wendelah1: (Fugue)
[personal profile] wendelah1
This week, we're doing a rerun, while I'm waiting on a friend to finish editing her podfic of "Ingenue" or for so-kiss-me-goodbye to complete "The Lambs," whichever comes first.

Back in the day, I had a theory that "Fugue" was written as a response to complaints that the show is a deeply sexist text, with Mulder being the one who drives the plot, and Scully as his sidekick. That's not how I see the series, and it is just a theory. But there does seem to be a subtext to this fable, one that hinges on female identity and how easily women still can submerge themselves in deference to their mates' ambition and passions.

We discussed this for the first time back in 2008. Eight years seems long enough to justify a rerun of one of my personal favs. Reading this deeply affected me; in fact, the first fic I wrote was in response to "Fugue," rather than the series, and that was long before I'd heard of Remix. It remains one of my favorite stories, in this or any fandom.

Fugue (26052 words) by rivkat
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Dana Scully/Fox Mulder
Characters: Dana Scully, Fox Mulder
Additional Tags: Amnesia, Juvenilia
Series: Part 1 of Fugue
Summary:

The DSM-IV defines fugue as travel in foreign places, often under an assumed identity.



Since our first discussion, "Fugue" has become a series, providing two more reasons to revisit the fic.

Devoutly to be wished (496 words) by rivkat
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Dana Scully, Fox Mulder, C.G.B. Spender
Additional Tags: Eight crazy nights
Series: Part 2 of Fugue
Summary:

The prompt: The ending of Fugue: The image of Scully shivering on that cold floor, in shock after the visit from the Smoking Man? It haunts me. Please get her up off that floor and, if possible, into a happier ending.



Variations on a Fugue (1224 words) by rivkat
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Dana Scully, Fox Mulder
Additional Tags: Amnesia, Remix
Series: Part 3 of Fugue
Summary:

Alternate vision of Fugue, for hulamoth. Fox was the one who couldn't remember, and Dana got her memories back.



After you read the series, consider leaving feedback and/or kudos for the author. Please come back and let us know what you think. As always, the nomination post is open for your suggestions.
wendelah1: (Default)
[personal profile] wendelah1
First, your Fanfiction BINGO Update. We're getting so close! Come on, people, we can do this. We still need a story for each of the following categories: Aah-aaah!, Best Friends, MY ASS, and Straight People Do Not Exist in This AU. I can imagine exactly what the latter would look like. It would be an AU with these pairings: Mulder/Krycek, Skinner/Doggett (don't tell me you can't see it) and Scully/Reyes. Someone, somewhere must have written this fic.

Like a good little mod, I am trying to stick to the nomination queue. I'm working backwards, which means if you nominated something last year, we will get to you this year, but if you nominated something in 2008, chances are you've moved on long ago, maybe to Fringe, or to the Sherlock fandom, or possibly The Walking Dead. Sorry about that, folks.

Last year, an anonymouse nominated--something else--by Analise, a something else I didn't care for. We've never done one of her fics and I couldn't bear the idea of doing something that seemed so--uncharacteristically sentimental. So because I'm Bad Mod Wendy, I decided to be contrary and post her post-col/thriller fic, which I read a long time ago and remember liking. What can I say? I like post-col stories.

This is the pretty, illustrated version, but there is a text file on the site, too, if that's your preference.

SUMMARY: Colonization has come and gone, taking civilization with it. But not necessarily civilzation's monsters.

Read A Thin Veneer
wendelah1: (old people have sex?)
[personal profile] wendelah1
I admit it. I have been resisting reading this fic solely because of the title. I'm an old hippie. The song, written and performed by Joan Baez, starts playing in my head the second I see it and I can't get it out again. But I've received several requests for this story over the years from a dear friend and loyal member of this community, so here it is at last.

TITLE: Diamonds and Rust (Not part of the Syntax Universe) [meaning her fic "Syntax and Measure"]
AUTHOR: MustangSally
DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: ATX. Whatever
SPOILER WARNING: None [It was posted sometime in Fall, 1997]
CONTENT WARNING: NC-17 (Adult situations and language)
CLASSIFICATION: MSR
The Disclaimer: As Oscar Wilde said while going through customs "I have
nothing to declare except my genius."

The writer is top notch. I have it on excellent authority that the sex is hot.

And yeah, okay, the song is pretty good, too.

For feedback to the author, I don't think any of the old email addresses will work. But, you could PM her at [livejournal.com profile] mustangsally78. Getting feedback on old fic that you think no one new has heard of, let alone read in the past 10 years, is a Good Thing (I hope). Besides, you never know. She might write us something new.

