Reading Room - Theme I - Science Fiction - Wk2 - Of Angels and Angles

[merentha13.livejournal.com]

Title: Of Angels and Angles
Author: Sarah K
Link to story:
Links from Box of Tricks
Pairing: B/D
Further story information found at prosficspoilers

Sci-Fi/Fantasy is my favorite genre to read. And I love Doyle & Bodie. So what could be better than SciFi AU with the lads? Well......AU just doesn't work for me. Yet. (If you think about it, aren't all slash stories AU? Those definitely work for me! *VBG*). But I can't understand why anyone would want to take these two incredible, gorgeous, hard-ass, complicated men and turn them into....mermen, cats, elves??? Now I have read some wonderful AU stories. The writing has been great, the stories intriguing...but the characters are just not MY Doyle and Bodie. Maybe my problem with AU isn't the setting, the AU, but the characterizations, the AP (alternate personalities!) So why am I leading this weeks Reading Room? I found an AU that I totally loved! Sarah K's "Of Angels and Angles" is just what I'd expect from the lads if they were suddenly tossed into space.

We start out with Bodie getting ready to head out into space taking on a stranger (Doyle) to help repair his space ship. Bodie has apparently annoyed a former employer (hard to imagine, no?) and said employer seeks to even the score. Ray becomes involved in helping Bodie out of trouble, first because the trouble puts his own life in danger and finally because he comes to call Bodie a friend. But Ray is running from some problems of his own.

The canon style banter between the characters is what really made this AU story work for me. It starts almost at the beginning of the story. Checking Ray out before taking him on as a mechanic Bodie asks:
"What makes you think I'm looking for help?"
"If that landing this morning wasn't a case of pilot error, then your thrusters are out...three more landings before they fail entirely..."
"You think so?"
"I do. Unless it was pilot error, in which case you need more help than I can give you, and I'm wasting my time here." He turned away.

And I could just picture this scene actually taking place:
Doyle twisted and shoved Bodie down behind the stack of crates ust as the first 'beam shots soared past them.
"Thanks," Bodie said breathlessly....Doyle leaned out and fired a few 'beam blasts to keep their attackers busy. "what now?"
"I'm thinking."
A 'beam blast whined past Bodie's ear, and he winced.
"Think faster," Doyle said.

Sarah pulls in a lot of subtle hints that keep the reader from forgetting the canon Pros. Bodie's space ship is a Capri. Bodie uses many familiar nicknames for Ray, calling him Sunshine, Professor and Angelfish. Ray's art background is used, his strong morals, his police background, his tight jeans, his impatience and temper are all present. Even his toy model soldiers have a place in the story. Bodie's character is a mercenary. His womanizing skills are detailed, his charm, his protectiveness. He's easy-going on the surface and just like the "real" Bodie there is so much more depth to him than he lets show.

The development of the relationship between the two characters was slow and rewarding - and often humorous. It doesn't start out looking to good for their getting together though. Ray tells Bodie:
"I don't mean to give offense--I only want to be clear. The work I've signed on to do is strictly in a...vertical capacity."
I wonder if this was related to the title, after all, vertical to horizontal is only a ninety degree angle! *g*

Oh, and did I mention that this has a wonderful story line, a well crafted world, humor and angst - everything a Pro's fan could ask for. And Ray with(!)...well you'll just have to read to find out!
But I've gone on long enough. To open discussion I have a few questions. Tell me what your favorite parts of the story are. What worked, or didn't work, for you? And why do you like AU?

Comments

[sc-fossil.livejournal.com]

This is one of my favourite stories. I think the entire thing worked from the first word to the last. My favourite part was that first time we find out what Ray is. *thud* I never knew it was a kink of mine but man, that was H. O. T. :)

I love AUs. I love the adventure, the idea of changing the lads into something else. The best AUs are the ones that keep Bodie and Doyle close to canon yet make the AU work. That doesn't happen every often. I prefer my guys to be themselves in their new world not two random blokes with the names tacked on.

[merentha13.livejournal.com]

I agree with both your comments! Discovering what Ray is - a very moving, tantalizing scene.
"two random blokes with the names tacked on"
That's been my problem with a lot of the AU I've read. It's just not "the" lads. But I just don't really know why AU is so well liked. There are enough real world situations for them to play in - with adventure and angst and all that makes Pro's fic so enjoyable. Why turn them into something else? (I've been told that if I read more AU I will begin to understand and like it...I'm skeptical. Of course if all the stories were like Sarah's, I might come to my senses sooner! *g*

[krisserci5.livejournal.com]

I, too, love this story. I started out a doubter but was sucked in but the 2nd paragraph and want to see art with Doyle's wings.

