A Little Bit of Ancient Fannish History

[shipperx]

Today, someone over on spuffyficrecs asked about Season 6 fics. I don't know that I was any help because I don't remember a lot, but it did have me thinking about some of the old school fics that I enjoyed way, way back in the day when the show was still ongoing and when the canon was still very open ended. Some of the old school fics that still linger with affection in my memory:

Dancing Lessons -- I don't remember what the plot was. For the life of me, I really don't. But, it was absolutely part of my viewing experience of BtVS. It was posted as an ongoing fic that I anticipated just like real episodes and, in many ways, it's forever linked in my head with canon BtVS, even though they're nothing alike.

The Hearts Filthy Lesson - I recognized Mustang Sally and Rivka T's names from the X-Files fandom where they were fannish famous for their Scully angst-opus Iolokus. The Heart's Filthy Lesson is totally, totally AU (post-FFL) and the characterizations are unique to the authors, but... you know, I didn't care. It was fun! And it had a sequel in Serious Moonlight

Ships that that Pass Into Type by Honor H -- Buffyverse characters discover fanfic!

Also from way back in the day, GGNoel's Definition of a Monster - Part I It's all vague in memory (I suspect that if I were to read it now it would almost be like new) but I do remember -- Buffy, Spike, and Nazi Occupied France! (Time travel was involved) This also had a sequel in Definition of a Monster - Part II

Daemons Luminati - primary memory? Angels can be bastards (Not Angel the vampire, but the punishing heavenly warrior sort)

When Eternity Lies in the Balance - Jericho

Isabelle's 100 Years of Solitude Of which, other than the title, I have no memory of at all (perhaps I should re-read it. I must remember it for some reason, right?

Annie Sewell-Jennings - Ruination in Red Again, I have no idea what it was about, but the link was in my archive and I remember liking her stuff

Cousin Jean's Future Imperfect and Perfect World - okay, my main memory is the ignominious exit from fandom, but the fic was enjoyable

Ten Thousand by Wisteria

Treacle A's No Mistakes


rahirah's A Raising in the Sun and Necessary Evils and... all of Barbs stuff, actually.

And I'm sorry about the ones that currently slip my mind. I know that there are many. And then there are the other that I can't find (for instance, I have this unusually clear memory of a Spuffy-fic that featured the return of Harmony who had summuned evil unicorns!. Unfortunately, I cannot find an active link for it. I fear that it was deleted when the original Dancing Lessons site went down. *sigh* And some that I remember have broken links the links (such as AnnaS's Season Noir

Anyway, I'm leaving out a ton, but these are a few that, in some capacity, I remember.

Comments

[salymander.livejournal.com]

That's so funny I was looking for a specific spuffy fic the other day and I said to my friend, well that's what I get for 1. not saving it as a text document and 2. losing the bookmark. Internet fic archives are so fleeting...

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Oh, I know. And Geocities sucks for pulling down the old stuff.

I really wanted to read that Harmony fic with the evil unicorns again!

[rahirah]

Was that by Keren and Meredith? Script format?

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Yes! It was. But I've googled and all I come up with are dead links. :(

[salymander.livejournal.com]

Yup, it sucks.

[appomattoxco.livejournal.com]

Wow. I read all of these back then. In fact I became a fan of BtVS or, I should say Spike, because of Dancing Lessons! Really, I was on the eharlequin boards and somebody rec'd it as romantic fanfic. No one had done fic in my Trek circle for a few years. I looked and I liked. So I stopped ignoring the show when my niece turned it on. Then I found the link to BAPS on the DL site and the rest...

Funny, I don't recall the plot of DL either but I remember some others very clearly.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

It's weird that I really, seriously, have no memory of the plot! I think I probably should read it again. But I do have great affection for Dancing Lessons because, despite the fact that it was fanfic, it really was part of my BtVS viewing experience.

[rahirah]

It was about defeating Glory somehow, wasn't it? And for some reason they killed off Tara and Anya doing so. (Which I remember way better than the main plot, because any time a story kills off the 'boring' characters so they can ship their favorites, it irritates me.)

