Yuletide 2014 recs IV -- Magical & Meta
Stories that are magical, charming, whimsical, atmospheric...
Grand Budapest Hotel
Most Valued and Distinguished, by Argyle
'In that time, he drank two cups of milky Darjeeling; filed a hangnail from his left index finger; inspected his hairline for greys, and finding four, pinched them free; and listened to Sketches of Spain, side two, on the hand crank gramophone his grandfather gave him for his twelfth birthday, and which he had, quite obstinately really, gone to great lengths and expense to keep in working order.' A perfect origin story for M. Gustave, just as whimsical & digressive as it should be. Fabulous!
The Listeners
The Moonlit Door, by Zdenka
'He could see an open grassy slope below him, unmarked by any sign of habitation; but as he went on he could feel a gathering in the air around him, as if many unseen folk stood watching and listening, waiting for what he might do.' Zdenka uses & subverts several fairy story tropes in this haunting prequel to 'The Listeners'. Simply lovely!
M*A*S*H
Love Me Because Nothing Happens, by Alestar
'"Where's Pierce?" he asked gruffly. / BJ shrugged. "You were right, Frank, the whole time." He caught Radar's eye. "He was a Communist. He defected."' A post-Korea piece packed with sharply observed setting details & infused throughout with a lovely bittersweet melancholy
Princess Bride
Unemployed in Greenland, by Miss Pryss
'It began with a mermaid, which in Inigo’s experience was true of about 85% of all stories worth telling.' Miss Pryss catches the whimsical tone of canon in this tale of Inigo & Fezzik's first meeting. The sweetness is counteracted by some precise, & often amusing, details
Twelve Kingdoms
The Hinge of the Hour, the Spark of Eternity, by Psiten
'See, I told you you wouldn't believe it. He did exactly that, on purpose, I give you my word. Would it make a difference if I told you he was a kaikyaku? You know how desperate they always are to get home.' A lovely strong OC narrator's voice draws the reader into this tale of bureaucracy & the birth of an unlikely cross-generational friendship. Absolutely charming!
Plus a bonus pair of meta stories...
Peter Pan
Songs of Innocence and Experience, by The Alchemist
'Peter's laugh is the youngest thing you've ever heard. If babies came out laughing rather than crying, this is what they would sound like.' Thought-provoking metafic that starts out light but twists to deliver insights into the relationship between Peter & Hook, and the nature of all fictional characters
Shakespeare
Seasons Turn, Fae Turn the Wheel, by Fresne
'Oberon's horns grew into a mighty rack upon his head and his flesh fuller with each passing day. Titania also grew round and heavy with the heat of the blooming world and turning flowers into rich fruit.' The fairy couple revise the plots of half of Shakespearean canon in this gleefully irreverent romp, bursting with genderswitching, shapeshifting & universal forests
Crossposted from Dreamwidth (with
replies). Reply wherever you prefer
Grand Budapest Hotel
Most Valued and Distinguished, by Argyle
'In that time, he drank two cups of milky Darjeeling; filed a hangnail from his left index finger; inspected his hairline for greys, and finding four, pinched them free; and listened to Sketches of Spain, side two, on the hand crank gramophone his grandfather gave him for his twelfth birthday, and which he had, quite obstinately really, gone to great lengths and expense to keep in working order.' A perfect origin story for M. Gustave, just as whimsical & digressive as it should be. Fabulous!
The Listeners
The Moonlit Door, by Zdenka
'He could see an open grassy slope below him, unmarked by any sign of habitation; but as he went on he could feel a gathering in the air around him, as if many unseen folk stood watching and listening, waiting for what he might do.' Zdenka uses & subverts several fairy story tropes in this haunting prequel to 'The Listeners'. Simply lovely!
M*A*S*H
Love Me Because Nothing Happens, by Alestar
'"Where's Pierce?" he asked gruffly. / BJ shrugged. "You were right, Frank, the whole time." He caught Radar's eye. "He was a Communist. He defected."' A post-Korea piece packed with sharply observed setting details & infused throughout with a lovely bittersweet melancholy
Princess Bride
Unemployed in Greenland, by Miss Pryss
'It began with a mermaid, which in Inigo’s experience was true of about 85% of all stories worth telling.' Miss Pryss catches the whimsical tone of canon in this tale of Inigo & Fezzik's first meeting. The sweetness is counteracted by some precise, & often amusing, details
Twelve Kingdoms
The Hinge of the Hour, the Spark of Eternity, by Psiten
'See, I told you you wouldn't believe it. He did exactly that, on purpose, I give you my word. Would it make a difference if I told you he was a kaikyaku? You know how desperate they always are to get home.' A lovely strong OC narrator's voice draws the reader into this tale of bureaucracy & the birth of an unlikely cross-generational friendship. Absolutely charming!
Plus a bonus pair of meta stories...
Peter Pan
Songs of Innocence and Experience, by The Alchemist
'Peter's laugh is the youngest thing you've ever heard. If babies came out laughing rather than crying, this is what they would sound like.' Thought-provoking metafic that starts out light but twists to deliver insights into the relationship between Peter & Hook, and the nature of all fictional characters
Shakespeare
Seasons Turn, Fae Turn the Wheel, by Fresne
'Oberon's horns grew into a mighty rack upon his head and his flesh fuller with each passing day. Titania also grew round and heavy with the heat of the blooming world and turning flowers into rich fruit.' The fairy couple revise the plots of half of Shakespearean canon in this gleefully irreverent romp, bursting with genderswitching, shapeshifting & universal forests
Crossposted from Dreamwidth (with
replies). Reply wherever you prefer