The Eleventh Hour by azdak (G)

[theladyrose.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I've been posting recs at awkward intervals this month as I've been traveling a lot lately and will be gone again tomorrow for the weekend. In case I don't have Internet access, here are my last fic recs for the Man from UNCLE this month.

Fandom: THE MAN FROM UNCLE
Pairing: none
Author: azdak
Author's website: She posts her stuff in various places, but all of the major stuff can be found under this tag.
Why this must be read:

Some of the best stories are extraordinary in that they allow you to crawl inside a character's head and see their vision of the world, however warped - and not necessarily in a pathological way - that vision is. I remember reading that Robert Vaughn thought Napoleon was somewhat insane for all of his adrenaline junkie antics, and there a number of times during the series, particularly during season 1, where I have to agree. Like Stonehenge, there's nothing that seems to really be able to get Napoleon down despite the risky tactics and smart alec responses he often employs in the face of danger. To say that azdak captures this to a T is like saying that Tiger Woods is an extraordinary golf player; her illustration of pride going before a fall is one of the most gripping I've ever read. Not that she ignores Illya, either, or ignores the partnership dynamics; these are very much essential to the heart of the story. Napoleon's take on his relationship with his partner post-Gurnius coincides with a psychological adjustment to mid life, a gradual realization of his personal myth of invincibility that has kept him alive for as long as he has. If her evocative character sketches of our spy guys weren't enough of a draw, we get snippets of her delicious 1st person OC voice, too. This story was central in refining my own understanding of Napoleon; I hope it'll open your eyes, too.

The Eleventh Hour

Comments

[azdak.livejournal.com]

You write absolutely the best reviews. I'm thrilled to bits by this one. Thank you so much! And thank you for a month of fascinating recs, many of which I'd never come across before, which is a major achievement in this small fandom.

[theladyrose.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I'm quite flattered by your kind words! Yours is a tough act to follow. This story was such a pleasure to rec, and I'm glad that you found new stories to read. It's a pleasant challenge when so many of my favorites have already appeared on crack_van.

I have to confess, this rec is also a shameless, slightly roundabout attempt to persuade you to write that Thrush agent as a gorilla fic we were talking about a few weeks ago, or any other ficlet that pops into your mind. Have I mentioned that I'll be back in Vienna the weekend of July 4th?

[azdak.livejournal.com]

that Thrush agent as a gorilla fic

LOL! But then I'd have to watch the ep again, and I don't think I can bear to do that, not even for the sake of gorilla!fic (thought it makes me laugh to think how violently the poor man must have been sweating inside that furry costume - perhaps Napoleon's dance was a cunning attempt to make him keel over from heatstroke).

I'll be back in Vienna the weekend of July 4th?


Argh! We won't be here that weekend - we're going up to the Czech border to a Schrammel festival organised by a friend of ours (Schrammelmusik is a special kind of Viennese music) on the 3rd and won't be back till Monday. Will you be coming again? I'm here for most of the summer, apart from one week in August, and it would be lovely to see you again and talk more fic.