Thayle's Fic-Picks: Number 1
Hey guys! Holidays are a comin' soon and although I still have quite a bit of work to do before the end of term, I'm already slowing down my pace and smelling some of those icy winter roses in preparation.
And in doing so, I've realized I have been neglecting my journal space again. I haven't even gotten around to editing those Sentry Island photos. I will eventually, but for now I'll direct your attention away from my abysmal inability to post travel journals and onto something new which I hope will keep this space less empty and give it a little dust-off regularly:
Thayle's Fanfic Picks
tf_blitzangel convinced me to start posting links to fanfics that I really like. I read a lot, and sometimes I hunt for an unhealthy amount of time to find good stuff in obscure places. And of course I can't do anything without putting my own two cents in, so I figured I'd go a step further and have some fun explaining why I really like them.
Now mind, I read almost anything. Some of what I review and link to here may be slashy or smutty, it may not be to everyone's tastes. That's cool. I won't hide anything, I will provide warnings just like the authors almost always do. So even if you may not want to check out the fic itself, I hope at least you'll enjoy reading what I write about it. Because I have been told on occasion that I am Clever and/or Funny People.
Well, I've got my 80s rock playing and my box of chocolate cherries open, so without further ado, I give you this week's pick:
True Colors by ladydragon76
Genre: Transformers
Rating: R
Main Characters: Bluestreak, Dragstrip
Warnings: Violence, excessive profanity
Summary:
A double shuttle crash leaves Bluestreak stranded on an alien planet with none other than the Stunticon Dragstrip. As the two of them grudgingly team up to survive and escape the hostile organic world, the limits of trust, cooperation and especially patience are sorely tested.
The Author:
ladydragon76 has probably written enough to drown the internet. I mean, shit son. She's a fanfiction powerhouse. Her LJ account is packed with quality fics. A great deal of it is rather NSFW, but she has very detailed and explicit warnings on everything, and everything is tagged under multiple categories. Easy to navigate, and you're safe if you pay attention. There's also a great deal of fanart been done for her work, and she provides lots of handy links to pretty pictures. I highly recommend paying her a visit.
Why this fic kicks ass:
This story stands out to me because anyone expecting three chapters of sweet, adorable Bluestreak driving poor Dragstrip insane with perky chatter is not going to get it. As
ladydragon76 said in another of her posts, "I like my Bluestreak with a side of badassery". This three-parter has my favourite Datsun fending for himself on a hostile world with what is essentially a Decepticon teenager in tow, and he pretty much handles himself like a boss. This is what Bluestreak looks like when he has his game face on, ladies and gents: he's a soldier, and he's actually one of the best.
Contrast this to Dragstrip, who has no freaking clue how to deal with a crisis of this magnitude and seems to be doing his very best to shoot himself in the foot the whole time. Not out of idiocy, you understand, but sheer inexperience and belligerence. So in this situation, Bluestreak is the one who takes charge. He gives orders, he berates Dragstrip for his reckless numbskullery, and he keeps aces up his robot sleeves. He doesn't even talk outloud most of the time, but his internal monologue never stops. You get a real feel for who he is when no one else is around, and it's rather impressive.
The descriptive prose is incredible too. Alien world, weird plants, hostile animals, acid grass... there's a scene underground in some crystal caverns and an attack by swarms of "fissbats" (picture by LB82 on Deviantart). Not every organic world is as robot-friendly as Earth is. It's such a trip. I loved every word of it.
"True Colours" By LB82 on Deviantart
Of course, undoubtedly the best thing about this story is the dynamic between Bluestreak and Dragstrip. The two of them are contrasted beautifully, and their banter is just phenomenal. They're enemies, obviously. They don't like each other. But we get to see different sides of each of them: there's a point where Dragstrip shoots his mouth off a little too much and almost winds up with Blue's gun shoved down it. Yet he relies very strongly on Bluestreak throughout this ordeal, to the point of turning to him numerous times for help. At some point they both fall into a balance of working together that almost speaks of camaraderie.
We're given a nice look into Dragstrip's situation de vie too: he's a kid. He's not especially clever, he hasn't been a soldier all that long (or even alive all that long), and he is painfully transparent and unsubtle in his backhandedness. It's sad, but you end up feeling that he was given no choice of his lot in life and doesn't really consider whether he has any now. There's a point where Bluestreak even asks him, "Don't you take joy in anything?", and is rewarded with a blank look. I like it when characters are explored in this way, when they are taken beyond just being bad guys and good guys and interesting personalities, and are given that extra layer of depth.
While we get an interesting peek into this version of Dragstrip, the story is really about Bluestreak. We do learn a lot about him here, especially at the very end when there is a nice mental "click" and everything falls into place in your brain. Blue is generally a typecast character most of the time: he has his fanon personality quirk and backstory, and it is truly a treat to read something where all of that is spun on its head and still the essence of the character remains intact.
Well, I'm officially sold. I too like my Bluestreak with a side of badass. Here's to you, ladydragon76 *salute*
Hope you guys enjoyed this! I might try to make this a weekly thing if I can. For now, off to make delicious foods. Ta-ta!
