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

[traverse.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the recs. As for the rant, it would have been easier to appreciate it had you named names and included the title of the fic in question. You should not assume that everybody knows what you are talking about. I can't remember anything I read that matches your description.

On a broader point, I accept quite a lot of latitude (not limitless though) in the interpretation of canon. Whether or not the author actually 'murdered' it, in my opinion, will depend on many things. AUs exist, and while not to everyone's tastes, have a function of exploring how differently characters may behave if put into different circumstances.

[star-dragon5.livejournal.com]

The Sacrifices Arc by Lightning on the Wave. The first fic, Saving Connor, is here (https://www.fanfiction.net/s/2580283/1/Saving-Connor) if you're feeling brave enough.

[traverse.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Bookmarked for later reading, but this is based on the trope I could never see the point of - 'The Other Boy Who Lived'. So we'll see how far I get.

[chicory-fics.livejournal.com]

Amusingly, I knew immediately what fic you were talking about. I read it up till the sixth "book" for the same reasons as you (people praised it to the heavens and called it better than canon) and I was ultimately unimpressed.

The world-building was the only truly impressive thing about it. The rest of it was, in my opinion, nonsense. (And this comes from a person who truly cannot stand the canon Potter, either.)

I have to disagree with you on one thing, though. I think the Harry Potter in the fic was even a more insufferable Stu than in the canon. A pretty, pure fay, who has massive magical powers and was abused besides? Not to mention that for six "books" he takes one step forward and then two steps back in regards to said abuse.

(Which makes it amusing if Lightning on the Wave and Limyaael are truly the same person.)

[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.