Pussycat by Cord Smithee (NC17)

[azdak.livejournal.com]

Fandom: THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.
Pairing: Napoleon/Illya
Author on LJ: not as far as I know
Author Website: http://www.chromeandgunmetal.com

I'm very aware that, from my recs so far, one might glean the impression that the glorious tradition of UNCLE fanfic is exclusively gen in nature. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth – there is plenty of sex in MfU, it's just that I tend to skip sex scenes, which makes me a poor judge of good porn. But every so often a writer comes along whose work is so amazing that it transcends the limits of mere personal taste. One such author is Cord Smithee, who writes utterly fabulous explicit slash. His use of language is intoxicating, and his characters have a gritty three-dimensionality that is merely hinted at in the original show. Sexual desire in Cord's world is an elemental power, forcing his characters along a tightrope between ecstasy and despair, and the negotiation of power and need, submission and dominance is brilliantly rendered. What I particularly love about his style – apart from, well, everything about it – is the way he doesn't so much describe the characters' emotions as let us see what triggers those emotions. Oh, and the way he lets us see it – the language! Did I mention the language?! Here's a tiny taste:

...startlingly unready for how the sight of Illya's wide eyes and bitten lip would flicker up his nerves like bridging electricity, fat blue sparks powerful enough that the contact should have locked his fingers around Illya's wrist. Almost did; it hurt to uncurl his fingers and let go.

Cord calls “Pussycat” a PWP, but it's also a gorgeous and very funny riff on the episode “See Paris and Die”. Napoleon, playing a French flic, has hustled Illya, in the role of a hired thug, out of van Schreeten's apartment with the words Allons! Maybe we go sweat you a little bit, eh, pussycat? Subsequent events take him completely by surprise...

Oh, and just to show I'm more well-read than Thrush, Inspector Javert is from Hugo's Les Misérables.

Pussycat

Comments

[moorspede.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Cord's fiction is wonderful. I love her/his pseudonym:

Cordwainer Smith was the pseudonym used by American author Paul Myron Anthony Linebarger (July 11, 1913–August 6, 1966) for his science fiction works. Linebarger was also a noted East Asia scholar and expert in psychological warfare.

Linebarger also employed the literary pseudonyms "Carmichael Smith" (for his political thriller Atomsk), "Anthony Bearden" (for his poetry) and "Felix C. Forrest" (for the novels Ria and Carola).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordwainer_Smith

[azdak.livejournal.com]

I've always wondered if there was any kind of connection between Cordwainer Smith and the name Cord Smithee, so thanks for the info!

[(Anonymous)]

Another magnificent rec. Cord Smithee has long been one of my favorite slash writers, but she seems to have disappeared. (Where are you, Cord?) She uses such unusual, but inspired and appropriate phrases, such as, ..."brutally controlled laughter". She is one of the few authors whose stories I can read over and over. Thanks, Azzie!

[azdak.livejournal.com]

Is she a she? I always assumed CS was male - there's something about the writing that seems very masculine; and then there's the name of course. But I have no idea. Totally agree with you about being able to read the stories over and over again, though. And "inspired and appropriate phrases" is spot on - you ought to take a turn at reccing!