Lifetime Fic Bingo: 2000

[tinturtle]

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It's the year 2000, and pedants are making sure everyone knows that the new millennium will not start until next year. *NSYNC is on the radio. Here in the USA, the year's top film is How the Grinch Stole Christmas. New terms coined include: abandonware, climate change denial, downvote, faux-hawk, geochaching, google, grain bowl, speed dating, sudoku, and TiVo.

It's been a long time since my last Lifetime Fic Bingo post, both because I've been busy with other things and because I read more than usual this time. For the year 2000, I read two Professionals fics, one Sentinel fic, one Sentinel crossover with the works of H. P. Lovecraft, and one Man from U.N.C.L.E. fic. I also read three fics from 1999 as background for their sequels published in 2000, for a total of eight fics altogether. Let's hope I can remember them all well enough to write them up.

The first fic I read was Where I Can Cross Over by Gil Hale, a Professionals story in which Doyle has withdrawn into himself, and Bodie must find a way to reach him. I enjoyed this fic. It's gen, but of the type where the bond between the Lads is still an important focus of the story. Like a lot of fanfic, it leans heavily on fantasy psychology, but it's still a good tale. 11,628 words. Gen.

Having enjoyed one fic by Gil Hale, I followed up with Remember Me by the same author, another Professionals fic. In this one, Bodie disappears and Doyle must find out what happened. This story was excellent. It was also gen, but again, the bond between the Lads was prominent. There were also an absorbing, well paced plot and some enjoyable side characters, including Marty Martell. This fic was my favorite for the year 2000. 25,630 words. Gen. Particularly recommended.

Next, I happened to look at the True Minds Trilogy by Lanning, which I'd had bookmarked on AO3 for years, and notice that its final fic was published in 2000. I was eager to read that one; not wanting to miss anything, I decided to stretch my quota and also read the first two fics, both published in 1999, as background.

The first in the series was True Minds, in which Jim and Blair take on a mobster and his henchman. I enjoyed this one a lot. It was definitely melodrama, but I was happily surfing the big waves of emotion all the way through. Lanning also has an excellent ear for Jim and Blair's banter and the dialog in this fic was a joy to read. I was a bit annoyed by how much the fic emphasized Jim and Blair's never having been attracted to other men before. I found more than one comment on the fic in which the commenter singled out that element as something they enjoyed, though, so clearly it's a matter of taste. I was also predictably bored by the sex scenes in this series, which were long and unusually talky. I thought the latter characteristic might make them more enjoyable, but it didn't seem to make much difference. Zzz. Those things aside, this fic might have been my favorite for the year if it had been published in 2000. 40,670 words. Jim/Blair slash. Particularly recommended.

The middle entry was Little Company. This story starts with Jim having strange dreams about the past that turn out to connect to a case. Lanning's excellent dialog is still in evidence in this story, and I enjoyed the subplot about whether Jim and Blair should keep their relationship secret. Some plot developments felt too abrupt, though, and the story as a whole didn't quite come together for me. In the end, this was my least favorite of the three fics in the trilogy. 35,833 words. Jim/Blair slash.

The last fic was Many Waters, in which Jim and Blair investigate a series of arsons. This fic had a solid plot with good pacing. I found some of the original antagonists slightly cartoonish, but the characterizations of all the canon characters were good, and overall it was an enjoyable read. 31,026 words. Jim/Blair slash.

Next, I happened upon a Sentinel crossover with the works of H. P. Lovecraft: Unsleeping by Martha. Horror is not usually my genre, but this fic intrigued me because it was tagged as smarm, and I had never before read anything that billed itself that way. The story struck me as fairly normal gen until about three quarters of the way through, when it did start to include quite a lot of nonsexual loving touch between Jim and Blair. I'm not quite sure how I feel about that. In theory, it appeals to me, but at least in this instance, it felt like a bit too much to be realistic.

In other ways, this was a very good fic. The writing was unusually stylish and the plot, while a little slow moving, was well constructed. The supernatural horror elements were successfully creepy, and the mundane horror was even better, with the OC human villains being both believable and frightening. 99,337 words. Gen (smarm).

I had an unusual number of false starts this round. In fact, I ended up reading between 40,000 and 50,000 words from fics that I ultimately decided not to finish. (One of those, as some MFU fans may remember, was The Sacrifice Affair by Sarah Lindsay. I wouldn't say it is a bad fic. I enjoyed the beginning quite a bit. Yet the set-up of the romantic portion of the plot felt contrived to me. I pressed on, but things didn't get better on that front, with the characters' actions toward one another continuing to feel like they served the plot more than the characterizations. Given how much of this very long fic was left, I decided it was not for me.)

