Fics of the Year 2023
I've read around 200 works of fan fiction this year, totaling roughly 2.5 million words. Many of them have been excellent, but I thought it might be fun to pick some highlights on this New Year's Eve. Below are the fics that stood out the most in each of the categories listed, along with the comments I wrote after reading them.
The Professionals, slash:
These Layers of Charnel Air by Slantedlight (byslantedlight) (16,835 words)
"First is These Layers of Charnel Air by Slantedlight, a Professionals fic. I really liked this, and have added it to my Beloved Collection. It had an intriguing plot, good characterizations, satisfying interplay among the characters, and unusually elegant writing. The ending was well done and very appropriate."
Comments with spoilers:
[Spoiler (click to open)]"I love the examination of Ray and Bodie's characters in this fic and the way they have to come to terms with their differences in order to move forward with their relationship. I'd say it is an example, such as I asked about in my recent thread, of a conflict arising from Ray being motivated by principles first and relationships second, while Bodie is the reverse."
"I did suspect that Ray was undercover quite a while before it was revealed in the story. That's very likely a result of having read other fics with similar set-ups, though, such as PR Zed's Exile. I'm not sure I entirely buy the "you aren't a good enough actor" explanation for leaving the partner in the dark in plots like this, but I like a lot of the stories that it makes possible, so I can suspend my disbelief."
The Professionals, gen:
Ours But to Do by Bardicvoice (7,852 words)
"Ours But to Do by bardicvoice is another Professionals fic. In this one, Bodie and Doyle must babysit a gangster who has agreed to give evidence. This story is great. The plot is well constructed, the characterizations are excellent, and the dialog is impeccable. It is a gen fic, but I think the relationship between the Lads is vibrant enough to satisfy gen-skeptics. (Hello, byslantedlight.) Indeed, I think the fic gives insight into the basis a slash relationship could be built on."
The Man from U.N.C.L.E., gen:
The Seventeen Days in October Affair by Terry L Neill and J. M. D’Agostino-Toney (14,854 words)
"The first Man from U.N.C.L.E. fic was The Seventeen Days in October Affair by Terry L. Neill and J. M. D’Agostino-Toney. This fic was great! It is set during the Cuban Missile Crisis, focusing on UNCLE's role in the confrontation and on the conflicts it creates for Illya. The story is wonderfully atmospheric; the reader gets a real sense of the fear people felt during that time. I think it also presents our heroes' characters convincingly. They are not partners yet in this story, but they still interact in interesting ways."
The Man from U.N.C.L.E., slash:
Spiderweb by Cord Smithee and All the Kasha They Could Eat by Jest (12,194 words and 7,006 words)
"[I]t occurred to me yesterday that Christmas was nearly over, and I hadn't read Cord Smithee's Spiderweb, an MFU story that is my favorite Christmas fic in any fandom. So I read it, followed by it's wonderful companion piece All the Kasha They Could Eat by Jest, and now those are the first fics to be added to my challenge board for the year."
"Both of these fics are just so good. Their characterizations are what most stand out, but they are beautifully executed in all other respects as well. The way All the Kasha They Could Eat, in particular, uses events from canon is excellent, and Spiderweb even has a non-boring sex scene (*g*)."
Other fandom, gen:
After the World Went Awry and The Singing of Many Wires by teaspoonnebula (Sherlock Holmes; 22,015 words and 18,801 words)
"After the World Went Awry and its sequel The Singing of Many Wires by teaspoonnebula are two excellent Sherlock Holmes fics featuring time travel. They both have fun with their fantastical premise while also treating seriously and movingly the human emotions that would arise from it. There are a few writing issues with the first installment and the mystery in the second installment does leave some loose ends, but on the whole, this series is just wonderful."
Other fandom, slash:
Brighton Memoirs by gardenerhill (Sherlock Holmes; 5,530 words)
"I also read Brighton Memoirs by gardenerhill, a Sherlock Holmes fic. This is an epistolary fic consisting mostly of letters exchanged between Holmes and Watson while the latter is staying in Brighton. I enjoyed the character voices here, as well as the content, which spanned a range of emotions."
Comments with spoilers:
[Spoiler (click to open)]"I particularly enjoyed their oblique discussions of their relationship, which were both poignant and very funny. Mrs. Hudson's offhand reference to it in the end was also a nice touch."
Other fandom, het:
a life of smoke and silvered glass by dirgewithoutmusic (Harry Potter; 27,794 words)
This is a really excellent AU fic that makes slight adjustments to Snape's story, with compelling results. I read it during my Million-Word Challenge, but at the time, I was refraining from writing up Harry Potter fics (for what I hope are obvious reasons). Thus there is no original blurb to quote. I did comment on the work itself, though, so I will quote that:
"Snape's character arc in canon never worked for me. After reading this fic, though I think I finally see what Rowling was going for. She didn't achieve it, but you did."
