kathleen_dailey

Fandom hasn't been much fun lately, partly because of the staggeringly stupid wankage but mostly because there's no source material that's appealing to me right now. My T'Pring story has been sitting half-finished on the hard drive for about six years, and every now and then I take it out and look at it to see whether any new developments are about to reveal themselves. Sadly, answer comes there none. Someday soon I'm going to have to admit that I've said all that I have to say about the TOS universe and its characters.

I've toyed with a few non-Trek ideas. For years I've been wanting to undo Gillian Holroyd's bad, bad decision in Bell, Book, and Candle, and maybe I'll actually accomplish that one day. (For some reason, I've long envisioned a crossover between BB & C and Auntie Mame--crazy, but think of that 1950s New York setting.) I have a few pages of David Addison in fiftyish middle age already written, but that's probably a topic best not explored in depth. And the five futures of Yu Shulien (CTHD) are still waiting in limbo to unfold.

I've been in search of fic--any fic, anywhere, by anyone, in any universe--that makes me catch my breath in awe at the author's skill and imagination. The last story that triggered that feeling in me was "[I succeeded in crawling into the breast of my big boss!]" by Miss_Priss. That was the best piece of fic I've read in years and years.

http://archiveofourown.org/collections/yuletide2009/works/32850

But since then, nothing I've read has even come close to engaging either brain or heart.

Worse, nothing I'm watching has inspired me to write stories. I'm very much enjoying Mad Men, Big Bang Theory, Modern Family, Lewis, and Sherlock, but (like Babylon 5) those shows don't seem to be in need of either post-ep or spackle fic, the only two subgenres I'm apparently any good at. I'm only somewhat enjoying The Closer, Warehouse 13, and The Event. I thought for a while that Castle, White Collar, and The Mentalist had some promise, but they're burdened with derivative writing and uninteresting characters. (Except for Castle's mom--maybe I can find a time-travelling way to write her into a Gillian-and-Mame fic. I have a feeling she'd get along well with both those ladies.) Being Erica has gone all stupid and soppy, and if they're heading for an Erica/Dr. Tom pairing I won't be sticking around to witness it. House, Bones, Doctor Who--for me, all writeoffs. (And I never ever thought I'd say that about Doctor Who, but thereyago.) I think Republic of Doyle returns in January or thereabouts--not much to look forward to, but it's something.

I live in hope that some episode of some show will have the kind of impact on me that "The Enterprise Incident" did.

If, ten or twenty years ago, anyone had predicted that I would greet an explosion of new Trekfic with not much reaction other than bemused detachment, I would--well, I certainly would have disputed that prediction. And yet. I've been reading a LOT of AOS stories and thinking, ho-hum, yet another fandom in which the fan-written characters bear no resemblance to the onscreen characters. JJ Abrams served up some very nutritious food for thought, but the stories I've been reading range from "initially promising but ultimately disappointing" to "too embarrassing to continue reading." I wish I could find the writers of substance in AOS, but they may not reveal themselves until well after the new canon is closed. (Wouldn't be the first time that's happened.)

I'll keep looking. Somewhere out there a writer is constructing a thoughtful, layered story that illuminates the onscreen characters rather than forcing them into LJ-approved insta-stereotypes. In my experience, satisfying stories don't tend to be written in a matter of days or weeks. Credible universe-building and character exploration takes a long time and a good deal of reflective thought. I remain hopeful, but I don't really expect another Claire Gabriel or Jane Land to materialize in the immediate future.