soph (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sophia_sol) wrote2024-01-01 08:32 pm
sophia_sol) wrote2024-01-01 08:32 pm
Entry tags:
- exchange/challenge: yuletide!,
- fandom: cql/mdzs,
- fandom: doctor who,
- fandom: jonathan strange & mr norrell,
- fandom: multifandom,
- fandom: musicals,
- fandom: random books,
- fandom: random other things,
- fandom: temeraire,
- fandom: tgcf,
- fandom: the blue castle,
- post type: crosspost from mastodon,
- recs: articles,
- recs: fic,
- recs: short stories,
- recs: vids
Recs from December: fic, vids, short stories, articles
wow it's a new year! gosh. well let's talk about the IMPORTANT things, like this round-up of all the recs I did over the course of this month on mastodon! this month you will find:
3 article recs
6 tgcf recs
6 cql/mdzs recs
4 original short story recs
1 multifandom rec
1 doctor who rec
1 2ha rec
29 yuletide recs
(yuletide fandoms are: My Cousin Rachel, Jane of Lantern Hill, Sunshine, All the Horses of Iceland, Gods of Jade and Shadow, Debrief, Deeplight, Yudah Cohen, Winter's Orbit, Goncharov, Left Hand of Darkness, Mr Queen, Ocean's 8, I Want To Go Home!, Knives Out, Tortall, When the Angels Left the Old Country, The Blue Castle, Vespertine, Jeeves & Wooster, Chess (Musical), Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, Ocean's Echo, The Goblin Emperor, Temeraire, and the Enchanted Forest Chronicles.)
ARTICLES
Black Silk, Brown Silk: China and Beyond—Traditional Practice Meets Fashion, by Abby Lillethun, 2008
just read this interesting article on a technique for dyeing silk fabric a black colour in southeastern Asia, which can be called gummed silk or mud-treated/mud-dyed/mud-coated silk or a variety of other names
The article is about the socio-cultural context of the fabric's use in the last century and a half, which is fascinating, but now I want to know more about the chemistry of what goes on in this dyeing process. Especially since this is a process that involves iron in creating the black colour, and my understanding is that iron-rich dyes tend to corrode fabric over time, but gummed silk is specifically noted as being durable!
TELL ME MORE, INTERNET!
(the internet only wants to provide me fluff pieces about chinese fashion when I try searching)
anyway the article is worth reading in itself even if it doesn't do everything I want it to!
Blue to black: Hypotheses on plant use complexity in traditional dyeing processes in Southeast Asia and China, by S. Li, A.B. Cunningham, Y. Shi, Z. Qiu, A. Hartl, X. Ding, S. Wu, Y. Wang.
I just read this paper on traditional indigo dyeing methods in Southeast Asia & China and it's so INTERESTING.
- did you know: humans have been dying textiles with indigo dyes for at LEAST 6,000 years? despite it being a very complex multi-stage process? I am so impressed. (I'm also impressed we manage to have evidence of this! archeological research into the history of fibre arts is always a trial, for obvious reasons)
- an indigo dye vat needs to be an alkaline environment that has been fermented to grow anaerobic bacteria
- the dye vat will need various ingredients included to promote the fermentation and the correct type of bacterial growth, as well as to create the alkaline environment, and is monitored and maintained over time to make sure it goes right
- the reason you need all this is because indigo particles don't actually penetrate the fibres; you need to reduce the size of the indigo particles, and when they're small enough you can turn them into leuco-indigo which CAN penetrate the fibres. then when the material you're dyeing is exposed to air, the leuco-indigo turns back into indigo and is trapped in the fibres!
- if you want to overdye the indigo to create black, you also need a source of tannins as well as hyperaccumulator plants to be a source of metal mordant
- so if you have indigo you can dye fabric black without using iron! iron corrodes fabric over time, and is the other main way to create a black dye, so this is amazing
- modern industrial indigo-dyeing uses toxic reducing agents instead of the fermented dye bath, and this paper is intended to provide information on how sustainable dyeing could be done in a modern context as well. which, rock on. I love this.
Mickey, Disney, and the Public Domain: a 95-year Love Triangle, by Jennifer Jenkins
really enjoyed this article about Mickey Mouse and what it means practically speaking for Steamboat Willie to join the public domain in 2024!
TGCF
Ming Yi's Monologue, by Zdenka
- The original Ming Yi doesn't get much attention in fanworks, perhaps understandably since he never appears on-screen in tgcf while alive (or as a ghost, or otherwise able to exist and communicate), but he's a fascinating character to speculate about through what we know of him!
- This short work is from Ming Yi's pov, a poem addressed to He Xuan from after death
- it's so much fun! I love the pov, and I love the air of menace and resentment from ming yi towards his usurper. Perfect ending.
- 300 words in length
party city, by verity
- rule 63 modern au hualian
- it is so SOFT and suffused with care that I am all emotions!!!!
- also. the outfits. I die.
- 3k words in length
My Love for You is Crimson, by elfowlgirl
- xie lian gets an idea for a fun adventure and hua cheng loves to indulge his husband's mischievous side (I LOVE THIS)
- the idea: if hua cheng went to heaven wearing clothes that aren't red, would anyone recognize him?
- a charming and cute fic!
- 3k words in length
- thanks to xieliansbignaturals@blorbo.social for the rec!
Double Trouble, by corduroyserpent
- wow?!?! jun wu is such a disaster and this is amazing
- post-canon, jun wu has a qi deviation that splits off a younger version of himself as bai wuxiang
- mei nianqing suggests that jun wu can fix it by dual cultivating with himself. jun wu is NOT into it but makes it work with mei nianqing's help.
