And then there was light
So the whole point of this blog is to discuss books that I read and why I enjoy reading and what I look for in a story and all that good stuff. Even when I'm away for a kind of a while, you can be sure that I'm reading something. And so far, I've been defining "something" as "a published novel or collection of writings." The key word there, or at least a key word, is "published."
Now let me tell you about my recent foray into Twilight fanfiction. Wait, come back!
Look, guys, I'll be honest: after putting myself through the mentally-taxing, hair-pullingly agonizing series about a vampire and the vapid sheet of paper who loves him, I never thought I'd be returning to it. I've barely seen much of the first movie and was at times actually put off by all the advertising. As a cultural phenomenon, it just baffles me: there's so little substance or story that it could almost not exist at all. There's nothing there to hold onto, and if it hadn't become the all-encompassing success it did, nothing to complain about.
Some people think differently than me. And one of those people wrote a piece of fanfiction that I've pretty much fallen in love with.
You all know how it starts: level-headed, long-suffering Bella moves to Forks, WA and notices that her incredibly hot lab partner apparently finds her repulsive. She learns that his family has a reputation for being kinda weird as well as beautiful. Then she decides that she must, at all costs ... um, switch lab partners because the guy is starting to creep her out and figure out why his sister is running interference for him.
To those of you unfamiliar with the story - I don't expect you all to know it - that part with the ellipses is where Luminosity begins to deviate from the original text. This writer's version of Bella is different in nearly all aspects: she's intelligent, introspective, well-spoken and opinionated. She writes down her observations about the world around her and there's always a practical motive for any action she takes. She actually gives Edward an earful when they first meet, dressing him down and requesting the opportunity to test out the vampires to see if they really are what they say. And once Edward is humbled and Bella is satisfied, she lets him become her friend. When his sister Alice, who can see into the future, declares that Bella will become a vampire, Bella finds the idea intriguing. During a cute courtship in which Bella is allowed to test out her own developing feelings for him, she gets to know the rest of his coven and plan for the future. And this Bella is almost bursting with plans: when she's kidnapped, pre-turn, by a vampire who loves to hunt, she tricks him into taking her to see the Volturi, the ruling vampire group who lust for human blood and revel in their world domination. But Bella isn't going to stand for that, and her idea to overtake the Volturi includes converting everyone to vegtarianism and making nice with a pack of wolves ...
Luminosity is a trip, and if you weren't satisfied with Twilight, it's one worth taking. The entire plot of the story takes up nearly the entire series, so there's a lot going on. Most of the characters behave the same way, but because they are put into different circumstances, it feels fresh and new. Like I mentioned, the only real change here is Bella's character, and how her actions (yes! she acts, instead of being acted upon!) cause rather abrupt changes in the storyline. She and Edward become - or remain, depending on your perspective - a believable, loving couple, and while Luminosity takes plenty of chances to indulge in the fun and perfect lives of those who have tons of money and power, it also manages to keep the plot rolling and come up with some unexpected twists and turns. Bella is an enjoyable main character whose main trait is both a flaw and a virtue: she is a planner, but it's not until it's too late that she realizes she can't control everything. The story ends on one hell of a cliff-hanger.
I had some qualms about discussing my criticisms about Luminosity, since I read the thing for free and all. But in the spirit of treating fanfic writers the same as I treat published ones, I'll go ahead and say my piece. It's just a tad overwritten in places; sometimes it plays well, and sometimes it's awkward. The writer occasionally gets too bogged down in detail and there are too many in-name-only characters we are expected to keep track of. There are some long speeches that could have been trimmed. In my very unprofessional opinion, I'd say that if this were a real manuscript, it would need one or two good re-edits before being ready for publication.
I know the bowels of fanfiction can get murky, so it's really encouraging to see a piece of work so thoughtful and gosh-darn entertaining. I'll be reading the sequel, Radiance, pretty soon, and I can't wait. If you're a fan of good stories and well-rounded characters, at least read the first couple of chapters. If nothing else, it'll offer you a glimpse of a great alt-universe Bella. Rating: 4 witches out of 5.
Edit: Okay, two things.
