The Rec Center #476
Hello all! This week we have articles on Spider-Verse translations, the graves of fictional characters, and my latest for WIRED, on Captain America: Brave New World and the complicated fandom dynamics around the MCU today. Plus: as Femslash February continues, we’ve got an explainer and fic recs for Moiraine/Siuan from The Wheel of Time by guest reccer LighthouseNora! — Elizabeth
new stuff
“10 Years After ‘Stucky,’ Captain America: Brave New World Signals a Big Shift in Marvel Fandom” by Elizabeth at WIRED
As Brave New World hits theaters, Elizabeth dug into contrasts between the fandom dynamics around the original trilogy—specifically, the Peak Stucky Era—and now. Franchise fatigue, disparate communities of fan creators, fandom’s continual racist sidelining of Sam Wilson, a BDS boycott, and much more.
“How films like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse change for Latin American viewers” by Diego Nicolás Argüello at Polygon
A very interesting piece about the ways translators localized their translations of Across the Spider-Verse for different Latin American regions.
“What Lies Beneath the Gravestone of a Fictional It Girl?” by Allegra Rosenberg at Atlas Obscura
For fandom history fans, a great read on the real gravestone of late-18th-century fictional character Charlotte Temple, which you can find to this day in Trinity Church Cemetery in lower Manhattan.
Elmer is obviously attracted to Bugs in a way that Bugs is more aware of than Elmer but I don't think Bugs totally understands the depths of how reciprocal it is on his end. A fascinating relationship.
— Branson Reese 🇵🇸 (@bransonreese.bsky.social) 2025-02-09T17:53:12.847Z
older stuff
“The Cartographer Who Mapped Out Gotham City” by Jimmy Stamp at Smithsonian Magazine
A fascinating logistical history of how Gotham City became the most well-mapped location in superhero comics.
tumblr & beyond
“i’m so glad someone came up with ao3 and we don’t just call it aooo.”
a perfect headcanon for what would’ve happened if Han Solo and Luke Skywalker hooked up.
“DS9 as a show dares to ask the important questions...”
a good take on supposedly conflict-free fluff AUs.
“man supernatural might be bad but also ill be damned if thats not the most american show ever.”
explainer + fanfiction: WoT’s Moiraine/Siuan
LighthouseNora is a librarian who lives with one tuxedo cat who is a sweet little rule follower, and one orange goblin with demons in his brain. Any typos in her fics are his fault.
For certain fans of the television adaptation of Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time, especially for queer fans like myself, there is no ship more sacred than Moiraine/Siuan. While the 15-book epic fantasy series relegates their romance to the past, the show opts to continue the romantic part of their relationship throughout the story. The result is an on-screen relationship between two middle-aged women that is gloriously complex, messy, loving, and real. To see the show emphatically embrace the love between Moiraine and Siuan, and make it a central part of their story rather than simply hinting at it, was both a gift and a welcome surprise.
Fanart by thatordinaryoddity
For context, Moiraine Damodred and Siuan Sanche have been lovers since they were in training to become Aes Sedai (women who can wield The Wheel of Time’s version of magic) at the White Tower (a civic entity meets magic school) decades ago. During that time, they learned a dangerous secret that altered the course of their lives and set them on a path that would keep them apart for years at a time.
Forced to end their public relationship and keep their love a secret lest anyone discover they are working together, Moiraine and Siuan spend twenty years dedicated to their covert mission: to find and guide the Dragon Reborn, a mythical figure destined to save or destroy the world, and prepare him to face the Dark One at the Last Battle. Siuan remains at the White Tower, using her political acumen to gain allies amongst the various factions of Aes Sedai and ready the Tower to support the Dragon when the time comes, while Moiraine goes out into the world to search for him.
Fanart by flo-n-flon
At the start of the series Siuan has risen to the highest office of power at the White Tower, and Moiraine has finally located the Dragon Reborn. I won’t spoil anything about the story for those who haven’t yet watched the show, but let’s just say that what follows for Siuaraine is a time of even greater difficulty. Already forced apart by circumstance, only able to see one another for a handful of days every couple of years, the identification of the Dragon raises the stakes for them yet again and makes the risk of discovery a possible death sentence.
This ship has everything. Public enemies/private lovers, pain, sex, sapphic yearning, hurt, hair stroking, tragic marriage vows, and two strong-willed, powerful women utterly committed to their cause even though it means choosing their mission over their love time and time again. It is perfect, and has spawned thousands of fanworks that multiply by the day.
We are the Siuaraine shippers. Compared to other fandoms we may be small, but we are loud, and what follows are only a few of our best offerings. From hurt/comfort to rescue missions to porn with feelings, it’s all here, and there are many more where these came from. Season 3 of The Wheel of Time premiers March 13th! Join us! — LighthouseNora
Fanart by pien-art
“kept impulse dormant” by QuickYoke. 60K words, rated Explicit
Fandoms: Wheel of Time (TV); Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan
Backstory: This is a multi-chapter pre-canon fic covering the three years that Moiraine and Siuan were Novices in the White Tower.