- 3k words in length
- thanks to to xieliansbignaturals@blorbo.social for the rec!!!
we all have a hunger, by spicecandy
- beefleaf modern reincarnation! reincarnation isn't usually my thing but I liked how it was handled here
- he xuan has not developed any more chill over the years between when sqx dies and when sqx is finally reincarnated
- he xuan's pov is very fun. the drama! the pathos! meanwhile sqx is clearly just having a nice time bonding with he-jie. beefleaf always about contrasts :)
- I believe in u, he xuan! you can do it! have an actual relationship with sqx!!
- also the gender stuff is great.
- 6k words in length
- thanks to roland@federatedfandom.net for the rec!
shadowplay, by bloodletter
- a postcanon beefleaf reconciliation fic; it's a wip and the first chapter was just posted today
- sqx wakes up in a mysterious cave and finds that hx has saved her life and taken her there
- the gothic vibes are out of this world and I love it so much, I am just eating this up, it's delicious. there's even a bit where sqx is standing on rocks looking out over a tempestuous sea!
- hx is peak drama kid, peak capital-R Romantic, peak cannot-let-things-go. and sqx is unable to look away
- I cannot wait to watch the rest of this unfold!
CQL/MDZS
For the Love of Quilting, by Scrippio
- a super cute modern au where wangxian are quilters! I love how much the author is clearly familiar with quilting and is able to imbue the fic with insider perspectives on the art/hobby
- I love when writers port "these characters are super skilled at The Thing The Show Is About" into a completely different domain like this, especially when it's a domain that doesn't get much attention from fandom usually!
- the dynamics between wwx and lwj are also so fun, the way they click so easily, and push each other, and inspire each other, and love each other
- also I dearly want to see all the quilts that are described in the fic lol
- 5k words in length
It's Only Time, by soupytwist
- wangxian fanvid set to "It's Only Time" by the magnetic fields
- I tend to be a hard sell on vids set to slower songs but this one totally captured me
- a gorgeous look at the endlessness of lwj's love
- thanks to lookitmychicken@blorbo.social for the rec that brought this one to my attention!
Hold On, I'm Coming, by inkjunket
- wangxian fanvid set to "Hold On, I'm Coming" by Book featuring Ndidi O
- damn this vidder is so good at using the motion of clips with the music to create and build intensity!
- I love how clear the arc is of what the vid is doing, even with almost no words in the song
- thanks to lookitmychicken@blorbo.social again for reccing this one!
Ready For It?, by wrensandroses
- fanvid focusing on jin guangyao, especially his relationships with lxc and nmj and qin su
- set to "Ready For It" by Taylor Swift
- this was so much FUN. the song makes it a real bop, experiencing jgy and his uhhhhhh Choices. the vid makes excellent use of his patented customer service smile also!
- thanks yet again to lookitmychicken@blorbo.social for the rec!
like a virgin (feels so good inside), by wildwestwind
- modern au where wei wuxian is a camboy and wen ning is his roommate
- wei wuxian is bad at recognizing boundaries and wen ning is bad at having them and it leads to them having sex together on camera
- they are both disasters and I love them very much!
- 3k words in length
- thanks to Betty@fandom.ink for the rec!
Salt in Our Sentences, by hansbekhart
- exploring the relationship between Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji; the three months of almost-friendship when they were searching for Wei Wuxian together, and then the many years of hatred that followed
- and yet lwj saves jc's life when he's injured in a night hunt. but they still hate each other.
- the deep well of bitterness on both sides, as both feel fully justified in their hate! god it's so good. the vibes in this fic are impeccable.
- 2k words in length
- thanks lookitmychicken@blorbo.social for the rec!
ORIGINAL SHORT STORY
Maladaptive Camouflage, by Ann Leblanc
- a woman with a gun is faced with two identical people who both claim to be her wife
- it's a fascinating short horror story about shape-shifting monsters who can duplicate human forms
- told through the pov of a shape-shifter!
- 2k words in length
Catch and Release, by Nemainofthewater
- an original xianxia short story on ao3
- in which an unorthodox cultivator gets himself adopted by a small child who turns out to be part of a major righteous sect, despite the unorthodox cultivator's attempts to remain a lone wolf unencumbered by attachments
- totally adorable and delightful!
- 1k words in length
My Bonsai Lover in Winter, by Rachael K. Jones
- I'm not quite sure what to make of this short story but it's odd and lovely and I enjoyed reading it so I'm sharing it with you as well.
- content note for body horror I think
- 1k words in length
There’s a Door to the Land of the Dead in the Land of the Dead, by Sarah Pinsker
- about queer intergenerational friendship and mentorship, about being a young adult trying to find your place, about death and what it means to you, about living through the death of all your peers and coming out the other side, about hope and love and making connections.
- holy shit this gave me so many emotions. READ IT READ IT READ IT.
- also I adore the title. pinsker writes great titles.
- 6k words in length
MULTIFANDOM
Bicycle Race, by seekingferret
- multifandom vid set to Queen's "Bicycle Race"
- no serious deep meaning, just a whole lot of different people bicycling in a whole lot of different fandoms!
- charming and fun to watch
DOCTOR WHO
Rest, by Aria
- I left the doctor who era of my life behind in 2012 but when one of my beloved doctor who friends posted a new fic today inspired by the newest doctor who happenings, I had to read it
- and guess what I had SO many feelings! the doctor! and donna! and finding ways to rest and live a linear life on earth with people he cares about and learning how to find the mundane things worth paying attention to!
