Hello all! This week we have articles about Indian science fiction, Stranger Things tourism, and (briefly but inevitably) the hottest show of the moment, Heated Rivalry. Also some gorgeous Star Trek fanart, a grab-bag of multifandom fic recs, and more! — Gav

new stuff

“The Secret History of Indian Science Fiction” by Gautam Bhatia at Alter Magazine
“Before Asimov, there was Rokeya.” A fantastic deep dive into the history of Indian SF.

“How ‘Stranger Things’ turned a small Southern town’s fortunes upside down” by Maya Huter and Chloe Melas at NBC News
A visit to Jackson, Georgia—which stands in for Hawkins, Indiana on Stranger Things—to see how the show and subsequent fan tourism have totally transformed the town.

“What To Know About ‘Heated Rivalry’” at The Onion
“Q: Where does it take place?
A: An alternate universe where hockey players meticulously wax their body hair.”

ben solo. my beautiful son. i named you after the oldest man i ever knew’s witness protection name

— willow (@fireatwillow.bsky.social) December 2, 2025 at 2:29 PM

older stuff

“‘Terror Camp’ Could Be a Glimpse of the Future of Fandom and Scholarship” by Elizabeth at Atlas Obscura
With the fifth annual Terror Camp meeting this weekend, a look back at Elizabeth’s 2024 profile of the event, a combination of (polar-related) academic conference and (Terror-related) fan con. “It’s academia that feels criminally fun!”

tumblr & beyond

Star Trek fanart by pigegone

“glad to see people enjoying the gay sex hockey show but get your facts right HBO has nothing to do with this”

v envious of this star trek drinkware collection.

literally lestat canon

“this just got a hockey rpf tag. due to the nature of this website” many such cases!!

a sublime piece of creative writing about sabrina carpenter and taylor swift

some delightful Pokémon fanart from a mom who doesn’t know anything about Pokémon.

fanfiction

We’ve got a grab-bag this week! Thanks so much to everyone who sent in a rec. — Elizabeth

“Matinee” by ThrillingDetectiveTales. 5K words, rated Gen.
Fandom: Suits (TV); Ship: Harvey Specter/Mike Ross
Recced by: Shi
Backstory: A canon-divergent AU where Harvey and Mike are married on the down-low, and Mike consults for Harvey’s firm and has a great deal of fun messing with the associates.
Rec: I just think it’s so funny. This is told from the perspective of an OC, who gets progressively more hysterical as the plot unfolds; everyone is always one step ahead of somebody else. I adore the OC’s characterization and would honestly watch a legal drama about just them.
Content warnings: N/A

“All the Roofs of Uncertainty” by Kieron_ODuibhir. 70K words, rated Gen.
Fandom: Batman; Ship: Gen, Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne, Jason Todd & Batfamily
Recced by: anon
Backstory: Nightwing gets injured, and Red Hood reluctantly saves his life. Jason and Bruce air their substantial list of grievances in a hospital, and maybe even try to heal.
Rec: Batfam reconciliation fic! Doesn’t shy away from their trauma and history, but builds them a way to move forward. Also, J & B talk about their feelings for about 40K; it’s a delight.
Content warnings: Graphic depictions of violence, both real and imagined (including blood, guns, gore, stabbing), graphic descriptions of violent intrusive thoughts, panic attacks, PTSD, discussions of (canon-typical) violence to children

“The Least of All Possible Mistakes” by rageprufrock. 118K words, rated Mature.
Fandom: Sherlock (TV); Ship: Always A Woman!George Lestrade/Mycroft Holmes
Recced by: Alana
Backstory: Inspector Georgiana Lestrade works with Sherlock Holmes and slowly gets to know his brother, reserved, fussy Mycroft. If ever a people deserved Tasering, it’s Holmeses.
Rec: This fic has everything: beautiful writing, mystery, romance, tragedy, nuance, joy. I reread it every year.
Content warnings: Cop main character, shaming of STIs (brief)

“The Simplest Way Forward” by harried_vane (with podfic by knight_tracer. 71K words, rated Explicit.
Fandom: MDZS/The Untamed; Ship: Lan Zhan/Wei Ying
Recced by: daisydiversions
Backstory: Wei Ying and Lan Zhan are both orphans who had complicated family situations growing up that they have unresolved feelings about. The original canon is a teen romance paranormal period drama, but this is a modern AU, so you don’t need to know anything about any of that! :D
Rec: Wei Ying accidentally acquires a baby and then accidentally acquires a husband. Themes of healing your childhood abandonment issues, enemies to husbands, U.S. immigration system is trash, and meeting the family.
Content warnings: Child abandonment, immigration

“Waiting for Destiel: A Tragicomedy in One Act” by Kalya_Lee. 603 words, rated Gen.
Fandoms: Supernatural, Waiting for Godot; Ship: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Recced by: alice
Backstory: Waiting for Godot AU of Supernatural starring Dean and Cas, written shortly after the whole November 5 madness and unapologetically comments on that.
Rec: Full of brilliant metacommentary about SPN and Destiel, the fic reflects the state and mindset of the world at the time, all while perfectly capturing the energy and character dynamic of Waiting for Godot with amazing use of its premise, lines, and conclusion.
Content warnings: Short mention of setting oneself on fire

“Under the Table and Dreaming” by hollycomb. 103K words, rated Teen.
Fandom: Toy Story Series (Movies); Ship: Andy Davis/Sid Phillips
Recced by: Persephone_Jones
Backstory: Andy and Sid from Toy Story fall in love and then ... a lot of shit happens but I swear it is OK.
Rec: If you had told me I would laugh and be filled with dread and cry at a Toy Story fic, I would never have believed you, but this is a beautiful and tender story that spans decades and is so, so heartfelt. Perfect for the holidays if you like your love story with a side of angst.
Content warnings: Abuse, alcoholism, drug use

Heated Rivalry feels like (and i do NOT mean this as a criticism) a propaganda film for the concept of twunks.

— Gavia Baker-Whitelaw (@gavia.bsky.social) December 4, 2025 at 10:07 AM

FINAL THOUGHT

Have a great weekend, everyone! — Elizabeth