The Rec Center #284
Hello everyone! This week we have pieces on sci-fi ensemble stories and celebrity apologies, some beautiful Critical Role fanart, and multifandom rarepair recs! — Elizabeth
new stuff
“How Science Fiction’s Ensemble Stories Humanize Space” by Chris Farnell at Den of Geek
A deep dive into a fan-favorite subgenre.
“The Making of a Perfect Celebrity Apology” by Hunter Harris at Vice
“Saying ‘I’m sorry’ has become its own art form in Hollywood—and for better or worse, it takes a team to make it happen.”
.@TwitterSupport I don’t think the same trending topic is supposed to show up twice in a row?
older stuff
“The delicate relationship between grief and fanfiction, explained by a psychologist” by Aja Romano at Vox
An interview with psychologist Lynn Zubernis about turning to fanfic for comfort during hard times—especially the pandemic.
tumblr & beyond
Critical Role fanart by Faith Schaffer
people are queuing in droves for Mare of Easttown Day at Wawa…?
“That is the plot of like 75% of TNG episodes I swear.”
“very obsessed w the thought of regional hunter dialect in Supernatural”
happy pride month from one of the most iconic posts on tumblr.
fanfiction
Rarepairs! Today we set the limit at 100 fics or fewer on the AO3—I am aware a pair can be rare there and plentiful elsewhere, but we had to find some kind of metric ahahaha. For more rarepairs, you can check out our list from January 2020. Thank you very much to everyone who sent in a rec! — Elizabeth
“You’ve Described a Secret Fantasy of Mine (Or How Bob Kidnaps/Seduces his Landlord)” by allmilhouse. 2K words, rated Gen.
Fandom: Bob’s Burgers; Ship: Bob Belcher/Calvin Fischoeder
Recced by: ahbuggrit
Backstory: Bob runs a burger restaurant with his amazing but weird family. He shares an honest moment with his (Mr Burns-lite) landlord, Mr Fishoeder on a rollercoaster.
Rec: I saw the potential chemistry on this episode and thank goodness allmilhouse explored what could have been.
Content warnings: N/A
“Stamp Me With Your Signature” by MajorEnglishEsquire. 47K words, rated Explicit.
Fandom: Supernatural; Ship: Sam Winchester/Chuck Shurley
Recced by: Tarastarr1
Backstory: Chuck was a prophet, then he kinda died, so now he isn’t. He runs into Sam in a diner (being attacked by demons) and they strike up a friendship that slowly evolves into more. (Note: this is pre-“Chuck is God” becomes canon and does not include that.)
Rec: I had no interest in this pairing I had never seen before, but read it because I’m a fan of the author. It kicked off a long standing love for the pair, which Major was alone in peddling for a long while. This fic in particular shines by relying on the fact that Chuck is intimately familiar with the Winchesters from his propet days. If you like the fic, there are over 500,000 words of sequels that are equally delicious.
Content warnings: Alcoholism
“A Home Built on Stillness (A Home Built on Movement)” by ChocoChipBiscuit. 1.6K words, rated Gen.
Fandom: Seasons of Glass and Iron (Amal El-Mohtar); Ship: Amira/Tabitha
Recced by: Chestnut_filly
Backstory: Seasons of Glass and Iron is a story about two women trapped in different fairytales—and the patriarchal worldviews of those fairytales—who meet by chance and must each help the other win free of their external and internalized oppression. It’s really wonderful and you can read it for free online, just saying.
Rec: This fic picks up where canon ends and does a similar thing with other, possibly more familiar, fairytales, continuing the process of breaking free of stifling narratives alongside a bunch of lovely sensual descriptions.
Content warnings: N/A
“dogmoon” by sixwings (drfeels). 10K words, rated Explicit.
Fandom: Inazuma Eleven GO; Ship: Fudou Akio/Kazemaru Ichirouta
Recced by: kazahaya
Backstory: The original show the characters are based on is like fantasy soccer (anime and games). This story is set after a group of the main kids saves the moon after it was stolen by aliens (I know but please trust me…).
Rec: For one I am a fan of the original and sequel series, and I think the author did a good job writing “talented teens” who grew up to be “OK” adults, that rings a lot with my generation and my POV. Also, I think it’s a great read even for those who are unfamiliar with canon, as it reads like magical realism at parts.
Content warnings: N/A
“I’ll build a house inside of you” by magdaliny. 19K words, rated Teen.
Fandoms: Captain America/The Avengers/MCU; Ship: Kate Bishop/Natasha Romanov
Recced by: Blythe
Backstory: This is a really interesting take (with an altered timeline, hence that odd-sounding pairing) on Nat and Bucky’s overlapping backstory, where the two of them escape while Nat is young, and she poses as his daughter. They get to New York and make a life there, which is disrupted when aliens attack the city.
Rec: I love the found(ish) family dynamic here, and people slowly learning to become human.
Content warnings: Typical red room stuff—torture, brainwashing, murder, etc.
“In the Fire Season” by adreadfulidea. 18K words, rated Explicit.
Fandom: Mad Men; Ship: Megan Calvet/Michael Ginsberg
Recced by: Isa
Backstory: After the series finale, Megan runs into Michael at the diner he works at in California, and they settle into a relationship neither of them were expecting.
Rec: It’s a fic about two people who are fragile for very different reasons randomly finding each other again and this connection kind of saves them both. I went into this fic not shipping Megan/Ginsberg at all, but WOW it converted me and really transformed my love of these characters!
Content warnings: Homophobic and ableist language, internalized homophobia, Holocaust mention, dysfunctional relationship (not abusive, but they are unkind to each other at times)
“Fairweather Friends” by robotboy. 17k words, rated Explicit.
Fandoms: Star Wars, Rogue One, The Mandalorian; Ship: Cassian Andor/The Mandalorian
Recced by: Gav
Backstory: The Mandalorian is a traveling bounty hunter with no political affiliation; Cassian Andor is a spy for the Rebel Alliance. This fic takes place before Luke Skywalker’s arc begins in Episode IV.
Rec: Cassian Andor and the Mandalorian are imprisoned together by the Empire, becoming unlikely allies in this well-characterized fic, which makes the most of both characters’ paranoid and standoffish natures.
Content warnings: Graphic violence
“You didn’t expect that prison to hold me, Charles”
FINAL THOUGHT
That’s all, folks! Have a nice weekend! Why not watch First Cow, a drama about two men who start a criminal bakery business in 19th century Oregon? It’s good! (This is not a paid advertisement, I just like First Cow.) — xoxo, Gav