Yes, we're gathering preciousesssss for a recs update.

Also, x-posty:

Here's a link to the finalists in the "Farscape FanFic Awards 2003".

If you can make it past the awful design, the pop-ups, and the mind-boggling categories, you should go vote for cofax, Makiko, and KodiakkeMax.

t /travesty

I like both kinds, just for different things. And I think a vague feeling of incest-squick keeps me from finding Xander sexier. He reminds me of my brother A TON.

Fay, I think I get what you're saying. When I was a wee girl, I loved fantasy for fantasy's sake. Dragons! Elves! Magic! Wow! I wasn't the most discriminating reader, either. In fact, I got rather annoyed when the fantasy-to-plot quotient wasn't high enough.

I think what happened to me was that as people became more interesting to me in all of their complexity, fantasy-for-fantasy's-sake became less interesting. I love all of the stylistic and metaphorical things that one can do with fantasy, but as you said, it's how the fantasy mirrors reality that makes it interesting, at least to me.

I suppose that's why fanfiction can be so much fun. The stories I like work with or push past the trappings of the show on which they're based, and either get into the characters' heads or explore the world at large in some other way.

I think that to some extent, the more you've lived, the less exciting the trappings of fantasy become. Possibly. Unless you're in a really horrible situation, in which case fair enough. But I can't think of a way of expressing this that doesn't boil down to being offensive and probably using the word 'escapism'.

Fay, I'm actually fairly sure that's true. But for me, right now: 1) bad situation (some days even horrible). 2) Not getting a whole lot of oppertunies for living. 3) Needing the escapism.

Hence the "Elves! Shiny!" attitude.

it needs to have resonances beyond that.

For me, characters who behave realistically, whose problems have echoes in real life problems, and who-- this is the key part-- have ways in which they can win through and solve most of those problems, is resonance enough.

t /whatever that just turned into

RL, I'm still a little unclear on how it's OK for you to ignore certain reading options due to dislike, disinterest or lack of experience, whereas it's not OK (naive) for Suela or someone else to ignore certain reading options due to personal choice, ethics or visceral squick, but we seem to be talking past that point now.

And I said, that's not what I said.

LOTR, not slash: Yasmin's The White Ladies of Rohan.

AtS, not on lj, spoilers through "Awakening": Sheila's Light Walks.

Also LOTR, hobbit love, not the slashy kind unless you insist upon it: Sheila's Love All Alike.

And I like language *and* characterization *and* plot, and I've found those things in both sf/f and literary fiction, and more than once in books that have been published as both at different times in their publication histories.

Serial: And for West Wing fans, the Jeds winners are up.

t /not too bad for fanfic awards

Fail-Safe, The movie I watched last night.

One of the very first DVDs I ever bought. I watched it on AMC a couple of years ago, and loved it.

When it comes to reading/avoiding certain stories, I always listen to my squick. It usually takes some heavy badgering by someone I trust before I will read something that contains any of my hot-button issues.

love all of the stylistic and metaphorical things that one can do with fantasy, but as you said, it's how the fantasy mirrors reality that makes it interesting, at least to me.

Yes, this is what I actually mean when I go off on my "real people/real world" thing.

t moving to literary now

One of the very first DVDs I ever bought. I watched it on AMC a couple of years ago, and loved it.

(It was great! Plus I get to make fun of all the insane, stupid people in my class who wrote insane, stupid papers on it.

Oh wait that's not a good thing.)