xf_book_club | Entries tagged with season 4

"Queequeg was a native of Rokovoko, an island far away to the West and South. It is not down in any map; true places never are."
— Moby-Dick; or The Whale, by Herman Melville

Fanfiction, both reading it and writing it, has been off my radar entirely these past few months. You can easily guess why. I even forgot the

xf_book_club's anniversary date. Sorry about that.

But since I've been in bed with a cold this week and in need of amusement, I decided to see if there was anything new to read. You haven't checked the fic forum at Haven in months, my brain chimed in helpfully. That's true. Okay. I'll do that.

Since I struck gold, I decided to bypass the nomination queue. Lo and behold: prufrock's love has posted a new story! Like so much of her best work, it's an AU, but this is not a historical. This X-Files universe stays fairly close to canon, though with a more realistic take on the cancer arc.

"Finding Rokovoko" is a spooky horror story set in the fourth season, beginning right after "Never Again." The casefile/X-file feels just like an episode of the series, complete with classic Mulder/Scully banter and a myth-arc related plot. Also, perfect title is perfect. You'll see what I mean.

Read Finding Rokovoko.

If you're in the mood for holiday-themed fic, you might check out

maybe_amanda's daily posts at Haven.

Please come back and let us know what you think. Remember, the nomination post is always open for suggestions.

wendelah1

This week, we're doing a rerun, while I'm waiting on a friend to finish editing her podfic of "Ingenue" or for so-kiss-me-goodbye to complete "The Lambs," whichever comes first.

Back in the day, I had a theory that "Fugue" was written as a response to complaints that the show is a deeply sexist text, with Mulder being the one who drives the plot, and Scully as his sidekick. That's not how I see the series, and it is just a theory. But there does seem to be a subtext to this fable, one that hinges on female identity and how easily women still can submerge themselves in deference to their mates' ambition and passions.

We discussed this for the first time back in 2008. Eight years seems long enough to justify a rerun of one of my personal favs. Reading this deeply affected me; in fact, the first fic I wrote was in response to "Fugue," rather than the series, and that was long before I'd heard of Remix. It remains one of my favorite stories, in this or any fandom.

Fugue (26052 words) by rivkat
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Dana Scully/Fox Mulder
Characters: Dana Scully, Fox Mulder
Additional Tags: Amnesia, Juvenilia
Series: Part 1 of Fugue
Summary:

The DSM-IV defines fugue as travel in foreign places, often under an assumed identity.

Since our first discussion, "Fugue" has become a series, providing two more reasons to revisit the fic.

Devoutly to be wished (496 words) by rivkat
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Dana Scully, Fox Mulder, C.G.B. Spender
Additional Tags: Eight crazy nights
Series: Part 2 of Fugue
Summary:

The prompt: The ending of Fugue: The image of Scully shivering on that cold floor, in shock after the visit from the Smoking Man? It haunts me. Please get her up off that floor and, if possible, into a happier ending.

Variations on a Fugue (1224 words) by rivkat
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Dana Scully, Fox Mulder
Additional Tags: Amnesia, Remix
Series: Part 3 of Fugue
Summary:

Alternate vision of Fugue, for hulamoth. Fox was the one who couldn't remember, and Dana got her memories back.

After you read the series, consider leaving feedback and/or kudos for the author. Please come back and let us know what you think. As always, the nomination post is open for your suggestions.

wendelah1

I love angst and fix-it fics (and the writing of prufrock's love) but I'm ready to take a break from the post-series, post-IWTB setting, and read something set earlier in the series. This rec comes from last year's The Ten Greatest XF Fics You've Ever Read. Read what

zinnia03 had to say about "America's Games":

America’s Games by Sarah Segretti. Author’s synopsis: “Assigned to the bioterrorism squad at the 1996 Summer Olympics, Scully tries to make sense of confusing evidence, her baffling partner and her uncertain place in a world where the X-Files don't matter.” Set just post-Talitha Cumi and Herrenvolk. Sort of a fish-out-of-water story with Scully temporarily assigned away from Mulder and the X-Files, though of course Mulder can’t stay away long. Scully tries to puzzle out the information from files they found at Strughold Mining, and Mulder wants to investigate ginseng farms in Canada. Both are frustrated by their lack of progress, plus there's an undercurrent that is making them snipe at each other. High tension story that fits the mid-series tone.

