sophia_sol | Entries tagged with fandom: history

2 SVSSS fic recs

Outta My Head
by lavenderandrue

➤ modern au svsss, liu qingge and luo binghe as guests at a wedding, dancing with each other to get shen yuan's attention

➤ the dynamics between all of them here are so perfect, the unwilling attraction between bingliu and the unspoken understanding between them at the end!

➤ 900 words in length

The Scenic Route
by mellicindi

➤ post-canon svsss bingqiu fic

➤ in which luo binghe gets a curse on his dick so it can't be touched

➤ oh no however will bingqiu have sex now!!!

➤ luo binghe definitely hasn't been eager for a chance to turn their usual sexual dynamics on their head what are you talking about

➤ anyway very fun and charming and with a great sqq pov voice

➤ 10k words in length

2 TGCF fic recs

sudden spring fever
by eggfish

➤ xianle era, mu qing has presented as an alpha, and xie lian wants to protect him

➤ mu qing desperately horny and mad about it, xie lian obliviously sublimating all of his feelings into Isn't Swordfighting Great :D

➤ I love mu qing's suspicious and pessimistic pov, it's so perfect and so him!

➤ a delightful little glimpse into this world!

➤ 1k words in length

hot, sour, sweet
by peppaspray

➤ a sweet hualian fic from before they get together

➤ about hua cheng and xie lian cooking together at puqi shrine, and about what makes the feeling of home

➤ lots of great food details!

➤ 8k words in length

1 Mysterious Lotus Casebook fic rec

you and a bottle / the weight of the water
by eggfish

➤ I've never seen MLC and though I've read a bit of fic it's long enough ago that I've already forgotten basically everything I know of what I figured out about the characters and plot 🥲

➤ nonetheless this fic is a delight, Fang Duobing and Li Lianhua with an obviously complex relationship

➤ I love the tone of the fic, very like...deliberately lighthearted and leaning into the ridiculous in a way that clearly hides some depths of emotion

➤ and it's so fun and compelling! I loved it

➤ 2k words in length

1 SGA fic rec

a single piece of cloth
by raven (singlecrow)

➤ SGA fic featuring Elizabeth/Teyla

➤ I love how this combines soft affection, practical conversation, and comfortable sexuality all at the same time!

➤ so lovely

➤ 1k words in length

1 Vorkosigan Saga fic rec

Friends of Cordelia
by PhoenixFalls and sanguinity

➤ document fic about the vorkosigan saga, presented as a posthumous museum exhibit about Cordelia and her role in the queer community of Barrayar

➤ wonderfully done - I loved all the different voices we hear from, and the looks at different aspects of queer culture and history

➤ and the sense of queer joy and love and resilience throughout!

➤ 6k words in length. podfic available.

2 17th Century Theatre Actors RPF fic recs

Nameless
by a_t_rain

➤ historical rpf about 17th century theatre actors associated with shakespeare

➤ I've never heard of these characters before or the play they're putting on that's central to the themes of the fic but the the fic does a good enough job introducing it all that it works nonetheless

➤ a really interesting and thoughtful work about life vs fiction, and acting, and finding a new life, and the realities and ramifications of abusive relationships

➤ I loved it, and I see the author has written other fics about this group of characters and I want to read them too!

➤ 5k words in length

Genesis
by a_t_rain

➤ a prequel to Nameless, which I just recced, about 17th century theatre actors associated with Shakespeare (and Shakespeare himself)

➤ the viewpoint character begins as an an apprentice grocer in the grocer's guild, and his first taste of acting is in reviving the guild play

➤ like Nameless, a really thoughtful and interesting look at this period of history, with many excellent historical details

➤ the development of John's understanding of what it is to act, and what it is to be part of the world of actors (different things!) is so well done

➤ and I love the quiet, solid romance of trust between John and Rebecca

➤ 10k words in length

5 original short story recs

Reconstructing “The Goldenrod Conspiracy,” Edina Room, Saturday 2:30-3:30
by Gabriela Santiago

➤ a short story with the conceit that it's a transcript of a con panel, in a futuristic dystopian world

➤ but even in this future where food is hard to come by, fans still gather to talk about their fave media

➤ I loved the history of the fan relationship to the (fictional) show in question, and in particular the lost episode that the panel is about!

