BSG, BPAL, being me, and fic sitrep...
Usually I do a review of BSG each week. I go the whole hog, because it's a great show. But ...
Episode 13 of Season Two was to resolve so many issues, and did. And didn't, because the solutions were all varying degrees of hand-wavy, the kind of answers that people complained about last season when Starbuck flew a raider and patched the hole with her suit (which is actually better science than this week's miracle baby blood). Naturally, the ep contained some amazingly interesting things: Laura knows - or guesses - that Baltar isn't just an expert on cylon sciences but may have a rather intimate knowledge of their physiology. Humans want peace enough to barter with a race that treated them rather like cockroaches to be exterminated. Baltar himself becomes aware that his position is as much a hobble and a sop to the public as it is an honor - and that Roslin doesn't trust him.
All this draws lovely parallels. I like them a lot (parallels are love!) because they hit home about the way people are thinking and feeling without making it impossible to come to a different conclusion. The parallels between the Teacher's strike and the peace movement in the fleet are a clever method of pointing out to Laura that even good causes can provoke violence. It's semi-anvilicious (thanks, whoever created that term) but it works. What doesn't work is the resolution of the issue with the abortion of the hybrid baby; it was too GOOD a conflict point to have it so stupidly and easily solved, and in such a way that makes those of us who understand biology roll our eyes.
I think what bothers me about Epiphanies is that it doesn't look at all at what interests me about seeing the effects of the peace movement aboard Galactica. What I want to know is how Adama and his crew feel about being told they've been dying to no purpose since the whole mess began, that they've been sending pilots out to die to keep safe a fleet that doesn't want them? I want to see *that* hit home with Kara and Lee and Tyrol. And having been firmly convinced for a while now that Sharon (though she might *think* otherwise) is doing precisely what the Cylons hoped she would do, I want to see her explain to Helo that 'hey babe, we didn't need to run after all, coz as it turns out, we'll be able to settle down on a rock somewhere if we can just get your boss to surrender'.
I dunno. I like BSG more than any show I've seen in years. It's clever, and this episode is also clever, but it's not quite clever enough this time. With the focus seeming to shift away from how these people we have grown to know and care about cope under the stress, I'm not liking it quite so much. At least, in this episode, I'm not. It's a hell of a contrast from Resurrection Ship, at any rate.
...
BPAL was a rather esoteric term to me, kept seeing it crop up on the flist and finally decided to investigate. Having totally lost my mind over the wealth of options here's a list of the ones I thought I'd try first. If any of you have had these, please let me know what you thought of them.
Bewitching Brews
Arcana
Chimera
Hesperides
Lamapdes
Mata Hari
Namaste
Velvet
Love Potions
Harlot
Hetairae
La Petit MOrt
Loralei
Lucy's Kiss
Seraglio
Vixen
Sin and Salvation
Lust
Wrath
Cathedral
Dorian
Faustus
Les Infortunes de la Vertu
Rose Cross
There are, of course, lots more. But I hope someone will give me good reviews of these ... and query any Aussie or NZ buyers: were the delivery fees and times reasonable?
...
I had something lovely happen to me this week. My long term best friend, who has been overseas for more than eight months now, and I have reached something of an understanding. It's a positive one. We've been kicking around our feelings and stuff forever and not doing anything about them. He finally decided what he wants to do, and it's better than I expected. More serious than I expected, at any rate. I need to start saving up for a place for us, for when he gets home. None of this seperate bedrooms crap, either. And yes, I'm very very happy. I spoke to him again on the phone last night - he's in Florida at the moment - and he's still adamant about it even after a few days to think it over and let it get to him. Now I just have to survive waiting for the next eight months until he comes home.
...
Fic-age: my WIP notebook, which is full of story ideas and planning and no actual stories, is a very accusing thing. I made a post a few months back about things I had in the works, and it doesn't cover nearly enough...
1) Smokescreen Cabaret: Four acts and one truth. It's a five-part shortform Lee/Kara USTish thing. The parts so far written are Can't Choose your Relatives, Toe the Line, In Vino Veritas. The unwritten? Mirror Image and (she might be singing) But she can't hold a tune.
I really like these pieces. But they don't work unless they're ALL together, and the last couple are being stubborn.
2) Dealer Takes Five: The lovers of Kara Thrace
*Tantalus: He's just out of reach, just out of grasp. And why would a god waste a second thought on something like me? (Lee Adama)
*Here's to My Love: Kara was just naive enough to think that if she lived a thousand years, there would be no shock to equal the realisation that love didn't have to hurt.(Zak Adama)
*Tapped Out: Starbuck made a bet with herself, that drinking with Gaius would make him seem less like a rat. She won, and she lost.(Gaius Baltar)
*Island: Frakked up holiday romances. You always wonder about them, after, if they should have been more, if they could have been less. (Samuel Anders)
*Elysium: He didn't seem to mind waiting, not any more than she did. What is time to the dead? (Lee Adama)
what is it with me and the 'five' things? ARGH. None of these are written, but they are still swirling around in the grey matter, making life difficult.
