Classics?: Archive of Our Own edition

[basaltgrrl]

One would assume that a true classic would be a fanwork that gets lots of views, and Archive of Our Own is a great source for finding those very works that have been viewed the most; an intriguing exercise, as one has to wonder what a high hit count means. Popularity? Themes with a large audience? Cross-over appeal? In any case, here are the twenty

Comments

[xxsafixx]

I need to add this to my memories :D

[draycevixen]

There are some fantastic writers on this list but still...

As you say, lots of crossovers and then there's the thing that much of the classic LoM fic was only posted to this com and/or The Collators' Den and has never made it on to AO3.

Of the fic that has made it on to the AO3 also it's going to have lower reading figures because fen already read in on this com or at The Collators' Den.

For instance, I offer in to evidence that you only have recent work by Loz here which means a shed load is missing, nothing by Mikey's Girl, Fawsley, Bistokids, M31Andy, Darth Fi, Janni, Sytaxia, Nepthys, Elfinessy, Elfbert,... the list goes on and on, these are just off the top of my head.

[basaltgrrl]

Yeah, that's why I set this aside as the AO3 edition of classics - and I tried to point out that there are a number of factors that affect hit count, like popularity of crossovers. This list is purely an AO3 popularity contest - and as I mentioned, eliminating crossovers would change things up quite a bit.

The previous post I made about "Classics of LoM" is where I would hope people would mention all those great authors of yore.

[draycevixen]

I suppose my point it that I'd call this the top 20 stories on AO3 but I don't know as I'd call it "classics" which I feel odd typing as there are writers on that list that would definitely belong on a classics of LoM list, certainly on my list.

I suppose I believe that a classics list is a classics list and the time frame doesn't really make much difference. If it is a classic then it can stand its ground and hold its (metaphorical)head high along with all other classic LoM fic.

I am concerned that this may be reading as hostile and really I'm not in the slightest bit hostile here, I REALLY do appreciate your efforts to share LoM's fic with others, I just thought it should be pointed out that much of LoM fic isn't even up at AO3, particularly as newer fen might be paying close attention to this list.

Mikey, for instance, only has three of her 166 LoM stories posted there, the last of which is less than two years old.

[basaltgrrl]

Good point, and when I started thinking about the concept of "classics" recently and moved on from thinking to posting, one of the issues I figured would cause discussion is exactly that - what makes it classic? It has to be (or have been) popular. And of course it has to be good. Totally agreement that there's tons of LoM fic not on AO3, and tons of the stuff that is posted there doesn't have a high hit count because it's been around for a while and got read a lot when first posted elsewhere.

I will admit that I called it "AO3 classics" just because I like the idea of an ongoing "classics" discussion in different venues. You are correct that it might be better to call it AO3 LoM hits.

[mountland]

A lot of people have read 50 shades of grey it doesn't make it a classic.

A classic has nothing to do with the amount of people who have read it, it is more about artistic quality, standing the test of time (a fic may be very populatr at first but forgotten quickly, while others are often revisited), universal appeal (not appealing to one large majority who make the hit counter go up but having a diverse range of readers), has connections or makes connections with other works in the fandom (maybe it becomes fanlore like the redpants in Sherlock fandom and is the inspiration for many other fanfics or ties together many ideas in fandom that already exists but is the epitomy of them).

[basaltgrrl]

Yes, I totally agree that "standing the test of time" is the most important criteria. And that sheer popularity does not necessarily equal classic.

However, when I started thinking about the topic I thought of "classics of English literature", and it seemed to me that there's a limit to how obscure something can be and still be considered a classic.

I did put a bunch of qualifiers into my intro to this topic. I was not intending to send the message that most hits equals "best", or "better than all the other fics on AO3 that have fewer hits" or "more classic than all the other fics on AO3" or "more classic than all the fics that AREN'T on AO3".

[_lethe_]

Interesting list! I seem to have read most of the specific LoM ones, but on LJ and Dreamwidth rather than on AO3. It's great that AO3 exists, but personally I hate the layout, so I only read fic there if there is no alternative.

(The link to What have I become, my sweetest friend is the same as to The bishop of the Northern Marches. Such an easy mistake to make, isn't it? :D )

[lozenger8]

I basically snorted tea out of my nose at your parenthetic comment.

[_lethe_]

Hahaha! I'm sorry to say I was only being unconsciously witty. Thank you for letting me know :)

Hope your nose has recovered!

[lozenger8]

I don't think it's fair that my attempt to write a fandom wide trend is so high up. It's only got that viewership because of that particular trope. And it's not --- it is by no means close to the best thing I've ever written, not even in terms of smut. So. I am uncomfortable with considering it any kind of classic.

I will GLADLY take ownership of 'Method In't', though. I am very pleased with how well that did :D

[basaltgrrl]

I should have emphasized the fact that this list is more of an interesting experiment than an objective test of what makes a LoM classic (although I do consider most of these to be excellent works, and some of them genuine classics). Yes, absolutely, things are on this list because of crossover appeal, or because of a popular trope that goes beyond LoM fandom. Although I wouldn't dream of trying to make a ranked list of LoM classics, I thought it was interesting to look at this collection for what it is-- and especially now after all this discussion, for what it tells us about what really makes a classic in a given fandom.