a saviour machine

[extemporanea]

This is a piece of fan-fiction that posits the Avengers taking over the American presidential election, and I love it very, very much. It's acute and funny, but it's also a beautifully-encapsulated demonstration of exactly what fanfic does. Superheroes are already about wish fulfilment, and most importantly about agency - they are a response to the

Comments

[stringgeek]

Yes, helplessness is a good description.

[vesta_aurelia]

Have you read Bujold's essays and speeches? What you've written here reminds me of something she wrote:

In fact, if romances are fantasies of love, and mysteries are fantasies of justice, I would now describe most F&SF as fantasies of political agency. All three also may embody themes of personal psychological empowerment, of course, though often very different in the details, as contrasted by the way the heroines “win” in romances, the way detectives “win” in mysteries, and the way, say, young male characters “win” in adventure tales.

Building on that, I've been thinking that contemporary literature works would be fantasies of significance or relevance.

[extemporanea]

I have not read Bujold's essays. Why have I not read Bujold's essays, it seems like something of an omission! I'll get right onto that. Lovely quote :>.

[bronchitikat]

Unfortunately 'Democracy' isn't that much better over here (UK).

Please, don't let Trump get elected. Surely there are sufficient Republicans with two functioning brain cells to rub together to manage that? Aren't there?

BTW - I still think of Emma Peel and Steed when you mention the Avengers!

[wolverine_nun]

That - was delightful.
Thank you.