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crack_van2006-03-13 10:07 pm
the-hobbet.livejournal.com) wrote in crack_van2006-03-13 10:07 pm
Entry tags:
Walking with Dark Angels by C. D. Stewart (PG-13)
Fandom: THE SENTINEL
Pairing: none
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: C. D. Stewart's Homepage
Why this must be read:
Two hundred years ago an amoral scientist discovered how to genetically engineer Sentinels but not their necessary, empathic Guides. Now empaths are extremely valuable to all sorts of people.
Three powerful unbonded Sentinels. Three wild empaths. 'The Man', a shadowy user/abuser of the powerless. A far future universe with complex webs of wealth, power, and duty.
C.D. Stewart is one of the authors who uses concepts from Susan Foster's GDP universe, and then does it so much better. Writing in a deft, witty, almost conversational style, she lays out her tale with entertaining diversions into history, social structure, economics, gossip, and pointed observations on the numerous, finely-drawn characters. She explores the conflicts between civilized behavior and instinct, the almost multiple personality natures of Blair Sandburg - anthropologist, activist, wild empath - and the instinct driven Dark Guide and of Jim Ellison - intelligent, ethical human being - and the Dark Sentinel, who must have, protect, and control his Guide at any cost.
Most of all, she tells a compelling story. Once you get into this novel, you won't want to put it down.
Thoughts on bonding in Sentinel fan fiction
Though not really developed in canon (there were hints) a popular concept in Sentinel fiction is that there is an one-on-one, lifetime bond between Sentinel and Guide. There are many variations on the theme, but most trace back to the fiction of Susan Foster in which Guides are empaths (and near slaves). After bonding, they are dependent on their Sentinels to maintain the mental barriers that protect them from being overwhelmed by the emotions around them. Sentinels rely on their Guides to provide a baseline for control of their senses, without which they will eventually go insane.
Susan Foster and authors who use her concepts have been criticized for writing slash but being unwilling to admit it. The declarations that the intense, clearly erotic bonding scenes are non-sexual may seem laughable. I can see the point. Nevertheless, I take the writers at their word. If they imagine relationships that are emotionally, and physically intense, yet don't involve sex - to be blunt, no boners, no orgasms - it is their prerogative to portray a profound relationship that happens on a level other than the sexual, though perhaps parallel to it. I find that interesting and the flavor is subtly but significantly different from outright slash. On the other hand, the reader is free to explore whatever subtext she finds.
In some ways it reminds me of the Renaissance sculptures and paintings of saints in ecstasy at the touch of God, especially Bernini's masterpiece 'The Ecstasy of Saint Theresa'.
Saint Theresa describes her experience: "The pain was so great that I screamed aloud; but at the same time I felt such an infinite sweetness that I wished the pain to last forever. It was not physical but psychic pain, although it affected the body as well to some degree. It was the sweetest caressing of the soul by God."
The imagery is erotic on the surface, but it would be crass to suggest that is all that is happening. The effect on the person experiencing it is profoundly different. We may be talking sublimation, but that's a legitimate redirection of energy. Perhaps it is a good metaphor for bonding as depicted in these stories, which is described as physical, emotional, neurological, spiritual, sensual, and psychic.
This digression is intended as a general discussion of the bonding concept in Sentinel fiction and some of the controversy it has engendered, not specifically the works of any one author. C.D. Stewart is an outstanding example of an author who successfully portrays intense bonding, while making it vividly clear that the relationship is overwhelmingly spiritual.
But I digress :-)
An Excerpt from 'Walking with Dark Angels':
"The fine will be paid." The flat declaration, bleak as an arctic windstorm, cut across his drawing in breath to attempt to smooth things over. "Charge them to my private account."
Umbutu raised one eyebrow expressively. Daric knew her sharp eyes would have missed nothing, from the ridiculously high number of coloured bars through the Dark Angel pin and the tattoo, even to the barely visible black-on-black panther badge. Her slow smile would have turned a shark green. "Certainly, Sir. To what account shall I send the fine invoice?"
"James Joseph Ellison – BY7906ABVX Petty Cash."
Oh, crap. Daric closed in eyes. The only thing needed for his life to get worse was for a piano to drop on his head. Ellison, the oldest, richest, most powerful of the Nine Ruling Families, House Ellison, founder of the Oligarchy, who could destroy the economy of worlds and bring down the governments of solar systems with one languidly waved hand. Daric swallowed heavily and kicked himself for not putting it together – while several scions of the Nine Ruling Houses were rumoured to be black operatives, James Ellison was the only Body Heir whose face was not repeatedly splashed, instantly recognisable, across the Inhabited Galaxies media, which meant that he was a very covert covert operative. At that moment, Daric would have been willing to bet that the man's own parents didn't even possess an accurate – and therefore identifiable - physical likeness of him.
