Rarelit recs (&a bonus mythological one)
Assorted mainly rarelit recs from the Narnia Exchange, Fic Corner, Not Prime Time & elsewhere...
Classical mythology
Dark and Bright, by Morbane
'For generations - so long that the reasons behind it were scarcely discussed - a hood had been hung about the head of the statue, to hide the lady's face from the sun. It might be sailcloth or leather, woven rushes or fine silk, but as soon as one hood wore away, the people of the city made another, and replaced it in darkness.' A haunting take on the tale of Eros & Psyche, strange & sensuous
Dalemark Quartet
love like mountains, by Betony
'I know how our story is meant to end, with the lad who met the fair maiden as a child winning her hand at last, despite insurmountable obstacles. I have loved her as deep as mountains' roots go into the ground, as unchanging as their course.' A fascinating take on the Manaliabrid/Adon tale, which does a good job of fleshing out the characters
Jungle Book
How the Rock Python Made Three Meals Out of One Monkey, by Minutia R
'The law of the porcupines is twofold: It is better to go hungry than to eat a yam with a spot on it, and it is better to keep silence than to tell the plain, unadorned truth.' A deft tale-within-a-tale that could fit perfectly into canon. Sweet & funny
Just So stories
Places, by Thimblerig
'"Last month," the Woman said, "this field was Unpromising Ground. Today it is the Breaker of my Back."' The First Woman invents agriculture. A delightful short in the spirit of the original
Le Petit Prince
Another Chance, by Cnoocy
'So recently, when I found myself making a crash landing in the Mediterranean Sea, as a child I thought, "how disappointing to be ending my flight so soon," and as a grown-up thought, "I will not be returning to my squadron at the expected time."' Saint-Exupéry's disappearance in 1944 is the basis for this poignant future story. The ending is perfect
Narnian Chronicles
A Dragon's Desire, by Miss M
'It was, of course, the same gold treasure you have heard about elsewhere, and it was, of course, a dragon's treasure. But like Eustace many years later, Octesian had no idea what it was. Telmarines are not interested in dragon lore.' Miss M captures the tone of canon beautifully, breathing life into one of Lewis's names
Green as Poison, by Ncfan
'She has seen no scales on her skin, and neither is her tongue forked.' An origin story for the Lady of the Green Kirtle that weaves together hints from canon to end with an intriguing possibility
To hold back the night, by Heliopause
'"The... the laying bare of the land-Sire, you see the terrible deaths of your people, but we two... we've both grown up with tales and pictures of a war close to our country, from before our time, and this looks to us like," she paused, uncertain of how the phrase would sound in Narnia. "like the creation of a no-man's-land."' A clever AU of The Last Battle in which Jill & Eustace's knowledge of both our world & Narnia helps to change everything. I'd love to read more in this universe
Vorkosigan series
From the Old to the New, by Avanti 90
'A thousand things set you apart: the pallor of your skin, the inflection of your voice, the principle ingrained in your mind that all men and women are born free and equal; these things and many more will forever distinguish you, and so you can never and will never be one of them.' An intelligent AU that casts Galen(i) as Gandhi and goes on to unpick many of Bujold's - and her readers' - assumptions about the Barrayaran Empire. The documentfic approach works perfectly, and a surprising array of characters, from Fletchir Giaja to Enrique Borgos, get to play their parts
Passing, by Ollipop
'Thornton Isobel is not looking for a good time. It is not a conduit of galactic peace. It does not represent the harmony or enlightenment of our modern age. It is merely a kid with acne in its stubble and a raging case of PMS.' Bel's a fascinating character who gets all too little fannish attention. This perceptive origin story really gets into its head, and presents a plausible reason for its devotion to Miles
Watership Down
The Story of El-ahrairah and the Stranger in the Field, by Tanaqui
'El-ahrairah waved a paw unconcernedly. "What is that to me? If the Queen of the bees is not as clever as I am in arranging things to suit her people, why should that be my concern?"' A clever El-ahrairah tale that was somehow omitted from Adams' canon. To say more would spoil it