Read Diamonds and Rust. (Also at Gossamer.)
wendelah1: (Scully in front of the poster)
[personal profile] wendelah1
She's back. "Original Sin" is [livejournal.com profile] syntax6's long unfinished WIP, abandoned in 2008 after six gripping chapters. To my surprise and delight, she has returned to fandom, and over the past few weeks, posted the remainder of the story. She updated her website, too, adding a half dozen or more stories in a new fandom. It looks good.

It's post Fight the Future, and Scully has moved to Utah. Unfortunately for her, the X-Files followed her there. She must not have noticed that the state emblem is a big old beehive. Poor Scully. When will she learn? Tags: NC-17, mytharc, casefile, M/O, S/O, MSR, chipfic, Samantha, horribly absent & hugely apologetic author.


If you haven't already, email her some feedback, then please come back and let us know what you think.

Remember, the nomination post is always open for your suggestions.

Read Original Sin
wendelah1: (Movie Night)
[personal profile] wendelah1
"In a Dark Time" by [livejournal.com profile] eliade is one of the first Mulder/Krycek stories I read, and it's still one of my all-time favorite XF fics, in any genre. It fulfills every requirement of mine for good M/K: it's set during season two, prior to Scully's abduction, it's by turns violent, twisted and passionate—and so is the sex. If you haven't watched "Sleepless," "Duane Barry" and "Ascension" recently, this story will let you see the episodes in an entirely different light. I have reread this compelling story many times, because it is just that good.

The link is to her X-Files fic page, way-backed; the story links are on the right. You can also find this at the Basement but I believe this is a more recent version, plus it includes a unfinished sequel.

The X-Files fanfic of Anna S

You can try sending feedback to the author via her LiveJournal address. Please let us know what you think of the story. The nomination post is always open for your suggestions.
wendelah1: (Nurse Cherry knows best)
[personal profile] wendelah1

I didn't think it had been that long since I last posted here, but I see LiveJournal has changed the posting format. Again. Well, I guess we'll see how it goes. It looks like I have to insert my own paragraph breaks now. Lovely. Or maybe I can't make them at all?

This story was suggested by [livejournal.com profile] estella_c. It has a holiday component; however, merry it's not. But it's [livejournal.com profile] jetfic so it's well-written, original, poignant, etc.

Summary: "When stars are in the quiet sky, the most I pine for thee," —Edward Buward Lytton. Or Mulder and Scully at bedtime. Overall, it's less smutty than it sounds. (Sorry)  

Category: Oddness, M/S. Post-ep For a Good Portion of Season Seven in Fewer Than 13 Pages With Less Than a Point Than Usual.

Spoilers: Yes, through "All Things."

The author is still on LiveJournal so you can pm her feedback. I believe her email is current. The link is to her old site, waybacked, but this story is also available at Gossamer under Jesemie's Evil Twin.

Let us know what you think and please keep the suggestions coming.

Read "An Influence of Stars" (way-backed) | "An Influence of Stars" (Goss, scroll to story) | "An Influence of Stars" (LJ)

wendelah1: (Default)
[personal profile] wendelah1
It's still October 31 on my coast, so I feel fine about posting a Halloween story. In honor of our dynamic duo winning the Shipper Cage Match, I am posting some "Halloween (mind) Candy." No spoilers.

Sally says: Yeah, didn't think we could pull it off, didja? No deaths, no major traumas, just some harmless fluff—flirtin' and fuckin' as my granny used to say. Weird family, I'll admit. Speaking as one who has partied in a cemetery on more than one occasion, you can't beat it—they're quiet as the grave.

The link is to AO3, but you can also read this at either author's page at Gossamer if you prefer plain txt. If you do read at AO3, don't forget to hit the Kudos button on your way out. Even visitors can leave a kudo.

Read "And Dance by the Light of the Moon."



Happy Halloween!
wendelah1: Scully reading From Outer Space (science fiction)
[personal profile] wendelah1
I hope we haven't discussed this here already. I searched diligently but if it's a repeat, blame my brain. This post is a belated birthday present to a dear friend, who liked this story quite a bit back in the day. I hope she still does. It is also an unsubtle attempt to lure back our other moderator. I miss you, [livejournal.com profile] amyhit.

"Never" is an MSR smut-biscuit, pure and simple, in the venerable under-the-covers while undercover genre. It's sexy and cute and better written than most of the genre. Naturally, I wish she'd gone ahead and written the undercover story that sets up the sex scene... Predictable Wendy is predictable.

If you can find her, send the writer some feedback.
The nomination post is always open for your suggestions.
Hate it or love it, I want to hear what you think of this story.