3) Five Futures. Yes, yes, number one is posted, that's Tacit. Tidal's mostly written, getting stuck on some plotting issues that I can't resolve without changing things I *dont* want to change. Tangent was supposed to be 2, got shifted to 3 and may shift back now that I have a clearer idea of the whole Lee/Dualla mess to work with. By the way, that may not be the show's idea of Lee/Dualla. I don't care. Truism and Terminus are drafted.
See? Another 'five'. I think the reason I'm not writing as easily lately is because I'm allergic to numbers and yet somehow can't avoid them.
4) Mortal Son: at first, Zak thought it would be so much easier to be the son of a God. He saw Sparta as a field of opportunities, awaiting the touch of the divine, saw the future clearer than oracles. Then he met God, and realised that he was wrong, that it was simpler to be just another man.
My Zak-fic, been in the wings a while now. I keep changing my characterisation of him because I have no example to judge by. About 20% written, though drafted and I have a lot of 'bits' already complete that will fit into the rest.
5) Bell-Jar (title subject to change) : an exploration of Kara Thrace and "Sharon" in the aftermath of Home.
Wierd fic that won't let me draft it, so it gets written sort of bit-by-bit. I have the middle. It's the beginning and the ending that aren't happening yet.
6) Apocalypse, for Two: Sharon and Helo triad. Drop Zone is written. Ground Zero is drafted. Fallout is mostly written.
Yes, Sharon/Helo. Mostly because I adore SabaceanBabe and while I don't really like Sharon, the relationship between Sharon and Helo is kind of intriguing.
7) Incarnations (used to be Pantheon) is now 11 short ficlets linked, Kara Thrace's history. Some are written, the others I have only titles and vague ideas for. But Iris and Belly of Kronos are the first two, and some of the flist glimpsed Iris the first time i posted it and then yanked it because it sucked. I don't think it sucks anymore, but it's really not to be read alone.
8) Eris and Aurora (yay, the fic that's actually moving) is getting most of my attention. 3 parts of five complete, last two drafted.
9) Wishful Thinking, which is (omgbadwrong) BSGRPS KATIE! and is my take on the way the interview spoilers change from week to week. And yes, it's (omgbadwrong) Katie smut. Can't help it, sorry.
Think that's everything that is actually being thought about and worked on at the moment. There's another chapter of Closed Doors somewhere, but Kara won't stop being angry, so getting to the make-up sex is proving difficult.
Talk! Discuss fic! Prod some new thoughts into my jaded, less-than-optimistic shipperhood.
...
Time to go make dinner. Here's hoping there will be fic to bolster me against the upcoming woe-angst (wankgst!) that will be the rest of s2 of BSG... and that September comes REAL fast.
Episode 13 of Season Two was to resolve so many issues, and did. And didn't, because the solutions were all varying degrees of hand-wavy, the kind of answers that people complained about last season when Starbuck flew a raider and patched the hole with her suit (which is actually better science than this week's miracle baby blood). Naturally, the ep contained some amazingly interesting things: Laura knows - or guesses - that Baltar isn't just an expert on cylon sciences but may have a rather intimate knowledge of their physiology. Humans want peace enough to barter with a race that treated them rather like cockroaches to be exterminated. Baltar himself becomes aware that his position is as much a hobble and a sop to the public as it is an honor - and that Roslin doesn't trust him.
All this draws lovely parallels. I like them a lot (parallels are love!) because they hit home about the way people are thinking and feeling without making it impossible to come to a different conclusion. The parallels between the Teacher's strike and the peace movement in the fleet are a clever method of pointing out to Laura that even good causes can provoke violence. It's semi-anvilicious (thanks, whoever created that term) but it works. What doesn't work is the resolution of the issue with the abortion of the hybrid baby; it was too GOOD a conflict point to have it so stupidly and easily solved, and in such a way that makes those of us who understand biology roll our eyes.
I think what bothers me about Epiphanies is that it doesn't look at all at what interests me about seeing the effects of the peace movement aboard Galactica. What I want to know is how Adama and his crew feel about being told they've been dying to no purpose since the whole mess began, that they've been sending pilots out to die to keep safe a fleet that doesn't want them? I want to see *that* hit home with Kara and Lee and Tyrol. And having been firmly convinced for a while now that Sharon (though she might *think* otherwise) is doing precisely what the Cylons hoped she would do, I want to see her explain to Helo that 'hey babe, we didn't need to run after all, coz as it turns out, we'll be able to settle down on a rock somewhere if we can just get your boss to surrender'.
I dunno. I like BSG more than any show I've seen in years. It's clever, and this episode is also clever, but it's not quite clever enough this time. With the focus seeming to shift away from how these people we have grown to know and care about cope under the stress, I'm not liking it quite so much. At least, in this episode, I'm not. It's a hell of a contrast from Resurrection Ship, at any rate.
...
BPAL was a rather esoteric term to me, kept seeing it crop up on the flist and finally decided to investigate. Having totally lost my mind over the wealth of options here's a list of the ones I thought I'd try first. If any of you have had these, please let me know what you thought of them.
