Story 118: "Hard Times Come Again No More" by CazQ

[wendelah1]

Recently, I was asked to post another very fine IWTB prequel story here, but I'm posting this instead because in a very few days I expect you will not be able to read it anywhere on the internet, not unless I go ahead and create THE OUTLAW FANFICTION ARCHIVE, Where Unwanted Stories Go to Hide from Their Authors.

If you read my fandom journal,

Comments

[dis_inclined]

So, I think it's been a while since I even read an X-Files story, let alone commented on here about one. But when I read this post I felt very sad, as I always do when I learn that an author is taking down their work from everywhere. It's sad because these stories are enjoyed by so many, and are often such brilliant pieces of writing. I took your advice and saved them to my hard drive, and then I read Hard Times Come Again No MoreI agree that this does make the movie almost worthwhile. I was disappointed that the second movie was what it was. I liked seeing Mulder and Scully again, but the plot really didn't do them or the series justice. So this story almost makes up for that. And it really is such brilliant writing by the author

[wendelah1]

It so saddens me when writers delete their work. It leaves a hole in my heart. I am so happy you got to read this story before it disappeared. I'm sure you will enjoy the rest of her stories as well.

Though it was wonderful to get to see my favorite characters again, the movie was a disappointment in every other way possible. This story helped mitigate that, which is one reason I wish CazQ had left it up. The other reason is how wonderful it is.

[dictatorcari]

Why?! Why would someone delete all their stories?! Ugh, what a heartbreak. BRB, I'm going to go read this and then save it in a special place.

[wendelah1]

It's a wonderful story. Do save it. I'm sure you'll enjoy reading it in the future.

She didn't tell me why, only that it was important and personal.

[penumbra23]

I love this one so much. It's tragic to imagine it and the rest of her fic vaporizing off the 'nets. I can personally understand wanting to move on and erase the tracks of X-F obsession, but does she mind if people retain copies privately? Fanfic is an interesting case because it isn't 'owned' by the author who can't copyright it because the characters are owned by another entity who can't/won't acknowledge the existence of fanfic. Real limbo.

Hard Times is sad, because it confronts Mulder & Scully's lack of a happy ending. I find I'm still dealing with that issue, especially while re-watching the early seasons. Mulder and Scully's lives seem so full of possibility and at that point; they're both such brilliant, energetic over-achievers that they seem capable of anything. It's such a terrible smack against the wall to hit IWTB and see what they actually become.

This is a beautiful way of looking at it:

a painfully
neat, bad-suited, soft-faced girl of 28, walking into the
basement hideaway of a strange and fantastical creature.

[wendelah1]

In truth, I can't really understand wanting to erase part of one's personal history. It baffles and frustrates me, and frankly, I don't honestly care if she does mind if people keep copies of her work. Once work has been publicly posted, it ceases to be private property, if indeed it ever was, in the case of fanfiction. To me, it's disingenuous to claim ownership of derivative work.

If all that mattered was divorcing herself from the work, then she could have orphaned the stories and left them up for people to continue to enjoy. She choose not to do that.

Hard Times is sad, because it confronts Mulder & Scully's lack of a happy ending. I find I'm still dealing with that issue, especially while re-watching the early seasons. Mulder and Scully's lives seem so full of possibility and at that point; they're both such brilliant, energetic over-achievers that they seem capable of anything. It's such a terrible smack against the wall to hit IWTB and see what they actually become.I started crying when I read this. Seeing that film was

[penumbra23]

Me too! Although I love the first movie. But it's basically that and just the first 5 seasons. I'm in still in serious denial.

[infinitlight]

Thanks for the heads-up; I have some time later tonight and will start saving stuff. It makes me sad to think about doing this (although I suppose I should be doing it more for stories I want to keep and reread--I have a lot of my favorites already, but there are so so many more and they won't, necessarily, be around forever

[wendelah1]

God, I loved this story. I know the feeling of leaving IWTB with the sensation of something missing, not so much from the film itself (a whole other post), but from *me* and from my relationship with the characters (if that makes any sense and is not ridiculously dramatic). I'd been so excited about seeing my old friends again, and of course they were different, and I was different too...No, it doesn't seem over-dramatic at all. In fact, I bet it was a common reaction, in fans from back in the day. A lot can happen in fifteen years

[mosinging1986]

Oh, my goodness! That paragraph you posted, along with the one that follows:

(she) ... thinks that every once in a while maybe he's feeling homesick too, for a Scully with sharp, swinging hair and sharper suits, who pursed her lips and arched an eyebrow at his theories but bristled at anyone with the temerity to insult him, who cleaned her gun to relax on a Saturday night, who smelled of formaldehyde and lemon-scented industrial-strength anti-bacterial soap. That Scully who fell asleep and drooled on his shoulder during stakeouts; who flew to Africa and back for him; who ate bad Chinese food sitting on synthetic-fibre comforters with him in cheap motel rooms and argued with him about batraquomancy and left-handed voodoun and the Kenneth Arnold sighting, all the way across America.These are the people I love! These are the people I was looking forward to seeing in IWTB! And for reasons that I will never understand, they were not there for me

[wendelah1]

These are the people I love! These are the people I was looking forward to seeing in IWTB! And for reasons that I will never understand, they were not there for me.

I don't think I have ever been so disappointed in any movie in my entire life. And this coming from someone who so desperately wanted and tried to love this movie.

But this story may have done the impossible. It may make IWTB bearable. And I swear I didn't think that was possible.

That's good, that makes me happy to know.

It's a shame that this is one of the few well known XF authors whose stories I don't think I ever read. Looks like I've got some saving to do before it all is lost. Thank you so much, this was a real treat.

You are welcome. I envy you getting to read someone this good, as a brand new experience, this late in the game. I remember how excited I was when she posted this fic in 2008.