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 Ego Post: Who Am I (Fan fiction) 

Fan Fiction: Yay or Nay
Leave it to the professionals: even Goldsborough got it wrong 33%  33%  [ 1 ]
Fine by me. There are only so many books in the corpus, after all 66%  66%  [ 2 ]
Total votes : 3

 Ego Post: Who Am I (Fan fiction) 
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New post Ego Post: Who Am I (Fan fiction)
I wrote this small scene a couple of months ago, and as I've brandished it in the likely places - fanfiction.net, a Yahoo! Nero Wolfe fan fiction community, my LiveJournal page - I thought I would offer it to the elite members of this forum for your deliberation! Danielle has read it, and very kindly given a cyber-nod of approval, and I would love to hear what Faterson and Starfish (and indeed, any lurkers!) think. :oops:

Apologies if the very concept of fan fiction disgusts you, to start. This is just a small 'tag' for 'Christmas Party', a short story in And Four to Go, and an episode from the series. It's from Wolfe's point of view - sacrilege! (I didn't dare attempt Archie's voice) - and is a take on the moment when he placed Santa's white gloves in Archie's room for him to find. The lyrics are from a song by Will Young, included because they inspired the direction of the scene.

Who Am I

And a Happy New Year! :D

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Mon, 31 Dec 2007, 12:24
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A Happy New Year to you as well, Adonis! Fan fiction is OK; after all, I've also sinned in this regard (see below). I've made a note to read your piece soon, and will let you know my feedback.

Around Halloween 2005, a handful of Wolfe fans combined to concoct a round-robin Nero Wolfe novelette that was not meant to be primarily a parody, but to remain true to the original spirit of Nero Wolfe mysteries. You can't get more ambitious than that, Adonis, can you? :wink: I contributed one of the chapters, and the results may be perused here (and criticized in this forum along with Adonis's piece – I don't intend to “hijack your thread”, though! :P):

OMIT PANIC
a Nero Wolfe novelette (round-robin by Nero Wolfe fans)
Halloween 2005


Last edited by Faterson on Mon, 31 Dec 2007, 17:36, edited 1 time in total.

Mon, 31 Dec 2007, 12:42
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As an addendum to my foregoing reply, I should mention I've recently founded a new category of webpages on this site, titled Recommended by Friends, where I collect the titles of books, films, short stories, music albums, etc., recommended to me by my friends, acquaintances and family members.

I assume that, having set up such webpages, it will be impossible for me ever to forget any recommendation I receive from now on. Sadly, this used to happen frequently when I had no such useful webpages. I've now added Adonis Guilfoyle's pastiche to the list of recommended short stories, which makes it a cinch I won't forget to read it. 8)

However, in a way that's also dangerous... Why? Look at the bottom of that page. There are ratings to be done, which means I'll not merely be reading, but also rating Adonis's pastiche. I definitely hope I'll enjoy reading her pastiche and will be able to rate it, sincerely, with at least 4 grinning faces. Otherwise I fear we might never see an offended Adonis visiting this site again... :o :cry: :wink:


Mon, 31 Dec 2007, 17:30
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Faterson wrote:
However, in a way that's also dangerous... Why? Look at the bottom of that page. There are ratings to be done, which means I'll not merely be reading, but also rating Adonis's pastiche. I definitely hope I'll enjoy reading her pastiche and will be able to rate it, sincerely, with at least 4 grinning faces. Otherwise I fear we might never see an offended Adonis visiting this site again... :o :cry: :wink:


Don't worry, I'm developing a thick skin :wink: I'm also very hard to shake off!

If you would like, I could recommend a couple of my favourite NW fan fiction stories for your site, Alex? I'm not sure if it's something you want to develop, but there is some amazing writing out there! (Other than mine, of course! :wink: )

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Tue, 1 Jan 2008, 15:52
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AdonisGuilfoyle wrote:
Don't worry, I'm developing a thick skin :wink: I'm also very hard to shake off!

