twilight;

[amezri]

Secret shame confession time: I finished reading the first three books in
the Twilight series... and I liked them.

No, they're not the greatest pieces of fiction ever written (If I'd paid for
them, I'd feel cheated). No, I still don't get the insane craze. Yes,
Bella's actually rather annoying at times and I wanted someone to eat her so
she'd shut up. (It was really funny when she punched Jake.) Yes, Bella is
trying so hard not to be a Mary Sue when we all know she is. (Clutzy,
clumsy, uncoordinated, plain looking -- but the super-hot vampire totally
falls for her? Hm.)

There were some good scenes and bits of dialog, but those almost always
involved the rest of the Cullen family, of which Alice is my favorite. As
for Edward... well... I did rather like him. I'm sure it's entirely due to
the fact that he's being played by Robert Pattinson in the movie and he's
just pretty to look at. (Though what was with his hair at the MTV Movie
Awards?)

The Twilight fandom scares me though; those people are insane. Twimoms and
lemons and bad fiction. Bad. Hundreds and hundreds of bad fics. All
right, no I didn't read them all, but I poked through the Pit of Voles and
just reading the poorly spelled and worded summaries hurt my brain. I think
early involvement in SGA fandom has ruined me as we had a large amount of
good writers. Erm, well in the slash contingent anyway.

So, flist of mine, is there anything decent in this fandom to read?

Comments

[groovekittie.livejournal.com]

I stay out of Twilight fandom. Mostly because the original story was much like reading decent fanfic, and everything that seems to have followed is a copy of fanfic, which is never good. lol

Erm, well in the slash contingent anyway.

Heeeeeeeeeeey. I write SGA het. lol Not a lot, mind you, but still. :P

[amezri.livejournal.com]

Yes... Twilight would have been pretty decent as a fanfic, but for a published work... eh.

Aww, well, what I meant to say was that I'd only read slash in SGA and couldn't comment on anything else!

[groovekittie.livejournal.com]

It really is sappy fanfic. lol At first, I was totally put off by that, then I just embraced it. Made for a much more enjoyable read. But as soon as that brain turns on again afterwards ... ugh. lol So not a book I'd want my daughter reading as an impressionable pre-teen. *scowly face*

I'm actually pretty curious about the movie though. lol

And I have to read how this all pans out. It's a bit like watching a trainwreck. You *know* it's going to be messy and gross, but you can't. look. away.

I'm a bit on Team Jacob because Jacob is the only person in this entire fic that seems to have any common sense, and even then it's not GOOD common sense. lol

Aww, well, what I meant to say was that I'd only read slash in SGA and couldn't comment on anything else!

Hahaha. Don't worry. I don't read slash, so we're even. :P

[whisperwords.livejournal.com]

Bella totally is a Mary-Sue. Not only does the totally hot vampire fall for her, but so does the totally hot werewolf... and all the boys at her school. LOL.

Also, if you've seen a picture of Stephenie Meyer, the description of Bella starts to look a little self-inserty.

The fandom is HORRIFYING but! BUT! There is some seriously good fanfiction out there. I've written some myself at chartulae (LOL Self-promotion, hoooo) and I hosted a drabblefest there that many of the fandom's better writers participated in, so it works kind of like a links list. I can go through my bookmarks when I get home tonight and give you some specific fic links later.

[amezri.livejournal.com]

Right! Yes. All the boys are throwing themselves at her. That was a lot ridiculous. :P

Hm. You have a point there. I'm glad I saw pictures of the actors first, actually. Speaking of, as bad as the movie is probably going to be, I want them to make Eclipse because that battle scene would probably be all sorts of awesome.

Yay for good fanfiction! The characters have a lot of potential that Meyer kind of wasted. I'll have a look at your other account and the drabble fest when I get home :D Fic recs would be greatly appreciated!

[eido.livejournal.com]

Bella totally is a Mary-Sue. Not only does the totally hot vampire fall for her, but so does the totally hot werewolf... and all the boys at her school. LOL.

Also, if you've seen a picture of Stephenie Meyer, the description of Bella starts to look a little self-inserty.

Not only that, but I suspect for various reasons Bella is also going to turn out to be a messianic hero. So basically she's a giant Mary Sue, self-inserty and Jesus.

[whisperwords.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't be surprised, actually, if Stephenie Meyer went the other way and made Edward or Jacob out to be Jesus and Bella as Mary Magdalene. All that "let's have sex now please please pleeease!" stuff kind of steers me to think that way. :P

[eido.livejournal.com]

LOL I actually thought that too at first, staying gender (and sexytiems) apropos, but it actually fits more snuggly if Bella is Jesus (Jacob is Mary Magdalene and Edward is God). Eclipse is like the cracky fanfic version of The Last Temptation of Christ. With Bella struggling with the destiny prophesied about her and tempted by dreams of babiez and normalcy, but in the end accepts the MOAR magicz, sparkly love and life Edward intends to provide. Romantic love as religious transcendence, except not so much St. John of the Cross, but more like Enrique Iglesias. SMeyer, the new Enrique Iglesias of romantic themes as religious transcendence.

