It had clearly been too long since I had read the stories featuring Alice Band. The latter points, I will concede, were mistaken to be attributed and should not be mentioned on the YMMV page at all, given the clarifications you had offered.
That said...
It does not matter that you do not write erotica featuring Alice Band. The fact is, the fact she is described as both a visual expy of a certain very popular (for her sex appeal) character and a lesbian will come off as Fetish Fuel to some readers, either to them personally or as an expression of Fetish Fuel in you yourself.
Likewise, the fact that she has valid reasons for sleeping around does not change the fact that, combined with the above, it becomes more Fetish Fuel to some readers. And that's not even taking into account the nature of her lovers.
I will confess likewise to being wrong about the precise connection to the Ridcully brothers. Still, the fact she is a fan-created relative, even if it's only a "beloved godchild", to two canonical characters - and especially to characters of such political and metaphysical importance in the setting backlore - is always a risky impression to leave.
Honestly, the first thing that struck me when I saw your warning that the protagonist of Slipping Between Worlds might be a Gary Stue and then read the fanfic was "Is he kidding? Alice Band is more of a Mary Sue than this guy". That...well, I'll let that speak for itself.
I was misremembering a lot of my complaints, and for that I apologise. Still, this is only my opinion, and a creator's pet or even a mary sue isn't necessarily a bad thing, if you can keep them under relative control, something you have managed. Still, there is something about Alice Band (and, to a lesser extent, Joahanna) that puts me on edge, and I can't quite pinpoint why.
now this is deconstructing Lara Croft...
http://www.viruscomix.com/page479.html
Coming back soon on the other ideas!
Male, early sixties, Cranky old fart, at least two decades behind. So you have been warned. Functionally illiterate in several languages.
This has got to be noted. I'm not sure if Wandering Browser is being appreciative or critical or (more probably) a mixture of both. must ask...
Errrr. I'm glad somebody has read the stories and I have no intention of deleting or altering somebody's honest perception of what they read. But one or two little corrections. I'll leave out the "Creator's Pet" and "Mary Sue" critique as this is too big an area to approach at this time of night. It's an interesting viewpoint, though, and merits a honest discussion.
Some of the characters expanded on in the Pessimal Discworld are gay. They're interesting to write. But I've only tried to write explicit sex involving Alice in one fic. Just couldn't do it after a while, and I'm sure it reads in a horribly trite, cliché'd sort of way> It's out there still as a sort of tombstone over my inability to do slash. If I ever revisit that story I'll rewrite and tone it down a bit. Well, a lot. There is a good story in there somewhere, but as it stands it's Early-Installment Weirdness. It ("Second Greatest Thrill") needs serious rewriting as it doesn't fit well with the rest. Hardly "fetish fuel" if the fire doesn't light...
Yes, Alice practices "parellel monogamy" with at the last count, four occassional lovers. The justification for this is that she's in a high-risk occupation, as are three of her lovers: it suits everyone, with Death a statistical possibility, to keep it open and not fall too deeply in love. (Number Four is a Seamstress who has gone beyond professional considerations and actually fallen in love with Alice. Who is wondering what the Hells to do about this, as she's fairly sure Mrs Palm does not approve of this sort of thing, among other things.)
Her parents are not from the Ridcully family. Her father is a bishop who in life was a long-time friend of Hughnon Ridcully, the current High Priest; Hughnon became Alice's godfather and is an uncle-by-adoption, a man fond of his god-daughter. It suits both sides to have a fond uncle-niece relationship even though there are no blood ties. Mustrum R is at heart a gallant old buffer who appreciates attractive women and is, possibly, secretly chuffed she platonically likes him. I have had him regret not fathering children because of the demands of Wizardry, which seems canonical and in character. Being a priest's daughter, Discworld genetics does enable her to "see the Octarine", in a manner of speaking; she can tune into the ongoing soap opera which is the everyday life of the Gods on Dunmanifestin. It is true her father found her gender preferences to be an Abomination Before Blind Io, though, and a family schism ensued. Hughnon, in an uncharacteristically tactful and retiring way, is probably offering her paternal love by proxy. (Canonically, Hughnon Ridcully is married; we do not know if they have children. If not, a favourite god-daughter might well fill the gap).
I'm not sure about respect: her visit to Lancre was one long inept blunder marked by youthful pride, an assurance she knew it all, a refusal to be told otherwise, and a series of magnificent screw-ups in which she utterly failed to perpetrate any archaeology at all. Nanny Ogg took pity on her, especially after the Feegle prevented her from breaching their mound. (They threw her into the river and nicked the medicinal alcohol from her Stealth Archaeology kit. She got away with it to that extent, though. could have been worse!) Nanny took a bedraggled and dripping archaeologist back to her home and gave her a hot bath and a soothing drink. Granny W offered a grudging nod - Alice had refused the Queen of the Elves' offer, after all - and made a prophecy for her future, as a sort of witches' obligation in payment for this deed. Respect might be something else entirely...
But thank you for reading! Could I prevail on you to add a review on the relevant FF page, if you haven't done so yet? And all criticism and comment is welcome - especially the "needs more work" sort! Nice comments are welcome, (I can never get enough) but you don't learn anything from an ego-massage...
Edited by 89.241.200.212 Male, early sixties, Cranky old fart, at least two decades behind. So you have been warned. Functionally illiterate in several languages. Hide / Show Replies