Read America's Games.

I'd love to know what you thought of the story. The nomination post is always open for your suggestions and I will get back to posting them soon. You can also read this fic at Sarah Segretti's Author Page at Gossamer.

wendelah1

I reread this last month when I noticed

aloysiavirgata had been archiving her fanfic at AO3. I liked it a lot. "This Her Fever" is a connected series of fill-ins set during Gethesemane/Redux, which I enjoyed best for the sympathetic portrayals of the secondary characters: Bill Scully Jr., Maggie Scully and Father McCue.

I think this fic is both noromo and shipper friendly. Members who prefer their fanfic minus the sexy bits can read it as long as they skip past chapter 17 and not lose anything essential since the plot remains faithful to canon. Other readers can now skip right to chapter 17...

Rated R | 26,126 words | Archived 09-07-06
Spoilers: Detour (and Gethsemane and Redux, adds Wendelah)
Keywords: Mulder/Scully romance.
Summary: It is, she thinks, a fitting coda to her life that Mulder and Father McCue should cross paths in this room, both trying to offer her salvation.

Read This Her Fever at AO3 or as a text file at Gossamer.

It seems appropriate to post this Scully-centric fanfic rec on Dana Scully's 51st birthday.

wendelah1

It's too quiet around here, folks.

I just finished reading this next story, nominated by

infinitlight. It's a carefully researched casefile, a very good one, if a little on the graphic side for me. (Damn. Why am I such a light-weight?) As it unfolds, it gets better and better, and has memorable climax and denouement. I'm classifying this as gen fic, Teen-for violence.

Title: Fragile
Author: Ophelia
E-Mail: OpheliaMac@aol.com
Rating: R--mature themes
Category: T, A
Spoilers: General Fourth Season, my own fanfic story, "Poison," and a story called "Favorite Child" by Lindsay, which gives an interesting interpretation on the choice the Consortium forced Bill Mulder to make.
Keywords: Mulder/Scully UST
Summary: Mulder and Scully are called in on a case described as an alien abduction, but Mulder suspects something both more commonplace and more sinister. Mulder angst, Scully angst, imaginary small town in Wisconsin angst.

You can try sending feedback to the author, although in my experience, fandom AOL addresses are mostly dead ends. Please let us know what you think. The nomination post is always open for your suggestions.

Read "Fragile"

wendelah1

As I'm not a big fan of the fantasy genre, I was leery of trying this story by Brighid. But I'm glad I did, and I think you will be, too. It's season four, a genfic X-file, with no specific spoilers. She also lists two keywords: Mulder & Faery. Her summary: Mulder falls down the rabbit hole. Well, that's one way to put it. The author rated it PG-13 for being "a bit weird and disturbing." Perhaps so, but this story is magical.

Thanks to

xfdryad for the recommendation.

Read Sans Merci.

You can also read or download it at Gossamer.

If you like, send the author some feedback, then come back and let us know what you think. The nomination post is always open for your suggestions.

wendelah1

One of the things that impresses me about this story, is the intensity of the (albeit short) sex scene. It's amazing what an author can do with a few choice pieces of dialogue in the right setting. If you're a Krycek/Mulder fan, and hell even if you're not, you'll find this story very appealing.
~Bright Shiny Objects

I'm not so sure about that, but we shall see.

~~One of the fascinating things to me about fandom is how we're not all watching the same show.~~

Let's try again, shall we?

While we may all be playing the same DVDs (known hereafter as The X-Files), we can have completely different reactions to the same episode. For example, I think "Paper Hearts" is one of the worst episodes of the series but a good friend believes it's the best, and we can both make convincing arguments for our respective positions. Fans can make completely opposite interpretations of what it meant when Mulder told Scully that he even made his parents call him "Mulder." What hooks us into the show (and then the fandom) isn't always the same thing either. For some fans, The X-Files is about Mulder and Scully, two heroic FBI agents who investigate the inexplicable and fight the forces of evil. For others, it's a show about Mulder and Scully, two gorgeous and sexy FBI agents who fall in love, and okay yeah, so they solve crimes sometimes, too. And for some fans of the series, the most important or at least the most fascinating thing about The X-Files is the character of Alex Krycek.

