( (Originally posted 2009-12-20) )

fandom_meta

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I have an academic crush on Stefan Hirschauer. So sad that most of his published work is in German, only.

For my German-understanding friends:

"Warum haben Sie sich eigentlich als Mann auf eine Professur für Frauenforschung beworben?" "Das muss ein Missverständnis sein. Ich habe mich nicht als Mann beworben."

(Okay, gotta translate this: "Why did you, as a man, apply for a professorship in women's studies?" "There must have been a misunderstanding. I didn't do it 'as a man'.")

... my partner's favourite quote:
"... there is no oil on the internet..." (anti-American sentiment removed)

Wow. I cycle through fandoms incredibly fast - just inhaling fanfic, I've burned through Lewis and The Social Network in the last few months. My newest (reading) obsession is Bandom (heavily favouring MCR), and I guess there'll be a post about the last one, at least.
Interestingly enough, I didn't start reading much Fringe fanfic (for fear of spoilers) or Veronica Mars... I've read some Revenge (which I've surprisingly enjoyed intensively) stuff, though.
Then there are my "comfort fandoms", as I'd call them: right now, it's mainly Sherlock and XMFC. I never pass by any Stargate fanfic, either...

"Gender, not religion, is the opiate of the masses." (Erving Goffman, The Arrangement between the Sexes)

"Jeder erfolgreiche Mann hat eine Frau im Rücken, erfolgreiche Frauen haben bestenfalls einen Mann im Nacken."
(Every successful man has a woman who has his back, successful women only get a man breathing down their neck.)

I realised I haven't posted in ages, so:

I'm healthy, just incredibly busy.

We got a new budgie! (Pics will follow when I find the time to buy batteries for my camera.)

I've fallen in love with Veronica Mars.

Still not finished with Fringe. Will get back to that after I have watched ALL THE Veronica Mars eps.

Watched the new Sherlock and have thinky thoughts about the parallels between A Scandal in Belgravia and The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes but knowing myself I will never write that meta so I'm putting the thought out here.

As for recs, I guess I'll soon crack the 200 mark in my "to rec" bookmark folder but right now I'm too busy to even do the organising necessary for using a service like pinboard, so it'll probably be a while but rest assured, I will be back with the shiny... uh... sometime.

I'm very interested in seeing how this will work out.

rydra_wong posted It's the Giant Community Rec-O-Matic!:

Inspired by psyco_chick32, I thought I'd borrow the Giant Community Rec-O-Matic from its irregular appearances in dw_news and set it up here for a while.

It seems timely, what with open account creation, the demise of subject lines on LJ, and, for those of us in the northern hemisphere, the cold and dark (i.e. more time spent indoors on the computer).

Here's how it works:

You leave a comment saying what sort of comms you'd be interested in finding on Dreamwidth (or you could ask people to rec comms on the basis of your profile interests).

Other people reply to you with recs for active comms that are relevant to your interests.

Please link around! The more people who join in, the more people get matched with comms, the busier the Dreamwidth comms get, and everyone goes home happier.

Finally started watching and am totally hooked.

Fact that surprised me: I really, really like Nina Sharp.

Please don't spoil me, I'm still mid-season 1.

/tune out

I always let them pile up for too long. Here are the stories I enjoyed most recently:


Harry Potter


No Other Superstar by lettered (At the AO3: No Other Superstar)

Harry/Draco, NC-17, long (~20,000 words). Summary: Draco is sort of fucked up. Harry is sort of fucked up and really really famous. Together they fight crime! Not in this fic, though. In this fic they have sex. Looking back, I think most of the HP stories I've finished reading in the last few years have featured Harry and Draco as Aurors and working partners. This one is refreshingly original, delightfully balancing between crack and the old suspension of will-they-or-won't-they, which is a real feat considering this is a spin on the fuck-or-die trope. Had a blast reading this!


Sherlock


Peer Pressure by calvinahobbes

Sherlock Holmes & John Watson, G, short (1,779 words). Summary: John isn't interested, and he doesn't think Sherlock is either.
An older Sherlock gem, focussing on how John deals with everyone assuming that he and Sherlock are a couple. I could read stories like this everyday - there are so many ways people can relate to each other, and this is a beautiful one, too.


