One of the most widely recommended fics in the X-Files fandom comes from this week's talented author dashakay. Take quick look around tumblr at lists of favorite fic and you'll find "Blinded by White Light" at the top of almost all of them. It's a gorgeous a/u that belongs on any must-read list, but if that's the only work you've read by dashakay you're missing out! One of my favorite stories around the revival is "A Bowl of Soup," which is a short but sweet take on how Mulder and Scully get back together. It's a story I can hear as I read it and you may find a happy sigh at the end, as I did. You can guess from the title that "Borrowed and Blue" is about a wedding, and it's a story that to me perfectly suits where Mulder and Scully should be in their relationship right now. The little details really bring it to life and a crossover character pairing opened up my mind for all sorts of new headcanons. These are just a few examples of dashakay's excellent work and your reading time would be well spent on any of her stories.
We talked with dashakay about writing, The X-Files, and being a long-time author in the fandom.
How long have you been a Phile?
Oh boy. I’d probably count 1998 as the year I really entered Philedom headfirst.
What was your first episode?
Believe it or not, it was “Home,” and it disgusted me and also scared the pants off me. I went to work the next day and said, “Do any of you guys watch The X-Files? It’s TERRIBLE!” Ha, little did I know...
How long have you been writing fic?
I posted my first fic in May of 1998, so eighteen years ago. Wow, I had no idea it had been so long! I’ve taken some long hiatuses from writing in those eighteen years.
For more questions read after the jump.
You may know this week's author as scienceandmysticism or as pinebluffvariant but if neither name rings a bell, get yourself over to tumblr or A03 and get caught up right now. Her ficlet "On Fourteenth Street Bridge," a quick look at the events on the bridge of "My Struggle II," will have you begging her to keep going in that universe. "Polysemous" is one of my favorite Season 10 post eps, a sweet but heartbreaking conversation set after "Founder's Mutation." I may have sent that to a few people with the disclaimer "here, enjoy some pain." It's a pain that hurts so good. There are many other excellent stories in this author's library and an afternoon spent reading through all of them will be time well spent.
We're delighted scienceandmysticism took the time to chat with us about writing and The X-Files!
How long have you been a Phile?
I started watching The X-Files sometime in 1996... my memory is a little fuzzy, but I remember becoming more and more aware of the show and catching stray episodes here and there, learning the characters' names, and thinking "I should remember when this is on". I stopped watching almost completely after Requiem; it felt like the show had run its course. But I did catch up on the last two seasons eventually, was very much caught off-guard by IWTB, then dropped out again, and have been enjoying participating in XF fandom more actively since the announcement of Season 10. The X-Files and I have had twenty intense, and always devoted if not always happy, years together.
What was your first episode?
The first episodes I remember watching and getting that "wow" feeling, where I knew I would be back next week, were Nisei/731. I came into the show a big science fiction fan and the mythology arc at the time was so interesting, and so dynamic. I remember loving the global scope of the conspiracy.
How long have you been writing fic?
I wrote my first story in the summer of 2015, so I still consider myself pretty much brand new at this fanwork creation thing. But I've been *reading* XF fic, in periods voraciously, since the late 1990s.
For more questions, read after the jump.
If you've been around the fandom long enough to remember the Spookys and the Morley Awards, you'll definitely remember this week's author. And if not, now is a great time to get acquainted with the work of RivkaT. She's best known as the co-author, along with MustangSally, of the dark epic "Iolokus." The work even inspired a fan trailer recently. It's a story that's equal parts disturbing and moving and not for the faint of heart. But RivkaT has written many others worth your read like the casefile "Acadia" which is set in Season 4. RivkaT has also written stories in the Supernatural, Smallville, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer universes if you're looking to branch out.
We talked with RivkaT about writing and what brought her to The X-Files.
How long have you been a Phile?
I got hooked after watching Jose Chung’s From Outer Space, in what I think was early 1996. I don’t think I’d call myself a fan any longer, though I did watch the recent revival.
What was your first episode?
Jose Chung’s From Outer Space.
How long have you been writing fic?
I started writing around 1997.
For more questions, read after the jump.
Hold the phone, or tell your assistant to hold all your calls and meet this week's author h0ldthiscat. A relative newcomer to the XF fanfic world, h0ldthiscat writes like she's known Mulder and Scully for years. Lighter stories like "Cosmos" and "Impression" will leave you smiling, and if you're looking for more "adult" stories in the "Slightly NSFW Ask Meme" series is a lot of fun.
We spoke with h0ldthiscat about what brought her to The X-Files and what inspires her writing.
How long have you been a Phile?
An admittedly short amount of time. I started watching at the beginning of 2015 when rumblings of a revival surfaced and were then confirmed.
What was your first episode?
I started at the beginning. Pilot.
How long have you been writing fic?
I started writing XF fic very shortly after I started watching, which is unusual for me. Normally it takes me some time to feel like I "know" characters before I can write them. Mulder and Scully were familiar to me at once.
For more questions, read after the jump.
If it's iced tea in that bag, it could be love. And you'll definitely love this week's author icedteainthebag. She's a longtime Phile and author who has shared many amazing works over the years that will alternately bring you to tears or have you wishing for a cold shower! One of my personal favorites is "Exit," a missing scene from Season 7's "Requiem" which is moving and may leave you throwing things over what could have been. A more recent work, "Contingency Plan" is a pre-Season 10 look at Mulder's quest and deepening depression that explores one reason why Scully may have left. It's raw and heartbreaking and you can feel the tension and anxiety as you read. Do yourself a favor and add anything by icedteainthebag to your reading list, you'll be glad you did.
We talked with icedteainthebag about how she found The X-Files, writing, and what inspires her to keep creating after so many years in the fandom.
How long have you been a Phile?
I watched “Pilot” on a Friday night in 1993. It was a little touch and go until I got through “Space,” but thereafter we had a pretty good relationship. Feels organic, in that it’s come and gone over the years like an irresistibly damaged lover.
What was your first episode?
“Do you believe in the existence of extraterrestrials?”
How long have you been writing fic?
I started in 1999 by distributing my fic on e-mail lists.
For more questions, read after the jump.
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