ASC Awards Digest 310: Alara Rogers Award for Best Author
Stephen Ratliff
The Following is a Digest of ASC Awards Comments.
To comment, go to:
http://www.trekiverse.org/awards/ASCAwards/voting/
or post/e-mail a response to the posted ballots
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Digest 310: Alara Rogers Award for Best Author
name = Jungle Kitty
category = ASC Awards: Alara Rogers Award for Best Author
story = A58 James Winter ... Excessive Force
comment = I don't know if I'll have time to vote in the other MIS/Overall
categories, but I wanted to make sure I got this vote in. I've been reading
all the comments on J's writing in the awards, and I wish I could just paste
them all into this window. Right now, I don't think there's anyone doing
what J does half as well as he does it. His original characters are
three-dimensional. I care about these people. I especially enjoyed "Shifting
Sands" (I love universe-jump stories), but I'm mentioning it here because
this is the story where TJ Durant moved WAY up on my "characters who make me
forget they're not 'real'" list. J doesn't rest on his laurels--he keeps
getting better. In "Wild Goose Chase," Duffy came to life for me in new way.
Before he was a sideman; in that story, he's center stage and it works. When
the canon characters appear in J's stories, they're believable in how they
fit into the story, how they relate to the original characters, and how they
respond to the situations. J and I have borrowed each other's OCs, and he
has paid me the compliment of saying I write a better Durant than he does.
(Not true, by the way.) But if I write him well at all, it's because J has
marked the path so clearly. I can hear that voice very clearly, I'm
interested in what he's saying, I want to know him better, and he adds to
the Trek universe in a way that just plain fits. So in my opinion, that
makes J's writing as close to canon as you can get without the Paramount
imprimatur. (And thank goodness TIIC don't own what comes out of J's
imagination.) Pro writing's gain may be our loss, but it's hard to think of
anyone who's better equipped to make the jump than J.
name = Stephen Ratliff
category = ASC Awards: Alara Rogers Award for Best Author
story = A127 Seema ... Stay
comment = I just spent the last two hours reading Seema's works. I hadn't
intended to. You see, I was just going to refresh my memory before writing
up this feedback. Instead, I read, no savored, each story. In fact, I
think I'll quote from DS9's "The Visitor" for what Seema's writing has done
to me today:
... I read them slowly ... and when I was done, I wished I hadn't read them
at all, so I could read them all again ... like it was the first time.
I'm sure as a primarily DS9 Writer, Seema will like that quote applied to
her works. But Seema isn't just a DS9 writer anymore. There is only one
series that she didn't write this year, TOS.
Seema has a knack for getting in the heads of her characters. Her first
person narrative is very strong, and she captures in more depth the
characters we see on the screen. Her Jake Sisko is very good, in
particular.
Unlike many DS9 writers, she seems to take great inspiration from it's last
episode. So many authors just cut out after the vast changes contained in
that episode. Seema, however, managed to write such inspired stories as
"All Things" and "Letting Go", both of which are very strong character
pieces.
The ablity to get in the heads of not just one series characters, but four,
In paticular, I'd like to note her work on the story chosen to go by her
name, Stay. It is not often that a Paris Torres gets my attention. Her
perfectly chosen perspective on this work made me read this one several
times, and it holds up under multiple readings well.
I have to admit being a latecomer to Seema's work ... I really don't get to
read as much as I should, given my jobs both here and in the physical world.
However, it looks like I've got another author whose works will end up in my
ReadThisNow folder via my filters.
name = Mark Russel Stanley
category = ASC Awards: Alara Rogers Award for Best Author
story = A2 A. Kite ... Barclay's Reward
comment = A. Kite demonstrates her ability with a diverse group of pairings,
nailing characterisations, and providing a fresh breath of satirical air
with many of her stories. She takes canon and looks at it from an angled
perspective that can be funny, or touching, or both.
name = Mark Russel Stanley
category = ASC Awards: Alara Rogers Award for Best Author
story = A50 Heather Cook ... Gratitude
comment = Heather writes such a wonderfully loving characterisation of Garak
and Bashir. She's consistently excellent, and she's much too hard on
herself.
name = Mark Russel Stanley
category = ASC Awards: Alara Rogers Award for Best Author
story = A53 Invicta ... On Top Once More
comment = Invicta is outrageous, imaginative, and memorable. Her
long-awaited sequel to "On Top" provides a fun alien sex story, which she
handles with humour and love.
name = Mark Russel Stanley
category = ASC Awards: Alara Rogers Award for Best Author
story = A70 Karmen Ghia ... Talljet Quartet
comment = Karmen writes amazing epics. She handles diverse and very alien
psychologies with complex histories with an ease that makes me green with
envy.
