Story 95: "Iolokus" by Mustang Sally and RivkaT

[wendelah1]

A few days ago, someone was talking about fic and the phrase "most famous fic in our fandom" came up. I'm not sure what story she had in mind but surely "Iolokus" has to be a contender for that title. I have seen it nominated by many people for the best fan fiction novel, not just in our own, but in any fandom. I have also seen people say they couldn't finish it because Mulder and Scully were too "out of character."

The misspelled monster that started it all. Although I'm told it promotes heteronormativity in the end, we were more going for polymorphic perversity; you'll have to judge for yourself.

Summary: Painted across the barren and desolate reaches of Texas, the shadows of the Project put additional pressure on Scully and Mulder's already fragile relationship. After a hostage crisis raises more questions about the Project's breeding program, Scully begins her own investigation, leaving Mulder to choose between saving her and saving himself. Finally, the investigation leads to tragedy and Mulder and Scully find that more questions have been asked than answered.

The title reference was to an island mentioned in Medea, to which we turned for fairly obvious reasons.

Warnings: extreme violence, including the death of children.

There are four long sections to this behemoth. My first time through this fic I hadn't much knowledge of canon, so I am curious to see what I think of it now. Thank you to sangria_lila for this excellent nomination. If there is enthusiasm to continue, I suppose we can forge through to the end or just quit with book one. It's your call.

Please leave feedback for the authors and then come back and let us know what you think. Nominations for next time are made here. Since rivkat's site is down at the moment, the link is to the wonderful Fugues Fiction Archive. Of course, the story is also available at Gossamer.

Iolokus

Edit: Since Rivkat's site is back up, here is another link to the story: Iolokus.

Comments

[sixpences.livejournal.com]

I essentially agree with what's already been said about Iolokus as an AU with a specific premise; while my personal view of the characters is quite different (though I must admit to having been very influenced since I read it), I can accept the grounds on which this story is built and let it run from there. This is not my Mulder and Scully, nor one I'd like to read about too often, but the overall vision is so compelling that I believe it. It certainly doesn't hurt that the writing just pops off the page- it manages to be at times gorgeously cinematic and yet fizzing with intellect and dry wit. Iolokus is probably why other first-person fics always fall flat for me.

As I said above I don't think I can re-read the lot at the moment to comment more specifically, but I do remember being bothered in a nitpicky way by Scully coming off an SSRI (for perfectly legitimate reasons) and apparently feeling no 'withdrawal' (antidepressants don't cause genuine withdrawal, but in my experience dropping them quickly brings you pretty close to the DTs) or indeed any worsening of symptoms. But I may be remembering a little wrong, and as I said, minor nitpick.

[notacrnflkgirl.livejournal.com]

"(antidepressants don't cause genuine withdrawal, but in my experience dropping them quickly brings you pretty close to the DTs)"

Can't (http://bipolar.about.com/cs/antidep/a/0207_ssridisc1.htm) they (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SSRI_discontinuation_syndrome) ever.

I agree with you. SSRI discontinuation, even unmonitored, AMA, or abrupt SSRI discontinuation, does not lead to withdrawal in 100% of cases. But it's common enough that it's worth acknowledging.

Although … in 1998, were people who had no experience with SSRIs (I'm seriously assuming here) even aware that could happen? It's 2009, and most of the never-medicated people I run into have no idea.

[sixpences.livejournal.com]

Although … in 1998, were people who had no experience with SSRIs (I'm seriously assuming here) even aware that could happen? It's 2009, and most of the never-medicated people I run into have no idea.

Fair point, but that's why we have research- especially given that the rest of the series feels so real and detailed. Then again, I often have to remind myself that back in the day of XF fic you couldn't just look things up on Wikipedia...

[notacrnflkgirl.livejournal.com]

No, no, definitely agreed. :)

[aloysiavirgata.livejournal.com]

True. I take issue with some of the autopsy stuff (there's no MPD MD, why did the bodies smell of formalin when they were fresh, etc.?) But this right here is what makes everything work for me:

Where was the anger? Why wasn't he aiming it at me? I needed him to be angry so that I could be indifferent to it. His hands slid closer, brushing against my hips and I tried to stand up, but he was too close and I slumped back down without grace.

His face was buried in my neck and he was rocking me, crooning lullaby nonsense and I was so angry with him for infantilizing me. Except that I was also sobbing, without any idea how that had happened, and he had to stop being nice so that I could remember how to be strong.

[wendelah1]

Yes. This was a very powerful, emotional scene; I felt we were robbed of this kind of catharsis at the end of Emily.

[aloysiavirgata.livejournal.com]

Yes, I agree. It was so real that I could just see it. Her all stiff and pale, then just falling apart.

And whoops! I meant to write ME, not MD.

[sixpences.livejournal.com]

Oh absolutely. Any story of any length is probably going to throw up nitpicks for any reader who knows more about subject x than the author did, but I've gotten through and liked stories with far more problems than Iolokus, which were far, far inferior in the writing. That quote in particular could cover a vast multitude of authorly sins. Also it makes me want to cry more than a bit...