She made me believe in this universe and the characters never seemed wrong.

[merentha13.livejournal.com]

My thoughts exactly! Thanks for stopping by and commenting.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Oh, but B/D slash is totally canon - we just don't get to watch them actually having sex... *g*

Great review - and good questions, btw... Going backwards...

Why do you like AU?
I didn't at first, for ages - like you, I couldn't see the point of moving the lads, because what made them the lads was partly where they were and what they were dealing with... But eventually I read an AU where the lads still seemed to be exactly our lads, and yet it was set in the future, and on another planet, and it suddenly worked. I'm still picky about my AUs - but then I've got more picky about whether the lads seem to me to be in character or not in CI5 stories too... *g*

I think what I like about AUs is the element of freshness they can bring to B/D - we know how the lads handle villains in London, they chase them, catch them, knock 'em down and take them to Cowley, and they do it beautifully. They deal with lots of types of cases, and various aspects of emotional fall-out, especially when they have to cope with being gay at a time when it was still generally hidden. And there's lots of variations possible on these themes - but, they are generally all variations on a theme. Some authors have ventured away from these themes, like Kate Maclean and M.Fae Glasgow, and I find them fresh because they deal with issues that most authors shy away from - Bodie getting married, for instance, and non-traditional endings. AUs turn out to be another way of freshening the theme, though - giving different problems and slants on old issues and so on, and so they're interesting and totally work for me!

What worked or didn't work for you?
I liked this story - I remember reccing it at the time, though now I can't find the rec to link! - I really must tidy my lj! As people above have said, "wingfic" worked surprising well for the lads, although I do have some reservations about the story itself, particularly on re-reading it.

I think the characters are a bit more fanon than canon in places - and I particularly winced at our introduction to Doyle as thin and not too tall, narrow in the hips - Bodie doubted he could do half the work it took to keep the transport in the air. That makes it sound like Doyle is a wisp of a thing, who'd struggle to lift paper and reach doorknobs... At no time, watching the eps, have I ever thought Doyle was either shorter or slighter than the average man - and in fact he's not, he's a perfectly respectable height and weight. He's not even that much shorter than Bodie - certainly not enough that Bodie would immediately describe him as "short", because that'd be suggesting he was short himself. And if we all went outside now, and checked out blokes with magically-enhanced eyes that matched them immediately to Doyle's height and weight, we would not be looking at men who appeared in any way tiny, weak or unable to wield a spanner! Granted, the author proves Bodie wrong later and emphasises Doyle's strength etc - but I was thrown because the impression given by the sentence above is entirely the fanon-version of Doyle, as if that would be Bodie's impression of Doyle too.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Another thing is something that's maybe an interesting question about AUs in general - the way the lads spoke. Every now and then they weren't at all my canon-lads in what they said or thought, but were American teenagers - Curly hair, busted cheekbone... "Broken!" I shouted wanted to shout at the fic... And the occasional over-Brit-ism too - "It's not sporting to shoot someone in the back", thinks Bodie, which is just a bit of a cartoon of the sentiment rather than the way people actually think... I don't see "being sporting" ever coming up in the eps, cos the lads aren't from the sort of background who would genuinely ever have thought that - or in the kind of situation where that thought would be appropriate (Bodie's effectively one of the villains in that part of the fic, to be honest...) So it didn't quite make sense. But does that actually fit better for a future-set AU fic, where language would have evolved anyway? Except that if you go in that direction, then slang etc would have evolved much further, and so it's still not right...

I do like it when AU writers pull canon language/phrases etc into their fic, to help tie it to the eps, but it can be tricky to do - there's got to be a reason for the language to be used (in canon and in the fic!) I was puzzled when "Angelfish" was used in the story, because although it's a fun play on the fact that Doyle's an angel, it doesn't make sense otherwise. In Ojuka it came up as a nickname because they were comparing themselves to tropical fish after Doyle's random cover story, and then his own memories of childhood, and so it worked. Nicknames work when they have meaning. In the fic Bodie seemed to pluck it out of thin air - and "sunshine" too, because if language has moved on to "busted cheekbone" then it's probably moved away from "sunshine" as a generic nickname (and has, in fact, cos you rarely hear it nowadays, I think!) - and if you want to make the case for "sunshine" as in "Ray of...", well you have to make the case for it... Similarly, why in the world did "Bodie like... to think of him as Jenny" instead of Jensen? Automatically shorten the name to "Jenny" okay - though that still doesn't make much sense to me, same syllables, non-affectionate, so why? - but why would Bodie like to do it, as if it's funny? Because "Jenny" is a girl's name, so Jensen is being thought of as a girl? And that would be bad because...?

