Ranma was my original fandom that sent me after fics. Girl Days is good in that it takes a premise and everyone rolls with it. Which is what Ranma characters do.
CV12Hornet Cleans Out His Fanfiction Favorites List (Beware of Shit Taste)
- Thread starter CV12Hornet
- Start date
2004, minus one
CV12Hornet
Riter.
- Location
- Tacoma, Washington
Ah, 2004. Right around when fanfiction began to undergo a bit of a seismic shift. This was when the fanfiction titans that still dominate the landscape started to gain traction. When we'll start to see a little variety instead of an endless stream of Ranma fics.
And naturally, our first fic, right off the bat, is a Naruto story.
In all seriousness, I'm not quite as hard on the Naruto fanfiction community as certain other fanfic readers I could mention. I recognize that it's a goddamn mess with some truly awful shit, but I wandered in via actually good fics, which has probably colored my perceptions since. Certainly I've avoided most of the most notorious fics out there, and a lot of shit I actually read was lost before I made my move to Fanfiction.net. Including one fic with a really good and unique idea that I've never seen before4!
Between that and the sheer number of fics in that fandom, it's my second-most popular source material. It also helps that I like the manga, too. So expect to see a lot of Naruto fics.
As such, it shows that the tendency for the Naruto fandom to try and peel back the veneer of shonen cheeriness covering what's actually a fairly dark and grim setting2 is a long-standing one. In this case, it works, because this feels like something that would fit in with Naruto canon, at least thematically. The core theme explored in this fic is what treating people like expendable tools does to them, and it's not pretty. It's also something that frequently comes up in canon, is what creates probably the majority of the villains, and what Naruto himself fights against pretty much since the Wave arc.
It also exposes another fandom trend early: namely, having Sakura take a few levels in badass. Now, this never gets quite so toxic as the Super!Naruto fics, and it's more understandable since Kishimoto admits to not handling Sakura well, but it can get a little ridiculous3. This is more low-key, and more importantly is wrapped up in proper thematic elements. Much better!
Verdict: Stays for having Badass!Sakura (one of my pet delights in the fandom) combined with some actually decent thematic elements and a decent plot.
I've noticed a trend when it comes to fanfiction: authors really like to flip tone. Light-hearted turns dark, and dark brightens up. One turns more to drama and tragedy, the other to fluff and comedy.
But anyway, the fic.
Anyway, Evangelion. Y'know, for a show I've never actually watched, I've sure read a lot of fanfics for it. Probably because people just love writing slice-of-life fluff and high-action fix-fics for it, and I like both.
This fic is more the former, a nice bit of light-hearted comedy that uses one of the great vehicles of that genre: alcohol! And it works, helped by some excellent wordsmithing. sentinel28 crafts some excellent lines in this fic, and that and the amusing situations carry you through a fic that doesn't overstay its welcome.
Verdict: Stays on the list by being funny.
Namely, that our fear of childish things is itself one of those childish things that we must put away as adults. And that's so true, and this fic, I think, captures that.
Verdict: Bittersweet, melodramatic, and at the same time teaching an important lesson well suited to the source material. It stays.
Unfortunately, this fic's humor doesn't really work for me. Rei and Shinji acting like Beavis and Butthead is rather SoD-breaking, even if it's a deliberate imitation. Especially if it's a deliberate imitation. It's just not very funny.
Also, I really wanted to see Asuka's reaction, dammit!
Why the hell did I like this? Wait, I added this in 2013! What the hell, College Me!
Verdict: Struck from the list because it's not funny. At all.
Alright, those of you who wanted shit taste. Have a little shit taste! Because you're going to be waiting for a bit. There was one other fic from 2004, and it's a 700,000-word doozy. I'll check back in a few days with my impressions on A Thin Veneer.
And naturally, our first fic, right off the bat, is a Naruto story.
In all seriousness, I'm not quite as hard on the Naruto fanfiction community as certain other fanfic readers I could mention. I recognize that it's a goddamn mess with some truly awful shit, but I wandered in via actually good fics, which has probably colored my perceptions since. Certainly I've avoided most of the most notorious fics out there, and a lot of shit I actually read was lost before I made my move to Fanfiction.net. Including one fic with a really good and unique idea that I've never seen before4!