Read "Never".
wendelah1: (I'm crabby)
[personal profile] wendelah1
Happy Canada Day and Happy Fourth of July.

Sokol was suggested in March of 2011 by [livejournal.com profile] estella_c, which tells you that we're a little backlogged. It's a good summer read: a novella length, fast-paced thriller, a myth-arc story that gives us an alternative ending to the series. I consider it essential reading for this fandom. In the MSR category, I'd put it up there with Iolokus, Arizona Highways and Life During Wartime for its ambition, scope and quality of writing.

Rated NC-17 | 176K | Category XRA | Archived 06-04-09
Spoilers: The Red and the Black
Keywords: Mulder/Scully romance.
Summary: A boy, a girl, a girl, a spaceship, and how things end.

Though Sokol is a sequel to the much earlier "Reach," all you need to know is that (1.) it takes place in an alternative universe set after "The Red and the Black" and (2.) that Mulder and Scully have now moved their relationship to the next level.

The link is to Fugues Fiction Archive, where there is a text version and also a PDF file. Additionally, you can read the story at Gossamer as well as at his old site on the Internet Archive.

Read "Sokol."

Please let us know what you think, and leave your suggestions for next time in the nomination post.
wendelah1: (But what of that?)
[personal profile] wendelah1
One of the things that impresses me about this story, is the intensity of the (albeit short) sex scene. It's amazing what an author can do with a few choice pieces of dialogue in the right setting. If you're a Krycek/Mulder fan, and hell even if you're not, you'll find this story very appealing.
~Bright Shiny Objects

I'm not so sure about that, but we shall see.

One of the fascinating things to me about fandom is how we're not all watching the same show.

Let's try again, shall we?

While we may all be playing the same DVDs (known hereafter as The X-Files), we can have completely different reactions to the same episode. For example, I think "Paper Hearts" is one of the worst episodes of the series but a good friend believes it's the best, and we can both make convincing arguments for our respective positions. Fans can make completely opposite interpretations of what it meant when Mulder told Scully that he even made his parents call him "Mulder." What hooks us into the show (and then the fandom) isn't always the same thing either. For some fans, The X-Files is about Mulder and Scully, two heroic FBI agents who investigate the inexplicable and fight the forces of evil. For others, it's a show about Mulder and Scully, two gorgeous and sexy FBI agents who fall in love, and okay yeah, so they solve crimes sometimes, too. And for some fans of the series, the most important or at least the most fascinating thing about The X-Files is the character of Alex Krycek.

Someone posted to the Confessions from the Basement tumblr that they "wished this fandom wasn't so militantly anti-slash." I can't speak for everyone else, but I'm not anti-slash. I read slash, although less in this fandom than most. Although you've probably already read it, here you go, anonymouse from tumblr, have some great Mulder/Krycek slash.

Read "Let's Play House."

Love it or hate it, please let us know what you think. And please, especially if you want to read more slash, leave us some suggestions in the nomination post for next time.
wendelah1: (Pride and Prejudice)
[personal profile] wendelah1
I'm feeling a wee bit obsessed with season seven at the moment. I already know what most people's favorite season seven story is (and don't get me wrong, I like "Parabiosis," too), but this one is mine.
Summary: An explanation of Mulder's sudden belief in "miracles." Arthur C. Clarke's second law in action. A bit of Mytharc in the guise of a case file. But in the end it's all about sex. Then again, what isn't?

I can't think of anything to add at the moment. The link is to her old site, now at reocities, but if you want to read an old-skool text file, the entire fic can be read or downloaded at [livejournal.com profile] onemillionnine's Author Page at Gossamer.

If anyone has suggestions, especially for season seven stories, feel free to leave them in the comments or the suggestion post. And good, bad, or indifferent, please let us know what you think.

Read "El Quinto Sol".
wendelah1: (happiness)
[personal profile] wendelah1
After reading "Five Things That Never Happened to Dana Scully" last week, it seems appropriate that this week's offering is also about a "road not taken." Since three members separately expressed some interest in reading it, and because Sabine is an accomplished and entertaining writer, "Dance Card" is now on our dance card.

Author's Note )

That will all make sense after you read the story, I promise. "Dance Card" has two sequels: "What Happened After That" and "Moonshine," which could be subtitled "What Happened After What Happened After That." The links are all to Gossamer under "Sabine" if the links get broken; the first and third are also at Fugues Fiction Archive. Discussion on any and all of the three is welcome. Sab is [livejournal.com profile] iamsab here and Sab at AO3, but alas, these stories have never been re-posted to either location.

