writing update and Farscape meta

[minxy]

First: teh porn. Lip Service now has upwards of 4400 words, but I think it might be crap. We shall see how it fares in Beta World. Might just post the first 1300 words as that was not so bad. Which is to say, tension was maintained. This may or may not be related to the list I wrote the extended flashfic for demanding a sequel. Pretties. They might not might if the tension isn't maintained throughout. I think they like resolution for some reason. *shrugs*

Now, to teh Farscape (and you thought SGA was on crack. Well, the fandom totally is. Farscape? the whole show is on crack.)

Bone to be Wild:

The title is punny. *groan*. Someone tell me how a dark asteroid field is going to provide enough light for a diverse array of plant life to photosynthesize like a mad tropical paradise? Also, where is all the mist and atmosphere and RAIN coming from?

Kick ASS, Zhaan is a plant, yeeee! Though why she's blue is a bit beyond me. Green would be good. I do like John's wtf? yet kewl. response. Wierd stuff is still wierd even when it's fascinating. The knee-jerk Whoa! bit is good. Nice, Ben!

Also, I'm listening to Anthony Simcoe wax poetic about Claudia Black and I'm starting to think these guys are their own biggest fans. So cute, but I do hope they're all using protection.

So the Not Nice Muppets were initially an obstacle for me dealing with Farscape but I do love how they allow the guest Aliens to have blinking lights on their heads and be giant walking pizza and it's totally fine. Also, I love the closeups on Pilot's eyes as Claudia communes with the red baby ship. Very expressive. Also, it's nice to know what the name Talyn refers to finally.

And Anthony loves Ben too. Awwww. What a softie. And he loves his guest stars, and his director, and Wayne Pygram (whose name I may have just misspelled) and Gigi Edgley.... I do recognize Bernie's voice. Probably from Stargate but I don't remember exactly what episode. CRAP! He was NEM in the wet!Daniel episode! Dayum. Knew I recognized his voice. I don't understand why falling through the pizza's-expando-laser is going to slice him in half, though. I mean, shouldn't it kill Zhaan and *hand flails* wouldn't it be a PROBLEM if the data stream of expando-Zhaan was interrupted? Like, she'd be missing a kidney at the very least?

Do they point guns in every episodes? Hmmmm.

The boneiferous chick is a really cool character: dangerous but sympathetic. Alien and yet shooting spikes out of her shoulders. Plus the blinky light show coming out of her ears is new and different. Is her name Emily or Em-Lee? Huh. I've always thought those dark contact lenses were a cool effect. From Betazoids to ... whatever Em-Lee is, it's just enough off center to make a critter feel subtley alien. Plus, I have a serious thing for dark eyes, so I think it's sexy as all get out.

Right, next? Family Ties.

Claudia and Ben doing commentaries are so. entertaining. I love how invested they are in their characters and motivations and Aeryn had this line about testosterone that got a huge laugh and everyone loved it and Claudia apparently fought it because even though it was popular she thought it was too much of an Earth-based reference. *loves Claudia* This sort of makes me adore Vala that much more too, oddly.

Rygel Rygel Rygel. I still have trouble suspending disbelief with Rygel. Maybe if the lip synch on his words were a little better, but you know? I prefer muppet!Yoda to CGI!Yoda, even though CGI!Yoda fights.

Crace is sorta pretty. *pets Crace* *smooths his hair back* There's really a lot of crying in this episode. Must be annoying to have to serve two masters with season enders that might be series finales as well. Hmm. I don't have any really deep thoughts on this except that I wouldn't trust that space suit to protect me from the lack of elements out in space. And I really, really don't get how D'Argo is just going to be fine for 15 minutes and then pass out. *handwavy dance of letting it go*

Wait, is that a supersoaker that they're using to add catalyst to their extremely potent explosive? A supersoaker??? God, this series is on crack. I love it. Bring on season 2!

It's kind of nice as a fan to watch things on DVD and not have to wait to find out if there will be a next season or even just wait for next week for a new episode.

Comments

[rydra_wong]

Right, I think perhaps it would be better not to compare those shows? *g*

To be serious (only briefly, I promise), I think the two shows do have very different approaches.

With Farscape, they did always have this thing of wanting to push the envelope as far as they possibly could, take maximum risks, and if they failed, at least they'd "fail gloriously". And so it's a much more erratic, volatile show, and they do go down in flames a certain percentage of the time. And they do have this huge character and plot arcs that radically and irrevocably change the characters and how they relate to each other.

Whereas I think Stargate tends to be more conservative in its approach. When they've got a set-up that works, they stick with it. They have much more stability and continuity of style. And a huge part of the show's appeal is these particular characters and their status as a team, so it makes sense that they're not going to mess with that, that they're going to bring in new people very rarely and let character evolution happen pretty slowly.

Which is not necessarily bad, just different. And makes for a different relationship between canon and fic, from what I've seen.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_minxy_/]

Ah yes, the fail big approach. Very theater.

And as much as I love Stargate (or rather, I am deeply in love with fanfiction, the canon show is pretty good, though) it feels like they are losing character definition, rather than arcing the characters. Even the way people discuss them on the DVDs, they'll say 'Carter is our scientist, she IS the exposition girl' and already on Farscape I'm hearing 'where John was going at this point, what Chiana effected in the other characters' it's much more dynamic.

