Amplirecathon 2012: A Mixed Bag
Podfic, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways....
You make my heart happy if I should feel sad
Or move me to tears (the good kind, not bad)
Your sweet dulcet tones, your words in my ear
Bring smiles to my face- or maybe a leer
Whenever I travel, I'm never alone
I've a constant companion wherever I roam
So many fandoms, bright worlds without end
Their stories and podfic unite us, my friend.
Ahahahaha, it's late and I'm obviously sleep-deprived, IDEK. Okay, enough bad poetry. On to the recs!
I don't really have a theme, unless SOME PODFIC WOT I LIKES qualifies. These 10 all have pride of place on my iPod, and I never get tired of listening to them over and over. I've included a mix of different readers, authors, and fandoms; hopefully everyone can find something new/different/interesting. I've also tried not to duplicate recs from previous Amplirecathon posts, just to spread out the love *g* In no particular order:
BLUE
mp3: http://www.audiofic.jinjurly.com/blue
STARSKY AND HUTCH | Starsky/Hutch | NC-17 | 1:20:37
Reader: flamingoslim
Author: morganlogan
Summary: Hutch gets shot and gives Starsky a good-bye kiss. This causes Problems.
Okay, I lied. The rest is in no particular order, but this one is first on the list for a reason: this is the one that started it all for me. Molo's stories were among the first I fell in love with in the S&H fandom, so when I found out there was a podfic of Blue, I was intrigued. It was a delightful surprise to realize how much I enjoyed listening to the story read aloud, just as I did when I was a child. :) This is a classic fic in a classic fandom, read by Flamingo, herself a classic and a true gem. Molo writes amazing first time stories, and this one is certainly no exception (and it's her actual first fanfic, no less). Mama Bird brings out all the attitude and angst Starsky feels in her reading, and her Huggy voice is made of win.
LOPSIDED
mp3: http://www.audiofic.jinjurly.com/lopsided
ALIAS SMITH AND JONES | gen | PG | 0:17:50
Reader: equusentric
Author: foxcat74
Summary: Kid had the first dream the night they arrived in Porterville.
Cowboys! Another classic TV show, the one that got me into fandom in the first place. My pretty, pretty cowboys :D Based on the pilot episode, Foxcat writes a pensive, introspective story from Kid Curry's POV, about the choices he and Heyes were facing. Equusentric does a wonderful job capturing the uncertainty and anxiety of Kid's thoughts. She has only recently taken the plunge into the podficcing pool and I'm so very, very glad she has. Equusentric and I have several fandoms in common, so it delights me to no end that we have something else to squee about now. She's got a great voice and is into many fandoms-a winning combination for lots and lots of podfic, yes? ;D
LAB BOOK
mp3: http://www.audiofic.jinjurly.com/lab-book
m4b: http://www.audiofic.jinjurly.com/lab-book-audiobook
SHERLOCK BBC | Sherlock/John | R | 0:41:32
Reader: fayjay / pandarus
Author: sam_storyteller
Summary: "The likelihood of finding a cab on Christmas Eve is fast approaching nil." "So was the likelihood of you kissing me in the middle of the pavement, and yet."
In which Sherlock observes, John deduces, and theories are tested. Plus, there is shagging. Trust me, it's a great fic. :D Sam is indeed a consummate storyteller, and the banter absolutely sparkles. Now, I don't suppose I need to tell anyone who's ever listened to any of Fayjay's podfics that she's awesome, do I? Brilliant, brilliant work. Her Sherlock voice is superb, her cadence, spot-on. And yet, the line that stands out to me is one of John's. It's about 31 min in; a relatively minor bit of dialogue, but it makes me positively gleeful; definitely a case where the kick-ass delivery made it something special. ;) A feel-good favorite.
10x100
mp3: http://www.audiofic.jinjurly.com/10-x-100
m4b: http://www.audiofic.jinjurly.com/10-x-100-audiobook
LORD PETER WIMSEY | Peter, Charles | G | 0:07:31
Reader: fire_juggler
Author: rabidsamfan
Summary: Ten drabbles for Charles Parker.
In this series of sweet vignettes, rabidsamfan skillfully highlights the friendship between Lord Peter and Charles Parker and how it grows and deepens over the years. Capturing Sayers' style isn't easy, especially concentrated into separate drabbles, but rabidsamfan pulls it off with flair. FJ's heart-warming recording epitomizes so much of what podfic at its best is meant to be, IMHO: an expression of love for the fandom, respect for the source material, and deep affection for the characters. It's all there in her voice. Simply a joy to listen to, without reservation. (For the record, FJ posted this podfic for my birthday, but really, it's a gift to all LPW fans.)
THE PRESBURY LETTERS
mp3: http://www.audiofic.jinjurly.com/presbury-letters
m4b: http://www.audiofic.jinjurly.com/presbury-letters-audiobook
SHERLOCK ACD | Holmes/Watson | PG-13 | 1:55:51
Reader: mific
Author: katieforsythe
Summary: Sherlock Holmes, Mycroft Holmes, and John Watson battle to survive the Great War.
I adore Katie's fic, and I think I am in good company, if the sheer number of podficcers who have recorded her works is any indication. I am grateful there are so many of her stories on podfic (even as I greedily want MOAR *grabby hands*). It was difficult to choose one for this rec list, but in the end, it had to be The Presbury Letters. Holmes and Watson are separated by the War, and much of the story is told in their letters to each other. The fic is heartbreakingly poignant, and Mific's reading brings me to tears every time I listen. So much emotion and so much love in both what is said and left unsaid, and she delivers it all perfectly with understated grace.