➤ the rest of the worldbuilding about the dystopia was pretty broad-strokes and not particularly developed, but I enjoyed all the fan and panel content so much and that's where the focus really is

➤ 5k words in length

Two Motes in the Zeugma Dark
by Sagan Yee

➤ a short story about a mech pilot taking his date for a ride in his giant robot

➤ I love the uneasy way the narrative sits with the point of view the main character provides

➤ and the way the story opens up to questions about the way this society is structured, the things it values and the things it ignores

➤ and the strength of the ending in its refusal to tie things up tidily

➤ it's really good!

➤ 5k words in length

➤ I also liked the author spotlight in which they were interviewed about this story.

A Pilgrimage to the God of High Places
by Marissa Lingen

➤ a fantasy short story about a disabled woman going on pilgrimage with her mother, and ending up helping out the god whose temple they go to, who has been besieged by another god

➤ I enjoyed the portrayal of the relationship between parent and child, where the parent is very genuinely caring and doing her best to be helpful and has been an important ally against the ableist world.....and also is just. a bit much. and can't accept that actually the child is an adult these days who's very happy with her life as it is!

➤ 3k words

Linden Honey, Blackcurrant Wine
by M.R. Robinson

➤ a lovely short story about a human woman who loves a woodmaiden

➤ about choices, and appreciating your life for what it is, and the passage of time

➤ and old women dancing together in a birch grove in a forest

➤ 3k words

After We Kill Our Father and Before We Reach the Mainland
By Max Franciscovich

➤ that's a very evocative short story title right there and it's like. yeah. that's what the story is about!

➤ a fantasy story about three teens who have escaped their powerful and abusive father figure, who are a team in escaping, who might not always like each other but who are bound together in inextricable ways

➤ the entire story takes place in a boat as they make their way away from the island, hoping to find the mainland, but it never feels static, it's always pushing you onward, as you get more hints of the backstory, of what exactly all the context is for the murder and the escape

➤ it's so good!!!

➤ also. it's told in plural first person? which is so cool. The three teens are the "we" and "us" of the narrative voice. it's so well done! I love when stories play with pov.

➤ also. trans characters!

➤ 5k words

3 original novelette recs

A Brief Oral History of the El Zopilote Dock
by Alaya Dawn Johnson

➤ a near-future novelette telling the story of the dystopian breakdown of the USA

➤ told by the granddaughter of a black woman who escaped prison slavery to head south of the border and found a new community for fellow escapees

➤ I love the voice of the narrator, her efforts to tell Symphonie's story in an objective and appropriate historical style, but with occasional notes to herself interjecting, wondering about if she's approaching her writing in the right way

➤ I also love the relationship between Symphonie and Karla!

➤ and the themes about how the past can't be left behind, it is an important part of what makes you what you are today

➤ 8k words

We Shall Drink Wine
By Andrew K Hoe

➤ a fantasy novelette set in a historical china, and holy shit it is SO SO SO GOOD

➤ about two sword-brothers, meeting again after decades apart

➤ the way the story circles around itself over and over again, uncovering new layers each time, new complexities, new details about what happened and what is happening -- it's so beautifully constructed and leads the reader on so compellingly

➤ and the story it's telling.....one about love, and trust, and classism, and imperialism, and the threat of monstrous creatures inflitrating......about, at its heart, the relationship between these two men, their importance to each other, and the fractures at the heart of their relationship, and the wide-reaching consequences

➤ I love it so much, it's brilliantly and beautifully done and with such fascinating explorations of its themes!

➤ 10k words

The Thirteenth Dancer
By Leah Cypess

➤ A novelette inspired by the fairy tale The Twelve Dancing Princesses

➤ about one of the princesses who managed to escape, but who comes back

➤ a fascinating reimagining, leaning into the dangerous appeal of the fae, and the desire for belonging, and what you will and won't do for love -- or for freedom

➤ I've read a lot of retellings of this fairy tale and there are a lot of good ones but this one definitely ranks pretty high on the list!

