Author Topic: Zero at the Bone by MadLori  (Read 220541 times)

Offline ifyoucantfixit

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Re: Zero at the Bone by MadLori
« Reply #250 on: December 10, 2008, 06:03:17 pm »


       What an exciting event this is going to be..How  ..Wonderful for her.........


                      CONGRATULATIONS             MIZ LORI



     Beautiful mind

Offline Monika

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Re: Zero at the Bone by MadLori
« Reply #251 on: April 05, 2009, 09:03:38 am »
My lap top had a little "accident" so If someone would send me a new copy of Zero at the Bone, I´d be a very happy puppy



edit. I´m now a very happy puppy
« Last Edit: April 05, 2009, 10:35:14 pm by Buffymon »

retropian

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Re: Zero at the Bone by MadLori
« Reply #252 on: June 26, 2009, 09:17:05 pm »
I'm almost done reading ZATB, and I am blown away at how good it is. I think I'm going to have to add this to my favorites list for sure. I highly highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't read it. If you're like I once was; adverse to AU BBM fanfiction, well don't be!

Offline louisev

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Re: Zero at the Bone by MadLori
« Reply #253 on: June 26, 2009, 09:37:42 pm »
She certainly has a lot of readers for it and a lot of interest.  I couldn't buy the premise of a contract killer having a romantic liaison with the man he's hired to shoot to death, or having him be a romantic lead.
“Mr. Coyote always gets me good, boy,”  Ellery said, winking.  “Almost forgot what life was like before I got me my own personal coyote.”


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Re: Zero at the Bone by MadLori
« Reply #254 on: June 26, 2009, 10:43:36 pm »
She certainly has a lot of readers for it and a lot of interest.  I couldn't buy the premise of a contract killer having a romantic liaison with the man he's hired to shoot to death, or having him be a romantic lead.

I couldn't buy the premise either for a long time, which is why I had never read it before now. Until recently I avoided AU fanfiction because I just couldn't accept Jack and Ennis in a story like "Zero at the Bone" where one is a hitman for hire, and the other his target. I think what changed for me was to accept the characters of Jack and Ennis a archetypes. In an AU story you'll find they generally retain certain defining character traits: Jack is more open and accepting of his sexuality. He seeks and hopes for the sweet life with Ennis. Ennis in these stories is the more stoic and troubled character. The one who feels deeply, but is afraid or too repressed to show it. What character traits of Jack and Ennis are emphasized in a particular story depends upon the author and how they were inspired. Additionally, it helps to imagine Jake and Heath in the roles. I would encourage you to give ZATB and others a try. How one character became a hitman is well explained I think, as is how and why he falls in love with his intended victim. Like me you might be pleasantly surprised. Some of these stories are really very well done.

Ian

Offline Brown Eyes

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Re: Zero at the Bone by MadLori
« Reply #255 on: June 26, 2009, 11:04:54 pm »
Zero and Human Interest are among the best stories I've ever read.  Zero is just flat out a really smart story (even without the Jack and Ennis/ fanfic interest).  I think those two, in addition to Somebody New by Jenna are pretty much my all-time favorites.  I have a lot of favorites, but those stories always stand out.

I'm still holding out a lot of hope that Lori will finish TCJ at some point too.

the world was asleep to our latent fuss - bowie

Offline louisev

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Re: Zero at the Bone by MadLori
« Reply #256 on: June 27, 2009, 12:21:27 am »
I couldn't buy the premise either for a long time, which is why I had never read it before now. Until recently I avoided AU fanfiction because I just couldn't accept Jack and Ennis in a story like "Zero at the Bone" where one is a hitman for hire, and the other his target. I think what changed for me was to accept the characters of Jack and Ennis a archetypes. In an AU story you'll find they generally retain certain defining character traits: Jack is more open and accepting of his sexuality. He seeks and hopes for the sweet life with Ennis. Ennis in these stories is the more stoic and troubled character. The one who feels deeply, but is afraid or too repressed to show it. What character traits of Jack and Ennis are emphasized in a particular story depends upon the author and how they were inspired. Additionally, it helps to imagine Jake and Heath in the roles. I would encourage you to give ZATB and others a try. How one character became a hitman is well explained I think, as is how and why he falls in love with his intended victim. Like me you might be pleasantly surprised. Some of these stories are really very well done.

