A Fan's Playground

one

it is very convenient that my computer refuses to load twitter anymore. whenever I am tempted to go to twitter, the gods of technology reach down and say: no. you will regret it.


two

when I first started listening to podcasts I did not understand the scale of the problem of the gender distribution of hosts within the podcast sphere. I get it now.

these days for a new podcast to feel worth checking out for me, all I ask is that it have at least one host who is not a man. if it is only men, it needs to have The Most Interesting Premise In The World at this point!

any individual podcast is not the problem, but the pattern is exhausting


three

the latest update to the AOS's resolution to change all eponymously-named English bird names for north and central american bird species is a very interesting read!

https://americanornithology.org/english-bird-names/aos-pilot-project-to-change-harmful-english-common-bird-names/

I think they're doing a great job of talking through what's behind the move, what complications are having to be dealt with, and what care is being taken in developing the process for changing the names. Including starting with a pilot project! (I love pilot projects.)

I was also delighted to learn from this article that one bird species I know and love, the long-tailed duck, is actually one that had its name changed in the year 2000 due to its previous name including an offensive word! The current name is such an obvious, memorable, and useful name. I'm glad they made that change and I look forward to more changes like it.


four

I was recently having a convo with a friend and it's making me wonder... is there any book you would call a perfect book? and if so, what book(s)?

I started looking through my 5 star reviews and being like.... ok so I adored these books with so much of my heart but there are still things that could have been done differently to make them technically better

I do think that Kate Beaton's Ducks might be perfect though. and Nghi Vo's When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain.

but of course even if a book is perfect to me doesn't mean it's a book that will work for everybody!


five

ohohoho I have learned the power of remapping shortcuts on my laptop keyboard! I now have the power to create this unicode symbol ➤ in any program, without having to copy-paste it from somewhere else!

(the secret, if you're on a windows computer, is to download microsoft powertoys from github: https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/releases/)

My recs for the month of February! This month included festivids getting posted so there are a lot of small-fandom vids in this batch, as well as the usual run of various mxtx fanfic plus other stuff. The lineup:

Romeo+Juliet – 2 vids
Taskmaster UK – 1 vid
Jesus Christ Superstar – 1 vid
Catherine Called Birdy – 1 vid
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves – 1 vid
Moby Dick – 1 vid
the Knives Out series – 1 vid
Shakespeare’s As You Like It – 1 vid
Hikaru No Go – 1 fic
SVSSS – 3 fics
MDZS/CQL – 4 fics

Romeo+Juliet

Trust+Fall, by sandalwoodbox

- it's festivids time!!! this is probably the first of SEVERAL vids I will be reccing today

- this one is for the film Romeo+Juliet, and focuses on the Romeo/Juliet relationship

- set to the song "Parachute" which I previously knew from an extremely cute Leverage vid, so it was fascinating to see how this vid pulled out very different themes from the song and made a much darker, more painful vid, though cut through with moments of cuteness and levity, as the tension ramped upwards towards Romeo and Juliet's inevitable end

- it was so good!

- 2:52 in length. Music only, no added sounds/dialogue. No subtitles.


Magnetic, by sandalwoodbox

- another Romeo + Juliet vid, this one focusing on Mercutio

- it's about how magnetic a character and a person Mercutio is and like. YUP. AGREED.

- 0:58 in length. Music only, no added sounds/dialogue. Subtitles are available.

Taskmaster

Blood in the Cut, by findmeinthealps

- Taskmaster UK vid focusing on Alex and the uhhhh dynamics in the show that he created

- I love the way the editing turns so many of the weird visuals into something that the camera has an erotic focus on. it's so effective! and the song really amplifies it.

- 3:13 in length. music only, not added sounds/dialogue. no subtitles available.

Jesus Christ Superstar

Hope on Fire, by aguntoaknifefight (swirlingvoid)

- a Jesus Christ Superstar vid which draws on many different productions of the musical, both stage and film, to look at Judas's relationship with Jesus

- I love how it gets across how intense and agonising a relationship it is, and the use of many different sources helps hammer home the inevitability of its tragedy too

- 3:45 in length. music only, no added sounds/dialogue. subtitles are available.

Catherine Called Birdy

Jackrabbit, by Tafadhali

- vid for the movie Catherine Called Birdy, about Birdy and her relationship with her parents

- I haven't actually seen the movie but I have loved the book for many years!

- and this vid felt like it exactly captured the feel and the mood of the story. It's lovely.

- 3:24 in length. music only, no added sounds/dialogue. no subtitles.

Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Disaster Party, by Scribe

- so I have not actually seen the dungeons and dragons movie yet but this vid about the adventuring party was just so fun and charming to watch

- upbeat and loving look at the characters and their various misfortunes as they make mistakes and keep going

- 3:12 in length. music only, no added sounds/dialogue. no subtitles.

Moby Dick

Here it Goes Again, by eruthros

- Moby Dick vid featuring as many different adaptations and inspired-bys as the vidder could fit in

- here it goes again! the story keeps repeating itself! you can't escape it!

- so much fun and so impressive

- 3:01 in length. Music only, no added sounds/dialogue. Subtitles are available.

Knives Out series

'Til You Hit A Nerve, by stardust_rain

- about the heroines of Knives Out and Glass Onion

- idk that I have anything insightful or interesting to say about this one but it's a good vid! I liked it!

- 2:27 in length. Music only, no added sounds/dialogue. No subtitles.

As You Like It

Boys Keep Swinging, by Tafadhali

- a vid about Rosalind in many different productions of Shakespeare's As You Like It

- a vid that is just having SO much fun leaning into being as queer about gender as it can manage

- and I had just as much fun watching it!

- 2:00 in length. Music only, no added sounds/dialogue. No subtitles.

Hikaru No Go

Dragons and Other Metaphors, by esama

- canon divergence genfic about Akira's pov on Hikaru, and like, it's been SO long since I've been in this fandom that I've forgotten all the contextualization to recognize what the point of divergence is lol

- but it's a REALLY good fic about how large a figure Hikaru is in Akira's life, and the rivalry experience Akira is so committed to

- 3k words in length

- I saw this fic thanks to a rec from Rozzychan on fedi so thank you!

SVSSS

Small Fish in an Unsettled Pond, Violent_entertainment

- this is part of a series of unconnected works the author is writing, each one focusing on the relationship between Shang Qinghua and a different one of the various Cang Qiong peak lords

- today's is about Shang Qinghua and the Ku Xing Peak Lord! yes, one of the peak lords who doesn't even get a name in canon

- sqh and the kx peak lord are friends and unlikely allies in the effort to make sure lbh doesn't destroy the sect and mash the realms together

- I love how the author comes up with so many different backstories for sqh in the different fics

- and I love this vision of the kx peak lord! and what lbh would be like under this lord's tutelage!

- 4k words in length


stuffed with fluff (and blood and bones and rage), by nyoomerr

- it's always a good day when nyoomerr posts a new svsss fic!

- this one is about original lbh, beginning in his abyss years, visiting shen yuan in his dreams

- lbh can't move or act or speak in these dreams but he gets to hear/read about everything sy says about lbh

- over years lbh gets more and more obsessed with sy (obvs)

- I love watching lbh's growing realizations of the nature of his frustrations, mediated through getting to hear sy express things that are so different from what anyone in his waking life ever says

- I love how much he craves someone who SEES him like sy does, and yet sy can't see all of lbh because the parts of lbh's life he gets to see are all mediated through the nature of what a stallion novel will focus on!

- and the ENDING. it is perfect! I'm feral at the thought of what will happen next

- 17k words in length


Help! My Ex-Boyfriend Transmigrated And Now He's My Shixiong! by kitschlet

- just reread this fic and it's as fun as it was the first time!

- in which sqq and sqh were exes back in the real world

- they figure out who each other are and immediately fall to bickering over what actually happened in their relationship

- these two are SO FUNNY and SO RIDICULOUS and my heart gave a pang anyway! truly the magic of cumplane

- I love them and they're the worst <3333

- 2k words in length

MDZS/CQL

The light that he brings, by raitala

- mdzs/cql modern au where wwx reappears after many years and lwj wants to keep him in his life in whatever way he can

- I love! how much they care about each other, and how they try to navigate the new/old dynamics between them with the additional perspective that being older will bring

- though lwj still hasn't entirely figured out the framework to understand his attraction to wwx

- they're both trying so hard to not overstep boundaries between them but they can both agree that whatever is best for a-Yuan is worth doing

- watching them slide into intimacy and intertwined lives, and how lwj comes alive with wwx and a-yuan in his life! endless delight

- impeccable under-negotiated d/s vibes between them

- I love the glimpses into all the other people in their lives as well!

