Man from UNCLE Masterpost

[rallamajoop]

Since most of my activity here nowadays seems to be me writing Man from UNCLE meta or fic on every topic under the sun, I figured it was time to make a proper masterpost of everything I've posted here or to various comms.

Most of these links go to LJ, though there are a few at the end to odds and ends I've posted to tumblr too.

Fic

• UNCLE slashfic recs masterpost – [LJ Mirror]


• My fic:
  • Fatale
    

    Pairing: Napoleon/Illya
    Summary: Napoleon’s weakness for femme fatales has never been one of the more ambiguous facets of his sexuality. (Or, a world in which Illya began his career on the wrong side of the law certainly isn’t one where Napoleon is any less likely to wind up in bed with him.)
    Rating: NC-17
    Word Count: 6,630
    Notes: Alternate universe, contains gun-kink and some bondage

    
    
  • A Unified Theory of UNCLE, in four parts
    

    Pairing: Napoleon/Illya
    Summary: In a world where the occasional well-placed enemy mole or major security breach is simply a matter of course, a handful of UNCLE's most sensitive operational directives have never been committed to paper at all.
    Rating: PG
    Word Count: 28,544
    Characters: Napoleon, Illya, Waverly, with appearances by Angelique, Ursula Alice Baldwin, Mark Slate, Gemma Lusso and "Wanda"
    Notes: Effectively a mix of elaborate crack theories and historical trivia built around a faintly ridiculous amount of flirting, fluff and prolonged UST

Resources

• The Man from UNCLE – Complete Season 1-4 subtitles – [LJ Mirror]
Ripped from the DVDs, available in text format. Not as good as proper episode scripts as the lines lack attribution, but handy for checking dialogue in a hurry.


• Complete production credits spreadsheet – [LJ Mirror]
So, I started making a spreadsheet to get my head around which of the recurring cast showed up when, and got a bit carried away. Set up to be sortable either by episode airdate or original production order, covers shooting dates, air+rerun dates, directors, writers, and pretty much all the other credits available for import. Should be useful to anyone trying to figure out chronology and recurring influences.


• MGM Character bios – Napoleon, Illya and Waverly – [LJ Mirror]
The original source for a lot of details that made it into collective fanon without ever really coming up in the show, like Napoleon's yacht and Illya's love of jazz.


• Original outlines for UNCLE and THRUSH – [LJ Mirror]
Published with some of the early promotional material, and packed with details that didn't make it into the show, like the existence of the Mask Club and some of the other entrances to UNCLE HQ. Includes scans of some early promotional articles.


• The UNCLE Special – [LJ Mirror]
Scans of some articles with detailed technical info on the UNCLE gun.

Meta

• The Man from UNCLE – an extended introduction from a newbie fan – [LJ Mirror]
In which I attempt to write the introduction I'd wished I'd been able to find before watching, to let me know what I was getting into.


• Family Trees of Napoleon, Illya and Waverly – [LJ Mirror]
Covering every known family member we've ever met, heard about, or whose existence was perhaps vaguely alluded to once, plus some musings about what it all tells us about their backgrounds.


• On nicknames and Illya's wandering ethnicity – [LJ Mirror]
Ficcers are fond of throwing around nicknames like 'tovarisch' or 'Smart Russian'. I ran some searches through the subtitle files to check exactly what was used in the show and how, and in the process, made the surprising discovery that the show all but completely stops admitting that Illya is Russian in the later seasons.


• The curious semi-canonicity of the UNCLE Special – [LJ Mirror]
The UNCLE gun was and is one of the defining symbols associated with the series - so it would probably surprise most long-time fans to realise it was never actually mentioned by name on screen. Virtually everything fans 'know' about the gun actually comes from various news articles (scans and links included).


• The spotter's guide to The Girls of U.N.C.L.E. – [LJ Mirror]
UNCLE actually featured a number of recurring female staff members over the years, and many of them (IMHO) are so much more interesting than they get credit for (even if most of them were inexplicably called 'Wanda'). There's also an appendix post of sorts: Heather McNabb, Wanda Mae Kim and Sarah Johnson in print


• The Man from UNCLE Novels: An Analysis – [LJ Mirror]
23 novels and 24 short stories were published under the Man from UNCLE brand, and if you're me, the most fascinating thing about them is teasing out who was copying from the production notes, who was copying from a previous author and who (if anyone) actually seemed to have seen the show. Most are not very good, but I've also posted some reviews of those I read in full, if you want to hear more about why.


