Descending Horizon (series)

Fanfiction
Title:	Descending Horizon
Author(s):	Sylvia Knight
Date(s):	1988
Length:	33,563 words
Genre:	slash
Fandom:	Blake's 7
External Links:	the series on AO3
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Descending Horizon was a series of four Blake's 7 slash stories by Sylvia Knight. The series, published in 1988-1989 in Resistance #2 and #3, was perhaps one of the most popular early Blake/Avon stories and has been praised by many fans. The Descending Horizon story was also discussed by Henry Jenkins in his Textual Poachers book about fandom culture, in the chapter on slash fanfiction.

Some fans speculated that Sylvia Knight's series was the origin of the "Blake is well-endowed" trope that later has appeared in many explicit fics. For example, in the Lysator discussion of the Blake's 7 fannish tropes that eventually led to the creation of the Recurring Themes in Blake's 7 Fan Fiction essay, one fan wrote that "We owe thanks to Sylvia Knight, the most insistent writer concerning the last point", regarding this trope. Predatrix also mentioned Sylvia Knight in her humorous meta on tropes in B7 slash fiction "The Ultimate Slash Cliche Drinking Game":

Blake is hung like a horse. This was either started by Sylvia Knight, or other fans know something about Gareth Thomas I don't...

Stories

• Descending Horizon (Blake/Avon, Avon/Cally) - first published in Resistance #2 in 1988. The second part of the series chronologically
• Shards (Avon/OMC) - prequel to Descending Horizon, published in Resistance #3 in 1989
• A Friend in Need (Blake/Vila, Blake/Avon) - sequel to Descending Horizon, published in Resistance #3 in 1989
• On The Edge (Blake/Avon) - sequel to A Friend in Need, published in Resistance #3 in 1989

Reactions and Reviews

See reactions and reviews for Shards

See reactions and reviews for Descending Horizon

See reactions and reviews for A Friend in Need

See reactions and reviews for On the Edge

I agree that the Sylvia Knight stories in Resistance 2 and 3 were real standouts — I've noticed that they turn up on almost everyone's list of favorite B/As. I even know one person who's not much into slash generally who liked them a lot.

Following on from 'Descending Horizon' from Resistance #2 there are three interconnected stories by Sylvia Knight - 'Shards' (set pre-series), 'A Friend in Need' (after Countdown - B/V, a very rare item, and not bad at all, though poor Vilakins is so blatantly second-choice), and 'On The Edge' (pre-Star One, A/B, and even more explosive and intense than the earlier story). All three men are well, if quite harshly, portrayed, and the emotion between Our Heroes is a satisfying mix of passion and vitriol, though I did miss the humour of the series. Recommended, especially the last.

Generally a good 'zine, although Sylvia Knight's stories are far & away the best things in it.

[Descending Horizon and On the Edge]: Sylvia Knight, "Descending Horizon," Resistance #2, and "On the Edge," Resistance #3 (there are also two other stories from the same universe in #3). Among my very favorites. I don't usually like Avon-was-an-abused-child stories, but these work for me.

[Descending Horizon and Shards]: I have finished reading first two parts of Descending Horizon. The writing is actually good. The backstory is convincing. And that ‘laugh’ part is quite funny..

Minor complaints: it’s older fandom stuff so I know the ao3 tags might be incomplete, considering it was generously transfered from paper format. But it could use some warnings, also a third relationship tag needed.

I can see where most Nova’s background ideas were from lol.