An Advent Calendar of Stories – 20th December

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I Saw Three Ships by Gael X. Ile

He could smell the coldness of the air, the reek of frost and the aching need for snow to siphon off the worst of the cold, all of that overwhelming the fainter aromas of plum pudding and goose. And that grimy smell - the one that always seemed to cling to eight year old boys - the unpleasantly familiar odour was rising from the lower bunk. He rolled over, shoulder shrugging quickly back under the Star Wars duvet, face turned towards the beauty of hoar frost plieing across the window, back-lit by the streetlight outside. It would be dark for hours yet, and quiet...

Are you caught yet? It's M.Fae Glasgow magic, that - the frosted glamour of Christmas crossed with the grim, gritty world that is the lad's... and it's good. *g*

Comments

[potztausend.livejournal.com]

Ahhh - M.Fae Glasgow... one of her great stories, sweet and intense, a language which isn't plain, never average in writing, sex scenes which aren't simple or standard. I enjoyed re-reading it and I'm glad you posted it.

Not forgetting at Christmas: it's none of her dark stories ;-)

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's all those things - I'm so glad you liked it! (I'm definitely not so keen on her very dark Christmas story (Snowbound) - not because it's dark, but because the lads are just a bit too far out of character for me... usually she's so good about that, I think!)

(Also, this is my first time using lj's new comment box, it's strange! But I can see good things about it too, so... *crosses fingers*!)

[potztausend.livejournal.com]

I had to look up "Snowbound" again. It's the one with those two different endings, I only read it one time, and it's at least 1 1/2 years ago. The one I remember as a very dark is "A Call Of Nature", a funny one (but never silly) was "Footbridge", and the most extreme story is for me forever "Sunday Bloody Sunday". I was bound to this story and couldn't stop reading... The oblique stories were (by accident) the first ones I read in Pros, and I am very glad about it.

It's nice to choose the icons with a preview ;-)

[hagsrus.livejournal.com]

Lovely - thanks for the reminder!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

You're welcome!

(And gosh, look at this new comment style... very posh for Christmas! Oh, and it seems to re-order your icons to most-recently-used coming up at the top, which is useful...)

[milomaus.livejournal.com]

I so love the real ring of the lads as she writes them, with all the ugliness of reality and the selfishness and the insecurities and the LOVE, the breathtaking sweetness of the lads.

Thanks a ton for putting this in the calendar!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Yes! That's exactly what I love - and the fact that they love each other through everything else makes it that much more gorgeous and happy-making! *g*

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

I knew I'd read it and I see from my notes that I found it 'an averagely pleasant Christmas story but not a keeper'! I didn't realise it was M Fae Glasgow - did she have many alternative names? Interesting! I think I enjoyed the actual writing but the plot didn't grab me. Thanks for bringing it all back to mind!!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Lol - I think you and I have quite different tastes when it comes to fic! I liked the plot of this well enough, and if something's written to make me feel it, then to me that's almost plot enough in itself, you know? I'd far rather read a less dramatic plot that's written beautifully, than a more dramatic or "original" or whatever plot where the writing just seems to drag on, or the characterisation is off, or whatever...

That said, I do rather like the plot of this one - the lads separated and then happily surprised to be together for Christmas after all, what's not to like?! *g*

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

Nothing to not like! I re-read it and apart from the visual torture of the double columns I enjoyed it - but only in the sense that the literary critic in me came out to play and admired the writing. Yes, I suspect we have different tastes in fic - which is odd, as I like your writing so much!! I prefer to have lots of story - though of course I like good characterisation and interesting style, lack of Americanisms and near-perfect grammar as well.*g* I began to wonder if it was just fanfic that struck me that way but on second thoughts it's everything I read. (Even non-fiction.)

I'm enjoying the recs, but trying to keep up with those and the dialj offerings is proving to be beyond me. I just happened to see and read this over breakfast so for once I'm 'on time'!