Blinky the Tree Frog's Themed Death Note Fanfic Recs Part 5
I completely forgot to say what the theme was going to be last time, but I’m sure you all like being surprised :-).
Anyway! As previously established, this is five of a series of what looks to be about eight or nine themed rec posts for Death Note. Previous installments on this very journal have covered L's childhood, lesser known and written about characters, the many faces of Matt, and L versus Light in all their mind-twisting glory.
The theme for this post is a bit more nebulous, in that it probably slides a little into some of the other categories as well. Indeed, some of these fics probably could fit into other categories, but some couldn’t and I think the idea is interesting enough to focus on. Today’s theme is:
Being a Genius.
Since at times it seems that half the cast fits the definition of ‘genius’, you can see what I mean when I say that this is a bit of an imprecise category. Still, I think these particular fics concentrate more than others on what having that much brainpower actually means (with the responsibilities and the eccentricities) by focusing on both the characters themselves, and those who interact with them.
Genius by mellish
The geniuses: several of them, from the obvious to the not so obvious.
To start things off, here’s a quick series of drabbles focusing on genius in all its permutations. The characterisation is on point, and the writing is witty and thoughtful. Neat!
Battleship by Brain Eater Jr.
The genius: Near
Gevanni buys Near a game on a whim, and then finds that he’s accidentally manipulated himself into a fairly awkward interaction with his boss. He doesn’t really go away with any more understanding of how Near’s brain works, but he can’t say the whole thing was a total loss, either. Nice little piece from the viewpoint of a character that doesn’t get a huge amount of love in fanfic.
Wreckage by elwing_alcyone
The genius: Near
A relatively angst-ridden but by no means implausible look at Near’s childhood before Wammy’s, and how he used his intelligence and imagination to cope with his situation. A neat look inside his brain, and it’s sort of heartbreaking watching him use the only things he has around him as building materials.
Introduction by xglimpsex
The genius: Mello
In contrast, here’s a little bit of back story about Mello, and how he first met Quillsh Wammy. It’s an intriguing idea, and Mello’s personality, even at such a young age, comes right through.
Batteries for Bedlam by phollie
The geniuses: Matt and L
Matt’s a child in Wammy’s and he’s bored with the order that permeates the whole place. Bored enough to go looking at things he shouldn’t, and listening to conversations he certainly shouldn’t, and finding out that fear is not an emotion that anyone is immune to. Even a genius. Even a legend. I love the atmosphere of this one. It works so well.
Echo by Le'letha
The geniuses: L and Near
An AU but fascinating story of how Near came to Wammy’s. Wammy has been called over to meet a brilliant, but ‘difficult’ child. L accompanies him, and finds himself learning a whole different language in order to connect .
Concinnitas by lily22
The geniuses: L and Dexter
Two smart guys play games with each other. One’s a detective; the other is a serial killer. They can’t help but have a grudging admiration for each other. It’s not as familiar a scenario as you’d think :-).
This is a crossover between Death Note and Dexter, set in an AU universe after the Kira investigation, in which L gets called in to investigate strange goings on in Miami. While it would help, it’s not really necessary to have watched (or read) Dexter to pick up on what’s going on.
The characterisation in this is awesome, and the writing is full of wit and intelligence. The scenario works really well; I only wish it were longer!
Genius is a Curse by Bloodshot Eyes
The geniuses: Light and L
This is a fairly well known piece, so many of you may already have seen it. It’s a WIP and was stalled for a bit, but it’s still slowly being updated, and the next chapter has gone to beta, so it’s not been abandoned.
This is set in an AU without the Death Note, but that’s okay, because it’s not about mind games so much as emotions and minds, and what happens when a brilliant mind is hampered by chronic mental illness, in this case major depression. The author’s depiction of depression is achingly real and absolutely valid, which means that this is not a story to read when you’re feeling down.
Light Yagami is brilliant, and perceptive, and slowly losing himself. When he comes to the attention of the world’s best detective, he grasps the chance to enact some change in his life, but whether it will be enough, neither he nor his frustrating sponsor can tell…
And, while I already mentioned this in a previous post, the fic Alphabet by Underwater Owl also fits so well in this category, I feel I have to mention it again. To reiterate: crossover with V for Vendetta. Stars V, Evey, L, Matt, Mello, and Near. Has large sections devoted to philosophical discussions between genius fanatics. Is awesome for that part alone!
Again, if you found any of these fics cool, then please do leave comments for the authors! If nothing else, you might convince them to write more :-). Also feel free to comment here; getting some interaction going is what makes writing up these posts worth it :-).
