A Fish Called Krycek

Zine
Title:	A Fish Called Krycek
Publisher:	IIBNF Press
Editor(s):
Date(s):	1997
Series?:	No
Medium:	Print/Online
Size:
Genre:	slash, au
Fandom:	X-Files
Language:	English
External Links:	A Fish Called Krycek
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

A Fish Called Krycek is an X-Files slash 73-page novel by Sarah Bellum. The story is a Mulder/Krycek AU with Krycek as a merman and Mulder as a marine biologist who works for an aquarium. Jim/Blair from The Sentinel and Fraser/Ray (which one?) from due South are mentioned in passing, both pairings are mermen like Krycek.

Zine

The story was published as a print fanzine together with two short missing scenes/spin offs by other authors.

A copy of this zine came free with eXposure #1.

The zine has 72 pages. Art by Melanie and Bernice.

• A Fish Called Krycek by Sarah Bellum (39,000 words)
• Fish Fucked Fabulous by Maria M (550 words)
• I'm Dreaming of a Mer-Christmas by Jane Symons (600 words)

Flyer Description

Flyer wording supplied by Gillian Middleton -- "She recommends reading in a dramatic tone of voice as preferred by deep voiced men who announce upcoming movie attractions." .

Coming soon to a zine near you!

Fox Mulder as Fox Mulder. Rules are meant to be broken, and this ichthyologist breaks them all!

Dana Scully as Dana Scully. What terrible secrets does Mulder's boss keep, and for what price?

Walter Skinner as Walter Skinner. How far will this mild mannered accountant go to keep the woman he loves?

And Guest Starring, Alex Krycek as A Fish Called Krycek! What secrets dwell behind this enigmatic face??

An Alternate universe story of epic proportions bought to you by the author of 'Sympathy For The Devil’. This story has everything: drama, fish, romance, fish, hot, steamy sex, and of course, fish! For anyone who's ever dreamed a dream, chased a fantasy, or fancied a fish, this story reaches the pinnacle in a love that dares not squeak its name!

The Print Zine's Foreword

WARNING: Contains M/M slash, piscaphilia, purple prose, sand that doesn't stick to the body, unadulterated self-indulgent fetishist fantasy, fishes, alliteration, and is AU. This story is sappy - big time! (Apart from some deaths, several instances of mutilation, wounding, attempted castration, animal attacks... it's sort of nice anyway...)

Author's Notes: This was never intended for public release, it was only a private joke between my friend Quill and myself. Blame a few of the M/K folks for encouraging me to put this out there - tis all their fault. Maybe I could justify this and say this is a: ' what if the paranormal was an accepted part of life, what would Mulder have done with himself then? story, but that would give too much justification to what is nothing more than self-indulgent drivel on my part I'm fully aware this is so AU that it doesn't really count as M/K. I could change the names and make this original fiction - but I like Mulder's nose, and I like Krycek's everything, so you're stuck with it

Inspired by the Levi's commercial - "This Must Be Underwater. Love", music by Smoke City.

For: Quill, who enjoys a good groper, and who happily listened to me take 5 hours to tell her this story, then convinced me to write it down, encouragement (to get this in print), beta reading, and threats from Katy Deery who demanded - if not a finish, because this doesn't actually have a proper ending - at least a stop. (At least 2 in every 5 M/K stories must be dedicated to Katy D -- it's the

rules dontcha know!). Masturbation scenes added for Niece B. and rimming for Maria M. Thanks to Virginia and Linda for printing and binding, although they probably don't want their names connected with this...

Gallery

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  A Fish Called Krycek fanzine cover by Bernice

• 

  another version of the cover

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  frontispiece

• 

  Online version of A Fish Called Krycek with a fanfic cover by The Theban Band --"The cover won first place (tied with another Theban Band cover) in the Fantasy/AU category of the FOX Awards, a 2000 fan award for X-Files fanfiction covers."

Controversy

A Fish Called Krycek was nominated for best novel in the Lisa e Krysa Awards in 1999 and it was a well-loved AU at the time, but the story was always a bit controversial because it contains elements that are too close to bestiality for some people. Mulder sees merman!Krycek as an animal, Krycek behaves like an animal, and because we only see Mulder's POV it never becomes unmistakably clear that Krycek isn't an animal. Recommendations often took that into account and pointed out the warning together with the rec.

