Love & Necessary Discipline

Fanfiction
Title:	Love & Necessary Discipline
Author(s):	Susan Matthews
Date(s):	1986, 1993
Length:
Genre:
Fandom:	Blake's 7
External Links:
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

art for this story by Randym; it was printed in the fourth issue of On the Wing, an apa in which this story was discussed in 1991.

Love & Necessary Discipline is a gen Avon/Tarrant Blake's 7 story by Susan Matthews.

a fan casted Ray Doyle as the original character, "Pen Dublin," as portrayed by Sheila Willis from Southern Seven #1

It was published in Southern Seven #1 (1986) and then again in The Other Side (1993).

The story has an adult sequel in Straight Blake's #1 called Sarabande.

Reactions and Reviews

Unknown Date

This issue [of Southern Seven] also has the infamous "Love and Necessary Discipline," IMO the most controversial gen story in B7 fandom (I think "Nearly Beloved/Rogue" is probably the most controversial smut story). This is the one in which a crazed PGP Avon commits domestic abuse upon Tarrant. I think it's an extremely well-written story, but I really dislike this version of Avon. (In my ideal A/T universe, Avon should be the one comforting Tarrant after some Evil Villain has done Vile Things to the dear boy. I don't want Avon himself to be the Evil Villain!) Bodie & Doyle (The Professionals) appear as "original" characters in this universe. The story has an adult sequel in Straight Blake's #1, in which a reformed Avon makes love very tenderly to a woman who reminds him of Cally.

1987

Liked the "Eat Breakfast Beat Up Tarrant" story, too, although I liked the ending much better after Avon stopped beating him up.

As for favorite stories, in SS7 #1, I’m tied between "Season of Lies" and "Love & Necessary Discipline".

... OK, so I liked it; but then again I never like Tarrant unless he's been thoroughly masochised first. (Crying on Vila's shoulder or bleeding on Avon's boots; that sort of thing.) A good story; I would like to know, too, if Shyenne and Pen are intended to be like alternative versions of Bodie and Doyle, or if it's just my hatstand hyperactive imagination.

Ah, while I remember, what were Bodie and Doyle doing in "Love & Necessary Discipline"? Was that Sheila Willis' idea of reincarnation, or did Susan Matthews have a say do you know? I nearly choked (with laughter) when I recognized them. [Susan meant the characters to look like Bodie and Doyle and Sheila was very happy to comply... Editor, Wortham.]

INTERESTING. Well thought about. Very much into group-interaction and very plausible. I think I liked it.

My favorite story [in Southern Seven #2]? Well, I'll have to throw Susan's story, "Love & Necessary Discipline" out first, and consider the others. That's because I read her "Tarrant Stew" story along time ago — before I went to SCORPIO, even. Susan sent me a photocopy of it. We'd talked about it so much in our letters that she knew I'd die if I had to wait for SOUTHERN SEVEN to come out before I could read it! So, being as I'd read "Love & Necessary Discipline" before SOUTHERN SEVEN came out, I'd have to say that unquestionably my absolute favorite story in S7 was "Season of Lies"...

"Love & Necessary Discipline"... especially chilling.

I had serious problems reading Susan Matthew's story "Love & Necessary Discipline". I found the behavior of the characters odd, to say the least, Tarrant's allowing Avon to beat him was off. Also, the others allowing it to go on was wrong, I'm sorry but I don't see how they could possibly go back to behaving as a team following that. The story was sadistic — sorry but it left me cold, story: I liked Pen and Shyenne — nice characters. I'd like to read the sequel (I'll bet there is one.) Perhaps I should say that I do feel Susan is a fine writer.

Matthews' "Love and Necessary Discipline" was particularly thoughtful, unusual, and highly disturbing.

Just finished reading SS. It was worth the wait! Well worth it. My favorite is a toss-up between "Season of Lies” and "Love & Necessary Discipline”. In the latter I was so mad at Avon for what he was doing to Tarrant, that I sided with Dublin. And was even more surprised when I forgave him when asking for help — I put that wrong. When he asked for help for himself and Del. (Actually I haven't quite forgiven Avon for even considering to throw Vila out the airlock.)

