Day 2
In your own space, post a rec for at least three fanworks that you did not create. Drop a link to your post in the comments. See if you can rec fanworks that are less likely to be praised: tiny fandoms, rare pairings, fanworks other than stories, lesser known kinks or tropes. Find fanworks that have few to no comments, or creators new to a particular fandom and maybe aren't well known or appreciated. Appreciate them.
Since I started using the Kindle program, I've really gone to town on finding free books to download. (Free! Books! Two of my favorite things!) Somehow I stumbled upon
P.G. Wodehouse, and remembered that Jeeves and Wooster are much beloved by fandom. I quickly saw why. Wodehouse has a really magical combination of witty prose and slang, and while his situations are practically slapstick in their humor, there's a certain sweetness and generosity to both Wooster and Jeeves that make the stories completely enjoyable.
Also, they are more MFEO than just about any other pair I've ever encountered.
I've been pacing myself with the Jeeves & Wooster fic over on AO3. Really, anything over there is delightful, and I'm amazed by how many of the authors are able to replicate Wodehouse's style. (It would definitely be beyond me.) All of the stories for this year's Yuletide were wonderful.
So, of course, I've got to rec one that's quite a bit different from the rest.
You don't have to know the canon to read this story, and to be honest, it might be less painful if you don't. (Oh, how's that for a set up, hmm?)
The Case of Colney Hatch by Sex_in_spats, (~13,000 words, Teen,
Jeeves/Wooster) is not your usual fanfic.
Noir-ish AU set in contemporary Britain, featuring an OC narrator and ghost!Bertie and ghost!Jeeves. Peter Clark, a paranormal investigator who doesn't believe in ghosts, tells the story of the mystery that changed him forever. Now, an OC narrating an modern-day AU might sound a bit off-putting to some, but it works wonderfully. The plot is fantastic, the narrator is interesting, and the Jeeves and Wooster story is heartbreaking. I made the mistake of reading this in bed, in the dark, at one in the morning, and when I was finished I was scared to get out of bed to go to the bathroom. Eventually my bladder convinced me to face my fear, but it was a close thing. I cried a lot, as well, but there's also a bit of humor and a lot of love.
(Word of warning on this: It deals with some pretty tough material, mainly insane asylums in the early 20th century and the effects of anti-sodomy laws on our favorite characters.)
I know I don't sell it particularly well, but if you're in the mood for some angst or a delicious blend of styles, this story is more than worth it. (For much lighter fare from the same author, try
Jeeves and the Best Laid Schemes or
Jeeves and the One Horse Open Sleigh.)
Moving on to a Yuletide story from this year, one for one of my absolute favorite movies of last year:
True Grit.
A Living Fire by th_esaraus (~2600 words, gen)
is Mattie Ross.
Mattie had been bitten young by the spirit of adventure, and it had near killed her. There's nothing really *big*, as such, in this story; it's simply Mattie in the years between the penultimate and final scenes of the movie. Yet every word in it is so clearly carved out of Mattie's life, her thoughts and voice. There's one line in it that isn't trumpeted in any way, just as subtle as the rest, yet it made me catch my breath with the
oh, Mattie-ness of it. If you enjoyed the movie, read this.
And finally, a big (huge) story in a big fandom, for a big pairing, which might not be exactly within the spirit of this specific challenge, yet I really think this story hasn't received nearly enough attention. I wanted to rec it from the instant I finished reading it, and just hadn't gotten around to it.
The Ivy Crown by dayari (not to be confused with other Ivy Crowns in the fandom) is
Arthur/Merlin with a bit of
Gwaine/The Green Knight, Explicit, 250,000 words. (Yes, you read that right--250,000 words.) I'm fairly sure it's my favorite story in the fandom so far.
Set post-Series 3 and diverging from there, the author takes the traditional tale of Sir Gawaine and The Green Knight and adapts it to the world of Merlin. You don't have to be familiar with the story to enjoy this one, and neither will you be bored by the plot if you are. Two plots interweave through the story: the appearance of the mysterious Green Knight in Camelot and the subsequent adventure of Gwaine, Arthur, Merlin, and the other knights in seeking him out--and Arthur and Merlin dealing with Arthur's cold, silent, betrayed anger after discovering that Merlin has magic.
This story hurts at times, and sometimes you want to shake Arthur and/or Merlin, but dayari always manages to make their emotions make sense, and shows you that both of them are very much trying to work towards making things right, even if they're not very good at doing so at times. Their love is very clear throughout, and Gwaine is wonderful, too. What I loved in particular, though, was how the rather formal, tidy, Church-y traditional tale becomes something very much of the earth, full of forests and animals and wild, wild magic.
(Also, I really want some hot Gwaine/Green Knight fic now, thank you very much.)
Go. Sink into this story when you have the time.
(Manually x-posted from LJ.)
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