Top 5 Gen Fics
Dec. 15th, 2005 10:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
yourlibrarian posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
buffyversetop5In putting together this list I realized that part of my problem was that the definition of what qualifies as gen fic wasn’t entirely clear to me. And I’m not sure if my definition will match those of other people, so I thought I’d both list my choices and discuss what makes them gen (to me) at the same time.
(1) AtS: No Limits – Multiple authors – Teen – I’m guessing the classic definition of a gen fic is one that is (a) An ensemble piece (b) that does not focus on a relationship (c) and mimics as closely as possible a canonical episode (if in TV fandom), including restrictions on content (such as detailed sexual description). If that’s the case it seems to me you can’t get more gen than an effort to create a virtual season. Seeing notices for this project pop up after the cancellation of Angel made me feel a teeny bit better. Given how many people are involved I think they’ve done a remarkably good job of maintaining coherence in its storyline, characterization and tone. They really do read like episodes of the show. Also like the show there are better and weaker episodes but it’s been a good season.
(2) The American Stranger - by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
nwhepcat - All – It seems one of the biggest problems with the classic gen definition is the “episode” and “ensemble” restrictions because that would mean any shorter fic wouldn’t qualify and neither would anything that didn’t involve at least the core characters (all 3 in AtS S1 or the Scoobies in BtVS S1). Well there are Scoobies here, but not all, and the story doesn’t really run like an episode but is a post-Chosen fic. I also wouldn’t really call this a character study but I guess some might. (Is a character study automatically gen?) I hadn’t really thought much about Oz out there, far away from all the events in Sunnydale and how it might strike him some time later. Loved the look at these two.
(3) Cuckoo in the Nest - byliz_marcs - PG-13 – Well, hardly a Scooby in sight here, and to some degree I guess it looks at a relationship, though I certainly wouldn’t call it romantic. Still, a bit like “Storyteller”, “Superstar” or “Harm’s Way” in turning the focus onto a minor character. Life, and Xander, as seen by Tony Harris. I’m not sure any other story has ever looked closely at Xander’s largely unseen father as opposed to having him as background or a villain. Reading this made me realize that there are still so many stories to tell (and read) in this ‘verse.
(4)Things Imperfect - bylonelybrit - PG - I suspect this choice is the one that most people would disagree with gen-wise. It’s not an ensemble piece, it focuses on a minor character, it’s a post-NFA fic that doesn’t try to continue the storyline, and it creates a non-canonical relationship (although that’s not the focus of the fic). However with the exception of the ‘ship it’s very much like the previous story above in all these ways and in its focus, namely, the difficult relationships between parents and children, in this case Wes and his father, and legacies among generations. A lovely piece of writing.
(5) Lost Highway byviolethamster - All - Ok, so what if it doesn’t actually claim to be gen fic? I really loved this ficlet and was surprised that it was marked S/X because to my eyes there’s not anything shippy about it. If it took more pains to identify its point in canon I’d say this is gap fic or FitB fic as this could have easily happened anytime post-S4. In fact, were the tone a bit different, where Spike was more of a prankster, it could be a (kind of twisted) friendship fic. But Spike isn’t a merry prankster, he’s rather refreshingly evil. Why does this lot keep forgetting that?
(1) AtS: No Limits – Multiple authors – Teen – I’m guessing the classic definition of a gen fic is one that is (a) An ensemble piece (b) that does not focus on a relationship (c) and mimics as closely as possible a canonical episode (if in TV fandom), including restrictions on content (such as detailed sexual description). If that’s the case it seems to me you can’t get more gen than an effort to create a virtual season. Seeing notices for this project pop up after the cancellation of Angel made me feel a teeny bit better. Given how many people are involved I think they’ve done a remarkably good job of maintaining coherence in its storyline, characterization and tone. They really do read like episodes of the show. Also like the show there are better and weaker episodes but it’s been a good season.
(2) The American Stranger - by
nwhepcat - All – It seems one of the biggest problems with the classic gen definition is the “episode” and “ensemble” restrictions because that would mean any shorter fic wouldn’t qualify and neither would anything that didn’t involve at least the core characters (all 3 in AtS S1 or the Scoobies in BtVS S1). Well there are Scoobies here, but not all, and the story doesn’t really run like an episode but is a post-Chosen fic. I also wouldn’t really call this a character study but I guess some might. (Is a character study automatically gen?) I hadn’t really thought much about Oz out there, far away from all the events in Sunnydale and how it might strike him some time later. Loved the look at these two.(3) Cuckoo in the Nest - by
liz_marcs - PG-13 – Well, hardly a Scooby in sight here, and to some degree I guess it looks at a relationship, though I certainly wouldn’t call it romantic. Still, a bit like “Storyteller”, “Superstar” or “Harm’s Way” in turning the focus onto a minor character. Life, and Xander, as seen by Tony Harris. I’m not sure any other story has ever looked closely at Xander’s largely unseen father as opposed to having him as background or a villain. Reading this made me realize that there are still so many stories to tell (and read) in this ‘verse.(4)Things Imperfect - by
lonelybrit - PG - I suspect this choice is the one that most people would disagree with gen-wise. It’s not an ensemble piece, it focuses on a minor character, it’s a post-NFA fic that doesn’t try to continue the storyline, and it creates a non-canonical relationship (although that’s not the focus of the fic). However with the exception of the ‘ship it’s very much like the previous story above in all these ways and in its focus, namely, the difficult relationships between parents and children, in this case Wes and his father, and legacies among generations. A lovely piece of writing.(5) Lost Highway by
violethamster - All - Ok, so what if it doesn’t actually claim to be gen fic? I really loved this ficlet and was surprised that it was marked S/X because to my eyes there’s not anything shippy about it. If it took more pains to identify its point in canon I’d say this is gap fic or FitB fic as this could have easily happened anytime post-S4. In fact, were the tone a bit different, where Spike was more of a prankster, it could be a (kind of twisted) friendship fic. But Spike isn’t a merry prankster, he’s rather refreshingly evil. Why does this lot keep forgetting that?