[whisperwords.livejournal.com]

SMeyer, the new Enrique Iglesias of romantic themes as religious transcendence.

...if this involves Edward, Bella, and melted candle wax with latin background music, Breaking Dawn will at least guarantee the lulz.

Your theory actually makes a ton of sense, I'm a little worried now. And SMeyer's a Mormon, lord only knows what kind of allegory she may throw in there.

[eido.livejournal.com]

SMeyer isn't only Mormon, she's devoutly Mormon. She considers Diet Pepsi "her one vice" (and I tragically don't see SMeyer approving of any material that would give us sexytiems, nekkid RPattz in the 4th movie. As she is devout and thus will be a cockblocker until the very end). Having seen some of what LDS tries to pass off as movies? I try not to think about how it all could end too much. Hopefully the 4th will still be as LULZy as the rest of series, no matter how transparent the allegory may potentially get.

[shannigansx.livejournal.com]

I just finished reading the first three books too! I just couldn't put them down! The writing left something to be desired, but I got addicted to the story. Alice is quite possibly my favorite. I just want to hug her!

[amezri.livejournal.com]

Me too! I read a book each night and am now waiting for the final one in the series. That's coming out next month, right?

Alice is totally adorable. In my head I kind of picture her like a super-cute anime girl... don't know why.

[shannigansx.livejournal.com]

That's pretty much the way I read them. I just couldn't put them down! Before I started, I was hoping that I could read them all before my little trip at the end of August (it's work related, so I want to take a more "educational" book). But I finished before the fourth book even came out! Soooo addicting! The book comes out August 2 so just a little over a week to wait!

[amezri.livejournal.com]

This series is like.... crack of train wreck proportions. You can't help but look and be sucked in!

I need Twilight icons... hrm..

[tlace.livejournal.com]

I've been lamenting my love for the past couple of days. I'm only nearing the end of the second book but yeah, TWO ENTRIES in TWO DAYS on my journal outing myself as a Twilight fan :)

I agree on your take, especially this:
There were some good scenes and bits of dialog, but those almost always involved the rest of the Cullen family, of which Alice is my favorite. As for Edward... well... I did rather like him. I'm sure it's entirely due to the fact that he's being played by Robert Pattinson in the movie and he's just pretty to look at.

I have not sought out any fic since I'm not yet finished with the books but I FEAR what I'm going to find.

My FList is going to EXPLODE on August 2hd and I cannot WAIT!

[amezri.livejournal.com]

I saw your entries! But I was like, "oh man, I don't want to out myself yet!" XD

It really is too bad Bella is so freakin' annoying more times than she's actually cool. One minute she's all, "hey, vampires, no big deal" and then she's just whining on and on and on about her boring human friends.

Don't go to the Pit of Voles for fic! It's horrible.

[eido.livejournal.com]

the super-hot vampire totally falls for her?

Him and his whole rich, gorgeous, sparkly vampire family. But Alice is my favorite too.

I've come to compare these books to Korean or Mexican soap operas. You know they're terrible the whole time you're watching, but you're still not changing the channel. And yes indeed, it doesn't hurt at all RPattz is one sexy bitch. Funny he never did a thing for me as Cedric, which clearly means I'm a bigger Twihard then I'm ever going to admit. *hands head in shame*

[amezri.livejournal.com]

Oh, the sparkly. Don't remind me. WTF is that? I really hope Edward doesn't glitter like a pageant queen when we get to that scene in the movie. I'll totally accept some crazy reflective glow but sparkling? Ugh.

Pattinson is preeeeetty. Plus he has fabulous hair.

[eido.livejournal.com]

Apparently that specific sparkling meadow bit came to the author in a dream and that's where Twilight all started. Really can't wait to see how that comes off in movie-form. I predict the scene will be entertaining for half-nekkid RPattz and mass quantities of LULZ.

His hair is out of control. He's got better crazier hair than teh Tennant and that's definitely saying something.

[amezri.livejournal.com]

I'll just focus on Pattinson. I have a feeling that's the only way I'll be able to make it through the film. there is a mild amount of skeeve involved when I think about about he's the same as my brother. ew. so I won't think about that.

He and Tennant should have a hair-off! XD Though I think Pattinson (RPattz?! hahaha) wins after his showing at the MTV MAs.

[eido.livejournal.com]

Have you seen any of the Twilight coverage from Comic Con? I'm seriously thinking he keeps extra spackle in his pocket to keep it going in those astronomically unsound directions and stay there. Or he just doesn't wash it. At all.

[amezri.livejournal.com]

I haven't been reading any Comic Con coverage as it just makes me sad that I wasn't there this year. *goes to look*

Oh. Man. That hair! How--that's just inhuman. Srsly. His hair totally pwns Tennant's hair. o_O

[lizhume.livejournal.com]

I haven't read these yet, but I will. Once I get through another teen group of books by Scott Westerfeld. He wrote Uglies, Pretties, Specials, and Extras. I got them all over the weekend. A very quick read, even though the books look big. They definitely read like teen books, but the plot is actually interesting so it's keeping my attention. I hope that's the same for the Twilight series?

[amezri.livejournal.com]

Yup! I read all three books in as many days. I think they took about 4 or 5 hours each.