- ahhh there are so many things I could keep saying about this fic! it's so good

- 106k words in length


the beauty of maturity, by hisevilforest

- mdzs/cql

- look this is uhhh not a common ship so I just smooshed the names together for the hashtag and called it good

- Lan Jingyi and Xue Yang run into each other alone in all the fog of yi city

- their dynamics with each other are SO fun, neither of them trusting each other and yet both having a great time in their various ways

- jingyi's pov is GREAT

- I think the author's tags are a great look into what the fic is like: hostage situations, poisoning, making out, frottage, mind-games, mouthy jerks who escalate, sexy swordfighting, being walked in on by hanguang-jun specifically, blink and you miss it glimpses of xue yang's angst, but mostly humour

- this is a reread for me and it's just as worth it the second time (or third, or fourth, or --- )

- 6k words in length


moored, by fluffysocks

- mdzs/cql

- Because Of Reasons, wwx and jc are both married off to lwj after the destruction of lotus pier. wwx is blissfully happy about it; jc struggles with it on a NUMBER of fronts

- from jc's pov, about him figuring out how to have a successful relationship with his husband, with his place in his new sect, with his brother and co-spouse, with himself and his struggles in cultivation these days

- jc's pov obviously doesn't like to think about any of these things straightforwardly, he's too busy being tsundere about everything lol

- I love seeing him finding his own way, figuring out how to have a life that works for him even if it isn't what he would have chosen!

- 17k words in length

- (also: fuck jkr and all, but if you also fondly remember helenish's hp fic "theft of assets, destruction of property" then this is the fic for you!)


Lans Never Kiss and Tell, by FeelsForBreakfast

- mdzs/cql modern AU wangxian fic wherein wwx finds out that lwj has kissed all of their friends except him
- obviously he immediately goes insane about this

- I'm very charmed that this is a "mutual pining" trope fic wherein the two of them never doubt for even a moment that they are each other's most important person

- the writing is extremely funny. such good comedy bits overlapping with the genuine emotions in ways that make both parts better!

- 31k words in length

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

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

I was having a conversation with some folks on mastodon a little while ago about the practice of reading fics for fandoms you're not familiar with, and why it works for some people and not others. I understand both approaches, but I am firmly in the camp of being happy to read a fic whether I know the fandom or not, as long as it looks interesting to me!

The particular pleasures are different, but both ways are good: fic about fandoms you know is pleasurably wallowing in an ongoing conversation about something you love (...or love to hate), whereas fic for unfamiliar fandoms is having fun eavesdropping on someone else's conversation and working out a puzzle while enjoying a good story.

But some fics work better than others for reading without canon to contextualize them, and although I'm up for some challenges, you don't actually have to play this game on hard-mode. So I'm here to provide a rec list of fics I have enjoyed without canon knowledge that I think are more broadly successful for that purpose. I hope you find some to enjoy here too!

Arranged alphabetically by fandom.


The Improbable Future, by marycontraire

6k words, not rated

The fandom: crossover between Boy Meets World and Girl Meets World, which are presumably related to each other, though I don't even know what medium they are in.

The fic: A story about family, especially the relationship between a preteen girl and the surrogate father figure in her life. Extremely heartwarming!


Sentimental Reasons, by Frostfire

16k words, rated T

The fandom: Casablanca, one of those famous classic black and white movies, about war

The fic: focuses on the story of a character who is a minor character in the original movie, which allows you to follow the story easily without knowing the original. All Sam wants to do with his life is play music, but racism and war have a tendency to intervene. The story revolves around his relationship with another man, Richard. I love Sam, and I love his pov in this fic. It's an incredible read!


One More Time With Feeling (or, Charlie Brooker and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day), by marginaliana

50k words, rated E

The fandom: british comedians rpf, ft. comedians I've never heard of

The fic: Timeloop! The classic groundhog day experience! And this was a really impressively done timeloop fic. I was particularly impressed with how well the character arc for the protagonist went from totally-an-appalling-asshole to only-normal-level-sympathetic-asshole, and how it shows some of the ways that being in a timeloop can be really awful. And yet - happy ending! Impressive.


The Retirement of Gabriel Argent, by Sixthlight

5k words, rated T

The fandom: Daniel Blackland, which is, I believe, a book series?

The fic: is about two characters who are not Daniel Blackland. It's about finding a way to live a peaceful life that actually makes you happy, when you never thought such a thing would be possible. It's lovely!


go pick out a white dress, by novembersmith

1k words, rated G

The fandom: Deepwater Bride, by Tamsyn Muir, which I'm guessing is a short story.

The fic: a delightful uhhhh one-sided romance about an eldritch sea monster who is really into a human, much to the dismay of, well, everyone. But the eldritch being will not be disheartened! Such a charming voice.


