Meta Links 2013/09/05 - 09/11
Notices
If you have meta to sumbit or rec, please comment to this post or to the screened Submissions Post. If you'd like to give us blanket permission to link your meta please comment to the Blanket Permissions Post. If you have feedback or questions, check out our FAQ, Contact the Mods, or PM/email. If you'd like to volunteer to link-find or mod, please comment to the Volunteers Post.
General Fandom
What do I want from femslash? I'm in it for the characterization.: havocthecat (DW) - "When asking about things people would like to see me talk about,likeadeuce suggested femslash: Hmm, would you be interested in talking about femslash stories you'd like to see more of -- either particular pairings/fandoms or certain kinds of dynamics?"
topic:femslash
Pondering why I see myself in robots and the undead: alias_sqbr(DW) - "I have feels as a result of reading A Shrine to Saint Ann, but given what an obscure little book it is I'm going to try and connect those thoughts to more general half thoughts some of you might actually be interested in. "
topic:robots
Stories and resonances and finding the right times for them: sholio (DW) - "Shortest version: The author hypothesizes that Pacific Rim appeals to the millennial generation because it addresses concerns that resonate with them. And this really made me go "hmmm""
fandom:pacificrim, topic:fandom
Thoughts on OTPs (“In the end, There Can Be Only One… true pairing”): elspethdixon (DW) - "And now, because I’ve typed up half-finished meta posts about this every time a discussion of OTPs vs. multishipping has gone around for the past five years, I’m going to share my unified field theory of OTPing. "
topic:shipping
Mortal instruments and the 'confounding problems of fanfiction': failfandomanon (LJ) - "Are the problems associated with [The Mortal Instruments] and 50 Shades of Grey really the problems of fanfiction? Should they not be compared? "
topic:fanfic, topic:profic
From House Elves to Hunger Games: Labor Issues in Sci-Fi and Fantasy: Angela Watercutter (blog) - "all of them share a common goal of showing the plight of disenfranchised men and women -- and the labor issues that continue to trouble our real-life society -- through sci-fi eyes. "
topic:labour
Why Do We Write The Things We Do? Fangirl: (blog) - "Why do heroes so often start without parents? Is it a necessary part of a hero’s journey, or just what we’re used to?"
fandom:starwars, topic:hero
When Games Pretend to Be Games They Aren’t Stokes - Overthinking It: (blog) - "But then a funny thing happened. I was riding the subway home, and I fired up Candy Crush, and threw myself into that meat-grinder of a level… and I realized that the target score had, without ceremony, changed."
topic:gaming
Madness and Superheroes Richard Herbert - Overthinking It: (blog) - "A look at recent or upcoming movies based in the Marvel or DC universes, such as The Wolverine, Man of Steel, Thor: The Dark World, and even Iron Man 3, betrays a similar conceit for any superhero adaptation with literary aspirations: by placing superheroes in a grimier, darker, more realistic world, viewers will be more “immersed,” and therefore more entertained. "
topic:superheroes
Paul Cook On SF: In Which I Lack The Ability To EvenFoz Meadows: (blog) - "Clearly, then, Cook feels strongly about what constitutes real SF - but despite how negatively he’s characterised such genre-hopping dilettantism, that doesn’t mean he necessarily hates the works in question; just the fact that people keep calling such books SF, when in his mind, they’re not. So what does he actually say to defend his position?"
topic:sci-fi
Visibility Matters: Why POC In Books Must Be *Described* As POC SL Huang: (blog) - "When you put something out into the world, when you write a book and you offer it for people to read, you are impacting the culture. If your book erases the existence of POC in favor of a white land of white heroes, what impact are you having?"
topic:race
DiDio Attempts to Explain DC’s Marriage Ban; Will Scrap Last Williams/Blackman Batwoman Issues? Susana Polo - The Mary Sue: (blog) - "The fact is that a blanket ban on happy, stable relationships does not mean the same thing for straight and gay couples in comics, and it is insensitive, myopic, and tone-deaf to insist otherwise, regardless of the original intent of the editorial mandate."