➤ 10k words

heyyyyyy it's yuletide season again, and once again I have barrelled my way through a truly astonishing number of fics in order to bring you a rec list of 10 of my favourites before the anon period is over! I hope you enjoy some of them too!

Rabbi Shaina Cohen Shows Great Patience And Fortitude
Yudah Cohen series by Rebecca Fraimow, gen, OCs & Yudah Cohen

Futurefic for the series, taking place in discussions on twitter, reddit, email, and texting about Yudah Cohen, past and present, and everything about it is just a total delight!

You Say Bark, I Say Bite
Sunshine by Robin McKinley, f/m/m, Con/Mel/Sunshine

Pre-OT3 from Mel's pov, this feels so right for them, and it's perfectly captured the eerie vibe of Con, from Mel's pov.

The Magic In The Making
Smoke series by Tanya Huff, m/m, Lee/Tony

I love the way this fic built up more of Lee's history and used it to show the deepening relationship between him and Tony, as well as the strong sense of the community with the rest of the characters, I had many feelings.

Notes on a Nondescript Vegetable
Aubrey-Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian, m/m, Jack/Stephen

Stephen discovers a plant that seems to have sex-pollen-like effects. And oh my gosh I was blown away, the writer's grasp of the characters and their voices, the delicious narration with its incredible ability to evoke a mood, I love this fic SO MUCH. Jack and Stephen!!!!!!!!

(next year it'll be clear) this was only leading me to that
10 Things I Hate About You, m/f, Kat/Patrick

Following Kat and Patrick and the way their relationship develops over the years post-movie. I finished with such a smile on my face. I love how much Kat and Patrick have this trust and confidence in each other, and how much it shows in everything they do!

Bamboo Ambitions
Chinese history RPF, gen, Xiao He & Zhang Liang & Han Xin

Set during the time of the Chu-Han Contention, and tbh I had to google some things (like.....the chu-han contention) because I don't know enough about chinese history, but this fic was worth it! I really enjoyed the way the characters and their experiences are both humanized and also clearly a part of a greater story, in the way it was framed and told.

Kay the Scribe
Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner, m/m, Costis/Kamet & OC

Set during the time when Kamet and Costis are undercover in Roa, and I loved this outside pov on the two of them! Laris is a delight, and the way he's able to see things and piece together what's happening, and carefully make sure Kamet knows he's got his back, I love it. And you can really see how very much Costis is important to Kamet, even while he's barely on screen.

This Episode Brought To You By
Mr Queen, m/m & m/f, Bong-hwan/Cheoljong & So-yon/OC

Another fandom where I had to google things to follow along because I only know this show from having a friend explain it once and have never seen it, but it's so great! How much Bong-hwan feels the need to pose as a Cool Guy but obviously still feels very earnestly about things, how Cheoljong is fascinated by Bong-hwan and pays so much attention to trying to really understand the heart of him, how So-yon does her best to figure out how to be herself, whatever that looks like -- and how Bong-hwan and So-yon are both ultimately better off in each other's lives, each other's worlds. And the through-line of food tying it all together!

Only one question that can be answered
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K Le Guin, gen, Genly Ai

Post-canon, Genly decides to retire to Gethen. And ahhhhhh this is so lovely and bittersweet and perfect.

honesty (is such a lonely word)
Nirvana in Fire, m/m, Mei Changsu/Prince Yu

Aaaaand a fandom that I know only from reading a bunch of fic, but hadn't previously had much exposure to the character of Prince Yu lol. But I loved getting his pov here, the ways Prince Yu both does and doesn't understand, and how captivated he is by Mei Changsu, and how clear it is that even if Mei Changsu is opposing him, it's not because Mei Changsu hates him or doesn't care about him, MCS just....has different priorities.

