The Rec Center #497
Hello all! This week we have articles about filmmakers trying to outwit Reddit fandom, the Japanese zine scene, and the 20th anniversary of Supernatural. Also some beautiful Star Trek fanart, a multifandom rec list of friends-to-lovers fic, and more! — Gav
new stuff
“Studios are rewriting movies steered by Reddit. A dangerous development—or long overdue?” by Ben Child at The Guardian
Do some movies these days make you feel like the screenwriters are actively trying to avoid fans guessing plot points in advance? Well…
“A buzzing zine scene across Japan packs passion in multiple formats” by Kim Kahan at The Japan Times
An interesting report from the world of Japanese zines, which encompasses a lot of different artistic forms. “They turn hand-stitched pages, try to read thumb-sized miniature books or listen to a cassette tape of field recordings taken in train stations, complete with a tiny booklet.”
“Family Reunion: ‘Supernatural’ at 20” by Damian Holbrook at TV Insider
For the 20th anniversary of SPN’s premiere season, a very fandom-focused interview with Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, and Misha Collins.
favorite dumb comics thing is how some american guy doing too much coke in the 80s would invent a terrible superhero like "sandwich boy" as a joke and then some british guy doing too many sedatives in the 90s would be like "sandwich boy can create a 'reality sandwich' and is thus a living god"
— merritt (@merrittk.com) June 13, 2025 at 1:39 PM
older stuff
“Where the Wild Stories Are” by Elizabeth at Ellipsus
On the rise of AI-generated fanfiction: “If you outsource the act of being a fan to AI, what does that leave you? Fan creators are powerful because they’re deeply participatory media consumers—they don’t passively absorb a work, but grab onto it and reshape it to their will.”
tumblr & beyond
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds fanart by bardthulhu
“Porn fic that takes fifty thousand words to get to the fucking and it’s not even a slow burn”
Sasuke works for the what??
A crucial take on the topic of James Bond casting.
an incredible report from someone whose gay awakening was sigourney weaver in Alien.
fanfiction
We’ve got friends to lovers this week! Thanks so much to everyone who sent in a rec. — Elizabeth
“ontario love story” by stereobone. 14K words, rated Explicit.
Fandom: Letterkenny; Ship: Daryl/Wayne
Recced by: StVincentAppalled
Backstory: Letterkenny is a comedy show about hicks in a small rural community in Ontario. Wayne is the Toughest Guy in Letterkenny and Daryl is his Best Bud.
Rec: This is a sweet, cozy story about good friends falling in love and becoming sweeties without realizing it. The story is so plausible, and the characters sound so true to the show, it may as well be canon.
Content warnings: Canon-typical alcohol use and violence
“Where the Wild Monsters Are” by crinklefries. 6K words, rated Teen.
Fandom: MCU; Ship: Bucky/Steve
Recced by: mizzmarvel
Backstory: Steve and Bucky grew up together in pre-WWII Brooklyn before growing up, fighting in the war, and accidentally ending up as time-displaced superheroes in the 21st century. Some fans think they should smooch.
Rec: Stucky AUs often discard the lifelong friendship of Steve and Bucky, which for me is a vitally important part of their ship dynamic. This very soft monster fairytale builds on the friendship—with Bucky as the literal monster under Steve’s bed who grows with him and becomes more.
Content warnings: N/A
“Precipice” by V_Evergreen. 4.9K words, rated Not Rated.
Fandom: Top Gun; Ship: Tom “Iceman” Kazansky/Pete “Maverick” Mitchell
Recced by: Serie11
Backstory: Top Gun focuses on Maverick, a naval aviator who is the best in the business. His long time rivalry/friendship with Iceman is explored in this fic when the two of them decide to take the chance to develop their relationship into something more.
Rec: This can be read canon blind as two long-time friends having a hilarious disaster first date. The prose is sharp, the dialogue is funny, and it delivers on its set up.
Content warnings: N/A
“even though i’m satisfied” by swellow. 11K words, rated Explicit.
Fandom: BTS; Ship: Jeon Jungkook/Jung Hoseok | j-hope
Recced by: Sam
Backstory: A canon-compliant BTS fic where Jungkook is a trans man and Hoseok has been trying to hide his crush for a long time.
Rec: I love how this story explores the dynamic of one character who knows what they want and another who’s afraid of what they want. This is an absolute gem of a fic for this rarepair.
Content warnings: Discussion of fetishization as a concern
“Sastrugi” by hafital. 17K words, rated Explicit.
Fandom: Highlander (TV series); Ship: Duncan Macleod/Methos
Recced by: anon
Backstory: Highlander is a franchise about immortals who cut off each other’s heads. Duncan Macleod is the gallant main character of the TV series, Methos is a recurring character and ally of Duncan who as the oldest living Immortal often presents a counter viewpoint to Duncan’s more rigid morality. This fic takes place some years after the end of the series.
Rec: It reads like an extension of a much better version of the show with spot on characterization and an engaging, exciting plot. The depictions of the Antarctic are beautiful, and the development of Duncan and Methos’s relationship from old friends on unsure footing to finally finding the right way to love each other is moving.
Content warnings: Violence, depiction of death
And a comic!
“Better Luck Next Time” by cvrue. Rated Teen.
Fandom: Star Trek: The Original Series; Ship: James T. Kirk/Spock
Recced by: anon
Backstory: Cool riff on a canon event—what would happen if it wasn’t Kirk kissing a woman on the bridge but instead his first officer? Author uses dialogue from season 1 episode Court Martial as the premise for the K/S comic.
Rec: The artist uses collage really successfully to create a dope comic/zine that has so many small details that I love. I’m so impressed by the amount of delicious emotion captured in such a short work. I keep coming back to it.
Content warnings: N/A
Strange but true: the "quaint and curious volumes of forgotten lore" that Poe's narrator is pondering in his famous poem The Raven was actually the Elder Scrolls fan wiki
— Pavel🐀 (@spavel.bsky.social) July 7, 2025 at 8:41 AM
FINAL THOUGHT
If you’re over 35 and have experience with intergenerational fandom (e.g., inheriting a fandom from an older relative, or connecting with younger fans across the generations), Wild Ramp Publishing is looking for your essays, stories, art, and more for their third “Act Your Age” zine! You can check out their call for submissions here. — Elizabeth