Poll: New Fics Using Old Canon

[kennahijja]

I've been thinking about the advantages/disadvantages of writing stories with 'old canon' lately. With that, I mean stories that ignore either whole books (like HBP) or certain events in canon (the death of Sirius, for example), not older stories written before said new canon came out.

I see them occasionally, and don't mind reading them, but have the impression that they are rather frowned upon in fandom. Which, in a way, is understandable, since new canon means tons of new details to incorporate, new situations to explore, and writing in an 'old' context smacks of laziness or resentment against new canon developments. Or does it? Since I'm sitting on an *old* plot right this moment and am tempted to forget that the strange animal called HBP ever showed up in its context, I'd be curious about what 'public opinion' is on this. Hence, poll :).

That said, I really want honest opinions, not reassurance - my decision on said plot will be totally uninfluenced by the outcome of this. If I was going for what's popular, I'd not try to carry the candle for Ron/Lucius ;).


[Poll #785133]

Comments

[lira-snape.livejournal.com]

I'm reading lots of fics that are not HBP-compliant (though they often contain some HBP-spoilers), several of which were started after HBP came out.

HBP - while I actually like the book - severely limits a lot of choices for a Seventh Year story taking place at Hogwarts. As an author expressed it so well in his summary, it leaves us with a half-played chess match.
There are basically only two possibilities open to an author who continues after HBP: story takes place very far in the future, with Harry having found the Horcruxes and defeated Voldemort already, etc. Or you write a story focussed more or less on Horcrux-hunting.

Also I love stories where Dumbledore plays an important role - both as Dumbledore as the leader of the Light and a mentor to Harry and well-written manipulative Dumbledore. HBP basically kills the latter interpretation of Dumbledore's character. (I know of only two post-HBP stories that present Dumbledore in an unfavorable light.)

So, if the story is well-written and the author wants to write a plot where HBP is in the way, why not discount parts of it?
I myself actually have a plot-bunny which only works post-OotP. If I actually ever wrote it, I'd use the facts we learn in HBP (Snape's ancestry, the fact that Snape overheard the prophecy, the Horcrux-stuff) but nothing that actually happened in HBP (Unbreakable Vow, Dumbledore's hand and death, etc.)

Concerning Sirius and OotP, that's harder for me. Few authors can write Sirius decently (his only job in life sometimes seems to be arguing with Snape pages over pages), and as such I'm usually glad that he's dead. I prefer stories that follow OotP and where - if Sirius is alive - they actually had an original idea for a comeback.
Also OotP is the one book which gives you the broadest possible jumping board for your fics - as it gives many characters the most depths to their descriptions.
Moreover it's been out so long, it's hard for me to discount.

As to warnings, I don't need AU in the summary. But a quick Author's Note in the first chapter (as it usually won't fit in the summary) telling me what I can expect. Something along the lines of "Post-OotP, some HBP-spoilers".

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

Agreed - a sort of warning really should be there. I completely agre with your analysis of the limited directions of HBP-compliant fanfic - and perhaps this issue is going to become even greater once the last book is out (ok, for those who might still want to write HP fic after that).

Sirius... yes, I also prefer a however skimpy 'how he came back to life' explanation (they're not that hard to do) to totally ignoring his death :).