The Rec Center #137
Hello all! This week we’re bringing back the fan-favorite “That One Fic” challenge: the stories people would recommend to anyone checking out a new fandom, regardless of how popular or widely-recced they are. Plus pieces on Wakandacon, Tumblr’s data analysis, and a link about “sex Thanos” that Gav is going to trick me into clicking on. — Elizabeth
new stuff
“How the First Wakandacon Escaped the Fan Convention Curse” by Devon Maloney at The Verge
In the wake of a few high-profile new con debacles, a deep dive into last weekend’s successful Wakandacon, blerd culture, and creating truly inclusive fan spaces.
“Can Tumblr Build the TV Ratings Metric of the Future?” by Alexis Gunderson at Paste
“I was basically handed a hundred thousand-line spreadsheet,” Brennan laughs, “and they were like, ‘Can you categorize all of the tags?’ And I was like, ‘Heck yeah, I can!’” On the work of Amanda Brennan, Tumblr’s meme librarian, specifically Fandometrics.
(Side note: this quotes, gloriously, Elizabeth’s tweet from earlier this week, on the subject of Tumblr: “uh I’m there everyday, it’s a hellscape, would not recommend.” She stands by this sentiment.)
“Voltron: Legendary Defender’s Showrunner Offers a Genuine Apology to the Fandom” by Charles Pulliam-Moore at io9
Our condolences to the constant drama-factory that is Voltron fandom.
older stuff
“Why we don’t talk about fan labor” by Keidra Chaney at The Learned Fangirl
“I am still largely ambivalent about whether the commercialization of fan labor is ultimately a good or empowering thing for fan creators.”
tumblr & beyond
Pearl fanart by Sydney Dean
“sex thanos” is canon, actually.
Friendly reminder that since 2014 the entire run of STARLOG magazine (1976-2009) is archived, free, online.
Luv this segment about cosplayer/costume creator Jasmine James.
This fanmade map of the Ankh Morpork metro system is wonderful.
fanfiction
“That One Fic!” We know this is an actual fan favorite because people have written us to tell us how much they enjoy it, so please, keep ’em coming—we’ve featured fic from a few dozen fandoms so far but obviously there are classics in dozens more (including some big ones). If you want to catch up on previous TOF lists:
Thanks, as always, to everyone who sent in a rec. — Elizabeth
“Five Stories in Wartime” by tryfanstone. 11K words, rated Teen.
Fandom: Hockey RPF; Ship: Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin (Geno)
Recced by: avidrosette
Backstory: Historical AU with an unusual setting: the war between Finland and Russia during WWII. Sid and Geno are former hockey players who have been drafted into the war and are now fighting on opposite sides. They meet for the first time on the battlefield.
Rec: This is one of the best stories I’ve read in any fandom. The intensity of the characters’ connection, the gravity and desperation of their circumstances, and the vivid particularity of the setting grabbed me by the throat and wouldn’t let me go. I had never heard of the characters when I first read the story, but I fell in love with them. This one fic yanked me into a fandom and a canon that has passionately engaged me for several years now, and I can’t thank the author enough.
Content warnings: N/A
“Gone to the Dogs” by avesnongrata and Woodface. 173K words, rated Mature.
Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe; Ship: Maria Hill/Natasha Romanov
Recced by: Glasses Of Justice
Backstory: This is an amazing and fairly small ship in a massive multiship fandom. A lot of the BlackHill writers read the Black Widow comics, so there is extra texture which makes for high-quality writing. Lots of hurt/comfort with this ship.
Rec: This is both a Black Widow origin story and a Maria Hill/Natasha Romanov spy girlfriends story. Each author wrote from one of the characters’ perspective and I think that is, in part, what makes it a really strong story.
Content warnings: PTSD, past abuse/abandonment
“freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose” by synecdochic. 19K words, rated Gen.
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis; Ship: Gen, past John/Rodney
Recced by: Ashley
Backstory: This story can be read without knowing anything about SGA, though it’s better once you seen a few episodes. The story is about moving forward, love and loss, and academia.
Rec: I love the unconventional approach it takes to telling the story of a relationship. I cry every time I read this, and find something new in it each time as well.
Content warnings: Major character death offscreen
“tissue of silver” by fearlessdiva. 76K words, rated Mature.
Fandom: Harry Potter; Ship: Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy
Recced by: causeways
Backstory: Teenaged rivalry turned into something more is a slash trope that pretty well always works, and Harry/Draco is fertile ground for that. This particular story diverges from canon around Book 4 or so, picking up well after Hogwarts.
Rec: There’s a lot going on in this story, including excellent humor, some epistolary format done well, a mystery, and some incredibly hot slow-burn enemies-to-lovers.
Content warnings: As described by the author: “Some dub con issues but they get worked out”
“Intersecting Geodesics” & “The Roots of the Quadratic” by NancyBrown. 37K and 45K words, respectively, both rated Mature.
Fandom: Torchwood (+ Doctor Who). Ships: Jack/Ianto, Alice/Jenny (in TRotQ)
Recced by: Elizabeth
Backstory: I recced these stories in one of the first editions of the newsletter, approx. 9,000 years ago, and I honestly don’t know if I would say anything different if I redid the summary now:
Captain Jack Harkness, immortal omnisexual head of alien-fighting Torchwood Cardiff, was once a (mortal) (still omnisexual) (generally dickish) Time Agent in the 51st century. Ianto (his employee and canonical boyfriend), for reasons that are related to massive spoilers—heads up if you haven’t seen the show and intend to—winds up 3,000 years from his home time, caught between these two Jacks. (The sequel also features Jack’s daughter, Alice, and Jenny, from DW’s “The Doctor’s Daughter,” and fleshes both minor characters out beautifully.)
Rec: Torchwood! A show that I’ve often described as having a lot of... potential, something that leaves the door wide open to great fanfiction. I have a few perennial TW faves, but this pair of stories still tops the list: they are plotty and dig in emotionally and do a lot of the heavy worldbuilding lifting that Doctor Who and its spinoffs only ever touch on—yes, you’re from the 51st century, but what does that actually mean? Starring one Ianto Jones, exquisitely sardonic and almost aggressively competent, thus the perfect person to watch tossed into a wild situation 3,000 years in the future.
Content warnings: Dubious consent, references to sexual coercion, references to sex trafficking, character death, and a character, portrayed on the show by James Marsters, who has been dubbed “Captain Bad Touch”
FINAL THOUGHT
As summer draws to a close, we’ve decided it’s time to bring back our summer rec list! Please send us your favorite summer-themed fanfics, whether they’re recent or vintage, and tag them “summer 2k18”—we’ll have at least one summer list in the next few weeks. — Gav
Have a favorite one-off rec? Please send it our way! We’ll use it in a future list. Other fanworks—comics, vids, etc—are strongly encouraged as well. And if you have any interest in doing an entire rec list, explainer, or ship manifesto, please get in touch! elizabethandgav at gmail dot com.
If you liked this, please share it with your friends! https://thereccenter.substack.com/. And find us on social media: Gav (twitter/tumblr) & Elizabeth (twitter/tumblr)