Favorite Fics: The Blood series (S/B)

[shakatany]

In the usual course of events fan writers occasionally turn pro. Nan Dibble was one who did the opposite. As Ansen Dibell she wrote a few SF novels and at least one non-fiction book - Plot (Elements of Fiction Writing) before turning to fanfic. Though the Blood series (4 complete books and one forever unfinished) is technically Spuffy (but not excessively so) beyond that the books tell of the deep friendship between Dawn and Spike. That is the key (pun intended) relationship in this series - the relationship I wish that ME had acknowledged in S7.

The first book begins post-Showtime when Buffy brought Spike back to the house on Revello Drive and the series goes AU from there. Other characters like Xander, Willow and the Potentials are also present and get their due. The stories are beautifully written, well plotted, with great insight into the characters and laced with subtle bits of humor. In the second volume, Blood Kin, Nan added her own original take on the whole Key thing and her view of the nature of vampires came into play when she created the horrifying Supplice d’Allégance. Through her wonderful OC Mike the vampire she was able to explore aspects of the vampire culture that Spike had only been on the periphery of due to his involvement with Buffy and company and the fact that he was turrned long before the series began.

 

Some of Nan's thoughts on Spike/vampires:

 

"Vamps aren’t exactly cut out for moderation. And not really big on the self-control. That’s what they’re made to do: bite; feed. All kind of hard-wired and primal and everything.”

"She’d believed the soul had completely robbed him of his demonic innocence--the blind spots where anybody else would boggle or cringe and he’d barge right through, quite unaware of any problem. It made her all kinds of happy to know that wasn’t so, that there were still some isolated pockets left.

She liked his demon, to the extent he had let her get to know it. She liked its directness and ruthlessness, its complete clarity about what it wanted." (Blood Kin)

These are long-multichaptered fics so be prepared to spend a lot of enjoyable time immersed in her world.

 

Nan Dibble passed away a year ago today on March 7, 2006. She is greatly missed. 

 

For more on the marvelousness of her writing read this post by slaymesoftlyhere.

Comments

[stretfordditto.livejournal.com]

RIP Nan Dibble. :(

[shakatany.livejournal.com]

Maybe someday maybe there'll be a community where we can list the fans and fanwriters who have passed away - it's a shame if they can't be memorialized in some manner :(

Shakatany

[stretfordditto.livejournal.com]

Good idea Shak. It is a shame. :(

[dolnmoon.livejournal.com]

Thanks for sharing darlin I will check them out. I love the long fan fics with good plot and story lines. It is a shame she passed away but left such a wonderful legacy.

Dol

[shakatany.livejournal.com]

Go and enjoy. I won't plan on hearing from you until you've emerged from reading the fics *g*.

Shakatany