Elf AU
| Trope · Genre | |
|---|---|
| Synonyms: | |
| Related: | AU, Magic AU |
| See Also: | fantasy, The Inappropriate Elf Challenge, Mundane AU |
| Tropes · Slash Tropes · Tropes by Fandom | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Elf AU. Many fanfiction writers write fantasy AUs in non-fantasy universes, often featuring canon characters as elves.
One trope is a story in which one of the characters reveals that they are, in fact, an elf who has concealed their true nature. Some of those have been written as serious fantasy; others have been written as parody. Still others are right on the line: they are written seriously, but also with the understanding that the elf AU is a fanfic genre with a long and varied history.
Fantasy AUs that don't include elves, but do include other fantasy elements, especially magic, for non-fantasy canons are called Magic AUs. Elf AUs are often an opportunity for Hair Fandom, which celebrates characters having long hair.
Ray Doyle: Elf
Ray Doyle from The Professionals, has been a popular, and seminal, elf AU subject.
The earliest media elf AU story is El'Endu'il. It is a Professionals fic that was published in zine form in 1983, but circulated privately for a number of years before that date. Another very early Doyle-as-elf story is the Descent to Humanity, a 1980s circuit story series by Anne Carr.
Ray Doyle also co-stars in of the most famous early elf AUs from the mid-1980s: The Hunting by Jane of Australia, a multi-volume zine epic that cast Ray as a captured elf and Bodie as a human who frees him; they run away together and have five zines' worth of adventures.
a fan's custom zine cover for The Hunting, artist is digitalwave
"The Swing" by Suzan Lovett (1992), used as a frontispiece for Elvensongs #1
from the The Hatstand Express #3, art by Jean, "For all of us who are getting tired of see Doyle getting elfed-out, all the time..." -- a commentary that, as early as 1984, there were enough Doyle-as-elf stories to have become, to some fans, a very tiresome trope
Other Epic Elf AUs
Epic elf AUs have a tradition in online fandoms as well.
The Magnificent Quest is a Magnificent Seven AU that has Vin as a half-elf who discovers the true meaning of his heritage when he and his friends are on a quest to warn the king of an evil that threatens the kingdom. In the Magnificent Seven Kings and Vagabonds [1] series it's Mary Travis who is an elf.
Popslash had Talliswood[2] where both JC and Lance are elves and find their true love with Justin and Chris while saving the magic of the realm. The story was originally inspired by Helen's Guerillas series, but ultimately went in a very different direction.
In Stargate SG-1 fandom Serpent in the Shadows[3] shows Sam Carter as an elf.
The Crown of the Summer Court in Merlin fandom follows the tradition of high fantasy elves (in a fusion with the Merry Gentry series of books) and shows Merlin as a half-elven prince with Arthur as his champion and future king.
In The Sentinel fandom, Natalie L combines elves with mpreg in her epic-length Soul-Quest series, first published in the My Mongoose e-zine and then later as a print zine.[4]
There are also Elf AUs that don't use high fantasy elves. For example, the SGA story A Wish For Wings[5] by Caro has John Sheppard as one of Santa's elves who ran away to escape the exploitation of toy production.
Gallery of Elf AU Fanart
Luke Skywalker, elf! by Kate Nuernberg from Shooting Star #1 (1982)
Miami Vice: Sonny Crockett from Miami Vice as an elf (Miami Spice #2, Susan K. Dundas)
Kiefer/Lou on the cover of Love of My Life, artist: KOZ
Miami Vice: Castillo as an elf (Miami Spice #2, Susan K. Dundas)
an elfified Remington Steele by Gordon Carleton from Steele Files
from No Holds Barred #2, by Cat -- "Me, I don't see what's so bloody romantic about being an elf."
Kate Nuernberg is the artist, portrays Sam Beckett as an elf from Play It Again #1 (1991)
Kate Nuernberg is the artist, portrays Sam Beckett as an elf from Play It Again #1 (1991)
Fan Comments
- "I do believe I'll pass on the Doyle as an elf type stories. I've never found Blair Sandburg as an elf entertaining, so I doubt I'd find Doyle as one my cup of tea either." [6]
Meta/Further Reading
- The Curly-Toed Boots of Justice by McSwain!
References
- ^ Jean Graham. Kings and Vagabonds, 2000, 2004. (Accessed 20 October 2008)
- ^ Tarowen. Talliswood, 2002. From the author's notes: "This series is set in a fantasy AU, in which only Joe is all human. Jayce and Lansten are elves, Justin (Joe's half-brother) is half sylph, and Chris has some wild blood running through his veins. They're on a quest through a dangerous wood full of restless magic. Read this if you like swords, sorcery, elves, quests, angst, and jeweled codpieces." (Accessed via wayback 20 October 2008)
- ^ Selenay. Serpent in the Shadows, Jack/Daniel slash, 2004. (Accessed 20 October 2008)
- ^ Natalie's Writing Nook (accessed 30 August 2009)
- ^ Caro. A Wish For Wings, McKay/Sheppard slash, posted 9 December 2006. (Accessed 24 February 2009)
- ^ sc_fossil wrote in ci5hq, 7.17.2007
