The Rec Center #219
Well. Well!!!!! There is literally nothing of use I can say at the end of this particular week! We do have some distracting fandomy content, including some of our favorite older pieces, GARGOYLES FANART!!, and the revival of our multi-fandom ~series series~, if you’re looking for a lot of fic to fill up your socially distanced life. We may need a lot of distraction in the coming weeks, so please keep sending recs, and it probably goes without saying, but thank you for washing your hands. — Elizabeth
...there’s no new stuff
For obvious reasons, media outlets didn’t publish much fandom coverage this week. This situation may continue as journalists focus their attention elsewhere, so next week we’re probably going to ~strategically pivot~ our format to include new types of fandom content.
In the meantime, let me (Gav) recommend this recipe for Spock’s favorite meal, plomeek soup, from the Star Trek recipe blog The Food Replicator.
older stuff
“This Is How Star Trek Invented Fandom” by Molly McArdle at GQ
“This is what Star Trek fandom looks like a half century out: dizzyingly diverse, good-willed, extraordinarily (if inadvertently) influential, equal parts goofy and moving.”
“Confessions of an Adjacent Geek” by Keidra Chaney at Uncanny Magazine
“When I think about the current rules of engagement/consumption for fandom and what they’ve evolved into, I do sometimes wonder if there’s a room for the person I am now: a “lightly geeky,” casually interested fan with a history of being more highly engaged.”
“Why we’re terrified of fanfiction” by Constance Grady at Vox
“Young women are so attacked for loving the media they love that it is a radical act for a young woman to love something unashamedly.”
tumblr & beyond
Gargoyles fanart by Gleb Melnikov
Sebastian Stan celebrates Bucky Barnes’ 107th birthday.
There’s a dress-up doll for David Rose from Schitt’s Creek!
What happened to Harry Potter’s miniature dragon after the Triwizard Tournament?
“Obi-Wan is shredded, he has an 8-pack.”
“you ever have a piece of bread that’s so good you understand the plot of les miserables?”
fanfiction
We asked for series recs a while back and we got about 8 billion submissions. If you’re looking for more lists, see here, here, here. Thank you to everyone who sent in a rec! — Elizabeth
“The Sum of Its Parts” by KouriArashi. 1.2 million (!!!) words over 16 works, rated Teen/Mature.
Fandom: Teen Wolf; Ship: Stiles/Derek (romantic but not sexual pairing)
Recced by: mollybear888
Backstory: Teen Wolf is a TV show that brings werewolves into high school. Stiles is a fan favorite- a snarky, nerdy, heart of gold type character. This fic asks the question, what would happen if Stiles became alpha of the pack? How does he get there, and where would he take the story?
Rec: I love this story for two main reasons—it has the best portrayal of an asexual character I have seen in fiction, and it takes a long hard look at how the canon-typical violence would affect the people who experience it. KouriArashi excels at characters, and this series has a huge cast (with a crossover into the Veronica Mars world) that feels real and grounded. It’s got snark, humor, so many feels, and awesome world building as well. I really couldn’t sing enough praises.
Content warnings: Some homophobia, past sexual assault, PTSD, child abuse
“Small Favors” by chilly_flame. 99K words over 5 works, rated Mature.
Fandom: The Devil Wears Prada; Ship: Miranda Priestly/Andrea Sachs
Recced by: Lily
Backstory: This fic-verse starts off with Andy encountering Miranda at an event after she departs from Runaway and develops their relationship from there.
Rec: Well-paced and well-developed, the author has a very good grasp of the characters and it’s just a lot of fun. I love this fic, I’ve read it many times.
Content warnings: N/A
“Generation K” by Jocelyn. 595K words over 6 works, rated Teen.
Fandom: Pacific Rim; Ship: Mostly gen, final story Raleigh Becket/Mako Mori
Recced by: AhLana
Backstory: The author sticks with the main canon of Pacific Rim, while expanding on the backstories of the main characters and following the length of the whole kaiju war.
Rec: Beautifully written chapters, deaths that made me cry, relationships explored, characters that are fully developed and humor in the midst of humanity’s darkest hours. It takes the macho, no-bullshit male characters from the movie and gives them backstories, while making the female characters shine.
Content warning: Discussion of depression
“León de mi Corazón” by clockheartedcrocodile. 41K words over 3 works, rated Mature/Explicit.
Fandom: The Exorcist TV; Ship: Marcus Keane/Tomas Ortega
Recced by: poisedtoleap
Backstory: Marcus and Tomas are exorcist priests who are in love with God and each other. This is a series spanning two seasons of the show as they travel the country, wrestling with demons both external and internal.
Rec: Fandom likes to joke about “these tender boys” and the author really captures that tenderness and sacredness in their relationship here. These words are nothing short of lyrical prose. Beautiful.
Content warnings: Graphic depictions of violence, demons, heavy religion, internalized homophobia
“put your money where your mouth is” verse by kototyph. 52K words over 6 works, rated Gen to Explicit.
Fandom: Supernatural; Ship: Dean/Castiel
Recced by: epaulettes
Backstory: This is an outrageously fluffy woke-up-married-in-Vegas AU. You don’t need to know anything about Supernatural, all you have to do is follow along as two dudes accidentally embrace their fast-forward into wedded bliss. It’s a domestic tale of unfortunate cat names and ambitious home improvement projects.
Rec: Literally nothing but porn, mostly of the house, petfic, and emotions varieties, though the actual sex scenes are really nice when they do happen. It’s indulgent, no denying it, but it’s extremely uncomplicated and wonderfully warm indulgence that I feel no guilt whatsoever recommending.
Content warnings: N/A
“boy with a scar” by dirgewithoutmusic. 209K words over 17 works, rated Gen/Teen.
Fandom: Harry Potter; Ships: Harry/Ginny, James/Lily, Hermione/Ron, Sirius/Remus
Recced by: Kim
Backstory: A continuing series of “what if” AUs for Harry Potter, mostly on Harry’s end for possible ways things could’ve gone better if one thing changed. The most well-known fic in this series is “the family evans” which goes into if Petunia had raised Harry like a son.
Rec: It hits you in the feels every time with how so many good things could’ve turned out for Harry or any other character if just one thing changed.
Content warnings: N/A
FINAL THOUGHT
Elizabeth & I are (obviously!) interested in fanfic trends, including how current events influence people’s writing & reading habits. We’re both looking into how coronavirus is impacting fandom, and we’d love to hear from you!
Elizabeth’s podcast Fansplaining published a quick survey about fanfic habits during “times of crisis,”—they’re closing it tomorrow (Saturday), so if you haven’t taken it yet, it’s fast!
I’m interested in hearing from people directly. Are you reading/writing fanfic about coronavirus? Do you bookmark certain fics for comfort reading? Are you looking forward to romantic quarantine fanfic! Feel free to email me at gavia@thedailydot.com if you’re interested in sharing your thoughts! — Gav
FINAL FINAL THOUGHT
As we mentioned a few weeks ago, we’re eligible for a Hugo Award! Nominations close tonight, and we’d love to be considered in the Fanzine category. Our podcasts (Fansplaining and Overinvested) are also both eligible for Best Fancast.
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.
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)