• Gay communist spies and KGB honey traps – The surprising history of the Lavender Scare – [LJ Mirror]
Only tangentially related to UNCLE, but I started looking up the subject of gay spies, and found so much more material than I was counting on.

Picspams

• That one photoshoot – [LJ Mirror]
Three UNCLE stars, three attractive models and a smoke machine all get together to have one hell of a day at UNCLE HQ.


• Illya vs. The Cameraman: A Saga in Pictures – [LJ Mirror]
One of my favourite things about UNCLE's many promotional stills is just how many there are where it looks like Illya’s spotted the camera man, and thinks he’s up to no good.

Book reviews

• The Man from U.N.C.L.E.: The Behind the Scenes Story of a Television Classic
  
A real treasure trove of behind-the-scenes details, recommended to any UNCLE fan.


• Ian Fleming’s Thrilling Cities
  
A travel book by the author of the James Bond novels, and one of Norman Felton's first inspirations for the series. Unfortunately, it quickly turns out that no matter what city Fleming wound up in, all the misogyny of the Bond franchise would still be along for the ride.


• KGB: The secret work of Soviet secret agents
  
A fascinating source on Cold War espionage.

Trivia and other odds and ends from tumblr

• General:
  • On the canonical support for that good old bed-sharing trope in MfU
  
  
• Napoleon Solo:
  • Norman Felton and Ian Fleming design Napoleon Solo + Addendum
  
  
  • Sam Rolfe continues to develop Napoleon Solo
  
  
  • An Annotated Guide to Napoleon’s Apartment + gifs
  
  
• Illya Kuryakin:
  • Canon details about Illya’s UNCLE career
  
  
  • Illya, romance and sex appeal
  
  
  • Illya's promotion to equal billing
  
  
  • Quotes from the later writers' guides, and some meta on Illya, women, and Napoleon + Addendum
    
  
  
• Mr. Waverly:
  • Behind the scenes with Leo G. Carroll's failing health
  
  

Comments

Unified theory of UNCLE

[hypatia-66.livejournal.com]

Hi
My admiration for your writing is unbounded. This story is so witty as well as laugh-out-loud funny. I'm not over-fond of descriptions of sex, het or slash, but you're worth reading, no matter what.

And as for all the rest of your brilliant contributions - what on earth do you do for a day job?

Re: Unified theory of UNCLE

[rallamajoop.livejournal.com]

Wow, thanks immensely! :D A lot of that story is something of a love-letter to all my favourite idiosyncrasies about the show, and though a lot of the feedback I've had on it tends to focus on the more horrifying aspects of the quota concept (not that I can really blame anyone) I'm always pleased to hear the humour stood out too.

I'm not over-fond of descriptions of sex, het or slash, but you're worth reading, no matter what.

Okay, now you've got me wondering if you mean the fade-to-black scene in Unified Theory, or if you actually read one or both of, er, those other two UNCLE fics I've posted, which are, well, a little more on the graphic side. ¬_¬

And as for all the rest of your brilliant contributions - what on earth do you do for a day job?

Ahaha, the truth is I'm currently unemployed, so I do admittedly have more free time on my hands than may be healthy of late. But I've always had such a thing for canons which reward you for doing a little research (other recent examples include classic Doctor Who and Marvel Comics), and UNCLE has really gone and got me bad in that regard.

Re: Unified theory of UNCLE

[hypatia-66.livejournal.com]

I've probably looked at several slash stories, yours included, often without intending to. I mostly find them (and het, too) distracting/unnecessary/self-indulgent/often disgusting. I don't think that was true of yours, incidentally.

Where sex is introduced sensitively as an integral part of the story, it can be quite moving, and - I can't remember whose it was - there was one slash story I got into which moved me very much, and roused sympathies which I hadn't had before. I can't write it myself.

I'm retired, rather than unemployed, also with time on my hands, but I hide my stories from my nearest and dearest... What does that say?

