THE ACID DESK
The Underground XFFanfic Newsletter Vol 2. No. 1
Welcome to THE ACID DESK, a bi-weekly newsletter discussing the latest fics, recs, trends, discussions, and even *gasp* gossip in the X-Files Fanfic Community.
All opinions expressed herein belong solely to the authors and editorial staff of The Acid Desk.
Write to us and tell me how wrong we are!
CiCi Lean: [email protected]
"And now thou art a nameless thing..." -- Byron
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HOT BYTES: Great Authors, Stories & More!
======
NEWBIES A-GO-GO #2!
======
The Fanfiction of Amanda Finch (http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Chamber/7335/ficlist.html)
Newbies. Can't live with 'em, can't live without them, can't lock 'em in a cage with a laptop and make them write all day every day. What a shame, especially with this *fabulous* author who seems to strike a thousand or better with every new fic. Her humor is wry, dry and side splitting, with her post-episode "Mundane" musings falling into the "not-to-be-missed" category. The "Out of..." Series is another winner with a winding, surprising plot, beautiful on-target characterizations and precise writing as the main attractions. Wonderful stuff!
The Fanfiction of CazQ {http://www.beansburn.demon.co.uk/paradox/caz/): You can easily develop a soft spot for this writer for her wry, mature MSRs and lovely non-overbearing use of language. I particularly enjoyed "Seconds Etched Upon My Skin," "Mrs. Leonard's Roses," and "A Thousand Cuts" all of which showed that MSRs and M&S UST can still surprise and thrill.
The Work of Luperkal -- This author has written only three short works thus far, but the reader can already see the potential just waiting to burst forth in her next, hopefully long, angsty piece. Luperkal has an excellent handle on the characters, especially Mulder and the angst is just painful enough. Go, check out all three of her short vignettes in Ephemeral (http://www.gamora.org/ephemeral )and beg for a novel length goodie.
~~~~~~~~~~
ARCHIVES-A-GO-GO
Notes on Archives From Around The Globe!
~~~~~~~~~~
THIS ISSUE: THE BIG BOYS
~~~~~~~~~~
EPHEMERAL {http://www.gamora.org/ephemeral/}: Now wearing the proud crown of XFFanfic's most indispensable source of fiction, Scott Miller's tech-savvy site gets better with each passing day. His little April Fool's "closing down" joke notwithstanding (the bill for my emergency room visit is in the mail, Scott)this updated *hourly* site is a funhouse marvel of XFFanfic, with the best XFFanfic search engine imaginable. He's also done up the layout with a smart looking "Choose Your Own Color" scheme. I've picked a lovely ketchup text on mustard background, no doubt with fond memories of my last trip to Nathan's still fresh in my mind. Go, read, recommend and play with the latest poll ... it's the KEWLEST! :-)
GOSSAMER(http://fluky.gossamer.org/): Mirror, mirror from the past ... who's upgrading at last? Gossamer is, with the three main sites turned into perfect mirrors of one another and you are automatically forwarded to the one of the router's choice whether you want to end up there or not. Two main beefs: the new names are confusing (Gossamer "Skinner"? Krycek"? "Fluky"???)and any human element to the archive has now been removed, replaced by a fully automated E-mail response system. (Don't worry, you probably won't notice.) "Don't ask, don't tell and all will be well" seems to be the saying of the day and that's fine, just as long as the progress continues. Of course, we shall seeee...
ARCHIVE "X" {http://www.everafter-x.com/}: The "It" site for X-Files slash. All pairings, all ratings, all the time. Run by Iain Patrick, this site is well organized, nice looking and easy to navigate. Has stories from July 1998 onwards, pulled from the major slash lists, SlashX and XStories. The site is updated when the webmaster gets the time and is not all-inclusive (rape stories, MSRs with bi-sexual flirtations, and gay original characters are not allowed.) However, if you couple this site with the old MSSS, MKRA and the Scully Slash Angels site, you'll have more than enough reading material to hold you over till the next update.
~~~~~~~~~
GOSSIP CORNER
Eat Your Heart Out, Cindy Adams
BLIND ITEM #1: Name three, count 'em, three lauded MSR authors who are soon to be dipping their talented toes into that oh-so-seductive slash pool. Come on in, ladies! The water is *warm.*
BLIND ITEM #2: Name one infamous NoRomo author who has already taken the plunge into the MSR hot tub under an alias and is quickly becoming the toast of the Spooning and Bubble Bath crowd. Heavens, what *is* this crazy world coming to?