Between that and the sheer number of fics in that fandom, it's my second-most popular source material. It also helps that I like the manga, too. So expect to see a lot of Naruto fics.
This is old for a Naruto fic. Like, incredibly old. The Sasuke Retrieval Arc was just beginning in Japan1 when this was written. And it shows, as the underlying premise makes a few assumptions about how post-Chunin Exams Naruto would have gone that were quickly invalidated. Sasuke's presence in particular.
As such, it shows that the tendency for the Naruto fandom to try and peel back the veneer of shonen cheeriness covering what's actually a fairly dark and grim setting2 is a long-standing one. In this case, it works, because this feels like something that would fit in with Naruto canon, at least thematically. The core theme explored in this fic is what treating people like expendable tools does to them, and it's not pretty. It's also something that frequently comes up in canon, is what creates probably the majority of the villains, and what Naruto himself fights against pretty much since the Wave arc.
It also exposes another fandom trend early: namely, having Sakura take a few levels in badass. Now, this never gets quite so toxic as the Super!Naruto fics, and it's more understandable since Kishimoto admits to not handling Sakura well, but it can get a little ridiculous3. This is more low-key, and more importantly is wrapped up in proper thematic elements. Much better!
Verdict: Stays for having Badass!Sakura (one of my pet delights in the fandom) combined with some actually decent thematic elements and a decent plot.
I've noticed a trend when it comes to fanfiction: authors really like to flip tone. Light-hearted turns dark, and dark brightens up. One turns more to drama and tragedy, the other to fluff and comedy.
But anyway, the fic.
First, a bit of a warning: this fic gets a bit risque in the middle. Nothing seriously explicit, and the Pilots are all a little older (16 instead of the canon 14), but I felt it prudent to put in the warning and kill all the links.
Anyway, Evangelion. Y'know, for a show I've never actually watched, I've sure read a lot of fanfics for it. Probably because people just love writing slice-of-life fluff and high-action fix-fics for it, and I like both.
This fic is more the former, a nice bit of light-hearted comedy that uses one of the great vehicles of that genre: alcohol! And it works, helped by some excellent wordsmithing. sentinel28 crafts some excellent lines in this fic, and that and the amusing situations carry you through a fic that doesn't overstay its welcome.
Verdict: Stays on the list by being funny.
This is one of the fics Fernandel covered in his look to the past, and I'm going to link it here because he says what I want to say about it. But I do have something to contribute, a quote from C.S. Lewis that I don't remember off the top of my head, but I do remember the gist.
Namely, that our fear of childish things is itself one of those childish things that we must put away as adults. And that's so true, and this fic, I think, captures that.
Verdict: Bittersweet, melodramatic, and at the same time teaching an important lesson well suited to the source material. It stays.
The American television in question is Beavis and Butthead, by the way.
Unfortunately, this fic's humor doesn't really work for me. Rei and Shinji acting like Beavis and Butthead is rather SoD-breaking, even if it's a deliberate imitation. Especially if it's a deliberate imitation. It's just not very funny.
Also, I really wanted to see Asuka's reaction, dammit!
Why the hell did I like this? Wait, I added this in 2013! What the hell, College Me!
Verdict: Struck from the list because it's not funny. At all.
Alright, those of you who wanted shit taste. Have a little shit taste! Because you're going to be waiting for a bit. There was one other fic from 2004, and it's a 700,000-word doozy. I'll check back in a few days with my impressions on A Thin Veneer.
- And considering the state of the Internet in 2004, I find it unlikely that very many authors had access to translations of that arc at the time.
- I say veneer because even when this was written the source material wasn't exactly shying away from the darker aspects.
- *cough*TimeBraid*cough*
- It had Sakura trying to suck the "poison" out of Sasuke's curse seal in the Forest of Death, and thus showing some of the effects herself during the third exam. I've been trying to find that fic for years.
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"Critics who treat 'adult' as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence. And in childhood and adolescence they are, in moderation, healthy symptoms. Young things ought to want to grow. But to carry on into middle life or even into early manhood this concern about being adult is a mark of really arrested development. When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up."
