Two fic recs and a rant

[star-dragon5.livejournal.com]

Some time ago, I came across a certain HP fanfiction series. People were raving about it, calling it "better than canon" in some cases, so naturally, I checked it out.

On the one hand, the writing was amazing, the plots were intricate, and there were no Sues or Stus to be seen. On the other hand, canon had been brutally murdered, the characters were so OOC I wanted to cry (case in point: Lily Potter, of all people, was made into a child abuser), and I got a Dark-worship vibe I didn't like.

I sat in front of my computer, horrified. This? This was supposed to be better than canon? This fanfiction-in-name-only that twisted the world and characters of HP beyond recognition? I'd rather read OotP and DH than these fics! (Okay, maybe not OotP. But definitely DH.)

I don't even like HP that much, and I am Not Happy. I don't know why I bother trusting other people's judgement. That the author is a genius just makes things worse. Either she had no grasp of HP canon or was deliberately ignoring it. I believe it was the latter, which just hurts.

Anyway, fic recs!

Title: Strange Bedfellows
Authors: das_mervin and Mrs. Hyde

Awesome crossover, even though I know nothing about one of the canons in question.

Title: The Hand
Author: BeastOfTheSea AKA guardians_song

It's a shame the author abandoned this fic after one chapter--it had the makings of a very good, if very creepy, fic.

Comments

[nx74defiant.livejournal.com]

Actually the AUs that really annoy me are the ones that stick so close to the book i just think why even bother.

[traverse.livejournal.com]

It depends, for me. I've read superb fics which closely follow the plot, but, having been written from another character's perspective, fill in some events, background, undercurrents that the protagonist could not know or missed (because, let's be honest, Harry comes across as a fairly self-absorbed and unobservant teen). I like these alternative perspectives as much as I like those where a slight change in the course of events changes the characters themselves.

But yes, there are also ones that are effectively plagiarised from Rowling. Why write fics if the author insists on absolute reverence to canon?

[nx74defiant.livejournal.com]

To me Alternate Perseptive is not considered Alternative Universe.

But in both cases you need something new to add outside of what is in the books.

[nx74defiant.livejournal.com]

To me Alternate Perseptive is not considered Alternative Universe.

But in both cases you need something new to add outside of what is in the books.

[traverse.livejournal.com]

Arguably, any change of perspective changes the story. More to the point, the alternative perspective fics I read had a few changes events-wise, too. The overall outcome may remain the same, but it's the route taken there that matters.