...with the screen that's a window and a mirror depending on the polarization, and the world, the island paradise, rising up behind it, and the continuity of the water and sky on either side, and all the "beneath the surface" and "beyond the horizon" implications...
Yeah, I'm just grinning like a loon. Thanks for sharing.
Eee, thanks! It was awesome fun. I'm only slightly grumpy because I meant to do a *better* job, really flex my shrivelling lit crit muscles, but then October leapt at me out of nowhere.
the real hero of this story is Fake John ... He's the realest of all of them.
I love this observation. He's the one who has the most agency by the end, too, isn't he? Or, no, that's not accurate; he's the one who thinks about and uses the agency he does have more successfully than the other three. He acts and manipulates the others into action.
a life and a body
Yes!! That's another call-and-answer I forgot to yak about up there: John stiff and clothed and inscrutable at the beginning of the story vs. John open and naked and emotive at the end. That's what we do. We give (write) our characters back their bodies. What a fun twist on the whole embodied actor vs. written fic character discussion.
This is a very clever, witty commentary; it really opened my eyes to some of the amazing things the author did here and gave me a whole 'nother dimension of the story to enjoy. Seriously, most if not all of what you've pointed out here never occurred to me. You've really added to my appreciation of what was already a fabulous story.
Now I have to click through the excellent links you've gifted us with in the Good Reads section. :)
Thanks! Isn't it wonderful how much is burbling just beneath the surface of this novel? It's perfectly readable as a plain, old, superficial romp, but the closer you peer, the cleverer it gets.
Enjoy those links. Busse and Hellekson's entire book is enormous fun, but if you don't have access to a university library, princessofg reviewed and hosted awesome discussions on each chapter. There's so much nifty stuff happening in meta- and acafandom right now. :)
Comments 15
(The comment has been removed)
(The comment has been removed)
...with the screen that's a window and a mirror depending on the polarization, and the world, the island paradise, rising up behind it, and the continuity of the water and sky on either side, and all the "beneath the surface" and "beyond the horizon" implications...
Yeah, I'm just grinning like a loon. Thanks for sharing.
Reply
the real hero of this story is Fake John ... He's the realest of all of them.
I love this observation. He's the one who has the most agency by the end, too, isn't he? Or, no, that's not accurate; he's the one who thinks about and uses the agency he does have more successfully than the other three. He acts and manipulates the others into action.
a life and a body
Yes!! That's another call-and-answer I forgot to yak about up there: John stiff and clothed and inscrutable at the beginning of the story vs. John open and naked and emotive at the end. That's what we do. We give (write) our characters back their bodies. What a fun twist on the whole embodied actor vs. written fic character discussion.
Reply
Now I have to click through the excellent links you've gifted us with in the Good Reads section. :)
Reply
Enjoy those links. Busse and Hellekson's entire book is enormous fun, but if you don't have access to a university library, princessofg reviewed and hosted awesome discussions on each chapter. There's so much nifty stuff happening in meta- and acafandom right now. :)
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment