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Post by Hermes on Dec 18, 2020 18:29:09 GMT -5
This is an old feature which I used to do at the 667er, theoretically every other month, aiming to introduce some of the best of 667's historic fiction. Each entry would introduce a Snicketfic and a 667fic. Sherry Ann's new 667fic put me in mind of it, and I'm now planning to revive it; over the next few days I will repost my old entries, and then go on, more slowly, to add some new ones, hoping to continue until we reach thirteen. First entry coming up shortly!
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Post by Hermes on Dec 18, 2020 18:36:35 GMT -5
July 2016Snicketfic of the month: The Arcane Academy, by Dante. We think of Dante mostly as a Snicketologist, but he has many strings to his bow, and his fiction, of which he has a substantial archive, is always worth reading. This story belongs to the subgenre which tells of an unrecorded adventure of the Baudelaires’, in this case set (in a manner of speaking, anyway) between TMM and TAA. It is a crossover with – well, you can probably guess which series – and faces the challenge of combining the world of that series with the very different world of ASOUE. You may think this is impossible, given how sceptical the Baudelaires are about magic in later books, but the problem is confronted and solved very cleverly. The story has all the hallmarks of the earlier ASOUE books, and is the most effective crossover I have read. 667fic of the month: 667 Dark Apocalypse, by Tragedy, Sixteen and Willis, with guest writer Alice. Do you remember when the world was due to end in 2012? This story, published in 2008-9, was set in that far future year and the following one, predicting not a literal end to the world, but a burst of gamma rays which wiped out 70% of the earth’s population. It then followed the adventures of those 667ers who survived – of whom there were surprisingly many – at first as individuals and pairs, then as a community, since in the final episode they gather in Chicago to celebrate their eleventh anniversary, only to find themselves investigating the murder of Daniel Handler! I arrived at 667 just as this story was being published, and gained much of my knowledge of the site from it; it was a dominating event at the site for a while, with ‘667 Dark Apocalypse’ even featuring briefly in the masthead. The story helped to unify 667, since the authors made an effort to include every active member, including some who were semi-retired when I arrived, and others who joined after me. But it also reflected, and to some extent (unintentionally) contributed to, the ongoing conflict between the first and second most beautiful girls in the world.
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Post by Christmas Chief on Dec 18, 2020 20:09:48 GMT -5
Definitely two of my all-time favorite fics. I might reread The Arcane Academy sometime this week to relive the magic.
I believe I also learned the most about the site and its key players and its current events from Dark Apocalypse. I remember joining in the reading experience about midway through publication. In addition to including almost everyone, the collaboration among its authors and the participation of the (true) admin were special elements.
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Post by Hermes on Dec 19, 2020 11:45:25 GMT -5
September 2016Snicketfic of the Month: The Fearsome Factory, by Tiago Squalor. Many writers have tried to chronicle the Baudelaires’ adventures after their return from the island. None have succeeded in doing so with such great panache as Tiago Squalor. This story is just the first in a thirteen-book saga, Yet Another Series of Unfortunate Events, in which our heroes investigate mysteries, revisit the scenes of their former adventures, meet old friends and enemies and make new ones, and develop new romantic attachments. In addition the series features tributes to Lewis Carroll and Tim Burton, a 667 crossover, a very odd pair of siblings, revelations about the past, and finally a solution to the mystery of the sugar bowl. The narrator of the story, apparently a cousin of Jerome Squalor, is himself a fascinating figure in the mould of Lemony Snicket. There are even supplementary volumes, and Mr Squalor has now embarked on a further saga telling of the adventures of the Quagmires, for whose next instalment we wait eagerly. 667fic of the Month: The Big Day, by Sixteen. This is one of the most beautifully constructed stories I have had the pleasure to read. A number of 667ers, unbeknown to one another, converge on a church where a wedding is taking place. The bride is one Anka Madita: the groom is perhaps not the person you would expect. The bridesmaids, the minister, the wedding driver and various guests, invited and uninvited, all have something to hide, and their lives have, as it turns out, crisscrossed in many unexpected ways. In the course of the story we hear of secret organisations DANTE and HERMES (though when the spinoff, Secret Spy Summertime Shenanigans, revealed what HERMES stood for, not all 667ers were happy). The story moves towards a satisfying denouement, in the course of which a mystery we didn’t even know about is solved in a manner worthy of Lemony.
