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Author: Aliana . ID: 208 . Genres: Humor (85): General
Reviewer: Thundera Tiger . 2005-09-22 02:01:54
Aliana really didn't have many problems winning me over with "A Proper
Course of Action" because the political scientist in me loved all the ways
Aragorn could go about overthrowing Denethor. But what really sets Aliana
apart as an author is the fact that not only did she win me over but she
kept me. The possibilities discussed were more or less plausible (Legolas as
a seducer might have been pushing it) and Aragorn's indignant reaction at
accepting something less than king was perfect. The timing, the characters,
the suggestions and the discussion all combined to make this one of the most
hilarious things I've read recently, and I thank Aliana for pulling all of
these elements together in the formation of a truly entertaining story. You
have my gratitude!
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Author: Theresa Green . ID: 326 . Genres: Humor (85): General
Reviewer: Thundera Tiger . 2005-09-22 02:05:16
The entire Owner's Guide collection is brilliant and a fantastic idea, but
perhaps what really sets it apart is how Theresa makes them all
individualized but also ties them all together. Something mentioned in the
Gimli guide might come up again in the Legolas guide, but each guide is also
unique and contains hilarious jokes specific to the character in question.
It's a fantastic combination of coordination and innovation, and a somewhat
daunting combination at that. Many kudos to Theresa for being able to manage
such a masterpiece.
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Author: Camilla Sandman . ID: 213 . Genres: Humor (85): General
Reviewer: Thundera Tiger . 2005-09-22 02:11:48
Where do I even start in an author review under the humor category for Miss
Cam? This is the woman responsible for the utter brilliance that is OFUM, a
university that has since spawned in other fandoms. Seriously, I'm not sure
meager words would be enough, but I'll make the attempt. Through ingenuity,
sheer genius, creativity, and relentless coordination, Miss Cam has created
a hilarious world slightly beyond and to one side of canon that forces us
all to laugh at ourselves, at the stupid things we pull in writing, and at
how these things might be interpreted by the characters. I know of no other
parody that has made me look so seriously at my own writing, and yet never
once have I ever felt as though I was on the defensive. That's what makes
Miss Cam so good. She's blunt, honest, and forceful about canon, but manages
this in such a way that I've been able to laugh at all my mistakes, make an
attempt to correct them, and then keep coming back for more.
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Author: jastaelf . ID: 38 . Genres: Humor (85): General
Reviewer: Thundera Tiger . 2005-09-22 02:17:47
JastaElf is a writer who seems to work best with a large cast of characters.
She's very good at including fringe and minor characters in such a way that
they remain minor but still manage to obtain full and complete
personalities. And that's seen in "The Scruff Factor." The main characters
are focused, forceful creatures, but those on the periphery are not
forgotten and JastaElf takes time to characterize everyone who crosses her
writing. Then she weaves them all together into a zany tale that ties
together in the end despite the myriad of threads that went into it. Very
skillful writing and brilliant work with characters.
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Author: Kenaz . ID: 244 . Genres: Humor (85): General
Reviewer: Thundera Tiger . 2005-09-22 02:25:33
What made Kenaz so very good in the story "The Confused Elf" was the use of
foils. Playing Haldir's perspective and Celeborn's perspective against one
another was really a stroke of brilliance. It enabled Kenaz to pull out for
examination all the ridiculous points in believing Haldir to be dead, and it
gave Celeborn some absolutely fantastic lines, such as the line about not
trusting things that had been written by hobbits, though apparently the
entire printed media is subject to suspicion. In any case, Kenaz makes it
seem as though all of Middle-earth has lost its mind due to the movies and
the only one with any real sense of what is going on happens to be Haldir.
Poor guy. Kenaz pits him up against a brick wall, and the brick wall wins.
But it was a fun fight while it lasted, and I applaud Kenaz for such a
pointed and fun swipe at some of the elements from the movies.
