The Rec Center #472
Hello everyone! This week we have pieces on the woman who mapped Middle-earth, Elon Musk’s gaming ~shenanigans, and yes, the big investigation on the Neil Gaiman abuse allegations for anyone who somehow missed it. Plus Jujutsu Kaisen fanart and a multifandom grab-bag of fic recs. — Elizabeth
new stuff
“There Is No Safe Word” by Lila Shapiro at Vulture
It seems unlikely that any of our readers haven’t encountered this yet, but just in case: the long-awaited, extremely in-depth reporting on the Neil Gaiman allegations is here (big content warning for abuse, sexual assault, and related dynamics). We’ll also be keeping an eye out for any responses worth sharing in the coming weeks.
“Overlooked No More: Karen Wynn Fonstad, Who Mapped Tolkien’s Middle-earth” by Brian Kevin at the New York Times
A truly wonderful piece on the author of The Atlas of Middle-earth, as part of the Times’s series of obituaries on figures who didn’t get the recognition they deserved when they passed away.
“Gamers Accuse Elon Musk of Cheating to Level Up” by Miles Klee at Rolling Stone
Elon Musk’s latest foray into self-humiliation involves allegations that he paid people to level up his characters in games like Diablo IV. Not for the first time, he’s facing accusations of gamer fraud.
(learning my neighbor clark is actually superman) so when you said you couldn’t help me move,
— ceej (@ceej.online) January 17, 2025 at 12:16 AM
older stuff
“Bringing Fanfiction Into the Classroom” by Abby Kirby at Fansplaining
“While much of education focuses on rigid answers and definitions, we bend and twist canon to our will until we are satisfied. I put my kids in control of the story and the class. We break canon and the traditional notion of what it means to be a writer, a fan, and a student.”
tumblr & beyond
Jujutsu Kaisen fanart by itsiitsu
“The fujoshevik keeps commissioning socialist realist paintings of sweaty men in factories and cosmonauts holding each other tenderly”
An interesting technical explanation for why the “command gold” shirts in Star Trek TOS were in fact green.
“had a dream that there was this new tiktok trend called scrubbing”
ok in fairness this email from the creator of Undertail is pretty funny.
“no fandom is ever truly dead.”
fanfiction
We’ve got a grab-bag this week! Thanks so much to everyone who sent in a rec. — Elizabeth
“‘The Never-Ending Sacrifice’ by Ulan Corac as Annotated by Elim Garak for Julian Bashir
” by JX27. 13K words, rated Gen.
Fandom: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine; Ship: Julian Bashir/Elim Garak
Recced by: anon
Backstory: As per the fic’s summary: Garak takes it upon himself to show Julian just how great "The Never-Ending Sacrifice" is. As he annotates the poem, his relationship with Julian develops into something more than just friendship.
Rec: This story is a testament to the ingenuity of fic writers. The epic poem sounds so authentic and unique I kept forgetting it didn’t exist beforehand.
Content warnings: N/A
“The Marriage Plot” by SuburbanSun. 3K words, rated Teen.
Fandom: Abbott Elementary; Ship: Gregory Eddie/Janine Teagues
Recced by: Abbieprime
Backstory: Abbott Elementary is about the lives of the teachers of a Philadelphia elementary school. Janine and Gregory spent several seasons dancing around each other before finally giving in to what their fellow teachers, the audience, and the whole world knows: they’re amazing together. In this fic, the faculty of Abbott have a betting pool about when they’re going to get engaged.
Rec: This feels like an episode of the show, with perfect characterizations and the delightful banter I expect from Abbott. The story equivalent of a warm hug.
Content warnings: N/A
“fluttering like a bird” by madness_and_smiles. 90K words, rated Mature.
Fandom: The Terror (TV 2018); Ship: Francis Crozier/James Fitzjames
Recced by: pyracantha
Backstory: A Howl’s Moving Castle AU—The Wizard Crozier is offered James Fitzjames heart in place of Sophia Cracroft’s.
Rec: I had never watched the series The Terror but I had a few friends on terrortwitter and madness_and_smiles started posting this and I fell in love. Later, after I actually did watch the show, it just gave the story a deeper, richer, feeling.
Content warnings: Fairytale-typical situations, maybe some body horror as James does turn into a bird person
“yeah theyre just bros thanks for asking” by victortor. 11K words, rated Teen.
Fandom: Mo Dao Zu Shi; Ship: Lan Wangji /& Wei Wuxian
Recced by: boycottromance
Backstory: Modern AU take on the relationship between Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian.
Rec: I really like the way the author portrays aromanticism! I think the way that the story handles the mismatch between an aromantic character and an alloromantic character is fun. people meddling in other people’s relationships.
Content warnings: N/A
“Unconventional” by unicornsandbutane. 22K words, rated Explicit.
Fandom: Star Wars; Ship: Armitage Hux/Kylo Ren
Recced by: anon
Backstory: Modern AU in which Hux is a sort of Chuck Tingle, writing bizarre erotica under a pseudonym. To his own surprise, Kylo becomes a devoted fan.
Rec: This story is impossibly funny, really hot, and above all, extremely unique. There is so much care put into every small detail! One of those fics that stay in your mind forever and make you chuckle whenever you think of them.
Content warnings: Some political content, transphobic language, mild S&M
“Off the Leash” by Dragonfly. 14K words, rated Teen.
Fandom: White Collar; Ship: Gen
Recced by: penna.nomen.
Backstory: White Collar was a TV show about an FBI agent (Peter Burke) partnered with Neal Caffrey who is a thief/conman/forger Peter had arrested. Neal was released from prison but wears a tracking anklet, and is considered to be in Peter’s custody. In this story, the anklet stops working and that means Peter has to watch Neal overnight until a replacement anklet can be delivered.
Rec: It’s set early in the series, when these two main characters were just getting to know each other, and showcases Neal’s conflicting motivations: on the one hand he has a flight instinct and suggested this custody arrangement in the hopes of escaping to rescue his girlfriend, and on the other hand he admires Peter and wants to win his trust. This story was part of the tipping point for me, pushing me from reading fanfic to writing it, because I couldn’t find other stories I liked this much to read. The story also succeeds on a level that often eluded the TV series writers—it finds a role for Peter’s wife that makes sense and doesn’t feel forced.
Content warnings: N/A
Did they ever explain the in-universe reason the baby shoes were never worn? I know there are fan theories or whatever but did they ever actually address it in a spin-off? Or are the writers being lazy again 🙄
— Andrew Sherman (@cohostsherms.bsky.social) January 13, 2025 at 10:17 PM
FINAL THOUGHT
For fans of gothic horror, the latest ep of my film podcast Overinvested is an in-depth review of Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu!
I had mixed feelings on this movie, and this episode covers a wide variety of topics: Dracula’s impact on the horror genre, Robert Eggers’ very particular approach to historical storytelling, and his divisive interpretation of vampiric sexuality. I also published a related piece at Reactor: “The Lackluster Eroticism of Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu,” discussing Nosferatu’s relationship with gothic romance tropes. — Gav