I'm thinking it's dangerous to post a review the same night as
Taleswapper's rather lengthy analysis, but I'll do it anyway.
First, though, I want to apologize for my rant of this morning.
Real life caught up with me in such a way that I decided to write
a long, boring defense of my reviews to cheer myself up.  It
didn't work.  Again, apologies.  I'm feeling *much* better now.
(See, I can quote John Astin with impunity!)

Second, I've decided to drop the classic label after a post by
White Wolf (to which my immediate reaction was "ouch.")  I've
decided to go with my review persona from rec.arts.drwho, the 
Happy Guy.  This label came up when someone said that my reviews
were pointless as they were all too positive, to which RJ Smith
responded, "Well, Sean's just a happy guy."  The label stuck.

They do have a point.  While I'll review fanfics that I have good
and bad things to say about (Split Pers., The Eternal Wanderer),
this is mostly like F&SF's Books to Look For column.  In other
words, Childhood's End will not be putting in an appearance.

Onward.


Whose Life Is It Anyway
by Andrew Stodden

Until I get a message from the author that the title is deliberately
misgrammared, I'll refrain from "Who's".

This has some of the best actual writing, in a technical sense,
of any story out there.  The story is written as a film script, and
works beautifully.  Andrew's memory descriptions and images (I'm
thinking of Akane and Ukyou's return to the park) remain burned
into your head.

Akane also gets some of her best writing in this one, with an 
interesting new technique.  The scene with Ryouga is clear enough to
be deliberately vague, if you know what I mean.

This, ironically considering the subject matter, battles with
Joseph Palmer's works in terms of low-keyness.  The entire time I
was reading Whose Life, I felt like someone had hit the "mute"
button on the fanfic.  By the way, finishing the story and then
reading that Power Rangers parody is like walking through a field
with your girlfriend and then getting hit by a truckload of clowns.
(And we all know how that feels, right?)

And so, inevitably, we come to the rape.  Now, I don't believe
that it could happen.  We've seen Ranma-onna fight off lots of
guys before.  However, if you get past it, there's a wonderful 
story waiting for you.  So turn off your logic meter, accept it,
and move on.  You'll be glad you did.

This is currently incomplete, and I thing the author's on summer
hols, but it's still worth the read.


Next:  My all-time favorite fanfic ever, Scenes from a Life

--Sean Gaffney
--"You git!  I thought you were dead!  Git git git!" - Benny, No Future