BLIND ITEM #3: Name the hot, "stalking" Mama who just graced the world with a new little fanfic junkie all her own -- a bouncing baby boy! Best of luck to her and her new lifetime WIP! :-)
~~~~~~~~~~~
ATXCARAMBA!
The Latest From The Usenet Front
(alt.tv.x-files.creative)
~~~~~~~~~~~
This week's guest essay is by Solomon Grundy! (all responses to [email protected])
~~~~~~~~~~~
It's Free Speech, but is it Memorex?
Just recently, we had a dandy little flame war that involved some stories largely disliked by many of us. No problemo, sez I, if you're gonna post here, ya might as well get used to the idea that everybody has an opinion.
And everybody did. And lots of people posted it.
Are you with me so far? Good.
Now, folks didn't just have an opinion about the writer's writing, they had opinions about the writer, too, and they shared lots of those.
Free Speech? Exactimundo.
Bad Manners? Double Exactimundo. Sue me, that's my opinion.
I haven't been here from the start of this newsgroup, but I've been hanging since early '96. I've seen plenty of other witchhunts and personal nastiness, believe me. Even played in a few, cuz I lost my temper. That's free speech. And as people tend to forget, this is Usenet, home to chaos, and I'm not talking about the Gossamer lists; Usenet is this electronic zone of free speech to the nth degree, of chaos, of mixing it up and bashing and what have you. Still with me?
Good.
Three people:
Madame A is a competent writer of MSR and her public posts are sweet as pie.
Madame B is a very good writer, but her subject material is, er, tortuously painful for what she puts the characters through. She almost never posts publicly, so we rarely see anything of her outside her fiction.
Now, Madame C, another player, is a very good writer as well, and she does some tortuous stuff, but largely appears to be using them for dramatic action. Her public posts are sane, rational and well thought out.
Guess which of these three are, shall we say, a few screws short of a bookcase?
If you guessed Madame B because of her subject material, go directly to Jail, do not collect $200. If you guessed Madame C, you're half right. If you guessed A and C--bingo, you win.
Now, I'm not going to tell you that you can't come to some conclusions about a writer from their material or their posts. You can, certainly. You can also hurt yourself jumping to conclusions.
It's Free Speech, yeah. And it's your right to avail yourself of the Free Speech available in Usenet. Always has been, always will be. A lot of people tell us if we can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. That's true, too.
It's true that there are bullies in every area of life and we sometimes get run over by them. It's true that people make assumptions all the time without having the wherewithal to back them up. That's life, right?
Still with me?
You know why that's life? Because nobody ever stops business as usual!
Yeah, you have the absolute, inalienable right to call anyone an asshole for what they've written and posted. You have the absolute, inalienable right to shout that we should notify the FBI in said asshole's vicinity.
You have the inalienable right to lie your ass off on the newsgroup about the asshole, or post their E-mail or whatever.
It's ironic that the only thing beyond the pale here is posting someone else's E-mail.
I'm only asking one thing. The next time you find someone's story/subject matter/punctuation/manners detestable, get a grip on yourself before you light up that blowtorch. Ask yourself if you really feel qualified to psychoanalyze someone because of a story. Go read Thomas Harris. Go read Charles Dickens--now, there was a sick puppy--or HP Lovecraft or half the detective fiction written in the 1960-1970 era.
Hey, if you wanna assassinate someone's character when you don't know them at all personally, be my guest. It's your right of Free Speech.
Just don't be surprised when it happens to you.
~~~~~~~~~~
THE SLASH CAFE
Reviews From The Wild Side
~~~~~~~~~~~
This issue's reviews by the Divine Kassandra!
([email protected])
~~~~~~~~~~~
"Elegy" by Iain (M/Sk - NC-17) -- [Now playing on SlashX and XStories lists]
This is the only piece of fanfic to actually make me cry. Some have depressed me, some have made me sad, an alarming number have made me snort diet soft drinks through my nose, but this is beautiful, poignant and at least a three tissue piece.
"MulderSlut" by Te (Multiple - NC-17) -- [on alt.tv.x-files.creative.mature via http://www.dejanews.com/]
This made me laugh on purpose, I howled. Mulder as Mulderslut, the birdwoman, Skinner in the exec washroom, and Krycek's obligatory appearance ... even Scully gets lucky in this one.
"Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" by Halrloprillalar (M/Sk - NC-17)--[alt.tv.x-files.creative via http://www.dejanews.com/]
Hal's first M/Sk piece is enough to make me stalk her for more. I always love Hal's pieces, one way or another, but this was warm, friendly, funny, and slightly schmoopy without being slurpy in the least, quirky and funny. Skinner somehow has his arm twisted into hosting a bachelor party. More Hal, or I'm coming after you.
MJ's & Merri Todd Webster's WMM/K Series (NC-17) -- [alt.tv.x-files.creative.mature via http://www.dejanews.com/]
These stories do a wonderful job of filling in the time between "The Red and The Black" and this season; beautifully crafted, poignantly characterized. Such a greedy monkey am I that I want more of this, too. I'm going to miss John Neville even more now.
Merri Todd Webster's "Rumi and Shams" Series (Various pairings, multiple fandoms -- Rated as shown) -- [http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Cafe/8298/titles.html#new]
Some of this series is in another fandom, but the worth of it can be conveyed by one simple statement: I don't watch the other show and I read these with the pleasure reserved for new discoveries. The poems themselves are tied in beautifully with each story, and each story is a small gem. If you haven't seen them, find them, read them. Share them.
~~~~~~~~~~
MAIL-CHECK The Latest In XFFanfic Mailing Lists
~~~~~~~~~~
THE MSR LISTS ON EGROUPS
~~~~~~~~~~
Below find a sampling of some of the fine fanfic lists that are springing up like daisies in Spring all around us on the various free list providers.
This week we rate:
THE MSR FANFIC LISTS ON EGROUPS (http://www.egroups.com)
MSRFANFIC: "Mulder/Scully Romance Fanfic (MSRfanfic) are for X-Files writers who loves to write Mulder/Scully Romance stories. This list is for discussion and posting of MSRs in a supportive environment. This list is also of discussion of the relationship between Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, and it's very shipper friendly."
A.D. RATINGS:
Traffic: High and up to date Content: Good amount of fiction talk, some stories, web page announcements, episode reviews from a *shipper perspective and friendly environment. **Recommended.** Moderation: None. List is well-tended however. OT Postings: Light
To subscribe, send an empty message to [email protected]
THE ROMANCE FILES: is a mailing list for MSR X-Files Fanfic. We also will have an archive for all submitted stories. :)
A.D RATINGS: Traffic: Light Moderation: None. Content: Few stories, some discussion, OT posting is light.
To subscribe, send a message to [email protected] or go to this e-group's home page at http://www.egroups.com/list/romance-files
SHIPTALK: "This list is for those who love X-Files Fanfiction but are tired of weeding through all the stories for some MSR. Fiction talk is welcome as well, but this is a mostly fiction list. Anyone can post, anyone can comment...The only requirement is that stories are MSR."
AD RATINGS:
Traffic: Extremely light. Not sure if list is currently active. Moderation: Unknown Content: Slight. Web page announcements, no fic yet.
To subscribe, send an empty message to [email protected] -------
***ADULTS ONLY***
SMUTTERSBRIGADE: Group interested in smut stories involving the two hottest federal agents ever, Agents Scully and Mulder from the X-Files !! Only adults are admitted to this group. You'll have to certify to be an adult and not in infraction with your country of residence by joining the group. An archive of smut stories can be found here : http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Station/7262/smut.html
A.D. Ratings:
Traffic: Moderate Moderation: Unknown (see age requirement) Content: Some fiction, but more talk and shipper speculation. Environment seems peaceful enough. OT is light. An archive of smut stories can be found here : http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Station/7262/smut.html
To subscribe, send a message to [email protected]
SMUT: "An on-approval mailing list for NC-17 MSR (MULDER/SCULLY ROMANCE ONLY!) fanfiction, run by the owners of Heathers' SMUTsters Paradise (http://heathers.webjump.com) You MUST be 18 years or older to join!"