Suits


The Go To Guy by Closer

Mike Ross/Harvey Specter, NC-17, long (27,009 words). Summary: Harvey's client is trying to take on the mob, in the form of John "Three-Guns" Boccacho. Johnny Three-Guns has decided Harvey's an easier target, but fortunately Harvey's top PI and all-around badass, Mike Ross, is on the case. For me, reading Suits fanfic means a lot of pretending this series isn't actually aired because while I love Jessica and Donna, I think that the world doesn't need yet another show telling us that being rich is worth almost anything - or else a show that is about people I just don't care about at all./end rant
Now this story is an AU that manages to remove the power differential between Harvey and Mike from the equation and looks closely at how the two of them negotiate a relationship between them (while trying to survive, of course). Includes one of the more touching/meaningful sex scenes I've read in a while.


The Three Musketeers (Dumas)


The Book of Thoth (Link to Part 1) by qhoshara and speak_me_fair

Athos/Aramis (Olivier/René) as main pairing, several other (het, though not explicit), PG-13, long.
A modern day The Three Musketeers AU (of the book by Dumas, not the recent film). Made of awesome! In this story, Athos, Aramis, Porthos and D'Artagnan are part of the Sûreté, trying to solve a crime. This is not a reproduction of the original plot, but a fitting spin on it. To my European, don't-really-know-France eye, there are some parts that read as Americanisms (how many French people with no ties to the USA would refer to the three Stooges?) to me, but the story actually manages to make me think it's set in France which is a nice change. But really, the reason I love this is the prequel, recced below (I read the prequel first, but would advise to read it after The Book of Thoth.)


Outside Under Broken Leaves by Quoshara and speakmefair

Athos/Aramis (Olivier/René), Athos/Milady (Olivier/Claire), NC-17 (includes (domestic) violence, dub/non-con, references to slave trade/forced prostitution - ask me if you need details), long (155,936 words).
I found this story going through the most recent additions to the AO3, sorted by word count (I was looking for long stories), and I'm so glad I did!
This story features poetry in an actually useful way, it has lovely banter, lots of larger-than-life characters that are still brought down by their own faults, an understandable yet creepy villain(y person), a host of side characters that bring a balance to a story mostly focused on two rich white guys... I had such a blast reading this and seriously, isn't writing a modern day Musketeer AU just incredibly awesome? I could go on, but I hope some of you will give this prequel and the sequel a try.

What I find baffling is that people "defending" Naomi Novik seem to read criticism of her as directed at her person when I understand that in many ways, Naomi Novik is not to fault for anything but simply being in a position of power in a way that (even unintendedly) disempowers people who haven't been with the org from the get-go.

I see this election as one point of many that demarcates the transformation of a non-profit, volunteer-run organisation. And people advocating for voting "against" Naomi Novik are mostly against perpetuating power-differentials in the board. At this stage, the face of the org still is connected to certain people, it seems - and this election might make a change that will effect a greater distance between the org's official face and its first pioneers.

help somalia fancake auction

Rest in peace, Troy Davis.

Save Troy Davis

This is an enlightening post: Accessibility tips for the casual coder by hope

Most people know enough quick-and-dirty html to give their LJ posts a wee bit more formatting without having to work in the dreaded Rich Text Format.

But DID YOU KNOW that there's a right way and a wrong way to use these wee bits of formatting and functionality?

Star Trek: Voyager Vid


If You're the Captain by thingswithwings

A kinkbingo vid for "service". This fits the canon sooo well. Love it.


Stargate SG-1


The Non-Pursuit of Happiness by busaikko

Cameron/many different people (see tags at top of story), R, short (4,428 words). Summary: Cam had absolutely no plans to come out as bisexual to his team. Especially while trapped on a ship with them for what could be forever. But it's hard to keep a secret in that kind of situation. Contains depression and suicidal thoughts.
If there ever was a fic that should be labeled "It's not like you think!", this is the one. A truly stunning look into how Cam deals with being abord the Odyssey during what happens in Unending.


The Interview by sg_betty

Gen, PG, short (1,202 words). Another example of why I love original character pov.


Lost and Found by Paian

Jack O'Neill/Daniel Jackson, NC-17, short (14,342 words). Missing scene from the ep "Lost City". I love the way this story unfolds. The dialogue worked really well for me. And it's hot, of course.


Highlander


Strata by Kat Allison

Duncan/Methos, NC-17, short. Just beautiful. The interaction between them is so very believable. And Methos' simile (you'll know which one when you read it) is both stunningly simple and working really well.


Mediterraneo by Killa/killabeez

Amanda/Duncan/Methos, NC-17, short (11,568 words). After a long time away, Duncan finds a letter from Amanda. Sweet and hot.


