Better Than Life?

[Boondocker42]

I've never written "fan fiction" before. Partly I've never been motivated to but also I just don't want to have to conform to canon or defend my choices against other fans.

But I had an idea for a story set in a silly old (though actually, still being produced) property and it bounced around in my head for a while.

Would you believe, I'm writing a story set aboard Red Dwarf?

Okay, so, fine. Not a big deal. But this story tricked me. It was just going to be some sex in VR/"Better Than Life". Then I had an idea for this cool twist.

And now it's suddenly become an actual good story. Something I'm not sure I want to be "porn". I'm a bit conflicted.

Truth be told, it's become a bit more sober that the series. I've been thinking about the "real" emotional stresses of being "3 millions years from Earth". I've got some funny stuff but it's not nearly as joke-dense as the series.

Any way, just getting it off my chest. I have chapter 1 done, I'll probably be posting at least that in the next week.

But is there anyone here who either A) is a Red Dwarf fan or alternatively, B) has any "fan fiction" advice to give on how to approach this?

Cheers,

 

[ElectricBlue]

But is there anyone here who either A) is a Red Dwarf fan or alternatively, B) has any "fan fiction" advice to give on how to approach this?

Be very fucking good, is all I can say.

If you stuff up a classic, expect no sympathy. Kryten will arrange you a new groinal attachment, Cat will dress you in a potato sack, Rimmer will permanently turn off your hologram, and Lister will have no hesitation - the garbage pod, and deep space. And Holly, regardless of gender, will program endless re-runs of something truly unpleasant.

Consider this a warning - don't screw it up .

 

[Handley_Page]

Be very fucking good, is all I can say.

If you stuff up a classic, expect no sympathy. Kryten will arrange you a new groinal attachment, Cat will dress you in a potato sack, Rimmer will permanently turn off your hologram, and Lister will have no hesitation - the garbage pod, and deep space. And Holly, regardless of gender, will program endless re-runs of something truly unpleasant.

Consider this a warning - don't screw it up .

Amen to that.
I'd suggest a large quantity of Beta readers.

 

[Hypoxia]

This is about a TV show, right?

 

[LoquiSordidaAdMe]

Amen to that.
I'd suggest a large quantity of Beta readers.

Beta readers who are fans of the original smegging property.

 

[Handley_Page]

Hypoxia: This is about a TV show, right?

Oh dear; not just a TV show, it has lodged in the concious.
It's a bit like sex. Generally, it's good, but at times, bloody marvellous.

Beta readers who are fans of the original smegging property.

I'll volunteer to be one.
But I suspect you'll need a few more.

 

[ElectricBlue]

This is about a TV show, right?

Cult UK TV show about a janitor, a robot, a hologram, and an evolved life form who chug about the universe in a ragged-arse space ship (The Red Dwarf) three million years in the future (hence the evolved life form, which was the ship's cat), helped along by the ship's computer (Holly), who is far more amiable and far less efficient than HAL.

Very English humour - I've not met many Americans who understand it, to be honest, but Loqui seems to get it, so there's one.

John Carpenter's first movie was a similar idea (Dark Star) - also a cult classic - which had a talking bomb interested in phenomenology. They trundled around the universe exploding suns that were about to go unstable in the next three billion years. The alien was a beach-ball. With claws.

 

[LoquiSordidaAdMe]

John Carpenter's first movie was a similar idea (Dark Star) - also a cult classic - which had a talking bomb interested in phenomenology. They trundled around the universe exploding suns that were about to go unstable in the next three billion years. The alien was a beach-ball. With claws.

I may be mixing up my cult classics, but Dark Star is the one where the whole crew has long hair and beards because their personal hygiene module was destroyed in an accident, right? And the Captain is dead? I'm pretty sure that's the same as the talking-bomb-beachball-alien movie. Probably worth a Google later tonight

 

[ElectricBlue]

I may be mixing up my cult classics, but Dark Star is the one where the whole crew has long hair and beards because their personal hygiene module was destroyed in an accident, right? And the Captain is dead? I'm pretty sure that's the same as the talking-bomb-beachball-alien movie. Probably worth a Google later tonight

That's the one.

 

[Hypoxia]

Cult UK TV show about a janitor, a robot, a hologram, and an evolved life form who chug about the universe in a ragged-arse space ship (The Red Dwarf) three million years in the future (hence the evolved life form, which was the ship's cat), helped along by the ship's computer (Holly), who is far more amiable and far less efficient than HAL.

Very English humour - I've not met many Americans who understand it, to be honest, but Loqui seems to get it, so there's one.

John Carpenter's first movie was a similar idea (Dark Star) - also a cult classic - which had a talking bomb interested in phenomenology. They trundled around the universe exploding suns that were about to go unstable in the next three billion years. The alien was a beach-ball. With claws.

I vaguely recall Dark Star at a smelly theatre, back in the day. Memory is fuzzy. I don't think it played with A Boy And His Dog. As for LIT-quality fanfic about "a janitor, a robot, a hologram, and an evolved life form" (an ex-cat) -- what do they fuck? Or maybe I should not ask. It's better if I don't know.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I vaguely recall Dark Star at a smelly theatre, back in the day. Memory is fuzzy. I don't think it played with A Boy And His Dog. As for LIT-quality fanfic about "a janitor, a robot, a hologram, and an evolved life form" (an ex-cat) -- what do they fuck? Or maybe I should not ask. It's better if I don't know.

There's also a talking toaster, if that helps you make more sense of it .

 

[LoquiSordidaAdMe]

-- what do they fuck? Or maybe I should not ask. It's better if I don't know.

Reality occasionally played Merry Hob with the characters' genders, and it wasn't uncommon for long dead ex-girlfriends to turn up alive and well for reasons the computer could never adequately explain. The cat would fuck anything prettier than he was. Unfortunately, the cat was the prettiest thing in the universe (in his own opinion). And if our heroes still couldn't get off, there was always Better Than Life.

 

[Boondocker42]

It's up

I appreciate the feedback and am glad to see some people know the property.

I've posted the first chapter. The twist I mentioned that sort of made me switch gears on this story is reveled in the last dozen lines or so, just to give you folks a notion of what I was excited about.

I'm treating this as a beta. Obviously, I will take criticism to heart.

As for how well the sex fits in the story... I'm debating that myself. So speak up.

https://www.literotica.com/s/far-better-than-life-ch-01

 

[LoquiSordidaAdMe]

As for how well the sex fits in the story... I'm debating that myself. So speak up.

The story itself was very Red Dwarf. It fit in with the show/novels seemlessly. And the sex... Well, that's why it's on Literotica. And that's why people write fan fiction. It didn't seem out of place or over the top at all. And given the source material, you could go WAY over the top and still not have it seem out of place.

I'm hopeful that you have something suitably outrageous in mind for the Cat.