The second in the trilogy was about Dracula, Darla and Dru having some big plot, and Spike staked Dru and Dawn teleported Darla to Antarctica.

ANd the third one had Ethan Rayne come back and hurt Dawn and Spike killed him and then got all angsty about it (which I could never quite buy), while the First Slayer turns Buffy into Psycho!Slayer. It was never finished, but I once asked queenofthorns if my guess at the ending (Lurky makes Spike human and Willow sucks the Slayer out of Buffy leaving her human) was correct, and she said I was pretty damn close.

I can't believe I remember all that.

Nmissi's "Darkest Before Dawn" was a pretty big deal on BAPS, IIRC. And there were a bunch of others who wrote shorter fic - Tara (the one with the Mr. Gordo obsession), and ljs before she defected to Giles/Anya, and Alane, and...

[appomattoxco.livejournal.com]

"Darkest Before Dawn" was one I was trying so hard to remember the name of.

Internet fandom time is measured like dog years isn't it?

Nobody blinks when I say I've been in Starfleet 20 years.

[appomattoxco.livejournal.com]

All I can recall is gollem as a big or little bad. a clay bad guy that's it! For the fic that started it all It didn't stick well.

[rahirah]

Dear ghod, I'm the only person on that list still writing Buffy fic. I feel like an antique.

(Though if I were making that list, you would totally be on it.)

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Lord I've left a lot of WIPs (that I still want to finish. Quixotic, huh?)

And, admittedly, I was reaching back for some old ones so it's probably not entirely surprising that some of these people have moved on.

And you're not antique! You're experienced! (And I'm every bit as antique as you. Fandom Dinosaurs have to stick together. )

[rahirah]

Otherwise we'll never turn into fossil fuels. *g*

[missus-grace.livejournal.com]

That's a great trip down memory lane, there. Those were among some of the first fics I read when I discovered fanfic during Season 6 of the show. It seems rare to find that quality of fic anymore.

[shapinglight]

I remember some of those. Haven't read all of them. I think the one of these old fics that sticks in my memory the most, apart from Season Noir, is Chains by Lynn. I think I printed it. I hope I did.

[usedtobeljs]

Wow -- those titles are definitely a blast from the past!

Was Avalon's 'something something Blind' (I can't remember the proper title) Season Five?

[cindergal.livejournal.com]

Love Is Blind was S5, yup. :-)

[hazel75.livejournal.com]

Gosh, I've been thinking about old Spuffy fics, too. Exquisite Corpse is one that, while I can't remember what it was about anymore and know it was never finished, I remember really, really liking.

And Season Noir's gone now? That makes me sad.

[rowanswhimsy.livejournal.com]

Never gone...

http://web.archive.org/web/20080131171150/http://www.drizzle.com/~eliade/demon_noir.html

[cindergal.livejournal.com]

I remember reading all of those, but I somehow missed the evil unicorns!

[zanthinegirl.livejournal.com]

Ooh, a link for Dancing lessons!

I remember linking most of these, though I admit the plot is hazy in my mind too. I'll have to sit down and have a fic marathon one of these rainy days...

[cordykitten]

Adding to memories - to check out what I haven't read yet. :D

[brunettepet.livejournal.com]

I love each and every one of these stories, but haven't read them for years. I had forgotten all about that evil unicorn fic. I remember it was really funny, too.

[timeofchange.livejournal.com]

Such wonderful stories. I discovered fanfic shortly after I discovered BtVS, and each enriched the other.

It's odd that while I've enjoyed other shows, I've never gotten into fanfic for them. Oh, I'll read an occasion Doctor Who or Torchwood fic, especially if it's written by somebody I know. I read several really touching Harry Potter fics after the last book came out. There were some amazing Firefly fics. But I never loved characters the way I loved those of the Buffyverse.

Anyway, thanks for this post and the links.

[annegables.livejournal.com]

The fic that got me reading fanfiction was Journeys, Parts one, two and three by Mary. It was unbelievable. Up at All About Spike.

[angela-o.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the recommendations. As a result, I reread "The Heart's Filthy Lesson" and its sequels as well as "Season Noir". It was a most enjoyable trip down memory lane. Great writing really stands the test of time.