Hoh, Boy. And now "Love and Necessary Discipline". I gotta admit it, this one really brings out conflicting feelings. First, the style is very good, very evocative, full of excellent turns of phrase. And the culture of Sanctuary...though barely glimpsed...is interesting, and appears to be worked out to the last details. Thirdly, I have a well- known weakness for Lewis Collins and Martin Shaw, myself. But...how to put it?...the psychology seems twisted to me, and the characterization. Avon's a sadistic son-of-a, arrant a wimp, and everyone else sits around with their teeth in their mouth. Yes, I object purely on grounds of characterization, shaky grounds, perhaps, as every BLAKES 7 fan has their own ideas and we've (me and Susanne) done some things I'm sure others would object to in our stories. Nevertheless, I simply don't see such capacity for brutal behavior (that is, without a motive) in Avon, and even less capacity for such snivelling behavior in Tarrant. He certainly showed no signs of it in the series. Even the two new characters frustrated me. Having them narrate was a nice touch, but for all that they come across as too much alike (at least in the way they expressed themselves) and too detached...but I guess that might have been the point, they were supposed to be observers. So this story was frustrating, like I said, because parts I liked very much and parts I didn't like at all. As I have said before, though, this is mostly a matter of perception, and the teaser at the end did leave me curious to know what happened next.

"Love & Necessary Discipline" was painful, too — but it was fun to see Bodie & Doyle in a B7 story!

"Love and Necessary Discipline" was also fun to read, though I think that curing Avon was only the main problem here. Someone had better cure Tarrant, now. I think that the boy has some real masochistic tendencies. But it is the first time that anyone has devoted any time to what Tarrant had probably felt about misleading Avon at Gauda Prime and then having Avon kill Blake. Though, Blake should really be blamed by one and all in the end, for it was him that mislead poor Tarrant. You know, I find that I am enjoying the character of Tarrant more and more.

"Love & Necessary Discipline" really stays with you. Please pass on some appreciative words to Susan Matthews.

1988

This was a depressing story at first. I thought Avon would never stop beating on poor Tarrant. But it got better and better as it went along. What is the story behind Shyenne arresting a stalagtite [sic]? I liked how the crew became a team again. Now was there a hint of a follow-up story? Gee, I hope so.

Love & Necessary Discipline" by Matthews made me very—very—uncomfortable. I disliked it a great deal... Which is probably a compliment as the reason I disliked it was I found it all too easy to believe in an Avon who could descend to torturing Tarrant. The first part of the story I found myself sickened by Tarrant, hating him somewhat worse than I hated Avon because Tarrant kept allowing it. Then, by the middle, I suppose I was disliking everyone for letting it go on.

[It is] probably the best handling of a beater-beaten subject matter I have ever read. The mentality of the person who allows themselves to be beaten, even someone as strong as Tarrant, does start to change. I loved how you threaded in that Tarrant was attempting to do something good, something worth getting beaten for, and that over the weeks and months he simply became a victim, the ideals no longer important. Or were they? Well-written piece that makes me very uncomfortable.

1991

First of all, I'm sorry if I gave the impression last time that I dislike Susan Matthews' story, 'Love & Necessary Discipline.' That is not the case. If I seemed critical, it's only because I'm the analytical type; I dissect everything, whether I love it or hate it. Anyway, I admire the story very much; it's an all-too-authentic depiction of an abusive relationship. While some aspects of the story disturbed me, it's entirely possible that Susan intended that effect.

Much has been made of fans' tendency to inflict pain and suffering on their heroes. At first glance, the wallow/hurt-comfort/angst genre may seem frighteningly sadistic. But I don't think those of us who read and write such stories are abnormal or disturbed, because the intent of this violence is not is the least sadistic. The idea is not to degrade the hero, but to ennoble him. Also, suffering, like sex, is used to intensify intimacy between characters. It's a way to get the characters to let down their guards. (The B7 characters have unusually thick emotional barriers; therefore, it takes a lot of pain to get past them!)