Ian

I did read it, at least the first half of it.  And I've read many AU's.  That wasn't the problem.  The problem is the lack of romantic quality in the character she made out of Ennis, and the fact that he is a coldhearted killer who escapes punishment for his crimes.  Nuh-huh.  No way, never.  I won't accept a fictional universe in which a hero is a man who escapes punishment for murder.  Many murders.  They weren't accidents, they weren't defending the innocent, they weren't war.  They were murders, and a universe of order does not permit murderers to go unpunished and become romantic heroes.
“Mr. Coyote always gets me good, boy,”  Ellery said, winking.  “Almost forgot what life was like before I got me my own personal coyote.”


retropian

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Re: Zero at the Bone by MadLori
« Reply #257 on: June 27, 2009, 01:02:12 am »
I did read it, at least the first half of it.  And I've read many AU's.  That wasn't the problem.  The problem is the lack of romantic quality in the character she made out of Ennis, and the fact that he is a coldhearted killer who escapes punishment for his crimes.  Nuh-huh.  No way, never.  I won't accept a fictional universe in which a hero is a man who escapes punishment for murder.  Many murders.  They weren't accidents, they weren't defending the innocent, they weren't war.  They were murders, and a universe of order does not permit murderers to go unpunished and become romantic heroes.

Ok. I see your point. There are a few fanfic's I didn't like either. Like you I started reading them and just couldn't finish. I don't even remember which they were now. It's all a matter of personal taste.


(Spoiler) Ennis in this fic isn't all bad. He chooses his contracts, which are usually those who have escaped justice. He provides extra-judcial justice as a  last resort for those who couldn't obtain it via the judicial system. He refuses contracts on those he feels are innocent of any wrong doing, and notifies the FBI of hits taken out on innocent people. It anguishes him that he cannot save all of them. I think the author was trying to show how far Ennis had sunk, how dehumanized he had become because of personal tragedy and loss. He isn't completely bad but had made very bad choices and is redeemed by an unexpected love.

Offline louisev

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Re: Zero at the Bone by MadLori
« Reply #258 on: June 27, 2009, 01:08:03 am »
Ok. I see your point. There are a few fanfic's I didn't like either. Like you I started reading them and just couldn't finish. I don't even remember which they where now. It's all a matter of personal taste. I think the author was trying to show how far Ennis had sunk, how completely dehumanized he had become because of personal tradgedy and loss, and how he is redeemed.

I could have bought the dehumanized hitman finally being redeemed by doing a good turn and getting on the right side of the law, but it isn't a straight-up crime drama.  It's a "love story" and a love story hero has to be on the right side of justice.  Being a romantic hero and getting away scot-free is not justice in my world.  And I think it was a poor choice in a romantic/love situation, and just because it provided pre-packaged high drama and action isn't adequate justification for the moral compromise necessary to accept the hero.
“Mr. Coyote always gets me good, boy,”  Ellery said, winking.  “Almost forgot what life was like before I got me my own personal coyote.”


Offline Monika

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Re: Zero at the Bone by MadLori
« Reply #259 on: June 27, 2009, 01:15:26 am »
I have no problems with Zero at the Bone, it´s one of my all time favorites.
I think it´s extremely well-written and I think she was brave to write that story. The whole thing with Ennis being a hitman, is very complex and in my mind it just goes to show that the author doesn´t shy away from difficult topics. And she also have the characters deal with it in the story, it´s not something that she ever lets them forget.  It´s always in the foreground of the story. Not ever after their reunion, is Jack able to forget. It´s very interesting and the hitman/victim relationship makes for a hell of an exciting backdrop to a pretty epic love story.