[rydra_wong]

Ah yes, the fail big approach. Very theater.

Ooh, good point. And a lot of the Farscape cast have theatre backgrounds, IIRC.

And as much as I love Stargate (or rather, I am deeply in love with fanfiction, the canon show is pretty good, though)

That's one of the things that fascinates me about the difference between the two fandoms. With Stargate, it often seems as if the show onscreen is just a first draft, waiting for the genius fan writers to take it over and polish it and transform it :).

[http://users.livejournal.com/_minxy_/]

The show voted to make the most underwhelming use of a fairly brilliant premise. Yup. But if they were constantly surprising the fans, making left turns out of nowhere, and the characters were, you know, seriously changing, it would be much harder to write fanfiction because you never knew when canon was going to completely contradict your work.

[rydra_wong]

But if they were constantly surprising the fans, making left turns out of nowhere, and the characters were, you know, seriously changing, it would be much harder to write fanfiction because you never knew when canon was going to completely contradict your work.

Yup - Farscape writers used to speak of "being Kempered" (equivalent to be "being Jossed") *g*.

And I think it also affects how you watch - you can't settle in comfortably and be sure that something you like isn't abruptly going to be turned upside down, or that the character you like best isn't going to change radically (plausibly, but radically).

Which, ultimately, I find more interesting. But I can also see exactly why it's not always what people might want, or what producers might want to risk.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_minxy_/]

Farscape writers used to speak of "being Kempered" (equivalent to be "being Jossed") *g*.

I wonder if I'll latch onto fanfic for Farscape the way I did for Stargate. I really really haven't found myself interested in Firefly fanfic, and I think it's probably for the same reason: I don't think many fan writers can compare with the snark and the imagination of Firefly, expecially with the world and it's foreigness. But Stargate is not only set in our world and our culture, but it's, erm, well, underwhelming. A lot. It gives people courage to try their hand at writing even when they're new, I think, and eventually learn and get better and voila! A whole fandom with some really, really talented writers in it.

I do think, though, that it's a response to the show, not necessarily fans seeking out sub-par writing... but heck, what to I know. Different shows have different strengths and fandom as a whole will be shaped and defined by them, no? I mean, Firefly fans are rabid, but generally towards the networks shortsighted enough to cancell them, and sounds like 'Scapers are a bit like that too, where 'Gaters are... filling in the blanks on a show that's lasted, but left something to be desired.

You could have a whole discussion too on whether SG-1 has jumped the shark, and fans, even those still watching faithfully, will have wildly different opinions.

[cofax7]

There is some very good Farscape fic out there. Just so you know.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_minxy_/]

So I hear... Y'all going to tell me about them as I see enough of the seasons?

[rydra_wong]

Belatedly: do you watch vids? And do you want a Farscape vids rec list?

[http://users.livejournal.com/_minxy_/]

I've seen p'raps half a dozen SG-1 vids (most of them Mabi's. The rest were Rocketchick's) and I watched ONE Farscape vid because someone I like a lot (forget who, seriously) said it was the only Evenescence vid worth the drama. It was Talyn!John and Aeryn and the other John too (still shakey on the canon, I just know there were clones involved. Rilly rilly want to get to those eps.)

So while a comprehensive list would probably be wasted on me, a few really good vids? I'd love that.

[rydra_wong]

most of them Mabi's. The rest were Rocketchick's

You haven't seen barkley's SG-1 vids? Go! Watch! Go now! I could tell you which ones to start with, but - watch them all!

So while a comprehensive list would probably be wasted on me, a few really good vids? I'd love that.

*cough*

Here's a list I prepared earlier ... Where I haven't marked otherwise, assume spoilers for all seasons and the mini (and IMHO it is worth seeing this show as unspoiled as possible). And I've put links to websites if they can't be easily found via the vidder's LJ.

Let me know if you have any trouble playing stuff.

sisabet:
S.O.S. (spoilers through s3, mild spoilers for s4 - very contextual, so don't watch it until you've got there, but possibly my favourite Farscape vid ever)

laurashapiro:
Come Together (spoilers through s2)
Suspended in Gaffa
Mixed Nuts

sockkpuppett:
Ecstatic Drum Trip

tazey:
Right Here, Right Now (spoilers through s3)
Karaoke Soul (spoilers through s4 - very contextual)

sdwolfpup:
Rain Dogs (no spoilers past "Mind the Baby" - safe for you to watch now!)
Moving Right Along (spoilers for all seasons and the mini, but you've seen the mini, right? If so, then I don't think it'll spoil you for anything else important, so go watch it now, it's adorable)

lithium_doll:
A & B Song (spoilers through s3)
At: http://www.farscapefantasy.com/videos/

JS & AAR:
Are You Gonna Be My Girl (spoilers for all, but doesn't really spoil you for anything significant apart from "Aeryn Is Cool As Fuck" and "Lots Of Sex Is Had" - both of which I'm guessing you've already picked up on ...)
The Sky Is Broken (spoilers through s3)
At: http://www.any-time-soon.com