Story 112: "This House is Burning" by Tesla

[wendelah1]

"This House is Burning" is flat-out the best Profiler!Mulder series I've ever read. Tesla's writing style flows effortlessly, and is, by turns, unobtrusive and lyrical. Her Mulder is both much more competent at his job and much less crazy than he's often written. Frankly, that's a pleasant change. But the trilogy is more than a series of meticulously constructed police procedurals, it's also a believable, emotionally involving, Mulder/Scully romance. So let's see: great writing? Check. Exciting plot? Check. Scorching hot sex scenes? Check, check, check. This story was nominated by estella_c, and seconded by yours truly.

tesla321 is still on Live Journal, but unless I've missed something through my inconsistent lurking, she's not actively writing. Could I be more wrong? She's still writing and has even posted a challenge at fandom_charity.

As far as I know, her email address is still current, so go send her some feedback. Or leave it at her Live Journal. Then go donate some money to the Haitian relief effort and get her to write us some fic.

If you don't like my choices, you can always go suggest some of your own.

This House is Burning
Part 1: Blood on the Snow
Part 2: A Thief's Diet
Part 3: The Quiet Glades of Eden

Here in multiple parts on her LJ:

Blood on the Snow 1/2
Blood on the Snow 2/2
A Thief's Diet 1/3
A Thief's Diet 2/3
A Thief's Diet 3/3
The Quiet Glades of Eden 1/2
The Quiet Glades of Eden 2/2

Tesla's Author Page at Gossamer.


Upcoming attractions: "Fathoms Five," by Penumbra, "Blue Patches" by Maybe Amanda, and maybe--Your Nomination.

Comments

[estella-c.livejournal.com]

Tesla is in my top tier of fic writers, as This House Is Burning is in my top tier of her X-Files fiction. She is simply sensational from the point of view of sophistication, streamlined style, built-in wit, grammar, all that good stuff. I reread her with unusual pleasure (except for, you know, the exceptions).

The good thing about THIB is that it is a detailed, law-enforcement-savvy casefile which is *actually* about the Mulder and Scully relationship. Brisk business as usual with a sexy subplot. The perfect fic for me!

I suppose there are some theoretical problems. The middle part, excellent in itself, doesn't seem to advance the main plot or enlarge Mulder's comprehension of his emotional situation. One wonders why Mulder is so impervious to the notion that his partner might be in love with him. A friend pointed out that one could say the same of Scully. Why didn't *that* occur to me? Maybe because, like Tesla, I think of Mulder as a sex god. How embarrassing.

I call these problems theoretical, because they didn't bother me. I am not normally in favor of same-bed scenarios--so unrealistically contrived to one purpose--but Tesla makes hers work. I can't see Mulder as a moony, needy, self-denegrating lover or Scully with a schoolgirlish hot crush. Yet Tesla pulls both characterizations off. I think it has to do with the cool, no-nonsense presentation, the refusal to indulge in excessive interior whine. Scully gets into Mulder's bed because she's scared, they do it because he's stoned, they keep doing it because people do keep doing it, sometimes very foolishly. I bought it all.

Oddly, I thought the final scene was not all that. Of course we want the declaration of love, but the ultimate sex seemed gratuitous. Also, I don't like Scully calling Mulder "you maniac." Fussy, fussy, fussy.

Still absolutely in the top tier.

[wendelah1]

I reread her with unusual pleasure (except for, you know, the exceptions).

We shall not speak of it, please.

I love this story for all of the the reasons you list. As I said upstream, you know the writing is great when the noromo is rooting for the romance.

I call these problems theoretical, because they didn't bother me. I am not normally in favor of same-bed scenarios--so unrealistically contrived to one purpose--but Tesla makes hers work. I can't see Mulder as a moony, needy, self-denegrating lover or Scully with a schoolgirlish hot crush. Yet Tesla pulls both characterizations off. I think it has to do with the cool, no-nonsense presentation, the refusal to indulge in excessive interior whine. Scully gets into Mulder's bed because she's scared, they do it because he's stoned, they keep doing it because people do keep doing it, sometimes very foolishly. I bought it all.

Me, too. Although, I was trying to figure out what those cold pills were with the codeine in them. Plus, if the murderer wants middle-class redheads with moisturized skin, why is he hanging out in strip joints and kidnapping pole dancers? I see a little problem with the profile myself, so it's a good thing they held the press conference and smoked him out. (I'm a little dubious that he'd risk Scully in that parking lot scenario. Scully thought he was full of shit, which is so like her.)

Oddly, I thought the final scene was not all that. Of course we want the declaration of love, but the ultimate sex seemed gratuitous. Also, I don't like Scully calling Mulder "you maniac." Fussy, fussy, fussy.

Humph! I loved the last scene. It would have been totally anticlimactic if they hadn't made mad, passionate love. I have no problem with Scully's use of "maniac," probably because I use the word myself. Besides, he is a maniac, an adorable, brilliant, infuriating, and sexy maniac.

Okay. I have so much more to say and I haven't even started disagreeing C's post yet. Or hlbr's.

Tomorrow.