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Hack from Nowheresville
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OP
Hack from Nowheresville
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What are you favorite alt-beginnings stories? This can also include when altClark meets his Lois for the first time, or a first meeting between any altLois and/or altClark.
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Columnist
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Columnist
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If you mean just not your standard Pilot starting point, here are a couple of my favs: When Larry Met Charlie by Wendy Richards Is one of my all time favorite alt beginning stories (and LnC fics in general). It parallels the Pilot's plot but with a few very important variations. Meet me in Kansas City by Chris Mulder Is also fabulous. It's an entirely different initial circumstance as well. There are many other very good ones out there, but I'll limit myself to just these two =)
Sara "Lieta"
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Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
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Definitely Addicted and Damaged by Yvonne. Talk about a Torture Fest.
JD
"Meg...who let you back in the house?" -Family Guy
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Top Banana
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Top Banana
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There are so many good ones out there. However, I love WAFF and for me it just doesn't get much better than Field of Dreams by Caroline K.
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Top Banana
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Top Banana
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I love AUs and stories about how Alt-Clark found his Lois. Here's a list of my favorites: Jeff Brogden's Lost and Found . Kaylle's In Dreams The Long Road Home by Erin Klingler. Tryst by Pam Jernigan Meet Me in Kansas City by Chris Mulder Raconteur's Lifeflight Series. Many, many stories by ML Thompson , especially Lost in Time , Cause and Effect , Escape from New Krypton , Roadtrekking , the Matter of Destiny series, the Other Woman series and the best of all, the Without a Superman series. I'll give a hearty second to Carolyn K's Field of Dreams Also, The Extraordinary Man series and Some Kind of Angel by Chris Carr. Don't forget to read the S5 and S6 Alt-Clark stories by Kathy Brown, et al Through the Looking Glass and Movers and Shakers And for the shameless self-plug, read Master of Disguise by yours truly. There. That should keep you busy for a while. :p
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Features Writer
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Features Writer
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I will give a third to Caroline's "Field of Dreams," and a second to Erin's "The Long Road Home," which just may be my favorite gfic ever.
I also love Sheila Harper's "In The Beginning," and ML Thompson's "Cause and Effect."
Clark: "You don't even know the meaning of the word 'humility,' do you?"
Lois: "Never had a need to find out its meaning."
"Curiosity... The Continuing Saga"
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Blogger
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I will third "Field of Dreams"...it is maybe the best "feel good" story I've read. A other good ones.... Long Strange Trip by L Second Choice by Nan Smith Learning to Love by Carol M
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Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
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/me SQUEES at being on someone's list I second [or whatever number we're on now] Field of Dreams. Same with Long Road Home. ML's There\'s No Place Like Home is another fave. I'm sure there's a million others... Carol
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Top Banana
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Top Banana
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If she had to move heaven and Earth, perhaps come back to haunt Perry and explain the story after they'd killed her, she would do it.
Waking a Miracle by Aria
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Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
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Oh, I love the alt- and else-beginnings... second When Larry Met Charlie. Field of Dreams is great -- WAFFy but not shallow, if that makes sense. Okay, in the elseworlds category (the Pilot never happened or is re-written): Sheila Harper's In the Beginning B.B.Medos' In the Beginning Four Days to Nightfall by Nan Smith Master of Disguise by BJ Between Floors 7 and 8 by Jessi Mounts Possibly my very most favorite two: The Girl Next Door by Janet Owens Stardust by Caroline K And when you're tired of reading about Dr. Platt ... Alt-Clark stories: In the Bleak Midwinter by Wendy Richards Then Came You by Jeff Brogden. How I Spent My Christmas Vacation by Nan Smith Long Strange Trip by L ...and in the Shameless Self-Promotion department, I'll also mention two I wrote: Hearts Divided (elseworld) My Interview with Superman (alt-universe) (short, but w/four sequels) I know I'm missing some but that's a good start. For more fan favorites, check out the Kerth Awards -- most years there's a Best Elseworlds, Best Alt-Universe or combined category, and stories don't even get nominated to the Kerths unless they're pretty darn good. PJ ps., thank you BJ for mentioning Tryst!
"You told me you weren't like other men," she said, shaking her head at him when the storm of laughter had passed. He grinned at her - a goofy, Clark Kent kind of a grin. "I have a gift for understatement." "You can say that again," she told him. "I have a...." "Oh, shut up."
--Stardust, Caroline K
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Top Banana
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Top Banana
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For me, what makes an alt-fic special is the uniqueness of the way in which alt Clark meets his alt-Lois. Also, it would include enough twists to keep the story interesting and yet still keep the characters true to "Lois and Clark". I think it's that contrast between the characters we love and the newness of the scenario that adds to our understanding of the characters. For me, of all the alt-fics mentioned Jeff's was one of those. (along with a few others: a couple cited, others not)
c
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Hack from Nowheresville
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OP
Hack from Nowheresville
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Thanks everyone for your replies I've really been the mood for alt beginnings lately. I'm sure I've read almost all of these stories at some point, but it has been awhile so it's time to get to re-reading (or re-re-reading).
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Top Banana
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Top Banana
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thank you BJ for mentioning Tryst! Anytime! Thanks for writing it so we can all enjoy it. Oh, and thank you to all of you that provided recommendations. I've read a lot of stories in the archive, but every once in a while, I discover a new gem, like Jessie Mount's "Between Floors 7 & 8". Very nice alt beginning.