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Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you enjoy my fanfic ramblings (because there are going to be a lot more in 2024).
The Professionals, slash:
These Layers of Charnel Air by Slantedlight (byslantedlight) (16,835 words)
"First is These Layers of Charnel Air by Slantedlight, a Professionals fic. I really liked this, and have added it to my Beloved Collection. It had an intriguing plot, good characterizations, satisfying interplay among the characters, and unusually elegant writing. The ending was well done and very appropriate."
Comments with spoilers:
[Spoiler (click to open)]"I love the examination of Ray and Bodie's characters in this fic and the way they have to come to terms with their differences in order to move forward with their relationship. I'd say it is an example, such as I asked about in my recent thread, of a conflict arising from Ray being motivated by principles first and relationships second, while Bodie is the reverse."
"I did suspect that Ray was undercover quite a while before it was revealed in the story. That's very likely a result of having read other fics with similar set-ups, though, such as PR Zed's Exile. I'm not sure I entirely buy the "you aren't a good enough actor" explanation for leaving the partner in the dark in plots like this, but I like a lot of the stories that it makes possible, so I can suspend my disbelief."
The Professionals, gen:
Ours But to Do by Bardicvoice (7,852 words)
"Ours But to Do by bardicvoice is another Professionals fic. In this one, Bodie and Doyle must babysit a gangster who has agreed to give evidence. This story is great. The plot is well constructed, the characterizations are excellent, and the dialog is impeccable. It is a gen fic, but I think the relationship between the Lads is vibrant enough to satisfy gen-skeptics. (Hello, byslantedlight.) Indeed, I think the fic gives insight into the basis a slash relationship could be built on."
The Man from U.N.C.L.E., gen:
The Seventeen Days in October Affair by Terry L Neill and J. M. D’Agostino-Toney (14,854 words)
"The first Man from U.N.C.L.E. fic was The Seventeen Days in October Affair by Terry L. Neill and J. M. D’Agostino-Toney. This fic was great! It is set during the Cuban Missile Crisis, focusing on UNCLE's role in the confrontation and on the conflicts it creates for Illya. The story is wonderfully atmospheric; the reader gets a real sense of the fear people felt during that time. I think it also presents our heroes' characters convincingly. They are not partners yet in this story, but they still interact in interesting ways."
The Man from U.N.C.L.E., slash:
Spiderweb by Cord Smithee and All the Kasha They Could Eat by Jest (12,194 words and 7,006 words)
"[I]t occurred to me yesterday that Christmas was nearly over, and I hadn't read Cord Smithee's Spiderweb, an MFU story that is my favorite Christmas fic in any fandom. So I read it, followed by it's wonderful companion piece All the Kasha They Could Eat by Jest, and now those are the first fics to be added to my challenge board for the year."
"Both of these fics are just so good. Their characterizations are what most stand out, but they are beautifully executed in all other respects as well. The way All the Kasha They Could Eat, in particular, uses events from canon is excellent, and Spiderweb even has a non-boring sex scene (*g*)."
Other fandom, gen:
After the World Went Awry and The Singing of Many Wires by teaspoonnebula (Sherlock Holmes; 22,015 words and 18,801 words)
"After the World Went Awry and its sequel The Singing of Many Wires by teaspoonnebula are two excellent Sherlock Holmes fics featuring time travel. They both have fun with their fantastical premise while also treating seriously and movingly the human emotions that would arise from it. There are a few writing issues with the first installment and the mystery in the second installment does leave some loose ends, but on the whole, this series is just wonderful."
Other fandom, slash:
Brighton Memoirs by gardenerhill (Sherlock Holmes; 5,530 words)
"I also read Brighton Memoirs by gardenerhill, a Sherlock Holmes fic. This is an epistolary fic consisting mostly of letters exchanged between Holmes and Watson while the latter is staying in Brighton. I enjoyed the character voices here, as well as the content, which spanned a range of emotions."
Comments with spoilers:
[Spoiler (click to open)]"I particularly enjoyed their oblique discussions of their relationship, which were both poignant and very funny. Mrs. Hudson's offhand reference to it in the end was also a nice touch."
Other fandom, het:
a life of smoke and silvered glass by dirgewithoutmusic (Harry Potter; 27,794 words)
This is a really excellent AU fic that makes slight adjustments to Snape's story, with compelling results. I read it during my Million-Word Challenge, but at the time, I was refraining from writing up Harry Potter fics (for what I hope are obvious reasons). Thus there is no original blurb to quote. I did comment on the work itself, though, so I will quote that:
"Snape's character arc in canon never worked for me. After reading this fic, though I think I finally see what Rowling was going for. She didn't achieve it, but you did."
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Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you enjoy my fanfic ramblings (because there are going to be a lot more in 2024).