Plotwise, again a few things that jarred - no one is mad at someone else for paying them generously for doing a job! Doyle would wring the bastard's neck for him about being paid a large sum is just not a normal human reaction to me! (At least not via my upbringing/background which I'd say was socio-culturally similar to that of B/D) A sense that he couldn't take the money and he'd give some of it back, yes; perhaps a vague sense of embarrassment because it subconsciously seems patronising and so needs to be repaid, yes. But anger? Doesn't work for me...

And that's probably enough niggles to be going on with... *g* I did enjoy reading the freshness of the idea (although the plot was a little bit too Hollywood blockbuster, and phew-lucky-the-bad-guy-was-killed-and-someone-more-friendly-took-his-place and so on) but I've discovered that I struggle alot more on trying to re-read, as other things are more apparent... I think a decent Brit-check could have caught some of them, but that's always true... and of course brings up questions in turn about betas and Brit-checks etc (and as above how appropriate they are to AU stories... I'd argue that they were, but I'm going to stop being rambley, now... *g*)

[merentha13.livejournal.com]

Many good thoughts here. I can't properly respond to them now, though I'm running late for work and I can't access this site from there (ggrrrr!). I'll catch up later, but here's one thought. I can see someone getting angry over being over paid for a job. Especially Doyle. It hurt his pride. He didn't save Bodie for the money. Doyle may have thought Bodie misread his intentions. Just a thought!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

No worries - I shall reply to this bit now, while I'm thinking of it, though! *g*

Yeah, I can agree with the reason you've given for someone being angry too - part of the "patronising" element. But that's not the impression I get in the fic, I get a more affectionate Bodie's-just-so-kind-to-me-! feel from the passage... in fact yeah, he actually thinks "Bodie had shorted himself, and Doyle would wring the bastard's neck for him when he got back". I just can't see him doing that cos "Bodie had shorted himself", though I can see it in other situations!

[merentha13.livejournal.com]

I'm still going to disagree on the money thing. From my read, I felt that Ray was mad at Bodie for giving him too much of the payoff for two reasons - first Ray's pride and secondly his sense of right and wrong (moral nature?) wouldn't let him just accept the extra. His saying he was going to "wring the bastard's neck for him" is like someone saying "I'm going to kill you for doing that!" It's not meant literally, it's just an expression of anger. (Maybe that is another kind of americanism?)But we all read/interpret things in our own fashion, so who's to say what's right! *g*

I agree with you on the physical description of Doyle. Many, many fics have him as the "smaller" man, the shorter, the slimmer... I think it's used to help support Bodie's protective characteristic - if Ray is smaller, he must be weaker, even fragile, so he needs Bodie's protection.

The few AU's that I've really liked all have a Bodie/Doyle characterization and relationship that is close to canon. So like I mentioned above, it may be that I don't object to the settings of the AU, but rather to the alternate personalities given to the lads in some of those stories. Like you, even if the setting is CI5, if the characterization is wrong, I don't like the story.

Thanks for all your thoughts. You've given me some things to consider.

And thanks for setting this all up. I really enjoy this!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Lol - "I'll kill you for that!" might have started off as an Americanism, but it's spread far enough that yes, I do understand it as not being meant seriously, thanks! *g* No, it's the other part of the equation that makes the anger unbelievable for me - Doyle's reason for being angry, and that is that "Bodie had shorted himself". There's absolutely nothing in that passage to suggest that it was Ray's pride, and nothing that made me think "Oh, it's just that Doyle thinks it's unfair" - but there is something to make me think he's angry that Bodie has gone without in order to reward him. Maybe the writer meant the former, and as you say we all interpret things individually anyway, but sometimes just a couple of extra words make all the difference between ambiguity or clarity of motivation...

