Smallville "Pro"-novel
I ordered comics at Amazon a while ago, and in order to get shipping for free, I needed to make the order 2€ more. So I browsed the really cheap stuff and my eyes fell on second-hand Smallville tie-in novels. Now, I'm schizophrenically snobby when it comes to tie-ins. I love fanfiction, which is really just the same, and when fanfiction is really good, then I consider it to be equal in value to any published writing. The best short stories I've ever read were fanfiction. But tie-ins, I mostly consider crap. (My mother sneers on anything that isn't high-brow literature, so probably that's where it comes from. But it might also come from having shamefully read Star Wars and Star Trek novels as a teen and discovering that they're indeed, well, mostly crap.)
But there I was, looking at SV tie-ins, and my eyes fell on one author's name: Devin Grayson. She's a known comic writer, one of the few female ones, and considered to be very, uh... slash friendly. She made Nightwing gay, or such is the word over at scans_daily. The premise of the tie-in: Lex takes Clark to Metropolis. I was highly amused, and ordered the 2€ book.
I've started reading it. It's very gay, in a S1, no of course they're straight, official kind of way. Very gay.
The writing isn't even bad, definitely better than any Star Trek novel I've ever read, although somewhat expostion-laden in the beginning. The characterisation is very good, though and the dialogue is fun.
Devin Grayson's view of Clark is identical to fandom Clark, her Lex is... different, but fun. She emphasizes the playboy aspect, and the bored young genius, which often reminds me of "Birthright", and her Lex is a little evil, too. He teases Clark a lot and not always nicely. He's S1/2 Lex at his most fun moments.
But, the gay. The exposition is spent establishing how very, very straight the two boys are. Lex has girlfriends! Lots of them! And Clark loves Lana. Very much! (She doesn't get a line, though. Chloe and Pete at least get a line.) And then Lex says, hey, Clark, wanna go to Metropolis for a week, to live in my apartment? And Martha bullies Jonathan into letting them, which makes Jonathan wonder, in the words of many a fanfic: "What does a twenty-two year old want with a sixteen year-old?"
Well, apparently he wants to dress him up in sexy clothes (Clark is horrified when his inseam gets touched), get him drunk (in a bar where Lex uses explaining Yakuza traditions as a excuse to hold hands with Clark) and jump into a hot tub with him. No joke, that's the plot so far. Clark refuses the dress up and the getting drunk, but he doesn't hesitate a second to share the hot tub.
This is their conversation in the hot tub. Note the distinct lack of sub in the text:
"'So what do you suggest I do?' Clark asked. 'Be less of a moral person in the city than I am on my Dad's farm?'
Lex let a slow smile spread on his face as he thought through the implications of Clark's insincere proposal. There were many times when the young Kent was so naive it was damn near heartbreaking.
'I suggest you go to bed,' Lex said as he averted his gaze.
[...]
Lex turned and offered him a lazy smile. 'Sleep well, Clark,'he answered, watching the teenager head back into the penthouse, water beading on his powerfully built body and a red towel hooked around his waist."
Oh, you sneaky author. No, they're not gay! Of course not! Obviously not! Here, Lex even says it:
"'No offense, Clark,' Lex continued with a mischievous gleam in his eyes, 'but you're not really my type.'
'Oh, I know. I'm emotionally available and uninterested in your money.'"
He wants you, Lex! He wants you bad!
Okay, I admit it. I enjoy this tie-in. Even if I completely ignore the Yakuza plot. I just read the Clex scenes. Which are plenty and all the more amusing because they're pretending to be subtext.
But there I was, looking at SV tie-ins, and my eyes fell on one author's name: Devin Grayson. She's a known comic writer, one of the few female ones, and considered to be very, uh... slash friendly. She made Nightwing gay, or such is the word over at scans_daily. The premise of the tie-in: Lex takes Clark to Metropolis. I was highly amused, and ordered the 2€ book.
I've started reading it. It's very gay, in a S1, no of course they're straight, official kind of way. Very gay.
The writing isn't even bad, definitely better than any Star Trek novel I've ever read, although somewhat expostion-laden in the beginning. The characterisation is very good, though and the dialogue is fun.
Devin Grayson's view of Clark is identical to fandom Clark, her Lex is... different, but fun. She emphasizes the playboy aspect, and the bored young genius, which often reminds me of "Birthright", and her Lex is a little evil, too. He teases Clark a lot and not always nicely. He's S1/2 Lex at his most fun moments.
But, the gay. The exposition is spent establishing how very, very straight the two boys are. Lex has girlfriends! Lots of them! And Clark loves Lana. Very much! (She doesn't get a line, though. Chloe and Pete at least get a line.) And then Lex says, hey, Clark, wanna go to Metropolis for a week, to live in my apartment? And Martha bullies Jonathan into letting them, which makes Jonathan wonder, in the words of many a fanfic: "What does a twenty-two year old want with a sixteen year-old?"
Well, apparently he wants to dress him up in sexy clothes (Clark is horrified when his inseam gets touched), get him drunk (in a bar where Lex uses explaining Yakuza traditions as a excuse to hold hands with Clark) and jump into a hot tub with him. No joke, that's the plot so far. Clark refuses the dress up and the getting drunk, but he doesn't hesitate a second to share the hot tub.
This is their conversation in the hot tub. Note the distinct lack of sub in the text:
"'So what do you suggest I do?' Clark asked. 'Be less of a moral person in the city than I am on my Dad's farm?'
Lex let a slow smile spread on his face as he thought through the implications of Clark's insincere proposal. There were many times when the young Kent was so naive it was damn near heartbreaking.
'I suggest you go to bed,' Lex said as he averted his gaze.
[...]
Lex turned and offered him a lazy smile. 'Sleep well, Clark,'he answered, watching the teenager head back into the penthouse, water beading on his powerfully built body and a red towel hooked around his waist."
Oh, you sneaky author. No, they're not gay! Of course not! Obviously not! Here, Lex even says it:
"'No offense, Clark,' Lex continued with a mischievous gleam in his eyes, 'but you're not really my type.'
'Oh, I know. I'm emotionally available and uninterested in your money.'"
He wants you, Lex! He wants you bad!
Okay, I admit it. I enjoy this tie-in. Even if I completely ignore the Yakuza plot. I just read the Clex scenes. Which are plenty and all the more amusing because they're pretending to be subtext.