CV12Hornet
Riter.
- Location
- Tacoma, Washington
Thanks, Horngeek.
Looks like we have quite a lot of same stories in our favs.
Oh dear. When I was inspired browsing through my list this one was one of the stories I would kick directly without reading. As I remember it, the writing is good, but I can't stand the premise anymore. The only reason I haven't done so, is that I haven't decided if I want to start my own thread.
Oh dear. When I was inspired browsing through my list this one was one of the stories I would kick directly without reading. As I remember it, the writing is good, but I can't stand the premise anymore. The only reason I haven't done so, is that I haven't decided if I want to start my own thread.
A Thin Veneer
CV12Hornet
Riter.
- Location
- Tacoma, Washington
I'm back a little early, as I've found I don't need to reread all 450,0001 words just to have an opinion on this fic. Yay!
Now, Spacebattles has a particular culture, one described as "Rambo on the outside, Disney Princesses on the inside". Basically, for all their love of high-end tools of destruction and seeing their enemies driven before them, most Spacebattles users also enjoy fluff and happy endings2. The upshot of this is that morally dodgy behavior and outright asshattery that doesn't have clear benefits is going to stick in their craws something fierce.
And despite the forum being a very different place in 2004 - far more conservative, and far more willing to tolerate assholish behavior - these tendencies were still present.
What this is all leading up to is that Spacebattles really, really does not like the Minbari from Babylon 5, or more specifically, their actions during the Earth-Minbari War. Which is understandable, considering that the Minbari were quite willing to wipe out humanity over one man dying3. And so there's been a steady trickle of fics over the site's history throwing a variety of monkey wrenches into the Minbari plans for that war, some good, others not so much, usually with a dose of Humanity, Fuck Yeah! thrown in.
A Thin Veneer is probably the most popular of them. It spawned multiple discussion threads over on Spacebattles, and as can be seen isn't exactly unpopular on FFN. And I'll be honest, I have problems with this fic.
For one, it indulges in what a lot of crossover fics also indulge in: one side lecturing the other on all the awesome things that side has done before. It's clunky, and inorganic, and just plain annoying to read. In fact, lecturing - particularly on all the shit the Minbari have gotten up to - is a recurring problem in this fic.
On the technical side of things, the writing is extremely clunky for the first half, and still has its moments in the second half. It can be rather painful to read.
I should also note two other aspects that can be off-putting for others. First, the Minbari stand no military chance against the Federation or Klingons separately, so the battles tend to be very one-sided. Creative tactics, tense defense, and a focus on non-battle aspects mean I don't find this much of a problem. Second, the Minbari are rather unreasonable and delusional. Considering this reminds me of tons of examples from history, I simply find it realistic, and after an extended asskicking the Minbari do eventually come to their senses.
But...
I love the battle scenes. Proxima is a space brawl of the kind I so rarely see in fanfiction; the Battle of the Line is incredibly tense; and the smaller battles showcase considerable tactical ingenuity4. I have a weakness for space battles, anyway.
I like that this isn't a complete HFY-fest; one of the more prominent Federation characters is Andorian, and the Klingons and Gorn get their time to shine.
I love the aspects of culture clash that get considerable focus.
I appreciate that there's a theme running through the whole fic: that constant struggle between civilization and barbarity, between extending mercy and compassion to an enemy you'd like nothing more than to grind into dust. The Federations moral superiority isn't assumed. It's shown every time they find themselves on the brink and pull themselves back. In fact, change is a big theme here. The Klingons are trying to change, as are the Gorn, and the Babylon 5 races are finding that they, too, must change, or be swept along without control.
Verdict: Besides, I've kept fics on this list even though I only like parts of them; why stop now?
There's a fair bit to unpack with this fic, and I'll first start with the fact that this fic was started on Spacebattles.
Now, Spacebattles has a particular culture, one described as "Rambo on the outside, Disney Princesses on the inside". Basically, for all their love of high-end tools of destruction and seeing their enemies driven before them, most Spacebattles users also enjoy fluff and happy endings2. The upshot of this is that morally dodgy behavior and outright asshattery that doesn't have clear benefits is going to stick in their craws something fierce.
