Yuletide recs I: sf, detective fiction, action
Blade Runner
Pride Goeth Before, by silk_knickers
'We should be their gods, not they ours.' A subtle tale of awakening, beautifully conveyed
Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy
In this Galaxy, Nothing Can be Said to be Certain, by makesmewannadie
'Under no circumstances should the wise hitchhiker ever make itself known to the GRS. They are more tenacious than the Tracking Hrunds of Bixastow, nastier than the Snarling Grattafiends of Trog, and even your towel will not save you if you come to their attention.' Guide entries, snappy dialogue and a healthy dollop of plot, as Arthur gets to save the day for once
Isaac Asimov
The Conscientious Objectors, by Grey
Susan Calvin investigates a malfunction at a robotic assembly line. A simple but thought-provoking story, which could easily have been written by Asimov himself
Hostage Negotiation, by Marcelo
'It's not logical, and, unlike humans, I have yet to see a robot do an illogical thing.' Excellent characterisation in this clever short. Another one that could be a lost story from canon
Nice Work If You Can Get It, by shalott
'SU-3, a sleeker model, predictably became Sue.' Powell and Donovan's first field assignment proves anything but straightforward. It's a bit of a cliche-fic, perhaps, but the author brilliantly combines canonical plausibility with absolute hilarity
Hercules Poirot
Coffee and Cognac, by Gwenhwyvar
'The precise, finicking habits, the egg-shaped head, the mannerisms, even the accent were just window-dressing, they had faded from my memory after a while. But his smile was the real Poirot.' A delicate short piece, with a spot-on Hastings voice
Lord Peter Wimsey
Death in the Tuileries, by Dafna Greer
'He was less clear on whether that meant they assumed he would find nothing, or that there was indeed nothing to find.' Crisp and spare account of Wimsey's first case, set during WW1
Sherlock Holmes
Requiem at Reichenbach, by Alixtii
'A single fleck of dust can so alter the path of an asteroid so as to crash it into a planet or to drive it into the star around which it orbited.' The author creates an interesting voice from the bland evil overlord of canon as Moriarty teaches Holmes more than mathematics
Indiana Jones
Indiana Jones and the Chinatown Ghosts, by Lemuel Cork
'If Sallah could hear him now. Mr. Tough Guy, used to be able to take a bullet in the arm and keep going full-steam, save the girl and get the gold and the hell with the pain, and now he was griping because his eye patch dug into his cheek.' A peek at the hero, after the story ends. Melancholy & atmospheric
Pride Goeth Before, by silk_knickers
'We should be their gods, not they ours.' A subtle tale of awakening, beautifully conveyed
Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy
In this Galaxy, Nothing Can be Said to be Certain, by makesmewannadie
'Under no circumstances should the wise hitchhiker ever make itself known to the GRS. They are more tenacious than the Tracking Hrunds of Bixastow, nastier than the Snarling Grattafiends of Trog, and even your towel will not save you if you come to their attention.' Guide entries, snappy dialogue and a healthy dollop of plot, as Arthur gets to save the day for once
Isaac Asimov
The Conscientious Objectors, by Grey
Susan Calvin investigates a malfunction at a robotic assembly line. A simple but thought-provoking story, which could easily have been written by Asimov himself
Hostage Negotiation, by Marcelo
'It's not logical, and, unlike humans, I have yet to see a robot do an illogical thing.' Excellent characterisation in this clever short. Another one that could be a lost story from canon
Nice Work If You Can Get It, by shalott
'SU-3, a sleeker model, predictably became Sue.' Powell and Donovan's first field assignment proves anything but straightforward. It's a bit of a cliche-fic, perhaps, but the author brilliantly combines canonical plausibility with absolute hilarity
Hercules Poirot
Coffee and Cognac, by Gwenhwyvar
'The precise, finicking habits, the egg-shaped head, the mannerisms, even the accent were just window-dressing, they had faded from my memory after a while. But his smile was the real Poirot.' A delicate short piece, with a spot-on Hastings voice
Lord Peter Wimsey
Death in the Tuileries, by Dafna Greer
'He was less clear on whether that meant they assumed he would find nothing, or that there was indeed nothing to find.' Crisp and spare account of Wimsey's first case, set during WW1
Sherlock Holmes
Requiem at Reichenbach, by Alixtii
'A single fleck of dust can so alter the path of an asteroid so as to crash it into a planet or to drive it into the star around which it orbited.' The author creates an interesting voice from the bland evil overlord of canon as Moriarty teaches Holmes more than mathematics
Indiana Jones
Indiana Jones and the Chinatown Ghosts, by Lemuel Cork
'If Sallah could hear him now. Mr. Tough Guy, used to be able to take a bullet in the arm and keep going full-steam, save the girl and get the gold and the hell with the pain, and now he was griping because his eye patch dug into his cheek.' A peek at the hero, after the story ends. Melancholy & atmospheric