January 7, 2022

The Rec Center #314

Hello everyone! Happy 2022! (Choosing optimism here lol) This week we have pieces on spoilers and the Jewish roots of Star Trek, some lovely Witcher fanart, and first rec list from Yuletide 2021. — Elizabeth

new stuff

“Riot changed what it meant to be a League of Legends fan in 2021” by Ryan Gilliam at Polygon
An overview of how League of Legends exploded into a multimedia franchise last year—and became more inclusive in the process.

“To Boldly Explore the Jewish Roots of ‘Star Trek’” by Adam Nagourney at The New York Times
“Nimoy’s Jewish identity contributed to a small moment which became a big theme.” On an exhibition about the Jewish themes and connections in Star Trek at the Skirball Center in Los Angeles.

“How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Spoilers (Thanks To Wrestling)” by BJ Colangelo at Slashfilm
“Approaching films the same way I (and many other fans) approach wrestling feels like the solution to spoiler culture. We knew for months leading up to ‘Wrestlemania 35’ that Kofi Kingston was going to win the championship and yet we all screamed ‘HE FINALLY DID IT!’ when the moment happened.”

older stuff

“The agony and the ecstasy of the Social Network press tour” at The Niche
With Andrew Garfield still in the news, here’s a poetic look back at one of the greatest (and most alarmingly sincere) showmances of the 21st century.

tumblr & beyond

Witcher fanart by soika

RIP Mr Tumnus.

jrr tolkien, master of structure.

“In my day, we had to infer our favourite character’s basic personality traits from 175 under-budgeted episodes written by fifty-eight different people.”

tumblr’s star du jour: Blorbo From My Shows.

“THIS IS THE FUNNIEST POSSIBLE WAY FOR HOMESTUCK TO BE TRENDING IN 2022”

kudos to the hard work and dedication that went into this buffy the vampire slayer calendar

Supernatural claims another victim.

fanfiction

We’re starting 2022 like we do every year: with folks’ favorite Yuletide fics from the past few weeks. We got enough for two lists, so this is the first half. Thanks so much to everyone who sent in a rec! — Elizabeth

“And I Have Seen Evil” by Gement. 1.3K words, rated Gen.
Fandom: The Addams Family (Movies - Sonnenfeld); Ship: Gen
Recced by: maribou
Backstory: Wednesday Addams is the youngest child of an unusually macabre family. Her relatives are monstrous and she loves them that way. In this story, she attends a fictional college and becomes a member of Horror Club.
Rec: It’s funny and moving and made me think about horror movies differently. For such a concise story, the author packs in some really wonderful characterization.
Content warnings: N/A

“On The (N)th Day Of Christmas” by genarti, innerbrat, and ryfkah. 3.6K words, rated Teen.
Fandom: The Goes Wrong Show (TV 2019); Ship: Chris Bean/Robert Grove
Recced by: penna_nomen
Backstory: Timeloop story in which characters rehearse and perform a Christmas-themed version of A Princess Bride. In each loop, the director casts the characters in different roles, hoping the loop will break when the production is perfect. And above all, he wants to avoid casting the most annoying actor in the lead role.
Rec: I’d never heard of this fandom before, and I still loved it! It’s delightfully funny with a cast of quirky actors, including one with a massive ego, and the director trying to get things perfect.
Content warnings: N/A

“Commonplace” by RationalElderberry. 2.7K words, rated Gen.
Fandom: The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.; Ship: Gen, but with strong platonic relationships (Akechi Touma & Saiki Kusuo, Saiki Kusuo & Saiki Kusuke)
Recced by: anon
Backstory: A soulmate fic with Saiki and Akechi which shows both their viewpoints before they discover who their soulmate is, and sets the tone to a coming-of-age-type story. It is normal in this AU for everyone to have a soulmate in the platonic sense.
Rec: Saiki K. is an underrated show that I discovered just a while ago. This was the first fic I read on AO3 from the fandom and it was quite sweet. The behaviour of Saiki’s parents was very in-character here and I liked their bantering.
Content warnings: N/A

“and i was making you a wish” by paperclipbitch. 1.6K words, rated Gen.
Fandom: Winter’s Orbit - Everina Maxwell; Ship: Jainan nav Adessari/Kiem Tegnar
Recced by: AirgiodSLV
Backstory: This story takes place on a frozen planet with terrifying native wildlife, where survival modules are taught in primary school. One of the characters has married in from another world, and isn’t quite as used to the threat level presented by local flora and fauna as his partner.
Rec: This is an amazing snapshot of an ordinary moment that becomes memorable and meaningful because of the people sharing it. It’s filled with banter, humor, and the occasional emotional gut-punch, and shows the characters really working to understand each other and build a stronger partnership.
Content warnings: Brief references to a former canon abusive marriage

“Chagrin My Dazzle” by Chocolatepot. 2.3K words, rated Teen.
Fandom: Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen; Ship: Gen
Recced by: lareinenoire
Backstory: Northanger Abbey high school AU.
Rec: Beautiful update of Jane Austen’s Gothic pastiche with Catherine Morland as a Twilight fangirl and Henry Tilney as a theatre boy. Pure delight is what this is.
Content warnings: N/A

“A Place on Earth” by Mosca. 4.2K words, rated Teen.
Fandom: Doom Patrol (TV); Ship: Danny the Street/Maura Lee Karupt, but mostly Gen
Recced by: Gement
Backstory: Danny the Street is a genderqueer sentient location who provides a safe space for those who need to find them. They thrive on the joy of those who live there, the Dannyzens, and go where they’re needed, changing scale based on how much joy they have available. Maura Lee Karupt is a notable Dannyzen who emcees the glam karaoke nights.
Rec: This story from Danny’s POV is an explosion of bittersweet queer joy with a sing-along playlist embedded throughout the story. Cameos from throughout the DC canon add richness, but nothing past a quick Google is necessary to appreciate them.
Content warnings: N/A

FINAL THOUGHT

We’re back next week with more Yuletide recs! Happy new year, and have a relaxing weekend! — Gav