F A N F I C T I O N R E V I E W
S
What we’re going to do now is take an
early peek at what the future holds for this category of fanfiction. Whether
you’re in high school or college, your fellow "EarthBound" fans are
about to give you a lot of reasons to stay home after homework. This is the
kind of dedicated effort that once again raises the age-old question,
"What would Mr. Itoi think?" And that once again raises the age-old
response, "Who knows?" At this stage, he might thank us for
contributing to his success, but tell us to stop sweatin’ it and go make some
of our own. Sure thing…but not today. If you’re a reader wondering what’s next,
or a writer interested in what kind of creative ideas your peers are coming up
with, this article’s for you.
EARTHBOUND:
THE HORSEMEN SAGA
Heartslaught insists that EarthBound: The Horsemen Saga is
just one part of "a
very long epic" that’s been planned, and it looks like that claim is about to
be backed up by some evidence in the form of a massive update on
Fanfiction.Net—one that’s "nearly sixty pages" of effort on his part.
Why the onslaught? The author just figures
that when a writer’s got something to say, it might as well be said loudly, explaining
that "I didn’t want to leave off in a cliffhanger" during the
dramatic scenes that are coming up, while adding that the conclusion awaiting
the Destined Ones and the Chosen Ones will bring quite a shock to most readers.
Afterwards, there will be a poll to
determine where the followers of this saga would like to see it go next.
The next episode in Michael
DePalma’s tale of angst, love, and a continued struggle is titled "To Get Down," and will be
arriving on Fanfiction.Net in May. Or will it?
"Expect delays. And more delays,"
he says playfully, acknowledging that he’s well aware of his story’s status in
the online "EarthBound" community. Perpetual is to
"EarthBound" fanfiction what The Ultimates is to the medium of
comic books: a good, gritty title that only comes out every once in awhile. So
what can we expect next time it does update?
" ‘To Get Down’ is going to involve a kidnapping. It’s going to lead to Perpetual’s
first big battle," he
continues, "and I’m hoping that it ends with you on your feet whooping it
up over how freakin’ cool it all is." Probably won’t be a problem.
As for the subplots, Mike adds that we’re going to be seeing a new side of Paula, whose triangle with Ness and Michelle is about to really heat up. You can also expect a return of the Teenage Fatalist, who’ll helm a moment the writer describes as "darkly comic." What kind of humor could possibly be found in something like that? "Stay tuned."
Situations like these could lead to a
mandatory change in the near future. "Perpetual is poised to become
one of the first R-rated [‘EarthBound’] fanfics on Fanfiction.Net," says the scribe. "That means if you suddenly
can’t find Perpetual, it’s because the site filtered it out. You’ll have
to set it so that you can view R-rated fics" …providing you’re old enough.
While Mike actually hopes to get Episode 6 out
during April, a May release could coincide with the planned Perpetual film
short based on the competition scene in Episode 3. It won’t be exactly how it
was originally envisioned—few things ever are when it comes to
fanfiction—"but it’s close enough."
The script, intended for mature readers,
can be found at http://homepage.mac.com/ebperpetuala/initiative_public.pdf. Adds Mike, "You’ll need the Adobe
Acrobat Viewer (Mac users—the preview program will work just fine)."
Some stories, despite being critically
praised, can go quite awhile before finding a proper audience. The Coming
Darkness, ranked as one of the best "EarthBound" fanfics of 2003,
has been one such tale—but things may be looking up soon. Recently returned
from hiatus, it presented a brief but exceptional chapter that not only moved
the plot one step forward, but seemingly threw in the beginning of a new twist
that’s the complete antithesis of what most fanfics aim for: Ness and Paula aren’t
getting along.
Could this intriguing development be going
somewhere?
"It’s possible," says the writer.
"Character interaction is a big key to good stories in my mind and friction
helps keep things interesting."
Of course, we’ll all hope for the famed
anti-couple to end up on good terms, but this kind of occurrence is a fine
example of the creativity that’s made The Coming Darkness a ‘fic to
follow.
"I have a story to tell," says
JP_007 when asked how he keeps motivated. "I will tell my story to those
who have shown interest."
The coming chapters will introduce two new
characters, "including the mysterious villain mentioned in the
prophesy!" Also, readers should be advised that, due to upcoming content, The
Coming Darkness will soon be making an exclusive run on Fanfiction.Net.
Says JP, "Things are starting to heat up and they’re not going to slow
down anytime soon."
Cracked Bat’s Pig King stories—speculated
to be the end results of "over
a hundred pages" of effort—have been around for quite some time,
offering a more than sufficient substitute for fans who were intrigued by the
tale introduced back when "Mother
3" was still a new name. Now, following a possible rewrite of the Against
the Pigs conclusion, the upcoming and final installment in this saga,
tentatively titled Wrath of the War Pigs, will make its debut.
As usual, the series’
use of gallows humor will be in full effect, but things are shaping up to be
just as serious and emotional this time around.