And yeah, alot of Prosfic has Doyle as "the smaller man" and it drives me mad because again it's more fanon than canon, even the protective thing! Bodie's protective of Doyle in the eps, but Doyle is protective of Bodie in the eps too. Look at the way he charges upstairs in Close Quarters, wraps both arms around Bodie, and has to be shrugged off when the hug goes on too long! Same in (the ep I can never remember) when he rages into the ambulance, grabs Bodie and swings him around to see if he's okay - again having to be shrugged off by Bodie cos his concern's presumably just a bit too public? The expression on his face when Bodie reveals he was only playing at being dead in the warehouse? And Klansman! I could go on... Doyle's every bit as protective of Bodie as Bodie is of him! Also, why exaggerate a feature in order to prove a characteristic - surely Bodie's protectiveness could be shown without resorting to fanon cliches?

And I'm glad you're enjoying it - as you can see, I like discussing things too... *g*

[heliophile-oxon.livejournal.com]

I think my impression about Doyle's anger here is that he's feeling protective of Bodie - angry that he's shorted himself because D would be annoyed with anything or anyone who did Bodie down in any way, even, for a fleeting moment at least, Bodie himself. In combination with the pride thing. I didn't feel it jarred, on the whole... just read it as an emotionally charged moment overall, so it comes out as a brief flash of anger perhaps.

I enjoyed it a lot overall, and even managed to not notice the US-isms much (which I usually do) - perhaps because of the AU setting - but I agree on re-thinking them that they could have been sorted to advantage *g*.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

because D would be annoyed with anything or anyone who did Bodie down in any way
Then I think I'm missing the emotional build-up and motivation to this in general, up to this point in the fic... We're told to some extent that Doyle feels this loyalty to Bodie, but I don't feel as if I've been shown it, somehow...

Angels and Angles

[heliophile-oxon.livejournal.com]

Maybe I got this from the combination of the Angeline sense of justice we hear about (strict, very strict for "protectors", and a big part of their social structures/code/upbringing), plus Doyle's sense of justice which we've seen in the story, plus Doyle already feeling obliged to/drawn to Bodie which has been fledged out earlier. Ooh, I got to say fledged! ::is easily amused:: Hmm... well maybe!

Re: Angels and Angles

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Erm... fledged out? Not "fleshed out"? Now what am I missing?!

Re: Angels and Angles

[heliophile-oxon.livejournal.com]

Well if baby birds can fledge out, I reckon characters or maybe even plot points can do it too! After all, we can have a fledgling idea ... well I like all this fledging business anyway ::grumblegrumble::

zooming off out at the mo - "see" you later!

[snailbones.livejournal.com]

This is yet another BB fic I've yet to read (I am so slow it's embarrassing *g*), but thank you for your review.

I'm like you, the cowboys and elves and suchlike almost never work for me, no matter how well written, so now I'm really looking forward to reading this. If it works for you, another non-believer, I'm sure I'm going to enjoy it too. Thank you!

[merentha13.livejournal.com]

I hope you do! And let me know what you think once you've read it.

[tango65.livejournal.com]

I came across this in the Pros Big Bang Challenge and read it over and over again. I like science-fiction, I love our lads and the combination here was so well conceived and written that is was irresistable.

The characters were so true to canon (as well as fanon) and every action they took was believable. It was easy to accept that Bodie and Doyle had always been in this AU.

My favourite parts were Doyle's sacrifice and Bodie's save. They'd do anything for each.

Action, angst, hurt, comfort and all the things that I love about a Professionals story, it just happened to be an AU.

I can't recommend this one highly enough.

[merentha13.livejournal.com]

You've covered my thoughts very well (and in a lot fewer words than than I did! *g*) Thanks for your comments!

[scherwood]

Thanks for a great review! :D *high five*

Why I love AU huh? Good question.. I have no idea.. I just do! ;D

And my fav part in this fic is Ray and Bodie's slowly building relationship... *swoon*

I'll go read this fic again, ta ta! *waves*

[merentha13.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the review. I'm finding that I really like writing them! The building relationship is always my favorite part of any Bodie/Doyle slash story!

[constant-muse.livejournal.com]

I've been wanting to read this since it came out, and your rec has given me the necessary shove. It's every bit as enjoyable as I'd hoped! 'Hollywood blockbuster', yes, but for me B/D in a Star Wars-like universe is no bad thing. Bodie in particular owes a lot to Han Solo (this is a Good Thing). And it has that Hollywood quality, where our heroes get the improbably lucky breaks and the bad guys die unlamented (despite Doyle's initial canon-like scruples) - but it's a thoroughly enjoyable romp to watch/read.

