![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Palpatine Redemption Fics
Sep. 19th, 2021 06:45 pmI have an enduring fascination with Palpatine redemption fics. I've thus far read every last one of them (at least the ones in English) that I could find, even the ones that have premises I normally wouldn't give the time of day. I haven't found that many, but they do exist. Some of them are short, others long, some complete and some not, but I always want to see how different people approach the idea.
I also think a lot about these works as I write my story Heart of Shadow. The approach I'm taking is fundamentally different from the approach others have chosen less out of an intrinsic desire to be different and more because there are different questions I want to explore and different preoccupations that I have (like how I can add as many gratuitous action scenes as possible). Though, also, if a story is already written, why do the same thing from the same angle? The original story (not original as in owns the ip but original as in came before) is already written, and it seems to me if someone wants to see that angle explored, they can just read the original. Though here I only refer to fics beyond a certain level of similarity, since I expect some elements to recur in different fic due to the similar focus. So that applies to the finished fics at least. As for the unfinished ones I've seen, they just aren't something my brain can fill in the remainder for (even if the creator of the work would be okay with that, which they very well might not be). Perhaps someday their authors will. Still, I think a lot about these works because they all explore this same question of redeeming a character often considered irredeemable. So I think considering the other approaches and angles that have been taken can be valuable even when you are not exploring those approaches or taking those angles yourself.
Anyway, this is something I'm always on the lookout for, so if anyone ever just wants to point out a Palpatine redemption fic to me, either one they found or one they wrote, it would be much appreciated. Maybe I should try to formulate a list of the ones I already know about, but as I have yet to do so, I'm fine with people telling me about ones I've already read. Also if you want to give any commentary on any that *you've* read, I'd be interested in hearing other people's thoughts, either here or by private message. I've discussed a couple of the Palpatine redemption fics I'm aware of in the comments of my fic Heart of Shadow with other commenters, if anyone has the same level of curiosity about these things as I do.
I also think a lot about these works as I write my story Heart of Shadow. The approach I'm taking is fundamentally different from the approach others have chosen less out of an intrinsic desire to be different and more because there are different questions I want to explore and different preoccupations that I have (like how I can add as many gratuitous action scenes as possible). Though, also, if a story is already written, why do the same thing from the same angle? The original story (not original as in owns the ip but original as in came before) is already written, and it seems to me if someone wants to see that angle explored, they can just read the original. Though here I only refer to fics beyond a certain level of similarity, since I expect some elements to recur in different fic due to the similar focus. So that applies to the finished fics at least. As for the unfinished ones I've seen, they just aren't something my brain can fill in the remainder for (even if the creator of the work would be okay with that, which they very well might not be). Perhaps someday their authors will. Still, I think a lot about these works because they all explore this same question of redeeming a character often considered irredeemable. So I think considering the other approaches and angles that have been taken can be valuable even when you are not exploring those approaches or taking those angles yourself.
Anyway, this is something I'm always on the lookout for, so if anyone ever just wants to point out a Palpatine redemption fic to me, either one they found or one they wrote, it would be much appreciated. Maybe I should try to formulate a list of the ones I already know about, but as I have yet to do so, I'm fine with people telling me about ones I've already read. Also if you want to give any commentary on any that *you've* read, I'd be interested in hearing other people's thoughts, either here or by private message. I've discussed a couple of the Palpatine redemption fics I'm aware of in the comments of my fic Heart of Shadow with other commenters, if anyone has the same level of curiosity about these things as I do.
