Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Fanfic Related Anyone read C.J Cherryh's Lois and Clark?

I just found out that there is actually a published work of LnC fanfiction by C. J Cherryh. Since I don't have the means (credit card) to buy it right now, can somebody who has read it please tell me if it's any good? Thanks!
And just for the record, since I can't find the proper thread for it, I just wanna say:
My new favourite fanfic is Chris Carr's Some Kind Of Angel. I have no words. NONE!!

This is not worth your money, Lady Mirth. Lois and Clark rarely interact throughout the whole long (boring) story. If you can check it out from your library, that's the better route to follow.

Irene

I agree with Irene. I bought this book years ago (I think L&C had just gone off the air when I got it), and read it right away. I sped through it just hoping that Lois & Clark would interact on the "next page ..." Well, I don't think they had any page time together until the very end. It was more a Superman story than L&C, the only thing that could possibly associate it with "Lois & Clark" was the picture on the cover. If you can get it cheap, and I mean really cheap, then it might be worth it. But I wouldn't recommend dropping more than a few bucks on it. In fact, I think you can occasionally find copies for sale on eBay for about that much.

Some of us reviewed it on Amazon.com. As you'll see, not many were impressed. Just as Irene and Gem have already said, it was boring, tedious, with almost no Lois and Clark interaction, and scenes which simply didn't make sense in the context of the Lois and Clark relationship (engagement, in the novel). For example, Lois goes to visit Lex Luthor in prison!

*shakes head*

Stick to fanfic. And I entirely agree about Chris's story - it's wonderful!


Wendy

Yup, boring, boring, boring. I was so excited when I found it in Waterstones, because LNC had just been cancelled and I was deep in LNCWS. What a disappointment! Cherryh didn't even appear to have watched any of the show - the characterisations and details seemed mostly based on the comic books instead. LNC spent the majority of the book on different sides of the world. Bleah.

LabRat

Well, I didn't thnk it was thaaaat bad. Not badly written - the author is a professional and published writer, and it shows:) That's not to say it's great, or even good literature.

The story is decent enough, but I didn't particularly feel I was reading a "Lois and Clark" fic . I was disappointed in it because Lois and Clark were only together a couple of times in the book.

But there are many longer fanfcis on the archive where Lois and Clark are separated for most of the story, too, as well as some that don't have them "togther" at all in the emotional sense that was characteristic of the series. So if you enjoy those types of fanfics, then I'd say you'd probably like Cherryh's book.

But if want you want is primarily a romance fic, I'd leave it alone.

So it depends.

c

I agree I bought it because I was with a friend who knew I liked Lois and Clark and I thought it why not? I had read the three by MJ Friedman and liked them even though it wasn't totally devoted to their relationship other than to say that they were engaged. Honestly I couldn't really get into it so I didn't particularly enjoy it especially the part of Lois visiting Luthor in prison.

Have to disagree with this one. I think the problem with the separation in Cherryh's book and where it differs from most LNC fanfic, is that the focus is not on Clark but on Superman, performing feats and rescues. That was what made it so boring for me, partly. That and the wildly OOC characterisations. There was nothing much in the novel that I, personally, recognised as being Lois and Clark.

Part of my disappointment with it was that I'd previously enjoyed some of Cherryh's pure SF novels in the past and hadn't thought her a poor author, in the main. Her books were never great favourites of mine, but they didn't suck either.

Which does go somewhat towards my not being too surprised when I hear rumours that Cherryh has admitted she threw the book together in a weekend purely for the cash. Having read the book, I would not be at all surprised where that true. Certainly, I didn't read a book that seemed to have had too much thought put into it, far as I could tell.


LabRat

Labrat wrote:
i agree with you there: Superman with too little Clark Kent is boring, as is Clark Kent with too little Superman.

although .... any guy who can cook and look great in a T shirt is not totally boring.

c

I'll agree with the others that you shouldn't bother to buy it if you're looking for an L&C story.

However, my opinion is very different than almost everyone else's because I enjoyed the book. I've been a Superman fan for over 40 years, and Cherryh had some great descriptions of how his powers worked. In fact, I used it as a resource when I was writing the firestorm scenes for the TUFS finale, "Full Circle: A New Beginning."

I'm a little surprised by everyone's reaction to Lois, however. I've often heard that many fans don't like Lois in S3 and S4 because they feel she's lost her edge and is too wimpy. I thought the Lois in Cherryh's book had a lot of the sharp edges, intolerance for viewpoints other than her own, and determination to do whatever it took to get the story that was so prevalent in the behavior of S1 Lois. Because of that, I figured people would like her. Obviously, I was mistaken.

I agree with you, Sheila, about Lois in Cherryh's book - I basically liked how she was 'handled'. I seem to remember, too, there was a bit about her becoming a bit of a celebrity because she'd been a heroine in rescuing someone, and it was intersting to see her reaction to that situation. It's been some time since I've read the book, and so I may be remembering that last bit incorrectly.

c.

