Story 187: "Relic of Tough Weather" by Jesemie's Evil Twin

[amyhit.livejournal.com]

For Thanksgiving three years ago wendelah1 posted JET's widely loved holiday fic, "Small Lives Awake." It happens to be the first fic I ever commented on, here at the book club, which makes me feel rather delighted to have the privilege of posting my own choice of Thanksgiving fics this year, this one also by JET.

"Relic of Tough Weather" was written and is set in November, 1999, shortly after the events of TSE:AF. Though it doesn't have the length or popularity of "Small Lives Awake," it is a distinctive blend of JET's signature style: evocative prose and compassionate characterizations.


Relic of Tough Weather


JET's still around, to some extent; I'm sure she would appreciate the feedback. And, as ever, our nomination post is open for recommendations.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone celebrating the occasion.

Comments

[estella-c.livejournal.com]

So I responsibly read this twice, plus I'd read it before, but it is a fic that's hard to get your brain around and therefore remember. I agree that a flair for fine language is on display; no one would argue that JET has major talent. But I believe that her penchant for fancy imagery and deliberate mystification got away from her here.

I like mystery, but not mystification. Which is a lot like obfuscation.

What happens here is very simple. It is a PWP. But there are a bunch of dreams with no transitions provided. I really can't understand, also, why bachelor Mulder would think it appropriate to provide overfamilied Scully with a storebought pie. It's symbolism at the expense of common sense. How about a nice "Thank you, you've been great." And surely literary Mulder would not be so tin-eared as to think that "Baby, wanna wrestle?" is a serviceable come-on.

What bothers me most is the adjectivitus. My husband thinks that adverbs should be illegal (ha, ha) and I don't, but the modifiers have to be tamed and leashed. "Glassine teardrops." "Crumbling shell," "roseate shades of dusk," "unspeakable code," "unimaginable warmth," "burst of crimson pain," "irresistable," "innocuous." It amounts to an overselling of mood when a clarification of action would be more appreciated. I also thought piling winter imagery on top of ocean imagery was too heavy a hint. Death approaches; we get it. (It doesn't help that my hands are really cold right now.)

The irony is that JET is very good on dialogue--I liked Mrs. Pater's term "food wagon"--and is wonderfully sensitive in her scenes of character interaction. More dialogue; few adjectives.

That's a nice quote that I don't remember making, Fish. I'll claim it if no one else wants it.

IN CONCLUSION: I remember really liking JET's "An Influence of Stars." Maybe it would weaken upon rereading, what doesn't, but it has a nice (hint) Christmassy feel.

[wendelah1]

But I believe that her penchant for fancy imagery and deliberate mystification got away from her here.

Yep.

But there are a bunch of dreams with no transitions provided.

And no clear connection to the rest of the story or even to the episodes this is supposedly related to. I think she's trying to use the dreams as a substitute for the endless internal monologue of mediocre fan writing. I appreciate the attempt and applaud the idea, but it didn't work.

I really can't understand, also, why bachelor Mulder would think it appropriate to provide overfamilied Scully with a storebought pie. It's symbolism at the expense of common sense.

I don't understand why he'd even have a pie in his freezer. The dialogue about the pie is cute. Her dialogue is usually excellent. Her Mulder and Scully sound like M&S.

What bothers me most is the adjectivitus.

First, I need to say I love the word "adjectivitus." But I think if the plot made sense and story flowed better, the descriptors wouldn't seem so excessive. I know they aren't helping matters any but I don't think they're the main problem here.

IN CONCLUSION: I remember really liking JET's "An Influence of Stars." Maybe it would weaken upon rereading, what doesn't, but it has a nice (hint) Christmassy feel.

Maybe you could add that to the queue?

[estella-c.livejournal.com]

Yepper! You know I always do what you tell me.

[badforthefish.livejournal.com]

It amounts to an overselling of mood when a clarification of action would be more appreciated.

THIS.

That's a nice quote that I don't remember making, Fish. I'll claim it if no one else wants it.

Ooops, sorry darling, after racking my brain I finally remembered that this notion came from Bellefleur on Haven in a thread about the need for beta readers. This is the actual quote which is quite different from what I remembered:

"In the end, writing is a communal activity. At its heart, it's about communication, and while the idea may belong to you, the words don't. If the words you choose don't effectively communicate your idea to someone else, then the words need to change. And the best way to know you're not communicating clearly is to have someone else read it.

Eh, I guess I thought this was the kind of wisdom that could come from you. *g*

[estella-c.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm flattered. I think. Yes, yes, I'm flattered. (It doesn't take much.)