[...]

Re: 'Love & Necessary Discipline': your comment about people being unable to face a plot in which Avon abuses a child or a woman hit the nail on the head. Given the story Susan wanted to tell, it had to be Del. Many readers were extremely upset to see Avon callously beating up Tarrant. But can you imagine how they would have reacted if it had been, say, Dayna, instead? That would have been completely unpalatable -- far too realistic for comfort. I suspect that writing about male characters, rather than female ones, allows the mostly female fans the emotional distance necessary to deal with subjects that would be just too painful to tolerate otherwise. This is true for gen as well as slash stories.

It was certainly a strong story; I can't remember another story that I've read lately that has made me clench up physically the way this one did, not even real-life occurrences cm the news. Very good writing, but not the sort of story you read to while away a pleasant afternoon! I'm not entirely certain that I can believe that Tarrant would feel so guilty about his part in Gauda Prime that he could justify letting Avon beat him to a pulp, but other than that little detail, it was a fine story.

1993

I wouldn't recommend Love and Necessary Discipline, a Tarrant-bash.

LOVE AND NECESSARY DISCIPLINE by Susan R. Matthews. Avon killed Blake and is slowly killing Tarrant, abusing him day after day because he can't handle what happened. Tarrant lets him because...well, read it for yourself. It's sort of the psychology of a batterer.

Love and Necessary Discipline appeared in Southern Seven 1, I think. I don't know if this is a new version or a reprint in The Other Side 9. Incidentally, there are two characters in L & ND that are based on Bodie and Doyle - Shyenne and Dublin, I think the names are.

I read this story in [both The Other Side and] SOUTHERN SEVEN #1. I hate it when writers submit their stories to more than one zine, and I buy them both, and find that I have a duplicate story. This has happened to me so many times, it really pisses me off. As if zines aren't expensive enough to begin with, I don't like spending money twice to get duplicate stories. Different continents/countries are no excuse, because the fannish community is becoming more and more globally adept these days.

The third story [in The Other Side #9 ] is a long one, 'Love and Necessary Discipline', by Susan R. Matthews. Matthews is a frustrating writer for me to read, because I think she does some of the most effective 'hurt' writing around, but falls down on resolution, and absolute avoidance of slash. In this one, a PGP, the Scorpio crew meets up with the rebels on GP, who go underground during the long, hellish winter and invite the strangers to winter with them. Avon has been mindlessly beating Tarrant, who is nearly dead when they stumble into the rebel hideaway. (Two of the rebels are familiar characatures...green eyes and temper, blue eyes and twitchy.) Now while Matthews writes out the dysfunctional dynamics of the group (Tarrant does not defend himself, no one moves to stop Avon; his interaction with Tarrant is ignored by Vila, Dayna and Soolin, altho they know Tarrant is dying) thru the eyes of the two GPers, then the POV of the crew, then Tarrant and finally Avon, the story is effective and horrific. But when she at last allows Tarrant to recieve medical help, the story turns nice, Avon sees the error of his ways and is contrite, they start working together again, and no one desires anyone carnally, even while the final nice scene plays itself out in a steambath.

1996

I'm glad, actually, that your debate over dark fanfic has continued, because I think I'm finally starting to comprehend your position. I also don't like stories that seem to me to be saying something bad about the characters I like best. Since I'm basically an Avon fan, the prime example of that for me is "Love and Necessary Discipline." I read it early on, and it really put me off my enjoyment of B7 for a little while. I would hate to think that my favorite character would behave like that, and I wouldn't like him if I thought it were plausible. (I know some people see his behavior in such aired episodes as "Sarcophagus" and "Power" to be reprehensible, but I interpret it differently.)

1997

I have no problem with original characters. In fact, it rather bugs me when a story has someone that I think is a well-done original character and then it turns out to be a crossover from some other show. That's _my_ major complaint with Susan Matthews' "Love and Necessary Discipline." (At the time I first read it, I was unfamiliar with Pros.)

2016

I read 'Love and Necessary Discipline' in 'Southern Seven' ages ago (and didn't particularly like it).