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Post by Christmas Chief on Dec 19, 2020 12:33:40 GMT -5
I just read "The Big Day": a truly brilliant, funny, mystery spy adventure. (Although Sixteen's portrait of the bridesmaids is rather disturbing ...).
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Post by Hermes on Dec 20, 2020 14:49:15 GMT -5
November 2016.
This is one of the most successful Snicketfics in 667’s history, still remembered six years after its completion (and no, there isn’t an error in the title); it introduces us to the Baudelaires’ uncle Volt, alcoholic, layabout and superhero, who turns out to be – despite his perpetually good intentions – the cause of many of the misfortunes which befall the orphans during the series, causing death and destruction wherever he goes (but not driving drunk). Among the questions answered in this story are the cause of the Baudelaire fire, why Sir’s face is never seen, what ‘J.S.’ stands for, and who the taxi driver really was. At the end Volt redeems himself by a noble death, but his memory lives on through the Baudelaires’ children. Although it’s possible that the explanations of events given in this story are not entirely serious, it does actually help clear up some of the mysteries in the books. Extra credit is available for working out where the name ‘Volt Baudelaire’ comes from. 667fic of the month: Flowers and Postcards, by Anka. Weird Ships Weeks are one of our site’s established traditions, sometimes featuring characters from Lemony Snicket’s works, and sometimes members of 667. Particularly memorable was one held round about Valentine’s Day 2013, organised by Lemona, which featured a wealth of interesting stories, including several by Charlie, and two by Willis, one of which prefigured events that would shake 667 to its foundations. The winner, however, was this beautifully crafted piece by Anka, which features a number of 667ers falling in love with the same girl; the personality of each character is brought out very effectively in just a few words, and the story has a gentle but satisfying ending. The heroine of the story is sadly no longer with us (possibly because she left to marry the doorman), but most of the other characters are still here. The story ends with two questions which remain unanswered, so we still have an opportunity to solve the puzzle.
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Post by Christmas Chief on Dec 20, 2020 15:20:42 GMT -5
I'm enjoying re/reading these.
Watt Really Happened - a hilarious reimagining of what constitutes an "unfortunate event," and one of many examples of @jacobm's lighthearted and creative writing style. Also, a great title banner. Edit: There are so many good lines, but this interpretation of the taxi driver scene in TPP really made me laugh:
Flowers and Postcards - such a wholesome WSW entry! I'm glad it won. And now I can't help but see overlaps with The Big Day.
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Post by Hermes on Dec 21, 2020 13:44:25 GMT -5
Christmas 2016 - Hermes Hunts for Festive Fanfiction
Christmassy Snicketfics are quite rare, perhaps because of the Jewish qualities of Lemony’s works, but some of his picture books do have a Christmas theme, and one of them, The Latke Who Couldn’t Stop Screaming, is the inspiration for this beautiful and provocative piece by Sherry Ann. Its central character is less attractive than Snicket’s latke: while it was frustrated by not being understood, the Christmas tree is upset at being exposed to other cultures. As a result, while the latke’s story has a bittersweet ending, the Christmas tree’s fate is more definitely tragic. The story, which is not only written in the style of Lemony Snicket but illustrated in the style of Lisa Brown, is skilfully crafted, providing an elegant counterpoint to Snicket’s original, and has a powerful moral. 667fic of the Season: 667 Christmas Party Apocalypse, by Bryan. Christmas-themed 667fics, by contrast, are relatively common, but none is more memorable than this splendid story from Advent 2012. As the members of the forum celebrate the end of the year by partying hard, no fewer than five 667ers (no fewer, but possibly more) concoct plans to bring about the apocalypse and end life on earth. The story, told from multiple points of view, manages to show us everyone’s plan without breaking the suspense. Only one of the plans succeeds, but which? We have time to ponder this mystery before Tragedy, in an admin power surge, restores the world to life, enabling a plucky band of detectives, led by Dante, to find the solution. The personalities of many members, including the notorious Countess Violet, are brought out effectively, and the story ends with a moving plea for unity, which surely helped to gain the author his coveted title of fourth most beloved.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2020 15:06:46 GMT -5
November 2016.
