I DIDN'T EXPECT IT. AT ALL. AS SOON AS SHE SAID 'SO, HOW LONG HAVE I BEEN A CLONE', I LITERALLY 'OH. SHIT' AND SHRIEKED A LITTLE. AND THEN NO ONE ELSE HAD READ THEM, SO I WAS FORCED TO JUST GO 'LOOK, THE FIRST BOOK IS AMAZING, AND THEN YOU'LL READ THE SECOND, AND THEN WE'LL SCREAM. NOW HURRY UP AND READ' AT PEOPLE.
I HAVE NO IDEA! I'VE BEEN WAITING LONGER. IT'S HARD. SO HARD. BECAUSE, AUGH, OH, GOD, SHAUN. AND THE BIT WHERE HE WAS ALL 'SO, IF I HADN'T SHOT HER, SHE WAS GOING TO GET BETTER', I CRIED, I ADMIT. SO I JUST CAN'T WAIT FOR THEM TO MEET AGAIN. BECAUSE, OH. MY. GOD.
...yes. You know, I hadn't even thought about fanfiction. Wow, I fail.
OH GOD, SHAUN, EVERY SINGLE TIME HE ACTUALLY SAW HER I THOUGHT MY HEART WOULD BREAK. And I knew that there was something a bit off about the fact that he saw her without the retinal infection, some kind of clue there, but I never for a second thought that we'd be handed something as glorious as FUCKING RESURRECTION VIA CLONING.
Seriously, dear lord, how much backstory fic do I want about their beautiful fucked-up utter codependence. HOW MUCH. I almost made gleeful shouting sounds when I realised that no, I was not imagining that dynamic, and yes, they were going there.
I really have to reread the book, just to see if there were red herrings that I missed when I devoured it. Because, I was so blindsided by that. (And I try and tell my brain to shut up, that's not how cloning works, clone just = genetic copy, nothing else, but given all the other world-building, I really, really, really want some cloning explanation for getting the personality and age of the original, so therefore I can just wallow in GLORIOUS)
Oh, fuck, yes. Now you mention it...oh, wow, fandom could do some utterly amazing things. And the shift in perception from her POV to his, and how that adds layers and twists things, and oh, man, when the book went there, I literally went "ohfuck". Just. *flaily hands*
DEAR FANDOM, PLEASE EXIST. I SUDDENLY NEED ALL THE FIC.
(Yeah, given the amount of medical research that's gone into the book I am interested to see how she'll handle the imbuement of a genetic copy with memory, but even if the explanation is handwavey and dreadful I will NOT. GIVE. A FUCK.)
The shift in perception is definitely key, because it's ONLY in Shaun's voice that you'd get even the slightest hint of his relationship with George; even though both narratives are presented as inner voice, they're still the voices of people who grew up controlling their output, whose words are weighed, who spin their own lives as naturally as breathing. So of COURSE we wouldn't hear it from George, who delegates her emotional expression to her brother. Of COURSE an Irwin would throw up a facade, an act, even in a nominal inner narrative; of course Shaun is trying his hardest not to remind himself of what he's lost and embracing his breakdown at the same damn time. He flaunts it. He gives the public whatever is safe; he gives them enough of the story to tug at heartstrings, and not much more.
Uh. I have a lot of meta in me about stories told from the perspective of ruthless storytellers.
(I don't care if it's a crazy explanation, I just want one. But clones are a Thing with me, so I suspect it's bugging me more than it might otherwise)
they're still the voices of people who grew up controlling their output, whose words are weighed, who spin their own lives as naturally as breathing.
YES. THIS. I just fucking adored that aspect to them, how ruthless and calculated their words are, even in their inner selves. And the same with the different sides to Maggie, too - her privated post where she was 'FUCK YOU, YOU IDIOT, I LOVED YOU TO' and the public one where she was all 'sorry my darlings, Auntie Maggie won't be around to play today'. Just the depth and connection they have to that virtual world, and how it affects how they think and present themselves as naturally as they breathe, I loved that first about the first book, and the more I read, the more I loved it. Because I do noticed that I tend to narrate things to myself as if I'm crafting sentences, even if I'm not going to post about whatever I'm thinking.
Ooh, yes, Maggie is the easiest character for a lot of fannish people to connect to, I think -- her divisions are protective, but also related to fiction for fiction's sake.
I am all about intense sibling relationships that cross lines at the best of times (I think I read Tis Pity She's A Whore at an impresssionable age) so I was merrily reading into it anyway, but that scene where Shaun screws up and is terrified that people will know and sfjhsdhsakfh
MAHIR <3 I think I could write some great stuff about him because I understand his perspective of geographical isolation yet deep virtual involvement. Plus he is balls-out amazing and dedicated.
Yessss, definitely, though sadly few stories delve into that kind of territory. SPN is the only really popular one that I can think of offhand. (Clearly I need to read Tis a Pity.) OH SHAUN. <3 I love how he is SO SCREWED UP and knows it, and yet is so very good at making out like he doesn't care what people will think of him--until George is thrown into the mix.
YES HE IS. Possibly I am biased because I'm British, but I was SO glad we got to see more him.
'Tis Pity is a Jacobean play, it is cracktastic and tragic and hilarious (so...100% pure Jacobean) and you should definitely look it up.
I am glad Australia got a couple of MENTIONS in the book, that is heaps more than most purportedly global works of fiction give us; even World War Z was depressingly void of Aussies, and it had people from EVERY OTHER CONTINENT.
I shrieked when Shaun slipped in Book #2. When I was reading the first book, I had to go ask Gen, who knows the author, if she thought she meant it to be twincest-ish because I never notice this shit, and I was NOTICING THIS SHIT. She thought not, and I decided "man, that's some good fucked up shit".
