Stuff by Gheorghe2@aol.com (PG-13)

[blacksquirrel.livejournal.com]

Fandom: STAR WARS EXTENDED UNIVERSE
Pairing: Luke/Mara
Why this must be read:

I am taking shameless and early advantage of the mod post earlier today stating that Star Wars would now be one rec category in order to rec my very favorite piece of fiction. Yes, my favorite story of any fandom, any pairing, het or slash is the modestly titled "Stuff." This novel length fic takes place in an AU after the Zahn trilogy. This replaces the sudden Mommy!Mara of the latter Zahn books with a tenuous siblings-in-arms/buddy pairing. This is a Luke who gets a bit too morose and wrapped up in his own importance while secretly longing to be back in his pod racer wreaking all manner of un-Jedi-like havoc, and a Mara who doesn't let him get away with hiding behind his title and accomplishments to avoid his true nature and desires. However, the emotions of the story are never rushed and the romance isn't exactly the focal point. Rather their relationship slowly (very slowly - novel length fic) develops during a trade run to a rim planet where Mara's foster family ties and old Empire politics set the stage for a few unexpected adventures. I have a lot of trouble buying domesticated/maternal Mara - "Stuff" presents Mara as a tough, capable, no-nonsense smuggler walking on the edge of violence and morality. This fic does a tremendous job of working through the delicate power struggles between Luke and Mara (both very strong personalities), has excellent emotional and character continuity and creates intense and detailed alien cultures - overall an amazing acomplishment. Don't expect a traditional romance ending - but do expect to find happiness in surprising places.


Stuff

Comments

[cadesama.livejournal.com]

Awesome choice! I'm shocked I hadn't seen it rec'd before. But how can you leave out a mention of the Tales of the Jedi holovid? DukeNTara4EVAH!!

[blacksquirrel.livejournal.com]

Ah totally! I had actually forgotten that part of the plot (it's been a couple years since I last read "Stuff"), but you're right, it is one of the many highlights in this fic :)

[http://users.livejournal.com/ari_/]

oh, that's pretty much the only Luke/Mara story I found that I really liked. *g*

Gee, I haven't read that in - years. At least 4, I think, if not more...

[blacksquirrel.livejournal.com]

It's always a good time to read Stuff again. Since I'm primarily into slash, it takes a unique kind of het story to get me interested. In Stuff I never felt like the author was taking the easy out by relying on standard depictions of femininity and romance. Mara seemed like Mara all the way through and that's what really made me remember the fic for - oh gosh - 9 years since I first read it? Somethink like that.

[sabrinanymph.livejournal.com]

I still remember Stuff and it's been probably nine or ten years since I read it too. It was when I first got into internet fandom and was possibly the first piece of online fan fiction that I read...