A.D. Ratings:
Traffic: Heavy Moderation: None (see age requirement) Content: NC-17 MSR fiction, fiction discussion, some web page announcements, very light OT posting. Environment appears supportive and fun. **Recommended.**
To subscribe, send a message to [email protected] or go to this e-group's home page at http://www.egroups.com/list/smut
~~~~~~~~~
GRATUITOUS PENDY MENTION OF THE WEEK
(A.P.I.G.P: All Pendrell is Good Pendrell)
"Nice Guys Finish Last" by LabRatCult: (AU, Serial story, Slash -- NC-17) [http://socksshoppe.virtualave.net/sips.html]
Whoa boy! This incredible WIP (Work in Progress) is smart, hip, scary and verrry hot. It's also the talk of the Pendrell fic list as a mind-wiped Pendrell comes back from the dead, only to find out he's become one seriously unhappy and -blood-thirsty- boy. With an alternately amused and terrified Krycek by his side, he decides there's only one way to get back what's his, and that's what, Pinky? To take over the world, of course!
Featuring great "guest" appearances by Mulder, Scully, Spender, Marita and many more, this dizzying serial story will make you laugh, gasp, wince and squidge, occasionally all at the same time. (Rated: Too many labmice to count. Just go read it!)
Oh, and for all of you who were wondering, the new improved TOS-proof SOCKS SHOPPE is BACK! Yes, it's back and better than ever with over one hundred Pendrell Fics that your mommy better not catch you reading. Come by, have fun and don't forget to sign that guestbook!
THE SOCKS SHOPPE
http://socksshoppe.virtualave.net/
~~~~~~~~~
RANT-O-RAMA: Ravings From The Acid Desk:
~~~~~~~~~~
WHEN TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE...
~~~~~~~~~~
Crossovers. This odd genre of fanfiction has a notoriously limited audience, but for those who write them, they can be tangible proof of the old adage that two is better than one.
The idea of a fanfiction crossover probably started with the question, "Hey, wouldn't it be neat if so-and-so met such-and-such" and wondering exactly would/could transpire between the characters in these two very different, but theoretically compatible, universes. It's a wonderfully creative idea, but it requires patience, hard work and sensitive handling by the author to pull it off successfully.
First of all, choice of crossover material is of paramount importance. Some TV shows/movies are very well suited for XF crossovers ("Twin Peaks," "Homicide," "Buffy The Vampire Slayer," etc. )as well as certain horror movies and books ("The Hunger," and many of Stephen King's works.) Some crossover ideas don't work as well, and others, well, others are just plain weird. (Anyone remember the XFiles/Brady Bunch crossover from some years ago?)
The problem with most crossovers is that if the reader isn't extremely familiar with both universes, they tend to get lost among the characters, history and nuances from the opposing fandom, thus quickly losing interest.
Therefore it's up to the author to make sure that even if the reader isn't familiar with the non-XF characters, that these characters are developed fully enough for it not to make -that- much of a difference -- a job that can be both time consuming and difficult.
I'd imagine that twice the effort would be required to pull off a successful crossover, but when they -do- work, they are great fun for fen of both fandoms and many can be listed among the crowning achievements of the art.
So, why not pull out your old CHiPS tapes and give it a go? "Motorcycle" Mulder might just be the thing you need to give your regular everyday XF-fiction the ol' jump start.
CiCi Lean, 1999 For the Acid Desk
=======
And, as an added and useless bonus to the above essay, I'd like to present to you...