CAFETIÈRE À PISTON
mp3: http://www.audiofic.jinjurly.com/cafeti%C3%A8re-%C3%A0-piston
m4b: http://www.audiofic.jinjurly.com/cafeti%C3%A8re-%C3%A0-piston-audiobook
SUPERNATURAL | Dean-centric | R | 0:07:38
Reader: twasadark
Author: july_july_july
Summary: Welcome to Common Grounds, a small coffeehouse in Peoria. And you are never going to believe the incredible specimen of sex on legs that just walked in.
Short and... well, not sweet, not exactly. Incredibly hot and hilarious, more like. No actual sex, but oh baby, the innuendo.... July gives us a couple of OFCs, some excellent coffee, and ROFL dialogue, which Twasadark performs to an absolute T. You don't really need to know anything about the show, either-but it helps if you've lusted after seen Jensen Ackles ;) Listening to Twasadark, uh, do this podfic *snicker* never fails to make me grin like an idiot (so I should probably not listen when I'm grocery shopping, yeah? And yet.). Just a lot of smutty fun, a definite mood-picker-upper.
LOST AT THE EDGE OF THE SUN
mp3: http://www.audiofic.jinjurly.com/lost-at-edge-of-sun
m4b: http://www.audiofic.jinjurly.com/lost-at-edge-of-sun-audiobook
HAWAII FIVE-O | Steve/Danny | PG-13 | 2:12:23
Reader: revolutionaryjo
Author: james / gilascave
Summary: Living in Hawai'i is expensive, especially when you're still paying a mortgage on a house back in Jersey. When things get to be too much, Danny has to make a hard decision. The hardest part is keeping the rest of the team from finding out that he's homeless.
James takes an interesting premise and gives us a thought-provoking story about the price of paradise and the difficult choices life forces us to make. I always enjoy Jo's readings, but I especially adore the cadence of her Danny voice in this podfic. The emotion that she puts into it, especially when he's struggling... it's just perfect. This was the first podfic that I listened to without reading the fic first; I had been a little concerned that I would find the story hard to follow, but I needn't have worried-Jo's delivery and pacing made it an unequivocal delight, and now I often listen first, read later. Beautiful choice of music and pretty cover art, too.
STRANGE BEDFELLOWS
mp3: http://www.audiofic.jinjurly.com/strange-bedfellows-0
m4b: http://www.audiofic.jinjurly.com/strange-bedfellows-audiobook
MAGNIFICENT 7 | gen, Ezra-centric | PG | 0:33:02
Reader: nikojen
Author: JoJo / solosundance
Summary: Much as they sometimes wish he would change, when Ezra's laid low by a violent blow to the head, they just want him back same as ever.
JoJo is another friend who shares many of my fandoms, and I am ever in awe at how she consistently gets to the heart of the characters-in this case, cowboys \0/ \0/ \0/ Yes, more cowboys; seven of them, in fact! :D This fic is something of a character study, not just of Ezra, but of the rest of the men as well, as they all try to deal with the crisis of their badly injured friend. I am in awe of Nikojen too: she handles all seven POVs and makes it seem pretty damn effortless. Emotions run high in this H/C story, and Nikojen conveys it masterfully: urgent and deep-felt, but never maudlin or over the top.
DARK HORSE
mp3: http://www.audiofic.jinjurly.com/dark-horse
m4b: http://www.audiofic.jinjurly.com/dark-horse-audiobook
NERO WOLFE | gen | PG | 0:20:29
Reader: cantarina1
Author: hardboiledbaby
Summary: Saul's reaction/thoughts when Wolfe hired Archie on full time.
I'm a bit ambivalent about what amounts to reccing my own fic, but I truly love Cantarina's reading, would have loved it no matter who wrote it, because it's a wonderful reading and there needs to be more NW podfic in the world, so.... The story is told from Saul's POV, and Cantarina owns it, delivering the lines with exactly the kind of attitude and flair that you'd expect from the street-savvy operative. Her Wolfe voice is awesome, as well. In addition, Carol/ctbn60 provided stunning cover art. Honestly, talk about the whole becoming more than the sum of its parts, and experiencing first-hand the power of transformative works in action. Thank you, ladies. ♥
NOT DYING TODAY
mp3: http://www.audiofic.jinjurly.com/not-dying-today
m4b: http://www.audiofic.jinjurly.com/not-dying-today-audiobook
SHERLOCK BBC | gen | PG-13 | 0:20:00
Reader: lunchy_munchy
Author: morganstuart
Summary: The first (and only) time John saw Sherlock and Anderson work well as a team without complaint, they were performing CPR on Lestrade.
Another Sherlock BBC podfic, because there are so many fantastic ones out there and I couldn't resist rounding out my list with one more. Morgan's stories hit all my buttons, and hits them hard-angsty stuff that will completely gut you (I'd say "in a good way," but... yeah, you know what I mean). This particular fic is not that dark, but has its share of H/C and Lunchee makes us feel the intensity of it, giving us characters wounded and in pain, yet finding in themselves quiet strength, even heroism; and it rings true. I was especially impressed with how, at one point, she was able to say John's lines clearly and convincingly through chattering teeth. Just really wonderful voice skills.
There are many more treasures I could rec, but my fangirl flaily arms are getting tired (guess that's what happens when it's the only exercise I get :-P) so I think I'll stop here. My heartfelt gratitude to all the podficcers, not just the ones mentioned above; also to general_jinjur and all the hard-working folks at the audiofic archive. Y'all rock my world.
Right, then. Thanks, everyone, for sticking with. I hope you find something you enjoy. Happy listening! :)