- 3k words in length
2HA
oh, to be in love (and never get out again), by verity
- rule 63 modern au f/f ranwan
- chu wanning has atticwifed taxian-jun
- cwn is SO horny for her wife (wives) but can't let herself just enjoy that
- CHU WANNING.
- 1k words in length
YULETIDE
The Collar Tightens, by nemali
- fic for My Cousin Rachel
- post-canon fic from Louise's perspective!
- Philip is haunted by the ghost of Rachel!
- Louise struggles to keep up the mindset that of COURSE she must be happy to be married to Philip!
-1k words in length
Longest and Lasting, by Jougetsu
- fic for Jane of Lantern Hill
- fic about Aunt Gertrude through the years, her relationship with her mother and siblings, and growing into the person we see through Jane's eyes in the book
- so good and believable! poor Gertrude. she never had an opportunity to escape, or to learn how to want something other than her mother's approval!
- 1k words in length
under our skins, by Wildcard
- fic for Robin McKinley's novel "Sunshine" featuring Mel and Mel's tattoo artist!
- told through the notes kept by the tattoo artist on each tattoo associated with Mel
- Such a great glimpse into Mel's side of Sunshine's world!
- 1k words in length
The Nameless Mare and the Mountains, by tryfanstone
- Take the beautiful novella All the Horses of Iceland, and tell it from the perspective of one of the horses!
- just as beautiful and numinous as the original!
- 1k words in length
descent, by misura
- fic for Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Gods of Jade and Shadow
- such a fun pov choice to have it from Vucub-Kame's perspective!
- I loved the arguments between Vucub-Kame and Hun-Kame, and between Hun-Kame and Casiopeia!
- 2k words in length
Souls in the River, by primeideal
- Fic for the two-person roleplay game Debrief (I LOVE DEBRIEF!!!!)
- featuring Dora and Jean, the wives of the player characters in the game, and I love how it makes them real people with their own complex relationship with each other!
- I also love what it does with footnotes, it is a GENIUS way of doing pov things for this particular canon
- ahhhh there are so many great details in the fic too!
- 3k words in length
the lord survives the rainbow of his will, by XenomorphLiebe
- fic for the Frances Hardinge book "Deeplight"
- focusing on the friendship between Hark and Jelt
- absolutely perfect creepy vibes, and capturing what's compelling to Hark about his friendship with Jelt despite everything
- also perfect bits about Quest as mentor-figure!
- 4k words in length
An Occasion On Which Yudah Cohen Was, Shockingly, Not Required To Meddle, by whetherwoman
- fic for the Yudah Cohen series of short stories by Rebecca Fraimow
- ft. exactly what the title describes
- and ahhhh what a DELIGHTFUL story, a perfect little addition to the world of Yudah Cohen that feels exactly right!
- it feels like Yudah Cohen and his family and the people around him are the kinds of people about whom endless stories COULD be told, and this is simply another absolutely correct story about his life.
- 2k words in length
Groundhawk Day, by Caracalliope
- fic for Everina Maxwell's book Winter's Orbit
- a timeloop on Kiem and Jainan's wedding day! oh noes, what will they do!
- I love the timeloop as an external factor they have to face together
- Kiem is so KIEM! I love him so much. the way he is delighted every time by whatever Jainan's done with his hair and clothes!
- and I am so glad the fic cares as much as I do about the external non-romantic relationships for both of the romantic leads. how Bel is an integral part of things no matter what, and how much Jainan and his sister love each other
- 4k words in length
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Goncharov, by berlincorpography
- fic about the made-up film Goncharov, by which I mean, fic about the made-up academics who study the real-in-their-world film Goncharov and have fights about it in academic journals, and also write fic about it
- told entirely via text messages, ao3 comments, academic paper abstracts, and emails
- yes obviously it's enemies-to-lovers
- it's completely delightful, I love everything about it
- 6k words in length
- thanks to bloodripelives@fandom.ink for the rec!
Uncautionary Tales, by Roadsterguy
- fic for The Left Hand of Darkness, set generations after canon!
- a young person of Gethen dreams of journeying out to join the rest of the Ekumen; their parent tells them the story of the Envoy and of Estraven
- I love this outside perspective on the characters we know and love from canon, and what must have/might have happened to them, and the stories they've become in the generations since!
- the original characters are wonderful also, bringing a great dynamic to the discussion of what it means to be a Gethenian vs an Outsider, and to the consideration of what a story means and what it means to tell that story
- yuletide always brings fabulous left hand of darkness fics and this one is no exception!
- 2k words in length
Some Things that No One Teaches You, by DachOsmin
- another Left Hand of Darkness fic!!! just as good as the other one! god I love fandom
- genly and estraven on the ice, while estraven is in kemmer; a classic premise
- this one is so sweet and loving, so full of genly being obtuse about things but trying so hard regardless, and estraven wanting him despite it all!
- 2k words in length
Instructions for those who have relocated in space, time and/or genitalia, by Jang Bong Hwan - by halotolerant
- have I watched Mr Queen? no I have not. but I HAVE had friends tell me about it and that's nearly as good, in that it means I could read this fic and understand and appreciate it
- Jang Bong Hwan is writing down maxims about how to survive the experience of bodyswapping through time and space, for reference for future people in the same situation
- Jang Bong Hwan gets a little off topic. a lot.
- Jang Bong Hwan loves Cheoljong so much!