And despite the forum being a very different place in 2004 - far more conservative, and far more willing to tolerate assholish behavior - these tendencies were still present.
What this is all leading up to is that Spacebattles really, really does not like the Minbari from Babylon 5, or more specifically, their actions during the Earth-Minbari War. Which is understandable, considering that the Minbari were quite willing to wipe out humanity over one man dying3. And so there's been a steady trickle of fics over the site's history throwing a variety of monkey wrenches into the Minbari plans for that war, some good, others not so much, usually with a dose of Humanity, Fuck Yeah! thrown in.
A Thin Veneer is probably the most popular of them. It spawned multiple discussion threads over on Spacebattles, and as can be seen isn't exactly unpopular on FFN. And I'll be honest, I have problems with this fic.
For one, it indulges in what a lot of crossover fics also indulge in: one side lecturing the other on all the awesome things that side has done before. It's clunky, and inorganic, and just plain annoying to read. In fact, lecturing - particularly on all the shit the Minbari have gotten up to - is a recurring problem in this fic.
On the technical side of things, the writing is extremely clunky for the first half, and still has its moments in the second half. It can be rather painful to read.
I should also note two other aspects that can be off-putting for others. First, the Minbari stand no military chance against the Federation or Klingons separately, so the battles tend to be very one-sided. Creative tactics, tense defense, and a focus on non-battle aspects mean I don't find this much of a problem. Second, the Minbari are rather unreasonable and delusional. Considering this reminds me of tons of examples from history, I simply find it realistic, and after an extended asskicking the Minbari do eventually come to their senses.
But...
I love the battle scenes. Proxima is a space brawl of the kind I so rarely see in fanfiction; the Battle of the Line is incredibly tense; and the smaller battles showcase considerable tactical ingenuity4. I have a weakness for space battles, anyway.
I like that this isn't a complete HFY-fest; one of the more prominent Federation characters is Andorian, and the Klingons and Gorn get their time to shine.
I love the aspects of culture clash that get considerable focus.
I appreciate that there's a theme running through the whole fic: that constant struggle between civilization and barbarity, between extending mercy and compassion to an enemy you'd like nothing more than to grind into dust. The Federations moral superiority isn't assumed. It's shown every time they find themselves on the brink and pull themselves back. In fact, change is a big theme here. The Klingons are trying to change, as are the Gorn, and the Babylon 5 races are finding that they, too, must change, or be swept along without control.
Verdict: Besides, I've kept fics on this list even though I only like parts of them; why stop now?
- Yeah, oops. Should've checked the stats earlier.
- Puella Magi Adfligo Systema is a good example of both tendencies, despite not being a Spacebattles work.
- An oversimplification, but that's the gist.
- Resonating the crystal hulls of your enemies to blast them with heavy metal? Genius!
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CV12Hornet
Riter.
- Location
- Tacoma, Washington
Yeah, a bit of laziness on my part. But there's an easy solution: click on the reviews link. At the top of the page is a link to the first page of the story, which is easier than trawling through the author's page.
Glad to hear it.
On a related note, this thread is going to be going on a bit of a short hiatus, as I'm going to be on vacation most of next week and won't have many opportunities to use my laptop. And given the amount of ctrl-c and ctrl-v going on, I'm not doing this on a tablet.
2005, Part 1
CV12Hornet
Riter.
- Location
- Tacoma, Washington
I'm back, everybody!
2005 is where we stop being able to wipe out entire years in one go; not only are their twelve fics from that year, but three of them are the kind of monstrosities that require a post dedicated to them. It's also where we really start to get some diversity in fandoms. Case in point, all of the fics covered to day are in different ones!
Unfortunately, I'm not liking the execution. In particular, the excessive use of thought dialogue is incredibly annoying. It feels like the fic is half-assing both first-person and third-person narration, and would be better sticking to one or the other. Maybe the stuff in between is fine, but I hadn't noticed.
Verdict: Removed from the list for excessive internal monologuing.