I'm not linking directly to the story, since it is offered in several formats. Scroll a bit more than half-way down the page for chapters or the whole novel in Word, or text, or for it print-formatted (like a zine) for download in Word or a zip file.
Walking With Dark Angels
Pairing: none
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: C. D. Stewart's Homepage
Why this must be read:
Two hundred years ago an amoral scientist discovered how to genetically engineer Sentinels but not their necessary, empathic Guides. Now empaths are extremely valuable to all sorts of people.
Three powerful unbonded Sentinels. Three wild empaths. 'The Man', a shadowy user/abuser of the powerless. A far future universe with complex webs of wealth, power, and duty.
C.D. Stewart is one of the authors who uses concepts from Susan Foster's GDP universe, and then does it so much better. Writing in a deft, witty, almost conversational style, she lays out her tale with entertaining diversions into history, social structure, economics, gossip, and pointed observations on the numerous, finely-drawn characters. She explores the conflicts between civilized behavior and instinct, the almost multiple personality natures of Blair Sandburg - anthropologist, activist, wild empath - and the instinct driven Dark Guide and of Jim Ellison - intelligent, ethical human being - and the Dark Sentinel, who must have, protect, and control his Guide at any cost.
Most of all, she tells a compelling story. Once you get into this novel, you won't want to put it down.
Thoughts on bonding in Sentinel fan fiction
Though not really developed in canon (there were hints) a popular concept in Sentinel fiction is that there is an one-on-one, lifetime bond between Sentinel and Guide. There are many variations on the theme, but most trace back to the fiction of Susan Foster in which Guides are empaths (and near slaves). After bonding, they are dependent on their Sentinels to maintain the mental barriers that protect them from being overwhelmed by the emotions around them. Sentinels rely on their Guides to provide a baseline for control of their senses, without which they will eventually go insane.
Susan Foster and authors who use her concepts have been criticized for writing slash but being unwilling to admit it. The declarations that the intense, clearly erotic bonding scenes are non-sexual may seem laughable. I can see the point. Nevertheless, I take the writers at their word. If they imagine relationships that are emotionally, and physically intense, yet don't involve sex - to be blunt, no boners, no orgasms - it is their prerogative to portray a profound relationship that happens on a level other than the sexual, though perhaps parallel to it. I find that interesting and the flavor is subtly but significantly different from outright slash. On the other hand, the reader is free to explore whatever subtext she finds.
In some ways it reminds me of the Renaissance sculptures and paintings of saints in ecstasy at the touch of God, especially Bernini's masterpiece 'The Ecstasy of Saint Theresa'.
Saint Theresa describes her experience: "The pain was so great that I screamed aloud; but at the same time I felt such an infinite sweetness that I wished the pain to last forever. It was not physical but psychic pain, although it affected the body as well to some degree. It was the sweetest caressing of the soul by God."
The imagery is erotic on the surface, but it would be crass to suggest that is all that is happening. The effect on the person experiencing it is profoundly different. We may be talking sublimation, but that's a legitimate redirection of energy. Perhaps it is a good metaphor for bonding as depicted in these stories, which is described as physical, emotional, neurological, spiritual, sensual, and psychic.
This digression is intended as a general discussion of the bonding concept in Sentinel fiction and some of the controversy it has engendered, not specifically the works of any one author. C.D. Stewart is an outstanding example of an author who successfully portrays intense bonding, while making it vividly clear that the relationship is overwhelmingly spiritual.
But I digress :-)
An Excerpt from 'Walking with Dark Angels':
"The fine will be paid." The flat declaration, bleak as an arctic windstorm, cut across his drawing in breath to attempt to smooth things over. "Charge them to my private account."
Umbutu raised one eyebrow expressively. Daric knew her sharp eyes would have missed nothing, from the ridiculously high number of coloured bars through the Dark Angel pin and the tattoo, even to the barely visible black-on-black panther badge. Her slow smile would have turned a shark green. "Certainly, Sir. To what account shall I send the fine invoice?"
"James Joseph Ellison – BY7906ABVX Petty Cash."
