The "Most Influential House Fic" Poll

[silversolitaire]

I'm currently researching House-fandom history and was wondering about what the most influential fics of the fandom are. Since that is impossible to figure out all by myself, I'm asking for your help in the matter. I would like to ask you to nominate up to 10 fics per pairing that you found the most influential in the House fandom. You can pick less, too, of course. Once I've compiled the lists, I'm going to figure out a top list of nominated fics and then probably ask to vote again. Or if that's conclusive already take that as a result and let you know about it.

So, I'd like to ask you to take a moment to nominate fics that you consider the most influential to the fandom. Nominate them in no particular, simply as they come to mind. If your super favorite pairing is missing, it's probably because it's not that mainstream and I'm trying to keep it slim. Use the "other" poll then and don't forget to mention the pairing as well then or else I can't use your nomination. Use the comment box to let me know anything else you may find important such as "This was the first H/W fic ever written" or whatever.

Defining "influential":

There's a distinct difference between just plain liking a story a whole bunch and feeling like it changed something. Fanfic awards are meant for your favorite fics. This poll however is meant to be different. What I want to know are fics that somehow influenced you and, in your opinion, the fandom. Like, sometimes a fic will turn you towards a pairing. Or change your perception of it. Or show you a genre you didn't think you'd like or that it could be combined with this fandom. Or it gave you new insights into the characters. Or it simply was the first of that kind and you were there to witness it. That's what I'm trying to find that out.

Please bear in mind, this is not a popularity contest but a serious attempt to find out which fics have moved the fandom. So don't go around campaigning to push your favorite writers. That'd be pointless since the results would be inaccurate.

Disclaimer of sorts:

This research is conducted purely out of fannish interest and for the benefit of the fandom. Your answers won't be quoted in any research paper or book and they will remain completely anonymous. There will be no great masterlist in the end that states who nominated who. The results are visible to me only and I will treat the information with utmost respect and discretion. Ideally, the end result of this will be a neat list showing a couple of fics that rocked the fandom, providing enough people participate to make any kind of evaluation reasonable. My nightmare would be to receive 100 individual recs... *g*

Please nominate in this format: Name by Author. Reason (optional).

Quicklist as this has gotten big and nasty:

House / Wilson
House / Cameron
House / Chase
House / Cuddy
gen fics
OT3 pairings
other pairings

House / Wilson | back to top

[Poll #924754]

House / Cameron | back to top

[Poll #924755]

House / Chase | back to top

[Poll #924756]

House / Cuddy | back to top

[Poll #924757]

gen fics | back to top

[Poll #924758]

OT3 pairings | back to top

[Poll #924759]

other pairings | back to top

[Poll #924760]

Also, if you can, spread the links around so we can get as many members of the fandom from all over the place to participate! ^^

Thanks!

Comments

[delphinapterus.livejournal.com]

I would be very interested to see what you end with for these polls and what you do with it afterwards. What made you decide to start this project?

[silversolitaire.livejournal.com]

In short, complete geekiness. I'm a scholar with too much interest in utterly pointless things it seems. For a while now I've been harboring the idea of creating a "fandom map" sort of thing with figuring out affiliations, friendships, collaborations etc. But I'm shying away from the amount of work this constitutes.

Another thing I've been wondering was this. If you look at really big fandoms such as Harry Potter or Star Trek, there always are some stories that are the big hallmarks that everyone knows. I've been around in the fandom for about a year now and I know my personal preferences, but I have yet to come across a real Big Name Fan. I wonder why.

So, call it a private interest for the benefit of fandom. I could imagine many people will be interested in the results (should this really take off. If I only get like 10 people replying it'll all be pretty pointless I suppose). It's not so much to tickle people's egos but to know. Isn't that why we research?

If you're asking whether I'm going to be using this for a research paper or a book. No. This is purely fannish interest. I would have said if it was otherwise. At most I might stick the results if they prove to be conclusive into the House M.D. article over at fanhistory which I've been messing around with for a bit, just for the heck of it. But for now I'm just a curious cat!

[delphinapterus.livejournal.com]

I think it's a great idea. If it turns out to be an alarmingly large amount of work for one person, I'd be interested in offering a hand if you want. No idea on the lack of BNF, maybe somebody with more fandom experiance would know the answer.

I started off with a sort of knee-jerk reaction to it, but now I'm thinking about what fics really seem important, really challenged my views on a pairing, rewrote the characters to highlight depth of character. I'm going to have to think about for a bit before doing the poll.

[j-daisy.livejournal.com]

This is a really great idea. I don't participate much in the fandom, so I doubt I could be much help - I'd have trouble thinking of 10 fics total, let alone the "top ten." A good place you should link this from would be the House TWoP Fanfiction Thread. (If you need a link to that, I'll provide you with one. If you don't want to register, I'll link it for you.)

Good luck!

[silversolitaire.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I hope it takes off and I don't end up with a measley list of 10 recs or something... LOL.

Yes, I was thinking about the TWoP forum, too. If you'd like to post this for me there I'd very much appreciate that. I did get an account there some while back but I've never posted there and would need to figure everything out there first. So this would be easiest ^^.

