Hm, I think Wendelah may be gearing up to nag me. It's okay, Wendy. I already nagged myself.
I think I'm hitting an "it's famous and perfect" wall. Because it is. Anyone who's hung around X fandom for any length of time has been introduced to "Strangers," usually by people who are signalling their politeness in not giving away the breathtaking ending. It's our Sixth Sense, our Murder of Roger Ackroyd. And it subtly earns the surprise, especially with that daring mention of Mulder. Our first response is to say, "wait, she cheated." No, she didn't. It's so cool.
Though not flashy, this is a very literary story, and that is also quite daring when we think that the observing pov is a young waitress earning money for college. But that's solved in the first line. She's a *literary* young waitress. Also very cool.
If I sound flippant, it's because I tend to be more comfortable with light and clever than serious and touching. Fortunately, I think we can all agree that "Strangers and the Strange Dead" is both clever and serious. And this is confirmed by the chill, after that final reunion scene with its shock and relief, of remembering all those strange dead bodies...
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
winterfish
no subject
Date: 2009-04-18 05:18 pm (UTC)I think I'm hitting an "it's famous and perfect" wall. Because it is. Anyone who's hung around X fandom for any length of time has been introduced to "Strangers," usually by people who are signalling their politeness in not giving away the breathtaking ending. It's our Sixth Sense, our Murder of Roger Ackroyd. And it subtly earns the surprise, especially with that daring mention of Mulder. Our first response is to say, "wait, she cheated." No, she didn't. It's so cool.
Though not flashy, this is a very literary story, and that is also quite daring when we think that the observing pov is a young waitress earning money for college. But that's solved in the first line. She's a *literary* young waitress. Also very cool.
If I sound flippant, it's because I tend to be more comfortable with light and clever than serious and touching. Fortunately, I think we can all agree that "Strangers and the Strange Dead" is both clever and serious. And this is confirmed by the chill, after that final reunion scene with its shock and relief, of remembering all those strange dead bodies...