Fan Fiction Roundup
How do you express your fandom? You could dress up. Or write a blog. But would you ever take it so far as to write a piece of fan fiction?
Fan fiction is everywhere, in forms you would never imagine. And in some rare cases the adaptations can even eclipse the original material. But what about video game fan fiction? Can interactive entertainment translate well into the written word?
FanFiction.net seems to be the biggest resource of “fic” titles, but there’s plenty out there. The titles I read ranged from intentionally humorous to faithful re-creations of the games that fans love.
Even though these works certainly don’t exactly measure up to that of a professional author, you can’t help but appreciate the ingenuity of some of the works. I spent a lazy Sunday afternoon reading a few titles that caught my eye.
Taking place after the events of Metal Gear Solid 4, this short story is set in San Francisco, where Solid Snake meets up with Crying Wolf at a park. Snake has a light-hearted conversation with his former adversary, and it ends in quite an unexpected way.
Memorable quote: “It’s been a while Solid Snake. Last time I saw you I was sought out to kill you. I hated that big bulky power suit and rail gun. It was so heavy.”
Another piece of MGS fic, this raunchy tale examines Sunny’s innocent exploration of her sexuality. (Seriously, who comes up with these ideas?) It’s clear that this title is meant to be laughed at, not appreciated.
Memorable quote: Chuckling and slightly drunk, Naomi exclaimed, “Hey, Sunny! What’s taking you so long? I’ve been waiting in bed for you for almost an hour! Hee hee!”
“Battle of the Psychic Masters”
I looked for a piece of Street Fighter fic because I imagined that it would be hard to create an elaborate story from a fighting game. In “Battle of the Psychic Masters,” M. Bison and Rose are engaged in a brutal fight, yet they still can carry on a conversation amid the kicks, punches and special moves. Their battle-side chat is ho-hum, but the ending is rather interesting.
Memorable quote: Bison entered his own stance. “Very well Rose. If you insist on sacrificing yourself for those fools, so be it,” Bison said.
“Zodiac” follows the lives of the heroes of Ivalice in the years after the end of Final Fantasy XII, whose rich narrative leaves the door wide open for all sorts of fan fiction. The author does a fine job with imagery and writing dialog that matches up with the source material — Vaan, Penelo, Asche and the rest of the gang are portrayed well. The first two chapters cover Asche’s coronation and her unrequited love for Baasch.
Memorable quote: “Don’t worry, Fran,” the Sky Pirate assured her. “I wouldn’t dream of stealing the show. Even the Leading Man knows when to let the other players have the spotlight.”
I normally don’t read fiction in my spare time, so I was quite skeptical about what I’d find. One thing is clear: There is some pretty good (albeit uneven) stuff. And I commend the folks who have the guts and patience to write a tome and put it out there. They are a rare kind of fan. There is the extra-’special’ sort of fan which produces a work that results in exceptional fan video, such as Half -Life: Full Life Consequences. You have to be grateful for those gems.
Tags: FanFiction.net, Final Fantasy, Half-Life, Metal Gear Solid