- delightful and charming throughout, such an engaging and endearing narrative voice
- 7k words in length
Double Down, by chasesstarlight
- pre-canon story for Ocean's 8, telling the story of how Lou and Debbie met each other and the first con they worked together!
- a fun story with a con that does a good job of fulfilling the story's needs
- I really enjoyed the Debbie/Lou dynamics!
- 6k words in length
The boys are back in town, by scintilla10
- post-canon fic about I Want To Go Home! featuring young adult Mike and Rudy going back to the camp for a reunion weekend
- super cute and sweet, and I loved how much camp turns out to be just....camp. Chip is a reasonable person who's grown up some more and was embarrassed about how at a loss he'd been as a counsellor, the new camp director is making changes to the programming, the other attendees are into the group bonding activities but don't force Mike and Rudy to do anything
- and it leaves Mike and Rudy a lot of time to just hang out and figure out what they mean to each other!
- 8k words in length
the most riveting intermission, by 061828
- cute little fic for the Knives Out universe, about Benoit Blanc and Phillip's first meeting!
- from Phillip's pov and I loved seeing Benoit Blanc from his perspective
- 2k words in length
The Duke's Curse, by Ghostinthehouse
- Tortall fic set in the Alanna era, about the ways different parts of the country deal with the famine, in the year after the use of the dominion jewel
- I liked the realistic look at what the differences would be in how hard the famine is depending on the main sources of food, eg in Pirate's Swoop which can look to the sea, vs Trebond with its field crops, and the people who have to go hungry vs the people who merely have to eat less deliciously than usual.
- I would have loved the inclusion as well of a place where the people in charge don't care as much about the well-being of the commoners through the famine, but I understand why the fic didn't want to go there!
- 2k words in length
if it were physical, it would show, by orthostatics
- a Tortall fic set during the era when Duke Roger is dead the first time, from Alex of Tirragen's pov
- omg I am OBSESSED with this minor canon divergence au that takes seriously the question of what Alex's motivations are
- the fucked up relationships between Alex and Delia, Alex and Roger, Alex and Thom! Alex's obsession with and failure to understand Alanna! Roger continuing to be horrible from beyond the grave!
- HELLO I AM HERE FOR ALL OF THIS
- 5k words in length
Known, by Kass
- a lovely post-canon fic about Uriel after When The Angels Left the Old Country, as its relationship with Ash evolves but remains the cornerstone of its life
- also full of Jewish geekery (as the tags of the fic say too!) which feels so right for fic of this book!
- 3k words in length
Zichronam Livracha, by azhdarchidaen
- another fic for When the Angels Left the Old Country, this one set 200 years later in the present day
- Ash and Uriel have continued to live in the US, and have brought Essie and Rose's papers to donate to a Jewish archive
- I love the archivist, and I love Uriel and Little Ash, and I love that from both sides there's kindhearted delight at seeing young people interested in preserving history!
- 1k words in length
a place where joy is known, by redgear
- a fic about The Blue Castle! a fic about Abel and Barney's friendship!!!
- I love this look at what their friendship is like - and at what Abel's perspective on Valancy is like!
- 1k words in length
the place you need to reach, by go_gentle
- Artemisia/Marguerite fic for the book Vespertine, a post-canon adventure
- look I have a terrible memory and don't remember most of what happened in Vespertine but I DO remember I loved the book, and this felt like a great addition to it
- Artemisia stops getting letters from Marguerite and immediately knows it means something is wrong and goes after her
- investigating a creepy group of people with the help of her revenant!
- Marguerite isn't just a damsel waiting for rescue!
- I really enjoyed it
- 8k words in length
Supporting Partner's Suit, by Persiflager
- a delightfully charming Jeeves/Wooster story wherein Wooster is bodyswapped with Honoria Glossop
- I loved the original character Tilly and I was SO cheering on the Tilly/Honoria ship!
- and of course Wooster and Jeeves are beautifully themselves as always
- 6k words in length
Building Bridges, by the_alchemist
- fic about the musical Chess!
- Anatoly/Svetlana navigating their relationship in the aftermath, in all its complexities
- navigating the feelings and the realities of their lives and what they are and aren't capable of being for each other, but being connected on some level despite it all!
- second person pov
- 6k words in length
A Winter Wood Warming, by Terrantalen
- post-canon Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell fic, about Arabella and Emma and a trip to Faerie
- much of it told through letters and journal entries
- I love the developing relationship between the two women, how important they are to each other, and how Arabella's relationship with the missing Jonathan is treated at the same time
- and the sense of the numinous fits just right into the way it's handled in canon!
- what a good fic. one I will definitely want to return to to reread.
- 9k words in length
Secrets Kept, by softboypassing
- post-canon Temeraire fic about Laurence/Tharkay exploring Tharkay's estate for the first time
- really good at vibes and the themes and the narrative voice! loved this one!
- 7k words in length
Guidance Lights and Caffeine Shots, by lc2l
- coffee shop au for Ocean's Echo!
- wherein Tennal runs a froofy indie coffee shop and Surit is on a budge that doesn't allow for froofy drinks
- super cute!
- 4k words in length
Interregnum, by Samizdat
- Goblin Emperor fic set during the period between the crash of the Wisdom of Choharo and the coming of Edrehasivar VII
- featuring various other people whose lives were changed by what happened!
