Wes Andercolt: Change Is Coming (And It's Super Duper Scary) · 1:34am Dec 30th, 2023
Wes Andercolt. Let's talk about it.
This is a story about turning 50. It's a story about redefining your values when the things you thought you knew about yourself stop being true. It's a story about things you are not allowed to love. If you saw Jax wrote it and expected changelings, I’m sorry to say there are none. But take a look under the hood and you’ll find that every bit of this narrative is infused with themes of change.
Wes Andercolt asks the question every twenty something asks themselves when they start to notice that everyone else at the club is younger than them: "at what age does life end?” It’s a figurative question, dig? The story is also so kind as to give us an answer to said question. I’ll tell you in a few paragraphs ;)
One of our protagonists, an over-the-hill movie star whose looks are a vintage wine slowly souring in the bottle, has a beautiful revelation: narcissism and anxiety go hand in hand. Those who have the beauty to be confidently narcissistic are also painfully aware of how fleeting it is. Building a career on looks and, I quote Jax here, “giving stallions horn-jobs to get a part acting in a pizza commercial,” is nakedly degrading—but in a world whose terms are so often dictated by chauvinists, a woman whose ambitions intersect with said potential hornjob-receiver may have no other choice. A lifetime spent molding herself into the perfect instrument of male arousal leaves Rarity blind to the realization that she’s viewing herself through the male gaze.
In the intersection between Rarity’s plot and the external shell narrative of young Rainbow Dash trying to write this essay, we get this sublime moment of resonance, and an answer to that earlier question of, “at what age does life end?” The answer, it seems, is, “Fuck you for asking.” Life doesn’t end at a specific age. Whether you’re an A-list Hollywood actress or an average mom just trying to keep it all together, life will change. It will change in ways that will break you down to your core. You can choose to cling to the fading remnants of what you had. Or you can set it aside and move forward.
FIRST, first -- the art you have there perfectly captures the spirit of this ship. Spike, control yourself.
Second, thank you. I worried when I wrote this story that nobody would get it, that it would just be pretentious and obtuse. It means a lot to me that the intended message came across, and even resonated with you. I try to write stories with a point.
Happy Hearths Warming.
Hee hee.
Seriously, I sent GaPJaxie a fan letter about this fic, but I don't think I did anywhere near as well with my comment as you did with this blog post, especially when it comes to writing a recommendation for people who haven't read this story yet.
This IS one of the more interesting horsewords stories I've read that came out this season, or maybe this year. I mean, imho. I mostly liked it, and I liked most of it a LOT. But even things that I wasn't sure I liked sure made me think.
Hmm. I should copy part of this comment into a comment on the story itself.
(I edited this comment multiple times in the first 8 minutes after posting it.)
Actually that story is Larry Niven's Protector: "A Pak awakes and thinks I've been stupid..."
Or in my case Why is everyone at this SF convention/SCA Event/Celtic music concert such a boring fat failure?
"You were very pretty. You didn't get beautiful until later on."
--Everybody Loves Raymond
I have found this to be true. But nah--nobody would write profound and useful truths into a half-hour of light entertainment. Would they?
Anyway--great story, good analysis! 5 of 5, would definitely recommend.