sshg_giftfest signups still open!

[delphipsmith]

Signups are still open for the sshg_giftfest!! And Rita Skeeter has lots to say about it in her Sunday Gossip Column today :)

Comments

[weird_little]

I started reading HG/SS because of you, at first reading with great trepidation and disbelief, but it's really growing on me.

Of course, I never thought that Hermione belonged with RON, who's not suited to her at all, but there weren't any kind, generous, big-hearted bookworms in JKR's work besides Hermione, so it seemed that she could only end up with someone unsuitable.

But it IS true that Snape's the only one who's as smart and powerful as Hermione who isn't 50 years older than she is (except maybe Luna). So far, most of the stories I've read make Snape much sweeter than Rowling did (sometimes much, much MUCH sweeter, to a degree that's somewhat saccharine), but a few stories manage to give us believable in-universe reasons for this.

I'm finding that HP fandom seems to treat Snape in much the same way that Star Trek fandom treats Spock, a parallel that I'm finding amusing to witness.

I'm also noticing that a lot of stories seem to believe that a good woman can redeem a troubled man through the power of her love, and I have mixed feelings about that. It's true that it IS a satisfying theme to read, but it's also one that frightens me, because so many women who are abused by their husbands are subtly taught that if they only loved their abuser enough, they could make him better. And that's a horrible thing to lay on women.

The clinical psychologist in me finds it all quite fascinating to witness. I'm sure there have been dissertations on fan fiction done in English departments, but someone should really do one in a psychology department, analyzing just what fan fiction says about our collective psyche.

Anyway, you seem to have converted me. You may do your happy dance now. :-)

[delphipsmith]

you seem to have converted me. You may do your happy dance now. :-)

LOL! #mission_accomplished

You won't be considered a true convert until you participate in an sshg fest, however. Luckily, I happen to know of one that's having signups RIGHT THIS VERY MOMENT, nudge nudge wink wink ;)

I'm finding that HP fandom seems to treat Snape in much the same way that Star Trek fandom treats Spock, a parallel that I'm finding amusing to witness.

For sure. And certainly the two share some common aspects. Both are highly intelligent. Both struggle with some aspect of themselves, Spock with his dual heritage and Snape with his dual roles. Both keep a tight rein on their emotions. Spock is mistrusted by many people (at least in the early TOS episodes) for much the same reasons that Snape is. There are even one or two plot/event parallels, such as Spock's "killing" of Kirk in Amok Time and Snape's killing of Dumbledore. It would be interesting to a do a full-on comparative analysis of the two characters within canon (and possibly within fandom). I even know someone who would be great to write it >>looks pointedly in your direction<<

I do appreciate your observation that the "good woman can redeem a troubled man" trope is potentially a dangerous one. I have some personal experience with this -- a close family member, not myself, thank goodness. The flip side of that is the "hero saves the damsel in distress" trope. The best SSHG fics, I think, avoid both those traps and treat them as mutually respectful (and often mutually distrustful) equals.

someone should really do one in a psychology department, analyzing just what fan fiction says about our collective psyche.

Yeah! Get on that, why don't you? :)

[weird_little]

I wasn't sure if I could sign up for your fest, because I wasn't sure I could write HG/SS properly. I tried to write a story as sort of a test, and "Trauma is my Normality" is what came out. That's, uh, really not the sort of story anyone would want to receive as a gift, so I'm afraid I'll have to pass. I appreciate your encouragement, though!

I think it would be interesting to write a Spock-Snape parallels essay, but I have an array of chronic illnesses that leave me non-functional most of the time, so I doubt I'll find either the energy or the mental clarity necessary for such a thing. But you've made a good start already, and you'll have at least one eager reader if you decide to continue it. :-)

I'm sorry to hear that a family member fell into the "good woman redeems a troubled man" trap. That sounds like a heart-breaking thing to witness, and I hope she's managed to extricate herself.

I'm not in academic psychology anymore, though I admit that supervising such a dissertation sounds like a lot of fun. (You know you're weird when you think supervising ANY dissertation sounds like a lot of FUN. :-D)

Best of luck with the fest, and sorry I'm not a suitable participant. I hope to cheer and applaud those who do, though!

[chienne_folle]

I stumbled across a Harry Potter-Star Trek crossover story that has the Harry Potter kids as cadets at Starfleet Academy. The story is unfinished, sadly, but Snape is a half Vulcan in it. I thought you might want to know that it exists :-)

[delphipsmith]

Squeee! Thank you so much :)

::scampers off to read::

[chienne_folle]

To be clear, I'm not recommending the story, since it doesn't go far enough to be more than set-up for a story to come. But it amuses me to know that even that much exists, and I thought you might like to know that it exists, too.