At any rate, I exhausted my supply of pre-selected fics for the year and had to go hunting for something else to read. What I found was The Mirage Affair, a Man from U.N.C.L.E. fic by Bill Koenig. I'd been aware of Bill Koenig, but never read any of his stories, so I was eager to take this opportunity. It turned out that The Mirage Affair, in addition to being part of his AU Timeshift series, was a direct sequel to another fic called The Genesis Affair, published in 1999. I decided to read that first, since I was already fudging my limit for this year.

The Genesis Affair sees a newly partnered Illya and Napoleon travel to Brazil to investigate some strange goings on. There they meet Rita, a young aid worker, who gets drawn into the affair. I had mixed feelings about this fic. On one hand, it really felt like the Man from U.N.C.L.E.. The whole plot could have been straight out of an episode, from the theatrical villains to the involvement of Rita, a classic innocent. On the other hand, the third-person omniscient point of view didn't give much information about either Illya or Napoleon's thoughts, which left the characterizations weak as fanfic goes. On the whole, I was somewhat disappointed. 16,828 words. Gen.

The Mirage Affair is set fifteen years after The Genesis Affair. Napoleon and Illya encounter Rita again in different circumstances as they investigate a mobster in Venice. I liked this fic much better. Its point of view is a shifting third-person limited, and readers get much more of a sense of the characters' thoughts and motivations. The plot is not a stand-out, but kept me interested, and the fic was an enjoyable read. I am likely to check out more of Bill Koenig's works in the future. 15,468 words. Gen.




Check out the Man from U.N.C.L.E. vid Oops Illya Did It Again by papayaninja69, which uses a hit song from 2000.

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Fics so far:

1986
Double Vision by Pamela Rose (The Professionals x Who Dares Wins; 47,962 words; slash)
Begin Again by Lois Welling (Ann Barrister) (The Professionals; 1,318 words; gen)
*Night Before the World Ends by Lezlie Conch (Lezlie Shell) (The Professionals; 4,355 words; slash)
The Crab Apple Cove Affair by Charlie Kirby (The Man from U.N.C.L.E. x M*A*S*H; 2,301 words; gen)
*In the Belly of Leviathan by Pythia (original series Battlestar Galactica; 13,062 words; gen)

1987
The Never Too Late Affair by Debra Hicks (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.; 1,441 words; slash)
*The Traitor Within the Gates Affair by D. H. Bryn (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.; ~34,000 words; het)
Whisper of a Kill by Lois Welling (Ann Barrister) (The Professionals; 53,978 words; slash)
The Adventure of the Traitorous Lieutenant by Eileen Roy (Sherlock Holmes; 1,827 words; gen)
*Brothers in Arms by Anais (original series Battlestar Galactica; 4,099 words; gen)

1988
Night Moves by Courtney Gray (The Professionals; 35,344 words; slash)
Rainbow Chasers by HG (The Professionals; 134,373 words; slash)
Patterns in Walls by Debra Hicks (The Professionals x Sable; 6,003 words; gen)
Family Traits by Jatona Walker (The Professionals; 1,443 words; slash)
Slippery Situation by Debra Hicks (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.; 1,634 words; slash)

1989
In From the Cold by cybel (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.; 9,454 words; slash)
Nothing in Common by cybel (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.; 3,033 words; slash)
The Zippity Do-Dah Affair by Alys (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.; 934 words; slash)
*[From 1982: Looking Glass World by Felicity M. Parkinson (The Professionals; 22,758 words; slash)]
...And Memories Die, Part I by Ellis Ward (The Professionals; 26,340 words; slash)
*[Hell Hath No Fury by Jane Carnall and Ann Johnson (The Professionals; 2,958 words; gen)]
The Price of a Soul a Professionals fic by Jane Carnall and Ann Johnson (The Professionals; 2,194 words; slash)
[From 1986: Two Up by Jane of Australia (The Professionals; 8,013 words; slash)]
[Two Up Truly Queered by Jane Carnall (The Professionals; 2,360 words; slash)]

1990
*The Long St. Crispin's Day by C. W. Walker (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.; 19,765 words; gen)
*One Small Step by Lori Beatty (The A-Team; 5,713 words; gen)
Nor the Leopard His Spots by M. Fae Glasgow (The Professionals x EastEnders; ~15,000 words; slash)
*...And Memories Die, Part II by Ellis Ward (The Professionals; 46,161 words; slash)
*Absent Friends by Jane Carnall and Ann Johnson (The Professionals; 692 words; slash)