topic:relationships, topic:representation
4 Reasons Being a Pop Culture Nerd is Harder Than You Think: Luis Prada (blog) - "All that enjoyment comes with a set of downsides that mar the experience of saturating my brain with too much ultimately meaningless bullshit.
topic:fandom
Specific Fandoms
A Song of Ice and Fire
Secrets and Lies: The Soiled Septa: ghostlovesinger (blog) - "Let's be honest. If you don't like reading about secret identities, this probably isn't your favorite book series."
fandom:asoiaf, warning:spoilers
Inception
Arthur through the lens of Jung’s Caregiver archetype: (LJ) - " But a tumblr anon requested that I discuss the caregiver aspect of Arthur’s characterisation a little more (for greater context, see this gif set), so I shall."
fandom:inception
Nabari no Ou
Faceless Ghost of a Boy: The Miharu Meta
: Ohrein (AO3) - "I think it's a shame that we talk so little about the protagonist, our King, Miharu. So I took it upon myself to look more critically at his character, to find how the story shapes him. "
warning:suicide, warning:spoilers, fandom:nabarinoou
Once Upon a Time
[OUaT] Don't split the party!: hovacthecat (DW) - "I wasn't as enamored of second season as I was of first, partly because a large chunk of the first half of the season was basically a case of "don't split the party." Seriously, people, I know Tolkien split the party, which is why party-splitting is well nigh in-frelling-evitable, but I still think that it's often a terrible narrative choice. In this case, it partly was, and it partly wasn't. "
fandom:onceuponatime, topic:narrative
Pacific Rim
Guest Post: (Relatively) Feminist Themes in Pacific Rim: chaila in ladybusiness (DW) - "several ways that I thought Pacific Rim was a little bit better than many of its peer movies, and quite a bit better than I expected when it comes to representation of women, people of color and even ideas of justice [...] and how it mostly managed to avoid reproducing problematic power or militaristic narratives that usually come with blockbuster action movies. "
topic:feminism, topic:pacificrim
Sherlock
Untitled: practicefortheheart (tumblr) - "I’ve been doing some thinking, and I just realized just how much this scene said about Sherlock’s past."
fandom:sherlockbbc
Arabialock: An Analysis of the Last Scene of Belgravia - But…But…But…Who’s Sherlock’s OTL?: mid0nz (tumblr) - "I think you mean One True Love? I’m assuming so. I think we’re supposed to believe that Sherlock fancies Irene but loves John"
fandom:sherlockbbc
Star Trek
Mirror Vulcans - Not the Pacifists You Think They Are: iam_spock (FanficbyLee) (AO3) - "Thoughts on the Star Trek Mirror Universe and the place that Vulcan has in the Terran Empire. This is an essay not a fic."
fandom:startrek
Is Star Trek truly in trouble and what does it mean for spock/uhura : 1trex1 (LJ) - "It is quite obvious that STiD is a film that has not been well received by fans and critics. It wasnt far long ago we were discussing how fans named it the worst Trek film. I have spent the pasts few months in my head thinking of how STiD could have been better including the way the could have handled the S/U relationship and it saddens me that I have come with better ideas that a lot of the writers clearly did not have and I am not even a screenplay writer or an aspiring one."
fandom:startrek
Tolkien
Tolkien’s Intellectual Context mildred_of_midgard: (DW) - "
While the analytic approach to literature such as the Homeric poems goes back to antiquity, most notably to the Alexandrians, the modern school of thought to which Tolkien was reacting has its immediate origins in the eighteenth century. This survey accordingly begins there"
fandom:tolkien, topic:discussion
Welcome to Night Vale
The two-headed quarterback: disabled identity in night vale: space crip (blog) - "Like all Quirky Towns, Night Vale is populated by Eccentric Townsfolk. [...] the focus of today’s post, Michael Sandero, high school senior and quarterback of the Night Vale Scorpions."
fandom:welcometonightvale, warning:spoilers, warning:abuse, topic:disability
If you have meta to sumbit or rec, please comment to this post or to the screened Submissions Post. If you'd like to give us blanket permission to link your meta please comment to the Blanket Permissions Post. If you have feedback or questions, check out our FAQ, Contact the Mods, or PM/email. If you'd like to volunteer to link-find or mod, please comment to the Volunteers Post.
