#challenge responses

[jeb-batchelder]

Maximum Ride 30 Day Challenge, day 2: least favorite character?

I firmly believe that with enough patience and reworking, fanfiction can make any character interesting.

Except the Uber-Director. Just throw that whole concept away, I hate it.

[jeb-batchelder]

Maximum Ride 30 Day Challenge, day 23: favorite MR fanfiction?

I cannot possibly pick just one.

So... here are three. All of them have good, thoughtful worldbuilding, and all take unique AU approaches. 

So far as content warnings go, these all start at “canon-typical violence” at a minimum -- so, consult what each author has given for specific warnings, then proceed.

“No Highly Esteemed Deed is Commemorated Here” by No_Wasps_Here. This is a straight-up rewrite of the first plot arc of The Angel Experiment, and stays relatively close to canon with a few carefully-considered deviations. Also the author’s notes are really in-depth. This fic is complete.

“Try Not to Scream” by jabbrjays. Also complete, this is another rewrite of the first book, but takes a satisfyingly different approach -- and changes much more from canon. I especially enjoy this version of the School.

“Retrograde” by envy555. This fic is not finished, and I’m not sure exactly how to describe it. Thus far, it’s an AU where Ari finds himself thrown together with an OC. I’m enjoying it. This is the darkest of these three fics, consider yourself warned.

These are just three relatively recent fics -- I could list more, but these came to mind first.

[jeb-batchelder]

Maximum Ride 30 Day Challenge, day 18: are you more excited for the next book or the movie?

I mean, I’m casually interested in the next Hawk book -- if there is one -- but I’m not excited. And I still haven’t seen the movie. Mostly I get excited by things I see fellow fans doing.

[jeb-batchelder]

Maximum Ride 30 Day Challenge, day 30: do you agree that chocolate chip cookies are awesome?

They are a sometimes food, but yeah, every now and then there’s nothing like a chocolate chip cookie.

[jeb-batchelder]

Maximum Ride 30 Day Challenge, day 29: have you ever read Fang’s blog?

Oh boy, have I.

Like, fairly regularly between about 2005 and 2011. There are definitely blog entries from 2006 that I commented on -- so, that’s on the internet forever...

The blog was fun. Including it in the books was kinda goofy. But I still feel a lingering affection for it.

[jeb-batchelder]

Maximum Ride 30 Day Challenge, day 28: what do you think happened to the other Max?

Since this was written, we’ve gotten a solid canon answer to this question. Rest in peace.

But I prefer to pretend nothing after the third book happened, and in that timeline, I like to think she’s wandering America and causing trouble. She always hopes her shenanigans will be pinned on Max I, but in the chaos following the collapse of Itex (and the resulting economic recession) it hasn’t happened yet.

Doesn’t mean she’s going to quit trying.

(This could be a fun fic -- a series of bombings on locations the flock visited during the first three books, Max trying to figure out who’s behind them in order to clear her name, then the revelation that Maya is still alive and doing lots of crime. But mine is not the hand that could do it justice, I fear.)

[jeb-batchelder]

Maximum Ride 30 Day Challenge, day 27: favorite dog: Total or Akila?

As I alluded to yesterday, I’ve never been that keen on Total as a character. Akila has the positive attributes of being: large and fluffy; unable to talk (and thus, unable to quip). So I’m voting for her.

[jeb-batchelder]

Maximum Ride 30 Day Challenge, day 25: something you wish hadn’t happened?

For all my complaining, these books have a very special place in my heart -- just the way they are.

But... I think I’ll cast my vote for “the reveal that Total could talk”. Did I learn to live with him by the end of the series? Yes. Does he still, to this day, give me Scrappy Doo vibes? Also yes.