Four podfics I loved this year
There is no theme to this rec post, other than that these are all podfics I listened to for the first time within the last year, and I loved them all a whole lot. I wanted to make a longer list, but I didn't budget my time very well for this. Perhaps I'll save the rest for this rec com I've been hearing rumors about?
Generation Kill
Baghdad Ain't Shit, read by luzula.
The fic was written by buffyaddict13, and it's a long and beautiful character study of Ray Person, from his adolescence through the end of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Anyone who's seen Generation Kill knows that Ray has a really distinctive character voice. His speech rhythm is relentlessly swift, and his tone is deceptively light, but sprinkled with land mines of cynicism and barbed fury. luzula absolutely nailed Ray Person's voice in this podfic. And not just his voice in dialogue, but the feeling of his character in the narrative. Even when Ray is not speaking, you feel his resolve, his pride, his frustration, and his exhaustion. luzula reads with an incredibly deft touch, and with absolutely perfect pacing. I listened to this podfic at work, and when I was done I spent several minutes just staring at my computer screen, lost in the beauty of what I'd just heard.
Teen Wolf
Hyper Heart Alone, read by dodificus.
This fic was written by hito, and it's heartbreaking and hilarious and hot. It's a Sterek fic, set a few years in the future, and it features angst, action, and Derek in a sheriff's department uniform. dodificus does an amazing job (as always) bringing the story to life, voicing Stiles's anxiety and hurt so dexterously, while bringing a wonderful animation to his particular brand of hyper humor. dodificus does a fantastic job performing Stiles, but I especially enjoyed her Derek and Lydia voices. Spot on. I didn't want this podfic to end.
Harry Potter
Here's the Pencil, Make it Work, read by teas_me.
Written by ignatiustrout, set in 1999 and 2000, after the Battle of Hogwarts. Harry/Draco+coffee shops+Muggles. There's a lot of hurt in this story, with Harry and Draco both dealing with the aftermath of their participation in the Battle of Hogwarts, and both retreating in different ways into Muggle London. There's also a lot of humor, though, and teas_me walks that line beautifully, carrying off the sadness and frustration and glorious sarcasm just perfectly. teas_me has a great voice for narration, but I especially enjoyed the dialogue between Harry and Draco. This is another one I listened to at work, and I laughed out loud quite a few times.
Star Trek Alternate Original Series
You're Gonna Make It After All, read by
via_ostiense.
Written by igrockspock. The fic itself hits all my sweet spots - it's all about Gaila, and it's glorious. This is another story with incredible depth, delivered with a lot of humor, and I love everything about the way
via_ostiense performs it. Her Gaila is animated and funny and so full of life, and her comic timing is perfect. She also captures the emotional depth of it beautifully, reading Gaila's developing friendship with Nyota with a tenderness that had me tearing up on the bus. I also really loved all the dialogue between Gaila and Spock - via_ostiense reads their two very different voices interacting together perfectly. This is totally a comfort podfic for me - I listen to it over and over, and whenever I'm done, I just want to hear it again.
Generation Kill
Baghdad Ain't Shit, read by luzula.
The fic was written by buffyaddict13, and it's a long and beautiful character study of Ray Person, from his adolescence through the end of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Anyone who's seen Generation Kill knows that Ray has a really distinctive character voice. His speech rhythm is relentlessly swift, and his tone is deceptively light, but sprinkled with land mines of cynicism and barbed fury. luzula absolutely nailed Ray Person's voice in this podfic. And not just his voice in dialogue, but the feeling of his character in the narrative. Even when Ray is not speaking, you feel his resolve, his pride, his frustration, and his exhaustion. luzula reads with an incredibly deft touch, and with absolutely perfect pacing. I listened to this podfic at work, and when I was done I spent several minutes just staring at my computer screen, lost in the beauty of what I'd just heard.
Teen Wolf
Hyper Heart Alone, read by dodificus.
This fic was written by hito, and it's heartbreaking and hilarious and hot. It's a Sterek fic, set a few years in the future, and it features angst, action, and Derek in a sheriff's department uniform. dodificus does an amazing job (as always) bringing the story to life, voicing Stiles's anxiety and hurt so dexterously, while bringing a wonderful animation to his particular brand of hyper humor. dodificus does a fantastic job performing Stiles, but I especially enjoyed her Derek and Lydia voices. Spot on. I didn't want this podfic to end.
Harry Potter
Here's the Pencil, Make it Work, read by teas_me.
Written by ignatiustrout, set in 1999 and 2000, after the Battle of Hogwarts. Harry/Draco+coffee shops+Muggles. There's a lot of hurt in this story, with Harry and Draco both dealing with the aftermath of their participation in the Battle of Hogwarts, and both retreating in different ways into Muggle London. There's also a lot of humor, though, and teas_me walks that line beautifully, carrying off the sadness and frustration and glorious sarcasm just perfectly. teas_me has a great voice for narration, but I especially enjoyed the dialogue between Harry and Draco. This is another one I listened to at work, and I laughed out loud quite a few times.
Star Trek Alternate Original Series
You're Gonna Make It After All, read by
via_ostiense.
Written by igrockspock. The fic itself hits all my sweet spots - it's all about Gaila, and it's glorious. This is another story with incredible depth, delivered with a lot of humor, and I love everything about the way
via_ostiense performs it. Her Gaila is animated and funny and so full of life, and her comic timing is perfect. She also captures the emotional depth of it beautifully, reading Gaila's developing friendship with Nyota with a tenderness that had me tearing up on the bus. I also really loved all the dialogue between Gaila and Spock - via_ostiense reads their two very different voices interacting together perfectly. This is totally a comfort podfic for me - I listen to it over and over, and whenever I'm done, I just want to hear it again.