The Rec Center #222
Hi folks! We’re back in your inbox with some multifandom recs for the ~found family~ trope, some links to lockdown-related activities, an oral history of Myspace culture, an AO3 update, a cool piece of Star Trek fanfic archaeology, and more! — Gav
lockdown stuff
(As a reminder, we’re taking submissions to share with the newsletter in the coming weeks about fandom-oriented stuff online right now—fests, cons, archives, etc etc. Please email us at elizabethandgav at gmail dot com. <3)
In lieu of an in-person event, this Hannibal convention is hosting a live webinar TODAY (that’s Friday April 3rd!) with Hannibal producers Martha De Laurentiis and Loretta Ramos, and food designer Janice Poon. 4-6pm ET.
Also this weekend, the 221B-Consolation Fest—run in previous years for folks who couldn’t make the long-running Sherlock Holmes-themed 221B Con—is open to all (including all fandoms). Prompts close and the collection opens this evening. This year’s fest also includes a charity-donation element for those who can afford to give!
Also ALSO this weekend, the Con-Solation Vidshow is accepting fanvids that would have premiered at the con vidshows that have been cancelled. It goes live 8pm ET tomorrow, Saturday April 4th.
new stuff
“The My Generation: An Oral History Of Myspace Music” by Michael Tedder at Stereogum
“Myspace changed the way we discovered music and fell apart after conquering the world.”
“Pokémon, Stay” by James Poniewozik at The New York Times
“For almost four years, I’ve been playing a game that brings players out into the world. What happens when the world goes away?”
“If I Wrote a Coronavirus Episode” by Maria Elena Fernandez at Vulture
Dozens of TV writers responded to Vulture’s prompt: “How would TV’s most beloved characters navigate social distancing in these dark days?”
Emergency measures affecting works at the AO3
If you haven’t seen it, the AO3 has seen a massive spike in traffic in the past few weeks, to the point where they need to take a few emergency measures to ensure the site can continue functioning. Nothing too dramatic, but check out the details if you want to know what these changes look like.
older stuff
“The inner lives of adult One Direction fans” by Rea McNamara at The Outline
If you work in the media, you’ve likely heard the news that the entire staff of The Outline have been laid off and the site is being shut down. The publication didn’t have a huge amount of fandom coverage, but it was a fantastic site and it’s a real shame to see this happen, especially right now. From their archives: on loving boybands well into adulthood.
tumblr & beyond
Welcome to Night Vale fanart by scaryliterary
We were not expecting this new interpretation of the Billy Joel classic “Piano Man,” but here ya go.
Posters from the Lando Calrissian movie trilogy that never existed.
One fan’s quest to unearth The Ring of Soshern, an early (and at the time, highly controversial) fanfic from the formative years of Kirk/Spock fandom.
Congrats to Netflix’s Witcher series on the unintended subtext of its costuming choices.
Remember that Icelandic translation of Dracula that went in delightful fic-like directions? Rec Center reader Tara wrote in to tell us that a translation back to English *does* exist!
fanfiction
This week we’ve got a multi-fandom list featuring one of my personal favorite tropes, found family. If you also love this trope, here’s another list we did a few years ago. Thank you so much to everyone who sent in a rec. — Elizabeth
“A Cry Answered” by imperfectcircle. 5.5K words, rated Gen.
Fandom: Pacific Rim; Ship: Gen
Recced by: plingokat
Backstory: A look at Mako’s childhood—what happens after you’re chased by a kaiju and adopted by a Jaeger pilot? And how does that affect how you (and others around you) go forward?
Rec: I CRIED. Also, I’m a huge sucker for outside POV, especially when done well. This fic does it REALLY WELL.
Content warnings: N/A
“with pace and a fury defiant” by redqueentheory. 11K words, rated Mature.
Fandom: The Adventure Zone; Ship: Mainly gen, background Taako/Kravitz
Recced by: apple
Backstory: They won the fight against the Hunger, but Taako is still angry. The Tres Horny Boys (plus Angus) take a trip together with an ulterior motive: a loose end that Taako and Merle have promised to tie up.
Rec: An extremely compelling look at Taako’s internal landscape after the events of the finale, exploring some darker and more complex emotions without being pitch black or melodramatic. Beautifully written, subtle, and cathartic, with lots of spot-on ensemble appearances.
Content warnings: Blood, violence/mostly offscreen torture, depression/mental illness
“Mother Bruce and His Baby Birds” by lurkinglurkerwholurks. 12K words, rated Gen.
Fandom: DCU, DC comics, Batman; Ship: Gen
Recced by: Madison
Backstory: Each chapter is about Bruce Wayne asking one of his children if they would like to be adopted.
Rec: Batfam! Batfam! Batfam! People like to pretend Batman’s a hardass loner but in fact he is a Good Dad who Tries Really Hard.
Content warning: References to (canonical) character deaths
“In Good Company” by weialala. 199K words, rated Mature.
Fandom: Naruto; Ship: Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Recced by: bamfiruka
Backstory: A lot of Naruto fic is centered around the timeskip between part one and two, and this one does it spectacularly. In this fic Sasuke kills Orochimaru a year early, and returns to Konoha for judgement instead of running off on his own.
Rec: I severely dislike Sasuke and SasuNaru, and yet I’m reccing a Sasuke-centric SasuNaru story—because it’s easily in the top three fics I’ve ever read. The Sasuke redemption arc is handled perfectly, and the fic fleshes out the world of Naruto in a way the manga never managed.
Content warnings: N/A
“runaways are running the night” by anothercover. 54K words, rated Mature.
Fandom: MCU; Ship: Bucky Barnes/Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov
Recced by: Kier
Backstory: Non-linear Band AU with heavy found family themes wherein Natasha is part of an all-girl rock band, Clint is John Mulaney, and Bucky does security.
Rec: This fic manages to vividly, sensitively, and complexly portray not only the main pairing/characters but also a huge number of background pairings/characters. I’d never called myself a fan of band AUs before but this fic changed that.
Content warnings: Alcohol abuse, discussions of miscarriage and sexual violence of background characters
“Linguistic Ambiguities in Vulcan Ethical Codes” by elumish. 5.7K words, rated Teen.
Fandom: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series; Ship: Gen
Recced by: Vivienne
Backstory: Jim Kirk was rescued and raised by Vulcans after Tarsus IV, fic proper set during his time in Starfleet Academy.
Rec: Excellent characterization & writing of what-ifs that explores Kirk’s relationship with the people & culture that raised him. Funny, heartwarming & a fun ride.
Content warning: Past trauma (not very explicit but it mentions Tarsus IV)
FINAL THOUGHT
The Learned Fangirl is one of our favorite sites, and we’ve included a lot of great writing from them over the years. The publication itself has sadly been on hiatus for a while now, but right now they’re raising money for the TLF Freelance Emergency Fund in partnership with the nonprofit Independent Arts & Media.
Freelance journalism—*especially* culture journalism, and especially especially anything that relates to fan culture—is precarious in normal circumstances, but as so much media shifts wholly to pandemic coverage, a lot of journalists are in dire straits right now.
If you are lucky enough to have a salaried or steady job right now, please consider donating! If you’re a freelance journalist, keep an eye on the project, because they’re going to open for grant applications soon. — Elizabeth
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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