A Fine Storm

Fanfiction
Title:	A Fine Storm
Author(s):	Suzan Lovett
Date(s):	1987 (print) 2000s (online)
Length:	36626 words
Genre:	slash, m/m
Fandom:	Starsky & Hutch
External Links:	A Fine Storm at S&H Archive A Fine Storm at squidge.org
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

A Fine Storm is a slash Starsky and Hutch story by Suzan Lovett. It was originally in Code 7 #4 and has been archived online.

Series

• The Hours Between Four and Nine by April Valentine (1985)
• A Fine Storm by Suzan Lovett (1985)
• The Sweetest Taboo by April Valentine (1987)

Reactions and Reviews

Undated

Susan is not only an incredible artist, but also a phemonemonal writer, too! For two dectectives, Starsk and Hutch seem particularly clueless about each others emotions. Based off another story that chronicled the pair’s first one-night stand, this sequel continues this emotionally gripping, wonderful piece.

Everybody recommends Suzan Lovett's A Fine Storm...but I have to too, because they're right, darn it. The story's tender and truthful, angsty and lovely.

I love stories based on misunderstanding and the tensions that can arise, and this is a classic, with a particularly moving final scene.

1987

This story stands alone in all its painful power, but it is also nice to sandwich it between Martha's stories. If it was inspired by The Hours Between 4 and 9 then it is no surprise that it is turn inspired.

1995

People think of her art when they think of [Suzan], which I think is almost too bad. She wrote one of my all time favorite B7 stories (A Road to Hell, .... and by far one of my fav Starsky and Hutch stories (A Fine Storm, Code 7, #4). I'm not a very visual person--if there is a line of text below an entire beautiful picture, I often read the line and turn the page hardly noticing the art--I would love to see her write more and draw less. She is definitely in the first rank of fan writers to me.

"A Fine Storm" has Starsky nearly rape Hutch in a scene painful for both of them AND the reader.

2000

I'm having a nostalgia moment here: I can remember when A Fine Storm was my favorite fan story of all time. Now, more than a decade and many fandoms later, I still love it. Suzan Lovett is known by most zine fans as an artist, but frankly, I'd be willing to trade all of the zine covers she's ever done for a few more stories like this one -- a marvelous story about love and fear and safety, and how close love-thwarted can come to hate. (And if you like A Fine Storm, try The Goliath -- an incredible gen novel she wrote back in 1986, now on the web as well. It's wonderfully plotted and characterized -- and darn easy to characterize as pre-slash.)

I couldn't find a rating on it, so I'll call it NC-17, to be on the safe side. It's a very moving, angst flavored story that I actually haven't read recently enough to go into detail on - still, it sits next to Flamingo's Total Eclipse as my favorite S/H story, and is a quicker read for those who are short of time;)

2004

I’m personally drawn to angst and this fic has great angst; it’s made me cry more than once. Plus the sexy parts in this fic make my body go numb and make me forget to breath…but in a good way ;)

I loved this story! The angst, the uncertainty... the sex!

2006

Insightful characterization, slow build, gentle comfort. (It's post SR fic.) Some beautiful turns of phrase. This is a story about being forced so close together that it's almost too uncomfortable to take the next step, and about fearing to upset the balance of the friendship. Lots of UST, and misunderstandings. And just perfect at the end.

2011

Oh gods, this story. Suzan is already well known as a fantastic artist in several fandoms, but this story knocked me off my feet. It's right up at the top of my list of favorite SH stories, and every time I see Suzan at SHarecon, I hold her in such awe. (She says it's a mutual admiration society but I will never hold a candle to her.) I hesitate to say it's a story for a new fan to jump into - if you're a newer fan and have seen through all seasons, then do jump right in. It's dark and erotic and shiveringly beautiful in pacing, dialogue, and angst.

One of my favorite all-time stories. When I need a story that isn't a novel, but is good and long enough to sink my teeth into for more than a few hours, this is the story that I normally go looking for. It has everything. A wonderful plot, wonderful spackle, wonderful love, angst, pain, love, beauty, everything a great story needs to be...a great story!!

...it took me hours to read this one...I couldn't stop! It was great! So angsty, just like I love!

One of the best stories in all of Sh fandom! I loved it! It is just as good on the third read!

gosh, that was incredible. so intelligently written and so full of ache and pain and doubt- and finally, the love. excellent- there's no other word that comes to mind. :) except... thank you.

2014

A beautifully poigant story. I'm not into the slash element, but after hearing about this story I had to read it. I admit some parts were very difficult for me to get through, but so worth it! This story is not so much about sexual orientation as it is about human orientation. Earthy and elegant. As much as it appeals to the reader's senses of sight, sound, touch, smell, it ultimately appeals to the mind and heart. (And Hutch is such a complicated fellow.) Recognizing that times have changed somewhat since this story was written, the line about descending into hell was heartbreaking.

[review of all three stories in the series]:

When Starsky was poisoned and dying, he and Hutch shared a moment of perfect sexuality, but when it was all over and Starsky survived after all, no mention of that moment was made. And Hutch was okay with that.

But then, two years later, it happened again.

Why You Should Read This:

As you will see from the Archive Notes with each story, this is a series of three stories, the first, The Hours Between Four and Nine, was written by April Valentine in 1985. In 1987, Susan Lovett asked for and received permission to continue the story in A Fine Storm, with a nice epilogue, The Sweetest Taboo, again written by Valentine. It is a great example two people working an idea together and coming up with a wonderful story, beautifully written. There are also two really first class drawings, as well.

The story takes place in the late 1970s and interweaves between numerous canon Starsky and Hutch stories. You’ll get enough from context to understand even if you are unfamiliar with the stories in question, but to make that process easier, the three main canon stories mentioned are:

1) An insane researcher poisons Starsky with an unknown compound, and tells him he as 24 hours to live.

2) There is a deadly plague hitting Los Angeles, and Hutch ends up with it, leaving Starsky alone to find the one guy who survived it (so an anti-toxin can be made–yes, I know that is nonsense, but go with it)

3) Starsky gets shot 4 times in the chest. This was, incidentally, the last episode, and whether Starsky would be able to return to duty was left in the air.

It is told from Hutch’s POV. As is often the case in stories like this, you end up wanting to grab these two idiots by their ears, shake them thoroughly, and then throw them in a room and not let them out until they talk to each other. But no one does, and so we are witness to years of Hutch’s slowly growing misery and the confusion of two men who consider themselves straight finding out that they are in love. Getting there is a long painful process.

I have to say, it is really cool to realize these lovely, very explicit stories were written 27 years ago.

2015

Finished second read of this story, but still can't find the words. It alters my entire being while I take it all in. The language is natural and sharp, clean but with little jolts of surprise reminiscence and pain. I ache for it when I have to put it down. Hutch's voice is as smart and as manly as he is, with that edge of vulnerabilty that we all love about him. Perfection. This has beautiful perspective, story, tone, and emotion. Very fulfilling.