AUs and crossovers are basically *the* things that got me into this crazy fandom world.
I mean, on the one hand, the show has flirted with a lot of stories that it never told or opened up possibilities it didn't explore, so I like seeing AUs play with that, the might-have-beens. And on the other, you've got the ones that change something in order to explore the characters and their circumstances. Both, for me, are like watching alternate endings on DVDs. It doesn't replace the story that was told, it's just a variation. And sometimes it's just a fun indulgence- Bellatemple's got a hilarious one where the YED gets distracted and puts the whole 'superpowers and deathmatch' part of his plan in action a few (like six) decades later than he intended. Crack, but awesome crack.
And other times, it's a wonderful way to examine the characters and their makeup and motivations and reactions and their circumstance. And usually, the more they interweave canon, the more interesting I find it, because there's something magnificent in bouncing those changes off some canon fact and seeing how it alters things (or doesn't alter things). A couple here come to mind- I'm thinking particularly of one I'm reading where Dean comes back from hell with amnesia. Man, not only does that one do some marvelous riffs on canon, it's a brilliant look at how Dean defines himself and the people around him- and of course, the relationship between the brothers. Oh, and it is fabulous. They're all so very....THEM. And it's hilarious and heartbreaking.
Often at the same time! There's a part where Dean suggests getting rid of the Impala, and Sam's like "if I let you, and then you remember, you'll kill me," and then Dean tells him he's pretty sure that old-him would understand, that he loved his brother more than the car, and Sam just kind of shuts down at that - and the readers all know its because Sam is having a little emo moment and then Dean's worrying that Sam's reaction means that old-him did in fact love the car more than his brother and what absolute kind of psycho was he?
no subject
I mean, on the one hand, the show has flirted with a lot of stories that it never told or opened up possibilities it didn't explore, so I like seeing AUs play with that, the might-have-beens. And on the other, you've got the ones that change something in order to explore the characters and their circumstances. Both, for me, are like watching alternate endings on DVDs. It doesn't replace the story that was told, it's just a variation. And sometimes it's just a fun indulgence- Bellatemple's got a hilarious one where the YED gets distracted and puts the whole 'superpowers and deathmatch' part of his plan in action a few (like six) decades later than he intended. Crack, but awesome crack.
And other times, it's a wonderful way to examine the characters and their makeup and motivations and reactions and their circumstance. And usually, the more they interweave canon, the more interesting I find it, because there's something magnificent in bouncing those changes off some canon fact and seeing how it alters things (or doesn't alter things). A couple here come to mind- I'm thinking particularly of one I'm reading where Dean comes back from hell with amnesia. Man, not only does that one do some marvelous riffs on canon, it's a brilliant look at how Dean defines himself and the people around him- and of course, the relationship between the brothers. Oh, and it is fabulous. They're all so very....THEM. And it's hilarious and heartbreaking.
Often at the same time! There's a part where Dean suggests getting rid of the Impala, and Sam's like "if I let you, and then you remember, you'll kill me," and then Dean tells him he's pretty sure that old-him would understand, that he loved his brother more than the car, and Sam just kind of shuts down at that - and the readers all know its because Sam is having a little emo moment and then Dean's worrying that Sam's reaction means that old-him did in fact love the car more than his brother and what absolute kind of psycho was he?
And. Um. yes. I'll stop gushing.
Did I mention I like AUs?