The Cherryh book had the same problems that the 3 Freidman books had, namely that:

• the author primarily based them on the then-current Superman comics rather than the show, and
• Lois and Clark hardly ever operated as a team -- rarely met in some of them

This obviously makes them unsatisfactory to FoLCs who prefer the show's version of the Superman mythos to that of the comics. Cherryh and Freidman did make token gestures towards the series continuity -- Cherryh rather more than Freidman -- but they both missed the fundamental basis on which the show operated, and which, IMO, is one reason why it was and is so much better than the comics. That basis is that Superman is more than just a "strange visitor from another planet" or even Clark Kent of Smallville, Kansas in a spandex suit that his mother made for him; Superman would not be what he is, or even exist, were it not for the combination of his Kryptonian physiology, his Kansas upbringing and the support and encouragement (and even a certain amount of abuse and baiting) that he receives from Lois Lane.

As the show put it, "This thing between us -- it's stronger than me alone." And it is -- and without that, without Lois and Clark being the team that they are in the series continuity by the time that the books are written, the stories fall flat. They are comics stories without the artwork, and the prose is simply not good enough (and whose would, or could, be?) to cover that lack. And, of course, to a FoLC, the comics aren't necessarily of that much interest anyway because of that fundamental lack.

Phil

I'm a little surprised by everyone's reaction to Lois, however. I've often heard that many fans don't like Lois in S3 and S4 because they feel she's lost her edge and is too wimpy. [/QB][/QUOTE]

Really?!
I didn't know that. Granted, Mad Dog Lane in S1 and 2 was brilliant and interesting, but it was also an unhealthy for Lois as a woman. I thought the way that Lois lost so much of her hard edge and cynicsm was a testimony to the balance and maturity that her relationship with Clark had given her. The change was gradual but obvious as she and Clark grew closer and closer. I don't think Lois ever lost her edge just because she became a well-adjusted woman who didn't bite.

Actually, I think Teri deserved an award for LnC, not Desperate Housewives. I mean, she's a great actress, but why oh why did she get to play Susan Mayer of all people? Why not someone strong and uncompromising like Lynette? It almost hurts to see the woman who played my idol, in the character of an ineffectual pushover who "jumps through hoops to stop men leaving" like Susan. No offence to Susan fans, though. It's just how I feel.

Anyway guys, thanks loads for the advice on the book. I'm not really a Superman fan. Just an LnC one. So I'll let it go.

Didn't Lois inexplicably have a cat in the Cherryh novel, too? What was its name?

This is going to drive me crazy
Kaylle

I have to add a "me too" here. I read the book, although I borrowed it from the library.

I was sorely disappointed, and I am a Cherryh fan. It was hard to tell if she'd actually seen the show even once.

I can see the appeal for those who loved Superman before the show as it does feature him a great deal and in a positive light, but I'm not one of those. I'm a fan of the show, period.

And the fact that Tara O'Shea reviewed it as being a fabulous book just like the show puzzled me.

It was basically nothing like the show IMO. Certainly relationships involve time apart, but an entire book? Not for the couple who were stronger together than alone--not when even if Superman had to go do his thing, Lois still managed to get in on it most of the time. While there are fanfics featuring the two apart, there is generally a lot of "thinking of the other" at the very least. That's what Cherryh didn't do for me. Her finger didn't seem to be on the pulse of the characters. It's hardly her fault, as she's very prolific, which probably leaves her little time to really delve into any television show.

Probably Elroy. He was from the comics -- though where he went when L&C married, deponent knoweth not. I seriously doubt that he was around when they had Krypto in their apartment -- not for long, anyway...

Phil

Yes, the cat was named Elroy. I have and have read all 4 novels. Though I found them passable in enjoyment I was also very disappointed. Their characterizations did not follow the show and they were rarely together in the story lines. They also didn't really work together in the stories as well.

I won't go on ahout CJ Cherryh story that is pretty well covered here. There are 3 other books by J Friedman:

Exile - Clark is only seen in the opening and closing scenes. The rest of the time he is only seen as Superman. Also there are only 3 scenes that have Lois and Clark/Superman together. Also Superman is frequently referred to as the Man Of Tomorrow which was never used in the show.

Deadly Game - Again Lois and Clark are only in about 3 scenes together, the rest of the time they are running around separate from each other.

Heat Wave - Again pretty much has them running around separately and I felt the way he had Clark running around being Superman to leave Lois to handle everything was very poorly handled.

So if you don't really have extra cash to buy them don't. You will find the stories here and on the archive much more enjoyable.

Thank you, Phil, kmar, you've saved my sanity

I knew it started with an E!

I, too, bought it and just could not get into it. I hate putting books down without finishing them; it gives me a bad feeling, like I have something to do - but I couldn't get through this one. I tried skimming to see if it would get any better, but that just made me realize I was saving myself time and pain because I couldn't find Lois and Clark's names together barely on one page!

BUT... I did frame the cover. So, I guess something good came from the purchase


~NICOLE

I agree with you there! Now I think it was the tiny visual of Dean Cain's chest that caught my eye! :p