Fic and Podfic Recs!
Gah, I've been meaning to do this for a while now, since I don't post nearly enough recs. I mean, seriously. I co-mod a recs com. And I do read a ton of great stuff. There should be more recs happening at Casa del Nos. To begin to address this oversight, here's a sampling of some of the excellent stuff that has been posted in the last, um, couple of months.
Our Fair Share of Abuse by secretlybronte. [F/K, NC-17, 10,500 words]
Fair disclosure: I beta'd this for SB, but my advice mainly consisted of, "write MOAR!" And that seems to be a fairly typical response whenever SB sends me something to look over. She builds such complex worlds and peoples them with intriguing original characters, tough situations, and she always manages to put our Boys through the wringer and bring them out safely on the other side. It's tough to do all of that within the compact format of a shorter story, and so SB's stories are usually long, meaty pieces (like Dead on Arrival, her entry for last year's dS Match challenge). I was completely captivated by "Our Fair Share...": it's a plotty and brutal casefic in which Ray flies solo in an attempt to track down a serial rapist. We're presented with a Ray who is not only a good cop (solid, methodical, professional) but a Ray who is allowed to emerge from Fraser's shadow and solve an impossible case aided mainly by his instinct and his formidable intellect. That's not a portrait of Ray we often see, and SB keeps him perfectly in character throughout this long-ish and rather heartbreaking story.
I really like the way secretlybronte divided the piece in two: we experience the frustration and exhaustion of Ray's long investigation that perfectly mimics the slow mechanics of a police procedural (Ray busts his hump, interrogates witnesses, tracks down leads) followed by the case's rapid and surprising closure, and then in part two we bear witness to Ray's homecoming and reconciliation with Fraser. There is a lot of sensuality and warmth flowing between the two in this second half, and SB illustrates exactly why Fraser and Ray are so good for one another. It's a terrific story and a truly absorbing reading experience, and I hope you'll check it out (if you haven't already) and leave SB some comments.
An Ocean of Sky by etcetera_cat [F/K, PG, 1,120 words]
etcetera_cat has crafted a lyrical, beautiful and highly poetic story about Ray after the Quest, after he learns to adjust to Chicago and decides that he belongs in the North after all. I adore the way eCat contrasts grim, grimey Chicago against the blue-skied purity of the Northwest Areas, and how perfectly she captures Ray's longing and love. It's a short but lovely piece, and highlights the best of what the wingfic concept has to offer.
Podfic of "Wee Three Penguins" by lamentables.
I've recced lamentables' Wee Three Penguins before: it's a sweet, funny, cracky (and surprisingly hot!) little tale about three penguins on a quest to witness a little inter-species harmony between The Wolf and The Turtle. L has an adorable narrative voice: it's very soft and gentle and wry, and I re-read this fic whenever I need a cheer-up. I was delighted to discover that lamentables recorded the story for the ds_aprilfools challenge, and the podfic turned out very well indeed. It's always a kick to hear authors read their own stories, and L outdoes herself with the recording. Because the fic is half children's fable, half F/K domestic schmoop, it's perfect to settle down with after a long day, and L has a wonderfully soothing and expressive voice. Even if you don't listen to podfic, please give this one a chance: it's short, funny, and wonderfully, warmly human.
Death-Defying by keerawa [F/K, R, 15,700 words]
Another disclosure: I beta'd this spectacular AU in which Ray is a burnt-out cop and Fraser is a (highly believable assassin), and during the "Will the Real Benton Fraser Please Step Froward" panel at bitchinparty it was really tough not to offer up Keerawa's Fraser as an example of how to present Fraser as a violent character still keeping it highly believable. K's Fraser is a dangerous, lonely, broken man who, despite being a killer-for-hire, still retains that essential sense of dignity and compassion we associate with Everyone's Favourite Mountie. She does a terrific job of showing how one slightly different reaction to an event can affect a person and send them down a completely unexpected path. The romance between Fraser and Kowalski develops slowly, carefully, and we see Ray's desire to provide comfort and protection war against Fraser's headlong rush to destruction. Those are such fascinating elements of their personalities, and I had never quite thought of either Ray or Fraser in those terms. It takes a great writer to flush out those traits and craft them into a believable story, much less an AU, and I think keerawa nails every aspect. The narrative itself is tight, plotty and every turn of the story is just as gripping and realistically rendered as the one before. It's a great ride, and like keerawa's terrific Con Job, offers us a new and somewhat disturbing perspective on familiar characters. This story just went up last night, so whatever you do, don't miss this one.
