Million-Word Challenge: V is for Voyages of the CI5, W is for Walking Wounded...
N is for The Not Exactly Affair, T is for Time-Crossed Lovers, N is for No wonder, no wonder
Based on the feedback on my recent post, I am going to change my approach to these write-ups. In the past, I have strictly avoided spoilers in the posts related to my 2022 and 2023 reading games. This made them suitable for people who had not read the fics I discussed, but also caused me to leave out some of my thoughts on those fics. In the future, I will continue to write spoiler-free blurbs about each fic, but may also include some tag-protected discussion that does carry spoilers.
That's the plan, anyway. Sharing what I've read through these write-ups helps motivate me to read fic, which I find a healthy activity. It also gives me a feeling of accomplishment, which is something that tends to be lacking in my life. (Showing off that I've read things is particularly appealing, I think, for reasons related to the private post I made in October.) That said, I'm not always eager to actually do the write-ups, feeling that I'd rather spend the time reading fic. Thus, making them even longer may not turn out to be something I want to do. We'll see.
Voyages of the CI5 by hutchynstarsk is a Professionals fic featuring Bodie and Doyle IN SPACE!. I'm fond of sci-fi AUs, especially when they preserve some elements of CI5. This is one that does and I enjoyed it overall. It's an episodic story tracing the Lads' developing friendship as they travel through space. It's gen, but to me it felt as if it was hovering on the edge of being slash. In principle, that appeals to me, as I like fics featuring liminal relationships. (Indeed, I wrote one.) It didn't quite work for me here, though, perhaps because it seemed unintentional. 32,019 words. Gen.
Comments with (very mild) spoilers:
[Spoiler (click to open)]Something that amused me while reading this fic is how strongly I dislike the Lads being antagonistic toward each other, as they are during the first part of the story. It's something I've noticed before, especially when reading Fruit of the Spirit by Cherilyn. The strength of my reaction continues to be funny to me, though.
Walking Wounded by Linda S. Maclaren is a fic I ran across during my recent spelunking in defunct Pros author sites, though it's also to be found in the Prosfanfic archive. It is a coda to the episode Operation Susie. (With their abrupt endings, Pros episodes lend themselves particularly well to coda fics.) This fic was all right, though it felt a little unfocused. It was trying to incorporate the lyrics of the song Kryptonite by 3 Doors Down, which ended up being distracting for me. 2,265 words. Gen.
The Not Exactly Affair by dancingpony is a Man from U.N.C.L.E. fic that was posted today. It was very nicely done and I enjoyed its unusual perspective. 2,649 words. NS/IK slash.
Comments with spoilers:
[Spoiler (click to open)]In this fic, Illya and Napoleon decide to forgo (or at least delay) a sexual relationship because of the oppressive laws of the time, particularly in the Soviet Union. The author commented in her LJ posting that the difficulties of a homosexual relationship in the 1960s are often (though hardly always) overlooked in MFU fan fiction. This is true, and while I recognize that slash is fantasy, and not necessarily meant to reflect actual queer experiences, it does bug me. To me, it seems disrespectful to the people who actually had to live through that time. On the other hand, I suppose imagining them a better reality could be a form of respect as well.
Lately I've been thinking about AUs in Professionals fandom. In general, I don't like what I call "total conversion AUs". These are fics in which the Lads have totally different backgrounds and jobs, along the lines of A Birdwatcher's Guide, Arabian Nights, or Miles Scortillusque. (Interestingly, this genre doesn't seem to exist in MFU fandom.) Other seem to like them a lot, though, so I always wonder if I'm missing something. Accordingly, tonight I was browsing the AU recs from Bistocon looking for a full conversion AU to try. I found a couple I may read, but I also found Time-Crossed Lovers by Jane Carnall and Ann Johnson, which was short enough that I read it immediately. It turned out to be a really nifty fantasy/sci-fi fic written in direct response to some of the AUs I'd been browsing. 2,265 words. B/D slash. Particularly recommended.
No wonder, no wonder by regshoe is a fic based on the folk ballad Willy o Winsbury (sung beautifully here by Jacqui McShee of Pentangle, though not in exactly the variant referenced in the fic). This is not a "fandom" I would seek out, but I happened to find this fic while browsing regshoe's works. It's a good fic that plays on an element of the original ballad that I had also noticed. It also paints a very clear and human portrait of the king, who is the POV character. 1,920 words. Het and slash.
(I was browsing regshoe's work because they wrote a fantastic Raffles fic, In Beautiful Things, which you should read if you dabble in that fandom.)
