At the risk of sounding like I'm insulting anybody's fandom (I'm not intending to, really!!) I've heard slashcon fans suggest that a series has to be imperfect before they feel the need to work on it. A highly polished or finished series has characters too distinctive and too self-contained for fan interference, whereas one that has broad blank spaces cries out for satisfactory resolution, and they step in to resolve the tension that's built up. Some of them say outright that only series that are pretty unpolished are ever of interest to slash fans--things that obviously need all the help a fan can offer.
However, after the stories I've been seeing lately, I don't think I entirely agree with this idea. I'm seeing too much subtlety in both the shows *and* the stories (including Stargate, West Wing, Highlander, Buffy, Angel, Smallville, Due South, Potter fic, & LOTR rpg). There's several series here that are IMHO as subtle, nuanced, layered, and often as brutally honest as the best books I've ever read. But the stories improve on it. These slash writers could be working on *any* topic and improve it. *Any* media creation would be crude clay in their hands. I just love watching them put on that last loving bit of glaze, pouring it out just *so*. Sigh.
the perfectibility of art?
I've heard slashcon fans suggest that a series has to be imperfect before they feel the need to work on it. A highly polished or finished series has characters too distinctive and too self-contained for fan interference, whereas one that has broad blank spaces cries out for satisfactory resolution, and they step in to resolve the tension that's built up. Some of them say outright that only series that are pretty unpolished are ever of interest to slash fans--things that obviously need all the help a fan can offer.
However, after the stories I've been seeing lately, I don't think I entirely agree with this idea. I'm seeing too much subtlety in both the shows *and* the stories (including Stargate, West Wing, Highlander, Buffy, Angel, Smallville, Due South, Potter fic, & LOTR rpg).
There's several series here that are IMHO as subtle, nuanced, layered, and often as brutally honest as the best books I've ever read.
But the stories improve on it.
These slash writers could be working on *any* topic and improve it. *Any* media creation would be crude clay in their hands.
I just love watching them put on that last loving bit of glaze, pouring it out just *so*.
Sigh.