Okay! That's it for now: I've barely scratched the surface of all the amazing stories that've gone up in the last several weeks, and between the new round of stop_drop_porn and ds_aprilfools it looks like this is going to be a banner month for fic.
Our Fair Share of Abuse by secretlybronte. [F/K, NC-17, 10,500 words]
Fair disclosure: I beta'd this for SB, but my advice mainly consisted of, "write MOAR!" And that seems to be a fairly typical response whenever SB sends me something to look over. She builds such complex worlds and peoples them with intriguing original characters, tough situations, and she always manages to put our Boys through the wringer and bring them out safely on the other side. It's tough to do all of that within the compact format of a shorter story, and so SB's stories are usually long, meaty pieces (like Dead on Arrival, her entry for last year's dS Match challenge). I was completely captivated by "Our Fair Share...": it's a plotty and brutal casefic in which Ray flies solo in an attempt to track down a serial rapist. We're presented with a Ray who is not only a good cop (solid, methodical, professional) but a Ray who is allowed to emerge from Fraser's shadow and solve an impossible case aided mainly by his instinct and his formidable intellect. That's not a portrait of Ray we often see, and SB keeps him perfectly in character throughout this long-ish and rather heartbreaking story.
I really like the way secretlybronte divided the piece in two: we experience the frustration and exhaustion of Ray's long investigation that perfectly mimics the slow mechanics of a police procedural (Ray busts his hump, interrogates witnesses, tracks down leads) followed by the case's rapid and surprising closure, and then in part two we bear witness to Ray's homecoming and reconciliation with Fraser. There is a lot of sensuality and warmth flowing between the two in this second half, and SB illustrates exactly why Fraser and Ray are so good for one another. It's a terrific story and a truly absorbing reading experience, and I hope you'll check it out (if you haven't already) and leave SB some comments.
An Ocean of Sky by etcetera_cat [F/K, PG, 1,120 words]
etcetera_cat has crafted a lyrical, beautiful and highly poetic story about Ray after the Quest, after he learns to adjust to Chicago and decides that he belongs in the North after all. I adore the way eCat contrasts grim, grimey Chicago against the blue-skied purity of the Northwest Areas, and how perfectly she captures Ray's longing and love. It's a short but lovely piece, and highlights the best of what the wingfic concept has to offer.
Podfic of "Wee Three Penguins" by lamentables.
I've recced lamentables' Wee Three Penguins before: it's a sweet, funny, cracky (and surprisingly hot!) little tale about three penguins on a quest to witness a little inter-species harmony between The Wolf and The Turtle. L has an adorable narrative voice: it's very soft and gentle and wry, and I re-read this fic whenever I need a cheer-up. I was delighted to discover that lamentables recorded the story for the ds_aprilfools challenge, and the podfic turned out very well indeed. It's always a kick to hear authors read their own stories, and L outdoes herself with the recording. Because the fic is half children's fable, half F/K domestic schmoop, it's perfect to settle down with after a long day, and L has a wonderfully soothing and expressive voice. Even if you don't listen to podfic, please give this one a chance: it's short, funny, and wonderfully, warmly human.
Death-Defying by keerawa [F/K, R, 15,700 words]
Another disclosure: I beta'd this spectacular AU in which Ray is a burnt-out cop and Fraser is a (highly believable assassin), and during the "Will the Real Benton Fraser Please Step Froward" panel at bitchinparty it was really tough not to offer up Keerawa's Fraser as an example of how to present Fraser as a violent character still keeping it highly believable. K's Fraser is a dangerous, lonely, broken man who, despite being a killer-for-hire, still retains that essential sense of dignity and compassion we associate with Everyone's Favourite Mountie. She does a terrific job of showing how one slightly different reaction to an event can affect a person and send them down a completely unexpected path. The romance between Fraser and Kowalski develops slowly, carefully, and we see Ray's desire to provide comfort and protection war against Fraser's headlong rush to destruction. Those are such fascinating elements of their personalities, and I had never quite thought of either Ray or Fraser in those terms. It takes a great writer to flush out those traits and craft them into a believable story, much less an AU, and I think keerawa nails every aspect. The narrative itself is tight, plotty and every turn of the story is just as gripping and realistically rendered as the one before. It's a great ride, and like keerawa's terrific Con Job, offers us a new and somewhat disturbing perspective on familiar characters. This story just went up last night, so whatever you do, don't miss this one.
Okay! That's it for now: I've barely scratched the surface of all the amazing stories that've gone up in the last several weeks, and between the new round of stop_drop_porn and ds_aprilfools it looks like this is going to be a banner month for fic.