worships him, which just isn't happening in my world.
08 March 2003
I've come across Seamus and Seamus and You Are Yourself by Ari Munami, also from Potter Slash Archive, which is a
completely hilarious account of what happened when everybody in school falls in
love (or least lust) with Harry. Written from multiple points of view (Hermione,
Ron, Draco, Harry, etc.), it reads like a mixture of a magazine exposé and
Secret Diaries of _____. Harry comes off a bit more innocent
than I thought, but the reactions of everyone around him were so entertaining
that it doesn't matter.
07 March 2003
Actually, it's 8 March now (1:36am). International Women's Day.
Incidentally, over here we call it "san-ba" Women's Day ("san-ba"
being "March 8"), where "san-ba" also means
"bitch", with overtones of "busybody". Just goes to
show that it's much more dynamic to be a woman. It also explains why I've
always been skeptical of so-called girl power, which sounds like a washout to
me.
Back to fanfiction. Today I resorted to fanfiction.net to find more dir-slash. Found mostly dreck and het, and remembered the last time I swore off fanfiction.net after reading one too many fics with: purple prose; multiple exclamation marks; and Mary Sues. Is there a point to writing a story about an Old One (young, female and American) who is more powerful than the ones that came before, by the way? I always thought Will Stanton was more than sufficient, whoever you want to slash him with (even that Drew girl).
The good thing about fanfiction.net, though, is that it connected me to A Potter Slash Archive, which (yes!) contained the newer chapters of Love Under Will by Aja. Chapter 13 (the one with all the letters) was pretty boring; scrolled through most of it. It's not that I don't desire more explication about Harry and Draco's feelings, motivations, etc., but I just don't see them writing about it, or for that matter, writing about it at (such) length. Detail on Draco's feelings and the library at his family's mansion (Chapter 14) very well done, though, and Chapter 15 was good, very suspenseful. Voldemort makes an appearance, and I can't wait for the next chapter.
The other gem on the same page (author names starting with "a") was a series called Best Enemies by Augustus. V. entertaining. It has the intensity of feeling that I liked in Love Under Will, but this one has more humour, with the moments of cooperation between Harry and Draco well balanced by their mutual antagonism. Draco talks to himself too much, though; I hadn't thought him capable of extended introspection. It'll be interesting to see how the story proceeds.
06 March 2003
Finished reading Code of the Woosters and went looking for fanfiction.
Found a couple of good stories by a writer called Torch. Totally
inexplicit, but it all worked well, especially considering the kind of world P.G.
Wodehouse built.
Stumbled quite innocently on The Dark is Rising slash (dir-slash). Never thought it would work, but it does, and in a very intriguing way too. Link here. "Strangers", with a bit-part Highlander crossover (Methos, if you must know), managed to reconcile the magic parts.
05 March 2003
Smallville.slashdom.com has a nifty piece Stray. Presented
as a number of scenes from Lex's past, interspersed with 'present' and future
scenes with Clark. Soothing, but full of movement; the kind of thing that
should be filmed with the action slightly off-centre, with a soft-focus camera
lens and summery sepia tones. The writer called herself The Hoyden, whom I
realised after a while, is Hoyden of theburrow.net, of the Tenshigakuen fics
(together with Harukumi). So that's what she's been doing! To think that I
was feeling disappointed that she appeared to have stopped writing.
Rikki, at Clampesque, has the second chapter of Wankage, which crosses, among others, TB and X, but set in the future. I like it.
New resolution: not to read any fics that quote Yeats, esp. "The Second Coming". I have had enough of stories that go on and on about "Turning and turning in the gyre". The worst thing is that there's nothing in the stories to justify using those lines, except in the most banal of ways.
28 February
2003
The last day of February, finally. It's been a tough month, though
one wouldn't think it, being so short and all. Read a lot of Smallville
slash, the most recent being: Freshman Orientation by Punk; Convergence by Starlight;
Decoy by Julian Lee; Le
Serpent Qui Danse by Melo; The Very Secret Thoughts of Clark
Kent by Viridian5; Maybe Baby by Jas Masson; Optimistic by Zahra; and
Setting the Rules by
ShimmyGloss.
Yup, over-saturating in Clex fics. So much so that when I watched the most recent episode on TV, I had a brief auditory episode of my own where Clark yells "Clex!" before saving Lex's life. I think it's fairly well-established that I like plots and romance, not necessarily together. Well, so as long there's a Clex understanding. Good plots: Maybe Baby; Setting the Rules. Excellent plot: Convergence. Good rambling: Optimistic; The Very Secret Thoughts of Clark Kent. Good scenes: Freshman Orientation; Le Serpent Qui Danse; Decoy.
20 February
2003
Discovered www.televisionwithoutpity.com.
Contains commentary on episodes of TV series, though the one I'm interested in
is Smallville. They call it a 'recap', though. The
recapper for Smallville, Omar, is nicely attuned to the existence of Clex,
and even gives what he calls Gayle (Gayest Look of the Episode)
awards in his commentary. Highly entertaining, as is the forum for fans of
the show. As suspected, plenty of people hate Lana Lang.
18 February 2003
Have downloaded my own copy of the Ion and the Road Trip series, Sunhawk's
GW fanfiction (Death and the Dragon ). They are super, and Duo cuts a memorable figure in both
series. Quite heavy-going, I think, and some sections are really
depressing (especially in the Ion series). You know, just when I think
that it's hard to find something new about GW fics, you find a writer like
Sunhawk, who angsts quite admirably on behalf of Duo, and is really convincing
about how strong Duo is. It's not that the
premises are new; it's the freshness of the writing, and the fact that there was
no attempt to over-sentimentalise Duo and Heero's relationship. I
ignore my suspicions of author-projections. After
reading too many gushy/feminised versions of Duo and/or Heero, it's a relief to
read some really strong characterization for a change.