Betty wrote:
"A Rock and a Hard Place" by Jeanne de Vore: Avon and Jenna are trapped in a cave after an explosion, where they spend their time rescuing each other and having a heart-to-heart chat
Wouldn't it be interesting to keep a record of how often this cave appears in B7 fanfic? There seems to be a need to isolate two characters within some confined space (preferably primitive, natural setting, rather than artificial one) so that they'd be forced to interact in a manner which otherwise wouldn't be conceivable. It almost inspires one to write a parody of the 'cave' sub-genre.
Another thing I wanted to ask was, have there been any lists of the 'best B7 fanfic ever'? I appreciated the list of 50 best A-B gen stories selected by Sally, but sometimes (shame on me) I get tired of A-B dynamics and want to read stories focusing on some other aspects of the series. (Yes, there are other aspects!) It would be nice to have some kind of lightship for guidance in the sea of written material.
So, could other people please tell me: what are your Top Ten B7 stories?
N.
Natasa Tucev wrote:
Wouldn't it be interesting to keep a record of how often this cave appears in B7 fanfic?
Probably about at least as often as quarries appeared in canon, I think. :)
Natasa said:
Wouldn't it be interesting to keep a record of how often this cave
appears
in B7 fanfic?
...bearing in mind that "cave" is Latin for "beware."
I think it's interesting that, although economic constraints are not present, very few fanfics have "sets" that would be expensive to build.
-(Y)
From: Natasa Tucev tucev@tesla.rcub.bg.ac.yu
Wouldn't it be interesting to keep a record of how often this cave appears in B7 fanfic? There seems to be a need to isolate two characters within
some
confined space (preferably primitive, natural setting, rather than artificial one) so that they'd be forced to interact in a manner which otherwise wouldn't be conceivable.
I've seen a couple set on abandoned spaceships (with life-support failing, naturally), but caves do seem to be the number one choice of location. Dunno why. Maybe because the average womb isn't big enough to accommodate either of them, let alone both at the same time.
It almost inspires one to write a parody of the 'cave' sub-genre.
Some of them do a pretty good job of that without even trying.
So, could other people please tell me: what are your Top Ten B7 stories?
Despite rigorously excluding my own efforts, it justs so happens that my top three faves are in zines I've had a hand in myself. 'Course, like any top ten, a lot depends on the mood of the moment.
1. The Young Ladies Home Companion (Alison Page, Stadler Link) 2. Haunted (Nickey Barnard, Pressure Point) 3. With/Out Blake (Ika, TOFPA) 4. A Peculiar Alchemy (Judith Rolls, Horizon #20) 5. Love and Honour (Andrew Kearley, Star One) 6. For Jenna (Margaret Scroggs, Horizon #11) 7. The Power and the Glory (Helen Pitt, Horizon #10) 8. Streetcorner Girl (Pita Enriquez-Harris, Deadlier Than The Male) 9. All That Remains Are Regrets (Susan Barret, Star Three) 10. Hammer, Anvil, Forge (Russ Massey, Power)
I'm not sure quite why so many from Horizon zines. Maybe I remember them better because they were the first zines I read and their content seemed original at the time.
There's also the problem of the vast range that fanfic covers, in style and length. The above are all short stories, and all but the first are subcanonical. Other categories, like full-length novels, humorous stuff etc, ought to be listed separately, or at least so I think.
Top Ten humorous stories:
1. Dimples and Hairpiece (Wendy Ingle, Horizon #12) 2. My Late Lamented Friend (Fliss Davies, Horizon #11) 3. Heavy Petting (Lorna Breshears, Gambit #12) 4. Diary of a Rebel Somebody (Chris Blenkarn, Pressure Point) 5. Behind Blue Eyes (Catherine Kendall, The Way Back. Not meant to be humorous, but I certainly got a laugh out of it) 6. Afterdeath (Ros Williams, Horizon #10) 7. The Further Adventures of Mary Sue (Helen Pitt, D&U #3) 8. The Beeb Budget Cuts (Jan Harley, Interface #12) 9. All the Days of Christmas (Judith Seaman, Horizon #11) 10. Passable Features (Ellen A Rufkin, Horizon #19)
Yet more Horizon, but I think they really do have the pick of the crop of the funny stuff.
The thing I notice about both lists is the preponderance of UK authors. Hmmm...
Neil
In message 001d01c15837$8a61df00$e535fea9@neilfaulkner, Neil Faulkner N.Faulkner@tesco.net writes
From: Natasa Tucev tucev@tesla.rcub.bg.ac.yu
It almost inspires one to write a parody of the 'cave' sub-genre.
Some of them do a pretty good job of that without even trying.
Yes, I think I've read one or two.
Of course, "parody" means "satirical imitation" - the parody does not need to be overtly humorous, which can lead to all *sorts* of interesting possibilities when writing one.
'Course, like any top ten, a lot depends on the mood of the moment.
Ditto. Or which zines I've read most recently. Which is why I'm not going to put up a top ten. It will be different tomorrow.
Besides, which top ten do you want? Neil's stories are unlikely to appear on my top ten "lie down in private for a while" list, but quite likely to appear on my top ten "political rant" and "action adventure" lists. Then there are several stories by more hydraulically inclined authors that are likely to appear on both my "lie down in private for a while" and "political rant" lists. (I do wish MFae would come back to B7.)