I suppose this is as good a time as any to make a confession: I like crossovers. In fact, I really, really like crossovers. A lot of the first fics I've read are crossovers. I'll go more into detail about why I like crossovers so much at a later date, because this next fic doesn't really hit many of those likes.
Because let's be honest. Even Marvel has admitted that Spidey's suit kind of sucks from a practical standpoint. JMS' run had a story with many of the same elements (look up Leo Zelinsky, that little arc is well worth reading), and twice Marvel has had him replace his spandex with something better armored (during his New Avengers days and post-Superior Spider-Man). Have the trigger Hurricane Edna and bam! Origin story.
Verdict: Stays for being an amusing bit of headcanon.
I have an interesting relationship with Warhammer 40K. It's one of those works where I've read the absolute barest of canon material - we had an Ultramarines set for a few years before losing it somewhere, if I remember correctly - but I read quite a few of the fanfics. This works because Warhammer 40K is both stupidly over-the-top in a fun way and rather loose when it comes to the kind of stories the setting can support. By which I mean just about any.
I've mentioned with A Thin Veneer that I don't much like lecturing in my fanfics, which is a problem, as this is almost all lecturing. More importantly, this commits the cardinal sin of being a comedy fic that's not funny, though I guess that's mostly down to it being mostly lecturing. Or maybe lecturing isn't the right word. Expositing. Yeah, that fits better.
Verdict: Regardless, it's boring, so it's off.
If you don't mind any of that, then know that none of that stops the fic from being utterly hilarious. MidnightCereal has a gift for wordplay and positively Pratchettian phrasings, and the events and exaggeration of everyone's character flaws only enhance the humor.
Verdict: It's hilarious, go read it.
Anyway, that's today's post.Tomorrow Next post will be dedicated to a single fic. The Legend of Uzumaki Naruto: A Beginning.
2005 is where we stop being able to wipe out entire years in one go; not only are their twelve fics from that year, but three of them are the kind of monstrosities that require a post dedicated to them. It's also where we really start to get some diversity in fandoms. Case in point, all of the fics covered to day are in different ones!
Oh my God I'm looking at the Author's note for this fic and people were salty about Sasuke's turn to evil right after it happened. Really goes to show how set certain things in a fandom can get. And the idea behind this attempt to butterfly it away is interesting, too. Most people wanting to butterfly that event away focus on Itachi's little raid on Konoha or the Retrieval Arc. This sets things up in the second round of the Chunin Exams and goes from there.
Unfortunately, I'm not liking the execution. In particular, the excessive use of thought dialogue is incredibly annoying. It feels like the fic is half-assing both first-person and third-person narration, and would be better sticking to one or the other. Maybe the stuff in between is fine, but I hadn't noticed.
Verdict: Removed from the list for excessive internal monologuing.
I suppose this is as good a time as any to make a confession: I like crossovers. In fact, I really, really like crossovers. A lot of the first fics I've read are crossovers. I'll go more into detail about why I like crossovers so much at a later date, because this next fic doesn't really hit many of those likes.
Mostly by being a short one-shot. Spider-Man doesn't fit terribly well into the Incredibles, IMO, but that's more a concern with long-form dramatic fics. For a short, rather humorous one-shot it's something I can comfortably ignore. And if you can get past that, the entire thing just fits entirely too well as Edna's gateway into designing supersuits.
Because let's be honest. Even Marvel has admitted that Spidey's suit kind of sucks from a practical standpoint. JMS' run had a story with many of the same elements (look up Leo Zelinsky, that little arc is well worth reading), and twice Marvel has had him replace his spandex with something better armored (during his New Avengers days and post-Superior Spider-Man). Have the trigger Hurricane Edna and bam! Origin story.
Verdict: Stays for being an amusing bit of headcanon.
I have an interesting relationship with Warhammer 40K. It's one of those works where I've read the absolute barest of canon material - we had an Ultramarines set for a few years before losing it somewhere, if I remember correctly - but I read quite a few of the fanfics. This works because Warhammer 40K is both stupidly over-the-top in a fun way and rather loose when it comes to the kind of stories the setting can support. By which I mean just about any.
Still, those stories still need to be good.
