State of the Fandom with SarahBella

Posted by SarahBella in State of the Fandom with Sarahbella | 2 comments

Alternate universe and all-human fan fiction would seemingly have little in common with canon fan fiction.  But, if you read enough of it, you tend to notice certain trends – certain characteristics that even the most OOC Edward’s still possess.

For example, in hunterhunting’s ‘Clipped Wings and Inked Armor’, on the surface her Edward couldn’t be less like canon Edward.  He’s tattooed, pierced, did drugs in the past, and promiscuous is an understatement.  But, he’s also incredibly protective and possessive of Bella, reminiscent of canon Edward.  He doesn’t believe he’s good enough for Bella and tries to better himself for her sake – something canon Edward does throughout the entire series.

In ‘Living Through It’, by Jules, Edward is a male nurse, hired by Bella to care for her father who is ailing from ALS.  It’s all human, Edward is in his twenties, and he occasionally lets his lust cloud his judgment.  Again, though, he truly wants what he thinks is best for Bella, regardless of what she wants.  He is also incredibly controlled and has super human willpower.

In addition, there are post BD fics where authors have taken incredibly liberties with the characters.  In ‘In Pursuit of Normalcy’, by KariAnn, Renesmee thinks she may have feelings for Felix, even though her imprinter Jacob pines for her at home.  Would Renesmee be able to break the imprint bond?  We don’t know for certain, because it’s something SM only covers vaguely.   The fic is truly canon, but walks that line where you have to ask what would happen.

So KariAnn has run with the assumption that Renesmee might try, and even though she sees Felix as a potential love interest, she is still everything we would expect Edward and Bella’s daughter to be.  She is kind and compassionate, incredibly smart, something of a daredevil and always wants what’s best for everyone else, even if it means sacrificing her own happiness.

So what, if anything, does all of this mean?  Only that perhaps, you might like AU or AH fan fiction more than you think you would.  I think the stories where the lead characters retain a bit of their canon selves tend to be incredibly popular.  Why?  Because those are the characters we fell in love with.  Those are the characters who made us all want to read and write fan fiction to begin with.

Don’t get me wrong, there are obviously incredibly popular fics where the characters couldn’t be more different from canon, and retain next to nothing of themselves.  In stories like, ‘The Dominant, The Submissive and The Training’, all by TaraSueMe, Edward and Bella retain little of their canon counterparts.  But the stories are incredibly well written and erotic, and therefore, their popularity has been contagious and explosive.

What’s the moral of this story?  The next time you’re looking for a new fic to read, don’t be afraid of a fic, just because of the category it’s in.  Check out the favorites lists of your favorite authors.  Authors who write quality fic tend to also favorite quality fic.  And if you have a favorite fic that is under-recognized, recommend it to everyone who will listen, regardless of whether you think it might not be their cup of tea.

Of the thousands of well written fics out there, I only had space to mention a few.  What are some of your favorite AU/AH fics where the characters are similar to their canon counterparts?  Or on the other hand, what are some of your favorites where the characters are nothing like SM’s version?  Be sure to tell us which group your rec falls under!!

<3 SB