The Day The World Went Away - Terminator
The chaptered fan fiction undertakes weaving a story of Marcus Wright’s life both before and after the Terminator Salvation film. Considering the subject matter, it takes on a decidedly dark and dramatic feel to it which is fitting for the character and the Terminator canon. Everything is from Marcus’ point-of-view as the reader is treated with small scenes from his life before Skynet turned him into a Terminator. This particular fiction is interesting how it shows us Marcus’ human memories in reverse, starting from his time on death row and ending with a scene of he and his brother enjoying a swim in a river.
There is very little dialogue in the beginning, the author relying on Marcus’ inner monologue to carry the story and to set down the scene, and toward the end changing to rely more on dialogue to show the differences between Kyle and Marcus in their beliefs. The order of it causes some confusion, as it isn’t linear and it takes some of the reader’s intuition to figure out if the author is handling the past or the present. The story relies heavily on the descriptive, which can either be fitting for the reader or too much depending on personal preference. Some might find issue with the characterisation of Marcus, I have too limited knowledge to really establish an opinion on the matter, but the authors interpretation is merely one of many, as Marcus as a character doesn’t get much development in the film.
It does occasionally adopt the peculiar practice of inserting random lines in brackets, which can either be interpreted as connected or unconnected with what is actually going on. This strikes me as odd, but does not remove from the experience too much. I do enjoy how the author underlines how Marcus thinks differently from the Resistance he has joined, most notably Kyle, and does insert some musing on the fact that he is no longer a human, but a Terminator.
I Was a Dad Once - Doctor Who
This fan fiction begins with a simple line that serves as the premise for the entire piece. Predictably, the line is the same as the story title. It revolves around the title character from Doctor Who, the Doctor, and his reminiscing of the past and a non-canonical child. As far as structure and spelling goes, this piece of writing is high in quality; however that is not the defining element to any piece of writing. The beginning storyline unfolds simply enough, familiar to anyone who has seen episodes of Doctor Who, with the Doctor running from some unnamed danger.
As it continues it turns iffy, turning away from the simple recipe of Doctor Who and into a barely hidden self-insert. The original character introduced seems incapable of being overly affected by the sudden unusual events and the stranger at her door. The usual tough girl recipe is used for the woman, making the Mary Sue element of her obvious. She takes the Doctor’s presence in stride, which is suspicious in any media other than the original, but the author should be given props for her dialogue and ability to keep the Doctor in character, keeping the conversations interesting and plausible for the character involved.
The largest minus for this piece of fan fiction is the Mary Sue and deviation from Doctor Who canon, as it is known that the Doctor has a daughter, but that child did not stem from a spunky American who lived in Los Angeles. The premise and original character is a definite downside, but the overall quality of writing turns a potentially tortuous experience into merely mild annoyance at the cliché elements taken into use.
Homeward Bound - Star Wars
This small vignette is focused on the relationship between Han Solo and Leia Organa at the definite end of their lives from Han’s point-of-view. It relies heavily on the Extended Universe of Star Wars, which is vastly different and far more evolved than the film canon. In this respect I cannot be certain if either of the established characters are portrayed correctly or not, as the EU is a blind spot, but the portrayal seems to carry some of their old characterisations, if aged by the years of apparent struggle the two have gone through. The piece nods to the established Star Wars canon, mentioning the death of Anakin Solo and Chewbacca, the family troubles, and Han’s shortcomings as a father and family man.
The story itself focuses heavily on the emotional aspects of what the characters are going through. Leia is sick, dying, and Han is being left behind. Creating dialogue for this is difficult, and the author should receive some recognition for managing to fashion it in an only slightly wince inducing manner. It is of note how the author proceeds to show just how far gone Leia is, depicting her as delusional and unable to recall where she is. The whole thing is aimed at the emotional state of Han and the grief that stems from his wife’s impending death.
