Thursday, Friday and Cities of Gold

[indri]

Spent yesterday at home with a bad cold. I think I slept for 18 out of 24 hours. Five of the other six were spent reading MustangSally and Chase's Eldorado. Superbly written (my writing sounds forced in comparison) and set not far from where I used to live, so I enjoyed reading those Texan touches, but the authors have managed to write a very plausible version of Spike that I don't like reading about. Frankly, I didn't think that was possible (although I do get swiftly bored by overly sappy Spikes). I think it's because a large part of Spike's appeal to me is William. Before FFL, I always enjoyed watching Spike on BtVS but felt no special interest in him as a character. It was the exposure of his inner William that won me over and, indeed, catapulted me into reading fanfic online for the first time. But Eldorado obliquely suggests that William himself was a deeply unpleasant man and, frankly, I don't really want to get to know this version of him any better. Despite that I'll undoubtedly read the sequels---this is very clearly a prologue---as I do want to know what happens next. But in the meantime I feel slightly icky and unmotivated to finish my own work-in-progress because what if Spike was really like that?

This morning I've been considering staying off work again. Felt awful on waking but, after half an hour on the computer I feel OK now. I think I'll postpone my physio appt and lunch with some friends though as both would involve much running around that I don't feel up to.

Comments

[onetwomany.livejournal.com]

I don’t know if I’m ready to say I dislike this version of Spike. It’s not entirely clear who this Spike is yet. But I do get the different archetype problem, and I suspect that’s my issue exactly. I’ve never seen Spike as a alpha type, as I know chase820 does, and that divergence in opinions is definitely influencing my perception of his character in Eldorado (just as it has in some of mustangsally’s other stuff - especially the emphasis 'adultery' scene...).

The drugs thing, though? Doesn’t really bother me. I could definitely see Spike getting addicted like that to deal with his pain. He’s got the obsessiveness and the self-destructiveness in spades.

Still, they are very minor criticisms, because I’m deeply taken with the story and I'm sure they'll both have a truly fascinating explanation for why Spike is like he is. Plus, I'm actually interested in all the characters. And I say that as someone who usually yawns at extended Xander scenes and skips over the new characters!

[rahirah]

It's not that the drug thing bothers me, it's just that I strongly suspect I'm not reacting to it in the way in which the writers are anticipating that the majority of their audience will react. (And from the comments I've seen, they've gauged the majority reaction correctly.) I can certainly see Spike getting addicted--but for me, that doesn't come off as sexy, balls-back, in-control Spike. Just the opposite. I'm a little afraid that I'm going to end up in a cognitively dissonant reading space where what the writers are saying is not what I'm hearing. Season 6 redux, the horror, the horror. >:)

[onetwomany.livejournal.com]

That's a good point!

I guess I saw him as wanting to present the image of Spike-with-stones, and doing quite a good job at it. But the fact he was frying his brain to do so made me think that we're meant to see it as an act - and one which is going to fall apart in spectacular fashion, because he isn't in control. At least, not of himself. But that's pretty much always the case with Spike...;-)

But then, it's entirely likely I'm reading the story completely 'wrong'! And also, I can wank anything to my liking if given enough incentive!

[indri]

(If I can respond to both of you in the one comment.)

Spike's mania, his drug-taking and Faith's account of his homelife all suggest to me that this Spike has very few of his marbles left and that he's not exactly looking for the ones that have rolled under the sofa. I am rather disturbed by the suggestion that this brittle loony-tunes is being mistaken for Rocks!Back!Spike. If the authors have "gauged the majority reaction correctly" then it must be to twist their readers' expectations later, surely? Again I'm thinking of the trick they played with their pseudo-shallow Buffy.

[indri]

If I thought for one moment that Spike was an alpha male I would go and do something else. I find alphas tedious and irritating in RL and in fiction. This possibly explains why I have little patience for Angel, even when he deserves some.

My, I'm feeling catty tonight.