General Fandom
What do I want from femslash? I'm in it for the characterization.: havocthecat (DW) - "When asking about things people would like to see me talk about,likeadeuce suggested femslash: Hmm, would you be interested in talking about femslash stories you'd like to see more of -- either particular pairings/fandoms or certain kinds of dynamics?"
topic:femslash
Pondering why I see myself in robots and the undead: alias_sqbr(DW) - "I have feels as a result of reading A Shrine to Saint Ann, but given what an obscure little book it is I'm going to try and connect those thoughts to more general half thoughts some of you might actually be interested in. "
topic:robots
Stories and resonances and finding the right times for them: sholio (DW) - "Shortest version: The author hypothesizes that Pacific Rim appeals to the millennial generation because it addresses concerns that resonate with them. And this really made me go "hmmm""
fandom:pacificrim, topic:fandom
Thoughts on OTPs (“In the end, There Can Be Only One… true pairing”): elspethdixon (DW) - "And now, because I’ve typed up half-finished meta posts about this every time a discussion of OTPs vs. multishipping has gone around for the past five years, I’m going to share my unified field theory of OTPing. "
topic:shipping
Mortal instruments and the 'confounding problems of fanfiction': failfandomanon (LJ) - "Are the problems associated with [The Mortal Instruments] and 50 Shades of Grey really the problems of fanfiction? Should they not be compared? "
topic:fanfic, topic:profic
From House Elves to Hunger Games: Labor Issues in Sci-Fi and Fantasy: Angela Watercutter (blog) - "all of them share a common goal of showing the plight of disenfranchised men and women -- and the labor issues that continue to trouble our real-life society -- through sci-fi eyes. "
topic:labour
Why Do We Write The Things We Do? Fangirl: (blog) - "Why do heroes so often start without parents? Is it a necessary part of a hero’s journey, or just what we’re used to?"
fandom:starwars, topic:hero
When Games Pretend to Be Games They Aren’t Stokes - Overthinking It: (blog) - "But then a funny thing happened. I was riding the subway home, and I fired up Candy Crush, and threw myself into that meat-grinder of a level… and I realized that the target score had, without ceremony, changed."
topic:gaming
Madness and Superheroes Richard Herbert - Overthinking It: (blog) - "A look at recent or upcoming movies based in the Marvel or DC universes, such as The Wolverine, Man of Steel, Thor: The Dark World, and even Iron Man 3, betrays a similar conceit for any superhero adaptation with literary aspirations: by placing superheroes in a grimier, darker, more realistic world, viewers will be more “immersed,” and therefore more entertained. "
topic:superheroes
Paul Cook On SF: In Which I Lack The Ability To EvenFoz Meadows: (blog) - "Clearly, then, Cook feels strongly about what constitutes real SF - but despite how negatively he’s characterised such genre-hopping dilettantism, that doesn’t mean he necessarily hates the works in question; just the fact that people keep calling such books SF, when in his mind, they’re not. So what does he actually say to defend his position?"
topic:sci-fi
Visibility Matters: Why POC In Books Must Be *Described* As POC SL Huang: (blog) - "When you put something out into the world, when you write a book and you offer it for people to read, you are impacting the culture. If your book erases the existence of POC in favor of a white land of white heroes, what impact are you having?"
topic:race
DiDio Attempts to Explain DC’s Marriage Ban; Will Scrap Last Williams/Blackman Batwoman Issues? Susana Polo - The Mary Sue: (blog) - "The fact is that a blanket ban on happy, stable relationships does not mean the same thing for straight and gay couples in comics, and it is insensitive, myopic, and tone-deaf to insist otherwise, regardless of the original intent of the editorial mandate."