Dirt Road Blues by mackiedockie

Gen, R, longish (18,014 words). For Methos, it started out as just another night mucking out the bar for free beer and freer conversation with the one bartender who really knew his name. Just how much trouble could he get into at Joe’s? More than enough to start up a dead-end dirt road to help hide a body for a friend--and take the long way back. Like an episode where Methos and Joe get to know each other better.


Buffy the Vampire Slayer Vid


Diamond Mind by charmax

Anya-centric. Found this gem browsing through charmax's vid list. It's as if the song was made for Anya. Lovely.


Battlestar Galactica/Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles/Terminator movies Vid


Unnatural Selecion by charmax

Images of violence and apocalypse. Very dark, but evocative and deftly edited.


due South


Ordinary Days by busaikko

Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski, R, short (2,779 words). Deals with mental illness. Ray cares about Fraser. Sad but in a good way.

Say Yes to Gay YA by rachelmanija

Already all over my circle, this is an article calling for action to change the attitudes of YA publishers.


Data by lightgetsin

I was recently treated to another round of “disabled people need to just ask for accommodations, then they’d be given them,” with the usual accompaniments of “you shouldn’t be so angry” and “you should be nicer."

So I figured, okay. I know this is bullshit from a lifetime of experience, but let’s gather some data.

What I did
I gave myself 7 days. Every time during that 7 days I ran into a particular kind of inaccessibility, I wrote to the owner/relevant authority and asked them to fix it. I aimed for short, factual, informative request letters.

Don't expect to be pleasantly surprised.


Most of you have no idea what Martin Luther King actually did

On this note I want to advise anyone interested to watch the Lj community debunkingwhite.


Was ich einmal mehr gelernt habe... (German)

Für die Aufklärung über Homophobie sind Schwule zuständig, für jene über Rassismus PoC, und um Islamophobie zu beseitigen, bedarf es permanenter Aktivität von Muslimen. Bei feministischen Themen müssen Frauen ran. Das ist kein Thema für Männer.

The above quote is meant to be sarcastic, of course.

I wish these kinds of insights were more mainstream in Germany, but hey! Only a selected few even admit there might be something like racism in Germany (usually it's obfuscated by words like "Fremdenhass" (xenophobia) and "Ausländerfeindlichkeit" (animosity towards foreigners, basically also xenophobia)).


Native Appropriations, with it's own DW feed: native_appropriation_feed. Very eye-opening.

Can anyone point me to good Xena stories or recs sites? I don't want to google-fu this myself... surely one of you is/was a fan?

Inception


Test by isagel

Arthur/Saito, PG-13? or NC-17? (no explicit sex), short (1,495 words). This is a BDSM story, the featured kinks are listed on top of the story. A perfect story. Wish it was a lot longer!
Teaser: “Don't rush, Arthur,” Saito says, his finger hooked around the uppermost button still undone, a pull light enough to be a tease. “You've given me thirteen days to undress you. Perhaps even you do not have that many layers.”


Multifandom Vid Rec (and Assorted Meta)


The Price by thingswithwings

Features violence (lots of it against women) and death, more complete content warnings are listed in the content notes. This is a vid about Manpain (TM), with one of the best summaries ever: Mr Billowy Coat King of Pain.
thingswithwings wrote a long insightful meta about what manpain is and means: some thoughts on manpain. um. many thoughts on manpain, actually. For those of you who didn't click on the Fanlore link, here's another great meta post by walkingshadow: with my rumdiddlyumdiddlyumdiddly, i'm so deep with a flowchart about manpain.


Stargate SG-1


Sleepover by dvs

Sam Carter/Vala Mal Doran, R, short (2,918 words). Title says all. Sweet little story.


Umbreller by tresa_cho

Gen, PG, short. Summary: A rainy day, a rainy planet. How to defend yourself amongst friends. Lots of requests over at stargate_search are for stories where Daniel surprises with (physical) competency. This is a delightful example.


Training Day by Random

Gen, PG-13, long. This story is another example of a story showing off Daniel's competency. Set shortly after the teams second encounter with Hathor. The team is asked to take part in off-world training under Makepeace. Jack's bad feeling about that couldn't be more accurate. While this story contains definite Daniel-worship (TM), all characterisations are well-done, and the plot could be canon. Well worth reading.


Stargate Atlantis


five (of many) times the stargate ladies were awesome by thingswithwings

Mostly gen, a little femslash, "H for Handholding", short (~2,100 words). What it says on the tin. Another awesome female-focused story by thingswithwings to cuddle up with.

