Unfinished Business by Brenda Antrim (NC-17)

[rachel-martin64.livejournal.com]

Fandom: X-Men Movieverse
Pairing: Scott/Jean, Charles/Jean, Scott/Logan
Author on LJ: Ramblin’ On
Author Website: Brenda Antrim’s Fan Fiction Archive
Why this must be read:

Brenda is a well-known and prolific author in many fandoms. She’s won a number of fannish awards and has been interviewed by mainstream media reporters on the topic of fanfic.

Brenda has a tough, blunt, unsentimental way of writing that I think lends itself to writing from the masculine POV. In “Unfinished Business,” a husband bent on revenge tracks Logan to the Institute. The man observes Logan’s interactions with Scott and decides to kill Scott first.

The title refers not only to the “unfinished business” between Logan and the man from his past, but also to the “unfinished business” between Logan and Scott at the end of X1.

I really like the way Brenda describes the growing attraction between Jean and Charles, a pairing which makes all kinds of sense to me. I like the way Brenda writes Logan. He’s a crass SOB, but likeable. And the way she writes the angry husband’s stream of thought is interesting. Note that Brenda doesn’t describe Scott’s mutant power correctly. In her story it is a laser beam, not a blast of concussive force.


Unfinished Business

Comments

[ariss-tenoh.livejournal.com]

You're right. Brenda does write the male pov very convincingly in most of her fics. There's an absence of "softness" that lends a very realistic/genuine touch to the men in the story.

[rachel-martin64.livejournal.com]

Yes, I think that's what stands out about Brenda's writing, in all her stories across all her fandoms. She's got a distinct style. Her male characters have a distinct voice.

[halfdutch.livejournal.com]

Only the second X-Men fic I've read and I really enjoyed it. Thanks for the rec! I'll be on the lookout for more Logan/Scott now.

[rachel-martin64.livejournal.com]

I'm very glad you liked it! Check the Memories functon on Crack Van, it will have archived recs for more stories. Also, earlier this month I recced a few Scott/Logan, if you want to scroll back through Crack Van for November.

If you look at the X-verse overview, it will have links to several archives.

[hermionesviolin.livejournal.com]

With the new movie coming out I've started looking up X-Men fic again.

The link you have for this fic doesn't work. Poking a bit, it turns out Brenda's moved her Fan Fiction Archive, so the new working link for this story is:
http://www.castleskeep.net/Unfinished.html