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Freelance Reporter
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Freelance Reporter
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I also loved Tryst. (I almost cried when she woke up with Clark's voice) Another favourite is Through the Window, by CC Aiken Also loved The PenFriend and Soul...Mates by Wendy Richards And I am now going to go and find Field of Dreams...
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Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
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I made you cry? What a compliment No, seriously, I'm glad it worked for you, 'cause I worked hard on it. It is always nice for an author to hear that someone remembers and responded to one of their stories. And Between Floors 7 and 8 is an old favorite of mine -- short and sweet, and funny, too. PJ
"You told me you weren't like other men," she said, shaking her head at him when the storm of laughter had passed. He grinned at her - a goofy, Clark Kent kind of a grin. "I have a gift for understatement." "You can say that again," she told him. "I have a...." "Oh, shut up."
--Stardust, Caroline K
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Top Banana
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Top Banana
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I wonder if readers regard alt-fics as different from 'new beginnings' fic? If so, why do you think that is? For me it does make a difference - generally I really enjoy alt-fics, but mostly I find 'new beginnings fics' less interesting, although like all 'rules', there are exceptions - there's one 'new beginning 'fic' on my top 10 list. There's often something wondrous in an alt-fic that's rarely there in 'new beginnings' fic (for me, that is) Don't know why ? c.
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Top Banana
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Top Banana
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Although I included both in my earlier list, I do see alt-beginnings as different than an Alt-Clark story. In my own mind, I reference them as AU or Elsewords, but when I say Alt-Clark, I'm specifically referring to the character we met in "Tempus, Anyone."
A well-written alt-Clark story has a little extra umph for me because I came to know and care about Alt-Clark. He endured so much more heartache in his life (losing the Kents, his engagement to Lana, no secret identity, no Lois) than our Clark did, so it means that much more to me when Alt-Clark finds Alt-Lois.
I am curious now, C. What's in your top ten list? And when you referred to the one alt-beginning story, was that Jeff Brogden's "Lost and Found"?
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Top Banana
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Top Banana
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BJ, you've explained your interest in alt-Calrk much better than I did. But I won't post my top 10 list here. First, it's not a firm list , and - probably more like a top 20 Also, I have difficulties with the idea of posting such lists - while they do make those authors cited feel great, I know that those who are excluded feel badly. Always true of these lists, and I'm sorry now that I added in my 'me too' with respect to one of the stories mentioned earlier. But I'll send you a private note about my favourite 'new beginnings fic' . c.
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Pulitzer
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There's never been a universally-accepted definition in this area, but I'll tell you what they mean to me. Alt-beginnings are rewrites or sidesteps of the Pilot; it's still "our" Lois and Clark, up until the point of the alt-beginning. Caroline's Stardust, for instance, has a Clark and a Lois who are pretty much identical to those on the show, up until a chance encounter --their first meeting -- throws a severe spin on subsequent interactions. Elseworlds are different; they're different universes, with fresh new characters -- they're basically Clark and/or Lois, of course, but with new circumstances/backgrounds/experiences. In Janet's story The Girl Next Door, Clark is (mostly) the guy we all know -- but Lois grew up with superpowers. That's a pretty fundamental change. Or maybe baby Kal-El went to New Krypton instead of Earth, or Lois grew up in Smallville. Alt-universe stories involve the specific Alt-Clark that we saw in Tempus, Anyone and Lois and Clarks. Usually the stories pick up post-Lois and Clarks, so they don't change his circumstances, just introduce scenarios wherein he goes on to meet/find alt-Lois. Alt-Clark was such an appealing and heart-breaking character that we want to give him a happy ending. Connections, for instance, is an alt-universe. Distinctions can be murky, of course, and it's possible to combine them; I wrote In Any Universe, which was an alt-beginning alt-universe -- I took the basic facts of the alt-universe but went back to rewrite it so that Lois never went to the Congo. I think the key is the initial state of the characters. As of the very beginning of the story: --Did the events of the Pilot happen? Then it's the canon universe, no matter how different it gets after that. --Are L&C identical to pre-Pilot canon L&C, but the Pilot was altered or never happened? That's an alt-beginning. --Are L&C different than pre-Pilot canon L&C? That's an elseworld. --Are L&C identical to canon (post-Lois and Clarks ) alt-Clark (lonely, no privacy) and alt-Lois (disappeared in the Congo)? That's a proper alt-universe. Anyway, that's the way I mentally classify them. We've had many long argu- I mean, discussions over the issue for at least a decade now, so this is by no means authoritative. PJ
"You told me you weren't like other men," she said, shaking her head at him when the storm of laughter had passed. He grinned at her - a goofy, Clark Kent kind of a grin. "I have a gift for understatement." "You can say that again," she told him. "I have a...." "Oh, shut up."
--Stardust, Caroline K
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Top Banana
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As always, Pam, a very thorough and useful definition. But I was trying to get at something else, too. To go beyond the defintion, so to speak. Do readers have a preference for one of these genres, you've described over others? If so, why is that? I'm guessing that Rona V doesn't have a preference, given the way the initial post was phrased, but I could be wrong. At any rate, I'm always interested in the reasons people have for the preferences they have. c.
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