Vast Error: A Homestuck Derivative Work (Patreon)

One of Homestuck's biggest draws has always been the Fandom... Yeah. I said that. Sure, there are a lot of... Horror Stories of the heyday of the Fandom, when it was at its most popular, and Fandom in general has become really negatively charged lately- Not the HS Fandom, just, the state of Internet Media Consumption in general. But the bad things that go on in the Fandom don't hold a candle to the creativity that can be expressed within. Fanart, Cosplay of characters made mere minutes after a character's reveal. Theory crafting and awaiting for the next update, Fanfiction...

Of course, within Homestuck, the highest form of fan content that can be considered is the Fanadventure. A story within the Homestuck Universe or an Alternate Universe, whether using Canon Characters to display a different route to the events presented in canon, or New Characters in a story crafted from the bottom up. And among Fanadventures, a specific one reigns supreme lately, Vast Error, a story that not only is compelling and unique, but has been acknowledged in a semi-canonical capacity by the current Homestuck Team, referenced in side-material like Friendsim and Pesterquest, and even shares members with the official staff.

And so, I wanted to talk about what makes Vast Error unique and worth reading in my eyes, and the curious relationship of Vast Error to its Source Material, as well as the Source Material to other pieces of Media.

So, let's get started! Let's just hope that this essay isn't a... Huge Mistake.

A Gargantuan Miscalculation.

A Tremendous Oopsie.

A Devastating Boner.

A- You get the idea.

Homestuck itself has always been a... Curious piece of media in how it draws inspiration from other works. It is true, as they say, that all media is derivative, inspiration comes from the things we like and consume, it's easy to project certain parts or themes of things you have read or watched into your own work. We seek to create things close and dear to our interests. But Homestuck takes it a little step further.

The Webcomic is absolutely entrenched in cultural references, to popular figures or works that have been referenced directly in canon. It's one thing to draw parallels between Peter Pan and Tavros' Arc, but it's another thing entirely to have fucking Rufio himself appear in the story while the author attempts to give him the kiss of life. It's one thing to reference the Wizard of Oz with Jade, but then you have her dying crushed by a building, with a crusty JPEG at the bottom of the page reminding us exactly of what the refrance [sic] is.

Everything from the Auryn Symbol and heavy parallels to the Neverending Story being key points in the story, to obvious references to the movies presented in John's room, to fucking having Guy Fieri and Betty Crocker as antagonists within the setting, Hussie has a tendency to be rather blatant and silly with how far and ridiculous the parallels and references to other works and people go. As such, it's only to be expected that Homestuck would have a good relationship with content derived from itself.

Vast Error has gotten a Fandom of its own, it is a considerable group effort, and as much as it draws parallels and uses themes and elements from Homestuck, much like Homestuck with its inspirations, it remixes and twists them into its own unique flavor. Last year they were able to get their own Website to host the Webcomic and other works, as well as launched a Patreon of their own, and while they have been limited with their Merchandise for a while, merely selling the Alchemical Sigils worn by their Trolls, recently they managed to expand their selection to include actual depictions of the characters!

Between the cross-references of the Canon Material and the Fanadventure, the partly shared Team between Homestuck and Vast Error, and not just being allowed to use elements from the source material, but actually being encouraged to do so, on good terms, it paints a hopeful and optimistic image. Of the Webcomic, allowing itself to be used and referenced just as it has used and referenced so many other things, of creators being given the freedom to parody the work, in the spirit of the original.

Maybe I am gushing a little bit about it? I really, personally find this relationship fascinating, and cannot wait to see how the relationship between Homestuck and its Fans and Creators evolves in the coming years. Creators, passionate about the works that inspired them, messing around with these things in their own way... But I digress.

As much as I love the extent to which the Canon Material references other things, and the way Vast Error and Homestuck show creative solidarity, this Essay is about the Fanadventure, not the Original! I've spoken about how it remixes and twists elements from Homestuck and makes it their own, but, what does that mean? And what makes this Fan Adventure, specifically, such an interesting one?