I did feel that it did turn a bit overly dramatic as I read on, but that may perhaps only be due to the sudden appearance of Leia, now dead, as a Force spectre. The Force itself is a difficult concept for those who are not familiar with it, but the use of it in the end of this piece is familiar in the aspect of its use as a tool to connect the two even after death. That in particular is an overused effect in heavy handed emotional pieces, but it must be noted that there seems to be little else in way of closure for Han in the point of view we’re given. The vignette would be perfect if it had ended there, but when the author proceeds to depict the afterlife it becomes a bit much and the poignant scene turns into an overly sweet ending that robs it of some of its impact on the reader.
The Not Quite Love Letters - Star Wars
This interesting chaptered story, based off the Star Wars canon, shows the progress through the film through various messaging media, rather than plain writing. It focuses on Han Solo and Leia Organa and their slow developing relationship from an entirely non-canon and humorous vantage point. The style of switching point-of-views regularly, and sometimes to entirely different characters than those the fan fiction focuses on could perhaps be confusing for some, but I managed to follow it and found it highly entertaining. It doesn’t regard itself highly, so it entirely possible to forgive any irregularities in canon and it does have the added bonus of undertaking actual canon events and reflecting it through the unique style the author has adopted. The writing isn’t grade a, but most can be forgiven with the wit of the piece and the fact that it is supposed to be humorous.
The representations of the characters are a bit erratic at times; Leia in particular is shown as more inexperienced than she actually is, with Han being less of the learned criminal that he has been established as in both the film canon and extended universe canon. However, as it is presented as a piece that regularly makes fun of itself, these irregularities can be forgiven for the sake of the enjoyment it offers.
Never Go Back - Firefly
The 26-chaptered story of Never Go Back, continuing the story of the crew of the Serenity after the motion picture of the same name, is told from the point-of-view of the character River. It depicts her struggles going from a science experience of the government and into the guise of a not-quite ordinary girl turning into a young woman and those around her unable to grasp the concept. The representation of River, from her Reader abilities to her convoluted mental processes, is spot on for the character from the series Firefly and the motion picture Serenity. The development shown in the writing is believable and at a steady and slow pace, with occasional steps back for perspective. It takes on a realistic view on how River, a traumatised young woman, could potentially develop into a semi-sane individual of the Serenity crew.
It should be noted that the story turns into a slow burning romantic drama and despite the potential of turning it into an over the top story that deviates from the canon material into something wholly unrecognisable, it is handled carefully. The characters remain true throughout and despite the fact that the River/Mal pairing is not one I would have imagined, the author makes it believable in the spin-off universe that has been created for that particular interpretation of the characters.
The story was solid and kept true to itself through the whole process; the added bonus of high quality writing made it a pleasure to read. It handled the subject matter maturely and respected the original material from the series, thus becoming one of few fan fictions that I could imagine going back to at a later date and re-reading.
Gossip - Mass Effect
The vignette based off the game Mass Effect from BioWare focuses on one of the NPC characters that the game does not explore as much as others. Joker is the pilot of the spaceship Normandy, the vessel of the main character of the game, Shepard. The author offers up a representation of what might have gone through Joker’s head during the game, with a notable weight on the fact that Joker controls the ship in its entirety as well as the intercom system, capable of hearing most things said on the vessel. The concept itself is original, as I’ve not come across something like that before, the execution isn’t outright bad, but it seems halting at times, some formulations and representations coming across as convoluted and a bit off.
Overall, it is meant as a light humorous vignette and this purpose it fulfils quite well. The tone remains joking most of the time, despite some departures into serious thought on Joker’s part, especially when it comes to Shepard, but I suspect this is merely a product of the authors own interpretation of Shepard. It would have been better written in a more general way, allowing readers to insert their own interpretation of Shepard rather than the author inserting her own. The ending could have been done better, the decidedly dramatic ending note we could have done without, and I do believe Joker’s infatuation with Shepard in this vignette is a departure from the true character as he was represented in the game.
