The Rec Center #166
Yesterday I asked Gav if it would be “too hashtag feminism” to do a female-centered fic rec list in honor of Captain Marvel’s release, and she was all for it. I of course did not put together that this movie was coming out on INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY, so it’s *a lot*, but hey, here ya go, a multi-fandom list of female-centered fic for your reading pleasure. We’ve also got Gav’s reporting on Captain Marvel (and the Marvel Industrial Complex), a thoughtful piece on bad fans, my favorite politician ever, and some fantastic Sailor Moon fanart. — Elizabeth
new stuff
“What Does It Mean to Be a Bad Fan on Social Media?” by Jake Pitre at Catapult
Elizabeth is interviewed in this fantastic piece about representation, toxic fan behavior, and social media platform dynamics.
“How Taylor Swift showed us the scary future of facial recognition” by Gabrielle Cannon at The Guardian
“Surveillance at concerts is just the beginning, as fears grow around an unregulated, billion-dollar industry.”
“Stacey Abrams, Star Trek Nerd, Is Traveling at Warp Speed” by Sarah Lyall at The New York Times
On the many fannish loves of Stacey Abrams, because FYI she is clearly the only good politician!!!
“Is ‘Captain Marvel’ military propaganda?” by Gav at The Daily Dot
Like many Hollywood movies before, Captain Marvel benefits from a close relationship with the U.S. military, where filmmakers get access to personnel and equipment in exchange for portraying (in this case) the Air Force in a positive light. And unlike the macho tone of previous examples, Captain Marvel connects the military with feminist empowerment. Gav actually enjoyed the film in the end, but the military content of its marketing campaign still has some weird undertones.
older stuff
“Hando: A brief history of Star Wars fanfic and a universe’s beloved, queer ship” by Julia Alexander at Polygon
A dip into the pre-internet history of Star Wars fanfic.
tumblr & beyond
1890s Sailor Uranus fanart by Claire Hummel
One for the Black Sails fans.
Please enjoy this incredible Into The Spider-Verse remix of a classic Spidey comic cover.
CANNOT handle this thematic link between Hermione loving Ron and adopting Crookshanks, ie THE CAT VERSION OF RON.
Uhhhh let’s all take a look at these photos from Finland’s 1980s Lord of the Rings TV show, shall we?
fanfiction
Ladies, ladies, ladies. Somehow this turned into a mostly f/f list, so, like, double the ladies, I guess. Thank you, as always, to our guest reccers. — Elizabeth
“The Words That Other People Say” by tiltedsyllogism. 18K words, rated Explicit.
Fandom: Jessica Jones; Ship: Jessica Jones/Patricia Walker
Recced by: (havingbeen)breathedout
Backstory: In the show, Jessica Jones is a 30-something, superpowered yet down-on-her-luck private investigator, and Trish Walker is her (initially estranged) childhood best friend. This is a pre-canon story that takes place during Trish’s first year of university.
Rec: An intriguing strength of the show is how it sets up the ambiguous intensity of Jessica and Trish’s feelings about their obviously-shared past. This story is an absolutely believable and bittersweet character study of these two as young women who are finding their (very different) adult selves; the love affair that is born out of—and gives way back to—an already-intense friendship; and the class and personality differences that they’re navigating throughout.
Content warning: Bittersweet ending
“Would You Trust It” by Theoroark. 10K words, rated Teen.
Fandom: Overwatch; Ship: Sombra/Widowmaker
Recced by: Blooming
Backstory: Sombra falls during a mission. Widowmaker is left to help someone who could never admit she needed it.
Rec: This fic is a perfect mix of emotion, tension, and hope about two emotionally-challenged, independent women navigating each other’s hefty baggage and ultimately committing to each other.
Content warnings: N/A
“Farm-to-Table, Non-GMO, Responsibly Sourced” by impertinence. 5K words, rated Mature.
Fandom: Brooklyn Nine-Nine; Ship: Rosa Diaz/Amy Santiago
Recced by: fredfinch
Backstory: Rosa and Amy go undercover as married owners of an “olive oil and artisan syrup shop” in order to catch maple syrup thieves. Feelings (and kisses) ensue!
Rec: This is such a cute story! The author has such a good grasp on everyone’s voices, and it feels like the femslash episode I’ve wanted all along. Despite only being 5K words, it’s really well filled out and sweet.
Content warning: N/A
“love is for children and other lies” by Fahye. 31K words, rated Teen.
Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe; Ships: Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov, Maria Hill/Natasha Romanov
Recced by: anon
Backstory: War is the child’s emptiness, the surrender of identity, the transformation into a simple system: purpose goes in, action comes out. (Natalia Alianovna Romanova, and everything that she became.)
Rec: A fic that feels like a glass of wine and a fireplace, warmed from the inside and out, and dressed in elegance. Well written and explores the idea of an Ace!Natasha who still gets to have relationships, which is amazing.
Content warning: N/A
“Open Doors” by ChocoChipBiscuit. 3K words, rated Mature.
Fandom: Dragon Age; Ship: Isabela/Aveline Vallen
Recced by: Rhovanel
Backstory: Isabela is a flirtatious, cunning, and sarcastic pirate captain; Aveline is a straight-laced captain of the guard; but they might have more to offer one another than first meets the eye.
Rec: This is a wonderful character study of Isabela, so beautifully and vividly written, about doubt and trust and love in all its different shapes and forms. It’s charming, poetic, deeply moving, and makes my heart bigger and better every time I read it.
Content warning: Minor vomiting scene
“Where the Darkest of Roses Bloom” by Solanaceae. 8.3K words, rated Mature.
Fandom: Lord of the Rings; Ship: Daughter of Aragorn and Arwen/Original Female Haradrim Monarch
Recced by: Elleth
Backstory: A peace treaty is reached between Gondor and Near Harad, ending the final conflict of the War of the Ring. Gaelien, youngest child of Aragorn and Arwen, is called back to Minas Tirith from her captainship in South Gondor and asked to enter a marriage with the heir of the king of Harad.
Rec: A intriguing exploration of Post-Ring-War Middle-earth, worldbuilding galore, and amazing female characters, both offering another lense into Tolkien’s world—and Solanacea’s prose is breathtaking and poetic. What’s not to love?!
Content warnings: N/A
FINAL THOUGHT
Did you meet your romantic partner or spouse through fandom? If so, I’d love to interview you for an article I’m writing! You can be quoted under your IRL name or an online pseud—basically, I’m interested in hearing stories about how people connect through fandom, including how fanfic communities sometimes act as a queer space. For an idea of the kind of article I’m writing, here’s one where I interviewed people about why they like coffee shop AUs.
You can get in touch via email at gavia@thedailydot.com. — Gav
Have a favorite one-off rec? Please send it our way! We’ll use it in a future list. Other fanworks—comics, vids, zines, 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.
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