The Rec Center #5
This week we’ve got our second guest reccer, thursdayj, who brings us some Victorian-oriented BBC Sherlock fanfiction. We’ve got a few other guests lined up in the coming weeks, but in the interest of making these recs as diverse as possible, we want MORE volunteers. :-) If you have any interest in making a rec list—within a fandom, pairing, theme, trope, or some other unifying feature that I can’t think of at the moment—please get in touch! Reply to this email (elizabethandgav at gmail), tweet at us, or leave asks on our Tumblrs (see the bottom for links). — Elizabeth
new stuff
“Is it possible to quantify fandom? Here's one statistician who's crunching the numbers” by Aja Romano at The Daily Dot
If you loved destinationtoast’s 2015 fanfic stats analysis, check out this in-depth interview about her methods and results. (And if you want ANOTHER interview with Toasty, be sure to listen her on this episode the fandom podcast Elizabeth co-hosts, “Fansplaining.”)
“Yahoo Writes Down Tumblr’s Value by $230 Million” by Scott Austin in the Wall Street Journal
Just keeping you abreast on the place where much of fandom (grudgingly??) spends its time. [Ed note: I love tumblr SORRY GUYS. — Elizabeth]
“Why Tumblr is obsessed with Miike Snow’s James Bond parody video,” by Gav at The Daily Dot
Following on from last week’s music video rec, GENGHIS KHAN HAS A FANDOM NOW. (We highly recommend the James Bond fanvid in this post, BTW.)
The new Coen Brothers movie, HAIL CAESAR, isn’t strictly fandom-related except in the sense that it’s kind of satirical fanfic about classic Hollywood, but either way: it looks delightful. This musical number with Channing Tatum really seals the deal.
(N.B. After watching, check out this scene from South Pacific. Just incredible.)
old(er) stuff
“The Unbearable Solitude of Being an African Fan Girl” by Chinelo Onwualu at Omenana
“Being an African fan girl is a strange, liminal thing. You’re never quite sure that you exist.”
tumblr and beyond
Star Wars cross-stitch art that reads “REBEL SCUM”? Don’t mind if I do.
Hamilton fanvid rec: “Jefferson Funk.”
Despite having vanishingly little Hamilton footage to work with, this as-yet anonymous fanvidder managed to create a delightful vid for Daveed Diggs as Thomas Jefferson, set to “Uptown Funk.”
Totally gorgeous fanart for the movie “Carol,” by spicyroll.
fanfiction
This week’s guest reccer is thursdayj. TJ joined the Sherlock fandom in 2012 and spent the next two years thinking about how a man could survive falling off a building. She loves detectives and detective stories, and can usually be found blogging about her many obsessions at thursdayj.tumblr.com.
The recent BBC Sherlock special took Holmes and Watson on a Victorian adventure to solve the mystery of Moriarty’s return. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle once said of Sherlock Holmes,"You may marry him, murder him, or do anything you like to him." The fandom is certainly up to the challenge. Here are a few recs to fill the hiatus after The Abominable Bride. — thursdayj
“A River Without Banks” by Chryse. 203K words, rated Explicit.
This fic takes Sherlock on a heartbreaking redemption arc. In an effort to avoid the disastrous repercussions of Moriarty’s return, Sherlock relives parts of his own timeline trying (and failing) to change history for the better. He experiences love and loss over and over, eventually leading to that fateful meeting at the falls. Imaginative, detailed, and full of angst, but with the promise of a happy ending.
“Birds to a Lighthouse” by wordstrings. 54K words, rated Explicit.
A great fic for venturing into the Victorian setting. When Holmes goes into hiding after Reichenbach, Watson writes to him through his stories in “The Strand.” A wonderful ACD version of two men breaking apart and crashing together. Bonus points for incredibly fat but very brotherly Mycroft.
“The Moonlight and the Frost” by CaitlinFairchild. 77K words, rated Explicit.
A post-season 3 fic that follows John as he falls apart and puts himself back together (with Sherlock’s help).
“The Trial of Sherlock Holmes” by jenna221b. 3K words, rated Gen.
Sherlock faces public scrutiny over his relationship with Watson in this screenplay style fic based on the trial of Oscar Wilde.
“Beware the Jabberwock” by obsidienne. 26K words, rated Mature.
In the middle of a case, Sherlock and John unexpectedly change places with their Victorian counterparts in this fic inspired by Through the Looking Glass. The two men struggle to navigate their relationship in 1800s London while desperately trying to find a way home.
“Masked Ball” by Waid. 31K words, rated Teen.
ACD verse casefic with bonus feelings. This one has a mysterious client, a twisting case, and Holmes and Watson at a masked ball. Don't miss Holmes dancing in a plague mask.
FINAL THOUGHT
We leave you with some Samuel Taylor Coleridge fanfic by Tumblr user slatestarscratchpad:
The sky turned black, the sea turned black
The moon was lost in mist
The goddamn albatross was back
And he was fucking pissed.
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