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Author: Kielle . ID: 197 . Genres: Humor (85): General
Reviewer: Thundera Tiger . 2005-09-22 02:31:23
Metafics can be difficult. If done correctly, they're among the most
entertaining things out there, but if done incorrectly, they drag, sputter,
and screech to a halt. Fortunately, Kielle was in charge of "Blood and Warm
Blankets," which meant that the metafic was in good hands. The almost
matter-of-fact way that Eomer and Faramir go about discussing various slash
scenarios is hilarious, and Kielle makes the most out of the contrasts,
playing one characters as the straight man (if you'll pardon the expression)
off the other for one discussion and then switching them around for the
next. Each character gets moments of shock, and each gets to be the unveiler
of strange rumors from afar. Great dialogue, good balance, and excellent
timing cap off this work. Many kudos to Kielle for being able to handle
something like this.
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Author: Lamiel . ID: 298 . Genres: Humor (85): General
Reviewer: Thundera Tiger . 2005-09-22 02:36:13
Lamiel is one of those authors who can work with large groups of people and
yet focus on one or two characters without ever giving the impression that
the rest of the group has been left behind. I would dearly love to know how
this is pulled off, but in any case, it happens again in "Best Laid Plans."
The focus seems to be primarily Legolas and Gimli, but Aragorn, Bergil, and
the hobbits receive plenty of screen time. And in addition to being able to
work with large groups of people, Lamiel is also able to work with large
groups of plot elements. By the end of the story, everything has wrapped
itself up neatly until it's one entertwining tapestry. Very tight writing
and great tone to the narrative to add that extra punch of humor.
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Author: Suzene Campos . ID: 320 . Genres: Humor (85): General
Reviewer: Thundera Tiger . 2005-09-22 02:41:48
Part of what makes Suzene so good in the humor categories is an ability to
take outright, inane humor and make it believeable. In "Wine, Women,
Song...and Gimli," all of the elements were present for an almost parody,
particular in Thranduil's thoughts on the whole event. But Suzene keeps a
tight rein on the writing and never lets it get away, pulling it back in
with plausible but still hilarious situations. In "The Last Elf Standing,"
Suzene does the same thing by tying in somewhat outlandish insults to canon
events. And while it's definitely OOC in nature, there are enough elements
of canon to make it stick. And the combination of canon and OOC in such a
believeable manner is nothing short of amazing. And hilarious.
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Author: Tehta . ID: 185 . Genres: Humor (85): General
Reviewer: Thundera Tiger . 2005-09-22 02:47:44
Tehta's strength seems to be reinterpretation, and that goes for poems,
moments, cultures, epic histories, etc. "Beleg's Doom" is a fantastic
retelling of major Silmarillion events, and it's accompanied by such a wry,
rambling narrative that makes you wonder if events actually happened this
way from the perspective of this particular narrator. Tehta does it again in
"The Eagle Silmarillion," and once again, the reinterpretation is presented
as the perspective of someone who really did think it happened this way. And
after all, isn't that what history really is? The interpretation of the
majority in the winner's bracket? Perhaps that's a tad cynical, but I think
there's an element of both hilarity and plausibility in Tehta's
reinterpretations. I'm eager and waiting for the next masterpiece!
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Author: Marta . ID: 16 . Races/Places: Dwarves (13): General
Reviewer: Tanaqui . 2005-09-22 15:21:58
It's hard to know where to begin with an author review for Marta, because
her output is so diverse. She writes (well!) about many different cultures
and offers us a broad range of genres, apparently able to handle drama and
humour with equal aplomb. She is also a writer who is able to lightly mix
canon knowledge with her own invention, so that it is often hard to tell
where one begins and the other ends, and she has a knack for finding unusual
angles and insights on canon and characters.

In this category, Marta shows her facility with yet another culture. She
always uses canon elements well, but the extrapolation of the snippets of
information that Tolkien gave us about the dwarves to build both a
convincing world and put us clearly inside the mind of a dwarf is
exceptional here. Dwarves are a sadly underwritten culture and I hope
Marta's example will inspire others to devote more writing time to this
race. In this category, Marta also demonstrates her ability to write
convincing youthful characters, and to carry off gentle, sly humour, as her
two protagonists both tease and surprise each other. Well done!

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