Remix redux 8 reaction post

[noracharles]

I've read 12 remix fics so far. Some of them I selected randomly based only on fandom, some I read because the summary drew me in. Not all of these are recs, so don't read this unless you want to know my unvarnished opinion.

I have tried hard to avoid spoiling the fics, and I don't reveal plots or endings (much), so this should be safe(ish) to read if you're looking for recs (depending how spoiler phobic you are). I'm sorry that most of the reactions are so short and vague and repetitive. I ran out of ways to say how much I enjoyed the writing style, because there are a lot of well written fics here.

I'd love to talk about any of these fics, so feel free to comment and disagree all you want.

Supernatural

Remix: So let it out and let it in (The 3x Mega Mix)

First impression: Three neat ficlets. Pleasant writing style, but I don't see the connection or the point.

Second impression: The middle fic is a condensed version of the original, and I find the style of this more appealing. I also like the echoes of phrases. The first ficlet sets a theme of one brother comforting the other without letting on, which ties in with the second ficlet, but I still don't get the third ficlet, or understand why it diverges from canon the way it does.

Original: So let it out and let it in by ariadnes_string

A hurt/comfort fic. Sam is sick, Dean is nice, the end.

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Remix: Fear as an Aphrodisiac (The Horizontal Mambo Mix)

First impression: Eh. Love the pairing, the start of the fic was great, but then it was just kind of boring sex. I would have liked more plot, or failing that, sex that happened to be my kink.

Second impression: So, the fic is a simple expansion and point of view shift. I do appreciate the beginning with the added back story, but I think the fic should have ended at the same point the original did.

Original: Fear as an Aphrodisiac by inkandchocolate

Yes! Very hot, great sexual tension, love the characterization of Dean.

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Remix: One Time Sam Went Dreamwalking (Have You Any Dreams You'd Like To Sell?)

First impression: I like the dynamic between the characters. I don't think the dream adds anything to the fic; most of the fic feels like mere build-up to the final line, and it would have been better and tighter with less.

Second impression: Huge improvement on the original. The remix has a lot more emotional depth.

Original: Five times Sam saves Dean by unwittingly trespassing his dreams (and one time he doesn't) by mayachain

Sam saves Dean in his dreams. The end.

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Remix: Ever After (The Gut, Heart, Soul remix)

First impression: Ha! Beautiful, sensual language, and a fun surprise. A repeated phrase grated a bit, but it was a tiny distraction.

Second impression: The plot was exactly the same, but the sexual tension made the ending new. A successful style switch remix, and a fic which complements the original and is different enough that neither spoils the other.

Original: I Will See You in the Next Life by Nowadventuring

Perfect, I loved it. I enjoyed the easy to follow language, I enjoyed the dialogue, I enjoyed the ending, I enjoyed everything about it.

The Dark is Rising

Remix: Turnings (The Simple Gifts Remix)

Ah, fics like this is what remix is all about for me. I would not have read a fic about the mother of Simon, Jane and Barney if it had not been for this challenge.

First impression: Beautifully written, subtle and lovely. I suspected what it was about after the first part, but didn't know for sure, so I had to pay attention. A rewarding read.

Second impression: The remix fixes everything that bothered me and turned me off about the original. The characters are important in themselves, they're the heroes of their own lives, and that matters. Also women are awesome.

Original: Three From the Track by Aria

A fic about what Merriman gets from the Drews. Not my taste.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Remix: Ignorance Isn't Bliss (The Id vs the Super Ego Overdub)

First impression: Too long. I like the twist, but there's not enough substance for 1254 words. If it had been within the rules, half of that would have been perfect. I like the points the fic makes, but wish they hadn't been hammered home so hard.

Second impression: The Willow bashing scene with the gratuitous and exaggerated exploration of her flaws was something the remixer added. Pointless and annoying. I agree with the characterization, but I dislike the giant blinking neon sign calling attention to her flaws.

Original: Ignorance Is Bliss by Zulu

A pretty hot exhibitionism fic, with a hint of a cute plot thrown in. I'm not into the pairing, nor the kink, but this was well written enough to be worth it. I liked the style and sense of humor.

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Remix: poi s'ascose nel fuoco che gli affina (The In a Dark Wood Remix)

First impression: Warning for substance abuse. Beautiful style, great Faith voice. Melancholy, but not so sad when you read it the whole way through.

Second impression: I love the way the remixer turns a tiny maybe, maybe not, metaphorical scene into the backbone and message of the remix. I suspected as much, from the way the title in Italian forces you to notice it. A definite improvement on the original, I think.

Original: Sometimes the Truth is Worse by thecarlysutra

Huh. Weird, sort of interesting. I don't really believe the characerization of Buffy.

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Remix: Orientation (The Ways of Seeing Remix)

First impression: An enjoyable fic. Funny, and a satisfying friendship story.

Second impression: This remix fixes everything lacking in the original, and still stays absolutely true to the plot.

Original: untitled by sroni

Buffy and Xander talk about his role. The end.

Merlin

Remix: In My Place (the synchronised unicorns remix)

First impression: Reading this was work.

Second impression: I have no idea why the remixer did this.

Original: I Know My Place by sophinisba

Two interesting scenes, two interesting meanings of the title. I like the emotional intensity and the clarity of the language.

Doctor Who

Remix: In Two With Your Mind (The Patient Smile Remix)

First impression: This fic feels like a less interesting recap of the Human Nature episode. It adds nothing that I can see.

