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"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.
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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.
Better late than never, right?
Date: 2010-04-28 11:56 am (UTC)First, I think the second part is totally unnecessary as part of this fic, and that is the best written of the three. To me it's like Tesla was trying out doing away with (some) transitions, and in the second part is were this just works. The other parts (uhm, at least the third, as I can't remember now any on the first) have some moments where the story jumps around and I suddenly don't know where I am.
Also, this time I noted the hero worship. The only thing that makes it endurable is that it's not there when it's Mulder's pov. Also, the characterizations were a bit... on the service of the (a bit contrived) plot, I guess. I don't think I'm convinced by their fights most of the time.
That said, it still works--it's very well-written.
Re: Better late than never, right?
Date: 2010-04-30 04:39 pm (UTC)First, I think the second part is totally unnecessary as part of this fic, and that is the best written of the three. To me it's like Tesla was trying out doing away with (some) transitions, and in the second part is were this just works.
In Part Two, Tesla uses a very effective framing device by telling the story partly in the courtroom, as Mulder gives his testimony, partly in real time as the events he describes are actually unfolding.
I noticed a couple of choppy passages this time through in Part Three, but partly that is because it is told from both Mulder's and Scully's points of view, which brings me to your assertion that Part Two isn't necessary. It is. Let me try to convince you. Structurally, the story comes apart without it. Part One is all from Scully's pov, A Thief's Diet is all from Mulder's, Part Three alternates between them. Without Mulder's pov on the failed, (aborted?) romance, you don't have the whole picture. Plus, sadly, I believe Mulder's depression and PTSD is what finally allows Scully to feel strong enough to show vulnerability and acknowledge her feelings to him. She comes to him out of need, and feels ashamed. But Mulder loves her and needs her, too, she just can't see it.
Besides the need for Mulder pov, worsened Mulder PTSD due to having Janey die in his arms, and showing him obsessing about loving Scully, I think Tesla also wants time to have elapsed between Parts One and Three. She puts them together, breaks them apart and then puts them back together again. I think she shows us three partnerships, in the three sections: Marti and Donald, who Scully sees as a parody of her and Mulder, Janey and Hal, who is in love with his partner, but never gets to tell her before she's murdered, and our very own Moose and Squirrel.
I think the story would feel incomplete without Part Two. I think its structure minimizes the Mulder introspective whining, while also providing further reason for him to be losing it.
As I said in the thread above this to
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Re: Better late than never, right?
Date: 2010-04-30 08:59 pm (UTC)I think the feeling of hero worship (and really, I didn't feel Mulder's ego was big--that made it bearable) was due to Scully doing really little on the way of investigation. She is focussed on him, as he's later focussed on her in his pov, but she does very very little (indeed, when she finds out stuff, she's being guided by him throughout the conversation). I totally get that the star profiler is him, but... it does create a story in which 1)she's focussed on how awesome he is, 2)he's acting awesome because he does his job perfectly well, 3)she can't even ski, so he helps her there too. I don't mean that it has to bother everyone, but this read, it bothered me.
It's perhaps something in the way Tesla sees/writes Scully, because this is not the only fic of hers in which it bothered me. Even though I really like how she writes in general (i.e. prose, &c).
Re: Better late than never, right?
Date: 2010-04-30 09:35 pm (UTC)Remember, in this first part, we are seeing Mulder solely through Scully's eyes. She's fallen head over heels in love with her partner, and I don't think she was planning this as part of her working vacation. Scully is nuts about him; given close enough proximity, she literally can't keep her hands off him.
Scully not even being able to ski? Well, Tesla is using the time-honored motif of portraying Scully as a fish out of water; both on the slopes and in love, she's losing her balance. I think Tesla believes that without both of them coming unglued a bit, our dynamic duo would never do the deed. Despite the feelings they share, plenty of sexual chemistry, and everything they've been through, their basic natures keep them apart. It's not just Scully who has control issues, imho.
Re: Better late than never, right?
Date: 2010-04-30 09:58 pm (UTC)Just sayin'.
I do believe that This House Is Burning is a fic masterpiece. The power balance is a little shaky, a little vulnerable, but it has been achieved.
Re: Better late than never, right?
Date: 2010-05-01 08:24 am (UTC)Yeah, you are right. Tesla loves Mulder and what? Puts up with Scully, or doesn't, I guess, depending on the fic, which breaks my heart since I love her writing. But I think there is enough push-back here to satisfy my Scullyist tendencies. Yep. This House is Burning is a fanfiction masterpiece.
I do think Scully is a harder character to write well.