Rec: Novice fics are popular in the WoT fandom, and this one remains my personal gold standard. Every element is carefully considered and well thought out, and the work as a whole is so plausible that it’s hard to imagine things happening any other way. While it mostly follows book canon, there is nothing in it that show watchers will not understand. It’s a wonderful “how they met” story that shows us the beginning of their relationship in excellent, true-to-character detail.
Content warnings: N/A
“it moves when her body does” by kathryne. 25K words, rated Explicit.
Fandom: Wheel of Time (TV)
Backstory: Siuan comes from a culture where traditional tattoos are used to mark significant life events, turning one’s body into a map of their own story. In this fic, Moiraine learns about Siuan’s tattoos and their meaning.
Rec: Siuan’s tattoos are a brilliant narrative theme in this multi-chapter fic that covers four important time periods in her life. The author did her research, and writes with cultural sensitivity about traditional tattoos and tattooing methods (and is open to feedback regarding same), beautifully weaving their significance into a narrative about Siuan’s experiences in the White Tower and her relationship with Moiraine. There is also some very good sex.
Content warnings: N/A
“And pay for it” by Taren_Ferry. 4K words, rated Teen.
Fandom: Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan
Backstory: Contains spoilers for the entire book series. While the world prepares for the Last Battle, Moiraine and Siuan have a conversation, confronting the instances in which each feels they failed the other by putting their mission first.
Rec: This fic is a harsh look at the reality of how Moiraine and Siuan’s relationship has changed during twenty years of not being able to choose each other. Late- and post-canon tension between the two of them is an underexplored topic in WoT fic, but one that gives the reader a lot to chew on if it’s done well, as it is here. It is tagged as a missing scene from the final book, and fits as seamlessly into it as though it has always been there.
Content warnings: N/A
“now, and now” by fuelprices. 2K words, rated Explicit
Fandoms: Wheel of Time (TV); Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan
Backstory: Moiraine and Siuan have a secret place that they meet on the rare occasions they are able to see each other. This is one such occasion.
Rec: I love a good PWP as much as the next person, and this is a great one that also has Feelings. It’s a well-written sex scene (not easy to do), and set within the larger context of their story, which makes it bittersweet and poignant. Moiraine and Siuan are not able to see each other often, and never openly, and their time together is always too short. With subtle details and a few lines, the author manages to highlight both their deep connection, and how precious this meeting is for both of them.
Content warnings: N/A
“thy grief lies all within” by tansypool. 4K words, rated Teen.
Fandom: Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan
Backstory: Contains spoilers for Book 13: Towers of Midnight. Trapped in a separate realm by the sinister WoT version of the Fae who feed on intense emotions, Moiraine experiences a series of horrifying realities created from her own memories. Siuan, determined to save her despite the danger, comes to her rescue.
Rec: At the present time the show has not yet reached these events, so we don’t know how or if they will occur, but if they do, I hope it mirrors what the author of this fic has given us. Reading about Moiraine’s captivity from her perspective provides a healthy dose of the kind of pain and suffering that I adore. And with the addition of the mind edit preferred by Siuaraine shippers everywhere, Siuan gets to be the one to fight through the dangers and rescue her beloved. If I could choose a fic to influence the WoT writers room, it would be this one.
Content warnings: N/A
“your touch gone still” by tough_n_dumb. 1K words, rated Teen.
Fandom: Wheel of Time (TV)
Backstory: In this extended scene from season 2, Moiraine and Siuan see each other for the first time since finding the Dragon Reborn, and are forced to confront how much has changed between them since then.
Rec: This one is straight-up pain. These women have defined themselves by their mission for decades, and now that events are beginning to progress quickly and beyond their control, it’s suddenly clear that they are no longer on the same page. The author does a beautiful job of conveying how distressing it is for both Moiraine and Siuan to be at odds with each other, and also how committed they are to their chosen paths despite what it might cost. Both characters are captured perfectly in this short one-shot that packs a strong punch.
Content warnings: N/A
Being a mech pilot as an adult is crazy cause all your coworkers are extremely brain washed children. There's no one here to talk about sports
— Enigmatic White Woman (@worstgirleva.bsky.social) 2025-02-08T02:00:37.251Z
FINAL THOUGHT
Annual PSA: The Rec Center is eligible for a Hugo Award, and we’d be so honored and thankful if you nominated us for Best Fanzine!
Basically the more nominations we receive, the more likely we are to reach the final shortlist—something we did actually achieve back in 2020! So if you’re able to submit nominees for the Hugos, we’d appreciate your vote.
Otherwise, have a relaxing weekend everyone! — Gav