About the only criticism I'd make (and it's a mild one) is that while canon/fanon aspects of Doyle are fully present - he has a backstory, family and everything - Bodie has none. If you take away CI5 agent 37, and also his service in the regular Army, that is not the complete Bodie, imho. This Bodie isn't a mercenary (in the sense of belonging to a mercenary gang, like Bodie), but a freelance courier, bounty-hunter (Han Solo!) and occasional hitman. In fact he is on the wrong side of the law (if there is any in this galaxy), one of the baddies, an opportunistic petty criminal, even if he is basically honest and loyal to a mate. To put that another way, in my favourite AUs, Bodie has past military service (pref. as a dashing cavalry officer!). In canon, he has put his dodgy past behind him and chosen a career upholding law and order, for whatever reason.

Still, I find his behaviour and mannerisms completely in character, I guess I'm just thinking - if he has lived his whole adult life 'freelancing' like this, he can't be quite the same as canon Bodie.

Favourite things: the 'normality' of life in this SF universe - they drink real tea, cook in the galley, and wield spanners.
The scene in the engine room made him wonder how, exactly, they were still flying, with so much of the Capri's guts spilled out along the floor. He thought about saying as much to Doyle, but the thunderous expression on his face suggested that it would not be a good idea.

Also things that are normality for CI5 agents, like the shootout in the landing bay you quoted, and the 'spaceship chase' with Doyle 'driving the Capri' and Bodie shooting.

All that goes a long way to keeping it close to canon.

[merentha13.livejournal.com]

"your rec has given me the necessary shove"
Many people consider me a bit pushy! *g* glad you enjoyed the shove!
I agree with your comments about there not being a Bodie backstory. When I listed the Ray canon items and went to look for Bodie's, there just wasn't much there. I think you've summed his character in this story up quite nicely. I like you Hollywood analogy. Thanks for all your comments.

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

I love this fic and was only too pleased to be re-reading it!

I love sci-fi, partly because of the sheer wonder of being transported to space and different planets, and partly because sci-fi (and fantasy) allow us to explore things like cultural differences and prejudices without our own prejudices getting in the way. This story gave plenty of opportunity for cultural comparisons - and destroying prejudices - all the while seducing us with an adventure story mixed with some surprisingly hot sex. (I say 'surprising' because I had never really considered wings in a sexual context before this!! *g*)

So the story works as sci-fi. I also think it works as a AU because what I want from AUs is to examine what might happen if the core personaliies of characters I like are catapulted into totally alien situations, whether those situations are sci-fi, historical, or whatever. It lets us see familiar people against a different background and draw some new conclusions about them. I enjoyed seeing Bodie and Doyle in this AU and thinking about their differences and the way they complement each other.

I usually get annoyed by Americanisms (e.g. 'busted cheekbone') but mostly in the context of late twentieth century England. If someone is writing something that could be an episode of the show (apart from the sex), I think they should stick with the language of the show. Once the action has been transferred elsewhere I don't notice if the native language of the writer creeps in, though if it's a historical AU I would be annoyed by anachronisms such as modern slang. So I'm happy with the language of this piece.

I understand and respect what people are saying about e.g. Bodie's past but don't share their feelings. Many fics set in the 'present' of the series veer quite widely away from canon without losing their impact and I think it can be slightly irritating if an author feels obliged to transfer every last canon detail into a story. Provided the basic personalities and voices are there, I'm fine with it.

So, a great adventure, a fab piece of sci-fi, hot sex and recognisable 'lads'. To me, that adds up to a wonderful fic. Thanks for the rec - it was time I re-read it and I actually got round to putting it on my Kindle which was even better, though sadly, sc_fossil's lovely banner isn't nearly as effective in black and white.

[merentha13.livejournal.com]

My first choice for reading is always a sci-fi fantasy and the reasons you've listed are exactly why. You've given me some good reasons to re-think my position on AU. I just can't seem to really understand why the characters have to be taken out of their world. (Maybe it's my own lack of imagination. *g*) They can be put in "alien situations" (not literally alien in my mind - but in situations they wouldn't expect) in their own world.
Being an "americanism" myself, and also relatively new in the fandom (I've only watched the episode once!), I don't really notice the language problems. But I can see where it would be annoying to the Pro's purists! *g*
Thanks so much for your thoughtful comments.