I've mentioned with A Thin Veneer that I don't much like lecturing in my fanfics, which is a problem, as this is almost all lecturing. More importantly, this commits the cardinal sin of being a comedy fic that's not funny, though I guess that's mostly down to it being mostly lecturing. Or maybe lecturing isn't the right word. Expositing. Yeah, that fits better.
Verdict: Regardless, it's boring, so it's off.
Being boring isn't a problem for this fic. Be warned: if you're expecting canon compliance, sense, and a lack of irrelevant ramblings and bizarre descriptions, this fic is not for you.
If you don't mind any of that, then know that none of that stops the fic from being utterly hilarious. MidnightCereal has a gift for wordplay and positively Pratchettian phrasings, and the events and exaggeration of everyone's character flaws only enhance the humor.
Verdict: It's hilarious, go read it.
Anyway, that's today's post.
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MaHaL
Conductor of the Choir of Death
- Location
- Canada
That name stirs vague memories of dread, I don't quite know why.
- Location
- Malaysia
Even the name is uninteresting. I tend to see this kind of titles, I clicked it, and then abandon the story after a chapter or two. None of them gripped my interest even after all these years.
The Legend of Uzumaki Naruto: A Beginning
CV12Hornet
Riter.
- Location
- Tacoma, Washington
Well, this does not bode well for certain other fics on the list.
The Legend of Uzumaki Naruto is one of those fics from the early days before I had an FFN account. In fact, I distinctly remember it being one of my favorites back then, one that I'd reread. I even still remember most of the plot beats! So I came into this kinda hoping it would suck me in like it did back then.
It didn't. Even pulling the same trick I did in A Thin Veneer and jumping ahead didn't do anything.
It's not the basic premise. The idea of Naruto being Naruto and running around getting people to work together, dammit! by a combination of idealism, strength, and raw stubbornness is a sound one, especially when dumping him in an entirely new setting. And Warcraft is a good setting for that kind of romp. There are some mechanical problems, but I've overlooked those before. It's not the characterization, because I simply wasn't able to read enough of the fic to get a read on them.
And that's the problem: this fic isn't hooking me, and after a bit of thought, I think I know why: the writing is drier than Mars. I can't articulate the technical reasons, but the writing style is too... I don't know, clinical? Technical? It's telly, that's for sure, and it could use a beta to clean things up. Things happen, and it feels like a textbook more than a story.
And it's such a shame, because the fic has plenty going for it! I've outlined the premise, which is solid, but it avoids many of the pitfalls of Naruto crossovers by not making him overpowered (and in fact he learns quite a lot from everyone he meets) and not having him be some irresistible sex god or something. *shudders* Oh, some of the things I've seen...
Verdict: Reluctantly pulled from the list, because nostalgia isn't enough on its own.
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MaHaL
Conductor of the Choir of Death
- Location
- Canada
Huh, that was nowhere near as bad as I thought it was going to be.
Must've confused it with another fic that has a similar name.
You know, @CV12Hornet, if you want me to read the stories you recommend, you kinda need to copy the links, too. 
CV12Hornet
Riter.
- Location
- Tacoma, Washington
Oops. I'll get on that.You know, @CV12Hornet, if you want me to read the stories you recommend, you kinda need to copy the links, too.
In the meantime, clicking the review link will get you a story link.
Yes but if the fanfic is okay why would I want to read the reviews
FF.net reviews are like Youtube comments
CV12Hornet
Riter.
- Location
- Tacoma, Washington
Hence why it's a stopgap until I get the links live.
Heart of Darkness
CV12Hornet
Riter.
- Location
- Tacoma, Washington
One thing that's become immediately apparent as I do this exercise in self-flagellation: my standards for technical competence have risen considerably since I first started reading fanfiction.
I remember seeing this hailed as one of the best pieces of Star Wars fanfiction around, too, and certainly the idea is interesting, but once again I find myself unable to really engage with the basic story elements because the technical problems leave me cold. So I guess quite a few people have lower standards for technical competence than me.
Add in quite a few outright typos, and it's not hard to decide this fic's fate.
Verdict: It's out.