- I loved seeing all these other little perspectives on the upheaval of that time
- 5k words in length
Procrastinating with Princesses, by azurefishnets
- an Enchanted Forest Chronicles fic that takes place post-canon, about one of Kazul's grandchildren
- featuring a dragon who doesn't want to have to choose a gender in order to be considered an adult, and a princess who's also a prince
- the next generation finding their own ways to be "improper" and shock the the older generation! gender experiences outside the binary! a very fun dragon-and-princess relationship! I loved it all
- 8k words in length
3 article recs
6 tgcf recs
6 cql/mdzs recs
4 original short story recs
1 multifandom rec
1 doctor who rec
1 2ha rec
29 yuletide recs
(yuletide fandoms are: My Cousin Rachel, Jane of Lantern Hill, Sunshine, All the Horses of Iceland, Gods of Jade and Shadow, Debrief, Deeplight, Yudah Cohen, Winter's Orbit, Goncharov, Left Hand of Darkness, Mr Queen, Ocean's 8, I Want To Go Home!, Knives Out, Tortall, When the Angels Left the Old Country, The Blue Castle, Vespertine, Jeeves & Wooster, Chess (Musical), Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, Ocean's Echo, The Goblin Emperor, Temeraire, and the Enchanted Forest Chronicles.)
ARTICLES
ARTICLES
Black Silk, Brown Silk: China and Beyond—Traditional Practice Meets Fashion, by Abby Lillethun, 2008
just read this interesting article on a technique for dyeing silk fabric a black colour in southeastern Asia, which can be called gummed silk or mud-treated/mud-dyed/mud-coated silk or a variety of other names
The article is about the socio-cultural context of the fabric's use in the last century and a half, which is fascinating, but now I want to know more about the chemistry of what goes on in this dyeing process. Especially since this is a process that involves iron in creating the black colour, and my understanding is that iron-rich dyes tend to corrode fabric over time, but gummed silk is specifically noted as being durable!
TELL ME MORE, INTERNET!
(the internet only wants to provide me fluff pieces about chinese fashion when I try searching)
anyway the article is worth reading in itself even if it doesn't do everything I want it to!
Blue to black: Hypotheses on plant use complexity in traditional dyeing processes in Southeast Asia and China, by S. Li, A.B. Cunningham, Y. Shi, Z. Qiu, A. Hartl, X. Ding, S. Wu, Y. Wang.
I just read this paper on traditional indigo dyeing methods in Southeast Asia & China and it's so INTERESTING.
- did you know: humans have been dying textiles with indigo dyes for at LEAST 6,000 years? despite it being a very complex multi-stage process? I am so impressed. (I'm also impressed we manage to have evidence of this! archeological research into the history of fibre arts is always a trial, for obvious reasons)
- an indigo dye vat needs to be an alkaline environment that has been fermented to grow anaerobic bacteria
- the dye vat will need various ingredients included to promote the fermentation and the correct type of bacterial growth, as well as to create the alkaline environment, and is monitored and maintained over time to make sure it goes right
- the reason you need all this is because indigo particles don't actually penetrate the fibres; you need to reduce the size of the indigo particles, and when they're small enough you can turn them into leuco-indigo which CAN penetrate the fibres. then when the material you're dyeing is exposed to air, the leuco-indigo turns back into indigo and is trapped in the fibres!
- if you want to overdye the indigo to create black, you also need a source of tannins as well as hyperaccumulator plants to be a source of metal mordant
- so if you have indigo you can dye fabric black without using iron! iron corrodes fabric over time, and is the other main way to create a black dye, so this is amazing
- modern industrial indigo-dyeing uses toxic reducing agents instead of the fermented dye bath, and this paper is intended to provide information on how sustainable dyeing could be done in a modern context as well. which, rock on. I love this.
Mickey, Disney, and the Public Domain: a 95-year Love Triangle, by Jennifer Jenkins
really enjoyed this article about Mickey Mouse and what it means practically speaking for Steamboat Willie to join the public domain in 2024!
TGCF
TGCF
Ming Yi's Monologue, by Zdenka
- The original Ming Yi doesn't get much attention in fanworks, perhaps understandably since he never appears on-screen in tgcf while alive (or as a ghost, or otherwise able to exist and communicate), but he's a fascinating character to speculate about through what we know of him!
- This short work is from Ming Yi's pov, a poem addressed to He Xuan from after death
- it's so much fun! I love the pov, and I love the air of menace and resentment from ming yi towards his usurper. Perfect ending.
- 300 words in length
party city, by verity
- rule 63 modern au hualian
- it is so SOFT and suffused with care that I am all emotions!!!!
- also. the outfits. I die.
- 3k words in length
My Love for You is Crimson, by elfowlgirl
- xie lian gets an idea for a fun adventure and hua cheng loves to indulge his husband's mischievous side (I LOVE THIS)
- the idea: if hua cheng went to heaven wearing clothes that aren't red, would anyone recognize him?
- a charming and cute fic!
- 3k words in length
- thanks to xieliansbignaturals@blorbo.social for the rec!
Double Trouble, by corduroyserpent
- wow?!?! jun wu is such a disaster and this is amazing
- post-canon, jun wu has a qi deviation that splits off a younger version of himself as bai wuxiang
- mei nianqing suggests that jun wu can fix it by dual cultivating with himself. jun wu is NOT into it but makes it work with mei nianqing's help.
- 3k words in length
- thanks to to xieliansbignaturals@blorbo.social for the rec!!!
we all have a hunger, by spicecandy
- beefleaf modern reincarnation! reincarnation isn't usually my thing but I liked how it was handled here
- he xuan has not developed any more chill over the years between when sqx dies and when sqx is finally reincarnated
- he xuan's pov is very fun. the drama! the pathos! meanwhile sqx is clearly just having a nice time bonding with he-jie. beefleaf always about contrasts :)
- I believe in u, he xuan! you can do it! have an actual relationship with sqx!!
