Story 72: "Flea Market Economy" by Punk Maneuverability

[leucocrystal]

So... this is the first time I've posted a rec here, obviously!  I'd have backed out like the easily intimidated little fandom squirrel I am, but Wendy poked me with a (figurative) stick and asked me to post this for her, and who am I to deny our lovely moderator? ;)  After all, she asked for more humorous suggestions in a thread in the previous rec post, and I was the one who just had to jump in and open her big mouth.  I can't be sorry about that though, because either you've read this fic before (it is rather infamous) and will not be at all sorry to give it a re-read, or you never have and you clearly need to remedy that right now.

Believe me, I'm the first picky reader to shake their head in disdain when you say "genderswap" to me, especially if you do it with a straight face.  It's been so long since I first read this fic, I can't even remember what ultimately pushed me over that "NO" line and into it... I'm guessing I gave it an initial shot because I was on a PunkM kick and figured that if anyone were to do it right, this would be my one shot to see for sure.

And of course, it's done wonderfully.  Hilariously, incredibly, you've-got-to-read-it-to-understand; all that and more.  I can't help but wonder whether PunkM has ever had a dream of some sort that involves waking up inexplicably in someone else's body, because that's how it feels to read this fic, and it is all the more excellent for it.  And as you might imagine, hijinks most definitely ensue.  (How could they not?)

Flea Market Economy

What are you waiting for?  Go read, laugh like mad, come back, and discuss!  If you have a suggestion for reading, you can let us know here.  And remember, as dashakay is always telling us, feedback matters.

Comments

choked up

[estella-c.livejournal.com]

I so wanted to comment on this, one of my favorite fics, but I love it so that "love, love, love" is pretty much all that comes to mind. I get all choked up with the laughter.

So Wendelah's husband posted a metafic (linked on her blog) and by bizarre association I thought of my husband the sometime movie critic and alltime afficianado of off-center sexuality. He's never read fanfic but I said "bodyswap" and he was there. He read the *whole thing.* Punk M. has no idea how highly s/he was complimented. I asked for a blurb and he came up with "a cross between Tootsie and The Crying Game." Well, duh. I was hoping for something more insightful.

Considering the potential this subject has for lowbrow porn, I think the writer has come close to creating art. Not *high* art, maybe, and of interest only to those of us who value the source material. It has a limited audience and won't be around in fifty years. But it's as good as Some like It Hot!

Mulder coping with an underwire bra recovers Muldertorture for the comedians. And I enjoyed the weird bleed-in of erotic attraction when Scully notices Mulder's(her) hands on her(his) tits.

Re: choked up

[leucocrystal]

Hee, I am with you, believe me. A friend and I reread it together (over AIM), and all that basically consisted of was the two of us quoting every line back to each other and snickering like crazy.

That's awesome that your husband read the whole thing, especially if he's never ventured into fic before! That's definitely a high compliment, but it's totally deserved in this case, so.

I can only chorus in with your last bit. I like how it's 90% comedy, yet the 10% serious really hits it out of the park, too. I just can't imagine bodyswap fic being done more expertly than this.