Finally, if you have recs of your own, I’m sure readers of these posts will enjoy more stuff, so feel free to post them to the comments!
Anyway! As previously established, this is five of a series of what looks to be about eight or nine themed rec posts for Death Note. Previous installments on this very journal have covered L's childhood, lesser known and written about characters, the many faces of Matt, and L versus Light in all their mind-twisting glory.
The theme for this post is a bit more nebulous, in that it probably slides a little into some of the other categories as well. Indeed, some of these fics probably could fit into other categories, but some couldn’t and I think the idea is interesting enough to focus on. Today’s theme is:
Being a Genius.
Since at times it seems that half the cast fits the definition of ‘genius’, you can see what I mean when I say that this is a bit of an imprecise category. Still, I think these particular fics concentrate more than others on what having that much brainpower actually means (with the responsibilities and the eccentricities) by focusing on both the characters themselves, and those who interact with them.
Genius by mellish
The geniuses: several of them, from the obvious to the not so obvious.
To start things off, here’s a quick series of drabbles focusing on genius in all its permutations. The characterisation is on point, and the writing is witty and thoughtful. Neat!
Battleship by Brain Eater Jr.
The genius: Near
Gevanni buys Near a game on a whim, and then finds that he’s accidentally manipulated himself into a fairly awkward interaction with his boss. He doesn’t really go away with any more understanding of how Near’s brain works, but he can’t say the whole thing was a total loss, either. Nice little piece from the viewpoint of a character that doesn’t get a huge amount of love in fanfic.
Wreckage by elwing_alcyone
The genius: Near
A relatively angst-ridden but by no means implausible look at Near’s childhood before Wammy’s, and how he used his intelligence and imagination to cope with his situation. A neat look inside his brain, and it’s sort of heartbreaking watching him use the only things he has around him as building materials.
Introduction by xglimpsex
The genius: Mello
In contrast, here’s a little bit of back story about Mello, and how he first met Quillsh Wammy. It’s an intriguing idea, and Mello’s personality, even at such a young age, comes right through.
Batteries for Bedlam by phollie
The geniuses: Matt and L
Matt’s a child in Wammy’s and he’s bored with the order that permeates the whole place. Bored enough to go looking at things he shouldn’t, and listening to conversations he certainly shouldn’t, and finding out that fear is not an emotion that anyone is immune to. Even a genius. Even a legend. I love the atmosphere of this one. It works so well.
Echo by Le'letha
The geniuses: L and Near
An AU but fascinating story of how Near came to Wammy’s. Wammy has been called over to meet a brilliant, but ‘difficult’ child. L accompanies him, and finds himself learning a whole different language in order to connect .
Concinnitas by lily22
The geniuses: L and Dexter
Two smart guys play games with each other. One’s a detective; the other is a serial killer. They can’t help but have a grudging admiration for each other. It’s not as familiar a scenario as you’d think :-).
This is a crossover between Death Note and Dexter, set in an AU universe after the Kira investigation, in which L gets called in to investigate strange goings on in Miami. While it would help, it’s not really necessary to have watched (or read) Dexter to pick up on what’s going on.
The characterisation in this is awesome, and the writing is full of wit and intelligence. The scenario works really well; I only wish it were longer!
Genius is a Curse by Bloodshot Eyes
The geniuses: Light and L
This is a fairly well known piece, so many of you may already have seen it. It’s a WIP and was stalled for a bit, but it’s still slowly being updated, and the next chapter has gone to beta, so it’s not been abandoned.
This is set in an AU without the Death Note, but that’s okay, because it’s not about mind games so much as emotions and minds, and what happens when a brilliant mind is hampered by chronic mental illness, in this case major depression. The author’s depiction of depression is achingly real and absolutely valid, which means that this is not a story to read when you’re feeling down.
Light Yagami is brilliant, and perceptive, and slowly losing himself. When he comes to the attention of the world’s best detective, he grasps the chance to enact some change in his life, but whether it will be enough, neither he nor his frustrating sponsor can tell…
And, while I already mentioned this in a previous post, the fic Alphabet by Underwater Owl also fits so well in this category, I feel I have to mention it again. To reiterate: crossover with V for Vendetta. Stars V, Evey, L, Matt, Mello, and Near. Has large sections devoted to philosophical discussions between genius fanatics. Is awesome for that part alone!
Again, if you found any of these fics cool, then please do leave comments for the authors! If nothing else, you might convince them to write more :-). Also feel free to comment here; getting some interaction going is what makes writing up these posts worth it :-).
Finally, if you have recs of your own, I’m sure readers of these posts will enjoy more stuff, so feel free to post them to the comments!