This is one of the most successful Snicketfics in 667’s history, still remembered six years after its completion (and no, there isn’t an error in the title); it introduces us to the Baudelaires’ uncle Volt, alcoholic, layabout and superhero, who turns out to be – despite his perpetually good intentions – the cause of many of the misfortunes which befall the orphans during the series, causing death and destruction wherever he goes (but not driving drunk). Among the questions answered in this story are the cause of the Baudelaire fire, why Sir’s face is never seen, what ‘J.S.’ stands for, and who the taxi driver really was. At the end Volt redeems himself by a noble death, but his memory lives on through the Baudelaires’ children. Although it’s possible that the explanations of events given in this story are not entirely serious, it does actually help clear up some of the mysteries in the books. Extra credit is available for working out where the name ‘Volt Baudelaire’ comes from. 667fic of the month: Flowers and Postcards, by Anka. Weird Ships Weeks are one of our site’s established traditions, sometimes featuring characters from Lemony Snicket’s works, and sometimes members of 667. Particularly memorable was one held round about Valentine’s Day 2013, organised by Lemona, which featured a wealth of interesting stories, including several by Charlie, and two by Willis, one of which prefigured events that would shake 667 to its foundations. The winner, however, was this beautifully crafted piece by Anka, which features a number of 667ers falling in love with the same girl; the personality of each character is brought out very effectively in just a few words, and the story has a gentle but satisfying ending. The heroine of the story is sadly no longer with us (possibly because she left to marry the doorman), but most of the other characters are still here. The story ends with two questions which remain unanswered, so we still have an opportunity to solve the puzzle. truly an honor, and probably the proudest i've been of something i've written
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2020 15:31:30 GMT -5
I’m also excited to go back and read/reread these when I get the chance
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Post by Christmas Chief on Dec 21, 2020 15:58:15 GMT -5
Christmas Tree - a very kind summary of a work I'm too afraid to reread. Christmas Party Apocalypse - a fun, multi-perspective work made all the more enjoyable by the season. And I was just thinking about Lady Whatever!
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Post by Hermes on Dec 22, 2020 18:56:17 GMT -5
Chrismas bonus edition 2016(Written to fill a gap in the Advent Calendar.) Originalfic of the season: A Faerie Tale, by Fancy. While Snicketfic and 667fic are the most common genres of fiction here, we do, as I mentioned at the start of this series, sometimes see original fiction as well. This lovely story of a clockwork princess, by our former queen, combines fantasy, romance and gentle humour, with some fourth-wall-breaking moments which recall Snicket’s work. Much remains unexplained (another Snickety feature?) and we never find out how there came to be a clockwork child in the first place; but she gains our sympathy as she defeats a villain and meets a romantic lead. Published in Advent 2010, this is a festive treat. Incomplete crossoverfic of the season: Doom, Overall Feeling Of, by Lemona Snicket. I have not included this amazing work in my regular columns, first because it is not clear which section it belongs in, and second because it is, sadly, unfinished – though each of the two ‘apportionments’ it includes is as long as many complete stories. It is, nevertheless, well worth reading. It links the world of our site with that of Lemony Snicket, imagining a number of members of 667 as residents of the apartment building of the same name from Lemony’s work, and, like most residents of that building, obsessed with what is in. The first apportionment tells of the impact on 667ers of Jerome Squalor’s engagement, while in the second a number of residents go on a cruise, only to stumble across some mysterious messages implying a threat to their home. We will never know, I fear, what happened next, and how their adventures relate to those of Mr Snicket or the Baudelaire orphans (unless Lemona chooses to take up her typewriter again), but what we have is fascinating. The story is written in a splendidly Lemony style, which made me wonder at the time whether Lemona was Daniel Handler.