Reactions and Reviews: From the Author

In 1997, at a site where authors were asked for the story that "made their authors most proud":

I hate this story. I think it's the weakest, dumbest story I've ever written, but it gets me the most feedback. I'm a whore for feedback.

In 2005, the author responded to an initially poor comments of the story at Fic Haters Anonymous: X-Files:

I can't believe it's been nearly 10 years and people are still twatting on about that.

In 2012, the author responded to a positive review of the story at Epic Recs:

Thank you so much for the sweet rec :D That was the first major story I ever wrote, and I was just a teenager (it shows!) and copped a lot of flack for it on and off, but it's still a fun, silly story and it's nice that even nearly 20 years later people still like it.

Reactions and Reviews: From Fans

Unknown Date

Absolutely a classic AU, with Krycek as a merman and Fox as a guy with a thing for fucking fishes <g> I won't call it bestiality if you don't! It's an absolutely magical fairy tale and just about my favorite AU of all time."

This is billed by the author as an X-Files AU, but to be honest, I don't see the characters as being the same as on the show. Same names, but not the same people. However, it is interesting. Mulder as a marine biologist, Scully as the aquarium director, Skinner as an accountant(!) ... and Krycek as a mer-man. It's interesting and well written, but if you find the idea of Mulder having sex with someone/something he considers to be an animal, this is probably not for you.

[Lynn W]
An extreme AU. Really, really extreme, and not for everyone. You can still she the original characters, but they have been changed to fit the author's vision. Krycek is a merman, and Mulder is the scientist studying him. Don't expect anything too serious from this zine, and approach it with a cock-eyed vision of the world. This is also an IIBNF product, so that's all I have to say about it.

[Ishi72]
In a very alternate universe, marine biologist Fox Mulder locates and revives an injured merman, whom he promptly names Krycek. This story is so original and so unique. I can't rave enough about it. The relationship that develops between Mulder and his merman is a bond so rich and complex that there is never any doubt as to Krycek's sentience or desire for Mulder.

1998

Boy, do I love this story. Lucky as I was to get an advanced glimpse I won't give too much away except to say... Buy this zine! You will not be disappointed!

This story elevates the mind and the mood, bringing happiness and enlightenment wherever it appears. Also, it seems to have great curative powers when used to combat female maladies. In addition to both of these benefits, it is perfect for reading aloud to the ones you love. I leave you with the wisdom of John Ruskin: "No human being, however great, or powerful, was ever so free as a fish."

I was a bit freaked by Elizabeth's review of the fish zine. I love AU's but this disturbed me because it reminded me of "The 5th Element" and all these bad brain-damage stories that keep seeping into slashdom.

I hated the film "The 5th Element" because I *despised* the fact that the female romantic lead was basically "foreign," stupid, childish, nude, and incapable of communicating. (I had more arguments about this movie than any other last year. Invariably it is lots of people's favorite humor/sf flick. Parts are funny, the sets are cool, but even apart from the bimbo lead, the pacing sucks, and the plot structure is lousy.)

Is Krycek the Fish basically the bimbo who can't talk? Please reassure me that's not so.

Mostly, though, I just didn't see the point. The AU took away 70% of what I like about Mulder and about 100% of what I like about Krycek. I

guess other people like different things. (Gosh, you think? :-) )

There were a few moments like that throughout. When I came across them I would stop and think about what they really meant in terms of the story. Mulder would think things like this, and I suppose I could have come away thinking he was a selfish pervert (taken to the extreme). But I didn't. Mulder thought one thing and did another, so it was a case of actions speak louder than words. He clearly loved fishyboy, he clearly wanted to please him, and he clearly risked just about everything to care for him.

The only part I didn't like, and I don't think it fits with Mulder's actions later in the story, was at the beginning when he was wanking to merman tapes. Maybe the author meant it as a sort of nod to Mulder's on-screen fondness for porn/bigfoot tapes.

No, it wasn't an M/K story, not really. But I thought it was beautiful. It was full of heart, romance, passion, and *humor*. I thought it was extremely clever how the author made the characters recognizable as caricatures of the cannon characters.