Oh, crap. Daric closed in eyes. The only thing needed for his life to get worse was for a piano to drop on his head. Ellison, the oldest, richest, most powerful of the Nine Ruling Families, House Ellison, founder of the Oligarchy, who could destroy the economy of worlds and bring down the governments of solar systems with one languidly waved hand. Daric swallowed heavily and kicked himself for not putting it together – while several scions of the Nine Ruling Houses were rumoured to be black operatives, James Ellison was the only Body Heir whose face was not repeatedly splashed, instantly recognisable, across the Inhabited Galaxies media, which meant that he was a very covert covert operative. At that moment, Daric would have been willing to bet that the man's own parents didn't even possess an accurate – and therefore identifiable - physical likeness of him.
I'm not linking directly to the story, since it is offered in several formats. Scroll a bit more than half-way down the page for chapters or the whole novel in Word, or text, or for it print-formatted (like a zine) for download in Word or a zip file.
Walking With Dark Angels
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I actually agree with you about how well Cat writes the bond, but then, though I am bi-fictional, I am not really bothered by feelings that what is really being written by the GDP-inspired authors is slash by another name. As I said, I take the writer's word for it. I actually prefer it as non-slash. The main problem I have with slash is that by concentrating on the sexual, it brings the relationship down into the everyday level, the ordinary. I like the concept of Sentinel and Guide, Jim and Blair, being out of the ordinary, bigger than life, mystical, awesome, special, while still very human. I want to try and imagine something I couldn't experience myself. Not that I see them as asexual beings, I'm just not interested in sex, either slash or het, being a major focus of most of the fiction I read. Darn, I hope I'm getting what I mean across. You see here why I am a reader, not a writer.
Then there are those days when I just want some smut - bring on the NC-17 :-)
The digression on bonding fics was really intended as a general discussion, not a specific comment on Cat's fic. She does use all the elements that are cited as slash-worthy - naked men with bodies entwined and screaming in ecstasy. If anything I wanted to point out why this shouldn't necessarily be interpreted as homophobic or 'afraid-to-do-slash' and I think her writing best demonstrates this. It was prompted by my thoughts on comments to my Crack Van rec of Susan Foster. Perhaps I should have posted them there, but I wanted them more out in the open. Since Crack Van seems to be slash-heavy in focus, I cringed when I posted the bonding digression, awaiting flames and outrage.
Thanks for your comments. I will edit the rec to try and make my intentions clearer.
I have some other GDP inspired recs to come. You are probably right, I should have left Cat's to last, but I couldn't resist.
PS. Though I have reservations about Susan Foster's writing, I applaud her willingness to share her universe and her concepts with other writers. The Sentinel fandom is richer for it.
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Not at all. The whole purpose of this exercise is share great fics with other fans. If we are really lucky we will intrigue readers enough to try something they maybe wouldn't otherwise read, and maybe even recruit new fans to our favorite fandoms. If a rec is seconded, especially so enthusiastically, or if it gets a lot of responses, that can only help. I'm truly delighted with what you added to the discussion.
Sex is a completely redundant issue in this incarnation of the bond - almost pointless considering the level of intimacy they can achieve without it.
Very well said.
Thanks again for your contributions.
no subject
(Anonymous) 2006-03-15 08:41 pm (UTC)(link)no subject
As for the other, it is open to the reader's interpretation. Considering the way bonding is portrayed in this story, I think sex is bonding-lite :-)
no subject
(Anonymous) 2006-03-16 11:59 am (UTC)(link)Bonding seems to be the version of sex women who don't like to be penetrated and think sex is a little dirty because of the exchange of body-fluids dream of: a sanitised, neutered, sterilised form of sex. But still sex, in my eyes.
Don't tell me it's not sex if there's no penetration. (Where did I hear that one last?)There doesn't need to be physical penetration if the mind is penetrated, which clearly happens in this fic. That formerly independent people are forced into a co-dependency that will lead to them dying when their other half dies, just makes me sick. That you seem to think that highly romantic just tells me everything I need to know about you.
And what about civil rights of empaths? They have to conceal their abilities with the help of drugs (for heaven's sake!), live in hiding and fear detection all their lives, because it's open season on them all year round. You think that's desirable? Try to talk with survivors of the Holocaust whether they thought it adventurous to have to conceal their being Jewish.
I don't mind that the fic deals with such themes. But I mind the way it happens, as if it was some kind of romantic ideal to sigh and swoon over.
At least have the decency to call it what it is. You folks are just like the nice uncles who, when caught, tell the police it was nothing sexual, they just like to cuddle and feel up little girls because they are so fond of children.
You freaks creep me out.