topic:relationships, topic:representation
4 Reasons Being a Pop Culture Nerd is Harder Than You Think: Luis Prada (blog) - "All that enjoyment comes with a set of downsides that mar the experience of saturating my brain with too much ultimately meaningless bullshit.
topic:fandom
Specific Fandoms
A Song of Ice and Fire
Secrets and Lies: The Soiled Septa: ghostlovesinger (blog) - "Let's be honest. If you don't like reading about secret identities, this probably isn't your favorite book series."
fandom:asoiaf, warning:spoilers
Inception
Arthur through the lens of Jung’s Caregiver archetype: (LJ) - " But a tumblr anon requested that I discuss the caregiver aspect of Arthur’s characterisation a little more (for greater context, see this gif set), so I shall."
fandom:inception
Nabari no Ou
Faceless Ghost of a Boy: The Miharu Meta
: Ohrein (AO3) - "I think it's a shame that we talk so little about the protagonist, our King, Miharu. So I took it upon myself to look more critically at his character, to find how the story shapes him. "
warning:suicide, warning:spoilers, fandom:nabarinoou
Once Upon a Time
[OUaT] Don't split the party!: hovacthecat (DW) - "I wasn't as enamored of second season as I was of first, partly because a large chunk of the first half of the season was basically a case of "don't split the party." Seriously, people, I know Tolkien split the party, which is why party-splitting is well nigh in-frelling-evitable, but I still think that it's often a terrible narrative choice. In this case, it partly was, and it partly wasn't. "
fandom:onceuponatime, topic:narrative
Pacific Rim
Guest Post: (Relatively) Feminist Themes in Pacific Rim: chaila in ladybusiness (DW) - "several ways that I thought Pacific Rim was a little bit better than many of its peer movies, and quite a bit better than I expected when it comes to representation of women, people of color and even ideas of justice [...] and how it mostly managed to avoid reproducing problematic power or militaristic narratives that usually come with blockbuster action movies. "
topic:feminism, topic:pacificrim
Sherlock
Untitled: practicefortheheart (tumblr) - "I’ve been doing some thinking, and I just realized just how much this scene said about Sherlock’s past."
fandom:sherlockbbc
Arabialock: An Analysis of the Last Scene of Belgravia - But…But…But…Who’s Sherlock’s OTL?: mid0nz (tumblr) - "I think you mean One True Love? I’m assuming so. I think we’re supposed to believe that Sherlock fancies Irene but loves John"
fandom:sherlockbbc
Star Trek
Mirror Vulcans - Not the Pacifists You Think They Are: iam_spock (FanficbyLee) (AO3) - "Thoughts on the Star Trek Mirror Universe and the place that Vulcan has in the Terran Empire. This is an essay not a fic."
fandom:startrek
Is Star Trek truly in trouble and what does it mean for spock/uhura : 1trex1 (LJ) - "It is quite obvious that STiD is a film that has not been well received by fans and critics. It wasnt far long ago we were discussing how fans named it the worst Trek film. I have spent the pasts few months in my head thinking of how STiD could have been better including the way the could have handled the S/U relationship and it saddens me that I have come with better ideas that a lot of the writers clearly did not have and I am not even a screenplay writer or an aspiring one."
fandom:startrek
Tolkien
Tolkien’s Intellectual Context mildred_of_midgard: (DW) - "
While the analytic approach to literature such as the Homeric poems goes back to antiquity, most notably to the Alexandrians, the modern school of thought to which Tolkien was reacting has its immediate origins in the eighteenth century. This survey accordingly begins there"
fandom:tolkien, topic:discussion
Welcome to Night Vale
The two-headed quarterback: disabled identity in night vale: space crip (blog) - "Like all Quirky Towns, Night Vale is populated by Eccentric Townsfolk. [...] the focus of today’s post, Michael Sandero, high school senior and quarterback of the Night Vale Scorpions."
fandom:welcometonightvale, warning:spoilers, warning:abuse, topic:disability