Story 104: "Genius" by Kipler

[wendelah1]

Back when I was still having a normal life, I took on a number of Geocities-related projects. One is to recreate The Spooky Awards Archive, complete with working links, but minus the hideous graphics. Even before the demise of Geocities, the links had all gone dead on the old site. I did finish 1995 and put it up at Dreamwidth. Now that I am back working on that project, I thought it might be fun to read some of the stories that won awards back in the day. Believe it or not, some of them still hold up very well.

"Genius" is vintage Kipler, well-written, with believable season two-three Mulder/Scully interaction. It's genfic, which was more common then than now, or so I've heard, but in any case seems perfectly appropriate to me for the time period. The story is a case file/x-file, told from Scully's POV, involving a child abduction. Since it's not been that long since her own abduction, I think it's fair to say that Scully is a little creeped-out by this investigation. We all know how Mulder is with child abduction cases.

"Genius" won the 1995 Second Place award for "Most Carteresque," which I suppose is short-hand for the story that most resembles the show itself. Since I liked the show best back in the first few seasons, I was eager to see what a fine fanfiction writer could come up with that could fit seamlessly into the series canon. Kipler does not disappoint.


Kipler's old site went down when AOL Hometown closed, so the link is to her site, way-backed.

Genius
Kipler-waybacked

If anyone is still in touch with her, please let her know we are discussing her story. Please leave suggestions for next time at the nomination post.

Comments

[flourish.livejournal.com]

I don't believe that I had ever read that particular story, but I agree - very Carteresque. In fact, it makes me want to see if that park actually exists. I'm having a lot of fun visiting the sites of my favorite X-files fanfics - I went to Acadia last summer, having recently moved to the East Coast, and I really enjoyed getting to see it.

As for its gen-ness, it's gen, but it's - Carteresque gen. I mean, if it were an episode, you can imagine both shippers and noromos reading their own ideas into it.

[wendelah1]

In fact, it makes me want to see if that park actually exists. I'm having a lot of fun visiting the sites of my favorite X-files fanfics - I went to Acadia last summer, having recently moved to the East Coast, and I really enjoyed getting to see it.

When I was visiting back East several summers ago, we drove to Rhode Island to visit Quonochontaug. It was nothing as I'd imagined it, but then how could it be?

As for its gen-ness, it's gen, but it's - Carteresque gen. I mean, if it were an episode, you can imagine both shippers and noromos reading their own ideas into it.

Ha ha! "Carteresque gen." I love it.

When I was googling for the story, to see if I could figure out its original posting date (I couldn't--apparently the old alt.tv.xfiles.creative site is no longer searchable.), I ran into the story on a couple of rec sites. Both thought it might of made a good episode and I would have to agree.

[flourish.livejournal.com]

You know, until I moved to the East coast, I never realized how weird it was that Mulder was born in Chilmark and had a summer house at Quonochontaug, and that fanon is that he's Jewish. I just had no idea how totally disjointed that account of Mulder is. Well - I can buy that his family's Jewish but passing as Gentile; and I can buy that he grew up in Chilmark - but not with a summer home at Quonochontaug! Or that he lived in Quonochontaug, and then had a summer house in Chilmark, but that's not how canon goes...

Anyway, I can't believe I didn't say this earlier: Last summer I was sailing, and we anchored in Menemsha, which is the harbor next to Chilmark. It was absolutely nothing like I had imagined it would be, but totally charming (well, duh, Martha's Vineyard) and I could imagine Mulder growing up there. I really wish I'd thought to reread "Aquinnah" on that trip.

[flourish.livejournal.com]

(Also, this got hella off topic. Sorry, guys, will try to reduce my meanderings. Unfortunately, X-files fanfic is so tied in with so many of my personal memories that I occasionally have a hard time sticking to the point, which is: I really enjoyed the story! :P)

[estella-c.livejournal.com]

Personally, I think the meanderings on this board are as much fun as the on-topics. I mean, this *is* a hobby.

[flourish.livejournal.com]

Well, that's a relief! ;) (New member, can you tell? Still feeling out the norms...)

[estella-c.livejournal.com]

As Wendy is due to say any minute now, stick around. (She'll probably say it more graciously.)

Incidentally, if you haven't check out Kipler's Shipper's Guide, please do so. It is the purest, brightest gold.

[flourish.livejournal.com]

Haha, I know it well. I actually have been on the outskirts of X-files fandom since... 1997? 1998? Far before I had any excuse for being such a little kid wandering around X-files fandom, anyway. :P

[wendelah1]

Meanderings are fine here. Norms? Do we have norms? Welcome to xf_book_club.

Since you are the first to finish the story, I need to ask this. I was wondering if you were having trouble figuring out when this story took place. I know it has to be in summer 1995. It can't be summer 1994, because Scully is missing, and this is after her abduction. But isn't summer 1995 one of Mulder's dead periods? I am so confused. Maybe writers weren't so obsessed with the timeline and continuity back then?

[flourish.livejournal.com]

Honestly, I've gotten so used to the norms of Harry Potter fandom ("Canon? What canon?") that I didn't even notice that it was weirdly placed in the timeline. Now that you point it out, I have no idea.