Second impression: The remix adds a tiny little thing, the confrontation after the events of the episode. Unfortunately it leaves out everything I liked about the original fic.

Original: Sting Most Sharp by wojelah

Fascinating character study. Knowing what is going to happen in the episode works perfectly with the Doctor's vague forebodings to build atmosphere.

Stargate Atlantis

Remix: Of All the Gin Joints in All the World (Rubato Encore Remix)

First impression: John had a one night stand with Rodney seven years ago, and he liked it so much that he'll follow him on what is probably a suicide mission - but not so much that he'd try to, you know, stay in touch with Rodney. Too silly for me.

Second impression: I like the idea of the pov shift and having the majority of the fic take place in the future tag of the original with flashbacks, but the attempt to add depth to the story with True Love was a sad failure.

Original: Where We've Been Before by helens78

Utterly charming first time fic. Really cute and funny and in character.

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Remix: Strong Enough to Be (The 'Not Your Man' Remix)

First impression: This is a good fic. It has a very remixy feel, because the message is so strong, and the vehicle is so odd, so it's obviously in conversation with the original. I find it interesting how John and Rodney are in character, but the story doesn't particularly feel like their story or an SGA story, it's more general than that.

Second impression: Not having read the original, I don't know how the remix comments on it, but I like how the external events are cut down to the bare necessities to serve as a spark and backdrop to the internal events.

Original: Strong Enough To Be My Man by Telesilla

It's a long fic, and not really my taste, so I didn't read it. It looked like mostly just kinky fun, as far as I could see.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Ahhhh, my ego is fed.

[noracharles]

LOL
Good!

[(Anonymous)]

I like how you commented on (most of) the original fics as well as the remix, and how sometimes the re-read shifted your first opinion. Now I kind of want to read them all, just to see if our opinions sync up.

Full disclosure: my remix is not one of the ones you reviewed; I found you via remixers' lounge.

[noracharles]

Thank you :-)

I love remix, it's my favorite challenge because of the way the original and the remix interact. I don't always read the original fic, and I think that ideally a remix should be able to stand on its own, but yeah, reading both is just more fun. I hope you do read these fics, most of them are good, and comparing impressions is always interesting (even if it's only in your own head).

I plan on reading more remixes when I have time, so maybe the next batch will have yours in it :-D
I'll comment in the remixers' lounge again.

[(Anonymous)]

Willow bashing? Willow Bashing Seriously? You got that from what I wrote? *is sitting over here baffled as hell*

Um. No. I adore Willow.

[noracharles]

I understand. I agree with your observations about her, like I said. My problems are 1) what function does it serve in the story? it seems gratuitous to me, and 2) the anviliciousness of it.

I know that as an author I tend to err on the side of obscurity, so explaining all the plot points and character development very carefully and several times is a matter of style and taste, and may in fact be something most readers prefer, so it would be fair to disregard point 2).

As for point 1) - maybe bashing is the wrong word? I used to think that "bashing" was only when an author deliberately skewed characterization or even made up things to hate on a character for, but I've been informed that the expression is also used when an author gratuitously focuses on a character's flaws - for example using the epithet "the murdering psychopath" for Spike when it's not relevant to the scene.

So yeah, please take "bashing" with a grain of salt. What I mean is, I think you focus on Willow's flaws to an irrelevant and annoying extent that leaves a bad taste in my mouth, and only for the reason of making Buffy seem not quite as bad in comparison.

Thank you for commenting and calling me on a misleading/confusing description.

[(Anonymous)]

re: Strong Enough to Be, I'm curious what you mean by "the vehicle is so odd".

[noracharles]

I mean that if the author had started with the idea for writing a story expressing what this remix expresses, I don't think he would have chosen this exact plot and setting to tell that story. It works, obviously, but it feels a little eccentric to me.

[(Anonymous)]

Ah, okay. (I am the remix author.) I think you're right. The basic idea, that of someone who is closeted/in denial about being trans doing a crossdressing scene, is one I have wanted to do for a long time, but some of the details (Rodney surprising John with the dress rather than it being something they both agreed upon, the BDSM elements, etc) came from the original fic and would not necessarily have been my choice. There were quite a few other elements I'd originally thought to include from the original fic, but it felt like I was already juggling too much, so I ditched them and just picked out a few basic elements.

[noracharles]

I thought you might be :-D

I love the idea of a closeted trans person doing a crossdressing scene! Very powerful.

I already knew who you were before I read the fic, because I follow remixers' lounge and I saw when the glitch was reported, and went and spoiled myself about certain authors, so I don't know if anything would have struck me as odd about your fic if I hadn't known that, but yeah, it did have that remixy feel of being inventive with certain given elements. I think you chose wisely about which elements to include.

I read the start of the fic, but as much as I often enjoy Telesilla's fic, some of the kink elements, like the suspended safeword and a mini-society with social norms for a strict relationship role/dynamic and mixing work place hierarchy with D/s hierarchy were getting to me in a bad way. I don't know how essential all that setting stuff was for her fic, but it would definitely have been distracting and out of place in yours.

[(Anonymous)]

I figured you must have guessed it was me even if you didn't know for sure, since you said "he", which is not exactly the default in fandom.

[noracharles]

I considered saying "they", but then I figured there's no reason to compound cheating with lying ;-)

[inkandchocolate]

Thanks for an unexpected review of my fic - I'm quite pleased you enjoyed it!

[noracharles]

So am I! :-D