I like to post my top-ten yuletide fics before the end of the anon period, and I'm on top of things this year! Of course the archive is large and I'm sure I've missed some worthwhile works, and I thoroughly enjoyed a great number of the fics I read, but here's a list of some fics I think particularly worth reading. Presented in the order I read them.

Publish and/or Perish
The Snake Fight Portion of your Thesis Defense, gen, OCs

This was my fave of the many truly excellent additions to this totally wild fandom. I loved how matter of fact the snake-fights are as a normal part of academia in this world, just another thing to worry about amongst all of the trials and tribulations of being a grad student!

Varader Tau Cosplay: A Saga
Vorkosigan Saga, gen, OC's

A delightful look at a hypothetical fandom for a hypothetical tv show within the vorkosigan universe!

Learn
Spinning Silver, het, Miryem/Staryk Lord, Rebekah bat Flek

Lovely! I really enjoyed the continued connection Miryem makes with Rebekah and the importance of the traditions she shares, and of course the relationship between Miryem and her Staryk lord.

A Dreaming Art
Piranesi, gen, OC & Angharad Scott

This was lovely and fascinating and just what I needed after reading Piranesi! A great job of exploring the eurocentrism of the House in Piranesi by introducing another perspective.

Excerpts From the Letters of Sarah McBride Anderson, 1904-1908
Daddy-Long-Legs, gen, Sallie McBride

This fic is absolutely incredible, I love Sallie's voice and getting to see her perspective on the things that happened in the book, and on the things that are important to Sallie, and on Judy herself as well! And also I love that Sallie thinks Jervis is a rat because yuppppppp.

Psmith Pops In
Psmith, slash, Mike/Psmith

What a delight! Such delicious pining, and beautifully Psmithian turns of phrases, and Mike's solid Mikeness to balance Psmith out, I loved it.

Anonymous
18th Century RPF, gen, Voltaire & OC's

Incredible, and so funny! A look at a hypothetical argument on the authorship of Voltaire à la the Shakespearean authorship debate.

the enemy of my enemy
Locked Tomb, femslash, Gideon/Harrow

I was blown away and delighted, this was absolutely enormous amounts of fun to read, A+++++. A modern university au where Gideon and Harrow have to work together on a theatre project!

The Education of a Magician
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, gen, OCs

A schoolteacher marking an essay about Faerie. So lovely! I love the way that the student's paper brings back to the main character the sense of the numinous.

Adverse Event
Nirvana In Fire, slash, Mei Changsu/Jingyan

I love the way this fic makes use of the truth serum tropes with Mei Changsu, his desperate need to not say certain truths at any cost, and what he's willing to say to avoid it!

Jack Layton is dead. I can't even.

Other people are saying far more eloquent things than I could, so I will leave it there.

Here, have a recs-set of HAPPY THINGS:

every aching old machine, by

longtime_lurker. Bandom; Pete/Patrick. OLD MEN IN LOVE.

Dolphin-Borne, by

carmarthen. The Eagle/Dinotopia; Esca, Cottia, Marcus. DINOTOPIA FUSION.

The Adventures of Lily and Severus (BEST BUDS), by

theopteryx. Harry Potter; Lily, Severus. ADORBS WEE COMIC.

Public Displays of Affection, by

philomytha. Vorkosigan; Cordelia/Aral, Alys/Simon. MIDDLE-AGED PEOPLE IN LOVE.

untitled, by dakotaaaa. Doctor Who; Amy/Rory. ADORBS DRAWING OF KISSING AND BUNKBEDS.

Choice of Broadsides. NAPOLEONIC WAR CHOOSE-YOUR-OWN-ADVENTURE, WHERE BEING QUEER IS AN OPTION. ALSO IT IS RIDICULOUSLY FUN.

Lose My Breath, by

deirdre_c. White Nights; Kolya/Ray. Vid, to a source you don't need to be familiar with (and it's not just me saying this). TWO DUDES. DANCING. IT IS AMAZING.