What was the point? Not sure. Certainly there's a point to stories where Krycek gets a major stiffy from taunting a dying man and feeling his blood gush out of his body, but there's also a point to a story like this one, with tender love scenes and humor and a merman singing his heart out for his lover. After reading boat-loads of teenage angst stories and death stories and "you killed my father" about 1,000,001 times, this was a wonderful, funny, life-affirming fishtale, and we need those too, I think.

1999

A Fish Called Krycek is a fantasticly original AU story. It features Fox Mulder, an expert on Mermaids, searching for the first real live one. Things get interesting when he finds a lovely male in the species, who he names Krycek. The two fall in love, but an inter-species relationship is sure to be riddled with problems. Family and friends of the two have interesting reactions to the mates.

Well, what can I say, 'A Fish Called Krycek' was WONDERFUL.... This is, by the way, a great complement as I hate with a vengeance: cat, teddy bears, unicom and elves stories. But your gift for telling a story lead me through this one so expertly that I finished it with a sense of wonder. I felt that Mulder and Krycek were not out of character at all (yes, I know Krycek was a fish, but somehow that did not seem to matter). Thank you for the zine, but to give it away free? Really, you have no idea of your worth.

I love this, which tells you how deeply weird I am. It's a wonderful evocation of a fantasy world, like our own but not the same. (Have you ever studied marine hiology?) (BMR's note: no, I just watch a lot of David Attenborough specials). Perhaps there could/should have been more to convince the reader was sentient and willing, but I was happy that he could and would have objected if he'd wanted to. I think you were right to leave it where you did, but it's fun to speculate what could happen next.

Well, I have to tell you, I really loved this story (Fish Called Krycek) beyond words. You told me the basic premise and I didn't think I'd like it, but I was so wrong. It's so different than the usual, it's not really Mulder/BCrycek but then I think it is on a more basic level, the relationship level. And this world is so different than the x files world, too, X files is dark, and this starts off with that lovely image of Mulder running through the sun-hright sand.

First off, Sarah is a great writer, the detail and imagery was simply '"hreathtaking."' Some of the phrases were so beautiful they caught in my throat, and I'd never have thought to add the touches of fact and detail she does here in exactly the right places. If this is any indication of how she writes, then she's one very talented woman. And she's got to be, because something like this isn't something that stumbles out of you accidentally just one time. I'm trying to think of what to say, there were so many things in there that I loved.

I loved Mulder, he's a better Mulder than X-Files Mulder, someone I really liked as a person. The humor of the Scully and Skirmer's parallel roles in this universe was adorable. And that fish, I tell you, I'd have boffed that fish too. Oh, was he ever pretty. And I liked him too. Mulder loved him in such a sweet way, but the primal attachment Krycek had or Mulder was such a beautiful thing. I was so wrapped up in it, rooting for Mulder to understand. Their feelings so basic and cut to the chase. How they would've been with each other in XF if things between them hadn't been tainted.

I have just one problem with the story, and it's a matter of personal taste. The masturbation in the begiruiing, I didn't believe that, didn't believe this Mulder would do that, I think I'd have been happier if he'd been watching the video and getting aroused thhiking about his fish, that would have served the same purpose in the story, narratively, as the masturbation, but I didn't like that he sat down and unzipped, deliberately intending to do this. And that's really all I didn't like, and "didn't like" is too strong a way to say it. Every page was fascinating. It was just so beautiful and interesting.

I feel a little furmy telling you this, but I have to say, I found it extremely erotie and compelling. I wasn't at all squicked by the "zoophilia" because he really was mostly human, he felt like Krycek to me, and Krycek was so obviously capable of love for Mulder, and attachment, and I was aching for him... displaying like that and being ignored, Mulder not understanding or not wanting to understand what was going on. Then when they fmally mated, it was heaven. I was so happy!