Someone posted to the Confessions from the Basement tumblr that they "wished this fandom wasn't so militantly anti-slash." I can't speak for everyone else, but I'm not anti-slash. I read slash, although less in this fandom than most. Although you've probably already read it, here you go, anonymouse from tumblr, have some great Mulder/Krycek slash.

Read "Let's Play House."

Love it or hate it, please let us know what you think. And please, especially if you want to read more slash, leave us some suggestions in the nomination post for next time.

amyhit.livejournal.com

This week we have a short fic with a long title. The aurthor calls it penance for some "MSR atrocities" she wrote (under an undivulged pen name) when the show was in its early years. The fic itself is MSR, but what drew me to it was that it feels different from what I'd come to expect of MSR. It's set in season 4, sometime after 'Memento Mori,' and is essentially a spare but introspective study of Scully and her relationship with Mulder as they both attempt to come to terms with the reality and the potential outcome of her illness.

Relativistic Gravitation and Celestial Mechanics by LM

Side note:

wendelah1 and I were unable to find this fic archived anywhere and we could not get in touch with the author, but I had a copy of the fic saved so we decided to archive it on Fugues in the Key of X. If anyone knows the author or knows how to contact her, please let us know so that we can properly ask her permission to archive her fic. If asked to remove it from the archive, of course we will comply with the author's wishes.

wendelah1

This week's story was nominated by

badforthefish. Go Fish!

The Lure of the Fox
By Caroline O'Callaghan
Rating: NC-17 I suppose, but it's nothing too bad (not sure what she means by that...I guess we'll have to wait and see.)
Classification: Mulder/Scully Romance. Mulder and Scully pursue a serial killer who calls himself 'The Fox'.
Spoilers: Small Potatoes/Never Again
Disclaimer: Mulder and Scully don't belong to me - I hereby promise to return them when I've finished playing with them.

I haven't read it yet. Neither has

amyhit, so we'll all be reading it for the first time to-gether. Fun times!

Like "Every Sparrow Falling," "Lure of the Fox" was first posted back in 1997, so we're still in early fanfic territory. Shall we call this a theme? Shall we read more early stuff? Is there something else you'd like to read instead? Why, then head to the nomination post and let us know.

As far as feedback goes, I have no idea if the email address is still valid, but I'm guessing not. If anyone has a valid email for her, please let us know. In any case, good or bad, we'd like to know what you think.

Read "The Lure of the Fox".

wendelah1

What a nice response we got to "Oak Leaves in October." It's good to remember that there is more to this fandom than just the canon ship.

"Every Sparrow Falling" is a case file that is also an x-file. This is Mulder and Scully doing what they do best, investigating the paranormal. It's been some time since I last read this, but I remember being scared out of my wits. There is no summary from the author so here's the one from Raiders of the Lost Fanfic, Maybe Amanda's old rec site: "Casefile, paranormal, religion, madness. And hot dogs, peanuts, and Cracker Jack."

( Read an excerpt )

Read "Every Sparrow Falling", then come tell us what you think.

The link is to IOHO's archive, but if their bandwidth runs out, you can also read it on her old site via the Wayback Machine or at Gossamer.

wendelah1

Fall is here, though you'd never know it by the temperatures in SoCal. I read "Up the Ladder" in 2007, when I was new to the fandom. It's novella length, at 30,000+ words, but wow, it is a fast read. I would have pegged the word count at half that or less. It was originally posted in 1997. Yep. This is old-school fanfiction at its best.

Summary: Marita comes through for Mulder, giving him what he wants most. But twenty-five years haven't brought as many changes as he might have thought, and her gift might be more dangerous than anything he's faced to date. And what's up with those bees? A potpourri of Conspiracy elements with many old favorites present. Note: Almost everything here about bees is actually true, except for the parts that are just paranoia.

"Up the Ladder"

The link is to AO3, where you can easily leave feedback for our author, but you can read this at her website or at Gossamer if you prefer. Leave your suggestions at the nomination post. And don't forget to let us know what you think.

amyhit.livejournal.com

Kipler did most of her fic writing between 1995 and 1997, placing her solidly among the early era X-Files fanfic writers, though she didn't write Strangers and the Strange Dead - arguably her most widely recced story - until 2000.

