The Rec Center #312
Happy holidays to everyone celebrating and/or taking a break from work! We’re releasing a short issue this week: more multifandom recs with the theme “fics you can get lost in.” — Gav
fanworks
Hades fanart by anajuise
For more “fics you can get lost in,” see our list from a few weeks back. Thanks so much to everyone who sent in a rec!
“A Series of Optical Illusions” by Fahye. 20K words, rated Mature.
Fandom: Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries; Ship: Phryne Fisher/Jack Robinson
Recced by: Orangistae
Backstory: The Honourable Phryne Fisher is a glamorous amateur detective who investigates murders in 1920s Melbourne with help from her friends, including Inspector Jack Robinson. In this fic, she’s visiting London and trying to lure out a serial killer at a masquerade ball, with herself as the bait.
Rec: The fact that Phryne herself is the intended victim makes this a great combination of case fic and character study, with particular focus on Phryne’s attitude to gender roles and her relationships with other women, as well as being the culmination of a multi-season slow-burn romance. The writing is vivid, funny and sexy, as appropriate for the character, and the whole thing is thoroughly engrossing.
Content warnings: Gender-motivated violence (non-graphic and non-sexual)
“How Not to Fly” by toomuchplor. 57K words, rated Explicit.
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis; Ship: Rodney McKay/John Sheppard
Recced by: Merrin
Backstory: This is an AU where John’s brother dies, but it was written before we found out too much about John’s family, so the details of his brother’s life aren’t canon. John inherits a niece and nephew.
Rec: I get lost in the domesticity of it all, John adapting to being a dad, stepping into these kids’ lives in the midst of tragedy, and how they all cope coming out the other side of it. It’s not all doom and gloom, there are some genuinely funny things in there, and the kids are incredibly well written.
Content warnings: Off-screen minor character death
“Little Robin Redbreast” by stymphalides. 112K words, Not Rated.
Fandom: The Haunting of Hill House (TV 2018); Ship: Gen
Recced by: Viv
Backstory: Follows Luke after the events of the television show as he tries to stay sober whilst Hill House continues to haunt him.
Rec: The pacing and unique format of this incredible and heartbreaking story was what particularly stuck out to me as I read it, but certain lines and images were so vivid that I think they will stay with me for a long time.
Content warnings: Horror, grief/mourning, anxiety, depression, drug use, non-consensual kissing, animal death, graphic description of corpses, suicide, mild gore
“even the dust on stars are breathing” by itotoro. 63K words, Not Rated (est. Mature).
Fandom: LOONA (Korean Band); Ships: Jung Jinsol/Ha Sooyoung, background Kim Hyunjin/Jeon Heejin
Recced by: abigail
Backstory: The ship is friends to enemies to begrudging coworkers to lovers and the set up is that an asteroid is about to crash into and then destroy all life on earth. the POV character Jinsol is determined to be one of the two people to go on a suicide mission to pilot the spaceship they’re sending to try and divert the asteroid and save the planet.
Rec: The setting is so intricate but also completely believable and the pacing is just SO good—it moves the story forward while that sense of impending dread hangs over everything and the characters feel real and engaging and flawed.
Content warnings: Implied major character death
“turn a little faster; the world will follow after” by katiemariie. 74K words, rated Mature.
Fandom: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine; Ships: Ezri Dax/Lenara Kahn, Julian Bashir/Elim Garak
Recced by: AurumCalendula
Backstory: Ezri and Julian break-up, reunite with Lenara and Garak, and end up entangled in Trill and Cardassian politics.
Rec: This is one of my favorite post-canon DS9 fics—I love both Ezri and Julian’s storylines (and respective romances) as well as the worldbuilding and dialogue!
Content warnings: Graphic depictions of violence, ableism
“How to Catch a Goblin King” by ViciouslyWitty. 99K words (WIP), rated Explicit.
Fandom: Labyrinth (1986); Ship: Sarah/Jareth
Recced by: Elizabeth (FYI: a different Elizabeth ahaha)
Backstory: Labyrinth is a children’s musical fantasy with Jim Henson puppetry, David Bowie in tight pants, and glitter. Sarah wishes the Goblin King would take her baby brother, and then immediately regrets it and has to win him back.
Rec: ViciouslyWitty is a master of humor and UST. This slow burn takes place years after canon, when Sarah finds herself accidentally and unwillingly married to Jareth (and thrust into his madcap family of Celtic gods and fae lords). It’s brilliant and sexy as hell.
Content warnings: Descriptions of violence; Sarah is an adult here, but some find the ship problematic
“Identities of a Lost Soul” by ether_fanfic. 957K words, rated Teen.
Fandoms: Star Wars, Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic; Ships: Gen overall, but includes Carth Onasi/F Revan, Darth Malak/F Revan (previous) and some secondary pairings
Recced by: onlyevey
Backstory: This is an old ff.net Star Wars KOTOR classic that is now on AO3 as well. If you want a long, epic Star Wars fic, I’d recommend this regardless of if you’ve played the KOTOR games, the only knowledge you need is the basic premise of Star Wars. It does have a romance, but it’s a true Star Wars epic more than anything, with all the characters, worlds, spaceships, creatures and moral dilemmas you’d expect. I would read fic of this fic.
Rec: I love a sprawling Star Wars story that knows the canon better than the people who own it, and boy does this fit that bill. It’s one of my all-time favorites—coherently plotted the whole almost million words (!) through, with complex characters, smooth action, and great writing.
Content warnings: Violence, addiction, sexual situations, unhealthy relationships (Revan/Malak), alcohol
“The Accidental Warlord and His Pack” by inexplicifics. 347K words over 41 works, various ratings (main storyline tends toward explicit).
Fandom: The Witcher; Ship: Geralt/Jaskier/Eskel
Recced by: inklingofadream
Backstory: Instead of being individual monster hunters reviled by normal people, Geralt got all the witchers together to form an army and now they unseat corrupt rulers. Jaskier is sent to Geralt as a tribute in an attempt to keep him from invading.
Rec: Lots of fun political background, great OCs filling in minor roles that’d usually be overlooked like servants, and very soft romance.
Content warnings: Graphic violence, some contain implied/threatened/feared noncon but no actual rape
(Ed. note: If you’re a fan of “The Accidental Warlord and His Pack,” it was the subject of a Fansplaining reader letter as well as a subsequent response from the author!)
https://twitter.com/reparrishcomics/status/1262882552878153728
FINAL THOUGHT
As always around this time of year, we’re soliciting Yuletide recs to run the first 1-2 weeks of January. No worries if it’s still anon when you rec it—we’ll add the authors’ names once they’re revealed. Please use our one-off submissions form, and include “Yuletide 2021” in the themes field! — Elizabeth