Yuletide Recs, Part 1
Dec. 30th, 2020 04:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
scioscribeMore belated than I meant it to be and woefully incomplete, since I still have about fifty tabs open (including a bunch in fandoms where I've only read one of the fics there so far) and also have already noted some recs I need to make but have split up to make tomorrow, but I've read a lot of terrific stuff this Yuletide that I want to talk about.
(I helped with brainstorming one of these, so I'm admittedly biased in its favor, but I would have loved it regardless.)
First, my excellent gift!
a mirror image, darker. (Spy Game) Super hot and gloriously emotionally complicated, this is a combined voyeurism/exhibitionism fic set during Tom and Nathan's time in the field, when their feelings for each other haven't--before the start of the story--come to a head. It's smart and sexy and beautifully done.
And now, the fruits of my collection-exploring!
Malice and Snares. (The Exorcist TV) Creepy and beautifully emotional Tomas/Marcus story where God tells Marcus to find Tomas, and Tomas is... really not okay. There's so much loyalty and heart here along with great plotting and language.
Put to Rest. (Scream) A glorious 15k's worth of Sidney/Gale doing some post-Scream 3 ghost-debunking that--given their luck--naturally turns into ghost-hunting. This is really well-plotted, with a great story and all the shifting emotions that come with it, and the Sidney/Gale relationship development is amazing. And the horror parts absolutely work.
The Only Place That's Real. (Christmas Cottage - Thomas Kinkade) An incredible and delicately unnerving horror story that I don't want to risk spoiling. People mention in the comments that this reminds them of Bradbury, and I'd double down hard on that--this could be from The October Country. Really excellent.
A Sense of Economy. (Cotillion) Pitch-perfect Heyer voice and a purely delightful continuation of one of the most delightful novels ever written. A+ Freddy here, interacting with both Kitty and his father as he winds up having to work out a misunderstanding. If you like the novel, this will bring you much joy.
Soyons Unis. (Casablanca) Achingly lovely post-canon OT3 fic where Rick, Ilsa, and Laszlo are having trouble trusting their own happiness. One of my favorite mini-genres is "people try to rebuild their lives and do ordinary things that feel fraught because of everything they've been through," and this is that exactly, with odd-flavored ice cream and a beach and so many emotions.
Holiday Style. (Iron Fist) Sweet Ward & Colleen (& Danny) story with a great Christmassy feel and lots of prickly-but-warming-up banter as Colleen and Ward largely fail to shop for Christmas presents for Danny. And get attacked by gangsters, because such is their life.
Fluffy. (Iron Fist) Ward gets turned into a fluffy black kitten, and I get turned into pure squee. Totally cute and full of wonderfully cat-like--and Ward-like--behavior.
Death of a Cad. I fell in love with Nero Wolfe earlier this year, so I was delighted to see it get a great Yuletide haul that I've barely started making my way through. This has perfect character voices and a perfect build-up to Archie/Nero, and it's so ecstatically shippy in its pining/revelation combo that I'm getting gleeful just thinking about it.
Name and Nest. (Star Trek: Crossroad - Barbara Hambly) Excellent fic for one of my favorite Trek tie-in novels. Clever and beautifully written.
Kind, Enduring, Unsubjected. (Selfie) Henry/Eliza, perfectly canon-toned, funny, and sweet. This made me want to watch the show all over again. It feels like an excerpt from it and makes me so happy.
Never Be Drowned. (And Then There Were None - TV). A necessarily dark take on Vera in a Groundhog Day loop under the worst circumstances possible. Unbelievably atmospheric, and there's also some very steamy, exquisitely detailed sex. Gorgeous prose.
Hey, It's Not Your Birthday. (Happy Death Day) A nuanced and clever alternate continuation of the first movie, with great, sweet Carter/Tree and an incredibly handled early reveal.
The Golden Apple. (Sandman) The Endless summon a character (it's second person, if that's a deal-breaker for anyone) to a more populated version of the Judgment of Paris. Superb choice of images and full of deft phrasing, this feels like it's straight out of the comics.
fifty ways to leave. (Taxi Driver) Dark and incredibly well-written--condensed like poetry, with every line hitting just right--this is Iris, years after the movie, catching a ride with a phantom cab driver she knows all too well. Melancholy and brittle and haunting.
A Parting Gift. (The Uninvited) A beautiful continuation of the film, with just as much warmth and delightful banter and just as strong a sense of place. This is a lovely epilogue to think of, after the haunting is through.
You're Wrong About Misericorde. (You're Wrong About podcast) Written as a transcript of an episode. This is incredibly funny and snappy--remembering a line from it almost made me start laughing when I was trying to sleep--and also an unsettling brain-teaser about the urban legends surrounding the film Misericorde. So, so good at being creepy--this film!--and yet thoughtful and funny in terms of how it dissects the film's background and reception.