I don't know a damn thing about dolphins, so maybe this is close to reality, but I loved Sarah's take on Krycek's genitals, very vivid and very sexy. That genital poueh... it was the best of both worlds, wasn't it? Sort of like a woman? I loved all the sex, every bit of it, especially Mulder kissing him, his tongue careful of the sharp teeth. (And I think that was about more than teeth anyway, wasn't it? It's a sort of comment on Krycek, how he's dangerous and capable of terrible things, but he's no danger to Mulder whatsoever. That whole not raising a hand even in self- defense thing.) I loved Mulder wanting to make it all so good for Krycek, how he talked to him the whole time, the comment about his awareness of Krycek's preferring to be blown rather than buggered. Mulder could have just taken what he wanted, but he didn't, he was careful to make Krycek feel really good, too. The sex scene on the sand was great, too. Especially how Krycek couldn't quite figure out that Mulder wanted him to push inside, Mulder coaxing him, and then Krycek staying inside him so long, until he'd ejaculated 4 times. Very loving and sexy, and then we were treated to that description of his ejaculate oozing out. *whimper.*

Yes, I loved them both, wouldn't change a thing but that one. The plot was interesting, and the characterizations delightful. I loved how Krycek made the idiot boy pee his pants, and tufting out a little semen in contempt, that was great. Krycek following Mulder around the tank was adorable, puppy-dog Krycek from Sleepless and Ascension! How did she work this all in so flawlessly? I'm speechless.

I loved how Krycek took him home to meet the family, I loved how he got all jealous when Mulder was looking at another fish. I loved everything, I really did. I can't wait for more, this is just so fantastic.

Please feel free to pass my comments on to Sarah, the woman is daft if she thinks no one would want to read this. I can't really describe how much I loved this.

I got the zines today. Thanks! I spent the afternoon reading A Fish Called Krycek, and I loved it! Krycek makes a very pretty and sweet merman, and I loved the way

he attached himself to Mulder like a big, uncontrollable pet, all snuffly and snuggly. I liked the oceanologist version of Mulder, too—just as obsessed as his FBI counterpart, and nicely conflicted about his attraction to a sea creature, although perfectly unable to resist. I was glad to see that they had a happy ending, there on their deserted island with all the other merfolk. (It was a hoot to see the Sentinel guys show up as mermen.) I liked the way you designed your mer-society, with the male pairs, so it would make sense that Krycek would bond with a male human. And the human-merman sex was very hot!

"I'm reading a really good zine," I told Marcelle, the other day.

"Oh?" she said. "What fandom."

"X-Files," I explained, X-Files being one of my greatest loves. "Well, not really X-Files. You see, Krycek is a merman."

"A what?"

"A merman. Half fish."

My reply was drowned in the laughter. "You're reading a slash X-files story about Kryeck as a ?!"

Yeah, a merman. Furmy, this conversation was repeated whenever I tried to tell anyone about this marvellous story I was reading. I got to the mer-bit, and they couldn't help laughing. I couldn't even get through the title without gales of laughter from all and sundry.

So with a haughty sniff I went off to read this wonderful zine in privacy, but such was not to be.

We were going to Toronto, almost five hours away from Ottawa on highway 401. People were bored. I offered to read something. After all, we had a few zines in the car, perfectly respectable zines, zines without a fish-person in sight. But, noooo, they who had ridiculed my reading preferences only hours before were adamant: they wanted me to read "A Fish Called Krycek" and nothing else would do.

It was as much fun to read aloud as it was to read silently. I read part of it going to Toronto, the rest on the trip back. ("You *are* going to finish that story, aren't you?" I was anxiously asked while there. Hah! Serve them right if I hadn't, after their scoffing.... But of course I did, I'm a softie, and I wanted to see how it ended, too.)

This is an AU. Needless to say. Mulder is a marine biologist who works for an aquarium - the kind that funds itself by appealing to the tourist trade, and generally deals heavily in sharks, clever dolphins, and cute sea lions. The administrator is Scully. The accountant is Skinner, bearing an odd resemblance to James in Eroica with his skinflint characteristics, if you can imagine James being bald. (Probably better not to try.) As the story opens, Mulder finds the star attraction he has been looking for all his life -- a living merman.

Yup: Krycek. Green-eyed, cute, feisty and fish-tailed. Mulder is, of course, protective, and Krycek is wounded, so we get an easy start. Then Mulder - who in his off-homs masturbates to his tape of merfolk in the wild - has to get a semen sample (on Scully's orders); "Good boy," he tells Krycek, hoping Krycek will leam to communicate, hoping he is clever.

Well, Krycek is clever enough, but he never does leam to say more than "good boy" at appropriate occasions. On the other hand, he has his own ways of communicating his desires, and proving himself smarter than the experts who want to study him.

