Reviewed By: Cobalt Ox On: January 05, 2003 04:00 CST
Rating(s):Style of Writing: 10 of 10
Spelling & Grammar: 9 of 10
Originality/Creativity: 9 of 10
Enjoyment Factor: 10 of 10
Overall Rating: 10 of 10 Comment/Review:
As in other writing endeavors, it seems that nine-tenths of all fanfic has become either an incestuous, circle-jerk of the back-slapping kind, or an intolerant, self-righteous I'm-perfect-and-to-hell-with-everybody-else, with no room for original workings with established characters or intelligent critiques of any kind. I am happy to report that I see none of these negatives in "Music Box". Ms. Rhian has managed to portray everything that a true "Bebop" fan looks for: forboding, a sense of loss, empathy between two lost souls living in a universe that really doesn't care about your problems no matter how tragic, and facing up to the odds with more than a pound of dignity and fortitude and without any of the self-pity one would usually expect in fan submissions like these--and in only three pages(!) turns my expectations on its' head. One would usually see writing like this in the early works of Alfred Bester, or the harder SF of C.J. Cherryh. In fact, I see an even earlier, more mainstream pedigree: a short, sharp heartbreaker of a short story titled "I'll Be Waiting", written by none other than Raymond Chandler (for the curious, you can find it in his marvelous collection "The Simple Art of Murder"). And with down-to-earth inspiration like this, set on another world, how much more noir--or recommendation--do you need? In short, I LIKE this story, kids, and I look forward to more of her work in the future. Write on, Janeth! |