The thing I notice about both lists is the preponderance of UK authors. Hmmm...
Is that because you mostly read UK zines, though?
Mind you, having been recently going through a stack of early zines with a view to writing reviews, I am struck by how awful a lot of them were. And being early zines, they were British. I've just read a classic Mary Sue, 55 pages of this wonderful woman with red hair, violet eyes, and legs down to *there*, single-handedly saving the crew and knowing more about operating the Liberator than they do. Pass the sick bag...
From: Julia Jones julia.lysator@jajones.demon.co.uk
Of course, "parody" means "satirical imitation" - the parody does not need to be overtly humorous, which can lead to all *sorts* of interesting possibilities when writing one.
Some parodies can be too subtle for their own good. There was a B/A slash one I peeked at once, with Avon as an androgynous alien who got pregnant by Blake. When I got to ranting about it to Judith P she pointed out that it was, in fact, a piss-take.
The thing I notice about both lists is the preponderance of UK authors. Hmmm...
Is that because you mostly read UK zines, though?
Perhaps, though I've got four Gambits, which are probably equal to half a dozen Horizons each. And a couple of other meaty US anthologies. A lot of authors cross the pond, both ways, so where a zine comes from might not be that important.
Mind you, having been recently going through a stack of early zines with a view to writing reviews, I am struck by how awful a lot of them were. And being early zines, they were British. I've just read a classic Mary Sue, 55 pages of this wonderful woman with red hair, violet eyes, and legs down to *there*, single-handedly saving the crew and knowing more about operating the Liberator than they do. Pass the sick bag...
That wouldn't have been in Horizon #2, by any chance?
Neil
In message 000801c158bc$aa19d480$e535fea9@neilfaulkner, Neil Faulkner N.Faulkner@tesco.net writes
Some parodies can be too subtle for their own good. There was a B/A slash one I peeked at once, with Avon as an androgynous alien who got pregnant by Blake. When I got to ranting about it to Judith P she pointed out that it was, in fact, a piss-take.
Ah yes, "Duet for Emmanuelle", by Tounge N. Cheek, in Resistance 8. That's from the online zine database and may have transcription errors, I think the spelling of the author's surname was a little more subtle in the zine itself.
Although I suppose you have to have read a fair bit of bad slash to get the parody in that one. It's a good parody, but like all good irony is rather too easily taken with a straight reading. "A Modest Proposal", anyone?
Perhaps, though I've got four Gambits, which are probably equal to half a dozen Horizons each. And a couple of other meaty US anthologies. A lot of authors cross the pond, both ways, so where a zine comes from might not be that important.
In the early ones there does seem to be a strong association between editor's and authors' countries of residence. Much less so now.
Mind you, having been recently going through a stack of early zines with a view to writing reviews, I am struck by how awful a lot of them were. And being early zines, they were British. I've just read a classic Mary Sue, 55 pages of this wonderful woman with red hair, violet eyes, and legs down to *there*, single-handedly saving the crew and knowing more about operating the Liberator than they do. Pass the sick bag...
That wouldn't have been in Horizon #2, by any chance?
Have you just been reading the Horizon zines as well? I kept reading it, in the hope that it was intended to be a parody, but could find no indication that it was.
From: Julia Jones julia.lysator@jajones.demon.co.uk
That wouldn't have been in Horizon #2, by any chance?
Have you just been reading the Horizon zines as well?
Don't need to in this case. I'll never forget that one. She did another one in a later Horizon zine, and that was pretty awful too.
Neil
Natasa wrote:
Wouldn't it be interesting to keep a record of how often this cave
appears
in B7 fanfic? There seems to be a need to isolate two characters within
some
confined space (preferably primitive, natural setting, rather than artificial one) so that they'd be forced to interact in a manner which otherwise wouldn't be conceivable. It almost inspires one to write a
parody
of the 'cave' sub-genre.
And it's own sub-genre, the 'stuck in a lift' story, which even 'Star Cops' does, so I can't complain.
I get tired of A-B dynamics and want to read stories focusing on some other aspects of the series. (Yes, there
are
other aspects!) It would be nice to have some kind of lightship for
guidance
in the sea of written material.
So, could other people please tell me: what are your Top Ten B7 stories?
In no particular order, although the first ones constitute my top five:
1. Nickey Barnard, 'Haunted' in 'Pressure Point'. 2. Penny Dreadful, 'The Killer of Dole Nu Lin' in ttba. 3. Executrix, 'Purple Haze' in ttba. 4. Alison Page, 'Radioheads' at http://www.aquitarfiles.org.uk/. 5. Alison Page, 'The Young Lady's Home Companion' in 'Stadler Link'. 6. Freda Hyatt, 'The Human Factor' in 'Standard by Seven' #10. 7. Russ Massey, 'Irregularity' in 'Refractions' #2. 8. Ana Dorfstad, 'Hoist on a Dark Petard', in the Enarrare B7 Special. 9. Loulou Harris, 'In the Labyrinth' at http://www.aquitarfiles.org.uk/. 10. Judith Rolls, 'A Peculiar Alchemy' in Horizon #20.
Una
-
Betty Ragan -
Dana Shilling -
Julia Jones -
Natasa Tucev -
Neil Faulkner -
Una McCormack