======
XFFANFIC CROSSOVERS -I'D- LIKE TO SEE:
=======
X-Files/I Love Lucy: Mulder tries to solve the mystery of the ancient Cuban song "Ba-Ba-Loo" and attempts to get Ricky to give him a part in "The Show." Scully goes undercover at chocolate factory with Lucy, figuring out way to slow the assembly line down. Sends bottle of "Vegemegavitamen" to Sci-Crime Lab for analysis, which Pendrell ends up drinking. Hilarity ensues. Skinner shows up and commiserates with Fred Mertz on the pains of balding. Ethel makes pass at Skinner ... gets shot. (Slash potential: Mulder/Ricky, Skinner/Fred Mertz)
X-Files/What's Happenin' -- Mulder attempts to solve the mystery of "What Is Beneath ReRun's Beret?" Roger and Duane are torn between assisting him and telling ReRun just to take the damn hat off. Krycek shows up and has his ass kicked by Big Shirley, who clocks him with a giant frying pan. Bonus points for how many times Roger's evil little sister shows up to say "You're in troooouuubbbllleee." (Slash potential: Mulder/Roger, Krycek/Big Shirley (hurt/comfort)
X-Files/Little House on The Prairie: Time-traveling Mulder & Scully end up in Pa Ingalls barn. Scully uncovers Nelly Olsen's faked paralysis and saves Mary Ingalls eyesight. Krycek shows up and ends up saving everyone when dust storm hits. Skinner learns the joy of plowing. (Slash potential: This is "Little House on The Prairie" for cripe's sake! Oh, what the hell. Mr Edwards/Skinner)
X-Files/Honeymooners: Mulder investigates rumors that bus driver Ralph Kramden has figured out the mystery of interstellar travel, simply by yelling the phrase "Bang! Zoom! To The Moon!" Scully finds a jar of "Kramer's Mystery Appetizer", and sends it back to Sci-Crime Lab of analysis. Pendrell ends up sampling some, declares it delicious and makes a fortune selling it. Ed Norton takes M&S for tour of city sewers and claims to know the Flukeman personally. Krycek shows up and tries to steal Norton's "Captain Video" costume. Trixie makes pass at him ... gets shot. (Slash potential: Scully/Alice/Trixie -- a threesome! Whoo-hoo!)
X-Files/Happy Days: Mulder and Scully investigate a town that is mysteriously stuck in the year 1957. Mulder chokes on a burger in Al's diner, only to be saved by a quick-thinking Potsie doing the newly invented Heimlich maneuver. Scully shoots The Fonz, whom she has mistaken for Krycek. Saves his life, only to shoot him again when he asks if she'd like to be "the tomato in a Leather Tuscadaro sandwich." Krycek shows up, tries to seduce Richie, ends up getting library card instead. (Slash potential: Mulder/Potsie, Krycek/Richie)
X-Files/I Dream of Jeannie: Mulder and Scully investigate the mysterious happenings in Coco Beach and try to connect them to the legend of the "Tiny Babe Who Lives in A Groovy Purple Bottle." Scully begins to notice that every time she blinks a small "boiiing!" is heard and Mulder vanishes. Bonding occurs as Jeannie teaches Scully how to use her new powers and Scully teaches Jeannie how to shoot a Glock. Meanwhile, Major Healy makes a pass at Mulder, who seriously considers. (Slash Potential: Mulder/Major Healy, Scully/Jeannie)
X-Files/Sanford & Son: Mulder and Scully go to investigate reports that Fred Sanford can talk to the dead, namely his deceased spouse, "'Lizbeth." Scully finds good plastic surgeon for Aunt Ethel, sends bottle of "ripple" back to Sci-Crime Lab for analysis, which Pendrell, once again, ends up drinking. More hilarity ensues. Skinner shows up and accidentally shoots Grady, whom he's mistaken for the deceased "X". (Slash Potential: Mulder/Lamont, Skinner/Grady)
X-Files/Flipper: M & S investigate rumors of a crime-fighting dolphin who not only knows *who* the bad guy is, he can also lead you straight to him with a series of interpretive head motions and high-pitched squeaks. Bonus points for how many times Scully screams "It's a goddamned FISH, Mulder!" (Slash potential: Absolutely none, you SICKOS! It's a FISH for God's sake! [Actually dolphins are mammals, but you know how spotty the science at 1013 usually is.]
CiCi Lean, 1999
~~~~~~~~~~
That's it for this edition. Many thanks to my contributors S. Grundy and Kassandra, my editors and to my readers whose patience and good will surprise me daily.
Come again next time, and I'll have some more snarky rants, squealing raves, gratuitous Pendrell Slapping, filthy gossip and a whole lot more!
THE ACID DESK is, hopefully, a bi-weekly newsletter, written & created by CiCi Lean. All opinions expressed within belong solely to the author.
*****NOTE: This newsletter may NOT be copied, forwarded or posted to any other list, USENET news group or web page without express permission of the author, CiCi Lean ([email protected]). (And that means YOU [email protected]. Get back to your wallet making or I'll tell your handlers that you need some more time in the "bouncy room" you silly little twit.) In short, I do NOT waive my secondary copyright to this piece. Capice?
"Would you like to read previous issues of the ACID DESK? Well, go here: [The Editorial Page]
Comment are welcome: Send to [email protected]
FOR HOME DELIVERY OF THE ACID DESK
Send a blank email to: [email protected]