- also the gender stuff is great.
- 6k words in length
- thanks to roland@federatedfandom.net for the rec!
shadowplay, by bloodletter
- a postcanon beefleaf reconciliation fic; it's a wip and the first chapter was just posted today
- sqx wakes up in a mysterious cave and finds that hx has saved her life and taken her there
- the gothic vibes are out of this world and I love it so much, I am just eating this up, it's delicious. there's even a bit where sqx is standing on rocks looking out over a tempestuous sea!
- hx is peak drama kid, peak capital-R Romantic, peak cannot-let-things-go. and sqx is unable to look away
- I cannot wait to watch the rest of this unfold!
CQL/MDZS
CQL/MDZS
For the Love of Quilting, by Scrippio
- a super cute modern au where wangxian are quilters! I love how much the author is clearly familiar with quilting and is able to imbue the fic with insider perspectives on the art/hobby
- I love when writers port "these characters are super skilled at The Thing The Show Is About" into a completely different domain like this, especially when it's a domain that doesn't get much attention from fandom usually!
- the dynamics between wwx and lwj are also so fun, the way they click so easily, and push each other, and inspire each other, and love each other
- also I dearly want to see all the quilts that are described in the fic lol
- 5k words in length
It's Only Time, by soupytwist
- wangxian fanvid set to "It's Only Time" by the magnetic fields
- I tend to be a hard sell on vids set to slower songs but this one totally captured me
- a gorgeous look at the endlessness of lwj's love
- thanks to lookitmychicken@blorbo.social for the rec that brought this one to my attention!
Hold On, I'm Coming, by inkjunket
- wangxian fanvid set to "Hold On, I'm Coming" by Book featuring Ndidi O
- damn this vidder is so good at using the motion of clips with the music to create and build intensity!
- I love how clear the arc is of what the vid is doing, even with almost no words in the song
- thanks to lookitmychicken@blorbo.social again for reccing this one!
Ready For It?, by wrensandroses
- fanvid focusing on jin guangyao, especially his relationships with lxc and nmj and qin su
- set to "Ready For It" by Taylor Swift
- this was so much FUN. the song makes it a real bop, experiencing jgy and his uhhhhhh Choices. the vid makes excellent use of his patented customer service smile also!
- thanks yet again to lookitmychicken@blorbo.social for the rec!
like a virgin (feels so good inside), by wildwestwind
- modern au where wei wuxian is a camboy and wen ning is his roommate
- wei wuxian is bad at recognizing boundaries and wen ning is bad at having them and it leads to them having sex together on camera
- they are both disasters and I love them very much!
- 3k words in length
- thanks to Betty@fandom.ink for the rec!
Salt in Our Sentences, by hansbekhart
- exploring the relationship between Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji; the three months of almost-friendship when they were searching for Wei Wuxian together, and then the many years of hatred that followed
- and yet lwj saves jc's life when he's injured in a night hunt. but they still hate each other.
- the deep well of bitterness on both sides, as both feel fully justified in their hate! god it's so good. the vibes in this fic are impeccable.
- 2k words in length
- thanks lookitmychicken@blorbo.social for the rec!
ORIGINAL SHORT STORY
ORIGINAL SHORT STORY
Maladaptive Camouflage, by Ann Leblanc
- a woman with a gun is faced with two identical people who both claim to be her wife
- it's a fascinating short horror story about shape-shifting monsters who can duplicate human forms
- told through the pov of a shape-shifter!
- 2k words in length
Catch and Release, by Nemainofthewater
- an original xianxia short story on ao3
- in which an unorthodox cultivator gets himself adopted by a small child who turns out to be part of a major righteous sect, despite the unorthodox cultivator's attempts to remain a lone wolf unencumbered by attachments
- totally adorable and delightful!
- 1k words in length
My Bonsai Lover in Winter, by Rachael K. Jones
- I'm not quite sure what to make of this short story but it's odd and lovely and I enjoyed reading it so I'm sharing it with you as well.
- content note for body horror I think
- 1k words in length
There’s a Door to the Land of the Dead in the Land of the Dead, by Sarah Pinsker
- about queer intergenerational friendship and mentorship, about being a young adult trying to find your place, about death and what it means to you, about living through the death of all your peers and coming out the other side, about hope and love and making connections.
- holy shit this gave me so many emotions. READ IT READ IT READ IT.
- also I adore the title. pinsker writes great titles.
- 6k words in length
MULTIFANDOM
MULTIFANDOM
Bicycle Race, by seekingferret
- multifandom vid set to Queen's "Bicycle Race"
- no serious deep meaning, just a whole lot of different people bicycling in a whole lot of different fandoms!
- charming and fun to watch
DOCTOR WHO
DOCTOR WHO
Rest, by Aria
- I left the doctor who era of my life behind in 2012 but when one of my beloved doctor who friends posted a new fic today inspired by the newest doctor who happenings, I had to read it
- and guess what I had SO many feelings! the doctor! and donna! and finding ways to rest and live a linear life on earth with people he cares about and learning how to find the mundane things worth paying attention to!
- 3k words in length
2HA
2HA
oh, to be in love (and never get out again), by verity
- rule 63 modern au f/f ranwan
- chu wanning has atticwifed taxian-jun
- cwn is SO horny for her wife (wives) but can't let herself just enjoy that
- CHU WANNING.