.
And in doing so, I've realized I have been neglecting my journal space again. I haven't even gotten around to editing those Sentry Island photos. I will eventually, but for now I'll direct your attention away from my abysmal inability to post travel journals and onto something new which I hope will keep this space less empty and give it a little dust-off regularly:
Thayle's Fanfic Picks
tf_blitzangel convinced me to start posting links to fanfics that I really like. I read a lot, and sometimes I hunt for an unhealthy amount of time to find good stuff in obscure places. And of course I can't do anything without putting my own two cents in, so I figured I'd go a step further and have some fun explaining why I really like them.
Now mind, I read almost anything. Some of what I review and link to here may be slashy or smutty, it may not be to everyone's tastes. That's cool. I won't hide anything, I will provide warnings just like the authors almost always do. So even if you may not want to check out the fic itself, I hope at least you'll enjoy reading what I write about it. Because I have been told on occasion that I am Clever and/or Funny People.
Well, I've got my 80s rock playing and my box of chocolate cherries open, so without further ado, I give you this week's pick:
True Colors by ladydragon76
Genre: Transformers
Rating: R
Main Characters: Bluestreak, Dragstrip
Warnings: Violence, excessive profanity
Summary:
A double shuttle crash leaves Bluestreak stranded on an alien planet with none other than the Stunticon Dragstrip. As the two of them grudgingly team up to survive and escape the hostile organic world, the limits of trust, cooperation and especially patience are sorely tested.
The Author:
ladydragon76 has probably written enough to drown the internet. I mean, shit son. She's a fanfiction powerhouse. Her LJ account is packed with quality fics. A great deal of it is rather NSFW, but she has very detailed and explicit warnings on everything, and everything is tagged under multiple categories. Easy to navigate, and you're safe if you pay attention. There's also a great deal of fanart been done for her work, and she provides lots of handy links to pretty pictures. I highly recommend paying her a visit.
Why this fic kicks ass:
This story stands out to me because anyone expecting three chapters of sweet, adorable Bluestreak driving poor Dragstrip insane with perky chatter is not going to get it. As
ladydragon76 said in another of her posts, "I like my Bluestreak with a side of badassery". This three-parter has my favourite Datsun fending for himself on a hostile world with what is essentially a Decepticon teenager in tow, and he pretty much handles himself like a boss. This is what Bluestreak looks like when he has his game face on, ladies and gents: he's a soldier, and he's actually one of the best.
Contrast this to Dragstrip, who has no freaking clue how to deal with a crisis of this magnitude and seems to be doing his very best to shoot himself in the foot the whole time. Not out of idiocy, you understand, but sheer inexperience and belligerence. So in this situation, Bluestreak is the one who takes charge. He gives orders, he berates Dragstrip for his reckless numbskullery, and he keeps aces up his robot sleeves. He doesn't even talk outloud most of the time, but his internal monologue never stops. You get a real feel for who he is when no one else is around, and it's rather impressive.
The descriptive prose is incredible too. Alien world, weird plants, hostile animals, acid grass... there's a scene underground in some crystal caverns and an attack by swarms of "fissbats" (picture by LB82 on Deviantart). Not every organic world is as robot-friendly as Earth is. It's such a trip. I loved every word of it.
"True Colours" By LB82 on Deviantart
Of course, undoubtedly the best thing about this story is the dynamic between Bluestreak and Dragstrip. The two of them are contrasted beautifully, and their banter is just phenomenal. They're enemies, obviously. They don't like each other. But we get to see different sides of each of them: there's a point where Dragstrip shoots his mouth off a little too much and almost winds up with Blue's gun shoved down it. Yet he relies very strongly on Bluestreak throughout this ordeal, to the point of turning to him numerous times for help. At some point they both fall into a balance of working together that almost speaks of camaraderie.
We're given a nice look into Dragstrip's situation de vie too: he's a kid. He's not especially clever, he hasn't been a soldier all that long (or even alive all that long), and he is painfully transparent and unsubtle in his backhandedness. It's sad, but you end up feeling that he was given no choice of his lot in life and doesn't really consider whether he has any now. There's a point where Bluestreak even asks him, "Don't you take joy in anything?", and is rewarded with a blank look. I like it when characters are explored in this way, when they are taken beyond just being bad guys and good guys and interesting personalities, and are given that extra layer of depth.
While we get an interesting peek into this version of Dragstrip, the story is really about Bluestreak. We do learn a lot about him here, especially at the very end when there is a nice mental "click" and everything falls into place in your brain. Blue is generally a typecast character most of the time: he has his fanon personality quirk and backstory, and it is truly a treat to read something where all of that is spun on its head and still the essence of the character remains intact.
Well, I'm officially sold. I too like my Bluestreak with a side of badass. Here's to you, ladydragon76 *salute*
Hope you guys enjoyed this! I might try to make this a weekly thing if I can. For now, off to make delicious foods. Ta-ta!
.