That's perfectly Wolfean! :)

AdonisGuilfoyle wrote:
If you would like, I could recommend a couple of my favourite NW fan fiction stories for your site, Alex?

By all means, go ahead. I'll appreciate all recommendations. If you like, you may add the links to the webpage with recommended short stories, or to the current forum topic, or anywhere else you think they might belong. (Such as in a new dedicated section on Rex Stout's profile page?) No need to worry about formatting etc.; those things can always be fixed later on.


Tue, 1 Jan 2008, 19:07
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I'll post links here, and let you decide if you would recommend them :wink:

Lost Boys by Nancy
This is a sort of 'prequel', based on Archie's autobiography in the short story 'Fourth of July Picnic' - I've adopted it as the official version of the first meeting between Wolfe and Archie :wink: Ignore the title, it doesn't really do the story justice, but this author has an amazing knack of capturing perfectly Archie's narrative voice and creating original stories that could almost be part of the corpus.

Too Many Goodwins by Nancy
Same author, same advice - disregard the title! A marvellous story about Archie returning home to Ohio to play detective on his mother's behalf, with Wolfe following close on his heels when Archie is delayed longer than he can stand! Original characters - Archie's mother, sister and brother-in-law - that become like hidden canon extras by the end of the story (I've accepted the sister, Anne, in particular as somebody that Stout just forget to tell us about!), and some wonderfully understated moments between Wolfe and Archie. The only point I would mention is that the author gives Archie a rather dramatic childhood and reason for fleeing Ohio, which is probably far from Stout's interpretation but works for the story.

The quality of fan fiction, by qualification of the original material, I suppose, really is incredible for the Nero Wolfe characters - anyone who can capture Archie's voice has my unfading admiration, and then to construct a new story on top of pastiching Stout's style has me feeling faint! :wink:

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Tue, 1 Jan 2008, 21:17
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AdonisGuilfoyle wrote:
I'll post links here, and let you decide if you would recommend them :wink:

Ah, but the webpage's title is Short Stories Recommended by Friends, so it's not me who decides whether anything appearing on that webpage should be recommended or not! 8)

Once you recommend something, it belongs there. So, I've added the two stories by Nancy, and I'm looking forward to reading them.

After I read the recommended items, I'll rate them (see the reserved empty space to the left of the titles), and that will be sufficient comment on my part on the items listed on that page (and others like it).

As suggested before, I've now set up a new sub-section on Rex Stout's profile page, titled Nero Wolfe Pastiche & Fan Fiction. The new section may be used for collecting links to notable NW pastiche literature. I've just also suscribed to the Milk and Orchids mailing list, thanks to your recommendations, Adonis. :)

Beside the fan fiction already mentioned in the current thread, I've added 2 more items to the new section: links to Glenn Dixon's 1990s trilogy Three Strikes – called by many knowledgeable Wolfe fans far superior over Robert Goldsborough's official sequels – and to Alan Vanneman's blog with yet another new Nero Wolfe story (not yet completely posted as of today) that's been receiving favourable feedback from seasoned Wolfe fans on “the other” Wolfe list in recent days.


Wed, 2 Jan 2008, 17:39
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Faterson wrote:
I've just also suscribed to the Milk and Orchids mailing list, thanks to your recommendations, Adonis. :)

I didn't mean for you to have to deduce where I found the stories, but the bulk of the writing at Milk and Orchids is rather an acquired taste - slash fiction - and I didn't want to offend anybody by directing them to the site, because it's awfully tempting to read on once there! There is one story there, 'Hunger' by Parhelion (another talented writer), that I would also recommend, in that case, with a disclaimer.

Quote:
Beside the fan fiction already mentioned in the current thread, I've added 2 more items to the new section: links to Glenn Dixon's 1990s trilogy Three Strikes – called by many knowledgeable Wolfe fans far superior over Robert Goldsborough's official sequels – and to Alan Vanneman's blog with yet another new Nero Wolfe story (not yet completely posted as of today) that's been receiving favourable feedback from seasoned Wolfe fans on “the other” Wolfe list in recent days.

