In the Lethe
| Fanfiction | |
|---|---|
| Title: | In the Lethe |
| Author(s): | teaandchess |
| Date(s): | 2013 - 2015 (?) |
| Length: | > 600,000 words |
| Genre: | AU, Resurrection, Fix-it |
| Fandom: | Supernatural |
| External Links: | ff.net Link, Ao3 Link TeaAndChess's Personal Archive on Tumblr |
Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
In the Lethe is a Supernatural fanfic by teaandchess.
Spiraling off from the events of the episode Goodbye Stranger, it's a canon divergence Megstiel fic, told in an episodic format. It currently comprises two seasons of stories, with a third incomplete season deleted by the author for personal and professional reasons.
It was a well known and popular fic in the Megstiel fandom, with the actress who plays Meg Masters aware of the fic and making positive comments about it and other Megstiel fanworks.
- Yes, I love to read!! I am always in the middle of a few books. In the Lethe is so great, it is wonderful to see these things on Facebook, there are so many very talented artists and writers who create such wonderful work based on Meg and Castiel. I never cease to be amazed by all the talented people who love Supernatural![1] --Rachel Miner
Q&A with the Author
Q: How did this start?
A: Originally, In the Lethe started off a prompt by blogger somethingobscureish. I loved the idea of demons having a unique afterlife so “In the Lethe” was a short one shot dealing with Meg’s brief life in an afterlife. As Season 8 progressed, there was another prompt and then another. When it was clear we could work together, from part 1-13 we worked together on In The Lethe Series 1, with the last chapter being a solo effort. Series 2 became a solo effort.[2]
Q: Is this a megstiel AU?
A: In ways yes. In other ways, Heather and I were trying to work on a different path than where the SPN writers were taking the series. Not strictly from a ship sense. The relationship between Castiel and Meg was incredibly interesting as it did cross boundaries and we both wanted to see more from that story
Q: Why would you write such a long story? It’s well over a small fic series!
A: Well, to put it plainly: I don’t watch a lot of TV. SPN, X-files were the two longest series I have fixed on and I generally don’t like to watch TV. Other series I write about tend to be something I watch in one go per season or casually. Television on the whole I find frustrating as many situations the story is limiting. We both had the idea that there was a far bigger world than what could be shown on screen. I love to write and I feel more freedom there. Television is restricting to me. I also made no secret about how incredibly frustrating I found S8/9 of SPN in terms of story telling.
Q: You mention about Meg’s back history and it seems like you were taking it beyond something simple. Is that intentional?
A: For such a strong female character, yes, I believe that Meg was worth far more than a cast aside. But in a male dominated show and limited time frames, you can’t possibly hear everyone’s backstory. I wish SPN had done it however; a female character lasts 8 seasons, and goes through a ton of development… she deserves better. I like the idea of giving her more weight in the story
Q: You put incest in your fic, isn’t that triggering?
A: First off, Sheol and God are not true brother and sister. Metaphorically, yes. They were birthed from the idea of Chaos and Creation, but there is no bloodline. Part of the reason why they call each other siblings is because that is the easiest way to look at their relationship and the closeness they share. Much in the same way that angels are not literal brother and sister but they are born of similar Grace from God’s will.
Reviews and Reception
I stopped watching Supernatural years ago for my own reasons tbh but I finally finished In The Lethe pt. 2 and honestly it only reinforced my decision because I literally don’t care about any other “canon”.[3]
Have I mentioned In The Lethe?This fic picks up after Meg’s death in season 8 and what’s great about it is that it not only has Meg and Castiel being perfectly in character and developing their relationship, it also has Sam and Dean being in character, it has amazing world-building, explores several concepts the show fucked up or threw away entirely and it’s beautifully written.
Also, I want you to keep in mind this fic was written in 2013, so it precedes all the bullshit that went down in season 11. Like, I’m not saying that the Supernatural writers ran out of ideas and decided to raid fanfction and this fanfiction in particular and the fact they presented a bastardized version of it was so upsetting to the author that she quit the fandom, but that is lowkey precisely what happened and I may or may not be bitter about it because the fandom doesn’t know about it. I mean, it’s Megstiel fanfiction, no one reads that, right?
Well, the SPN writers definitely do.
… so yeah. Just saying. Read and decide for yourself if I’m right or not.[4]
If you’ve never read In the Lethe you are seriously missing out on one of the best SPN fics of all time[5]
Related and Inspired
Fanvids
- MEGSTIEL ~~ In The Lethe FanFic by Megstiel fans
Fanart
- In the Lethe cover art by anilaart, commissioned by xtexboyx
- Shoel Moodboard by mercurialvixen
- Meg from in the Lethe series 2 moodboard by mercurialvixen
- Lethe-inspired by oobs-kenoobs
References
- ^ Original interview by Rachel Miner site management team SUPERNATURAL FEVER &ROL EN ESPAÑOL, July 2014.
- ^ Teaandchess's personal Tumblr
- ^ Tumblr post by mystic-rumors, Nov 2018
- ^ Response to anon ask for Megsitel fic recs by inkbleeder on Tumblr, May 2018
- ^ "May 8, 2014 Tumblr post". Archived from the original on 2019-01-12.