Then Book #2 and the sex scene and the discussion of girlfriends and OMG, I THREW THE BOOK AND SHRIEKED. And then had to devour the rest in one sitting.
And then THE END. THE END!!!! And then the preview of Book 3. MORE SHRIEKING. IS IT JUNE YET?
I admit, I was surprised the author went there! I thought Mahir was the closest we were going to get to for a love interest for George, and I really liked it. It fit with the world. Honestly, I just loved George and wanted any story I could get.
These books are amazing. I broke my no-zombies rule to read them as quickly as I could. And I'm totally asking for Shaun/George (or Shaun/George/Mahir, I'm not picky) for Yuletide. It needs to exist more.
I am very, very hopeful that this year's Yuletide will produce a lot of it. I intend to spend Xmas Day (well, given timezones, mostly Boxing Day) reading about zombies.
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YES!
HI, FRAR. THIS IS ME, SCREAMING, BECAUSE AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH GEORGE WHAT THE HEL?!?!?!
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HOW AM I GOING TO WAIT SIX MONTHS FOR A SHAUN/GEORGE REUNION, ASHIE, HOW AM I GOING TO DO THAT?.
Yuletide, Yuletide, here I fucking come.
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I HAVE NO IDEA! I'VE BEEN WAITING LONGER. IT'S HARD. SO HARD. BECAUSE, AUGH, OH, GOD, SHAUN. AND THE BIT WHERE HE WAS ALL 'SO, IF I HADN'T SHOT HER, SHE WAS GOING TO GET BETTER', I CRIED, I ADMIT. SO I JUST CAN'T WAIT FOR THEM TO MEET AGAIN. BECAUSE, OH. MY. GOD.
...yes. You know, I hadn't even thought about fanfiction. Wow, I fail.
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Seriously, dear lord, how much backstory fic do I want about their beautiful fucked-up utter codependence. HOW MUCH. I almost made gleeful shouting sounds when I realised that no, I was not imagining that dynamic, and yes, they were going there.
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Oh, fuck, yes. Now you mention it...oh, wow, fandom could do some utterly amazing things. And the shift in perception from her POV to his, and how that adds layers and twists things, and oh, man, when the book went there, I literally went "ohfuck". Just. *flaily hands*
DEAR FANDOM, PLEASE EXIST. I SUDDENLY NEED ALL THE FIC.
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The shift in perception is definitely key, because it's ONLY in Shaun's voice that you'd get even the slightest hint of his relationship with George; even though both narratives are presented as inner voice, they're still the voices of people who grew up controlling their output, whose words are weighed, who spin their own lives as naturally as breathing. So of COURSE we wouldn't hear it from George, who delegates her emotional expression to her brother. Of COURSE an Irwin would throw up a facade, an act, even in a nominal inner narrative; of course Shaun is trying his hardest not to remind himself of what he's lost and embracing his breakdown at the same damn time. He flaunts it. He gives the public whatever is safe; he gives them enough of the story to tug at heartstrings, and not much more.
Uh. I have a lot of meta in me about stories told from the perspective of ruthless storytellers.
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they're still the voices of people who grew up controlling their output, whose words are weighed, who spin their own lives as naturally as breathing.
YES. THIS. I just fucking adored that aspect to them, how ruthless and calculated their words are, even in their inner selves. And the same with the different sides to Maggie, too - her privated post where she was 'FUCK YOU, YOU IDIOT, I LOVED YOU TO' and the public one where she was all 'sorry my darlings, Auntie Maggie won't be around to play today'. Just the depth and connection they have to that virtual world, and how it affects how they think and present themselves as naturally as they breathe, I loved that first about the first book, and the more I read, the more I loved it. Because I do noticed that I tend to narrate things to myself as if I'm crafting sentences, even if I'm not going to post about whatever I'm thinking.
It is quite excellent meta! I only encourage it.
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Also SERIOUSLY, THE ENDING. AND THE RELATIONSHIP. AND THE TINY TEACUP SEIZURE BULLDOGS OF RIDICULOUSNESS. BUT MOSTLY THE RELATIONSHIP.
*flaily hands*
I'm so pleased she actually went there, because it was brilliant and I didn't actually see it coming.
OH OH OH. And British Guy! Who's name I am ASHAMED not to remember -- Mahir? -- was fabulous.
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MAHIR <3 I think I could write some great stuff about him because I understand his perspective of geographical isolation yet deep virtual involvement. Plus he is balls-out amazing and dedicated.
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YES HE IS. Possibly I am biased because I'm British, but I was SO glad we got to see more him.
Also, CLONES. \o/
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I am glad Australia got a couple of MENTIONS in the book, that is heaps more than most purportedly global works of fiction give us; even World War Z was depressingly void of Aussies, and it had people from EVERY OTHER CONTINENT.
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I shrieked when Shaun slipped in Book #2. When I was reading the first book, I had to go ask Gen, who knows the author, if she thought she meant it to be twincest-ish because I never notice this shit, and I was NOTICING THIS SHIT. She thought not, and I decided "man, that's some good fucked up shit".
Then Book #2 and the sex scene and the discussion of girlfriends and OMG, I THREW THE BOOK AND SHRIEKED. And then had to devour the rest in one sitting.
And then THE END. THE END!!!! And then the preview of Book 3. MORE SHRIEKING. IS IT JUNE YET?
I admit, I was surprised the author went there! I thought Mahir was the closest we were going to get to for a love interest for George, and I really liked it. It fit with the world. Honestly, I just loved George and wanted any story I could get.
I love this book series!!
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I thought you read it months ago so I ... oh.
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"She would have gotten better."
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