Waiting was written, and is set, in the summer of 1997, after Gethsemane. Following the cryptic and devastating event of Mulder's evident demise, Scully inadvertently happens upon a casefile, and finds herself drawn into its eerie mystery while she bides time in and out of hospital rooms, waiting for her own imminent death to claim her. For such a small fic, there's a lot to this one. Kipler's writing is spare, intelligent, and deeply but subtly poetic - very in tune with the nuances of tension and emotion underlying surface reality.

I first read this fic about a year ago, and it left me feeling a curious combination of awestruck, dazed, a little bit sick with grief, and a little bit giddy with pleasure. But we've covered three of Kipler's fics already so I was hesitant to post Waiting for my own gratification alone. When I saw that

coldthermistor had recced it, I could've hugged her.

Waiting by Kipler

I'm not sure if this Waybacked link will work. If not then you'll have to head over to where it's posted on Gossamer to read it. You know the drill, just c/p the url into a new window.

wendelah1

Ever wonder what happened between the silence of Never Again and the flowers from Memento Mori? Ever wonder if Scully's night with Ed Jerse affected her relationship with Mulder in any way? Ever wonder what pushed Scully to go to the hospital and find out about her cancer in the first place? Ever wonder how her illness might have affected her work or if she ever thought about Leonard Betts' words?

Well, we did...

So did I. I love it when fanfic writers try to fill in some of the blanks the writers of our beloved yet flawed series left behind. Nominated by

idella, this fast-moving case file addresses those very questions.

"The Common fate of All Things Rare"

If you haven't already, please send the authors your feedback, then come back to discuss the story. You can leave suggestions for next time in the nomination post.

wendelah1

You are correct. This is a re-post of "Theory and Practice." I was so disappointed that no one commented on this story that I deleted the May 7 entry. I have to try to do a better job of selling this story to you all (clearly, I did a crappy job the first time around) because this story deserves to be read and discussed.

I am also posting to let you know that this community is most likely going on hiatus until the middle of June. I am leaving for New York in a little over a week and am considering going cold turkey on internet access. No, seriously.

Okay, back to our fanfic rerun.

Set between Demons and Gethsemane at the height of the cancer arc, it is as much about the emotional impact that Scully's illness is having on their relationship, as it is about the case file itself. Nascent's theory about that impact is unique, but it seems far more consistent with the canon characterizations than many of the stories set during the time frame. While it is not a romance in any conventional sense of the word, let me reassure you, this is a love story.

"Theory and Practice" could have been filmed as written, except for the sex scenes, of course. If it had been, it would have been a damn memorable episode. The dialogue is snappy: Mulder sounds like Mulder, Scully sounds like Scully, the original characters sound like real people. Their discussions of the case sound like they could have been lifted from the show. The x-file is truly creepy, and the relationship stuff is interwoven into the plot very deftly. This fic is not as long as you think, which I discovered when I printed it out to read. There is another story, also very good, that is attached to the file. It is called "Insider Trading." You should read it, too. Krycek plays a major role in that one, and so does Skinner.

What follows is an section from the first chapter, which I am hoping it will suck you all in, since the beginning of the fic didn't do it for you.

( Read an excerpt )

Theory and Practice

Nascent and Flywoman's Fanfiction (via the Wayback machine)

Though the author left the fandom long ago, I would like to know what you think of the story, whether it be good, bad or indifferent. Suggestions for next time can be made here.

Current Mood: hopeful

wendelah1

For sometime now, I've been meaning to post something by OneMillionAndNine. She's brilliant and infuriating, funny and heart-breaking, angst-ridden and erotic, often all in the same story. The problem was, I just couldn't seem to decide on which one. Should I go with my personal favorite, her comic novel "El Quinto Sol," for its wildly original take on Mulder's sudden belief in "miracles" in "Per Manum"? Or, maybe "Premature Ejaculation," her quirky version of a post-ep for "All Things"?

Luckily for me, a choice has been made. Thank you,

amyhit for choosing for me. Told from Mulder's point of view, "The French Inhaler" is a tragicomic examination of the effect of Scully's cancer on Mulder, on Scully and on their relationship. It is NC-17, underage readers, yada, yada.

Send feedback to the author, then come back and tell us what you think. As always, suggestions for next time can be made at the nomination post.

