The Rec Center #228
Hello! This week Gav came on Fansplaining to talk about social media fic, so to complete this Ambitious Crossover Event she’s written a rec list of her favorites this week. We also have our usual collection of articles and posts, plus some beautiful fanart for Kiki’s Delivery Service. — Elizabeth
lockdown stuff
Have any lockdown-related fandomy stuff to share? Please write us: Elizabethandgav at gmail dot com. <3
CON.TXT 2020 is going online, for a one-day con on July 25th, and they’re currently taking panel suggestions!
And we weren’t clear last week—we’re looking for fest/challenges happening *because* of the lockdown (otherwise we’ll be sharing fest announcements til the end of time). But we will share the ones we got this past week, both of them pan-fandom: 1) #ficwip 5k, for shortish AUs and 2) the Banned Together Bingo, centering on topics that have historically been censored. Both are open for signups now!
new stuff
“‘Mad Max: Fury Road’: The Oral History of a Modern Action Classic” by Kyle Buchanan at The New York Times
“Production was shut down three times, the stars often clashed, and studio executives were baffled. Here’s how a difficult shoot led to an Oscar-winning masterpiece.”
“Gargoyles was nearly the center of a vast Disney Cinematic Universe” by Tasha Robinson at Polygon
An interview with Greg Weisman, the creator of the (in Elizabeth’s opinion) greatest show ever made.
“OTW Guest Post: Leah Steuer” at the Organization for Transformative Works
A very interesting conversation with a fan studies researcher about the parallels between pre-internet fandom and fandom today.
older stuff
“On Repeat: Why People Watch Movies and Shows Over and Over” by Derek Thompson at The Atlantic
“Forget the next big thing. We’re all suckers for the last big thing.”
tumblr & beyond
Kiki’s Delivery Service fanart by Jauni
The BBC posted an archive of 100+ empty TV sets for people to use as Zoom backgrounds.
“My husband said the X-Files opening is only scary because of the music so I fixed it”
“unpopular opinion: Vimes is kind of drama queen”
This is the best possible concept for a House, MD fanfic.
“discord server for silent video game protagonists”
fanfiction
While epistolary fanfic has been around forever, there’s a recent trend for longform stories told through social media posts, usually serialized on Twitter. For obvious reasons, they’re harder to find than fanworks on traditional archives like AO3!
Shaped entirely by my personal whims, these recs are by no means a definitive overview. I’m not in any boyband or k-pop fandoms (the epicenter of social media AU fic), but I am into Stephen King’s IT (movie edition), which for some reason inspired a ton of amazing Twitter fic. (I’ve also been writing a SMAU of my own: Star Trek: PBS, where the crew of the Enterprise are on a reality TV show.) BTW, even if you’re not familiar with IT fandom, you should check out this first rec! — Gav
“Turtle Creek” by rorschachisgay.
Fandom: IT; Ships: Richie Tozier/Eddie Kaspbrak and others
Backstory: This AU that bears little resemblance to the original canon beyond the basic outlines of the character’s personalities, so... you don’t need to know the backstory!
Rec: This is one of THE best serialized fics I’ve ever read, a long & brilliantly characterized romance/drama where the main characters are the writers and creative team of a Netflix drama, Turtle Creek. The lead actors are Eddie Kaspbrak (a former child) and Beverly Marsh, and they’re joined in season 2 by Richie Tozier, a comedian who initially seems like a terrible fit for the show. Not only is this fic a wonderfully funny, angsty & engaging love story, it does a great job of balancing the ensemble cast and exploring the complexity of the TV industry, rather than just using the setting as a template for a generic style of celebrity AU. This fic made me laugh out loud multiple times AND check compulsively for updates during intense cliffhangers.
Content warnings: Characters experience homophobia and abusive parental relationships. Everything (as far as I recall) has clear warnings in relevant updates
Untitled MDZS/The Untamed AU by nyanxian.
Fandom: The Untamed/MDZS; Ship: Wei Wuxian/Lan Wangji
Backstory: In canon, the characters are magical warriors. For the purposes of this AU, they’re wealthy twenty-somethings who run in the same circles.
Rec: While I initially found it a little hard to accept the idea of Lan Wangji having a Twitter account (he’s very private!!), this fic totally sucked me in. It’s a romcom based around the idea of Lan Wangji hiring Wei Wuxian as a fake boyfriend to piss off his rich, conservative family, with lots of fun roles for characters in the supporting cast.
Content warnings: N/A
“Are You Listening?” by c0mmieclown and chernobrough. (WIP).
Fandom: IT; Ships: Richie Tozier/Eddie Kaspbrak, Bill Denbrough/Mike Hanlan; Beverly Marsh/Ben Hanscom; Stan Uris/Patty Uris
Backstory: An AU where the Losers Club are all podcasters!
Rec: These writers put a lot of thought into what kind of podcast each of the main characters would host, and how their careers/friendships intersect. Told through a smart combination of public social media posts, private messages, and podcast transcripts.
Content warnings: Discussions of abusive relationships. (Includes warnings.)
“cut the strings” by slaviceddie (WIP).
Fandom: IT; Ships: Richie/Eddie; possibly others
Backstory: In the original canon, the demon-clown Pennywise created evil illusions of several of the main characters. This fic takes that idea and runs with it, starring a cast of weird supernatural cryptids who are essentially mirror images of the original cast. Their roles are explained at the start of the Twitter thread.
Rec: Honestly, just try it and see. The basic format is a social media fic about a ragtag group of millennial roommates (a very familiar concept!) but it’s a supernatural drama that does some really imaginative things with a unique conceit.
Content warnings: A horror-influenced story with specific content warnings in the text.
“Anti-Social" by Unpretty. 10K words, rated Teen.
Fandom: Batman; Ship: Gen
Backstory: Tim Drake is one of several Robins, and this fic reimagines his origin story as a shitposting teen who persuades Bruce Wayne to adopt him.
Rec: A slightly more traditional fic for people who don’t want to scroll through Twitter threads. I’m sure we’ve recced fic by Unpretty before; she’s a brilliant DC Comics writer and absolutely hilarious. Her version of Bruce Wayne is particularly funny and insightful (a rich eccentric dad who loves to troll people), partnered here with (among others) a Tumblr/Snapchat kid.
Content warnings: N/A
FINAL THOUGHT
Very exciting news for anyone with US Netflix: Avatar: The Last Airbender just arrived!!!! If you’ve already seen this show, it’s time to rewatch. If NOT, then you’re in for a treat because it’s one of the best fantasy TV shows ever made; a sheer delight from start to finish. I published a spoiler-free primer here, for those who are still on the fence. Have a good weekend! — 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.
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)