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Post by Christmas Chief on Dec 22, 2020 21:44:19 GMT -5
Faerie - A mysterious but enjoyable tale that I do not think I’ve encountered before! Greater concluding line, too.
Doom - Lemona is so very talented, and so very Snickety. Although unfinished, the two apportionments are more substantial than I remembered.
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Post by Hermes on Dec 26, 2020 8:49:06 GMT -5
May 2017 (awards edition)For this special awards issue, Mister M has suggested that I write about award-winning fanfiction. In fact many of the stories I have already covered turn out to have been award winners, but I have found a couple which have not been covered yet. Snicketfic of the Month: Number 14, by Q.R.V. This brilliant work of interactive fiction, one of the most impressive works ever posted at 667, won the Best Storytelling award in 2014. A sequel to File Under: Thirteen Suspicious Incidents, it invites the user to imagine themselves as Lemony Snicket, wandering the streets of Stain’d-by-the-Sea, investigating the theft of Cleo Knight’s car. A text adventure in classic mode, it has at its heart a logic puzzle, but many surprises confront us as we search for clues and try to report our conclusions. At first we do not even know how to begin our investigation, but no Snicket fan will find it hard to know where to go for guidance. Later we find ourselves in jail, and though, with difficulty, we can escape, any attempt to continue the investigation seems to land us back there. Nevertheless, it is possible to find a solution. There are many beautiful details (for instance, one of the suspects yawns when he cannot answer our question, one sniffs and one chuckles), and surprising answers when we give the wrong instruction, showing that the author had anticipated our every move. The game is still available*, and there may well be aspects of it that no one has yet found. 667fic of the Month: A New Regime, by Sixteen. Recent events at 667 may have reminded some of our longer-standing members of a dramatic incident in 2011, when Willis challenged Tragedy’s claim to the leadership. Later, Sixteen gave us a fictional version of these events, imagined as a conflict over the sovereignty of a small island. While in reality the crisis passed – though things were quite fraught for a while – and Tragedy was confirmed in power, in the story the events lead to the collapse of 667. Told in Sixteen’s inimitable style, this story gives an interesting insight into the history of our forum, and deservedly won the Best Story award in 2012. *The link at 667 now (2020) no longer works, but the game may be accessed at the author's website: sites.google.com/site/qrv667advent/Their other work, 24 Doldrum Drive, is also very much worth playing.
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Post by Optimism is my Phil-osophy on Dec 26, 2020 10:09:01 GMT -5
May 2017 (awards edition)For this special awards issue, Mister M has suggested that I write about award-winning fanfiction. In fact many of the stories I have already covered turn out to have been award winners, but I have found a couple which have not been covered yet. Snicketfic of the Month: Number 14, by Q.R.V. This brilliant work of interactive fiction, one of the most impressive works ever posted at 667, won the Best Storytelling award in 2014. A sequel to File Under: Thirteen Suspicious Incidents, it invites the user to imagine themselves as Lemony Snicket, wandering the streets of Stain’d-by-the-Sea, investigating the theft of Cleo Knight’s car. A text adventure in classic mode, it has at its heart a logic puzzle, but many surprises confront us as we search for clues and try to report our conclusions. At first we do not even know how to begin our investigation, but no Snicket fan will find it hard to know where to go for guidance. Later we find ourselves in jail, and though, with difficulty, we can escape, any attempt to continue the investigation seems to land us back there. Nevertheless, it is possible to find a solution. There are many beautiful details (for instance, one of the suspects yawns when he cannot answer our question, one sniffs and one chuckles), and surprising answers when we give the wrong instruction, showing that the author had anticipated our every move. The game is still available*, and there may well be aspects of it that no one has yet found. The link is broken. Does someone have a correct link? I found this: playfic.com/games/Q-R-V/suspicious-incident-14
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