Total Points: 320
#: 3 points
1991 by SkyborneVeggies (1 point; The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
4 Vignettes With No Kissing & 1 Ex-Yacht by captain_starcat (2 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
A: 29 points
*All the Kasha They Could Eat by Jest (7 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
*After the World Went Awry by teaspoonnebula (22 points; Sherlock Holmes)
B: 19 points
*The Bronze Metal Lover by stew (15 points; The Professionals x The Silver Metal Lover)
Brave Little Rabbit by jj_minerva (2 points; Raffles)
Blind Man's Bluff ? by fiorenza_a (2 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
C: 1 point
*Cold War, part of the Dirty Computer series by jat_sapphire (1 point; The Professionals)
D: 15 points
*Dreamed That Man Was I by Taliesin (14 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
Dream a Highway by marginalia (1 point; Pancho and Lefty)
F: 32 points
*The 'Fine and Private Place' Affair by Taliesin (32 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
G: 45 points
The Gyptian Caravan Affair by Taylor Dancinghands (20 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E. x His Dark Materials)
*The Gemini Factor by Russ (25 points; The Professionals x Who Dares Wins)
I: 54 points
Island Innocents by Glen Fiddich (54 points; The Professionals)
L: 3 points
*Lefty Sings the Blues by MirrorMasque (3 points; Pancho and Lefty)
M: 26 points
*More Deaths Than One by Taliesin (24 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
Monkey Suits With Satin and Lace by Joana Dey (2 points; The Professionals)
N: 3 points
The Not Exactly Affair by dancingpony (2 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
No wonder, no wonder by regshoe (1 point; Willy o Winsbury)
Q: 2 points
Quaint by kathkin (2 points; Doctor Who)
R: 2 points
Rift by MonkeyBard (1 point; The A-Team)
*Run, Rabbit, Run by PR Zed (1 point; The Professionals x Blade Runner)
S: 43 points
*Spiderweb by Cord Smithee (12 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
*The Singing of Many Wires by teaspoonnebula (18 points; Sherlock Holmes)
The Steppes of Central Asia Affair by Taylor Dancinghands (13 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E. x His Dark Materials)
T: 2 points
*Time-Crossed Lovers by Jane Carnall and Ann Johnson (2 points; The Professionals)
U: 3 points
*Unit I, Series LYA: Press to Activate by Orockthro (3 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
V: 32 points
Voyages of the CI5 by hutchynstarsk (32 points; The Professionals)
W: 6 points
*Wicked by Cord Smithee (4 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
Walking Wounded by Linda S. Maclaren (2 points; The Professionals)
* = Particularly recommended.
Based on the feedback on my recent post, I am going to change my approach to these write-ups. In the past, I have strictly avoided spoilers in the posts related to my 2022 and 2023 reading games. This made them suitable for people who had not read the fics I discussed, but also caused me to leave out some of my thoughts on those fics. In the future, I will continue to write spoiler-free blurbs about each fic, but may also include some tag-protected discussion that does carry spoilers.
That's the plan, anyway. Sharing what I've read through these write-ups helps motivate me to read fic, which I find a healthy activity. It also gives me a feeling of accomplishment, which is something that tends to be lacking in my life. (Showing off that I've read things is particularly appealing, I think, for reasons related to the private post I made in October.) That said, I'm not always eager to actually do the write-ups, feeling that I'd rather spend the time reading fic. Thus, making them even longer may not turn out to be something I want to do. We'll see.
Voyages of the CI5 by hutchynstarsk is a Professionals fic featuring Bodie and Doyle IN SPACE!. I'm fond of sci-fi AUs, especially when they preserve some elements of CI5. This is one that does and I enjoyed it overall. It's an episodic story tracing the Lads' developing friendship as they travel through space. It's gen, but to me it felt as if it was hovering on the edge of being slash. In principle, that appeals to me, as I like fics featuring liminal relationships. (Indeed, I wrote one.) It didn't quite work for me here, though, perhaps because it seemed unintentional. 32,019 words. Gen.
Comments with (very mild) spoilers:
[Spoiler (click to open)]Something that amused me while reading this fic is how strongly I dislike the Lads being antagonistic toward each other, as they are during the first part of the story. It's something I've noticed before, especially when reading Fruit of the Spirit by Cherilyn. The strength of my reaction continues to be funny to me, though.
Walking Wounded by Linda S. Maclaren is a fic I ran across during my recent spelunking in defunct Pros author sites, though it's also to be found in the Prosfanfic archive. It is a coda to the episode Operation Susie. (With their abrupt endings, Pros episodes lend themselves particularly well to coda fics.) This fic was all right, though it felt a little unfocused. It was trying to incorporate the lyrics of the song Kryptonite by 3 Doors Down, which ended up being distracting for me. 2,265 words. Gen.
