Comments | xf_book_club: Story 18: "Oil" by Eodrakken Quicksilver

emily_shore in xf_book_club

Story 18: "Oil" by Eodrakken Quicksilver

Apr 13, 2008 14:42

For those of you who are tired of all the shippiness, here is some gen courtesy of bardsmaid. "Oil" offers a fantastically original look at one corner of the X-Files universe.

Title: OilNEW LINK: https://www.squidge.org/ratales/oil.htmlRead more... )

g, season 3, short, gen

Comments 13

mosinging1986 April 13 2008, 14:23:15 UTC

I'm running out the door, but I highly recommend this amazing story. I came across it randomly years ago and was just stunned.

bardsmaid April 13 2008, 23:08:06 UTC

I admit it: this is one of the most awesome pieces of fic I've ever come across because it's so unique. It pulls you out of your complacent viewpoint of the XF universe and makes you see it from a completely different perspective. The creativity of this story makes me smile every time I read it, and I love all the various observations, and the gentle cleverness of it. Loved Krycek jumping into the lake, and the very astute observation that CSM focused immediately on the Oil rather than Krycek; this was a detail that had stood out to me within the episode.

This story made me think and experience something totally new and unexpected, and I value that in a fic.

wendelah1 April 14 2008, 03:25:38 UTC

Like the two previous stories, this is so good that it makes me want to re-watch the episodes it references: "Piper Maru" and "Aprocrypha."

idella April 14 2008, 05:59:21 UTC

Thank you for suggesting this fic! I probably wouldn't have stumbled across it on my own, and even if I had, I would not have had a good reason to reread it. The first time through I was impatient and a bit confused, but the second time was love.

emily_shore April 14 2008, 08:06:06 UTC

The first time through I was impatient and a bit confused, but the second time was love.

Sounds familiar to me!

wendelah1 April 14 2008, 02:25:07 UTC

As many people before me have already said, this was a very unique and original story. I don't think there is another one like it in the fandom. I liked how the writer gave us the story from the point of view of the group(?) Oil consciousness, which was even creepier than the individual Oil entity. It seemed very objective, even cold, compared to the individual entity, as though in becoming a hive mind, it lost the ability to have feelings. The most interesting part of the story for me was the way the Oil entity thought about water, as though it had a consciousness of its own.

Truly, this is the water's world, you thought. It walks the whole of the Earth, perfectly mated to every form, every being. And the Earth crumbles beneath its touch: a slow, ages-long swoon ( ... )

idella April 14 2008, 05:55:10 UTC

The Oil entity did make its way all the way into Krycek in the end, though.

Eventually, he got too tired to fight hard, but before then, you couldn't quite seep all the way in.

Meep. And it's even more chilling when later on, in the car, it looks like Krycek is willing sacrifice himself in an attempt to take the oil down with him. Which says a lot about Krycek right there: how much he hated being controlled, how far he was willing to go to end it (or for revenge, or both).

The most interesting part of the story for me was the way the Oil entity thought about water, as though it had a consciousness of its own.

At the end we learn that the Oil entity felt envious of water, perhaps for how it is in everything and is everywhere, so effortlessly.It's like the Oil entity, after having been by itself for so long, is feeling out the idea of belonging to a group consciousness again as it contemplates water ( ... )

memento1 April 14 2008, 04:39:14 UTC

That was totally unexpected and really wonderful. I ADORE the focus on water, especially these lines:

"Truly, this is the water's world, you thought....And the Earth crumbles beneath its touch: a slow, ages-long swoon."

!! This actually made me think of the movie "Signs". I never understood why aliens who were allergic to water would want a world covered in it ;) Anyways, the oil/water tension was a fantastic metaphor brought to life.

emily_shore April 14 2008, 08:07:06 UTC

And the Earth crumbles beneath its touch: a slow, ages-long swoon.

Now, THAT's romance. ;)

idella April 14 2008, 06:25:31 UTC

I really enjoyed this fic! The writing is lovely. And no, I don't think my favourite lines can be quoted too many times:

Truly, this is the water's world, you thought. It walks the whole of the Earth, perfectly mated to every form, every being. And the Earth crumbles beneath its touch: a slow, ages-long swoon.

My favourite lines that aren't about the water are this bit, which I love for the image and for the glimpse at the oil's past,

You didn't mind riding in the airplane. The rapid ascent, the changes of pressure, and the false sense of stillness and suspension -- they reminded you of how it feels to travel between the stars.

and this one, which is nice in and of itself and gives us a bonus Krycek story.

On the far side of the water there were animals drinking, sitting on the surface. Their long necks curved sadly, and their calls echoed, short and rough. You looked for their name in the host's memory, even though you didn't need to know it. The host had seen them in the snow, and he'd seen them in the sky, flying in ( ... )