Strange Loops by aukestrel (R/NC-17)

[nos4a2no9.livejournal.com]

Fandom: DUE SOUTH
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski
Author on LJ: aukestrel
Author Website: AuKestrel's Fiction Link
Why this must be read:

aukestrel has been around in this fandom for quite a while. She's authored terrific stuff (if you haven't read her Near Wild Heaven cycle, well, you haven't lived) and she consistently produces smart and complex stuff. But nothing in her other posted work prepared me for the sheer genius of "Strange Loops". It's an AU in which RayK is an eccentric microbiologist on the brink of finding a cure for Alzheimer's, Fraser is an embittered grant writer (who smokes and swears!) and other dS characters (like Victoria and Mark Smithbauer and pizza delivery man Sandor) pop up in interesting and unexpected ways. The mark of a truly great AU is to put the characters in strange situations and still make you believe they are the same characters we know and love; Auk takes things to the nth degree by setting her story in the cloistered and dangerous world of high-level scientific research. It's about as far from the cops-and-robbers (and Mounties) world of due South as you could imagine and yet, somehow, it's still a dS story.

Someone really needs to write some meta (or perhaps a graduate paper) on the myriad amount of dS AUs set in academia: Fraser and RayK have been archeologists and English professors and vulcanologists and queer theory experts in some incredibly well-written and diverse stories. I think this is the first such story I've read that really captures the cutthroat nature of university politics. I did my MA in English and Cultural Studies so I wasn't exactly in line for the tremendous amount of grant money and prestige inherent in scientific research, but Auk made the financial and political machinations of that world seem completely familiar and just as frustrating to the reader as it is for her characters. I particularly liked Auk's take on Ray as a troubled, twitchy genius who suffers from dyslexia and justifiable paranoia, and Fraser as the methodical, analytical whiz kid who helps Ray put his life in order and coaxes him out of his shell. Auk swaps character traits between Fraser and Ray with remarkable skill and ease; only in an AU this well-conceived and well-written could you get away with having Fraser teach Ray to swear and make it believable. Moreover, this story is one of the best examples of show-don't-tell storytelling you're likely to encounter in a fic of this length and scope - the relationship between Fraser and Ray evolves in Fraser's limited first-person narration (Auk gives excellent Fraser in this story) and yet you completely understand what's going through Ray's head even though we're never shown or even told what he's thinking.

Anyway, it's a long story and it has footnotes (in APA style, no less!) but it's one of the best dS AUs out there, and believe me, that is one competative field. I can't provide an excerpt or even a direct link to the story, but get Auk's password and search out this story on her site (just look under the "Snippets and WIPs" link for "Strange Loops" and follow the links to get the .pdf file). It'll be worth it!

Strange Loops at AuKestrel's Fiction Site

Comments

[dragonflymuse.livejournal.com]

The site you link to is username and password access only; just an fyi because if folks go through the time to apply for usernames/passwords, it could be a bit of time before they get to read the recced fic.

[nos4a2no9.livejournal.com]

Yes, sorry, should have made that more clear. It's worth the wait (and the work) but I didn't want to ignore this one just because there's a bit of a delay before you can read it :-)

[dragonflymuse.livejournal.com]

I sent an email asking for a password :) I really hope I get the chance to check it out :)

[minotaurs.livejournal.com]

I'd love to read some of those other AU's - queer theorists? Vulcanologists? Where could they be found?

[nos4a2no9.livejournal.com]

Oh, they are pretty easy to track down :-) ds_recsredux just ran an AU rec'ing challenge; most of the ones I mentioned were pimped there. If you go here (http://community.livejournal.com/ds_recsredux/tag/au+challenge) you can check out all the AU dS recs. For the ones that are specifically set in academia, check out Academic Punk (http://www.dueslash.com/archive/1297.html) (Fraser is an English teacher and Ray is a queer theory expert), The Course (http://www.mrks.org/~bone/duesouth/aristide/course.html) (not an AU but Ray undercover as an English teacher), Practical Diplomacy (http://mrsronweasley.popullus.net/ds/diplomacy.html) (Ray as a professor and Fraser as a grad student, this time in the political science faculty), Genesis (http://kalena.mrks.org/genesis.html) (the vulcanologist one!) and Somewhere Else to Be (http://kellie.mrks.org/fic/ds/somewhere.html) (Fraser teaches archeology). *whew* I think that's all of them, but I'm sure there are a few others I've missed. Do check these out; they are all hilarious and creative and wonderfully written.

[minotaurs.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[dramaturgca.livejournal.com]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for pointing out Academic Punk. I'd never read it and it's amazing!

[nos4a2no9.livejournal.com]

You're more than welcome! Academic Punk is the kind of story that really makes you fall in love with the whole concept of the AU. Glad you liked it!

[fredericks.livejournal.com]

Gah. Okay, answer me this, please, because I feel like I'm missing something - Strange Loops is a WIP, right? I kept seeing it rec'd, even by people that swear off WIPs (like myself), so I strolled over to Aukestral's WIP page and read it hoping it had been misclassified...but things sort of just end, right? Please tell me there's a resolution and I've missed it.

[nos4a2no9.livejournal.com]

Nope, I think it's still incomplete :-( She posted it in 2001, so I doubt it's ever gonna get finished. It makes me want to weep. Because, God, the plot was just starting to unfold and now we'll never know what happens. I suggest we start a campaign of annoyance to get her to finish the story.

[moorspede.livejournal.com]

I thought it was complete...

[aukestrel.livejournal.com]

No, sadly, it's not, although a great deal more has been written. But it's badly stuck on the aforementioned unfolding plot and while I hope to get back to it someday (maybe a week or two on a desert island with plenty of margaritas and no internet access would help), right now I don't have the time.

[bibliokat.livejournal.com]

I'm just glad to know (before I start reading it and get sucked in) that there is hope that you'll finish it! I hope you're able to get that time soon;)

[moorspede.livejournal.com]

Trust the reccer, its one of the best stories in DS. Think of it as an art film. All the bits aren't tied together but its a wonderful ride.

[bibliokat.livejournal.com]

Oooo, I really can't wait then! Argh, I may not have time til this weekend *weeps*

[raveninthewind.livejournal.com]

Have the Crack Van rules changed? I thought we weren't supposed to rec WIPs...

It's a great story, in any case.