Six more remix redux reactions

[noracharles]

These are my honest reactions to six remixes and six original fics. They are not all recs, so don't read if you don't want to know. This time I selected six remixes in fandoms I'm familiar with according to a theme, and it was a good one: I enjoyed five of the remixes as much as or more than the original fics.

Supernatural

Remix: A Lifetime Ago by Garnigal

First impression: Suspenseful outsider pov fic on one of the guys fighting a monster. A great read.

Second impression: The remix fills in the backstory of one of the OCs in the original, and does it extremely well. Every little hint in the original is accounted for and expanded, and it stands well on its own.

Original: Sam's Best Friends He Doesn't Know About by clex_monkie89

Several outsider pov ficlets about people who are grateful to Sam, and are trying to pay him back. The clerk in the bookstore ficlet is very good, funny and touching; the others are okay.

Extra bonus fun original author reaction: "Ooh, this is really interesting! Thank you!"

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Remix: In Truth (Everyone Is Expendable) by tuesday

First impression: A creepy and depressing fic, with a good ending.

Second impression: A fleshing out of the first drabble, teasing out all the atmosphere and psychological implications of it. I don't like apocafic, but if this fic had been shorter I would have liked it just for the psychology and the ending.

Original: In Truth (Four Things That Never Happened to Anna Milton, and One That Did) by schmevil

5 drabbles. Only the first makes sense to me, and I don't get the connection between them at all.

Extra bonus fun original author reaction: no comment

Torchwood

Remix: Run Captain, Run (The Universe Remix) by Noxnoctisanima

First impression: Warning: substance abuse, human trafficking, death. Fascinating story about Jack and John and time. The two povs supplement each other in interesting ways, with John's pov changing the story of Jack's pov in retrospect.

Second impression: A great exercise in show, don't tell, both regarding the horrifying consequences alluded to in the original and regarding the characterization. The remix is scarier, but also has a more hopeful ending, hinting that the characters actually learn something.

Original: Run Captain, run by Ceindreadh

John is a pushover, even though he knows helping Jack is wrong. The end.

Extra bonus fun original author reaction: "Oh dear.
I can't help but wish that you'd picked a story from a different fandom of mine to Remix, because Torchwood is pretty much dead to me now - mainly because of Children of Earth - and this is about the only COE compliant fic I ever wrote.
It's certainly a different take on my original, much more detailed - I was working to both a word and time limit when I wrote it - and darker than mine - not a criticism, I do did tend towards the lighter end of things in Torchwood.
I don't dislike what you've done, but I'm afraid I'm so out of sorts with Torchwood fic and fandom that I can't be objective towards it anymore. Sorry."

Harry Potter

Remix: Last of the Big Time Drinkers by archduck

First impression: Warning: substance abuse. Draco gets drunk and hits on Harry. It's sort of cute, but doesn't go anywhere.

Second impression: Leaves out a lot of good material, and adds nothing.

Original: In Vino Veritas (Et Libido) by lokifan

Cute and funny fic, with a Draco unable to self-censor, and Harry fighting to control his skeevy impulses.

Extra bonus fun original author reaction: no comment

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Remix: Delirium (the delight remix) by toujours_nigel

First impression: A complicated fic, with lots of insightful details, but also much unpleasantness and an off-putting 2nd person narrator. No matter how well written it truly is, I would never have read this except for remix redux.

Second impression: Great fleshing out, the kinks are all still mentioned, but the focus is on Remus' inner demons fighting it out and there is a story and characterization and humor and everything.

Original: Things We Never Did At School by kinetikatrue

Short PWP, which manages to work in three kinks: foot sex, public sex and food sex.

Extra bonus fun original author reaction: no comment

Merlin

Remix: For in thy veins (the Runaway mix) by noelia_g

First impression: Beautiful and lyrical, a pleasure to read. I like the combination of BBC's Merlin and Arthurian myth

Second impression: The remix focuses more on emotion and characterization than on action and plot, and I found it easier to understand.

Original: .vade mecum by thisissirius

I found this fic a bit confusing, and not very engaging.

Extra bonus fun original author reaction: no comment

Previously mentioned fic

Buffy the Vampire Slayer/The X-Files

Remix: Clear Skies (The Leaving on a Jet Plane Remix)

First impression: Warning: substance abuse. While I understand that Giles' relationship with alcohol is absolutely in character, it is also a huge turn off for me, and I'm not sure how much my own reaction is coloring my reading and how much ironic distance we're supposed to read in Dana's reaction to Giles. And then the fic turns into awkward flirting with no sexual tension between two strangers in a bar, why?

Second impression: This fic humanizes Giles, shows his vulnerability, and tries to show that he spends time with Dana because she is an attractive, interesting woman. Good intentions, fails in execution.

Original: Weather Permitting

Dana Scully meets Gary Stu in an airport bar, and is torn between attraction and a compulsion to one-up him (impossible). Then Mulder shows up and shows her what a silly woman she is. Dana, you ignorant slut, haha.

Extra bonus fun original author reaction: no comment