While I don’t usually log my fanfiction readings, I figure I should make a exception for the long works, particularly the ones I like enough to put on my Palm. And recently I’ve read a fair amount of novel-length fanfic, one set of old favorites and one new favorite.
(Note to my relatives, who are probably the only people reading this who wouldn’t know the term: All these recs are “slash”, stories in which a non-canonical homosexual relationship between two characters is postulated. While there exists slash [and plenty of it] with explicit sex [and some of it very fine sex indeed], in these stories the naughty parts are mostly offstage. [Except for one short bit in The Perilous Point.])
A. J. Hall, the LoPiverse stories (Lust over Pendle, Dissipation and Despair, Time Shall Not Mend [a HP/Vorkosiverse crossover], The Perilous Point, The Kindly Ones, etc.). Potterverse fanfiction, mostly Neville Longbottom/Draco Malfoy. Everyone who’s at all active in the HP fanfic community has heard of Hall’s work, and for good reason. They’re wonderful stories, with fascinating characters (both book-verse and original characters), witty conversation, and great worldbuilding. I’ve enjoyed Hall’s work since I first read Lust over Pendle, and should she ever visit central Texas I consider myself honor-bound to buy her a margarita.
E. E. Beck and Sahiya, A Deeper Season. Vorkosiverse fanfiction, novel-length, Miles/Gregor, alternate universe in which Laisa never exists (or at least doesn’t show up in Memory).
Oh my.
The one hurdle for me in this story was the pairing. I can buy quite a lot of Bujold characters in slash relationships, but Miles? and Gregor? Major roadbump. Neville/Draco is much easier for me to buy.
However, once I rented a huge metaphysical crane to suspend my disbelief, the story was amazing. The plot’s good; there’s numerous lovely one-liners; the characters (other than the necessary tweak for the premise), the worldbuilding, and even the themes are true to canon. If Lois McMaster Bujold ever wrote slash AU fanfic in her own universe, it would probably read like this — I could absolutely imagine these lines coming from a Bujold book:
“So you want a difficult, challenging, power-hating wife?” Miles asked, raising an eyebrow. “Gregor, do you realize you’re describing my mother?”
***
“I’m thinking about Vorkosigan Vashnoi,” Miles said honestly.
Gregor blinked. “That . . . doesn’t sound very cheerful,” he said carefully.
“It’s not supposed to,” Miles said. “But that’s all right.” He paused, ducking his head a little and resting his chin on his arms crossed over the back of the chair. “I’ve been carrying it around in my head for a long time,” he said. “Vorkosigan Vashnoi. Ever since Gran’da died. Before that too, a little. He left it to me, you know, personally, I mean. It was . . . characteristically cryptic. I thought for a long time that it was simply the most permanent way he knew to remind me what I was. A blighted land for a blighted heir.”
Gregor made a quick, negative gesture. “Your grandfather loved you so much, he practically remade himself for you,” he said with conviction.
“Yes,” Miles said. “I know that. Somewhere. I just can’t remember most of the time.” He sighed. “The old man, he was a clever one, but I was actually over-thinking it. I think it was a lot simpler than one last insult. It’s a reminder all right, but it’s not about being . . . a disappointment to him.”
“What’s it about, then?”
“It’s . . . Barrayar,” Miles said. “It’s Dendarii. It’s people who didn’t know how to sign their own names, but who held the mountains against Cetaganda like a fortress. Because they could do nothing else. It’s the place you find when everything else is gone – taken away or wasted or just neglected – and all you have left is the one thing that will not be taken, that will not be wasted, that outwaits neglect.”
***
“Don’t report it,” Miles said. “Let the search go on. Who’s in charge with Allegre away?”
“Me,” Galeni snapped. “Allegre won’t get any message for a few hours, and it’ll take him just as long to come back planetside. Ulshanski has a raging fever, and I have seniority over the new Sergyaran Affairs fellow, if only by a week.” He shrugged helplessly. “So I’m the lucky bastard who gets [spoiler disaster #1] and [spoiler disaster #2].”
“Excellent,” said Miles, brightening. “It’s always easiest to just work from the top.”
I’ve read A Deeper Season three times now, and favorite scenes even more often. It’s not perfect, of course. I still have trouble buying the pairing, and I’m not sure if the McGuffin would actually be a McGuffin in the Vorkosiverse (I’d think Beta Colony was already capable of it; on the other hand, if that tech existed, Athos would absolutely be all over it, so if it’s a worldbuilding flaw, it’s a flaw in canon too). But let me reiterate — I’ve now read this three times. And I first discovered it less than a week ago. The story is well worth the huge rental bill I now owe Metaphysical Cranes Inc. I heartily recommend it.
