Karen Rasch

Fan
Name:	Karen Rasch
Alias(es):
Type:
Fandoms:	The X-Files
Communities:
Other:
URL:
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Karen Rasch was a very early and influential X-Files writer.

In Her Own Words: 2002

I got online in May of 1995 and gravitated towards the old Delphi XF board. Great place, great group of people. I really didn't know anything about the show, or fanfic, for that matter. I got hooked with "Our Town", so when "Anasazi" came on with Krycek, the Mulders, Samantha--I was totally lost. One of the people who helped me out of this muddle was a wonderful woman named Helen. She loaned me all of her first and second season tapes, which allowed me to get up to speed in record time. She is also the person who introduced me to fanfic. When she first mentioned that there were people out there on the web writing stories about XF, I told her, "Oh man, Helen. I'm already such a geek about this show. I really don't think I could stand myself if I started reading stuff like that." She ignored me and sent me my first story. I was addicted almost immediately. First came Vincent's Gossamer FTP site (yes, FTP!) and finally my own attempt, when I realized that not everyone posting was their generation's answer to Fitzgerald. <g>

Some truly wonderful friends. I can't say enough about the men and women who make up ATXC (which is my main pipeline to XF fanfic--I'm not on any lists). They inspire, support, and keep you humble like no other group of people I know. This will be the hardest part about bowing out of this particular corner of the net. I know I'm going to miss everyone dreadfully. And that time is coming soon. :-( I've always sworn my fanfic days were over when the series ended its run. Despite the continuing drama in which Fox is indulging, I believe this is The X-Files final season. The new piece I'm working on will probably run 150-200K. Knowing me and my less than blazing speed, that will most likely take me into the late spring/early summer. Unless the muse wallops me upside the head, that story will probably be my swan song. After that, I'd like to actually try my luck writing something I might be able to get paid for.

Fan Comments

[unknown date]:

I'm so happy that Karen is back and sharing her talent with us again. The first memorable fan fiction I read was "No Greater Love."I still go back to it and refresh myself with Karen's vision of Mulder and Scully's partnership. Karen also wrote the NC-17 rated "Words" series, including the now completed "Words to Live By." She also co-wrote "Antidote" with Rachel Howard---a triumph of casefile and romance I cannot recommend too highly. Her latest, "Love in Wartime," gives us a view of a post-colonization world from Karen's unique point of view. --Branwell

[1997]:

Karen is one of those "famous" writers of X-Files fanfic. She's been writing such good stuff for so long that you know you can trust anything that comes out of her pen to be an enjoyable ride. Karen's work spans the spectrum from angst to erotica, and while her erotica is some of the best out there, it is her other stories that I've always thought were among her best. For a blast from the Scully past (back when Scully dealing with her abduction was the worst thing we had to deal with - geez remember those days!) her debut piece "Coming Back" is a little angsty read. Karen also has written one of my absolute favorite stories that captures Scully and Mulder perfectly in "No Greater Love". This is one story I recommend to everyone. For those of you still in the mood for a little cancer angst, try out her Wonderland series starting with "Of Cabbages and Kings."

[1997]:

If I have to tell you go to this page, you are either very, very new to the fanfic world (to which I say, "Welcome! Enjoy your stay!") or you have been living under a cyberrock for a very, very, very long time (to which I say, "Come out! Join the rest of us loonies!") Karen's work is some of the first I ever read, and it spoiled me absolutely rotten. The Words series ALONE is the stuff of which dreams are made, but you're going to find a ton of work there guaranteed to rock your world.

[1998]:

The shutdown of Karen Rasch's archive and rec page should also help, but God, what a sad day that is. Our Karen has excellent taste, is a wonderful writer, and I loved her site, pretty colors and smushy photos all. It's disappointing that she won't be able to maintain it anymore, even worse that she too has expressed disappointment and discouragement in the wake of the behavior rampant in our "community" lately, which includes TOSing of sites and "real-life" harassment. And, since Karen is one of the kindest, most sensible people I know, to see her growing itchy means that things are getting bad indeed. Let's hope that with the start of Season Six things will calm down around here, because this long, hot summer has been a Purgatory to forge

Awards

• many Spooky Awards

Interview

• Chronicle X Interview with Karen Rasch

Quoted in an Article

• Fans take control of TV...On-Line

Some Fiction

• Antidote with Rachel Howard
• Coming Back
• Ever After
• No Greater Love
• The Return series
• Wonderland Series
• Words Series