"The French Inhaler"

XF Fanfic by OneMillionAndNine

wendelah1

This week's choice is mine. I decided to look through the spoiler category in Gossamer for Gethsemane. I felt there had to be another, more satisfying take on the episode. Look what I found! "Blood and Breath" is by one of my favorite writers,

rivkat . I love the way she sees Scully and this is a very Scully-centric piece. Like "Primal Sympathy," it was posted in 1997 during the hiatus, but it is a very different approach to the cliff-hanger at the end of Gethsemane.

Here is what the author had to say about the work:
Classification: XAR
Rating: R for violence and sexual situations
Summary: Post-Gethsemane, and major changes are afoot. If there's a genre you don't like (and I think you know what I mean), stay away.

There are spoilers in the comment thread.

Let us know what you think; let the author know what you think; and please, let us know your suggestions for next time. I promise we will get back to the queue in a couple of weeks.
"Blood and Breath"

wendelah1

This week's story, nominated by

leyosura, is Primal Sympathy by Lydia Bower. Here is what the author has to say about the story:

SPOILERS: You bet! Everything up to and including Gethsemane.
RATING: R for language and content.
CLASSIFICATION: XRA, MSR
SUMMARY: In order to find a cure for Scully's cancer, Mulder
fakes his own death without her knowledge. Once reunited, they
embark on a journey of discovery that may end up costing them
their lives.

Let us know what you think; let the author know what you think; and please, let us know your suggestions for next time.

emily-shore.livejournal.com

Our new story was chosen by

wendelah1. It is an AU version of "Paper Hearts."

"Things that Lie Outside"
by JET
(jetpaine@yahoo.com)
(eviljesemie@yahoo.com)

December 2002
Scullyfic/Emuse Secret Santa Swapfic

Let us know what you think; let the author know what you think; and please, nominate a story for next time so that I don't have to pick again!

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X-Files Book Club

July 2017

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16	17	18	19	20	21	22
23	24	25	26	27	28	29
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Page Summary

wendelah1 - Story 270: "Finding Rokovoko" by prufrock's love
wendelah1 - Rerun: "Fugue" (the series) by rivkat
wendelah1 - Story 267: "America's Games" by Sarah Segretti
wendelah1 - Story 254: "This Her Fever" by Aloysia Virgata
wendelah1 - Story 220: "Fragile" by Ophelia
wendelah1 - Story 210: "Sans Merci" by Brighid
wendelah1 - Story 206: "Let's Play House" by Polly Burns
amyhit.livejournal.com - Story 205: “Relativistic Gravitation and Celestial Mechanics” by LM
wendelah1 - Story 196: "The Lure of the Fox" by Caroline O'Callaghan
wendelah1 - Story 195: "Every Sparrow Falling" by Alloway
wendelah1 - Story 182: "Up the Ladder" by rivkat
amyhit.livejournal.com - Story 167: "Waiting" by Kipler
wendelah1 - Story 83: "The Common Fate of All Things Rare" by Scarlet Baldy and Aloysia Virgata
wendelah1 - Story 81: "Theory and Practice" by Nascent
wendelah1 - Story 77: "The French Inhaler" by OneMillionAndNine
wendelah1 - Story 14: "Blood and Breath" by RivkaT
wendelah1 - Story 13: "Primal Sympathy" by Lydia Bower
emily-shore.livejournal.com - Story 2: "Things that Lie Outside" by JET

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X-Files Book Club

The reading group for X-Files fanfiction

Entries tagged with season 4

Story 270: "Finding Rokovoko" by prufrock's love

Rerun: "Fugue" (the series) by rivkat

Story 267: "America's Games" by Sarah Segretti

Story 254: "This Her Fever" by Aloysia Virgata

Story 220: "Fragile" by Ophelia

Story 210: "Sans Merci" by Brighid

Story 206: "Let's Play House" by Polly Burns

Story 205: “Relativistic Gravitation and Celestial Mechanics” by LM

Story 196: "The Lure of the Fox" by Caroline O'Callaghan

Story 195: "Every Sparrow Falling" by Alloway

Story 182: "Up the Ladder" by rivkat

Story 167: "Waiting" by Kipler

Story 83: "The Common Fate of All Things Rare" by Scarlet Baldy and Aloysia Virgata

Story 81: "Theory and Practice" by Nascent

Story 77: "The French Inhaler" by OneMillionAndNine

Story 14: "Blood and Breath" by RivkaT

Story 13: "Primal Sympathy" by Lydia Bower

Story 2: "Things that Lie Outside" by JET

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