[milomaus.livejournal.com]

Duh, I just love your summary, I love the lads in this and I love the thought of Ray w/w!!

The banter is definetly one of the highlights, as are the sacrifice Ray is willing to commit and then there´s flying!! Finally a fic with Bodie as pilot. And even more flying. *thud*

Bodie rubbed the back of his neck. "They might have done, actually. Just the once."

*still grinning!*

Ray´s reaction to the collar didn´t really work for me. There should´ve been more objection, maybe not so much in words than maybe physically. He submitted to easily.

And why do I like AU? Because I can´t get enough of them. Whatever the place, the setting, the time - if there´s the banter and h/c and at least a bit of the OC to be seen, it works. And if there´s too much sweetness, well, then it is just another fantastic fanfiction for me, and I block out the lads and enjoy the characters in the story!

Thanks for the introduction and your time spent on making this so much fun!

[merentha13.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you enjoyed the review - I do enjoy writing them. About the collar, I think he did give in to wearing it somewhat easily, but he definitely resented it, even knowing that it was necessary. I thought the various descriptions of his feelings and actions showed his objections ...Bodie...watching his (Doyle's) expression change from disgust to bitterness to acceptance I can see where a bit more angst/anger over the necessity would have helped here, but Ray's actions later show how angry he is at being forced to wear it. There are many descriptions in the story of Ray taking the collar off and leaving it on the table or shelf. I think the anger really manifests in the scene where they are out in public and Ray gets angry and walks away. Bodie threatens to turn him in if he doesn't return (only for show, to protect their cover story) and Ray's anger at that treatment shows up when they return to the ship with the whole tea scene. Pure Doyle pique. Thanks for your comments!

[milomaus.livejournal.com]

That´s just it: There are many descriptions in the story of Ray taking the collar off and leaving it on the table or shelf.
He´s just leaving it there. No throwing or hiding or ripping it off.
And since they´re together for quite a long time, like weeks (which took me some time realising, because I think it´s not made that clear by the author), I would´ve thought Ray´s patience to be wearing very thin.

But duh!, what do I have a mind of my own for, if not to imagine things a bit differetly?
I do love this story very much!!

And the discussions here are just soooo much fun!

Angels and Angles

[heliophile-oxon.livejournal.com]

Just popping in late to thank you for the rec/review. I enjoyed this one a great deal when it came out, and again on re-reading - lots of lovely, clever details (such as the ramifications of Angeline punishment - you can't even get to the shops any more... I thought that tiny detail was a good way of making it feel real, showing what it means beyond the obvious).

The whole of the ending, with Ray sacrificing himself to save Bodie, manages to be moving without being mawkish (partly thanks to generally good dialogue overall). Some things are a bit too pat, perhaps (getting rid of the really bad bad guy ...) and some things are a stretch (how can lovely big wings in proportion to Ray's body ever get squashed up enough not to show under his shirt, even if he does use a harness? Surely they'd be too long, the wing-tips would have to go down his trouser legs and then they'd spoil the line of his nonpareil rear ... best just to suspend disbelief a bit more and take it as read) but the whole thing carries me along so enjoyably that I just go back and read it again!

Re: Angels and Angles

[merentha13.livejournal.com]

I was trying to figure out the logistics of the wings and the t-shirt too! But it is fiction, and AU, so anything is possible, right?
Glad you enjoyed the review! Thanks for commenting.

[sc-fossil.livejournal.com]

What else surprises me about a writer like SarahK is how young she is (at least I think so!) yet she manages to write such a compelling and fun story. I give her a lot of credit for her talent. A lot of young people wouldn't have the time or take the trouble to be interested in "that old show from God knows where!" and then write so well in it.

[squeeful.livejournal.com]

A lot of young people wouldn't have the time or take the trouble to be interested in "that old show from God knows where!"

?

We're under thirty, not teenyboppers. A lot of people like things that came out before they were born, like Star Wars or the Three Stooges or Baroque music or Classical languages. It's not that surprising.

[sc-fossil.livejournal.com]

Oops. Sorry. I guess giving somebody a compliment was out of line.

My experience differs from you.

[squeeful.livejournal.com]

If that's a compliment, it's a pretty back-handed one. The first part is nice and I'm sure she'll thank you for it, but being that surprised that someone would like an old show and would write fic for it is a little eh.