Leave feedback, leave suggestions, and come back for discussion, which is still ongoing for the last two fics we read, by the way. You guys are awesome.

Read "Dance Card".

Read "What Happened After That".

Read "Moonshine".
wendelah1: (Mulder TV)
[personal profile] wendelah1
This week's theme is Under the Covers Undercover. Yeah, I made that one up, but it does pretty much sum up this week's selection. Mulder and Scully are in Las Vegas, posing as a couple (duh!) to get dirt on some scumbag mafia type. This was originally posted under the moniker "Anubis," who it turns out was a small group of fanfiction writers who decided it would be fun to write stories individually and then post them under the same sock puppet. Yeah, I don't get it either, so there must be more to the story than what little I've gleaned.

Anyway, this story is funny and sexy, which is exactly what I'm in the mood for.

Summary: Not enough plot to summarize. I only wrote one story as Anubis. As for the rest, I'm not sayin'.

Organized Crime had jumped at the chance to have fresh faces doing the surveillance, and Mulder had jumped at the chance for a weekend in Las Vegas, and they met in the middle and smacked together and came down right on Scully.

Ever since she'd been lured to Vegas, Mulder had been itching to go together. Unfortunately, all the time she'd spent apart from the Gunmen was rather hazy in her mind and she hadn't resisted with as much vigor as she should have. Now that she considered it, Mrs. Franklin was a pretty pitiful excuse even for him. Mulder no doubt had some sort of dark and nefarious bet with the Gunmen involving what *he* could get her to do in Vegas.

Regardless of his true motive, he'd signed them up to do surveillance on Chip Morelli in a hotel in the ridiculous and superstitious shape of a giant pyramid. A black glass pyramid with neon coursing down the edges in case any alien spaceships needed landing lights. Mulder was in love with it.


I'm kind of in love with its ultra-tackiness, too.

You can read Anubis's other stories at their Gossamer page, and then try to guess who wrote the rest. Members, Watchers, Lurkers: feel free to come forward if you are one of the other authors!

Read Sore Luck at the Luxor at AO3. Leave feedback for the author, then let us know what you think. Suggestions are always welcome at the nomination post.
wendelah1: (I love you)
[personal profile] wendelah1
As promised, we now return to our originally scheduled programming.

So. "Tangible" by Blueswirl. This was nominated by [livejournal.com profile] badforthefish. It's post-col, MSR. NC-17, probably. It has some sequels co-written with Meredith but we are reading this as a stand-alone since the Fish says they aren't of the same caliber as the original. Also, I'm pretty sure that series was never finished.

I have no idea if Blueswirl is still around, maybe under another name and posting in a different fandom or just hanging with her homies. If she is, let her know we're discussing her fic.

The nomination post is always ready for your suggestions. The link to it is on the Link List and the Tags List and in the profile so I never have to type it again.

Read "Tangible".
ext_20969: (Default)
[identity profile] amyhit.livejournal.com
Our second Halloween fic this year is "Through the Fire," a very distinctive AU that basically incorporates a little bit of everything into the mix.

In this universe Mulder has been imprisoned for several years on false charges, and Scully has continued their work in his absence. Now she must cope with a dangerous case - an MoTW with its roots at the heart of the mytharc - while also coping with a sudden change in Mulder's circumstances. It's a tense, unusual, and downright creepy fic with an M/S dynamic that's intense and quite lovely. Diana, Jeffrey Spender, and Skinner also have parts to play.

Through the Fire

Oh my god, you guys, I'm SO SORRY! Anyone who downloaded the text file of the fic missed chapter 6! My face is literally in my palms. I read the whole fic and didn't even realize I'd missed an entire chapter, and from the looks of things an important one. I only just realized it now.

That is, from what I can tell, the only place the fic is posted. If the format (which is seasonally cute, but also rather visually loud) bothers you, I've uploaded the fic as one complete Word file, which you can download here.

Happy Halloween, everyone! And season's greetings to anyone who doesn't celebrate.

ext_20969: (Default)
[identity profile] amyhit.livejournal.com
In The X-Files fandom there are debatably no two authors more closely associated in the minds of fanfic readers than RivkaT, the author of our last fic, and MustangSally, who are indelibly linked by their co-authorship of "Iolokus". Which is why this week we're going to be reading "All the Children Are Insane," perhaps MustangSally's most widely read solo fic.

It's a vignette set in the summer after S5, with sex, angst, and the burnt-office base notes of existential crisis. The posting date stamp on "All The Children Are Insane" is June 18th 1998, just one day before Fight the Future hit theaters. To me the writing has always hummed with the captured tension of that summer, the fever pitch of fannish excitement and anxiety.