Hesitation Waltz, by cranialaccessory

20k words, rated T

The fandom: From Eroica With Love, which I know literally nothing about

The fic: Two cold war era spies have to pretend to be married for a case. One of them is flamboyant and foppish, the other is grouchy and bad at acting. Together they learn things about teamwork and trust! (and that they're into each other.)


confirmation bias, by novembersmith

14k words, rated E

The fandom: Integrate, which I'm guessing is a book

The fic: This is the fic that instantly came to mind when I first thought of making this rec list. I love it. It's a totally adorable alien/human interspecies romance, from the pov of the alien, who of course finds the human the alien one. Every single thing in the fic is a delight.


Get Up, and Go Forth, by Frostfire

15k words, rated T

The fandom: the tv show Kings, which I once tried and failed to watch, but is loosely based on the biblical story of David and Jonathan

The fic: Hey, it works just fine as bible fanfic instead! (I'm afraid I don't know how it would read if you aren't familiar with the biblical story. My parents were rigorous about making sure I would be biblically literate.) The fic focuses on the Jonathan character, here called Jack, as he explores what it means to be on David's side instead of his father's. I have reread this fic so many times. It's just so well done!


A Divinely Attractive Arrangement, by Fahye

6k words, rated T

The fandom: the movie Love and Friendship. I've read the book Love and Freindship [sic] but the movie, despite the name, is not actually based on the book!

The fic: featuring the pov of the most amiably oblivious person in the absolutely entire world as he settles into his recent marriage. He's so genuinely happy about everything in his life! Even as it is obvious to the reader how much the other characters in the story are manipulating him. I love him very much.


This Episode Brought To You By, by ryfkah

6k words, rated T

The fandom: a kdrama, Mr. Queen. Going in I did in fact know a very slim amount about the actual canon, which I believe is a useful starting point for reading the fic: it's a show about a modern chef who transmigrates into Korean history, into the body of a queen; the queen, meanwhile, ends up in the future in the chef's body.

The fic: is about both the chef and the queen, as they explore their identity and their desires through the medium of food, and it is a complete delight.


Sweet In the Gale Is Heard, by Toft

11k words, rated T

The fandom: Pegasus, by Robin McKinley, a novel I've never read despite generally being a McKinley fan because I heard it ends on a cliffhanger and the sequel was never published.

The fic: A fixit for the cliffhanger! Interspecies romance between a human and a pegasus, and absolutely lovely.


Things Which Catch the Eye, by petrichoral

3k words, rated G

The fandom: The Pillow Book, by Sei Shonagon, which is a book I have heard of often over the years but have never actually read.

The fic: ships Sei Shonagon with another woman who presumably appears in the book as well, showing the arc of their relationship in short snatches that come together skilfully. Truly excellent.


you wait and you wonder who'll take on your odds, by paperclipbitch

138k words, rated E

The fandom: The Queen's Gambit, a tv show which I gather is about chess

The fic: An "exes to friends to spouses to lovers" marriage of convenience story. I love how well balanced this is between all the different aspects of things going on: the feelings between Beth and Benny, the working out how to make a life together (separate from the feelings), the chess, the simmering sexual attraction, the other people in Beth's life who are important to her, and Beth's understanding of herself. Really good!


Lebenswerk, by Serena

10k words, rated T

The fandom: Sunset Boulevard, a classic movie about movie-making

The fic: A director's relationship with his star actor, and the things he does and doesn't choose to prioritize over the years. It is interesting, and also rather uncomfortable in places, in ways that are entirely fitting to the story. I was really captivated by it!


Moab, by Parhelion

13k words, rated G

The fandom: an old-school sci-fi book series called The People, by Zenna Henderson

The fic: reads like a lovely, quiet, thoughtful, and kind original scifi story itself, about a human-looking space alien orphan stranded on earth with supernatural powers he has to hide, raised by a woman he calls Aunt, as he finds his place in the world of the early 20th century.


Transformers Works, by astolat

331k words, ratings ranging from T to E

The fandom: Transformers. A tv show (or multiple?) and toys and possibly other media as well? About robot war.

The fic: this is actually a link to all of astolat's fics about transformers. Pretty much every transformers fic Astolat has written is basically: given different base assumptions about how the universe works, how to end the war. And I love all of it, omg, both the different choices of worldbuilding in each fic and also the commitment to ending the war. Pick and choose between the fics for what you want to read!


Variations on a Theme from Turandot, by Ada Hoffman

7k words, not rated

The fandom: Turandot, which I'm guessing is an opera, or maybe a ballet?

The fic: A professionally published story which also happens to be fanfic. Does what it says on the tin! I'm not quite sure I followed the ending, but somehow it works like that even so. I found it so interesting.


A Good Bargain, by Neery

11k words, rated E

The fandom: Word of Honor, a wuxia-genre tv show that I have heard goes as hard on gay themes as it possibly could within the censorship rules it was produced under.

