One of the things I love about The X-Files fandom is that even after all these years we continue to welcome new fans into the fold. And these young fans bring fresh enthusiasm and new ideas and share those gifts with us “old timers.” There are episodes of the show that are older than this week’s author but don’t let that fool you. Meet how-i-met-your-mulder! Also known as skuls on A03, she has a body of work that’s impressive for any author, let alone one who is relatively new to the show.
If you’ve ever wondered how you would do in a situation in your past if you knew the future, here’s your chance to watch Mulder and Scully navigate that. “Half-Light” goes AU just after “Home Again” when a shooting transports Mulder and Scully back to 1993. It’s a great ride through different times and universes that keeps you guessing.
And if like me you’re dying to see if Mulder and Scully are reunited with William in Season 11, “Polaroid” is just the thing you need. The uneasy navigation of two families and how William adjusts is a great read.
The X-Files Rewatch Series is a great companion to your own rewatch, and explores the scenes we didn’t see during the episodes we’re so familiar with. In this world, Mulder and Scully finally get to take in that football game, for instance.
We talked with how-i-met-your-mulder about inspiration, writing, and of course, The X-Files.
This week’s author may have gotten her writing start from a place “where everybody knows your name” but if you don’t know her name, you should. Meet foxmulders! Also known as inspl0tches on A03, foxmulders has a variety of work that can take you on a great ride and in some cases knock the wind out of you as you read.
One of my personal favorites is “solitary fields in spring.” Tagged “mother’s day hell fic from hell,” it looks at 5 Mother’s Days that could have been *cough should have been cough* for Scully. It’s sweet and sad and hits all the right notes.
With all the hurricanes lately you may have heard people use the phrase “the waffle house index." This story with the same name has more to do with the hurricane of emotions that follows Season 6′s “One Son” than the weather and it’s a great read. I love the way it explores how Mulder and Scully say the things they don’t really say.
There’s so much I love about “string theory,” I’ll just stop talking now and tell you to go read it.
We talked with foxmulders about writing, inspiration, and of course, The X-Files.
Hope you had a great summer, Philes! We’re back with our Fan Author series. This week’s author is no stranger to fandom, and recently co-authored a project that stretches the boundaries of the usual fanfic experience. Meet bohoartist! If you haven’t read “Two Agents Missing, Presumed Dead” head over there, scroll to the bottom, and read. I’ll wait. Bohoartist and co-author piecesofscully used Tumblr to lay out their story piece by piece, with images, e-mails, and news articles. It’s a great read and fun to put the pieces together as you go.
If you like short, sweet, and a kick in the feels, try “The Healing Power of Touch.” Scully is trying to comfort Mulder after losing his mom in Sein Und Zeit and the glimpse of her thoughts after doing Teena Mulder’s autopsy sticks with you. If you’re looking for something a little more “adult,” then this hits the, er, spot. I’ll let you infer from the title what “Three Times Mulder and Scully Got Caught and One Time They Didn’t Care” is about!
We talked with bohoartist about, writing, inspiration, and of course, The X-Files.
We’re taking another walk down X-Files fandom memory lane this week with an author who has been a fan of the show since that fateful day in 1993. Meet ML! She’s a longtime writer with a fantastic body of work. ML writes with a mix of warmth, angst, humor and insight that’s so fitting of our heroes. And with 150 works listed on Gossamer you’ve got a lot of reading to do.
The show didn’t give Mulder much of a chance to rebound after learning about what really happened to Samantha in “Closure” so ML takes that on in “Land of the Living.” Mulder and Scully take some time away to sort things out and maybe, just maybe, finally get the chance to move on.
I have a major soft spot for Scully angst, and the time when Scully was searching for Mulder in Season 8 always hits me right in the gut. “In the Bleak Midwinter” is a perfect example of that. We know Scully doesn’t share her feelings well, and this story set during Christmas with her family makes me want to reach out and hug her. Bonus points for a more human depiction of big brother Bill, as well.
I remember reading this one over and over when it first appeared on Ephemeral in 2001 and it still resonates today. I won’t give away too much but “Age Cannot Wither” is an a/u that deals with “Requiem” and Scully’s immortality in a very moving way.
We talked with ML about writing, fandom, and of course The X-Files.
How long have you been a Phile?
Since the Pilot. I’ve always liked science fiction and the premise was intriguing to me. I was hooked from the beginning by the stories. It took me a little longer to warm up to Mulder; I remember feeling a little sorry for Scully at first.
What was your first episode?
The Pilot
How long have you been writing fic?
Long ago, I wrote little vignettes for TV shows I liked for my own amusement. I had no idea that I was writing fanfic. I think the first thing I wrote was inspired by the soap opera Dark Shadows. I didn’t even discover that there was such a thing as XF fanfic until S5, I think, when I finally had regular access to a computer. I read avidly for about a year, everything I could get my hands on. Then nearly at the end of S6, I started writing a story that ended up taking years to finish. I did manage to post a vignette for “Requiem” right after it aired, and it was promptly lost in the thousands of wonderful post-ep stories also posted. What a great summer for reading and writing that was!
If you’ve ever needed help finding a fic you’ve read but can’t remember the full title or author, chances are this week’s author has helped you find it. Meet mimic117! She’s a wonderful author and also a prolific beta who helped shape some of your favorite stories. Mimic117 also runs The X-Files Lost and Found which is a great resource if you ever need help tracking down a story.
Look through her extensive list of work and you’ll find everything from casefiles, Mulder Torture, and heavy angst, to humor, family fic, and even an X-Men crossover. And there’s a little *ahem* adult activity as well if that’s what you’re looking for. One of my personal favorites is the “Chip Off the Old Block” series which brings Charlie Scully back into the picture shortly after the start of Season 9. But don’t let that S9 throw you, Mulder is still there. If terror is more your thing, “Only Skin Deep” dives into the mind of an obsessive stalker and it may just keep you up at night.
I could offer more recommendations of her work but this week I prefer to let our author do the talking. Mimic117 is a long-time member of the fandom and has done a lot to preserve many of the stories we first read on geocities and other sites that are now long-gone. We talked about writing, fandom, and how fanfiction has changed over the years and I hope you enjoy her perspective as much as I did.
How long have you been a Phile?
I didn’t start watching the program until season 4 because Friday was always grocery shopping night. We only had one car so I didn’t go shopping until Mr. Mims got home from work. Then we’d eat supper, throw the kids in the car, and not get back home until after 9 PM. I distinctly remember #1 son running inside to watch as soon as we pulled in, which is why he never helped unload groceries because “The X-Files is on!” He kept telling me how good it was and that I should watch. I finally got the chance when they moved to Sunday night and watched all the way through to the bitter end.
What was your first episode?
“F-Emasculata” – the one with the exploding boils. ~gag~ I have no idea why I continued after that but I did. I’ve always been more of a MOTW fan than the mytharc but I do wish they hadn’t written so many with exploding boils and maggots.
How long have you been writing fic?
I actually had to look it up on Gossamer. LOL, I posted my first story in 2000. It seems like I wrote for a much longer time than that but I think overall it was almost 10 years. I just posted the second half of a story last year that was actually five years overdue, but nothing between about 2009 and then.
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