I think the reason that "superficially the same at story start time, but much or most of the setting is different before and after that point" fics have such a mixed bag for quality, is that it's removing the filter on Sturgeon's Law that making only small changes puts in place when you're starting from something that was already in the 10% bucket - it relies greatly on the new author's ability to build all the new material and integrate it with the old. This is most evident in fandoms that got popular long before their settings were fully explored - Naruto fics that started before (or throw out all the stupid shit after) the training trip time skip, or Potterverse stuff from before or immediately after Goblet of Fire, and so on. It's even true for professionally produced material in long running franchises - Star Wars books from before the Thrawn trilogy vs. the SWEU in its final form before being assimilated by the Mouse, or the entire body of FASA Star Fleet Battles lore from before TNG started.
(Or just The Splinter of the Mind's Eye from Star Wars, very obviously written before RotJ and shipping Luke & Leia - and Carrie Fisher said she thought Leia would be a fool to pick Han over Luke in an interview from that time frame too!)
Something's hiding in the bushes of love...
Some fics whose timelines cross like this instead of diverging are really good, or at least a lot of fun - but you have to manage your expectations going into them. They're back in the open cesspool of 90% crap, rather than dipping from a bucket you've already flocculated and filtered to the 10% at least not inherently awful. I haven't gotten around to looking at Beware of Cloud yet to judge for myself.
(Or just The Splinter of the Mind's Eye from Star Wars, very obviously written before RotJ and shipping Luke & Leia - and Carrie Fisher said she thought Leia would be a fool to pick Han over Luke in an interview from that time frame too!)
Something's hiding in the bushes of love...
Some fics whose timelines cross like this instead of diverging are really good, or at least a lot of fun - but you have to manage your expectations going into them. They're back in the open cesspool of 90% crap, rather than dipping from a bucket you've already flocculated and filtered to the 10% at least not inherently awful. I haven't gotten around to looking at Beware of Cloud yet to judge for myself.
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‎noli esse culus
‎noli esse culus