Re: Unified theory of UNCLE

[rallamajoop.livejournal.com]

Hey, fair enough - slash isn't for everyone, and that goes double for the explicit variety (and even as a fan, I'm the first to admit there's a lot of not-very-good slash out there). Though for my own fic, I'm admittedly still curious as to whether you're just referring to A Unified Theory, or whether you actually read Fatale - because if you did read and enjoy it, that's a hell of a compliment - but if not, I'd probably not recommend you try. It's a bit off the deep end of the genre, to say the least.

but I hide my stories from my nearest and dearest... What does that say?

Well, not much, since I think that's pretty average for fandom, really. Even the tamest fic is still a pretty geeky hobby, and those can be hard to explain to folks from outside that niche. Only a couple of my friends have read any of my fic, mostly it's just not their thing.

Re: Unified theory of UNCLE

[hypatia-66.livejournal.com]

I was just referring to the Unified Theory, there. Not sure if I've read Fatale, but I don't think so. I'll look for it and (maybe) let you know... I'm sure I can cope with jumping off the deep end. I'll take a lifebelt and climb out if necessary.

I've only recently started fiction writing (as opposed to non-fiction, where I learned the trade), and I'm putting it in LJ Section VII and Map Room (subtle hint, but don't feel obliged - I shan't be offended).

Re: Unified theory of UNCLE

[hypatia-66.livejournal.com]

Hi

Me again. I've found and reread Fatale (yes, I had read it before) and its sequel. Both excruciatingly funny (ambiguity intended), I've been laughing ever since and must have looked mentally challenged on my walk to and from the supermarket just now. I had to use the lifebelt here and there, but I managed to keep afloat. I still don't like reading details of sexual activity, but when it's done as wittily as this I can lie back and enjoy the brilliance of the language if nothing else - and there was much else to enjoy. Keep it up, as you might say.

Re: Unified theory of UNCLE

[rallamajoop.livejournal.com]

Huh, well, consider me duly flattered that you enjoyed that series so much! I've actually had one or two similar comments before on other fic I'd written for a different fandom, but since that was a series with a much stronger gag element (it featured Deadpool, if that explains anything) it was less surprising to hear the humour had managed to hold their attention even during some resonably detailed sex scenes. I would not have guessed I'd have managed to pull off the same trick for something like UNCLE. (FWIW, I do have a few PG-rated installments planned for late in that series, though some will be less light-hearted, soooo I guess we'll see how those go down.)

Re: Unified theory of UNCLE

[hypatia-66.livejournal.com]

Would it be presumptuous, or just rude, to wonder if it appeals particularly to the English sense of humour, rather than the American? Deadpan, strong on irony and slightly anarchic - not taking anything very seriously or at face value. Well, that's what appeals to me, anyway.

I'll have to look up Deadpool, I don't know it. But, despite the PG element, I do look forward to more of your MFU series.

Re: Unified theory of UNCLE

[rallamajoop.livejournal.com]

I could well believe that, though I'd be the wrong one to ask - I'm Australian. ;)

Re: Unified theory of UNCLE

[hypatia-66.livejournal.com]

Ah! That explains why our hearts sometimes beat as one - in terms of humour, at least. (Can I ask where you live?)

Re: Unified theory of UNCLE

[rallamajoop.livejournal.com]

Huh, a fellow Aussie? Perth, in my case.

Re: Unified theory of UNCLE

[hypatia-66.livejournal.com]

No, never been to Oz. I'm a Pom, I live in York. I somehow had an idea you might live in the States, that's all. Don't know why I thought that.

As to humour: our two nations seem to share an appreciation of a certain kind of humour - e.g. Barry Humphries, who I can't imagine goes down well in the US.

Re: Unified theory of UNCLE

[rallamajoop.livejournal.com]

Ah, gotcha. To be fair, I tend to assume most people you meet on the Internet are likely to be Americans - in most English-speaking spaces, that tends to be true.

Heh, actually there's this one Barry Humphries interview quote that has always stayed with me, which was a joke he made about how one US critic gave him such a bad review on his first US performance that he waited for that critic to die before he ever went back again. So I doubt you're on the wrong track on that one. I can definitely attest to there being plenty of crossover appeal for British humour down here - I mean, I may be biased, since my Dad's side of the family hails from Britain, but we're certainly not alone.