All the Children Are Insane

[livejournal.com profile] mustangsally78 is still around; sending feedback never hurts. And as always, our recommendations thread is over here.
ext_20969: (Default)
[identity profile] amyhit.livejournal.com
We're back into the angst, this week, with a couple of vignettes that fill in some of the blanks the previous fics have hinted at about Mulder and Scully's past assignations, and the days of their early relationship. First up is "The Fall of Our Summer", a post ep for Drive, which Kyber originally posted to [livejournal.com profile] xf_is_love in 2009. Second we have "Poems", a post ep for Wetwired, and the second to last instalment in the KvsS7 universe.


The Fall of Our Summer

Poems


Only one more KvsS7 fic to go. Hopefully you've been fascinated, intrigued, or otherwise drawn in by the story so far, and you'll tune in five (or so) days from now, to reach the end of the road with us.
wendelah1: (happiness)
[personal profile] wendelah1
[livejournal.com profile] syntax6 posted this fic back in 2006 under a different pen name: Pink Flamingo. Later on, she added it to her site, which is how Wendy Newbie found out Syn had written it. For the record, I like this story much more than the rather perfunctory email I sent to the Flamingo (one_leg_to_stand_on@hotmail.com) would indicate. I was so moved by it that one sentence was all I could manage at the time, and I'm not sure I can do much better now. Maybe this will do: I love all of her stories, but this one felt like it was written just for me.

Having made that admission, opposing viewpoints are always welcomed here.


"Apex"

Please send feedback to the author, then come back and tell us what you think. If you are getting tired of the current theme, the nomination post is always open.
ext_20969: (Default)
[identity profile] amyhit.livejournal.com
[livejournal.com profile] wendelah1 has been extra busy lately, so I'll be posting again this week. Because Human Credentials sparked a fair amount of discussion for its controversial sex scene, Wendelah suggested we read First/Second by Amal. Short and without a plot to speak of, it's not much like our last rec in any way, but it does feature a less than idyllic sex scene that is striking and worthy of discussion. Not to be mistaken for PWP, this fic is written with the skill and intelligence that is characteristic of Amal's writing.

First/Second by [livejournal.com profile] amalnahurriyeh

Tell us what you think, feedback the author, and feel free to give us any recommendations you have in mind.

ext_20969: (Default)
[identity profile] amyhit.livejournal.com
Recently, while reading Human Credentials for the first time, I had such a strong desire to discuss it that I knew immediately I was going to post it here at some point. Then, while going through our recs page, I was pleased to find it had already been recced quite some time ago by [livejournal.com profile] tiger_bay.

Human Credentials picks up after FTF, in an AU season 6, when a mysterious lead prompts Mulder, Scully, and Diana to set out on an adventure that will challenge their humanity and take them to the ends of the earth, possibly in more ways than one. The fact that this fic is over 400K tends to suggest it's a story with a fair amount going on. That's an understatement. There's not a lot that isn't going on in Human Credentials. It incorporates the mytharc in a way that makes a powerful and surprising amount of sense, and it makes excellent use of nearly every major secondary character from the show, as well as bringing in at least one intriguing original character. On top of that, it has the kind of dark, controversial Mulder and Scully characterizations that are sure to spark discussion. And there's a fair amount of hot sex too.


Human Credentials


A Few Specifications and Caveats:

Regarding Diana Fowley: Her role is mainly in the first third of the fic, so if you aren't a fan of her character and you just can't see yourself making it through 400K of her presence, don't write this fic off! Human Credentials does give Diana her due, but it's still very much Mulder and Scully's show.

Regarding the sequel: There is one, and it's called Lendemains. It's an unfinished WIP, and it was written about a decade after Human Credentials. You may discuss it in the comments if you want to, but the 'official' rec is Human Credentials only. It's just easier that way.

Regarding our schedule: Because this fic is so long, we might spend more time on it than usual. If discussion is still going on after seven or eight days, or if people start posting saying they fully intend to comment but they need a little more time, then [livejournal.com profile] wendelah1 and I will hold off on posting a new fic for a few more days.

Regarding the content warnings: Heed them. Characters do some very troubling things in this fic. Things that will make excellent points for discussion, I think, but I don't want anyone getting blindsided.

Profile

xf_book_club: (Default)
X-Files Book Club

July 2017

S M T W T F S
      1
2345678
9101112131415
1617181920 2122
23242526272829
3031     

Syndicate

RSS Atom

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Jul. 11th, 2025 02:30 pm
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios