Story 171 and 172: "Collapsar" and "Weret-Hekau" by Khyber

[amyhit.livejournal.com]

Because the book club has been such a ghost town recently, wendelah1 and I were considering going on a brief hiatus. Then I mentioned I'd been thinking about rereading "Khyber vs. Season Seven," and Wendelah suggested we read it here, rather than going on hiatus. So for the next month we're going to be kicking back, relishing the end of summer, sipping imaginary iced tea (or real iced tea (it could be love)), and reading KvsS7 at a pace that is decidedly not breakneck.

For those of you who don't know, KvsS7 is a series of ten stories written by Khyber, the majority of which are set in S7. Most of these stories are vignettes, though there are a couple of longer fics, and they all take place in the same slightly alternate universe. Khyber's aim was (among other things) to craft a retelling of S7 by replacing some episodes and adding onto others, so that in theory a reader could watch S7, intersperse it with his KvsS7 instalments, and wind up with a finished product that functioned as a successful alternate outcome for the season (and perhaps for the entire series). Sadly he never finished the KvsS7 project, but even unfinished the KvsS7 stories are complex, intelligent, and often strikingly intense. They feature a Mulder and Scully who are in character yet subtly different from canon, and a story universe that is written with a level of stunning realism TXF rarely attempted to achieve.

We're going to start with the vignettes "Collapsar" and "Weret-Hekau," which are post eps for Millennium and Theef. In approximately five days we'll post again, and continue to post at about that pace until we've covered all ten fics. This does not mean discussion on the previously posted fics must stop, it's just for the sake of organization.

KvsS7 was a weighty concept and a remarkable project, and the resulting fics are sometimes lovely, sometimes horrifying, and often breathtaking. I hope you'll give this fic universe a try, and tell us your thoughts and opinions. This is definitely the sort of fanfic to provoke thoughts and opinions.


1. Collapsar (post Millennium)

2. Weret-Hekau (post Theef)


ETA: I just now realized we actually have covered "Collapsar" here before, about two years ago, as some readers may remember. I even participated in the discussion. Memory fail, amyhit. I'm not going to link you to that discussion, since we're going to be reading the whole thing through this time, and I think it would be nice to get some fresh comments, if we can, without anyone feeling daunted by the prospect of repeating something someone else said back in 2009. However, I'm sure anyone who is interested will be able to find the post in question with a few clicks of a mouse.

Comments

[estella-c.livejournal.com]

Forgive me for ignoring the name issue; I grew up with such an ugly moniker that I fudge it any way I can. But Dana is a nice name and should occasionally be appreciated. As for Weret-Hekau, I think it a perfect post-ep vignette. It's about magic, and it's magical. The language supports the theme. It's rich in that wild poetic streak amyhit referred to, and Mulder's masculine sexual appreciation of off-duty Scully adds to the potency. Our Scully now believes in extreme possibilities, and of course she turns to her partner and soon-to-be(?) lover for understanding and succor.

I'll admit I can't keep the season 7 stuff clear in my head. Jigsaw puzzles aren't my forte.

I'm a life-long reader of fantasy fiction--a field more varied than many people know--and I've often said that the challenge of fantasy is not original plot-making or world-building or whatever fannish term is up for discussion. It's simply that the fantastical as subject requires fantastical language, and that takes a LOT OF TALENT. W talked about the average and those who are obviously far above, like Khyber. The same holds for bff's (big fat fantasies, often in many volumes) on the bestseller list. Most of them are as mundane as wiping down woodwork and hanging curtains. (Oh God help me, I just reminded myself of my real life.)

I seem to be running amuck, topic-wise. Beats painting the bookcase.

[infinitlight.livejournal.com]

I recently started reading a lot more fantasy novels myself. One thing that strikes me about fantasy as a genre (for me) is that all the dragons, magical lands and quests in the world won't hold interest if the characters don't ring true. If they're not mundane, in the mundane-recognizable sense rather than the mundane-boring sense. I think this is something I like a lot about the X-Files: there are spaceships and fluke monsters and so on, but at the heart of it are characters who are like real people, in whom I can see myself.

[estella-c.livejournal.com]

This is of course true, and very well put. As for fantasy fiction, the kind of books you describe are the (often illegitimate) children of the JRR Tolkien phenomenon. "Weird tales" actually have a long and wide (though semi-hidden) history. You might check Fritz Leiber or Jack Vance, if you're not already familiar. There's a continually confusing and contested overlap with science fiction.

Hey, if you're going off-topic, go big.

BTW, GRR Martin is DAMN good.

[infinitlight.livejournal.com]

I think it's okay, there's no-one here to see us going off-topic. I have indeed been reading Tolkien clones. I've loved Lord of the Rings for a long time (not least because it's my father's favorite book) but have mostly avoided fantasy genre until now. I know a little more about sci-fi.

I haven't read any Leiber or Vance, thanks for the suggestions, I will follow up.

Everyone's talking about George RR Martin :). I have the first of ASoIaF (I'm sure I got that acronym wrong) but haven't started it yet. That is a big series. Epic fantasy readers must need reinforced bookshelves.