Doing Time

Fanfiction
Title:	Doing Time
Author(s):	London Bates
Date(s):	1986
Length:	66 pages
Genre:	slash
Fandom:	Blake's 7
External Links:	Online here
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Doing Time is a Avon/Blake story by London Bates.

It was published in The Other Side #2 and was online.

Reactions and Reviews

A story where Blake comes from a long line of "Bull Alphas" - genetically engineered for virility and power. A lot of Big Plot happens during the main part of the story, all in a rush. The epilogue then states that Avon, Blake and Vila have been in a happy ménage for 40 years (and Blake is functionally 40 rather than 80 because he's a Bull Alpha), shows Avon dying having happy sex with both of them. The author is trying to convey the point that instead of rampant randiness, Avon is feeling the need for one last shag before he dies as an expression of love, but the end is still a very odd read, mainly for reasons of pace. Having gone through the main story (Servalan and various others trying to get their hands on that desirable commodity, a Bull Alpha) at breakneck speed, the author jerks us forward 40 years and tries for a bittersweet, thoughtful ending.

(B/just about everyone, but ending up with an A/B/V menage) - London Bates: Long ambitious novella that doesn't work for me (as noted before, I think Big Ideas make London Bates's writing fall flat on its face) but devotees of the more wildly romantic parts of her writing will love it (especially the weepie ending). This is the Blake-as-Bull-Alpha story (i.e. genetically-engineered to be very potent and very macho). Well, I think it's a lot of bull, myself, but don't let that stop you if the idea entertains you...

So, yes, in this fic by the infamous London Bates Blake has quite literally been bred for sex... oh, and you know what? I don’t hate it. I actually kind of enjoyed reading it, partly I expect because, even though I know that it’s almost certainly not, I read it as something of an outrageous satire of... the kind of fic it actually is. The extent that Blake is sexy in this fic is so exaggerated that it must be satire, or farce (it might as well be Blake as Avon who is supernaturally attractive. Personally, I find it much more convincing) – or, if not satire, at least a metaphor. And as a metaphor... I think it works. Everyone’s drawn to him against their will and Servalan is ceaselessly tracking him down across the galaxy, and then mindwipes him and puts him to work, consciously making people realise that the rebellion has failed... although it’s all because of his usefulness as a breeder.

I must admit the fic falls down at any point it tries to explain any part of the Fecund Male business. Where it succeeds though (and you’d be forgiven for thinking it doesn’t, after all that) is... in writing a Blake who is incredibly likeable, and still recognisably Blake (although he’s a bit too willing to trust people and be warm and likeable), and there’s quite a good Avon in there too – I like his crazy search across the galaxy to find Blake, and I like the way they end up together and how Avon is still irritated with him, even in the happily ever after. Personally, I’m not sure why Vila is there as well, but that’s my own preferences speaking, perhaps – I think it’s to give Blake someone it is easy to be around. Which is fair enough, maybe. I also think it hints at what could be quite an interesting ‘Blake in series 3’ plot (as you may know, I think that’s a potentially interesting AU and would read plenty more). The chronology is mixed up because we do ‘City at the Edge of the World’ AFTER ‘Rumours of Death’ (which is interesting because Blake shoots Anna so that Avon won’t know that Anna’s betrayed him and Avon then resents Blake – see: this is my absolute crack. AVON THINKS BLAKE HAS BETRAYED HIM – and in a romantic way too... Sigh. I think that’s a fabulous idea that I now want to potentially explore... but I HAVE DONE RUMOURS OF DEATH TOO MUCH, ARGH)(anyway, for some reason this idea is not explored much by the fic... Avon just forgives him or something). Blake handles the ‘City’ plot well, but it still ends in disaster – again, I think this is interesting. Unfortunately, it’s a very brief interlude in the middle of the fic, which then spirals off into Blake being used as a mindwiped sex slave... but still, the fact is that it was interesting.

If I have to treat this as a serious fic then I think I should protest about the treatment of the women – Cally dies for no reason, Jenna has some sort of bizarre miscarriage plot and then also dies (was she a Fecund Female as well? I have no idea), Soolin is brought it to be Blake’s nanny after his mindwipe... but doesn’t... do anything at all. And Jenna is described as the fastest gunslinger in the west, not Soolin.

I also do wish we’d been shown the bit where Avon decided he would shag Blake too... but perhaps that’s asking for too much emotional realism (but I liked the end). Also, there’s a Blake/Servalan scene, and it seems I am more easy for that even than I thought I might be. Even when Servalan isn’t even really being herself or thinking Servalan thoughts (alas, she’s too caught up in the Bull Alpha silly plot, but whatever).

Also, for a fic about Blake having sex with literally everyone all the time... there is remarkably little sex in it. Seems like a missed opportunity, although I understand that there would be many euphemisms and I probably wouldn’t have liked it much. Even assuming that my ship was pretty much the only one to feature, which it wasn’t.

Anyway – I was expecting not to like this one at all, so – I found the fact that I didn’t dislike it entirely quite interesting.

... my only complaint with the story is that it leaves me wanting more. My favourite part of the story is the Epilogue; leaves me misty-eyed every time I read it. I also like that she treats Tarrant nicely, as I quite like him -and not just because of his looks

DOING TIME by London Bates took me to tears. I tried to reread it but I got to the Epilogue and Ihad tears rolling and a knot in my stomach the size of a truck so I closed the pages. Man, did she write it well!

DOING TIME made me cry. Twice.