[j-daisy.livejournal.com]

I went there, all ready to post a link...but I wimped out. Apparently, they're tightening up with fanfiction there. It's story links only, and limited discussions regarding it. I posted it in the pathologies instead--it's mostly the same people. If you have a probelem with it, though, tell me and I'll take it off. :)

[silversolitaire.livejournal.com]

Aw I understand. No problem. I know why I'm scared of that place! XD; Pathologies is fine. I've actually mailed the mod and she said she was going to post it later, but this works as well! ^^

[npkedit.livejournal.com]

You could talk to the mods of housefic_meta about posting a notice there. They're the keepers of the Housefic Hall of Fame (and if you aren't subscribed to the group, you should give it a whirl--lots of good discussion on the best fics in the fandom...and it ain't a popularity contest).

[silversolitaire.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the suggestion! Good idea!

[tiggpwns.livejournal.com]

Question: Are we talking just fics that everybody knows, or are we talking fics that have evolved into many many people's fanons? Er.. Not sure if I phrased that right. -ponders- Or are we just talking the fics that moved us to tears / laughter / rage-at-characters / other appropriate reaction?

[silversolitaire.livejournal.com]

Oh dear. Well the term "everyone knows" is obviously very dodgy, no? Since who is everyone? Do you know what everyone thinks? Hardly. How could you? Thus this poll. If 50 people mention "House-Fic" by The Author I have reason to believe a lot of people think it was important. So I guess I want you to give me YOUR answer, not what you think a lot of people would answer.

Fics that have evoled into fanon are definitely a point to be considered. If you managed to track down the first fic EVAR where House lovingly calls Chase "Wombat" or whatever, bring it on! Hehe... As for fics that "just" moved you a lot... it depends. If it was a fic that rocked your world and made you think completely differently, that was so good that you thought it changed your view of the characters or the fandom, then that's what I want. One that you still think about today with a smile (or maybe even a tear in your eyes) even though you've read it months ago.

This is supposed to go beyond favorite fics and preferences, but I see how these are tightly woven.

[tiggpwns.livejournal.com]

I think Wombat's a canon thing, actually, but yeah... Well, I'll go asearching. This would be so much easier if I actually kept a list of my recs... It's a great idea, at least.

[silversolitaire.livejournal.com]

LOL yes it's a semi-fandom thing. In "Honeymoon" (1.21?) House refers to Chase indirectly as Wombat by saying "the Aussie will run like a scared wombat". And that has somewhat turned into it being the first choice of pet name for Chase henceforth. That was a rather lame example, really. I was just trying to find one off the top of my head.

[hi-falootin.livejournal.com]

I wanted to fill out these polls (it's such a cool idea!) but I think I pulled a boner and submitted Gen fics under OT3...maybe? So if you see a bunch of Gen recs there that was me, bein my special self XD

[hi-falootin.livejournal.com]

alternatively the site could just be playing tricks on me *coughs* carry on.

[silversolitaire.livejournal.com]

So, did it go through okay? O.o It's a bit difficult for me to tell by the name whether the nomination is appropriate for the category. You can just fill out the poll again, too, to edit your own answer... I think? >.>

[katakombs.livejournal.com]

This brings up the question of where you post notices and how that's going to influence what answers you get. And also that people congregate to places what have the sort of fic they enjoy.

I very rarely go to the rec page at twop because they're 80% slash fic (which I don't like) and 19% House/Cuddy, and they never warn me which it's going to be. There's only one fic that I've read from there that I enjoyed but presumably someone likes those fic because they are recc'd.

If you're going for influencial fic, you probably need to do it by category, House slash, House/Cuddy, House/Cameron. People tend to prefer pretty much in their own genres.

I want to participate in the poll but for some reason, your page isn't loading for me properly, I can get the comments but I can't read the post itself or the poll.

[katakombs.livejournal.com]

I think I should add that I like general or House/Cameron fics, but my preferences pre-date my reading fanfics, I select based on what I see on the show, not that I'm influenced to watch more closely or have certain interests in the show or the fandom caused by specific fanfics.

[silversolitaire.livejournal.com]

Well, you can still give it a try if you want to participate. Although, like I said, it's not exactly about your most liked fics. But there must still be some you find influential one way or another?

Oh I forgot there's a gen category, too.

[silversolitaire.livejournal.com]

I've tried to post about this in every major House-fic community and communities dedicated to specific pairings. As I'm only member of the slash fandom, I contacted the mods of those other communities and they've gotten back to me and promised to post the poll. Haven't checked if they've followed through yet though.

That's weird that it won't load for you O.o. I can't explain why. I can see them all right. If you get it to work you'll find that I did indeed go by all major pairings, het and slash, as well as a section for OT3 and others.

If all else fails you could just send me your nominations in a comment and screen it or so, if you can't get it to work. I'm sorry I'm not of better help, but I have no idea what could be wrong.

[kitkat-dream.livejournal.com]

What a wonderful idea!!! Maybe you could also contact the people at hmd_finders and the community down that end, and see what've got to say...

Did you post the poll results?

[resourceress7]

Hi there. I'd be very interested to see the results of these polls. Did you post or summarize that somewhere? When I click on the poll links here, nothing happens when I try to click on results (thanks, LJ).

Also, I maintain a list of every House rec list that I've ever found. Your poll project seems like it would fit right in, since crowd-sourced recs = rec lists.

Thanks in advance for any info you can provide.