Now, since I've had so many gaps recently, I'm also going to do a double-feature with a story that I just added recently, and one that allows me to talk about one of the more fun types of crossovers: the crack crossover. Where two series are jammed together that by all rights shouldn't fit. And often don't.
Much like regular crack fics, crack crossovers fall into two categories: ones that fail to be anything other than absurd, and others that take that absurdity, run with it, and make it work.
The rest? Mostly characterization, especially Wonka. He comes off as rather crazy, but also savvy and very much caring for Charlie, and also well aware of his own flaws1.
And then, at the end, there's a nice shot of whimsical idealism that's extremely welcome after a murder mystery that also deals with some very unpleasant people.
Verdict: It's absurd and fun and more than a little sad. It stays.
Now, what's next on the docket?
Oh, great...
Which means this fic is thoroughly disappointing, considering it brings all the same problems as The Legend of Uzumaki Naruto: namely, a dry, telly style of prose that leaves me utterly unable to engage.
I remember seeing this hailed as one of the best pieces of Star Wars fanfiction around, too, and certainly the idea is interesting, but once again I find myself unable to really engage with the basic story elements because the technical problems leave me cold. So I guess quite a few people have lower standards for technical competence than me.
Add in quite a few outright typos, and it's not hard to decide this fic's fate.
Verdict: It's out.
Now, since I've had so many gaps recently, I'm also going to do a double-feature with a story that I just added recently, and one that allows me to talk about one of the more fun types of crossovers: the crack crossover. Where two series are jammed together that by all rights shouldn't fit. And often don't.
Much like regular crack fics, crack crossovers fall into two categories: ones that fail to be anything other than absurd, and others that take that absurdity, run with it, and make it work.
This is one of the latter. Yes, it's a crossover between CSI and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. And it works, mostly because it takes the absurdity of Roald Dahl's world and then jams it into a more grounded, realistic world, and then shows exactly how absurd everything is. It's about dealing with an outside context problem, and I love that kind of story.
The rest? Mostly characterization, especially Wonka. He comes off as rather crazy, but also savvy and very much caring for Charlie, and also well aware of his own flaws1.
And then, at the end, there's a nice shot of whimsical idealism that's extremely welcome after a murder mystery that also deals with some very unpleasant people.
Verdict: It's absurd and fun and more than a little sad. It stays.
Now, what's next on the docket?
Oh, great...
- This is where the choice of the Depp version works in the fic's favor, as that was a major plot point in the movie.
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Vyslanté
The self is a prison
- Location
- European Union
Ah, yes. I never could read more than a few pages of it, because, to quote you, it's a " style of prose that leaves me utterly unable to engage."
CV12Hornet
Riter.
- Location
- Tacoma, Washington
So, a bit of an update. Those of you who know The Dilgar War know how utterly massive it is, and worse, I'm kinda being sucked into it again. Really, I should stop now and give my verdict, but I want to keep reading. So... yeah. Might be a while before I finish and write up my verdict. Until then, just sit tight!
- Location
- Cincinnati, OH
- Pronouns
- He/Him
It feels like you're tempting me to reread that epic of a fanfiction, even though I shouldn't.
The Dilgar War
CV12Hornet
Riter.
- Location
- Tacoma, Washington
The Dilgar War is another Spacebattles fic, and another one about Babylon 5. Seriously, the site loves that show. And when it comes to Babylon 5, all the site's old-timers acknowledge user Lightning Count as the foremost expert, and The Dilgar War is what gave them that reputation in the first place. Hell, I've seen people call for J. Michael Straczynski, who helmed the show, to make this fic the script for any adaptation of the actual, in-show Dilgar War.
Lofty praise, and I remember enjoying it when I first read it. Hell, I've reread the Battle of Markab several times since my initial runthrough. So how does it hold up?
And yet here I am, days later, having blown from Chapter 1 to Chapter 64.
Let's start with the flaws. Much like those two fics above, the technical aspects have... issues. Telly narration, typos, and in this fic's case a dire case of run-on sentences. It makes it very painful to read. It also suffers somewhat from bloat, as you might expect from a 1.2 million-word monstrosity. I found myself skipping entire sections by the time the chapter count hit the forties.