Images of women in Japanese film. by bookshop

Location, Location, Location (or why am I here?) by slagsmacker
About the usefulness of different platforms for femslash writers.

The OTW Server Poll and Fannish Diversity by ira_gladkova
Although this is old news, it's well worth re-reading if you are ever planning anything where you want to include what you perceive as "others".

( More behind the cut )

Stargate Atlantis


The History of the World by jendavis

John/Ronon, R? (not very explicit sex scene), short (4,675 words). Summary: After everything, Ronon takes John back to Sateda. I really enjoy this pairing; this is a beautiful story showing how John and Ronon connect.


Something in a Sunday by busaikko

John/OMC, NC-17, short (3,580 words). Summary: After Enemy at the Gate, John has bad luck with a dating agency. Also, Rodney has issues. I must admit that I'm probably not objective when it comes to busaikko's stories (I enjoy them all!). What I like about this one is that it offers an alternative reading of canon (more canonical, if you will) where John and Rodney really are just best friends, but John is still gay.


Supernatural


Black Soul Choir by busaikko

FTM!Dean Winchester/OFC, Sam Winchester/Jessica Moore, R, long (25,449 words). Contains some dark elements (see story tags and notes at the end of the story), but nothing more serious than what the show does. Summary: The Winchesters' dying thoughts on shaping your own destiny and making deals; in which Mary is a hunter, John is a father, Dean is a transsexual man, and Sam is pretty happy being Dean's B-side. Featuring 4 hunters, 3 deals with the devil, 2 brothers, 1 blessing, and 1 curse.
An AU that works incredibly well because all the elements really fit one another. It's not only a story about Dean as a transgender man, it's also an interesting commentary on canon.


due South


The Invitation by china_shop

Benton Fraser/Ray Vecchio/Ray Kowalski, NC-17, short (8,824 words). Summary: But Ray had already turned on Fraser again. "You don't want me yourself, but I'm the go-to guy when your boyfriend has an itch you can't scratch?" I always go for poly-fic. Don't know how well it fits the characters (having seen all of four eps), but it felt convincing to me.


Freaks by arrow00

Benton Fraser/ Ray Kowalski, R, short (3,039 words). Features Fraser crossdressing. Nothing more needs to be said.


Star Trek Reboot


On the Windy Side of Care by thistlerose

Kirk/McCoy, NC-17, short (4,800 words). Summary: Academy fic. Kirk and McCoy are friends with benefits. A remark from Uhura makes Kirk wonder if they aren't more. Very intense, stunning.

The MWMF Blogger Transwoman Hitlist, and Wordpress' Refusal to Do Anything About It.

I've unfriended a lot of people here on InsaneJournal, mostly because I read them elsewhere or because my interest has shifted. If you want me to friend you again (even if just to give you access), just drop me a comment.

McShep Match


Violating The Prime Directive by anonymous

John/Rodney, "PG-15. Maybe. If you squint.", short (10,500 words). Educators Sheppard and McKay unabashedly make a competition of getting rid of the State's problems via well-planned mayhem. Then things go wrong. A cracktastic story, with all the characters I love very much in character, considering the absurdity of the AU.


Busted by anonymous

John/Rdoney, PG-13, short. John is a bit bored on a mission. A funny little story with a bored John secretly lusting over Rodney. And in a way, a cute team fic.


Message in a Bottle by anonymous

John/Rodney, NC-17, short. Summary: John brought up the strangest things when they were having sex, but Rodney learned to just railroad past the weird and get to the good stuff. Saying more would spoil the story, just try it.


A New Pair of Skates by anonymous

John/Rodney, G, short. Summary: Sheppard goes missing. Rodney is determined to find him. Lovely prose, very vivid and magical.


Stargate Atlantis (not McShep Match)


Gateway by thingswithwings

Teyla/Jennifer, PG?, short (600 words). A delightful story written for the Female Character Trope Fest.


Leverage


Conspicuous by thingswithwings

Parker/Sophie, PG?, short (900 words). Another story for the Female Character Trope fest, written for the prompt Parker/Sophie, going undercover at a lesbian bar. Amazing characterisation of Sophie.


Stargate SG-1


TheGood Wife by Julie Fortune

Gen, NC-17?, longish. Warning: contains torture. A dark story, not to be read on a bad day. The reason I recommend this is because it explores a side of early-series Daniel - his willingness to suffer instead of others, or for others, even when it achieves nothing. If you don't mind critical depiction of Christian-like religion and the way it can be used to oppress, this story is well worth reading.