Recs!
I somehow managed to get sick over Christmas and have been coughing, sneezing and glaring feverishly at my nearest and dearest ever since, but thankfully, there is fanfic distraction.
So, Yuletide recs (well, the first bunch - there are over 2000 stories in this year's turnout! Great Maker!):
1602:
Renaissance Portraits: the Elizabethan versions of Pyro, Mystique and Wolverine. Captures the Gaiman poetry in the writing of the original beautifully.
A.S. Byatt: Possession
And speaking of poetry: two great takes on the fictional poets of that novel, Ash and LaMotte:
Shall I miss the selkies and the seals?
Vivien and Merlin
Casablanca:
Like last year, the Louis-Rick (or Louis/Rick, depending how you look at it) relationship produced lengthy and atmospheric fanfic, to be read and savoured:
Aux Armes, Citoyens
As Time Goes By
Deadwood:
The Most Faithful of Reminders: Al Swearangen, Dan and Trixie at Christmas. An anything but fluffy story, and yet it's heartbreakingly beautiful.
Dexter:
The Sunshine of your Love: Rita, post season 2, the things she knows and the things she doesn't, her past and present. A great portrait.
James Bond
Casino Royale continues to invigorate the franchise. Operating Instructions captures what interested me most about the film: Bond as a believably messed up secret agent, and the M-Bond power struggle as an ongoing red thread. Loved it.
Egyptian Mythology
Seven Songs: to use the author's description: "Horus, having overcome Set and bound him, has unwisely asked his mother Isis, Set's sister, to guard him. Set, however, has strong views on the value of brotherly love." This take on one of the most prominent of Egyptian myths from the point of view of the villain is one of the most beautifully written stories this year, and feels genuinenly Egyptian to boot.
Greek Mythology
And never without sacrifice: Artemis. And Apollo, but it's really the portrayal of Artemis, using many of the various partly contradictory myths, that slays me, no pun intended. Greek gods, without any attempt at camp or the postmodern irony which is usually unavoidable when writing about them today. Awesome.
And finally a non-Yuletide rec:
Dr. Who/Alias
Doctor Who and the Rambaldi Enigma: Brilliant, brilliant crossover which manages to provide a Whovian explanation for Rambaldi, a great teaming up of the Third Doctor and Sydney Bristow (which makes so much sense, if you think about it - given the Venusian Aikido, they had to meet!), excellent guest appearance by the Master (this is a Three story, after all) and a deadpan wry affectionate narrative voice. I love all the details, from the text that Sydney sees when she looks at the psychic paper (come on, guess!) to her take on the Doctor and the Master:
She finished reading and looked at the Doctor. "He really goes in for moustache-twirling villainy, doesn't he?"
"He's always been overly melodramatic," the Doctor sighed, flipping his opera cape over his shoulder.
Sydney opened her mouth to reply to that but thought better of it.
So, Yuletide recs (well, the first bunch - there are over 2000 stories in this year's turnout! Great Maker!):
1602:
Renaissance Portraits: the Elizabethan versions of Pyro, Mystique and Wolverine. Captures the Gaiman poetry in the writing of the original beautifully.
A.S. Byatt: Possession
And speaking of poetry: two great takes on the fictional poets of that novel, Ash and LaMotte:
Shall I miss the selkies and the seals?
Vivien and Merlin
Casablanca:
Like last year, the Louis-Rick (or Louis/Rick, depending how you look at it) relationship produced lengthy and atmospheric fanfic, to be read and savoured:
Aux Armes, Citoyens
As Time Goes By
Deadwood:
The Most Faithful of Reminders: Al Swearangen, Dan and Trixie at Christmas. An anything but fluffy story, and yet it's heartbreakingly beautiful.
Dexter:
The Sunshine of your Love: Rita, post season 2, the things she knows and the things she doesn't, her past and present. A great portrait.
James Bond
Casino Royale continues to invigorate the franchise. Operating Instructions captures what interested me most about the film: Bond as a believably messed up secret agent, and the M-Bond power struggle as an ongoing red thread. Loved it.
Egyptian Mythology
Seven Songs: to use the author's description: "Horus, having overcome Set and bound him, has unwisely asked his mother Isis, Set's sister, to guard him. Set, however, has strong views on the value of brotherly love." This take on one of the most prominent of Egyptian myths from the point of view of the villain is one of the most beautifully written stories this year, and feels genuinenly Egyptian to boot.
Greek Mythology
And never without sacrifice: Artemis. And Apollo, but it's really the portrayal of Artemis, using many of the various partly contradictory myths, that slays me, no pun intended. Greek gods, without any attempt at camp or the postmodern irony which is usually unavoidable when writing about them today. Awesome.
And finally a non-Yuletide rec:
Dr. Who/Alias
Doctor Who and the Rambaldi Enigma: Brilliant, brilliant crossover which manages to provide a Whovian explanation for Rambaldi, a great teaming up of the Third Doctor and Sydney Bristow (which makes so much sense, if you think about it - given the Venusian Aikido, they had to meet!), excellent guest appearance by the Master (this is a Three story, after all) and a deadpan wry affectionate narrative voice. I love all the details, from the text that Sydney sees when she looks at the psychic paper (come on, guess!) to her take on the Doctor and the Master:
She finished reading and looked at the Doctor. "He really goes in for moustache-twirling villainy, doesn't he?"
"He's always been overly melodramatic," the Doctor sighed, flipping his opera cape over his shoulder.
Sydney opened her mouth to reply to that but thought better of it.