- 1k words in length
YULETIDE
YULETIDE
The Collar Tightens, by nemali
- fic for My Cousin Rachel
- post-canon fic from Louise's perspective!
- Philip is haunted by the ghost of Rachel!
- Louise struggles to keep up the mindset that of COURSE she must be happy to be married to Philip!
-1k words in length
Longest and Lasting, by Jougetsu
- fic for Jane of Lantern Hill
- fic about Aunt Gertrude through the years, her relationship with her mother and siblings, and growing into the person we see through Jane's eyes in the book
- so good and believable! poor Gertrude. she never had an opportunity to escape, or to learn how to want something other than her mother's approval!
- 1k words in length
under our skins, by Wildcard
- fic for Robin McKinley's novel "Sunshine" featuring Mel and Mel's tattoo artist!
- told through the notes kept by the tattoo artist on each tattoo associated with Mel
- Such a great glimpse into Mel's side of Sunshine's world!
- 1k words in length
The Nameless Mare and the Mountains, by tryfanstone
- Take the beautiful novella All the Horses of Iceland, and tell it from the perspective of one of the horses!
- just as beautiful and numinous as the original!
- 1k words in length
descent, by misura
- fic for Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Gods of Jade and Shadow
- such a fun pov choice to have it from Vucub-Kame's perspective!
- I loved the arguments between Vucub-Kame and Hun-Kame, and between Hun-Kame and Casiopeia!
- 2k words in length
Souls in the River, by primeideal
- Fic for the two-person roleplay game Debrief (I LOVE DEBRIEF!!!!)
- featuring Dora and Jean, the wives of the player characters in the game, and I love how it makes them real people with their own complex relationship with each other!
- I also love what it does with footnotes, it is a GENIUS way of doing pov things for this particular canon
- ahhhh there are so many great details in the fic too!
- 3k words in length
the lord survives the rainbow of his will, by XenomorphLiebe
- fic for the Frances Hardinge book "Deeplight"
- focusing on the friendship between Hark and Jelt
- absolutely perfect creepy vibes, and capturing what's compelling to Hark about his friendship with Jelt despite everything
- also perfect bits about Quest as mentor-figure!
- 4k words in length
An Occasion On Which Yudah Cohen Was, Shockingly, Not Required To Meddle, by whetherwoman
- fic for the Yudah Cohen series of short stories by Rebecca Fraimow
- ft. exactly what the title describes
- and ahhhh what a DELIGHTFUL story, a perfect little addition to the world of Yudah Cohen that feels exactly right!
- it feels like Yudah Cohen and his family and the people around him are the kinds of people about whom endless stories COULD be told, and this is simply another absolutely correct story about his life.
- 2k words in length
Groundhawk Day, by Caracalliope
- fic for Everina Maxwell's book Winter's Orbit
- a timeloop on Kiem and Jainan's wedding day! oh noes, what will they do!
- I love the timeloop as an external factor they have to face together
- Kiem is so KIEM! I love him so much. the way he is delighted every time by whatever Jainan's done with his hair and clothes!
- and I am so glad the fic cares as much as I do about the external non-romantic relationships for both of the romantic leads. how Bel is an integral part of things no matter what, and how much Jainan and his sister love each other
- 4k words in length
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Goncharov, by berlincorpography
- fic about the made-up film Goncharov, by which I mean, fic about the made-up academics who study the real-in-their-world film Goncharov and have fights about it in academic journals, and also write fic about it
- told entirely via text messages, ao3 comments, academic paper abstracts, and emails
- yes obviously it's enemies-to-lovers
- it's completely delightful, I love everything about it
- 6k words in length
- thanks to bloodripelives@fandom.ink for the rec!
Uncautionary Tales, by Roadsterguy
- fic for The Left Hand of Darkness, set generations after canon!
- a young person of Gethen dreams of journeying out to join the rest of the Ekumen; their parent tells them the story of the Envoy and of Estraven
- I love this outside perspective on the characters we know and love from canon, and what must have/might have happened to them, and the stories they've become in the generations since!
- the original characters are wonderful also, bringing a great dynamic to the discussion of what it means to be a Gethenian vs an Outsider, and to the consideration of what a story means and what it means to tell that story
- yuletide always brings fabulous left hand of darkness fics and this one is no exception!
- 2k words in length
Some Things that No One Teaches You, by DachOsmin
- another Left Hand of Darkness fic!!! just as good as the other one! god I love fandom
- genly and estraven on the ice, while estraven is in kemmer; a classic premise
- this one is so sweet and loving, so full of genly being obtuse about things but trying so hard regardless, and estraven wanting him despite it all!
- 2k words in length
Instructions for those who have relocated in space, time and/or genitalia, by Jang Bong Hwan - by halotolerant
- have I watched Mr Queen? no I have not. but I HAVE had friends tell me about it and that's nearly as good, in that it means I could read this fic and understand and appreciate it
- Jang Bong Hwan is writing down maxims about how to survive the experience of bodyswapping through time and space, for reference for future people in the same situation
- Jang Bong Hwan gets a little off topic. a lot.
- Jang Bong Hwan loves Cheoljong so much!
- delightful and charming throughout, such an engaging and endearing narrative voice
- 7k words in length
Double Down, by chasesstarlight
- pre-canon story for Ocean's 8, telling the story of how Lou and Debbie met each other and the first con they worked together!
- a fun story with a con that does a good job of fulfilling the story's needs
- I really enjoyed the Debbie/Lou dynamics!
