The Rec Center #291
Hi folks! This week we’ve got articles about Freaks and Geeks fandom and a ubiquitous TV hairstyle, multifandom sports AU fic recs, and more! — Gav
new stuff
“Tuvix will never die” by Jordan Hoffman at Polygon
A deep dive (including cast and crew interviews) into the creation and impact of an iconic Star Trek guest character: Voyager’s Tuvix
“On Freaks and Geeks and Finding My Voice: How Pop Culture Shaped My Poetry” by Matt Mitchell at Lit Hub
“Because I watch every scene and I see myself. Because then the episode ends with the perfect scenario: a world ready to love our intersex bodies, and ready to finally make some extra room for us.”
“Why Can’t We Be Friends” by Brendan Mackie at Real Life
“Parasociality promises to satisfy a need that it can only make more acute.” On parasocial relationships, the dynamic at the heart of so much of modern fandom.
minor jojo villain: have you tried it? play pink floyd’s the dark side of the moon synced with the wizard of oz. it produces an “effect”. this “effect” is a “phenomenon”. and that “phenomenon” can’t be explained in human words jojo: bleeding to death but still winning shut. up
older stuff
“Why Everyone on TV Has the Same Hair” by Julia Rubin at Vox
A 2016 examination of the ubiquitous American TV trend for long, loosely-curled hair on female characters.
tumblr & beyond
buying the new richard siken book so i can understand what the title of every 20k fanfic means.
“jack rackham is a lit major who thought he could make it as an entrepreneur”
tumblr user prisonhannibal doesn’t have a leg to stand on here
world heritage tumblr post: when a thread about condoms predicted disney’s live-action Aladdin casting.
drift compatible, but make it stupid.
but something happened then that the ring did not intend. it was picked up by the most unlikely creature imaginable: a hobbit, the same fuckin thing that just had it for like 500 years.
fanfiction
For obvious reasons, it felt like a good week to do sports AUs! Our submissions include both summer & winter Olympic sports (and at least one non-Olympic sport). Thank you very much to everyone who sent in a rec! — Elizabeth
“Easy There by Syllic. 50K words, rated Explicit.
Fandom: BBC Merlin; Ships: Arthur/Merlin, Gwen/Lancelot
Recced by: Averytree
Backstory: A deeply place-specific university AU which still manages to incorporate Merlin’s magic and a satisfying magic-reveal subplot along with the romance and the rowing rivalry with Cambridge.
Rec: Fantastic appearances from Morgana, Gwen, Lancelot, and other Merlin ensemble cast. Also available as a podfic recorded by RevolutionaryJo.
Content warnings: N/A
“Let It Snow” by feenwitch. 26K words, rated Explicit.
Fandom: MDZS / The Untamed; Ship: Lan Wangji / Wei Wuxian
Recced by: anon
Backstory: Winter Olympians AU for Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian. The first piece is a “snowed in in a cabin” classic trope done really well, and the second is a PWP coda involving an olympic medal.
Rec: It’s a perfect Olympians AU. May not be seasonal for the current Olympics but it is winter in the southern hemisphere!
Content warnings: N/A
“The Wimbledon AU – a ficlet” by calathea. 6K words, rated Gen.
Fandom: I Want To Go Home (Gordon Korman); Ship: Rudy Miller/Mike Webster
Recced by: persimmon
Backstory: No familiarity with the source required. Rudy has grown from a terrifyingly competent, if recalcitrant, pre-teen to a terrifyingly competent, if recalcitrant, pro-tennis player and Mike is his charming and supportive better half.
Rec: Perfect outsider-POV via a hilariously accurate Wimbledon commentary, from the on-court action to the off-court gossip! Be prepared to enjoy tennis! Romance! And Rudy Miller finding something he does, in fact, do!
Content warnings: N/A
“Next Man Up” by pianoforeplay. 97K, rated Explicit.