(I helped with brainstorming one of these, so I'm admittedly biased in its favor, but I would have loved it regardless.)
First, my excellent gift!
a mirror image, darker. (Spy Game) Super hot and gloriously emotionally complicated, this is a combined voyeurism/exhibitionism fic set during Tom and Nathan's time in the field, when their feelings for each other haven't--before the start of the story--come to a head. It's smart and sexy and beautifully done.
And now, the fruits of my collection-exploring!
Malice and Snares. (The Exorcist TV) Creepy and beautifully emotional Tomas/Marcus story where God tells Marcus to find Tomas, and Tomas is... really not okay. There's so much loyalty and heart here along with great plotting and language.
Put to Rest. (Scream) A glorious 15k's worth of Sidney/Gale doing some post-Scream 3 ghost-debunking that--given their luck--naturally turns into ghost-hunting. This is really well-plotted, with a great story and all the shifting emotions that come with it, and the Sidney/Gale relationship development is amazing. And the horror parts absolutely work.
The Only Place That's Real. (Christmas Cottage - Thomas Kinkade) An incredible and delicately unnerving horror story that I don't want to risk spoiling. People mention in the comments that this reminds them of Bradbury, and I'd double down hard on that--this could be from The October Country. Really excellent.
A Sense of Economy. (Cotillion) Pitch-perfect Heyer voice and a purely delightful continuation of one of the most delightful novels ever written. A+ Freddy here, interacting with both Kitty and his father as he winds up having to work out a misunderstanding. If you like the novel, this will bring you much joy.
Soyons Unis. (Casablanca) Achingly lovely post-canon OT3 fic where Rick, Ilsa, and Laszlo are having trouble trusting their own happiness. One of my favorite mini-genres is "people try to rebuild their lives and do ordinary things that feel fraught because of everything they've been through," and this is that exactly, with odd-flavored ice cream and a beach and so many emotions.
Holiday Style. (Iron Fist) Sweet Ward & Colleen (& Danny) story with a great Christmassy feel and lots of prickly-but-warming-up banter as Colleen and Ward largely fail to shop for Christmas presents for Danny. And get attacked by gangsters, because such is their life.
Fluffy. (Iron Fist) Ward gets turned into a fluffy black kitten, and I get turned into pure squee. Totally cute and full of wonderfully cat-like--and Ward-like--behavior.
Death of a Cad. I fell in love with Nero Wolfe earlier this year, so I was delighted to see it get a great Yuletide haul that I've barely started making my way through. This has perfect character voices and a perfect build-up to Archie/Nero, and it's so ecstatically shippy in its pining/revelation combo that I'm getting gleeful just thinking about it.
Name and Nest. (Star Trek: Crossroad - Barbara Hambly) Excellent fic for one of my favorite Trek tie-in novels. Clever and beautifully written.
Kind, Enduring, Unsubjected. (Selfie) Henry/Eliza, perfectly canon-toned, funny, and sweet. This made me want to watch the show all over again. It feels like an excerpt from it and makes me so happy.
Never Be Drowned. (And Then There Were None - TV). A necessarily dark take on Vera in a Groundhog Day loop under the worst circumstances possible. Unbelievably atmospheric, and there's also some very steamy, exquisitely detailed sex. Gorgeous prose.
Hey, It's Not Your Birthday. (Happy Death Day) A nuanced and clever alternate continuation of the first movie, with great, sweet Carter/Tree and an incredibly handled early reveal.
The Golden Apple. (Sandman) The Endless summon a character (it's second person, if that's a deal-breaker for anyone) to a more populated version of the Judgment of Paris. Superb choice of images and full of deft phrasing, this feels like it's straight out of the comics.
fifty ways to leave. (Taxi Driver) Dark and incredibly well-written--condensed like poetry, with every line hitting just right--this is Iris, years after the movie, catching a ride with a phantom cab driver she knows all too well. Melancholy and brittle and haunting.
A Parting Gift. (The Uninvited) A beautiful continuation of the film, with just as much warmth and delightful banter and just as strong a sense of place. This is a lovely epilogue to think of, after the haunting is through.
You're Wrong About Misericorde. (You're Wrong About podcast) Written as a transcript of an episode. This is incredibly funny and snappy--remembering a line from it almost made me start laughing when I was trying to sleep--and also an unsettling brain-teaser about the urban legends surrounding the film Misericorde. So, so good at being creepy--this film!--and yet thoughtful and funny in terms of how it dissects the film's background and reception.