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

[aloysiavirgata.livejournal.com]

And it's funny, I can easily pick out half-a-dozen things I really don't like about it (wrt to some of the above comments, there are plenty of places where I myself can't "see" the characters as Mulder and Scully

Yes to this. I should have been more clear and said I can see them every time I read the story - not in every given scene. Which sounds like hair-splitting, but hopefully you'll see what I mean.

[infinitlight.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry I misunderstood! I think we may actually be on the same page. If I take the story as a whole (it's a big whole!) I think the characterizations are believable. Some scenes I find it hard to accept the characterization, and one scene in particular always stands out to me as the scene where my brain went "NO" :). (I don't want to say which scene it was in case people read this before they've read the story, but it involved Scully, about whom I am very picky (incidentally, there was a *very* similar scene in the film Alien Resurrection, and when I saw it I jumped in my seat and went "Iolokus!" (probably pronouncing it entirely wrong--I say "Eye-oh-low-kus").)

On my first read through (years ago, although I wasn't yet in fandom when it was published), I found these "difficult" scenes quite jarring and hard to take, but I continued to read because I was drawn in. I think I've read the whole story (including Syadiloh--do we count that?) two or three times, but I've read bits and pieces of the whole many times, and I think as time's gone on I am more able to accept the characterizations.

But I digress, as usual.

One thing I notice reading back through fics that I've enjoyed in the past is that I'm a reader who is easily seduced by pretty language and beautiful writing. Some of my favorite fics don't stand up to repeated rereads, despite being well-written and enjoyable to read, because for me a big part of fanfiction reading (as opposed to novel reading--I do a lot of that, too) is the emotional connection with characters that I already know well, and if the story doesn't resonate with those characters I think there's something missing.

Iolokus is a different kettle of fish. I can accept its flaws, I think, as a part of the whole, and I've never really felt so swept along in the writing (1) (as opposed to the story) that I'm not rational about it.

(1) And I'm not disparaging the writing, which I think is excellent, if not perhaps poetic.

Also, the Mooselet is my favorite Original Character, ever.

[sangria-lila.livejournal.com]

Also, the Mooselet is my favorite Original Character, ever.

Oh absolutely. Every time she's described you want to pick her up and cuddle her, until you remember that she's well, not real.

[scarletbaldy.livejournal.com]

I know the scene you speak off in Alien Resurection, and had the same reaction. But if this is the scene where you brain went "NO", this is the scene where my brain went "HELL, YES!" I could completely buy that this particular Scully would do something like this.

I loved all the difficult scenes in Iolokus - though I did not "buy" all of them - but that's probably because I'm a sucker for deep dark angst and love it when good writing roughens me up out of my comfort zone a little.

Overly pretty language distracts me from the narrative flow, which is why I always had troube with Penumbra's writing until Fathom Five came along.

The Mooselet is made of pure genius.

[infinitlight.livejournal.com]

I think said scene is where my brain keeps trying to reconcile Iolokus Scully with 1013 Scully, and it just doesn't seem to gel for me. I like my angst plastered on with a trowel, and it certainly brings that, plus is an amazingly written scene but I have trouble with it.

I really enjoyed Penumbra's Black Hole Season, but while I think she (?) writes beautiful stories, I wasn't as crazy excited about Contact High or Parabiosis. I couldn't seem to get into Fathom Five, but I'll give it another go sometime.

[wendelah1]

Overly pretty language distracts me from the narrative flow, which is why I always had troube with Penumbra's writing until Fathom Five came along.

That's how I feel about a lot of poetic writing, too, although, I'm not sure narrative flow was the point of Parabiosis. It's long on characterization and short on plot, apart from season seven's. "Fathoms Five" is very carefully plotted, the writing is clear and lucid and lyrical. It's very dark--but I think it is by far her best writing.

[infinitlight.livejournal.com]

Sorry also for the long, rambling essay :). I didn't realize how long that got.

[aloysiavirgata.livejournal.com]

*laugh* No worries!


One thing I notice reading back through fics that I've enjoyed in the past is that I'm a reader who is easily seduced by pretty language and beautiful writing. Some of my favorite fics don't stand up to repeated rereads, despite being well-written and enjoyable to read, because for me a big part of fanfiction reading (as opposed to novel reading--I do a lot of that, too) is the emotional connection with characters that I already know well, and if the story doesn't resonate with those characters I think there's something missing.

This is very true of me too. Two of my favorite fics - Iolokus and Parabiosis - have lush, gorgeous writing but the characterization doesn't fully work for me in either one. I'm such a sucker for beautiful language. But these two aside, the characterization has to ring true or I just can't get through it.

[(Anonymous)]

Can I ask what didn't work for you characterization-wise in Parabiosis? That's probably my favorite story of all time, mainly because I thought the characterization was so spot-on :)

-Kate

[aloysiavirgata.livejournal.com]

I've never been quite able to put my finger on it. I should begin by saying that Penumbra - who is a genius - writes these moments that are so unbelievably them that it can practically take my breath away. However, there's a certain...I don't know. Almost an innocence to her characterization that I just don't buy in places. I found it most apparent in Contact High, which I don't care for because of that fact. Which is a shame because the writing is magnificent.

[sangria-lila.livejournal.com]

I think my biggest problem with Penumbra is that she idealizes Mulder and Scully to the point where you can feel it in the writing. That's my problem with Parabiosis - it's just too pretty. And life isn't pretty.

[scarletbaldy.livejournal.com]

I think my biggest problem with Penumbra is that she idealizes Mulder and Scully to the point where you can feel it in the writing. That's my problem with Parabiosis - it's just too pretty. And life isn't pretty.

Marry me.

I so completely agree with this. Though some writers would argue that fic doesn't have to be like life and that they can make their stories as pretty as they want to if they so wish - which is a valid point too - even if those stories will never be my cup of tea.

Regarding Penumbra's characters, I thought Fathom Five was much, much better in that respect.

[sangria-lila.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I actually though Fathoms Five to be the worst transgressor in that regard. A girl called Arabella? Mulder and Scully and William in a house in California, with a pool? I didn't buy that. At least Parabiosis lifted the characters above canon, albeit in a highly idealized way. That said, I adore Contact High.

No, fic doesn't have to be like life, but the stories that move us most are those that you feel could happen in real life. I like Penumbra the way I like Michael Ondaatje's writing - utterly gorgeous, but completely fanciful.

[aloysiavirgata.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's it exactly. She tells beautiful stories, but I don't always see them as stories about Mulder and Scully. But my gosh, when she nails them, she really nails them.

[scarletbaldy.livejournal.com]

I'm such a sucker for beautiful language. But these two aside, the characterization has to ring true or I just can't get through it.


See I love pretty language too, but I think it should be used parsimoniously, otherwise it becomes too distracting, and I'm pulled out of the story. You're going to be more stunned by the one perfect lily in a garden than if you're surrounded by hundreds of them.

One of the issues I had with Iolokus was the overuse of metaphors at times. Some were very striking but the impact was lost because there was another one right on the heels of the previous one.

[sangria-lila.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the snarkiness did get old in Iolokus after a while. I have to say I kept reading because of the Mooselet.

[aloysiavirgata.livejournal.com]

Yeah, some of the metaphors are over the top and just lose something after a point. But hey, having a story that's too clever still beats the hell out of bad writing.