The fic: Does the thing where someone enters a marriage of convenience, but takes their marriage vows seriously and is now firmly working on the side of their spouse. And in this case the spouse knows this about them and planned it on purpose! DELIGHTFUL. I adore it.

Oh look, once again (as always) I am behind in posting my book thoughts, so here's three at once!

( Hey World, Here I Am! by Jean Little )

( Does My Head Look Big In This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah )

( The Rithmatist, by Brandon Sanderson )

To find out why I chose to read this book you have to look backwards in my life QUITE A FEW YEARS. Like, a dozen years at LEAST. As a kid I had this book called "Horses Forever" by Lawrence Scanlan - it's a nonfiction book about why horses have so much appeal to people. I reread it a LOT for a few years, during my most horse-obsessed age. And in one part of Horses Forever there's reference made to Tschiffely's Ride, apparently in glowing enough terms that I remembered the name for a dozen years as something I wanted to read. Gosh. That is an IMPRESSIVE FEAT given the generally poor state of my memory!

Anyways, fast-forward those dozen or so years, and I was wandering a used bookstore and saw Tschiffely's Ride on a sale shelf for like one buck. I was immediately like SOLD and then I took it home and put it on my bookshelf and didn't touch it for several years. (I am SO GOOD at reading things on my to-read list...) But! Finally I have read it!

It's a nonfiction book written by a white dude in the 1930s who randomly decided he wanted to travel on horseback from where he was working in Buenos Aires, Argentina all the way to Washington DC, something everyone said wasn't doable. Because he was bored and wanted adventure. This trip involves a lot of deserts and mountains and other such fun things. It took him 2 1/2 years. And he wrote this book after his successful completion of the journey!

( Read more... )

RIGHT I SHOULD POST ABOUT YULETIDE instead of continuing ever farther on my fall into Les Miserables. Being easily distractible is sometimes fun and sometimes problematic....

Anyways! I wrote one fic for yuletide, and that fic was for Sarah Rees' Brennan's excellent short story Queen of Atlantis:

One Cannot Ask Loneliness (1098 words) by sophia_sol
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Queen of Atlantis - Sarah Rees Brennan
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Genia/her husband
Characters: Genia
Summary:

The night before Genia's first sacrifice it rains.

It was fun! If by fun I mean full of me tearing at my hair! This wasn't the story I intended to write -- the story I intended to write was far more epic in scope -- but I'm quite pleased with how this turned out nonetheless: a small and quiet story about who Genia is and why she made the choices she did.

I also received two fics, both for A Girl of the Limberlost, both about Edith, and VERY VERY different from each other!

My main gift was the following, a lovely sweet story that does just what I asked for and gives many warm fuzzies! Thank you, Whetherwoman!

Home Is Where the Hart Is (1090 words) by whetherwoman
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: A Girl of the Limberlost - Gene Stratton-Porter
Rating: General Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Edith Carr/Hart Henderson
Summary:

Edith has changed. Has Edith's relationship with Hart changed?

My other gift was from justice_turtle, who knows me well enough to know that I REALLY DO MEAN IT when I say I'm open to being convinced of other viewpoints -- so he wrote the following as a treat for me, a fic which is pretty much the exact opposite of what I had thought I wanted. HEY GUESS WHAT, turns out JT is really damn convincing and this story is actually ALL OF THE AMAZING AALSDSHFLKDJHFLKSDFJ

A Girl of the Social Round (1246 words) by Justice_Turtle
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: A Girl of the Limberlost - Gene Stratton-Porter
Rating: General Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Edith Carr/Hart Henderson, Edith Carr/Philip Ammon
Characters: Edith Carr, Philip Ammon, Hart Henderson
Summary:

PHILIP AMMON IS A DICK *koff* I mean: An apologia for Edith Carr.

In conclusion: yuletide once again was EXCELLENT. I LOVE YULETIDE SO MUCH. And I mean, there is SO MUCH wonderful fic written for SO MANY glorious tiny fandoms, and it kind of feels like the entire thing is a gift -- one I am very thankful for. I'm not yet done going through all the yuletide fic I'm interested in, alas, and we'll see how far I get THIS year before I get distracted. (It'd be a first if I actually managed to get to all the fic I intend to this year!)

I think this year I need to write a pimp post for the things I am going to be requesting for Yuletide. Because none of them have any fannish activity to speak of. I have no experience writing pimp posts, so we'll see how this goes!


( Fandom One: Three Hearings on the Existence of Snakes in the Human Bloodstream, by James Alan Gardner )


( Fandom Two: Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe )


( Fandom Three: Sir Richard Francis Burton RPF )