Guide to Completed SSHG Epics (HBP-era)

[harmony_bites]

I mentioned in a previous post a friend had mentioned she hadn’t read a lengthy post-HBP SSHG story that matched the old classics, which left me to scurry to catch up on my reading to see if she was right. I searched through FanfictionNet, AdultFanfiction, Restricted Section, Ashwinder, Petulant Poetess and OWLBelow is listed every single completed

Comments

[shiv5468]

Good god, the ship has gone to the dogs. Most of those are awful!

[harmony_bites]

Yes, most of them are--I'm hoping the picture in the novels is better--I'm hoping we'll do better in DH. (But note, part of the reason most are awful is that a certain author-who-shall-not-be-named is responsible for 10 of them.

Also, remember, there are still WIPs posting from that time that may wind up classics in the ship--notably bloodcult_of_freud's Seven Prepostrous Things

I'll admit though, the picture this showed of "my gen" in the ship rather depressed me.

[shiv5468]

It's all rape, doom, gloom and misery.

~shakes head~

Something must be done.

[harmony_bites]

I think DH will help--truly. HBP was a shock--and even for those of us who still though Snape was on the right side, many of us expected the worse. And for those who liked Snape on the darkside--well.

But with the worse over, and plot holes you can drive a truck through allowing Snape to be plausibly alive--with Harry actually on Snape's side, I think it's actually easier to imagine a happy ending for him--maybe even to imagine doing humor again--note how little humor there is above.

[shiv5468]

I shall have to do something myself, once the exchange is over. I've got some ideas.

[harmony_bites]

Ha! So much for no more Shiv fic if he died (Except he's not dead... yeah for Nagini versus AK, not protraits, graves, etc.)

And you know, the Exchange has produced some really gorgeous things lately. We'll be fine.

[shiv5468]

Well I do have some cracking Lumione ideas as well, and loads to finish up, so....

My exchange fic wouldn't qualify for this for one reason. Well two, I'm not sure it's quite 100,000.

[harmony_bites]

It would be quite a feat if it had--the Exchange hasn't produced epics. Just not enough time. It has produced 9 novels in the HBP period if you include threesomes, 6 if you don't.

But the Exchange might be one reason why the picture for the ship during HBP in shorter lengths isn't as bleak as the above suggests.

[shiv5468]

I'm not sure whether the Exchagne is a good thing, keeping things going, or sucking all the writing out of people.

[harmony_bites]

I think on balance it's been wonderful for the ship--truly.

True, it hasn't produced epics--and might have kept some from doing so. But I truly have preferred browsing the last 2 Exchanges to browsing Ashwinder. I think needing to do someone else's prompt must be forcing people away from the cliches, because the Exchange stories are amazingly free of it. I also think it gives newbies and lesser knowns a chance to get known since we're on a level playing field, and allows us to evaluate older authors afresh w/o expectations.

So yes, I think it is a good thing. Not because it "keeps things going"--I think things might w/o it--but because it truly produces quality and fresh fics.

And there's nothing wrong with not being epic--lots of my favorites aren't. But this is a ship that has been rich in wonderful ones, so that HBP hasn't produced is share is worrisome.

But new book, fresh start.

[shiv5468]

We try and match up the more usual prompts with the more imaginaticve writers, who we think will do something different. It's pol-i-cy.