- 6k words in length
The boys are back in town, by scintilla10
- post-canon fic about I Want To Go Home! featuring young adult Mike and Rudy going back to the camp for a reunion weekend
- super cute and sweet, and I loved how much camp turns out to be just....camp. Chip is a reasonable person who's grown up some more and was embarrassed about how at a loss he'd been as a counsellor, the new camp director is making changes to the programming, the other attendees are into the group bonding activities but don't force Mike and Rudy to do anything
- and it leaves Mike and Rudy a lot of time to just hang out and figure out what they mean to each other!
- 8k words in length
the most riveting intermission, by 061828
- cute little fic for the Knives Out universe, about Benoit Blanc and Phillip's first meeting!
- from Phillip's pov and I loved seeing Benoit Blanc from his perspective
- 2k words in length
The Duke's Curse, by Ghostinthehouse
- Tortall fic set in the Alanna era, about the ways different parts of the country deal with the famine, in the year after the use of the dominion jewel
- I liked the realistic look at what the differences would be in how hard the famine is depending on the main sources of food, eg in Pirate's Swoop which can look to the sea, vs Trebond with its field crops, and the people who have to go hungry vs the people who merely have to eat less deliciously than usual.
- I would have loved the inclusion as well of a place where the people in charge don't care as much about the well-being of the commoners through the famine, but I understand why the fic didn't want to go there!
- 2k words in length
if it were physical, it would show, by orthostatics
- a Tortall fic set during the era when Duke Roger is dead the first time, from Alex of Tirragen's pov
- omg I am OBSESSED with this minor canon divergence au that takes seriously the question of what Alex's motivations are
- the fucked up relationships between Alex and Delia, Alex and Roger, Alex and Thom! Alex's obsession with and failure to understand Alanna! Roger continuing to be horrible from beyond the grave!
- HELLO I AM HERE FOR ALL OF THIS
- 5k words in length
Known, by Kass
- a lovely post-canon fic about Uriel after When The Angels Left the Old Country, as its relationship with Ash evolves but remains the cornerstone of its life
- also full of Jewish geekery (as the tags of the fic say too!) which feels so right for fic of this book!
- 3k words in length
Zichronam Livracha, by azhdarchidaen
- another fic for When the Angels Left the Old Country, this one set 200 years later in the present day
- Ash and Uriel have continued to live in the US, and have brought Essie and Rose's papers to donate to a Jewish archive
- I love the archivist, and I love Uriel and Little Ash, and I love that from both sides there's kindhearted delight at seeing young people interested in preserving history!
- 1k words in length
a place where joy is known, by redgear
- a fic about The Blue Castle! a fic about Abel and Barney's friendship!!!
- I love this look at what their friendship is like - and at what Abel's perspective on Valancy is like!
- 1k words in length
the place you need to reach, by go_gentle
- Artemisia/Marguerite fic for the book Vespertine, a post-canon adventure
- look I have a terrible memory and don't remember most of what happened in Vespertine but I DO remember I loved the book, and this felt like a great addition to it
- Artemisia stops getting letters from Marguerite and immediately knows it means something is wrong and goes after her
- investigating a creepy group of people with the help of her revenant!
- Marguerite isn't just a damsel waiting for rescue!
- I really enjoyed it
- 8k words in length
Supporting Partner's Suit, by Persiflager
- a delightfully charming Jeeves/Wooster story wherein Wooster is bodyswapped with Honoria Glossop
- I loved the original character Tilly and I was SO cheering on the Tilly/Honoria ship!
- and of course Wooster and Jeeves are beautifully themselves as always
- 6k words in length
Building Bridges, by the_alchemist
- fic about the musical Chess!
- Anatoly/Svetlana navigating their relationship in the aftermath, in all its complexities
- navigating the feelings and the realities of their lives and what they are and aren't capable of being for each other, but being connected on some level despite it all!
- second person pov
- 6k words in length
A Winter Wood Warming, by Terrantalen
- post-canon Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell fic, about Arabella and Emma and a trip to Faerie
- much of it told through letters and journal entries
- I love the developing relationship between the two women, how important they are to each other, and how Arabella's relationship with the missing Jonathan is treated at the same time
- and the sense of the numinous fits just right into the way it's handled in canon!
- what a good fic. one I will definitely want to return to to reread.
- 9k words in length
Secrets Kept, by softboypassing
- post-canon Temeraire fic about Laurence/Tharkay exploring Tharkay's estate for the first time
- really good at vibes and the themes and the narrative voice! loved this one!
- 7k words in length
Guidance Lights and Caffeine Shots, by lc2l
- coffee shop au for Ocean's Echo!
- wherein Tennal runs a froofy indie coffee shop and Surit is on a budge that doesn't allow for froofy drinks
- super cute!
- 4k words in length
Interregnum, by Samizdat
- Goblin Emperor fic set during the period between the crash of the Wisdom of Choharo and the coming of Edrehasivar VII
- featuring various other people whose lives were changed by what happened!
- I loved seeing all these other little perspectives on the upheaval of that time
- 5k words in length
Procrastinating with Princesses, by azurefishnets
- an Enchanted Forest Chronicles fic that takes place post-canon, about one of Kazul's grandchildren
- featuring a dragon who doesn't want to have to choose a gender in order to be considered an adult, and a princess who's also a prince
- the next generation finding their own ways to be "improper" and shock the the older generation! gender experiences outside the binary! a very fun dragon-and-princess relationship! I loved it all
- 8k words in length