Carcassi's 2008 Fic Review
This was a year of extremes for me, fic-wise. My stories were either very short, or very long, and, as a result, even though I wrote fewer fics this year, my word count held steady at around 75,000. That puts me at an overall total of about 222,000 words over the last three years. Obviously, I still have a ways to go to match the amazing record set by ellyfanfiction. *G*
Also, this was the year in which I once again failed to finish "Of Gods and Butterflies" (*sighs*). My New Year's resolution is to make amends for that, ASAP, assuming anyone still wants to read it. :)
In another first this year, I'm daring to include a few short original fics in the mix. *Major blushes* Two of them have never been publicly posted before on my lj. I'd love to hear what you think, if you're interested!
WiP
Yep, it's the Tale that Nevers Ends (at least, so far!)
Of Gods and Butterflies (Chlark, AU, PG to NC-17)
Chlark schmoop
Three Times Clark Almost Saw Chloe Naked, and One Time He Almost Didn't (Chlois overtones, PG-13)
Dinner for Two (G)
Lost and Found (Bracelet!fic with Chlark, Kara and Shelby, G)
Search Engine (Futurefic, G)
In My Dreams (Christmas!Chlark, G/PG)
Dedication (Chlois futurefic, G, AU after Season 7)
Episode codas/missing scenes
Vigil (Chlark, PG, post-"Fracture" ficlet)
Face Value (Clois, with a twist. Based on spoilers for the Clois DP scene in "Odyssey, very short, G)
Top-Sekrit Coda to Instinct (Or, what *really* happened at the end of "Instinct"? *eg* Rated adult)
I have NO idea what this is....
....except that it's Chlark, and total crack. :D
Nightmare on Hickory Lane, or, The Calamari that Ate Smallville (Chlark Halloween fic--WARNING: Do not read while eating squid. *G* Rated G.)
Chloom
Doomsday (Chloom, Chlark, PG, short)
Overlord!Kal/Chloe
The Chosen Series (AU series in which Kal-El arrives on Earth much later, and he doesn't come alone. Rated PG)
And for something completely different....
Original Ficlets (all rated G, very short)
Two of these have never been publicly posted on my lj before, so I'm posting the full fics here:
The first drabble is for all you U.S. history buffs. It's about a prominent American--can you figure out which one?
Souvenir
The turquoise surf tickled the teenager’s bare toes as he freed his prize from its clutches. With a smile of accomplishment, he lifted the glistening piece of coral up for closer inspection under the Caribbean sun.
He’d never held anything so beautiful, or so fragile.
His hands were large, but they were accustomed to adjusting delicate instruments, and they handled the sharp edges of the lacy fan with as much loving care as they did his surveyor’s compass. The fan was unbroken, and perfectly shaped.
Smiling, he turned toward the pale figure sitting on a blanket a small distance away on the beach. “Lawrence!”
His older brother, fully clothed even though the afternoon was uncomfortably warm, looked up from his book. “Another find?” he grinned, squinting against the glare of the light reflecting off the bright sand. “By now I’d have thought there were no shells left in all of Barbados.”
He studied Lawrence’s sunken cheeks worriedly. “Have you been coughing much?”
Lawrence took the coral and avoided his eyes. “Hardly at all today. The climate agrees with me, just as we’d hoped.” He smiled as he handed the piece back, and changed the subject. “Congratulations, it’s lovely. But you’ll never get it home to Virginia.”
His younger brother, sighing inwardly, took the hint. “We’ll see.”
* * * * * * * *
Years later, in the dark of a bitterly cold Pennsylvania winter, he gazed over the tents of his soldiers, and remembered that sunny afternoon in the tropics.
The fan coral had survived the trip home. Lawrence had not.
Now he held something else in the palm of his hands-something more beautiful, more brittle, and infinitely more valuable, than that long-ago Caribbean souvenir. Closing his eyes, he made his departed brother a silent promise.
No matter the cost, he would bring that safe home, too.
The End
The next one is hard to describe, except that nothing in it is as it appears. Watch out for the ending!
Things Unseen
The news blared in the small kitchen as the day’s first cup of caffeine was poured: “Here’s one for you fans of the bizarre. A young hiker, missing since late last week, claims he literally stumbled into Heaven.”
She listened thoughtfully, curling her fingers around the mug, fingers soaking in its warmth.
Her husband chuckled. “Here we go again.”
“What?” she said, knowing she sounded too defensive.
“Admit it, you love weirdness.”