Most importantly, here is the link to the table of contents for Luminosity. Check it out.
Kinda importantly, the Blogger stats inform me that this is my 100th post. Yay!
Now let me tell you about my recent foray into Twilight fanfiction. Wait, come back!
Look, guys, I'll be honest: after putting myself through the mentally-taxing, hair-pullingly agonizing series about a vampire and the vapid sheet of paper who loves him, I never thought I'd be returning to it. I've barely seen much of the first movie and was at times actually put off by all the advertising. As a cultural phenomenon, it just baffles me: there's so little substance or story that it could almost not exist at all. There's nothing there to hold onto, and if it hadn't become the all-encompassing success it did, nothing to complain about.
Some people think differently than me. And one of those people wrote a piece of fanfiction that I've pretty much fallen in love with.
You all know how it starts: level-headed, long-suffering Bella moves to Forks, WA and notices that her incredibly hot lab partner apparently finds her repulsive. She learns that his family has a reputation for being kinda weird as well as beautiful. Then she decides that she must, at all costs ... um, switch lab partners because the guy is starting to creep her out and figure out why his sister is running interference for him.
To those of you unfamiliar with the story - I don't expect you all to know it - that part with the ellipses is where Luminosity begins to deviate from the original text. This writer's version of Bella is different in nearly all aspects: she's intelligent, introspective, well-spoken and opinionated. She writes down her observations about the world around her and there's always a practical motive for any action she takes. She actually gives Edward an earful when they first meet, dressing him down and requesting the opportunity to test out the vampires to see if they really are what they say. And once Edward is humbled and Bella is satisfied, she lets him become her friend. When his sister Alice, who can see into the future, declares that Bella will become a vampire, Bella finds the idea intriguing. During a cute courtship in which Bella is allowed to test out her own developing feelings for him, she gets to know the rest of his coven and plan for the future. And this Bella is almost bursting with plans: when she's kidnapped, pre-turn, by a vampire who loves to hunt, she tricks him into taking her to see the Volturi, the ruling vampire group who lust for human blood and revel in their world domination. But Bella isn't going to stand for that, and her idea to overtake the Volturi includes converting everyone to vegtarianism and making nice with a pack of wolves ...
Luminosity is a trip, and if you weren't satisfied with Twilight, it's one worth taking. The entire plot of the story takes up nearly the entire series, so there's a lot going on. Most of the characters behave the same way, but because they are put into different circumstances, it feels fresh and new. Like I mentioned, the only real change here is Bella's character, and how her actions (yes! she acts, instead of being acted upon!) cause rather abrupt changes in the storyline. She and Edward become - or remain, depending on your perspective - a believable, loving couple, and while Luminosity takes plenty of chances to indulge in the fun and perfect lives of those who have tons of money and power, it also manages to keep the plot rolling and come up with some unexpected twists and turns. Bella is an enjoyable main character whose main trait is both a flaw and a virtue: she is a planner, but it's not until it's too late that she realizes she can't control everything. The story ends on one hell of a cliff-hanger.
I had some qualms about discussing my criticisms about Luminosity, since I read the thing for free and all. But in the spirit of treating fanfic writers the same as I treat published ones, I'll go ahead and say my piece. It's just a tad overwritten in places; sometimes it plays well, and sometimes it's awkward. The writer occasionally gets too bogged down in detail and there are too many in-name-only characters we are expected to keep track of. There are some long speeches that could have been trimmed. In my very unprofessional opinion, I'd say that if this were a real manuscript, it would need one or two good re-edits before being ready for publication.
I know the bowels of fanfiction can get murky, so it's really encouraging to see a piece of work so thoughtful and gosh-darn entertaining. I'll be reading the sequel, Radiance, pretty soon, and I can't wait. If you're a fan of good stories and well-rounded characters, at least read the first couple of chapters. If nothing else, it'll offer you a glimpse of a great alt-universe Bella. Rating: 4 witches out of 5.
Edit: Okay, two things.
Most importantly, here is the link to the table of contents for Luminosity. Check it out.
Kinda importantly, the Blogger stats inform me that this is my 100th post. Yay!
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