name = Mark Russel Stanley
category = ASC Awards: Alara Rogers Award for Best Author
story = A71 Kathryn Ramage ... A White Tunic
comment = Kathryn's stories are a must-read for any DS9 slash fan. As usual,
her consistent and excellent Garak/Bashir makes my toes tingle and my
eyelids sweat. But she can also make me believe Bashir/O'Brien, which is an
amazing feat, and she has embarked on a wonderful, slightly AU Sisko/Bashir
universe that is every bit as wonderful as her G/B and her G/B/O'B.
name = Mark Russel Stanley
category = ASC Awards: Alara Rogers Award for Best Author
story = A97 OdoGoddess aka Judith ... Once I Wore Gold
comment = OdoGoddess makes het worth reading. Her lovely Odo/Kira is a
lyrical joy.
name = Mark Russel Stanley
category = ASC Awards: Alara Rogers Award for Best Author
story = A149 Una McCormack ... Closure
comment = Una, like Henrietta, is an indispensable Garak writer. She also
has a wonderfully dark grasp of Ezri that makes the character better than
canon.
name = Mark Russel Stanley
category = ASC Awards: Alara Rogers Award for Best Author
story = A149 Una McCormack ... Closure
comment = Una, like Henrietta, is an indispensable Garak writer. She also
has a wonderfully dark grasp of Ezri that makes the character better than
canon.
name = monkee
category = ASC Awards: Alara Rogers Award for Best Author
story = A127 Seema ... Stay
comment = I love Seema's stories, and I want to mention two in particular,
since I missed their categories in the general voting. 'Among Bluebonnets,'
was an outstanding look at the Chakotay we never got to see, and the
repercussions of 'Unity,' and it featured one of the nicest J and C
friendship scenes I've ever read. And her Jake Sisko story, 'All Things,'
was sad and beautiful, and I hope to see it published someday.
;)
There are a few Seema stories that I absolutely hate, but only because
they're too believeable and good. Yes, I'm talking about the C/7 ones, 'Not
that Kind,' and 'Erosion.'
One of my favorites of the year was 'Beneath a Sky of a Thousand Stars.'
Seema just delves into these characters and their relationships in such a
meaningful way.
name = monkee
category = ASC Awards: Alara Rogers Award for Best Author
story = A131 Sr. Mary Kathryn ... Never the Same
comment = A 'SirKim' story is pretty rare these days, but something to savor
when they do appear. Sr. Mary Kath is hilarious. I can still make myself
laugh out loud in public places thinking about that dead Janeway story...
name = Mark Russel Stanley
category = ASC Awards: Alara Rogers Award for Best Author
story = A51 Henrietta Wotton ... A Discreet Private Inquiry
comment = Henrietta is one of the best Garak authors out there. Her Garak is
elegant, ruthless, intelligent, witty... everything I want from Garak. Her
prose is as elegant as her characterisation; she's a true artist.
[Note: The following comment was combined by the Awards Staff]
name = monkee
category = ASC Awards: Alara Rogers Award for Best Author
story = A116 Rocky ... Ties That Bind
comment = Rock, rock, rock, rock, Ragnarock Rocky! Rocky's writing reminds
me strongly of m.c. moose's - a perfect blend of plot and character. Rocky
gives us some wonderful nuance and detail to the often overlooked Tuvok
(Ties that Bind, Out of the Box, and the priceless Vulcan Fried Fanfic), and
she also wrote a lovely Neelix story, 'Memories of Cookies,' which filled in
what was missing in the Neelix/Kes relationship. I love her J/C, too, of
course! 'Blue Skies' was a favorite of mine this year. Rocky's contributions
to VVS7.5 have been splendid, particularly 'Ragnarok.' I wouldn't be at all
surpised to find Rocky publishing professionally someday - she'd write a
mean Trek novel!
Eek - can I add something to my comments for Rocky? I forgot to mention
'Brain Drain,' which was absolutely brilliant, and is proof that she can do
humor just as well as plot and character.
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Last Comment in Digest Submitted:
Date: Sun, 21 Apr 2002 02:18:14 -0400
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--
Stephen Ratliff 2001 ASC Award Coordnator
ASC Awards Run every March - April. Current Status:
MIS,Overall: Runs April 10th to April 24th
Awards Close at 12:01am. Results arrive April 29th
Mark Stanley
>
> name = Mark Russel Stanley
> category = ASC Awards: Alara Rogers Award for Best Author
> story = A149 Una McCormack ... Closure
> comment = Una, like Henrietta, is an indispensable Garak writer. She also
> has a wonderfully dark grasp of Ezri that makes the character better than
> canon.
>
> name = Mark Russel Stanley
> category = ASC Awards: Alara Rogers Award for Best Author
> story = A149 Una McCormack ... Closure
> comment = Una, like Henrietta, is an indispensable Garak writer. She also
> has a wonderfully dark grasp of Ezri that makes the character better than
> canon.
>
Hi Stephen, I just noticed this double post. I wanted to make sure my
single comment wasn't counted twice. Sorry if this is my fault!
Mark
--
Fear me. Or at least fear my lizard.
--Olivia, future Evil Overlord, and her minion, Fluffy.
~~~
mrs...@sk.sympatico.ca