:shock: I am handing in my award for Random Google Searches of the Year - how could I have missed these new stories? :wink: Thanks for the links, I shall add them to my own Recommendations list, I think!

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Wed, 2 Jan 2008, 18:16
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AdonisGuilfoyle wrote:
rather an acquired taste - slash fiction

I don't care for slash fiction, but neither do I object to it. It's literary quality that counts for me, and this can be found in all genres. 8)

AdonisGuilfoyle wrote:
There is one story there, 'Hunger' by Parhelion (another talented writer), that I would also recommend, in that case, with a disclaimer.

OK, thanks a lot. I've added the story to the Recommended page, with a tiny {slash!} disclaimer, even! :lol:

You know, unlike Goodwingrad I believe quite a few original Nero Wolfe short stories written by Rex Stout are pretty mediocre and, in that case, it's quite likely some of these pastiches might actually be more enjoyable than some of the original stories :!: Yeah, it's ultimate heresy according to some folks to say that :o but that's just how I see it.

Ah, I'm looking forward to re-reading the Corpus (I'm just about to start with Fer-de-Lance again), rating it as I go along, and it may well happen for some of these pastiches to score higher than some of the less impressive Rex Stout stories. However, I don't expect any of the pastiche writers to be capable of rising as high as Rex Stout in his finest Wolfe stories; that's where the main difference between writers of genius and us ordinary folks lies. :P

AdonisGuilfoyle wrote:
I shall add them to my own Recommendations list, I think!

Is it online? :wink:


Last edited by Faterson on Thu, 3 Jan 2008, 8:59, edited 1 time in total.

Wed, 2 Jan 2008, 19:12
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Faterson wrote:
I don't care for slash fiction, but neither do I object to it. It's literary quality that counts for me, and this can be found in all genres. 8)

I object to certain pairings, but that goes with general 'shipping' and not just slash. I think, with some well-written fan fiction stories, the actual physical relationship, if described, can also be viewed as metaphorical: if the two men, or two women, share a complex and unspoken relationship in the canon material, then slash is one way of portraying their bond; this most definitely applies to Wolfe and Archie, where even some of the dialogue and introspection in the corpus can suggest deeper feelings that either man would ever admit to. Even Goodwingrad has admitted that they repress a lot of their feelings for each other, so I guess it's just a question of degrees!

Quote:
OK, thanks a lot. I've added the story to the Recommended page, with a tiny {slash!} disclaimer, even! :lol:

I would love to read your review of this, and its content! :wink:

Quote:
You know, unlike Goodwingrad I believe quite a few original Nero Wolfe short stories written by Rex Stout are pretty mediocre and, in that case, it's quite likely some of these pastiches might actually be more enjoyable than some of the original stories :!: Yeah, it's ultimate heresy according to some folks to say that :o but that's just how I see it.

Well, I was going to add previously, when I posted the poll about fan fiction - even Rex Stout ran out of original plots after a point, so I welcome amateur writers who can think up a new angle! :wink: I like your chapter in 'Omit Panic', by the way, with its in-jokes about Stout's formulas - especially Saul Panzer dragging in last minute witnesses! (A particular bug bear of mine, as that's all Saul ever does, and yet he's considered the second-best detective!)

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Wed, 2 Jan 2008, 19:48
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Quote:
“Have you ever read any slash fiction, Wolfe?” Cramer asked him.

Wolfe grunted. “I find males to be singularly unattractive animals, and therefore the concept of slash fiction strikes me as particularly unsavory. Why do you ask?”