Ignoring him, she turned up the volume. “The teenager says he went to investigate a beam of light coming from a crack in a rock, tripped, fell through, and landed face first in what he describes as ‘paradise.’ It was, he says, the biggest, brightest room he’s ever seen-gigantic plants, impossible colors, and a dazzling radiance that hurt his eyes. In his words--'Too much awesomeness.'”
The announcer paused, probably for dramatic effect. “He told rescuers that he beat a hasty retreat and wandered around, dazed and disoriented, until he was finally found less than a mile from his classmates’ campsite, in good shape apart from a few cuts and bruises.”
Her husband snorted. “Whatever that kid was on, I’ll take some of it. Sounds like the good stuff.”
“As for the mysterious slice of paradise, it has yet to be found” the announcer continued, wryly. “You know what they say: Salvation’s always just around the corner. The question is, which one?”
She made a face. “I wish they’d quit making fun of stories like this. Who’s to say he’s not telling the truth?”
“Oh, come on. Who’s to say he is? The kid didn’t have any proof.” He glanced up at her as he put on his cap, preparing to leave for work, and his voice softened. “I guess hope springs eternal. Especially for a history teacher, like you, who knows all the old legends.”
“They’re not legends,” she replied sharply, as if she were lecturing a slow student. “We really are from another world, a better one.”
There was a suspicious twinkle in her husband’s eyes. “Of course, dear.”
“I mean it.”
He sighed. “I know, just kidding. I know things were different before The War. I've heard stories. But that world was destroyed a long time ago. We survived because we found a safe place to live, and if you ask me, we’re better off where we are.”
Rising, he placed his mug in the sink and turned toward the outer doors, which slid open at his approach. Beyond them, a dimly-lit corridor stretched into the darkness, along which trams glided soundlessly over rails in both directions. At this hour of the morning, the corridor was crowded with rush hour traffic.
She joined him at the door for a goodbye kiss, and he ran his thumb along her cheek affectionately. “For your sake, I wish the kid were right. That radiance he saw does sound a lot like that, um, thing you’re always talking about. What’s it called again?”
Smiling, she adjusted his cap so that the writing on its front was clear: “Mammothcave P.D., Minesville, District One.”
“The sun,” she said.
“Yeah,” he grinned as he left. “Keep an eye out for it, will you?”
“I will,” she whispered, as the door slid shut.
The End
Finally, here's an original ficlet I wrote in 2007, inspired by a documentary about the Titanic:
A Little Night Music ("The band played on....")
Also, this was the year in which I once again failed to finish "Of Gods and Butterflies" (*sighs*). My New Year's resolution is to make amends for that, ASAP, assuming anyone still wants to read it. :)
In another first this year, I'm daring to include a few short original fics in the mix. *Major blushes* Two of them have never been publicly posted before on my lj. I'd love to hear what you think, if you're interested!
WiP
Yep, it's the Tale that Nevers Ends (at least, so far!)
Of Gods and Butterflies (Chlark, AU, PG to NC-17)
Chlark schmoop
Three Times Clark Almost Saw Chloe Naked, and One Time He Almost Didn't (Chlois overtones, PG-13)
Dinner for Two (G)
Lost and Found (Bracelet!fic with Chlark, Kara and Shelby, G)
Search Engine (Futurefic, G)
In My Dreams (Christmas!Chlark, G/PG)
Dedication (Chlois futurefic, G, AU after Season 7)
Episode codas/missing scenes
Vigil (Chlark, PG, post-"Fracture" ficlet)
Face Value (Clois, with a twist. Based on spoilers for the Clois DP scene in "Odyssey, very short, G)
Top-Sekrit Coda to Instinct (Or, what *really* happened at the end of "Instinct"? *eg* Rated adult)
I have NO idea what this is....
....except that it's Chlark, and total crack. :D
Nightmare on Hickory Lane, or, The Calamari that Ate Smallville (Chlark Halloween fic--WARNING: Do not read while eating squid. *G* Rated G.)
Chloom
Doomsday (Chloom, Chlark, PG, short)
Overlord!Kal/Chloe
The Chosen Series (AU series in which Kal-El arrives on Earth much later, and he doesn't come alone. Rated PG)
And for something completely different....
Original Ficlets (all rated G, very short)
Two of these have never been publicly posted on my lj before, so I'm posting the full fics here:
The first drabble is for all you U.S. history buffs. It's about a prominent American--can you figure out which one?
Souvenir
The turquoise surf tickled the teenager’s bare toes as he freed his prize from its clutches. With a smile of accomplishment, he lifted the glistening piece of coral up for closer inspection under the Caribbean sun.