Crossposts: http://sophia-sol.livejournal.com/116111.html

Every now and then I wonder if I should rethink the colour choices of my journal layout. Yes, I am in fact aware that they are eye-searing to people other than me! The worst bit is that I am a total hypocrite: I grumble to myself when other people do their journals in hard-to-read colours, and thank the universe for my precious "zap colors" bookmarklet. And yet. Here I happily sit with a journal that requires one to read text against a bright yellow background. Classy, Sophia.

And now, have some recs. Because I feel like reccing! This is a rec set of: things that are not my major fandoms. Mostly because for my major fandoms I'd be sitting here going "but I can't neglect these five dozen other brilliant stories that also need reccing!"

A Garden in the Punjab, by

rosie_rues. The Secret Garden, gen. Oh my goodness this fic is so lovely. It's about Mary's ayah, and her daughter, and gardens, and it is gorgeous and also just a great story.

Notes from the desk of the Barrayan Cultural Liaison Officer, by

ankaret. The Vorkosigan Saga, gen. This is a hilarious epistolary fic in the form of the sorts of emails that the poor Barrayan Cultural Liaison Officer has to deal with on a regular basis. It is just priceless.

Putting the Natives at Ease, by

burntcopper. Narnia, gen. In which the Pevensie children disconcert their parents after their return from the countryside. It's told from the perspective of the parents, and it is really effective.

Oath by Elementalv, a Selective Sampling, by

kumquatix. Supernatural, Dean/asexual!Castiel. This fic is a...sort of a remix, done in a fascinating way: the author took the original story by Elementalv and cut it down into a shorter story containing only words by elementalv, but with a very different overall meaning to the story than the original fic. It is fascinating!

Four Myths about Jean Calvin that Exploded in Martin Luther's Face, by

abigail89. Historical rpf, John Calvin/Martin Luther. See the title? And the pairing? YEAH. It is exactly as awesome as it sounds.

Baby-sitters Club The Next Generation #6: Byron and the God of California, by

zelempa. Baby-sitters Club, Byron/Jeff. Um. I never read the Baby-sitters Club books. And yet this fic is entirely endearing and lovely and I enjoyed it so much! It is clearly building on a lot of things from the original books, in a loving way, and also just as clearly a very enjoyable story in its own right.

Okay, that's all the recs for now! I hope you enjoyed the fics.

You know, I should do this more often: just randomly do rec posts. I could even do thematically-based ones, like slavefic, or marriages of convenience, or telepathy, and so forth! I mean, hell, I might as well get some use out of my obsessive organization of my delicious.* And it would be fun!

*which is alas still incomplete in its organization!

Crossposts: http://sophia-sol.livejournal.com/104352.html

THESIS HANDED IN ZOMG THIS FEELS KIND OF UNREAL. ALSO NOW I WANT TO COLLAPSE INTO BED.

If The Thousand and One Nights was a fandom, I would be all over that fandom. For serious, yo. Just opening my thesis to get back to work at it, I stared at the list of story names in my table of contents and began to grin. Because I love these stories, you guys! So much love! But instead of reading reams of fic about them, I had to write a thesis instead.

( In which, in a series of long asides that may or may not be somewhat incomprehensible, I am overly excitable on the subject of the Nights. Because I have ~feeeeelings~ )

Crossposts: http://sophia-sol.livejournal.com/100978.html

I have RETURNED FROM TAIWAN. Er. I forgot to mention that's where I was going, didn't I. So. I was in Taiwan! And now I've returned! It was fun!

And that means now I get to go look at how long my f/rlist's gotten and weep. And also attack all the comments I've been meaning to respond to....

In other news, I just read The Odyssey for the first time ever. And it's, like, good or something. Shocker! ( Wait, should this get a spoiler cut? Sure. Have one. )

sentientcitizen can attest that it is pretty hilarious the way, if you get me started about The Odyssey, I will swing wildly back and forth between earnest-academic and squeeful-fan in my expressions of enjoyment. I GO BOTH WAYS, OKAY. Except that I think this post ended up being more of the latter than the former? It wouldn't take much to get me nattering academically though, I think!