When I originally went into Vast Error, having had it recommended by a few friends at the time, much like when I started reading Homestuck, I was completely blind. All I knew is that it was a Homestuck Fanadventure, and so, I expected something... Predictable. 12 Trolls, instead of the ones we know from Canon, being the chosen ones to play SBURB on Alternia. And initially, it seemed like it was going to play out that way!

But I couldn't have been more wrong.

The characters in the comic are Trolls, for sure. And there's very obvious parallels to be drawn, between the beginning of the story, and your average Homestuck analogue. And that is exactly what lulls you into a sense of security. It presents all the familiar elements you've learned from reading the original. Trolls, Quirks, a Game that has to be played, before suddenly changing up the formula.

It begins simple enough, with the realization that the planet the story happens in, Repiton, is not actually Alternia, and the societal structure and Hemospectrum are different to what you go in assuming. Purplebloods appear with Juggalo Facepaint, but soon you learn the dark story of a cult distinct of that from the Mirthful Messiahs. Quadrants are presented, and a re-telling of Hussie's exposition, expected, only to have Repitonian Biology show itself to be Vastly (hah) different than what we're used to. The Game is to be played, yes. Prospit, Derse, Carapaces, Lands, Denizens, 'God Tiers', all elements, taken from the comic, but every single one of them changed enough to become their own unique element, separate from Homestuck.

I don't want to go into too much detail, and spoil the fun, but Vast Error truly does something interesting. It takes Homestuck, the story, as a template. It takes every single basic element within it. The Trolls, the Quadrants, the Game, but instead of copying directly, it manages to give every single one of them a new flavor. And as such, from the exact same template, arises something uniquely different, and the jarring differences between the two settings soon become an intriguing exploration. I hate using the term 'subverting expectations', but it truly does, in the most positive of ways, to the point where, honestly, Vast Error could have been a story completely separate and different from Homestuck if it wanted.

But it didn't. Just like how Homestuck draws from so many different sources of media to shape its source, Vast Error decided to shape this unique story with this Webcomic as building blocks. And it revels in these subtle little differences while paying homage to the original.

Where Homestuck presents us Theatre and Acts, Vast Error is showcased as a Show of sorts, played on a TV, rather than hidden behind curtains. Where Homestuck made a Visual Novel to befriend and let us meet new characters, Vast Error made Snowbound Blood, twisting the formula from a Friendship Simulator to a Detectivesque Investigative work.

Also, the Art and Music are gorgeous and on par with the quality of the original, and in many cases, even better than some of the most beautiful Homestuck Panels and Songs. The style, the lighting, the animation, familiar and very Homestuck-esque a lot of the time, but with its own unique flair and detail.

If there's one thing I would like to point out about Vast Error, though, without going into details or being too spoilery, beyond the style, beyond the story, beyond the characters, it has to be its themes. Homestuck was a story about Young Kids, being thrust into an unforgiving and cruel world. Having to deal with reality around them, and growing up. If Homestuck could be said to be about Growth, looking forward into what comes next, then Vast Error definitely seems to be, to me, about Moving On, looking back to what came before, and dealing with the consequences. Just as its name implies. A Vast Error, a mistake, that we have to deal with. Our experiences and how they have shaped us, our relationships and how they have strengthened and fallen apart. The characters are older, more mature, they have gone through more and had their perception of the world change over time.

With the advent of the Epilogues and Homestuck^2 leaving some people unsatisfied due to their handling of the story, and particularly the darker tones of the former, I feel like Vast Error presents an excellent alternative to scratch the itch of those who don't like the new content. Capturing the whimsy, the potential, the fun, of the original, with its own spin, its own characters, its own creativity, and dealing with more mature themes without necessarily dipping into things the Epilogues did touch upon.

I could keep talking about Vast Error, but once more, I want to avoid spoiling too much. Homestuck is 8000+ pages, and as of me writing this, Vast Error is currently a little over 1000. So if you want to experience a wholly new story with familiar elements, and participate in Upd8 Culture, whether you're enjoying HS^2 or not currently, hey, why not give it a try? 

You may just find something wholly unique and special to enjoy in these long Quarantine days.