An informative article on Canon in the realm of fanfiction

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

Canon(fiction) on Wikipedia ...( ManfromUNCLE.org is another source of information that can be helpful.)
This article might be helpful to those still in the formative stages concerning writing fanfiction.  We all strive to make things as realistic as possible within the context of MFU, and this explains the concept of canon.  Section VII was created to encourage and house stories based around the original series, with an eye to details that hearken back to what the writers gave us in Seasons 1-4, The Return Movie and the ACE books.  The Return Movie continues to spark controversy, and is the singular exception to canon accuracy.  Two camps do exist, and both are accepted as legitimate.
Another interesting discussion that we had here on Section 7 concerned Mary Sue.  The invitation is still open to post an obviously MS story, carry on the conversation or make a comment.  Use the tag Mary Sue to find more on this incredulous creature.
Writing is a fun and fulfilling endeavor, and MFU is still a viable subject.  I'm so proud to know we're adding stories daily to this great tradition.

Comments

[carabele.livejournal.com]

Just an additional note: The ACE Novels are not necessarily seen as canon. In fact, they are actually accounted as such by few in the fandom. Again, much like the FIFTEEN YEARS LATER T.V. movie, there are two schools of thought.

Much of the ACE novels tend to be contradictory to what was presented in the television series, since many of the novel writers never even watched the show. (As an example, Illya in several of the novels is particularly referred to as an ex-Soviet and naturalized American citizen.) And then there is the conumdrum of the exact same novels later published with different lead character names as part of the spin-off novel series of other spy genre base material.)

The ACE novels were really just a money-making venture to capitalize on what was an extraordinarily popular television show at the time of their writing. Me, therefore, I've never counted the novels as canon in any way, especially since many of them reference things completely off-the-wall (like the DARK SHADOWS references used in one of them).

Your opinion may vary. [grin]

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

The ACE novels are a mixed lot. I think the McDaniels books are fairly accepted as canon, especially since he's the one who gave us The Hierarchy et al...
Canon is tricky ;) Now, some things vary in their interpretation. Waverly discouraged his agents from marriage, but at the end of the Deep Six affair, he was attending a wedding. Whether or not the man kept his status as Section II after the nuptials we don't know, only that our guys never married while in service, and in the Return Movie, Illya says he never married. Napoleon is still unknown, but then it's the RM and so again, variables.
I prefer my agents single, and marriage falls under the Alternate Universe flag.

[carabele.livejournal.com]

Waverly discouraged his agents from marriage, but at the end of the Deep Six affair, he was attending a wedding. Whether or not the man kept his status as Section II after the nuptials we don't know.

We don't know about that particular agent, no, but we can extrapolate pretty reasonably from the fact that the Brit agent in that episode was set to hand in his resignation from Section II with his upcoming marriage. And the fact that he was already set to do this made Napoleon openly question Waverly on why he wanted the guy's fiancee investigated.

McDaniels is a mixed bag as well as he is the writer who made the DARK SHADOWS references in one of his novels. And the Sherlock Holmes references in another (with THRUSH having been formed by Prof. Moriarty) is frankly off-putting.

The novels all have to be taken with a very large grain of salt in my viewpoint.

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

Yes, there's a lot to siphon out. Of course the MFU writers mixed things up quite a bit as well. I mean seriously, the first season scenario probably didn't include IK having all of those degrees. Some of the story lines that came later really cause a lot of confusion about these guys, although it also makes them incredibly interesting.

[carabele.livejournal.com]

Of course the MFU writers mixed things up quite a bit as well.

[chuckle] That they certainly did.

[laurose8.livejournal.com]

I have to admit, I love the Moriarty reference!

[st-crispins.livejournal.com]

Which is partly canon, actually. Rolfe made reference to Moriarty's organization as a possible source for Thrush in his original development notes.

[carabele.livejournal.com]

And as a final note, McDaniels also tended to take MFU in a more sort of fantastical bent. Whereas the television series more walked that fine line between reality and fantasy (in its best seasons, very successfully).

[st-crispins.livejournal.com]

Well, David McD was, after all, an SF writer, a member of LASF and the housemate of the mother of Trek fandom, BJo Trimble.

[st-crispins.livejournal.com]

I consider the Ace novels by David McD and the other fan writers Apocrypha ---not quite canon but close enough. I use a lot of David McD's characters and I do accept the meaning behind Thrush because eventually,
Norman did.

I dismiss most of the other material.

I wrote several articles on MFU canon for the old writer's newsletter [put out by Lois B] and reposted them several times in several venues. Want me to post them here?

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

Yes, please do post the articles or a link to them... I appreciate it.

[st-crispins.livejournal.com]

Some are stored on the MFU Fans page here:

http://www.manfromuncle.org/article.htm

[st-crispins.livejournal.com]

And on MFUWSS they are stored here:

http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=mfuwss&keyword=Canon&filter=all

[st-crispins.livejournal.com]

And material about New York in the 1960s

http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=mfuwss&keyword=New%20York%20in%20the%2060s&filter=all

[st-crispins.livejournal.com]

Information on the UNCLE Special ---ie: the gun ---here:

http://www.manfromuncle.org/gun.htm