The Not Exactly Affair by dancingpony is a Man from U.N.C.L.E. fic that was posted today. It was very nicely done and I enjoyed its unusual perspective. 2,649 words. NS/IK slash.
Comments with spoilers:
[Spoiler (click to open)]In this fic, Illya and Napoleon decide to forgo (or at least delay) a sexual relationship because of the oppressive laws of the time, particularly in the Soviet Union. The author commented in her LJ posting that the difficulties of a homosexual relationship in the 1960s are often (though hardly always) overlooked in MFU fan fiction. This is true, and while I recognize that slash is fantasy, and not necessarily meant to reflect actual queer experiences, it does bug me. To me, it seems disrespectful to the people who actually had to live through that time. On the other hand, I suppose imagining them a better reality could be a form of respect as well.
Lately I've been thinking about AUs in Professionals fandom. In general, I don't like what I call "total conversion AUs". These are fics in which the Lads have totally different backgrounds and jobs, along the lines of A Birdwatcher's Guide, Arabian Nights, or Miles Scortillusque. (Interestingly, this genre doesn't seem to exist in MFU fandom.) Other seem to like them a lot, though, so I always wonder if I'm missing something. Accordingly, tonight I was browsing the AU recs from Bistocon looking for a full conversion AU to try. I found a couple I may read, but I also found Time-Crossed Lovers by Jane Carnall and Ann Johnson, which was short enough that I read it immediately. It turned out to be a really nifty fantasy/sci-fi fic written in direct response to some of the AUs I'd been browsing. 2,265 words. B/D slash. Particularly recommended.
No wonder, no wonder by regshoe is a fic based on the folk ballad Willy o Winsbury (sung beautifully here by Jacqui McShee of Pentangle, though not in exactly the variant referenced in the fic). This is not a "fandom" I would seek out, but I happened to find this fic while browsing regshoe's works. It's a good fic that plays on an element of the original ballad that I had also noticed. It also paints a very clear and human portrait of the king, who is the POV character. 1,920 words. Het and slash.
(I was browsing regshoe's work because they wrote a fantastic Raffles fic, In Beautiful Things, which you should read if you dabble in that fandom.)
Total Points: 320
#: 3 points
1991 by SkyborneVeggies (1 point; The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
4 Vignettes With No Kissing & 1 Ex-Yacht by captain_starcat (2 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
A: 29 points
*All the Kasha They Could Eat by Jest (7 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
*After the World Went Awry by teaspoonnebula (22 points; Sherlock Holmes)
B: 19 points
*The Bronze Metal Lover by stew (15 points; The Professionals x The Silver Metal Lover)
Brave Little Rabbit by jj_minerva (2 points; Raffles)
Blind Man's Bluff ? by fiorenza_a (2 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
C: 1 point
*Cold War, part of the Dirty Computer series by jat_sapphire (1 point; The Professionals)
D: 15 points
*Dreamed That Man Was I by Taliesin (14 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
Dream a Highway by marginalia (1 point; Pancho and Lefty)
F: 32 points
*The 'Fine and Private Place' Affair by Taliesin (32 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
G: 45 points
The Gyptian Caravan Affair by Taylor Dancinghands (20 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E. x His Dark Materials)
*The Gemini Factor by Russ (25 points; The Professionals x Who Dares Wins)
I: 54 points
Island Innocents by Glen Fiddich (54 points; The Professionals)
L: 3 points
*Lefty Sings the Blues by MirrorMasque (3 points; Pancho and Lefty)
M: 26 points
*More Deaths Than One by Taliesin (24 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
Monkey Suits With Satin and Lace by Joana Dey (2 points; The Professionals)
N: 3 points
The Not Exactly Affair by dancingpony (2 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
No wonder, no wonder by regshoe (1 point; Willy o Winsbury)
Q: 2 points
Quaint by kathkin (2 points; Doctor Who)
R: 2 points
Rift by MonkeyBard (1 point; The A-Team)
*Run, Rabbit, Run by PR Zed (1 point; The Professionals x Blade Runner)
S: 43 points
*Spiderweb by Cord Smithee (12 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
*The Singing of Many Wires by teaspoonnebula (18 points; Sherlock Holmes)
The Steppes of Central Asia Affair by Taylor Dancinghands (13 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E. x His Dark Materials)
T: 2 points
*Time-Crossed Lovers by Jane Carnall and Ann Johnson (2 points; The Professionals)
U: 3 points
*Unit I, Series LYA: Press to Activate by Orockthro (3 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
V: 32 points
Voyages of the CI5 by hutchynstarsk (32 points; The Professionals)
W: 6 points
*Wicked by Cord Smithee (4 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
Walking Wounded by Linda S. Maclaren (2 points; The Professionals)
* = Particularly recommended.