Fandom: Supernatural RPF; Ship: Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki
Recced by: 57dimensions
Backstory: Jensen is the veteran QB for the Dallas Cowboys, and a closeted gay man. Jared is drafted essentially as Jensen’s replacement on the team, but he has to also compete with other candidates to earn his spot.
Rec: This story and its sequel are an incredibly realistic take on what it would be like a gay man in the NFL: the blatant homophobia, the fear of losing your job and your friends, and the pressure of being one of the first to come out and be a “role model.” It is also a love letter to the Dallas Cowboys, a team that is beloved but doesn’t win a lot. The sexual tension is also amazing!
Content warnings: Homophobia, infidelity
“Get ready for it” series by Philyra. 100K words over 8 works, rated Gen to Teen.
Fandoms: Marvel, DC; Ship: Maria Hill/Steve Rogers
Recced by: Inklingofadream
Backstory: Hockey seems like an unlikely choice for a comics fandom match-up, but even I, a person who dislikes sports and no-powers AUs, have to admit that the author makes Marvel and DC characters on opposing hockey teams WORK. Marvel characters get more screentime than DC.
Rec: Stories range from short shippy stuff and admiration for Sarah Rogers to longer stories about the operations of the team and the ladies of Marvel forcibly integrating the NHL. All are hilarious and adorable.
Content warnings: N/A
“Trade Me” by ratherunnecessary. 61K words, rated Mature.
Fandom: BTS; Ships: Namjoon/Seokjin, Yoongi/Jimin
Recced by: fictionality
Backstory: Seokjin is an athlete recovering from a career-ending injury and Namjoon is a burnt out record executive. They decide to trade lives for three months, hoping the change will give them a new perspective on their respective issues.
Rec: I love the setting (winter sports!), the characterizations, and the eventual OT7 friendship. What sets this story apart for me is the way it explores having to move on from a dream and all of the mourning and grief that are part of that process.
Content warnings: Injury recovery (nothing graphic), mentions of anxiety/mental health issues
“Trouble With The Curve” by jimmytiberius. 2.5K words, rated Teen.
Fandom: Star Wars: The Clone Wars; Ship: CC-2224 | Cody/Obi-Wan Kenobi
Recced by: Averytree
Backstory: Obi-Wan Kenobi is a star pitcher of the major league baseball team the Coruscant Knights. Twins Rex and Cody both work for the organization—Rex as a bullpen catcher and Cody in the analytics office. One day when Rex is too hungover to go to work, he asks Cody to stand in for him for a day. Cody knows it’s a bad idea but he doesn’t say no.
Rec: The author has put SO MUCH thought into a whole Star Wars MLB, including mapping and naming every team. But the emotional heart of the story is two men bonding over loving baseball, and becoming braver through loving each other.
Content warnings: N/A
“There Are No Gays in Football” by Malu_3 (Grainne). 213K words, rated Explicit.
Fandom: BBC Merlin; Ship: Merlin/Arthur
Recced by: Ro
Backstory: Arthur is a deeply closeted up-and-coming footballer who finally gets a spot on the first team, Merlin is the new physio who happens to be openly gay and extremely attractive. Arthur falls “arse over tit” for him and ends up breaking one of football’s biggest taboos.
Rec: This is an epic novel-length fic, but it’s very well-paced and perfectly plotted so you’re gripped all the way through. I love it because the characters and the dialogue are so well realised, the author really has a knack for writing real voices and making them jump off the page. Plus it has the dubious honour of being only media that’s ever made me care about football.
Content warnings: Homophobia, BDSM, “lad” culture
I’ve been an X-Men fan since I was six, and every once in a while my mom asks, “What’s Gambit up to these days?” like he’s the old college flame she wishes I had ended up with
FINAL THOUGHT
Just a heads up: our submissions form got spammed yesterday to the point where it’s no longer usable (unless I can figure out a way to delete the 10K+ spam responses that are breaking the form lol…stay tuned), so I’ll be putting together a new one some time in the next week. If you have any one-off recs, please hold them until we share the new link in the next newsletter! — Elizabeth