(no subject)
Last November I did the Firefly Recs over at crack_van. I'm going to repost them here in case anyone missed them.
My goal was to provide a mix of stories based on the series, from authors not previously recced there, whose work may not be familiar to old or new fans; plus a selection of more recent fic based on the movie SERENITY.
Here are the first few; they're all stories I liked very much.
******
Bad Business by Annie M. (R)
It's a crying shame that Annie (known as TrekGirl in ST:VOYAGER fandom) didn't write more FIREFLY stories. But this one's a doozy. She takes the recurring theme of Serenity's crew in dire straits with limited job options, and gives it a kick with the introduction of some intriguing original characters. There's great character interaction, thrilling heroics, scary moments, and one hell of a twist to answer one of the series' mysteries (beating the movie to the punch by almost two years).
They sat in silence for several minutes and Zoe watched patrons enter and leave the grimy but well stocked saloon while Mal brooded over his drink.
Zoe eventually broke the silence between them. "We need to find a job, sir."
Without looking up Mal spat, "I'm well aware of that fact, Zoe."
"We can't find one sitting here drinking, sir," she replied coolly.
Mal brought his head up and looked directly at his first mate. He noticed that contrary to her remark, she wasn't drinking, didn't even have a glass before her. Instead she sat watching him, her elbows leaning on the table, face calm, dark brown eyes reflecting no hint of accusation. Mal took a deep breath.
"Zoe, maybe you hadn't noticed but it seems to me all employment opportunities on this here planet just crawled up that heng, edu nuren's hou bian."
******
Poke (or A Short Spoilerific Serenity Fic) by opportunemoment. (PG)
SERENITY the movie has prompted a huge outpouring of fanfic, some written before the film's "official" premiere, thanks to all the pre-screenings held by Universal. You've got your coping fics, the moving-on stories, 'shipping...and little gems like this one, which brings the funny. No great surprise, really, when one of Joss's dictums is "...'make it dark, make it grim, make it tough,' but then, for the love of God, tell a joke."
The crew moves on, all right, much to Mal's dismay.
******
Big Damn Heroes and
Everyday Hero by Kate Coyne. (Both PG)
Written in 2003, these two stories serve as follow-ups to the episodes "War Stories" and "Objects in Space." The author calls them conversations on the nature of courage, but they're far more than that. They give marvelous insight into three different characters: Wash, Mal and Kaylee, but especially Wash, and how each deals with the harsh realities of their life in the black--and more importantly, how they see each other.
The captain’s eyes narrowed as he came the few steps up from the passageway to the bridge to loom over Wash, "Is there something you know, that I don't?"
"Hell, dan nang, Cap. I can fly the boat for instance, which having seen you try, I 'm pretty sure I know something there that you don't. . . . And I know this nice little cabaret where you can see geese juggled and get warm plum wine with no cover . . . . Also, I know where the sweet spot on Zoe's . . . well, let's just say there's some things I know that you don't."
"Je shr shuh muh lan dong shi? As you can see, I am not finding this as amusing as you are. In fact, I'm armed and I'm getting seriously annoyed. So-o-o, let's circle back to where we were before you tried to distract me with your low cunning and amazing lack of self preservation in talking about Zoe's sweet anything--Is there something about Kaylee you know, that I don't?"
##########
He looked at her seriously. “The truth is, meimei, on any given day any one of us might get killed, or get someone else killed. That doesn’t mean we don’t need you. It doesn’t even mean you are a coward. I’ve been giving this a lot of thought in the dogwatches. I’ve come to the conclusion that there are different kinds of courage. Mal and Zoe and even Jayne have one kind. But you and I, we have our kind too, a smaller kind, maybe, an everyday kind. But Serenity needs both kinds to survive, as a ship and as a home.”
Sadly, she shook her head. “I don’t get your meaning, Wash. I’m the onliest person on the boat that can’t hold her end up when push comes to shove. Every other person on the boat can suck it up when it’s a case of ‘have to’. Just not me.”
“Oh, and I suppose that wasn’t you under the cargo deck bypassing the pressure catch on that booby trap the Reavers left? That must have been some other mechanic, risking getting blown to Kingdom Come. You know, kiddo, Mal got Book, Simon and especially Jayne out of the way, he never gave thought you wouldn’t be able to do the needful. I was nearly a quivering nancy-boy myself, you just got under there and did what needed doing.”
******
Beautiful Destruction by alianora. (PG)
Amidst all the post-SERENITY fic, there are some stories which are actually missing scenes. This tense little moment focuses on Jayne and Zoe, making not-so-idle conversation as they wait behind the blast doors for the end of everything. The characterizations and voices are spot-on, giving the piece a perfect you-are-there feeling.
They sat and watched the non moving door for a moment.
“I can’t hear nothing,” he finally said.
“Doors are too thick.”
“I can’t help but wonder, you know?”
“Yeah.” She swallowed, the sound audible in the odd silence. “Thought you didn’t like her.”
“I got nothing ‘gainst her, ‘cept some bruises and a tendency to knock me unconscious.”
