Stargate Fan Awards: Atlantis Darkfic
Aug. 23rd, 2006 07:28 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
icarusStargate Atlantis: Best Darkfic (links here)
I have to say I'm surprised at the quality of the entrants.
Strange Attractors - Sometimes you believe the characterization more than the plot. It's a good story, interesting take on the sci-fi trope, taking it seriously, but not winner material in this category.
Cold Around The Edges - Fascinating. Brings two men in a room alive. I love Radek here: "You have a skill for taking a deeply personal moment and stripping it like hydrochloric acid." You're yanked from one worst-case scenario to another with no clear idea which will be the end. And, wow, the end is truly powerful. I have a feeling it's up against tough competition in this next story though.
Legion the Things I Would Give to Oblivion - I've avoided this one which is dark even for Auburn. But here goes. *dives*
I've heard this is a great story, and I am a big fan of Auburn (big-big) but there are too many SG-1 canon violations so far. The Ancient database should destroy John's mind. The chair doesn't download the Ancient database anyway, and there was a ZPM in Antarctica when O'Neill used the chair so there are no variables to account for this. The Wraith don't destroy planets from orbit, there's no reason to -- they destroy cities, not planets. A powerful story, but not, surprisingly, the winner.
No Choice - Because the mind scrabbles against the dark, the most important aspect of a darkfic is its believability. You have to buy the set-up irrevocably. I have a hard time believing John, with a weapon in hand, would make this choice instead of shooting the enemy. The description of his feelings, however, are potent.
A Knife's Blade - It's fun to find a story about the Goa'uld in the Pegasus Galaxy. I have to admit, I like them better than the Wraith any day of the week. Plus, there is a sensuality to both Joe Flanigan and David Hewlett that makes the mere idea of John and Rodney surrounded by cheesy Goa'uld opulence almost obscene. I will come back to enjoy this story later, because the writer doesn't quite meet the high standard of the competition.
I expected to vote for Legion the Things I Would Give to Oblivion, it will probably still win, but...
Cold Around The Edges is the greater story-telling feat. It is hard to make two men in a room both terrifying, exhilarating, and exciting. Hard to give intellectual labor that fast-paced edge of panic that you'd find in an action story. Hard to alternately challenge the mind and then provide brief breaks of nostalgia. Hard to give us that much hope in this ending, where it slots neatly back into canon. Really,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
out_there, bravo. Well done.
Vote in the Stargate Fan Awards.
I have to say I'm surprised at the quality of the entrants.
Strange Attractors - Sometimes you believe the characterization more than the plot. It's a good story, interesting take on the sci-fi trope, taking it seriously, but not winner material in this category.
Cold Around The Edges - Fascinating. Brings two men in a room alive. I love Radek here: "You have a skill for taking a deeply personal moment and stripping it like hydrochloric acid." You're yanked from one worst-case scenario to another with no clear idea which will be the end. And, wow, the end is truly powerful. I have a feeling it's up against tough competition in this next story though.
Legion the Things I Would Give to Oblivion - I've avoided this one which is dark even for Auburn. But here goes. *dives*
I've heard this is a great story, and I am a big fan of Auburn (big-big) but there are too many SG-1 canon violations so far. The Ancient database should destroy John's mind. The chair doesn't download the Ancient database anyway, and there was a ZPM in Antarctica when O'Neill used the chair so there are no variables to account for this. The Wraith don't destroy planets from orbit, there's no reason to -- they destroy cities, not planets. A powerful story, but not, surprisingly, the winner.
No Choice - Because the mind scrabbles against the dark, the most important aspect of a darkfic is its believability. You have to buy the set-up irrevocably. I have a hard time believing John, with a weapon in hand, would make this choice instead of shooting the enemy. The description of his feelings, however, are potent.
A Knife's Blade - It's fun to find a story about the Goa'uld in the Pegasus Galaxy. I have to admit, I like them better than the Wraith any day of the week. Plus, there is a sensuality to both Joe Flanigan and David Hewlett that makes the mere idea of John and Rodney surrounded by cheesy Goa'uld opulence almost obscene. I will come back to enjoy this story later, because the writer doesn't quite meet the high standard of the competition.
I expected to vote for Legion the Things I Would Give to Oblivion, it will probably still win, but...
Cold Around The Edges is the greater story-telling feat. It is hard to make two men in a room both terrifying, exhilarating, and exciting. Hard to give intellectual labor that fast-paced edge of panic that you'd find in an action story. Hard to alternately challenge the mind and then provide brief breaks of nostalgia. Hard to give us that much hope in this ending, where it slots neatly back into canon. Really,
out_there, bravo. Well done. Vote in the Stargate Fan Awards.