Don't assume.

[sc-fossil.livejournal.com]

You're joking, right? You're assuming I was being a bitch about something when I was paying a compliment. I worked with Sarah for the BB, did her art and recommended her fic. I think you might reconsider your comments to me which I feel were out of line. But you know? That's fine. I'm old and mean and apparently stupid too. But this is it for me. This isn't the place and if you want to misread my remarks or put your own spin on them, there's not a damned thing I can do about.

[squeeful.livejournal.com]

Okay. I apologize. I'm in pain and grumpy today and looking back my tendency to read things backwards bit me. I don't think you're mean or stupid and if I came across that way, I apologize even more. I just thought it bit strange to be surprised that someone would like something outside of their generation and I suppose I fixated on that to the detriment of both of us. The Professionals is a show that has held up well through the decades.

[shooting2kill.livejournal.com]

My memory’s so strange.....sometimes I can remember a lot about a story (probably because I’ve read it many times), other times I might only have a vague recollection of certain scenes (minus the details) but I can always remember whether or not I’ve liked it and I definitely remember reading and liking this one and loving the world created by the writer – their world. And if I hadn’t read it before, your review would have inspired me to go and do so and this is despite not being very interested in science fiction stories.

And I could just picture this scene actually taking place:
Doyle twisted and shoved Bodie down behind the stack of crates ust as the first 'beam shots soared past them.
"Thanks," Bodie said breathlessly....Doyle leaned out and fired a few 'beam blasts to keep their attackers busy. "what now?"
"I'm thinking."
A 'beam blast whined past Bodie's ear, and he winced.
"Think faster," Doyle said.

Yes! I can see it, too - it's so *them* and reminds me of the scene on the boat in Blind Run when they’re getting blasted by the terrorists. (And a bit like the final scene in Butch Cassidy.)

Thanks for your review, I enjoyed it.

[merentha13.livejournal.com]

Yeah for the Butch and Sundance reference - one of my favorites! I'm glad you enjoyed the review. Thanks for commenting!

[smirra.livejournal.com]

I'm just reading this and I love it! Fluend writing, intelligent realistic view of that Angeline culture. Ray who is so keen to make the Capri work well, because earthbound is of course a horror for him! Cheerful dialogues and as you say lot of reminders of of the original setting. Not a thing to wince about for me. Complementing characters but both strong in their own way. Sensual beautiful pictures as the hidden harnessed wings, without being at all pathetic. I just want to start to make sketches!
Wonderful review, thank you!

[merentha13.livejournal.com]

Thanks for commenting! Glad you liked the story.

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

I wish you would make sketches! I'd love to see them!

[smirra.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Well BB 2010 is over and the story has wonderful art work and vid intro by Kat. Just now I came around to read this wonderful fic. I'm still tempted, but it would be actually pencil sketches (probably coloured) then, which wouldn't be rivalry to Kats art work, I hope, but more af a late addition.

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

It wouldn't compete with Kat's art at all - it would just be a lovely late tribute and addition. I loved the banner and vid and still do. But pencil sketches of the wings would be fantastic! I don't suppose you or I would mind if anyone felt inclined to draw wolves...

[smirra.livejournal.com]

Surely not. The more art the merrier!

[starlite876.livejournal.com]

Sneaking this in before this week's discussion on Suitable Gravity by DVS starts. *g*

AU is not one of my favourite genre in PROS. For a long time I did not read any AU stories, and when I eventually started reading the AUs I started with the historical stuff and stayed away from the sci-fi and the crossovers. I dislike reading stories in which the main characters do not behave like our lads. I think to date I have managed to avoid the most of elves fics online!

I started reading 'Of Angels and Angles' with trepidation, but find to my surprise that this has become one of my favourite stories from the 2010 BB Challenge. As stated by many others before me, the story and main characters are so well written that you can totally believe this is how the lads will behave in space.

I liked how Sara developed the story and the wonderful moment when you discovered Doyle is an Angeline.

Slightly off-topic… recently I came across a PROS drawing of the lads by Suzan Lovett called "Dark Angel" which immediately made me think of 'Of Angels and Angles'. I can't remember whether it was Bodie or Doyle which had the wings though. And I think I remember someone had done a drawing of Doyle with wings in their lj (I'm pretty sure it was done before the 2010 BB Challenge and I think it was inspired by the Supernatural storyline from last year).