Christopher Angel wrote:

Chris,

I think Mark should have tagged it as [Spam] [Dark] ... people
understand that a spamfic is going to be much more shallow than a normal
work.

Not a spamfic you say? Well, it was written in 20 minutes, off the cuff.
I think it was written to just toss the senshi into a really odd
situation and see how a couple of things looked on paper. I'd say that
makes it a spamfic. I don't remember ever seeing it engraved in stone
that a spamfic has to be a spoofy, funny thing.

Maybe the reason people think Mark Page is slamming on Sailor Moon is
that the darkness of his stories so upsets them they can't see the
actual plot within.

First, there was Usagi is Dead 1.

A story of how Tsukino Usagi died and the moon goddess Serenity was
reborn, in the process creating Crystal Tokyo as an aspect of the
Eternal City (of the Moorcockian mythos). It also explained where the
Moon Kingdom, Galaxia, and the senshi powers came from. 

Then, there was SIU.

A fusion with the Silent Moebius universe -- but in the time of the
senshi, not of the Moebius anime. And having transplanted the senshi
into that continuity, he's now exploring one of the classic sf/fantasy
themes: what do you do if you wake up one day and discover you're not
really human?

Then, there was Usagi is Dead 2.

The sequel to UID 1, picking up on the ramifications of some of the
events that occurred. For instance, while Crystal Tokyo was seeded,
Mamoru/Endymion is currently *dead* thus the time line still isn't quite
"as it should be." And now, a new strange power has awakened. Could
there have been some 'previously unknown force' at work behind UID1? I'm
thinking there is.

Then, this.

A spamfic that asks many questions, such as: "How might the senshi
actually (finally) fall in battle? Would Mercury ever cut loose if her
friends mostly all died?  Will Saturn ever actually destroy the world?
What would Pluto actually do if all else was lost? How visceral CAN I
write if I don't hold back?" 

This was not a labour of love, like every other fanfiction I've read.  This
was not exploring a dimension in the series, or a new story, or anything.

Well, as I've just explained, my perception of it was 180 degrees from
yours. People bring a lot of ... let's just call it "baggage" when they
do fanfiction, both from the reading and the writing standpoint.

For instance, Christopher, have you ever gotten any comments on "Oh My
Brother" to the effect of someone finding your self-insertion into the
hallowed O!MG as an affront to the original, or at the least, arrogance?

Since all the fic writers are usurping the original authors' works to
write their stories, I think it's important to try to find meaning in
EVERYONE's work. You just have to remember that if you take original
material and go 90 degrees left from it, someone else is going to go 90
degrees to the right. As long as the author makes a sincere attempt at
working with the material, it is just as 'valid' an attempt as anyone
else's. Sure, it can still be bad writing or a stupid idea but as long
as the try is legitimate, I don't think it's fair to gripe about the
idea.

                          Nightman                              
    *hard at work on the Minako Warrior Princess sequel*
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