:P


Wed, 2 Jan 2008, 21:00
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8) Adonis, I don't feel qualified to critique other posters' literary efforts, which are certainly grander than anything I could produce! So, I will look at the stories simply as a consumer of mystery fiction, foremost, Rex Stout's.
After reading the books and enjoying the videos several times, I have concrete pictures of Wolfe, Archie and company in my mind. I see them who they are and what they are because of their individual histories and places of origin.
Pastiches jump the rails on the psychological portrayals of the fictional characters, often disagreeing totally with my assessment.
I made some very comfortable and cozy arrangements in the Brownstone and environs, which I privately guard and defend and won't expose to sabotage. Why, there are times when I disagree even with Stout's portraial of certain characters. Yes, I know, heresy. :wink:
Zerefore (as Fritz would say), I cannot steep myself in pastiches, brilliant as, no doubt, they are. :)


Thu, 3 Jan 2008, 21:22
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Ego Post-Script! I recently dusted off a little Archie-Lily vignette that I was inspired to start writing many moons ago, so here it is, to add to the list:

Thanks for the Dance

Those who insist that Lily is some rabid proto-feminist may find her out of character, but I'm an old romantic, and believe that they were in love in their own way! :wink:

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Mon, 31 Mar 2008, 20:08
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 Re: Story added to lists – and reCAPTCHA addition
AdonisGuilfoyle wrote:
so here it is, to add to the list:
Thanks for the Dance

Thanks a lot :!: After much delay, I've just indeed added your latest piece to the two lists: one for Nero Wolfe pastiche & fan fiction, and the other for recommended short stories. 8)

So, although I haven't managed to read any of these tidbits yet, I've by no means forgotten about them; the very lists guarantee they will eventually get read and mercilessly rated by me! :twisted: I mean, I've only recently rated short stories by the likes of Charles Dickens and Joseph Conrad with a C+, so what rating can Adonis Guilfoyle aspire for? :wink:

AdonisGuilfoyle wrote:
I'm an old romantic, and believe that they [Archie & Lily] were in love in their own way! :wink:

Well, it all depends on how you define “love”. Some time ago, I read how a famous writer ranted about these two words: God and love – that they've become practically meaningless; anyone may define them in any way they like (and they do, in fact), and the rest of us may only shrug and move on. :? So, when it's frequently claimed that God is love, that is definitely true: both terms have become so hazy and indeterminate that they're practically synonymous. :wink: I don't think the complaint about God and love was made by Rex Stout, but I'm pretty sure he (and/or Nero Wolfe) would agree that words such as God and love have, in many contexts, through extreme overuse, become next to meaningless. :roll:

So, were Archie and Lily in “love” :?: The best answer may be: we don't know, and we really don't care! :P

PS: Earlier today, I've finally managed to add yet another, fundamental improvement to this site, the quotations section thereof: the pretty much invincible reCAPTCHA. You wouldn't believe how much the Rex Stout quotations pages, created by you and Goodwingrad and myself, used to be assaulted by spambots in the past; so, a few months ago, I was forced to block their editing by anonymous users, which is a nuisance. But, now with reCAPTCHA installed and running, there should be no more trouble with spam, anonymous users may contribute again, and the quotes pages can contain great quotes and commentaries and nothing else. 8)


Thu, 10 Jul 2008, 12:20
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New post Re: Story added to lists – and reCAPTCHA addition
Faterson wrote:
So, although I haven't managed to read any of these tidbits yet, I've by no means forgotten about them; the very lists guarantee they will eventually get read and mercilessly rated by me! :twisted:

I shall be waiting! :wink: I found writing this easy, in some ways, as the dialogue seemed to flow naturally, but also daunting - it's very difficult to write 'American' English and set a story in a different country (note I chickened out of any specific street references! :? ) But I hope I did Archie and Lily justice.

Quote:
AdonisGuilfoyle wrote:
I'm an old romantic, and believe that they [Archie & Lily] were in love in their own way! :wink:

So, were Archie and Lily in “love” :?: The best answer may be: we don't know, and we really don't care! :P


Good heavens, it's fan fiction, not philosophy! :wink: My definition of Archie and Lily in love: they both stuck around, showing that they understood each other, or at least had an understanding. Stout was certainly in love with Lily, anyway! Also, Lily makes Archie human - otherwise he's just a skirt-chasing, cynical jack-of-all-trades, which is humorous and endearing only up to a point.

So one answer is definitely: I care! :P

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Thu, 10 Jul 2008, 15:45
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