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Miv (![[info]](http://www.journalfen.net/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} eyesdelight) wrote in ![[info]](http://www.journalfen.net/img/community.gif){kind=small} fandom_wank,@ 2006-05-31 08:54:00 |
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Non-Pern Related Dragon Wank
What is it about dragons and the act of riding them that sets the spooge flying?
Naomi Novik writes historical fantasy. Her Temeraire series is set during the Napoleonic Wars in a universe where dragons exist. The books are damn fine readswith delightfully slashable characters, but why oh why do they attract the crazies?
Meet dracochronicler. Over on the LJ comm temeraire_fans, he/she/it has been stirring up shit from near the beginning of the comm's inception. Fair spoiler warning. All the links have discussion on Novik's books up the wazoo.
Post #1: I liked the book except the parts where... in which DC complains in tl;dr fashion about how the first book could be improved. Because, you know, fans have the God-given right to dictate how authors should write their books. Right, HP fandom? The main point I gathered from the post (before my eyes started to cross from the sheer length and unreadability of the thing) is that dragons are too smart to be harnessed into military service by humans, and they should be the dominant Earth species. Reaction to the initially not LJ-cut rant is decidedly mixed, with most of the earlier comments asking the OP to cut the damn thing for length and for spoilers. adora_spintriae puts it best, I think: "Christ, could you at least cut this tl;adr, please? If not for the length and spoilers, then for the pompousness."
And they're off! In one thread, DC manages to insult the anthrocentric (what???) views of a naysayer as well as the world-building skills of fantasy writers in general, pissing off Tolkien fans in the process. z_rayne runs into the Great Hall screaming "Troll!" But DC can't be the troll! "It is YOU who are the troll!"
Post #2: OMG This happens in the second book, which the majority of you haven't read yet!. Another non-cut diatribe questioning why the dragons aren't treated as equals to humans. Reaction to it is once again mixed, though leaning towards "cut this for spoilers damn you!" bakedneudel decides to be snarky while DC calls "troll" and blames the earliness of the post for any typos. Except, as sodzilla points out, the Internet is open 24 hours a day, and somebody is always watching!
DC even manages to threadcrap on a piece of fanfic written by penknife, by dropping a spoiler for the next book in the comments. And he doesn't understand why an albino dragon would be an outcast in China. Not like the explanation in the book (the color white is symbolic of death and mourning in Chinese culture) made any sense at all. *seethes*
But we're not done yet. Behold DC's attempt at Temeraire fanfic, in all its unbeta'ed glory! The fic was written to "fix" some inconsistences in the books, but DC is apparently scared to death of using the word "said" and dislikes writing actual action in with the dialogue. This results in 108 comments of pure, unadulterated wank. I haven't even gotten through all of the comments yet, but DC thinks he is OMGoppressed by the squeeing fangirls who couldn't take any criticism of "teh kyoot widdle dwaggons n' Teh Hawt Hawt characters who must be all over with teh mansexx."
And then there's my little contribution. I was curious about where the Americas fit in this universe, and, idealistic little me, I posted in hopes of starting up honest discussion. And cue the wank.
I just know there's a good fandom community lurking in there someplace; I'm trying very hard to find it.
ETA: And the mod steps in...while intheyear2004 kinda misses the point.
What is it about dragons and the act of riding them that sets the spooge flying?
Naomi Novik writes historical fantasy. Her Temeraire series is set during the Napoleonic Wars in a universe where dragons exist. The books are damn fine reads
Meet dracochronicler. Over on the LJ comm temeraire_fans, he/she/it has been stirring up shit from near the beginning of the comm's inception. Fair spoiler warning. All the links have discussion on Novik's books up the wazoo.
Post #1: I liked the book except the parts where... in which DC complains in tl;dr fashion about how the first book could be improved. Because, you know, fans have the God-given right to dictate how authors should write their books. Right, HP fandom? The main point I gathered from the post (before my eyes started to cross from the sheer length and unreadability of the thing) is that dragons are too smart to be harnessed into military service by humans, and they should be the dominant Earth species. Reaction to the initially not LJ-cut rant is decidedly mixed, with most of the earlier comments asking the OP to cut the damn thing for length and for spoilers. adora_spintriae puts it best, I think: "Christ, could you at least cut this tl;adr, please? If not for the length and spoilers, then for the pompousness."
And they're off! In one thread, DC manages to insult the anthrocentric (what???) views of a naysayer as well as the world-building skills of fantasy writers in general, pissing off Tolkien fans in the process. z_rayne runs into the Great Hall screaming "Troll!" But DC can't be the troll! "It is YOU who are the troll!"
Post #2: OMG This happens in the second book, which the majority of you haven't read yet!. Another non-cut diatribe questioning why the dragons aren't treated as equals to humans. Reaction to it is once again mixed, though leaning towards "cut this for spoilers damn you!" bakedneudel decides to be snarky while DC calls "troll" and blames the earliness of the post for any typos. Except, as sodzilla points out, the Internet is open 24 hours a day, and somebody is always watching!
DC even manages to threadcrap on a piece of fanfic written by penknife, by dropping a spoiler for the next book in the comments. And he doesn't understand why an albino dragon would be an outcast in China. Not like the explanation in the book (the color white is symbolic of death and mourning in Chinese culture) made any sense at all. *seethes*
But we're not done yet. Behold DC's attempt at Temeraire fanfic, in all its unbeta'ed glory! The fic was written to "fix" some inconsistences in the books, but DC is apparently scared to death of using the word "said" and dislikes writing actual action in with the dialogue. This results in 108 comments of pure, unadulterated wank. I haven't even gotten through all of the comments yet, but DC thinks he is OMGoppressed by the squeeing fangirls who couldn't take any criticism of "teh kyoot widdle dwaggons n' Teh Hawt Hawt characters who must be all over with teh mansexx."
And then there's my little contribution. I was curious about where the Americas fit in this universe, and, idealistic little me, I posted in hopes of starting up honest discussion. And cue the wank.
I just know there's a good fandom community lurking in there someplace; I'm trying very hard to find it.
ETA: And the mod steps in...while intheyear2004 kinda misses the point.
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