Bewitching Brews
Arcana
Chimera
Hesperides
Lamapdes
Mata Hari
Namaste
Velvet
Love Potions
Harlot
Hetairae
La Petit MOrt
Loralei
Lucy's Kiss
Seraglio
Vixen
Sin and Salvation
Lust
Wrath
Cathedral
Dorian
Faustus
Les Infortunes de la Vertu
Rose Cross
There are, of course, lots more. But I hope someone will give me good reviews of these ... and query any Aussie or NZ buyers: were the delivery fees and times reasonable?
...
I had something lovely happen to me this week. My long term best friend, who has been overseas for more than eight months now, and I have reached something of an understanding. It's a positive one. We've been kicking around our feelings and stuff forever and not doing anything about them. He finally decided what he wants to do, and it's better than I expected. More serious than I expected, at any rate. I need to start saving up for a place for us, for when he gets home. None of this seperate bedrooms crap, either. And yes, I'm very very happy. I spoke to him again on the phone last night - he's in Florida at the moment - and he's still adamant about it even after a few days to think it over and let it get to him. Now I just have to survive waiting for the next eight months until he comes home.
...
Fic-age: my WIP notebook, which is full of story ideas and planning and no actual stories, is a very accusing thing. I made a post a few months back about things I had in the works, and it doesn't cover nearly enough...
1) Smokescreen Cabaret: Four acts and one truth. It's a five-part shortform Lee/Kara USTish thing. The parts so far written are Can't Choose your Relatives, Toe the Line, In Vino Veritas. The unwritten? Mirror Image and (she might be singing) But she can't hold a tune.
I really like these pieces. But they don't work unless they're ALL together, and the last couple are being stubborn.
2) Dealer Takes Five: The lovers of Kara Thrace
*Tantalus: He's just out of reach, just out of grasp. And why would a god waste a second thought on something like me? (Lee Adama)
*Here's to My Love: Kara was just naive enough to think that if she lived a thousand years, there would be no shock to equal the realisation that love didn't have to hurt.(Zak Adama)
*Tapped Out: Starbuck made a bet with herself, that drinking with Gaius would make him seem less like a rat. She won, and she lost.(Gaius Baltar)
*Island: Frakked up holiday romances. You always wonder about them, after, if they should have been more, if they could have been less. (Samuel Anders)
*Elysium: He didn't seem to mind waiting, not any more than she did. What is time to the dead? (Lee Adama)
what is it with me and the 'five' things? ARGH. None of these are written, but they are still swirling around in the grey matter, making life difficult.
3) Five Futures. Yes, yes, number one is posted, that's Tacit. Tidal's mostly written, getting stuck on some plotting issues that I can't resolve without changing things I *dont* want to change. Tangent was supposed to be 2, got shifted to 3 and may shift back now that I have a clearer idea of the whole Lee/Dualla mess to work with. By the way, that may not be the show's idea of Lee/Dualla. I don't care. Truism and Terminus are drafted.
See? Another 'five'. I think the reason I'm not writing as easily lately is because I'm allergic to numbers and yet somehow can't avoid them.
4) Mortal Son: at first, Zak thought it would be so much easier to be the son of a God. He saw Sparta as a field of opportunities, awaiting the touch of the divine, saw the future clearer than oracles. Then he met God, and realised that he was wrong, that it was simpler to be just another man.
My Zak-fic, been in the wings a while now. I keep changing my characterisation of him because I have no example to judge by. About 20% written, though drafted and I have a lot of 'bits' already complete that will fit into the rest.
5) Bell-Jar (title subject to change) : an exploration of Kara Thrace and "Sharon" in the aftermath of Home.
Wierd fic that won't let me draft it, so it gets written sort of bit-by-bit. I have the middle. It's the beginning and the ending that aren't happening yet.
6) Apocalypse, for Two: Sharon and Helo triad. Drop Zone is written. Ground Zero is drafted. Fallout is mostly written.
Yes, Sharon/Helo. Mostly because I adore SabaceanBabe and while I don't really like Sharon, the relationship between Sharon and Helo is kind of intriguing.
7) Incarnations (used to be Pantheon) is now 11 short ficlets linked, Kara Thrace's history. Some are written, the others I have only titles and vague ideas for. But Iris and Belly of Kronos are the first two, and some of the flist glimpsed Iris the first time i posted it and then yanked it because it sucked. I don't think it sucks anymore, but it's really not to be read alone.
8) Eris and Aurora (yay, the fic that's actually moving) is getting most of my attention. 3 parts of five complete, last two drafted.
9) Wishful Thinking, which is (omgbadwrong) BSGRPS KATIE! and is my take on the way the interview spoilers change from week to week. And yes, it's (omgbadwrong) Katie smut. Can't help it, sorry.
Think that's everything that is actually being thought about and worked on at the moment. There's another chapter of Closed Doors somewhere, but Kara won't stop being angry, so getting to the make-up sex is proving difficult.
Talk! Discuss fic! Prod some new thoughts into my jaded, less-than-optimistic shipperhood.
...
Time to go make dinner. Here's hoping there will be fic to bolster me against the upcoming woe-angst (wankgst!) that will be the rest of s2 of BSG... and that September comes REAL fast.