He is quite able make his attraction to Mulder clear. Mulder himself is sometimes a little slow, but he has his professional reputation at stake. And when he is caught by the security cameras fucking Krycek the pet fish, it is uncertain whether he has any professional life ahead of him at all.

It would be too much in the way of spoilers, I think, to go into much more detail of the plot or its delightful twists, turns and digressions. Given the lightness of tone - so unlike the canon of X-Files - you'd think Mulder was way out of character, but I could see Mulder in this man more easily than often I see the source character in AU material. While Krycek, the mischievous merman, storms and sulks and displays and fights and kills and shows a delightful alternate-humanity.

The story is almost exclusively in Mulder's point of view.

I was charmed by how clearly Krycek's point of view also came across, given that half the time Mulder hadn't the faintest idea what Krycek was thinking - it was much more clear to the reader.

And yet, Mulder never seemed stupid. This was a witty, clever, hedonistic Mulder with a fine sense of irony. I found myself thinking about this story for days after I read it, and smiling. The scene where Krycek has Mulder wheeling him around his house on his typing chair. The scene where Big Jim gets jealous, or the scene where the whole pod gets curious about human sexual innovation - the sex scenes are lots of fun, and there was perfect silence in the car while I read them. Any story that can successfully present a man rimming a fish has my respect. Recommendation: read it, but eat lobster, not fish, for diimer afterwards.

About "A Fish Called Krycek": First I liked it, but I can see why Sarah Bellum didn't want to publish it. It's really weird. In Sarah's story it never becomes clear whether Krycek is a sentient being or not. That's for me the main point of criticism. But for some facts she mentioned I assume that he is. But Sarah must realise that most of the behaviour shown by Krycek and his kind can he contributed to highly developed vertebrates as well. And I don't think it right to have sex with animals.

The letter would have gone off to you today had I not spent the enthe afternoon enchanted by the most inspired piece of lunacy it's been my privilege to read in lord knows how long. I speak, of course, of a "A Fish Called Krycek". Thank you for it, and also (no small consideration) for the beauty of the zine the story comes in.

I received and read both the wonderfully edited zines you sent me, I really enjoyed reading them, "A Fish Called Krycek" is completely unreal, the most AU I've ever seen, anyway it's cuuute!

After all the fuss about it I thought I should drop you a note and tell you that I, at least, enjoyed it very much (a friend just leant it to me today and I consumed it in one happy gulp) and am very glad that you published it. It was fun, it was different (something that I really rejoice in after the 20th escape from the silo story ~ don't get me wrong, I like those too, but variety is nice) and wonderfully enough the characters were more like them selves than many of the XF stories I've dragged myself through recently. I hope that you continue to publish such fim and different zines.

This story elevates the mind and the mood, bringing happiness and enlightenment wherever it appears. Also, it seems to have great curative powers when used to combat female maladies. In addition to both of these benefits, it is perfect for reading aloud to the ones you love. I leave you with the wisdom of John Ruskin: "No human being, however great, or powerful, was ever so free as a fish."

A Fish called Krycek - I'm totally confused about how to react to this one. It's amazing, it's perverted, it's beautiful and it's profoundly disturbing. Not something I'd give a new reader but a valued addition to my collection. I loved Rikitiki's art. Keep up the good (and the weird) work

The first I read was A Fish Called Krycek. Oh, my God, you did it again!!! I love the way your (crooked <g>) mind work. I almost loved this story as much as Sympathy For The Devil (but almost only...) I spent one almost entire night reading it, I could not put it down before I had finished it. I must say that the second I understood that you really made Krycek a fish (well, really a merman, but nonetheless...), I had a problem with keeping on reading for at least... one long minute (I must say that I had never been tumed on by piscaphilia before ;-D But of course, you changed that. Now, I think I must admit I'm even more perverted than I thought I was <sigh>) You keep unbalancing me and I think it's why I love your stories so much (apart from the fact that they always send me take a cold shower afterwards <vbg>). They are everything but boring. Other reasons why I loved this story so much (in no particular order): The humor you keep distilling all through the story, balanced with some dramatic moments give it (the story) a great dynamic. The way you took the original characters from the show and managed to settle them in your story, and managed to keep their characterisation rather intact is remarkable (especially yoiu Scully seems very consistent with what I've seen of her on screen). The allusion to The Sentinel was great. I've just began to watch the show and to read fanfics and I now understand

why so many people are enamoured with it. I love happy endings.