"The pigs are unleashed on the
world, and things will get ugly fast," says Cracked Bat.
Of course, the plot won’t be the only
focus; several long-coming dramas are in store for the characters as well.
"Ricky must make an important decision:
Put past failure behind him and press on despite increasingly hopeless
odds, or give up the quest?"
the writer continues. "Krause is forced to decide: Stay with his twin
brother and best friend, or accept what others expect of him?" He adds that "Espeon and
Brandon must find their roles in an increasingly complicated
prophecy," while
characters from previous "Mother" stories may resurface as well
(definitely an exciting proposal).
Not surprisingly, there seems to be a lot
of heart going into this project, as the author enthuses that "mysteries of
the past are solved, new questions are raised, and the action
and humor never let up," hoping that all who are interested in the source material
join him for this conclusion, while inviting any thoughts—before and after—to
be sent to [email protected].
After all the adversity they’ve already
been through in finding the earliest Sanctuaries, one might think that the
members of the Chosen Eight would get a little slack in the foreseeable future.
But it’s not to be, according to INouveaux18.
"The times ahead are only going to get
harder. The Madness is growing ever stronger, and more and more people
will be abducted by the alien invaders."
As for the other antagonistic forces at
work, the writer informs that Mister P is gearing up for a return attack, and
it doesn’t sound good to hear that Kaatz will inevitably step back into the
picture—as anyone who’s read Part 16 knows how much of a problem that can be.
But there may be a deeper method to his madness, as the implied plan to
actually win Zain over to the other side could be the basis of his next attack.
Perhaps worst of all comes the news that Giaguo, leader of the
invasion, "will
take a more active role."
Besides that, "more
of his agenda—the connection between him and Giegue, and the secret of
Giygas—will be revealed."
But things aren’t entirely gloomy for the
kids. Readers intrigued by the relationship between Guy—apparent successor to
Jeff and the son of Orange Kid—and Kyla—who just happens to be the daughter of Apple
Kid—might be pleased to know that following their reunion in Part 21, apples
and oranges may be coming together like never before. Of course, Guy’s
controlling father could pose some difficulties.
A camaraderie will develop between the two
warriors of the group, Kato and Deckard, who the author says will "join
swords in battle as a formidable duo." The so-tough-it’s-cute Mila will have to "outwit
and outfight" her way
out of captivity, and the marquee friendship between Zain and Sasha will
continue to develop…as long as that plan to bring him to the other side doesn’t
get in the way.
Last but not least, the writer says that
Karen will finally learn whom her parents are (she’s got black hair, knows PSI
Fire, and can use telepathy—you take a guess), "along
with the knowledge of what happened to them." The truth of this whole matter may or may not be as
apparent as it seems, but the author adds that she’ll also learn more about the
ever-irritated-by-her-presence Mister P.
At this point, most people who are into
"EarthBound" fanfiction likely know the name EarthBound 202X.
Besides drawing attention to itself with consistent updates and an intricate,
well-executed plot, it’s probably still recognized as the story that won top
honors in the "Best of 2003" article. Despite such accolades,
INouveaux18, like most veteran fanfic writers, remains one of the most
graciously modest newcomers out there.
"My expectations for [202X]
weren’t high," he’s mentioned. "It ended up doing better than I
thought it would, so I’m glad for that. I hope it continues to do well."
With a scheduled run of around 40 or more installments, it’ll certainly have plenty of time to.
By Giampi
Good news for E. Revolution
fans: the series, originally planned as an eight-part story, has been extended
to 13 chapters. Now readers will be spending even more time observing the
agents and leaders of SANCTUARY as they trek towards their mysterious destiny.
"How can a person find balance in a
world that is increasingly bifurcated and polarized?" asks the author in
reference to one of the main themes of his story. "This dilemma will be
one of many that Ness and his friends will have to face in the battle against
the all-encompassing force of chaos, Giygas."
Anyone who’s followed this tale knows that
dealing with that force isn’t always as simple as fighting off targets
identified as villains. Often, the attacks have come from where they were least
expected…and the surprises may not be played out just yet.
"People that were once friends will
turn out to be enemies," says Giampi, "things that were once clear
will become hazy and difficult to understand, and certain insights on a few
characters will change the way you look at them forever."
If one looked for another comic book
analogy, you might call E. Revolution the 1602 of
"EarthBound" fanfics—a shorter series from a veteran writer in which
familiar figures are thrown into a very different scenario. Of course, there’s
one essential thing that this spin on "Mother 2" has in common with
the other side of the coin: "In the center of it all is a boy in a red
cap," says the scribe. And in this case, that boy is "trying to
figure out what’s going on with his life before he’s torn apart by the struggle
between two forces who can’t necessarily be categorized as good and evil…"
As the story continues, readers can expect new characters and locales down the line. "One thing’s for sure:" concludes the writer, "this is going to be one bumpy ride, and no one’s getting off early!"