Unlike the two fics above, though, the story was thoroughly compelling the entire time. I can't tell me what kept me going through those first sixty chapters; there's just something compelling about the writing. Perhaps the way it weaves space battles and surprisingly realistic military campaigns with very human drama. Either way, most of those first sixty chapters were able to hold my interest long enough to get to Chapter 60. And that's important, because Chapter 60 is the start of the payoff for the prior chapters.
Those chapters are set-up, ultimately. Set-up for the League ambassadors' impassioned speech to the EA senate. To Earthforce entering the war, and then kicking the Dilgar's ass quite thoroughly at Markab. And that entire section is executed perfectly. I squealed in delight when Earthforce mobilized; I was moved to misty eyes by the speech and the imagery thrown up. And neither would have worked without the preceding chapters doing everything to sell comparing the Dilgar to Nazi Germany.
"Nazi" is a thoroughly overused accusation these days, and it was probably overused back in 2005, too, but in this case it works. It works because for hundreds of thousands of words we have seen the Dilgar rampage across space, conquering and killing in the most horrific of fashions, utilizing slave labor and orbital bombardment and biological weapons. It makes the Nazi comparison completely apt in and out of universe.
I haven't moved past the Battle of Markab. I don't need to. As I said earlier, I'm perfectly fine with keeping fics on the list even when I only like parts. This fic has earned its spot.
Verdict: How many other authors can pull off this kind of long-term payoff? Not many, I'd wager.
Next up, we'll be looking into the fics of an author you may have heard of, one with a particular style: Ozzallos. 'Til next time!
Lofty praise, and I remember enjoying it when I first read it. Hell, I've reread the Battle of Markab several times since my initial runthrough. So how does it hold up?
Honestly, I wasn't expecting much from the general reread. I never finished this fic, after all, and with my rereads I had a vague recollection of the fic's flaws (and it does have them; more on that later). More, the utter failure of The Legend of Uzumaki Naruto and Hearts of Darkness to hold my attention didn't give me any more faith.
And yet here I am, days later, having blown from Chapter 1 to Chapter 64.
Let's start with the flaws. Much like those two fics above, the technical aspects have... issues. Telly narration, typos, and in this fic's case a dire case of run-on sentences. It makes it very painful to read. It also suffers somewhat from bloat, as you might expect from a 1.2 million-word monstrosity. I found myself skipping entire sections by the time the chapter count hit the forties.
Unlike the two fics above, though, the story was thoroughly compelling the entire time. I can't tell me what kept me going through those first sixty chapters; there's just something compelling about the writing. Perhaps the way it weaves space battles and surprisingly realistic military campaigns with very human drama. Either way, most of those first sixty chapters were able to hold my interest long enough to get to Chapter 60. And that's important, because Chapter 60 is the start of the payoff for the prior chapters.
Those chapters are set-up, ultimately. Set-up for the League ambassadors' impassioned speech to the EA senate. To Earthforce entering the war, and then kicking the Dilgar's ass quite thoroughly at Markab. And that entire section is executed perfectly. I squealed in delight when Earthforce mobilized; I was moved to misty eyes by the speech and the imagery thrown up. And neither would have worked without the preceding chapters doing everything to sell comparing the Dilgar to Nazi Germany.
"Nazi" is a thoroughly overused accusation these days, and it was probably overused back in 2005, too, but in this case it works. It works because for hundreds of thousands of words we have seen the Dilgar rampage across space, conquering and killing in the most horrific of fashions, utilizing slave labor and orbital bombardment and biological weapons. It makes the Nazi comparison completely apt in and out of universe.
I haven't moved past the Battle of Markab. I don't need to. As I said earlier, I'm perfectly fine with keeping fics on the list even when I only like parts. This fic has earned its spot.
Verdict: How many other authors can pull off this kind of long-term payoff? Not many, I'd wager.
Next up, we'll be looking into the fics of an author you may have heard of, one with a particular style: Ozzallos. 'Til next time!
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Vyslanté
The self is a prison
- Location
- European Union
Which is why I could not actually read it. That being say, your praise about it interest me, I'll probably try to read it again eventually.
Oh dear, I haven't dared to touch those in a while. You go first.