Story 91: "The Fractured Landscape" by Zuffy and Littljoe

[wendelah1]

Welcome back! I hope you had a great August holiday.

In light of some recent discussions I've had about character POV, and whether or not writing a character unsympathetically accurately represents how an author feels about the character, especially in season 8 fic, I decided to read some season 8 fic. Just to get my biases out of the way, I haven't read much of it because I kind of hate season 8. Okay, I really hate season 8. But we aren't here to discuss that, we're here to talk about fan fiction!

Synopsis: How does the tense and chilly Mulder of 3Words turn into the relaxed and confident man joking about "the pizza man"?

The authors rate this story PG-13 for language.

If anyone has season 8 fic they would like to recommend we discuss, you may make those suggestions here. If you think reading season 8 fic is a terrible idea and want to read something else, you can make that suggestion at the same place. I know I've skipped over some of your suggestions, but I promise we'll get to them eventually.

Give feedback to the authors and then tell us what you think about the story. Heck, you can even tell us what you think about season 8 and/or author POV versus character POV in season 8 fic. Come prepared with supporting examples of your thesis. Joke. Just read the fic. Although, I would love to read meta about that topic if there is any, she said wistfully.

"The Fractured Landscape"

Comments

The Good - part 1

[amyhit.livejournal.com]

On the other hand, the doggett characterization seems like the strongest thing in the fic. His voice is marvelously in character, I think, right down to the wording:

“That what you want for her, Mulder?"

“Your life worth living?"

“When were planning to drop it on her? After your head turned to mush?"

he’s blunt, and he drops words that would make his speech more technically correct. He’s a guy who probably spent his twenties thinking ‘street smart’ was what it was all about - he’s not worried about sounding like some dandy who graduated from oxford.

And this exchange between doggett and mulder was, I felt, miles better and more loaded with meaning than anything the show mustered up:

"Look, Knowle and I go way back." Doggett shakes his head. "He's given me too much good stuff."

"Then he's been setting you up for a long time."

"Do you ever listen to yourself? You really think that all these years, my source has been stringing me along on the off-chance that he can get at you? That it? God, Mulder, paranoid doesn't begin to describe you. I thought coming back might have mellowed you out."

"How exactly would being dead make me less paranoid?"

that’s the mulder I want to see - the mulder who just knows how this stuff works - he’s graduated top in his class in conspiracy 101. And doggett questioning him doesn’t make him any less certain. Yes, yes, yes.

And you know what, as negative as I can be about this fic, the above passage, and the following three lines, which address mulder’s mindset expressly, made me feel the whole piece was well worth reading:

He can't remember whether it is spring or fall. – I sleep really strange hours, and sometimes when I wake up I don’t know whether it’s morning or night; anyone who’s ever felt this on a recurring basis knows how freaky and dislocated it feels. I can’t imagine how mulder feels, not even knowing what season it is.

"Hey watch it. That's my good socket wrench."

Mulder continues to turn it in his hand, flexing his wrist and testing it as a weapon. Doggett takes his eyes off the street for a second and grabs it from him. "I changed the plugs," he says, stuffing it under his seat. "That's all it's good for."

Mulder wipes the oiliness against his jeans. "Yeah, I know." His voice is dazed. Daily life is a minefield of things other people know that he doesn't.

that is just the perfect tone for mulder. It’s like on one level he’s this little kid who isn’t even consciously thinking as far as what exactly he could do with the wrench, but really he’s dangerous because he’s so ready to fight off anything, and you think, ‘no, mulder knows exactly what to do with it if need be.’ and the narrative doesn’t sell doggett short, because you can tell that he gets it - that mulder could easily end up in a situation where he was dangerous, just from being so screwed up internally.

And finally, When she was taken so many holes opened in his soul that some days the only thing left standing was his death wish.

It’s so dark, but it almost provoked a nervous laugh from me. I love the irony of it.

i've apparently forgotten html

Re: The Good - part 1

[wendelah1]

My theory is that Doggett was supposed to become the POV of the audience, the way Scully was in season one. The problem is that the viewers are not new to this series, they've seen it all, they already know what's behind doors one, two and three.

I like the exchanges between Mulder and Doggett, too. They do seem better than what the series came up with for the most part. They also make Mulder's willingness at the end of Vienen to hand over the X-Files to Doggett a little more credible.

that is just the perfect tone for mulder. It’s like on one level he’s this little kid who isn’t even consciously thinking as far as what exactly he could do with the wrench, but really he’s dangerous because he’s so ready to fight off anything, and you think, ‘no, mulder knows exactly what to do with it if need be.’ and the narrative doesn’t sell doggett short, because you can tell that he gets it - that mulder could easily end up in a situation where he was dangerous, just from being so screwed up internally.

Yes. He seems pretty on edge to me in this episode. I think the fic does a good job of illuminating that state of mind for the reader.

It’s so dark, but it almost provoked a nervous laugh from me. I love the irony of it.

Can you elaborate for me? I'm feeling confused.

Re: The Good - part 1

[amyhit.livejournal.com]

Can you elaborate for me? I'm feeling confused.

you mean what is the irony behind the line, When she was taken so many holes opened in his soul that some days the only thing left standing was his death wish. ?

it's that wishing to be dead is wishing for peace, stillness, rest - to lie down and not get up. so if the only thing left standing in mulder is his death wish, that means the only thing keeping him moving is the desire to be still, and the only thing keeping him standing is the desire to lie down.

it's a small line, but it's also quite masterful - psychologically speaking. i'm sure a person could apply this line and all it's complexities to a discussion of suicide, compulsive and destructive behavior and use it as a catalyst for all sorts of postulations.

it's also patches into mulder's particular characterization quite deftly. you could even say that this way of responding to stressors is mulder's form of scully's "one step forward, two steps back". it's the flaw in the logic of his behavior that keeps him pressing onward, even when pressing onward doesn't seem to make much logical sense.

Re: The Good - part 1

[wendelah1]

Yes, thank you, that makes sense now.