He’d never held anything so beautiful, or so fragile.
His hands were large, but they were accustomed to adjusting delicate instruments, and they handled the sharp edges of the lacy fan with as much loving care as they did his surveyor’s compass. The fan was unbroken, and perfectly shaped.
Smiling, he turned toward the pale figure sitting on a blanket a small distance away on the beach. “Lawrence!”
His older brother, fully clothed even though the afternoon was uncomfortably warm, looked up from his book. “Another find?” he grinned, squinting against the glare of the light reflecting off the bright sand. “By now I’d have thought there were no shells left in all of Barbados.”
He studied Lawrence’s sunken cheeks worriedly. “Have you been coughing much?”
Lawrence took the coral and avoided his eyes. “Hardly at all today. The climate agrees with me, just as we’d hoped.” He smiled as he handed the piece back, and changed the subject. “Congratulations, it’s lovely. But you’ll never get it home to Virginia.”
His younger brother, sighing inwardly, took the hint. “We’ll see.”
* * * * * * * *
Years later, in the dark of a bitterly cold Pennsylvania winter, he gazed over the tents of his soldiers, and remembered that sunny afternoon in the tropics.
The fan coral had survived the trip home. Lawrence had not.
Now he held something else in the palm of his hands-something more beautiful, more brittle, and infinitely more valuable, than that long-ago Caribbean souvenir. Closing his eyes, he made his departed brother a silent promise.
No matter the cost, he would bring that safe home, too.
The End
The next one is hard to describe, except that nothing in it is as it appears. Watch out for the ending!
Things Unseen
The news blared in the small kitchen as the day’s first cup of caffeine was poured: “Here’s one for you fans of the bizarre. A young hiker, missing since late last week, claims he literally stumbled into Heaven.”
She listened thoughtfully, curling her fingers around the mug, fingers soaking in its warmth.
Her husband chuckled. “Here we go again.”
“What?” she said, knowing she sounded too defensive.
“Admit it, you love weirdness.”
Ignoring him, she turned up the volume. “The teenager says he went to investigate a beam of light coming from a crack in a rock, tripped, fell through, and landed face first in what he describes as ‘paradise.’ It was, he says, the biggest, brightest room he’s ever seen-gigantic plants, impossible colors, and a dazzling radiance that hurt his eyes. In his words--'Too much awesomeness.'”
The announcer paused, probably for dramatic effect. “He told rescuers that he beat a hasty retreat and wandered around, dazed and disoriented, until he was finally found less than a mile from his classmates’ campsite, in good shape apart from a few cuts and bruises.”
Her husband snorted. “Whatever that kid was on, I’ll take some of it. Sounds like the good stuff.”
“As for the mysterious slice of paradise, it has yet to be found” the announcer continued, wryly. “You know what they say: Salvation’s always just around the corner. The question is, which one?”
She made a face. “I wish they’d quit making fun of stories like this. Who’s to say he’s not telling the truth?”
“Oh, come on. Who’s to say he is? The kid didn’t have any proof.” He glanced up at her as he put on his cap, preparing to leave for work, and his voice softened. “I guess hope springs eternal. Especially for a history teacher, like you, who knows all the old legends.”
“They’re not legends,” she replied sharply, as if she were lecturing a slow student. “We really are from another world, a better one.”
There was a suspicious twinkle in her husband’s eyes. “Of course, dear.”
“I mean it.”
He sighed. “I know, just kidding. I know things were different before The War. I've heard stories. But that world was destroyed a long time ago. We survived because we found a safe place to live, and if you ask me, we’re better off where we are.”
Rising, he placed his mug in the sink and turned toward the outer doors, which slid open at his approach. Beyond them, a dimly-lit corridor stretched into the darkness, along which trams glided soundlessly over rails in both directions. At this hour of the morning, the corridor was crowded with rush hour traffic.
She joined him at the door for a goodbye kiss, and he ran his thumb along her cheek affectionately. “For your sake, I wish the kid were right. That radiance he saw does sound a lot like that, um, thing you’re always talking about. What’s it called again?”
Smiling, she adjusted his cap so that the writing on its front was clear: “Mammothcave P.D., Minesville, District One.”
“The sun,” she said.
“Yeah,” he grinned as he left. “Keep an eye out for it, will you?”
“I will,” she whispered, as the door slid shut.
The End
Finally, here's an original ficlet I wrote in 2007, inspired by a documentary about the Titanic:
A Little Night Music ("The band played on....")