Tracers - Mass Effect
Another vignette from Mass Effect, this one is focused on Kaidan Alenko and his struggles with the migraines caused by the L2 biotic implant. In style it is well done, the writing is of a high quality and the character true to form. The use of flashbacks as Kaidan suffers through one of his migraine episodes gives a feel of the fragmented state of his mind when the L2 implant flares up. The text goes to great effort to create the atmosphere of his migraine and his view on the world around him as he suffers through them. His reaction to the migraine, both inwardly and outwardly, remains true to the characters personality in the game, with the added bonus of Shepard being vague enough for anyone to insert their own female version of her into the story if they so wished.
The flashbacks in particular are of note, as they bring up events in Kaidan’s history that show up through conversation with him in the game. The use of canon material in them gives it a more realistic edge and gives the reader a greater understanding of the whole issue if they went through the effort of learning those particular details from Kaidan during gameplay. The end does carry an overly dramatic twinge to it, but considering Kaidan’s flashbacks it is warranted and suitable where it is placed.
Cast Stones at Dragons - Supernatural
This fan fiction based off the end of the third season of the TV show Supernatural deals with what Sam Winchester does after his brother is dragged off to Hell. The story begins more than a decade after the event, from Sam’s point-of-view as he is seen revising a book he has written. From this beginning the scene is set, showing how Sam has changed since the end of the third season and how he hasn’t changed. The atmosphere slowly develops as the story unfolds, the author weaving a fascinating story around how Sam coped with his brother’s death. The use of a well-known trope, Chekhov’s gun, is a nice treat for those familiar with the series. The vague references to an element of the Supernatural canon will jog the thoughts of a knowledgeable reader and the slow reveal is extremely satisfying.
The style of writing is easy to follow and engaging, fitting with the chosen character point of view and the manner that the story is unfolding. When the conclusion finally arrives it is not a surprise, but it is no less satisfying as it fits into what Sam as a character could have potentially done. In some ways the elements weave into something equally moving and painful, as there are subtle differences from the inspiration and the end result of Sam’s actions.
Good Basis for a Friendship - Star Wars
This vignette from Star Wars focuses on Wes Janson and Derek “Hobbie” Klivian from Rogue Squadron when they were Red Squadron. It has the premise of a drinking party after the Death Star trench run, remembering the pilots lost during that battle. It depicts a conversation between two of the aforementioned pilots before they became the friends they are in the X-Wing books and comics, essentially laying down the foundation bricks for what lies in their future.
The style of writing focuses on dialogue, with a few action indicators to establish the scene between them. It uses canon events as the basis for the pilots’ thoughts, Hobbie joining the Rebel Alliance and Wes’ spot in the squadron being taken by Porkins due to sickness and his death because of this switch. The author’s way of presenting them shows a familiarity with their canon counterparts and remains true to the canon material. The writing is also of high quality and the majority of dialogue is fitting with the scene she is setting.
As someone familiar with these particular characters, I am impressed with how she depicted them and how closely they remained to the original. The premise is realistic in the setting it is presented, as the squadron throughout make a point of remembering past comrades and it remains an interesting take on how Wes and Hobbie developed into the fast friends they are represented as in canon.
Fade - Star Trek
The two-part fan fiction is based loosely off the Star Trek canon, but is set in an alternate universe where the characters are FBI agents rather than Starfleet officers. It is of note that the characterisations are of the characters from the new film rather than the original series. In this avenue we have limited knowledge as to the actual behaviours of James T. Kirk and Leonard McCoy, but the author is working off the cues given in the film and the end result appeases me in the sense of realism she puts into the characters, instead of letting them fall short. It is more humorous than serious, eliciting amusement in the reader quite efficiently with the small segments of scenes the author uses.
It is of note that this is a romance fan fiction that increases at a slow boil. The slash is unsurprising considering Star Trek’s status as the grandfather of slash, but it is presented in a believable manner and the characterisation the author has chosen fits into it. The quality of the writing is high and most notably doesn’t take itself too seriously. The author’s intentions are clear, it is merely to have fun, and the fan fiction reflects this. The use of the story element of two cop partners partnering up for life is a worn one, but it works in this fiction, merely being charming rather than tedious and worn as it has the potential of being.
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