“Sounds like plenty.”
******
More recs coming soon!
My goal was to provide a mix of stories based on the series, from authors not previously recced there, whose work may not be familiar to old or new fans; plus a selection of more recent fic based on the movie SERENITY.
Here are the first few; they're all stories I liked very much.
******
Bad Business by Annie M. (R)
It's a crying shame that Annie (known as TrekGirl in ST:VOYAGER fandom) didn't write more FIREFLY stories. But this one's a doozy. She takes the recurring theme of Serenity's crew in dire straits with limited job options, and gives it a kick with the introduction of some intriguing original characters. There's great character interaction, thrilling heroics, scary moments, and one hell of a twist to answer one of the series' mysteries (beating the movie to the punch by almost two years).
They sat in silence for several minutes and Zoe watched patrons enter and leave the grimy but well stocked saloon while Mal brooded over his drink.
Zoe eventually broke the silence between them. "We need to find a job, sir."
Without looking up Mal spat, "I'm well aware of that fact, Zoe."
"We can't find one sitting here drinking, sir," she replied coolly.
Mal brought his head up and looked directly at his first mate. He noticed that contrary to her remark, she wasn't drinking, didn't even have a glass before her. Instead she sat watching him, her elbows leaning on the table, face calm, dark brown eyes reflecting no hint of accusation. Mal took a deep breath.
"Zoe, maybe you hadn't noticed but it seems to me all employment opportunities on this here planet just crawled up that heng, edu nuren's hou bian."
******
Poke (or A Short Spoilerific Serenity Fic) by opportunemoment. (PG)
SERENITY the movie has prompted a huge outpouring of fanfic, some written before the film's "official" premiere, thanks to all the pre-screenings held by Universal. You've got your coping fics, the moving-on stories, 'shipping...and little gems like this one, which brings the funny. No great surprise, really, when one of Joss's dictums is "...'make it dark, make it grim, make it tough,' but then, for the love of God, tell a joke."
The crew moves on, all right, much to Mal's dismay.
******
Big Damn Heroes and
Everyday Hero by Kate Coyne. (Both PG)
Written in 2003, these two stories serve as follow-ups to the episodes "War Stories" and "Objects in Space." The author calls them conversations on the nature of courage, but they're far more than that. They give marvelous insight into three different characters: Wash, Mal and Kaylee, but especially Wash, and how each deals with the harsh realities of their life in the black--and more importantly, how they see each other.
The captain’s eyes narrowed as he came the few steps up from the passageway to the bridge to loom over Wash, "Is there something you know, that I don't?"
"Hell, dan nang, Cap. I can fly the boat for instance, which having seen you try, I 'm pretty sure I know something there that you don't. . . . And I know this nice little cabaret where you can see geese juggled and get warm plum wine with no cover . . . . Also, I know where the sweet spot on Zoe's . . . well, let's just say there's some things I know that you don't."
"Je shr shuh muh lan dong shi? As you can see, I am not finding this as amusing as you are. In fact, I'm armed and I'm getting seriously annoyed. So-o-o, let's circle back to where we were before you tried to distract me with your low cunning and amazing lack of self preservation in talking about Zoe's sweet anything--Is there something about Kaylee you know, that I don't?"
##########
He looked at her seriously. “The truth is, meimei, on any given day any one of us might get killed, or get someone else killed. That doesn’t mean we don’t need you. It doesn’t even mean you are a coward. I’ve been giving this a lot of thought in the dogwatches. I’ve come to the conclusion that there are different kinds of courage. Mal and Zoe and even Jayne have one kind. But you and I, we have our kind too, a smaller kind, maybe, an everyday kind. But Serenity needs both kinds to survive, as a ship and as a home.”
Sadly, she shook her head. “I don’t get your meaning, Wash. I’m the onliest person on the boat that can’t hold her end up when push comes to shove. Every other person on the boat can suck it up when it’s a case of ‘have to’. Just not me.”
“Oh, and I suppose that wasn’t you under the cargo deck bypassing the pressure catch on that booby trap the Reavers left? That must have been some other mechanic, risking getting blown to Kingdom Come. You know, kiddo, Mal got Book, Simon and especially Jayne out of the way, he never gave thought you wouldn’t be able to do the needful. I was nearly a quivering nancy-boy myself, you just got under there and did what needed doing.”
******
Beautiful Destruction by alianora. (PG)
Amidst all the post-SERENITY fic, there are some stories which are actually missing scenes. This tense little moment focuses on Jayne and Zoe, making not-so-idle conversation as they wait behind the blast doors for the end of everything. The characterizations and voices are spot-on, giving the piece a perfect you-are-there feeling.
They sat and watched the non moving door for a moment.
“I can’t hear nothing,” he finally said.
“Doors are too thick.”
“I can’t help but wonder, you know?”
“Yeah.” She swallowed, the sound audible in the odd silence. “Thought you didn’t like her.”
“I got nothing ‘gainst her, ‘cept some bruises and a tendency to knock me unconscious.”
“Sounds like plenty.”
******
More recs coming soon!