The Rec Center #408
Hello all! This week we have articles about the BTS memoir and comics industry unionization efforts, some lovely OFMD fanart, multifandom horror and Halloween fic recs, and more! — Gav
new stuff
“Behind the Scenes of the Translation Process That Brought the BTS Memoir to English-Speaking Fans” by Kayti Burt at Paste
The 400-page Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS surprised fans earlier this year—and surprised the team tasked with translating it only a few months prior. This piece chronicles how they got the job done, and their reflections on the fandom response.
“The comics industry has left creators to drown, so some are building lifeboats” by Rosie Knight at Polygon
“Since its earliest days, the American comics industry has been built on the exploitation of workers.”
“What does a happily ever after look like?” by Alice Liang at The Pudding
A cool interactive article looking at the evolution of romance novel covers over the past few decades, with data on shifts in everything from raunchiness to racial diversity.
taylor swift fans have constructed a lore so intricate she sounds like a bloodborne boss. they’ll be like “when she was 12 yrs old she carved the name of her 12th album into the elder tree”. like ok ? which of her attacks are easiest to parry
— thomas (Bad Boy arc) 🍌 (@perfectsweeties) October 20, 2022
older stuff
“AI Seinfeld: the show about nothing is back—and now it’s written by robots” by Matthew Cantor at the Guardian
“Nothing, Forever,” aka AI Seinfeld, is one of the more offbeat AI-generated fan projects, streaming 24 hours a day on Twitch. With the recent news that the livestream has begun to wind down, here’s some coverage from earlier this year.
tumblr & beyond
Our Flag Means Death fanart by fedzzzart
some expert advice on how to perform CPR on a Witcher with a nonhuman heartbeat pattern.
“Doctor Who Van Gogh episode except it’s Silver and he has a panic attack inside a Long John Silver’s fast food restaurant”
new yuletide femslash fandom alert.
“my man he did none of that. He did a bunch of other shit tho.”
fanfiction
It’s time! For this final weekend before Halloween, we have a mix of spooky/horror/paranormal fic (as always, please heed the content warnings!). Thanks so much to everyone who sent in a rec. — Elizabeth
“Howling” by MimiSpearmint. 40K words, rated Explicit.
Fandom: 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV)魔道祖师- 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù; Ship: Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī/Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn
Recced by: Toshokanin
Backstory: Wei Wuxian is a retired battle mage on the outs with the Institute that supervises magical practioners; Lan Wangji is the shifter who has been sent to investigate the rumour that the Yiling Laozu has taken an apprentice. What he finds is not at all what he expects.
Rec: Perfect spooky gothic vibes for autumn/Halloween. Chinese diaspora Wangxian set in Ireland and incorporating elements of Celtic mythology and folklore.
Content warnings: Horror including body horror, a bit of degradation kink, secondary character death, (unfounded) suspicion of child abuse
“I’ve been crawling on the walls ” by Mellow_Yellow. 33K words, rated Explicit.
Fandom: Hockey RPF; Ship: Travis Konecny/Nolan Patrick
Recced by: callabang
Backstory: Former professional hockey teammates/ex-boyfriends Nolan Patrick and Travis Konecny reunite when Travis receives an unexpected and unsettling phone call from Nolan, who’s been ghosting him for the past several years.
Rec: This fic is genuinely unsettling and spooky, with perfect pacing and a clear love for the horror genre. I love the way the author writes relationships and gives the main such a rich interior, and how there’s enough humor to lighten up the tension.
Content warnings: Violence
“A Short Life and a Merry One, My Buck!” by jinlinli. 9K words, rated Mature.
Fandom: Captain America; Ship: Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers
Recced by: Lydia
Backstory: So recently [ed note: this was sent in a while ago!] in Stucky fandom, there’s been a Halloween prompt event for horror themed fic, and this is definitely one of the early standouts for me! It’s a 1930s fic featuring dark!Steve who can control people if he knows their true name.
Rec: I love a nice creepy fic to read to get into the Halloween spirit, and this really fits the bill! The Steve in it is absolutely horrifying but totally understandable, and he and Bucky are trapped together in this twisted love/hate relationship. It’s disturbing and really well-written!
Content warnings: Blood and gore, dubious consent, unhealthy relationships
“this is the road to ruin” by ghostinthelibrary. 31K words, rated Explicit.
Fandom: The Witcher; Ship: Geralt/Jaskier
Recced by: vands38
Backstory: No fandom knowledge required. This modern AU does a really good job of showing how a monster hunter would work in the modern world, complete with creepy and paranormal goings-on.
Rec: It’s so atmospheric, it’ll just draw you right in. There’s something really creepy about a gas station at night and the author definitely chose the setting very well.
Content warnings: Violence
“and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart” by nagia. 11K words, Not Rated.
Fandom: Daredevil; Ship: Frank Castle/Karen Page
Recced by: laiqualaurelote
Backstory: In Daredevil, Karen Page is a journalist and friend of Frank Castle, the vigilante known as the Punisher; her brother died as a teenager in a car accident she was indirectly responsible for. In this AU, she is from a powerful family of witches but gave up her heart—and her power with it—when her brother died, only for her father to attempt to resurrect her brother years later.
Rec: The creepiest spin on an e e cummings poem (‘i carry your heart with me’) that you’ll ever read. It’s eerie, beautiful, and terribly sad.
Content warnings: Gore
“The Woman in Blue” by Ferritin4. 54K words, rated Explicit
Fandom: Hockey RPF; Ship: Nicklas Backstrom/Alexander Ovechkin
Recced by: Willa
Backstory: In an unspecified alternate historical Europe, Nicklas Backstrom is an exorcist priest and Alexander Ovechkin is a werewolf. “A fairytale of romance, monsters, and worship.”
Rec: Truly spooky gothic horror and truly affecting yearning romance. Requires no canon knowledge.
Content warnings: Violence
“Meet Me At The Corner After Dark” by Omen1991. 21K words, rated Mature.
Fandom: The Untamed/MDZS ; Ship: Lan Zhan/Wei Ying
Recced by: Gav
Backstory: “When Lan Zhan discovers there is a ghost stuck in his office building, he decides to help it move on. He has no idea what he’s getting himself into.”
Rec: A sweet modern-day ghost romance, playing with some familiar MDZS fandom tropes.
Content warnings: Graphic violence
at no point in the rhyme do they tell you that Humpty Dumpty is a giant egg, you're just supposed to know going in apparently?
— Jack Bernhardt (@jackbern23) October 23, 2023
FINAL THOUGHT
A few weeks back we linked to the sign-ups for the Marvel Trumps Hate fanworks auction—and now, it’s auction week! If you’re interested in fic, fanart, or other fanworks and services from anything under the broader Marvel umbrella, consider bidding on a creator to make something for you and donate a few dollars to charity in exchange. You have until tomorrow (Saturday) evening ET to place a bid. — Elizabeth