I have to say I read one *heck* of a lot of slash, and found 'Fish' absolutely innovative, exciting, addictive, and hot as hell! It's one of the most scintillating slash stories I've read in a long time! And, as a Sentinel fan, I just *died* laughing when I came to the part about 'Big Jim'!!!

Finished A Fish Called Krycek - Wonderful, enthralling, complete suspension of disbelief. Read it through at one sitting. It's what I call a keeper -1 will re-read it often.

Okay I just finished a Fish called Krycek and GOD I LOVED IT!!! It's so sweeet!!! And may I say that it is also SCREAMING for a sequel?! It wasn't too mushy at all. It's adorable! May I say you are a creative genius? I bow my head humbly before you. BRA-VO! I loved how you worked most of the XF characters into the

aquarium staff, btw. And after reading your descriptions of our dear Merman Krycek, I'm really dying to see the colored depictions of him. He sounds so damn beautiful! It's a beautiful story! And it wasn't even really all that kinky. With Mulder, it made a lot of sense. I mean, I truly believe he'd make it with an alien if he had the chance. Not because he's a pervert or sick in the head, but because he's just very curious.

2004

Absolute classic - if you haven't read this yet, do so now.

wow. bad story, fucked-up graphics -- winner all around!

It's so bad, it's good!!

I totally loved that story.

2005

That story by iibnf? Yeah, loved it too.

Well, just read it and it's OK. If you step over a prejudice that Mulder can rim a creature half man half very slender seal.

2006

This was a hysterical story that I would recommend to anyone! Krycek is a merman and Mulder is a marine expert who's been searching for a live one forever. Mulder ends up a bit too obsessed and things get fishy. Go read it and check out the rest of the page.

2009

Found another I adored. For something totally different, try A Fish Called Krycek. It the lovely story of Mulder and his merman, Krycek. Definitely NC-18 and slightly, okay, very strange but so delightfully Mulder. It also has some great fan written sequels and delicious artwork. Enjoy!!

2010

Warning - In this story Krycek is a MERMAN and Mulder is a Marine Biologist who works at a seaquarium. At no point in this story does Alex ever turn into a human. But it's still a slash story! A fairly sweet and sappy one, at that. If you can't handle that or are offended - for crying out loud don't buy it! :-) I read this zine expecting Alex to turn into a human right up to the very end - he doesn't. It was weirdly fascinating (and well written) and led to some lively and hilarious discussions with my X-Files slash fan friends during MediaWest in Lansing, MI the year I bought it (10 or 12 years ago.) I wanted this to be clear so whoever buys it doesn't come after me with a pitch fork!

2012

So far my recs have shown my preference for AUs and crossovers and this story by Bernice is a prime example of an alternative reality/universe. My lack of knowledge of the X-Files and the characters of the show were of no consequence when reading the thrilling tale of marine biologist Fox Mulder whose dreams come true when he gets the call that a stranded merman has been discovered on the beach. In this particular world the existence of merfolk is not a myth and even though everyone knows that they exist, they are rarely seen due to their mistrust of humans.

What makes this story especially interesting is the fact that the merman is not some fantastical creature who changes between human and fish form. He does not speak human speech and his understanding of what is happening is none existent. He tries to explain to himself the events in his own view and knowledge of the world and it is much more like the perception of a creature than a human being.

If you like sea creatures please give this one a chance. And just be warned that yes, this story features inter-species sex.

Inspired Fanworks

At the end of the main story as it is posted online are several links to inspired works by other fans. Two of these are included in the print zine. "The next couple of piscaphilia stories were unsolicited sequels written by a couple of very wonderful people! To say that these stories made my year would be understating it! I hope you enjoy these lovely little snippets from my friends."

Fiction:

• Fish Fucked Fabulous by Maria
• I'm Dreaming of a Mer Christmas by Jane Symons
• The Further Adventures of a Fish Called Krycek by Lady Midath

Poem:

• Underwater Love, A Sonnet by Raonaid

Webpage:

• Temple of the Fish, ^{Archived version} by Maria

Fanart:

• Fantasy Fakes by Mrs. Fish (the top two links)