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Read this one based on a ‘Frenzy’ suggestion, and boy, am I glad I did! Hm, must start asking folks for their name when they suggest a fic, because I’d definitely be happy to check out more stories rec’ed by this person. Anyway, something I should make clear before I get into the story. I’ve never seen Blake’s 7 and my knowledge of canon is ‘iffy’ and second hand. Now, I think a good fanfic differs from original fiction in that fanfic really shouldn’t try to appeal to non-fans. What I mean is, fanfic needs less emphasis on establishing the backdrop of a story and a backdrop for its characters- and when fanfic TRIES to read like original fic in that regard, it may seem a bit repetitive or simplistic or silly to the fans who are the main audience. This is not necessarily the case- but I maintain that fanfic and original fic ‘read’ differently and should be judged on slightly different criteria. Anyway- my way of saying, in general, I’m not into reading fanfic when I’m not fairly familiar with the source.
Now, that long ramble aside, prior to this rec, Blake’s 7 is one of only 2 fandoms I’ve read while not being familiar with the source. ‘Smallville’ was the other one- the fic got me into the show- but even with ‘Smallville’, well, I did know the basics of Lex and Superman! But ‘Blake’s 7’ is a fandom I’ve read some in and have no real desire to see the source. I’ve read episode guides, seen pictures and a few vids, I already know that Avon is the character that grabs me in this series- and I’m fascinated by the Avon/Blake dynamic. I mostly don’t want to see the show because I know it’s cheesey- cheesey like ‘Star Trek’ was cheesey, but I grew up on ‘Trek’ and I still tend to view it through young eyes, wowed by the concepts and blind to the cheese. Anyway, point being- I’m not overly familiar with ‘Blake’s 7’ yet I undeniably feel the appeal of the concepts and characters that make up the universe. I loved getting this rec, because ‘The Haunting of Haderon’ is the first B7 story I’ve read that stands on its own, accessible to non-fans, and yet still deeply seated in the B7 universe. It’s a good fic, and you can enjoy it whether you are familiar with B7 canon or not- yet it’s not written in such a way to ‘talk down to’ fans of the show.[lj-cut]
The premise is a good one (and the story equivalent to an ‘X-Files’ case file story)- Blake’s still around, Captain of the Liberator, and on a mission to help an outlying system implement an early warning detection system against the Federation. His efforts take him and the crew of the Liberator to the planet Haderon, where the natives seem friendly enough but warn against going into the great desert that covers the planet. Seems the natives believe their are ‘Haunts’ that exist in the desert and who destroy any who dare to venture beyond the confines of the human settlement. Blake and crew, knowing there are no other life forms around, dismiss this as silly superstition and get on with the work of implementing the early warning detection system. Of course, the reader suspects something more is at play, and I was immediately drawn in by the mystery of the ‘haunts’. The plot thickens (and you know I dig plot) when Avon (yea!) finds reason to suspect the colonists are not as friendly as they appear, and his investigations land both himself and Vila into trouble. BIG trouble. As Avon and Vila worry with staying alive, Blake and the rest of the crew try to figure out what’s happened to their missing crew-mates and what role the colonists may play in it.
This is just a damn good story- a long tale, told mostly through Vila’s pov. Vila I can take or leave, but I very much enjoyed his portrayal here. I really loved this version of Avon (who is not un-Snape-like in some respects), and the author does a nice job of balancing his rationality, self-preservation and loyalty. Blake is also well portrayed, and I enjoyed the contrast between Blake and Avon. They aren’t ‘on-screen’ together that much, but the contrasts are still evident. In short- a definite rec. This is simply a good story, whether you know much about B7 or not. From my limited knowledge of the show, I’d say it should also work well for fans. Rec me more stuff like this, folks. It gives me a happy.
[Note- link goes to the main archive, you’ll have to find it from there. Why the FUCK do people pass hit counters in the main story url? Seriously, that’s just irritating.][/lj-cut]
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