1991
*The Seventeen Days in October Affair by Terry L Neill and J. M. D’Agostino-Toney (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.; 14,854 words; gen)
*The Devil's Attic Affair by C. W. Walker (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.; 28,968 words; gen)
The Lion of Ngambo Affair by C. W. Walker (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.; 23,087 words; het)
Free Trader by Debra Hicks (The Professionals x Star Trek TNG; 26,454 words; slash)
Legacy of Temptation by Ellis Ward (The Professionals; 100,794 words; slash)

1992
What Price Honor? by Debra Hicks (The A-Team; 4,105 words; gen)
*The Surfin' and Spyin' Affair by Jennifer Adams Kelley (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.; 11,650 words; gen)
Bonding by Stew (The Professionals; 22,241 words; slash)
Some Say the World Will End in Fire by Jane Mailander (from Proslib) (The Professionals; 5,410 words; slash)
*Floral Arrangement by M. Fae Glasgow (The Professionals; ~13,000 words; slash)

1993
*Nothing Left to Lose by Jane (of Australia) and Madelaine Ingram (The Professionals; 33,529 words; slash)
*The Blue Figurine by Courtney Grey (The Professionals; 29,960 words; slash)
Step We Gaily by M. Fae Glasgow (The Professionals; ~13,500 words; slash)
Guardian Angels by Baravan (The Professionals; 13,408 words; slash)
The Adventure of the Strange Visitor by Quordle (Sherlock Holmes x Blake's 7; 7,903 words; slash)

1994
Bounty by Jane (of Australia) (from Proslib) (The Professionals; ~31,000 words; slash)
*Baiting the Trap by DVS (The Professionals; 2,758 words; slash)
Love is Wealth by Gloria Lancaster (The Professionals; 13,387 words; slash)
Survival by Melanie Athene (The Professionals; 10,916 words; slash)
*Brighton Memoirs by gardenerhill (Sherlock Holmes; 5,530 words; slash)

1995
Sex, Lies and UNCLE by Anne Higgins (Part I, Part II) (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.; 51,540 words; slash)
Knife-Edge by HG (The Professionals; 6,141 words; slash)
You Dancing? You Asking? by Gloria Lancaster (The Professionals; 6,323 words; slash)
*Summer's End by Alexandra (The Professionals; 71,090 words; slash)
Memoirs of a Merc by Alexandra (The Professionals; 13,457 words; slash)

1996
The Beddgelert Affair by PR Zed (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.; 9,413 words; gen)
*Brief Candle by Suzan Lovett (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.; 22,698 words; slash)
*Festival of Lights by Dorinda (The Professionals; 3,454 words; slash)
Dance While You Can by Alexandra (The Professionals; 5,091 words; slash)
*Hacking Away at the System by sockii (The A-Team; 23,986 words; gen)

1997
*To Live in Interesting Times by Taliesin (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.; 19,657 words; slash)
*My Dinner with Angelique by Linda Cornett (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.; 4,251 words; gen)
If Memory Serves by Alexandra (The Professionals; 7,101 words; slash)
Predators by Jennifer Lyon (The Professionals; 32,232 words; slash)
After the Battle by LRH Balzer (The Professionals; gen)
*-Learning the Bisto Code (10,195 words)
-Three Men and a Bodie (8,390 words)
-Scissors (21,249 words)

1998
*Firewalls by Elespeth Leigh (The Professionals; 14,518 words; slash)
*Sufficient Unto the Day by Taliesin (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.; 2,657 words; slash)
Confidences by Taliesin (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.; 4,106 words; slash)
*The Uncertainty Principle by C. W. Walker (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.; 20,145 words; slash)
*Partners by Patricia J. Foley (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.; 46,824 words; slash)

1999
That Look by Amanda Warrington (The Professionals; 36,359 words; slash)
Firestorm by Elspeth Leigh (The Professionals; 21,278 words; slash)
Rules by PFL (The Professionals; 14,444 words; slash)
Hombathlay by Jane Mailander (The Professionals x Watership Down; 8,555 words; slash)
*Roots of the Present by N. L. Hayes (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.; 6,683 words; gen)

2000
Where I Can Cross Over by Gil Hale (The Professionals; 11,628 words; gen)
*Remember Me by Gil Hale (The Professionals; 25,630 words; gen)
True Minds Trilogy by Lanning (The Sentinel; slash)
*-[From 1999: True Minds (40,670 words)]
-[From 1999: Small Company (35,833 words)]
-Many Waters (31,026 words)
Unsleeping by Martha (The Sentinel x H. P. Lovecraft (works); 99,337 words; gen)
[From 1999: The Genesis Affair by Bill Koenig (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.; 16,828 words; gen)]
The Mirage Affair by Bill Koenig (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.; 15,468 words; gen)

* = Particularly recommended
[ ] = read but not counted toward the year's story total