Crossposted from Dreamwidth (with
replies). Reply wherever you prefer
Classical mythology
Dark and Bright, by Morbane
'For generations - so long that the reasons behind it were scarcely discussed - a hood had been hung about the head of the statue, to hide the lady's face from the sun. It might be sailcloth or leather, woven rushes or fine silk, but as soon as one hood wore away, the people of the city made another, and replaced it in darkness.' A haunting take on the tale of Eros & Psyche, strange & sensuous
Dalemark Quartet
love like mountains, by Betony
'I know how our story is meant to end, with the lad who met the fair maiden as a child winning her hand at last, despite insurmountable obstacles. I have loved her as deep as mountains' roots go into the ground, as unchanging as their course.' A fascinating take on the Manaliabrid/Adon tale, which does a good job of fleshing out the characters
Jungle Book
How the Rock Python Made Three Meals Out of One Monkey, by Minutia R
'The law of the porcupines is twofold: It is better to go hungry than to eat a yam with a spot on it, and it is better to keep silence than to tell the plain, unadorned truth.' A deft tale-within-a-tale that could fit perfectly into canon. Sweet & funny
Just So stories
Places, by Thimblerig
'"Last month," the Woman said, "this field was Unpromising Ground. Today it is the Breaker of my Back."' The First Woman invents agriculture. A delightful short in the spirit of the original
Le Petit Prince
Another Chance, by Cnoocy
'So recently, when I found myself making a crash landing in the Mediterranean Sea, as a child I thought, "how disappointing to be ending my flight so soon," and as a grown-up thought, "I will not be returning to my squadron at the expected time."' Saint-Exupéry's disappearance in 1944 is the basis for this poignant future story. The ending is perfect
Narnian Chronicles
A Dragon's Desire, by Miss M
'It was, of course, the same gold treasure you have heard about elsewhere, and it was, of course, a dragon's treasure. But like Eustace many years later, Octesian had no idea what it was. Telmarines are not interested in dragon lore.' Miss M captures the tone of canon beautifully, breathing life into one of Lewis's names
Green as Poison, by Ncfan
'She has seen no scales on her skin, and neither is her tongue forked.' An origin story for the Lady of the Green Kirtle that weaves together hints from canon to end with an intriguing possibility
To hold back the night, by Heliopause
'"The... the laying bare of the land-Sire, you see the terrible deaths of your people, but we two... we've both grown up with tales and pictures of a war close to our country, from before our time, and this looks to us like," she paused, uncertain of how the phrase would sound in Narnia. "like the creation of a no-man's-land."' A clever AU of The Last Battle in which Jill & Eustace's knowledge of both our world & Narnia helps to change everything. I'd love to read more in this universe
Vorkosigan series
From the Old to the New, by Avanti 90
'A thousand things set you apart: the pallor of your skin, the inflection of your voice, the principle ingrained in your mind that all men and women are born free and equal; these things and many more will forever distinguish you, and so you can never and will never be one of them.' An intelligent AU that casts Galen(i) as Gandhi and goes on to unpick many of Bujold's - and her readers' - assumptions about the Barrayaran Empire. The documentfic approach works perfectly, and a surprising array of characters, from Fletchir Giaja to Enrique Borgos, get to play their parts
Passing, by Ollipop
'Thornton Isobel is not looking for a good time. It is not a conduit of galactic peace. It does not represent the harmony or enlightenment of our modern age. It is merely a kid with acne in its stubble and a raging case of PMS.' Bel's a fascinating character who gets all too little fannish attention. This perceptive origin story really gets into its head, and presents a plausible reason for its devotion to Miles
Watership Down
The Story of El-ahrairah and the Stranger in the Field, by Tanaqui
'El-ahrairah waved a paw unconcernedly. "What is that to me? If the Queen of the bees is not as clever as I am in arranging things to suit her people, why should that be my concern?"' A clever El-ahrairah tale that was somehow omitted from Adams' canon. To say more would spoil it
Crossposted from Dreamwidth (with
replies). Reply wherever you prefer