Shipper Manifesto: Aeryn/John (Farscape)
Fandom: Farscape
Pairing: Aeryn Sun/John Criton
Blurb: First of all, these two…very, very pretty.
See?
Now on to less superficial things. For years, I heard about Farscape, in passing, on various communities and journals. I did not finally watch the series until last year, when a real life friend (rare, I know) told me I had to watch them. So I sat down and devoured all four seasons and the mini series in just under a month. Part of what caught my attention so fully was the relationship between John Crichton, an astronaut lost in a distant galaxy, and Aeryn Sun, an alien woman raised as an emotionless soldier. Over the course of the series, these two people came to depend on eeach other and love one another. I have heard in various places that the relationship between Aeryn and John is one of the most realistically progressing relationship in science fiction. I agree.
One last thing before we get to the recs. I have often seen friends say that they don’t read Farscape fanfic because the show gave them everything they needed. This may be true, and is in many cases, but I hope you give some of these amazing fics a chance. Most are very long, but all are beautifully written. (Plus, there is some of the hottest porn you will ever read!)
Fic Rec #1: Pretty in Punk
Author: feldman(rubberneck)
Link: Pretty in Punk
Rating/Warning(s): R (My rating)
Why This Must Be Read: This is a great story that deals with John and Aeryn post-PKW. It shows the two of them in a marriage and as parents. To me, it seems true to the characters and to life. Parents don’t always agree, but part of making a life together is learning to disagree, learning to fight, and learning to make-up. The story also showcases a post-peace Sun-Crichton family, Aeryn and John making a life in peace after running and fighting for years.
Fic Rec #2: Bellum Interruptum
Author: Cofax
Link: Bellum Interruptum
Rating/Warning(s): R (My Rating)
Why This Must Be Read: Casablanca + Farscape = Bellum Interruptum. This story invokes just enough Casablanca without making it a retelling of the famous film with different actors.
Fic Rec #3: In the Company of Ghosts
Author: KodiakkeMax
Link: In the Company of Ghosts : link is to the first part; links to subsequent parts are at the bottom of the page
Rating/Warning(s): R with a separate NC-17 coda at the end. Language and violence. Contains John/other and Aeryn/other.
Why This Must Be Read: This is one of those amazing, brilliant AUs where the author changes one small moment in the series, in this case the position of Aeryn and Tauvo’s ships when Crichton arrives through the wormhole in the first episode, and tracks the web of that one incident as it changes everything. Here, Tauvo does not die, but is drawn into Starburst with Moya, while Aeryn becomes a member of the "black ghost" division.
The story is long, three novella-length parts and an NC-17 coda, and if you are reading it soley for the Aeryn/John romance you must wait a long time for the payoff, but read it anyway. This is world building at its peak. A beautiful story examining another way in which Aeryn can "be more."
Fic Rec #4: Lesser Evils
Author: simplystars
Link: Lesser Evils
Rating/Warning(s): R
Why This Must Be Read: This is the angstiest of the angst. From the author’s summary: a scenario where Aeryn had to choose between the baby and John, with accompanying fallout.
Fic Rec #5: Sea Change
Author: Thea (thassalia)
Link: Sea Change
Rating/Warning(s): PG
Why This Must Be Read: Once upon a time, before she lost her eyes, she'd seen them kiss in an empty hallway, oblivious to anything but each other, hands clutching, bodies yearning, reality suspended. She'd felt a jolt in her spine, in her sex, watching them, but she'd learned long ago never to want anything that badly. It always got broken if you did.
And they broke a lot of things, including each other more than once.
Beautiful look at a future through the eyes of Chiana. Season Four-ish.
Fic Rec #6: Rain
Author: smd
Link: Rain
Rating/Warning(s): PG-13
Why This Must Be Read: Vignette. John and Aeryn in the rain. Set during “Terra Firma”.
Fic Rec #7: Fair Exchange
Author: Shan
Link: Fair Exchange
Rating/Warning(s): NC-17
Why This Must Be Read: For a moment, in the deepest part of her soul, she wished he would tie her down, tightly so that she couldn't move, so that the responsibility of not moving was taken from her, so that she couldn't disappoint him. It was amazing to her how much she didn't want to disappoint him...
Amazing character snapshot framed by porn.
Fic Rec #8: Obsidian Spirits
Author: gigerisgod
Link: Obsidian Spirits
Rating/Warning(s): R
Why This Must Be Read: John Critchton is haunted by himself.
Fic Rec #9: The Noodle Fic, or Mama Bears Don’t Stand Aside
Author: tassosss
Link: The Noodle Fic, or Mama Bears Don’t Stand Aside
Rating/Warning(s): PG
Why This Must Be Read: It’s a Firefly/Farscape crossover that works. Oh goodness, it works so well!
Fic Rec #10: Scientist, Astronaut, and Nymphomaniac: The nine lives of John Crichton
Author: feldman
Link: Scientist, Astronaut, and Nymphomaniac: The nine lives of John Crichton
Rating/Warning(s): NC-17
Why This Must Be Read: I promised porn! This is THE story. In the episode "Out of Their Minds," John, Rygel, and Aeryn switch bodies. John is a scientist and a guy; do you really think he would not have experimented? This is perhaps the body switching story; it is hot and thoughtful at the same time. Highly Recommended.
Bonus Rec: A Human Reaction
Author: ladydisdain225
Link: A Human Reaction
Rating/Warning(s): R
Why This Must Be Read: Crossover with Veronica Mars. Logan and Veronica watch Farscape.
Pairing: Aeryn Sun/John Criton
Blurb: First of all, these two…very, very pretty.
See?
Now on to less superficial things. For years, I heard about Farscape, in passing, on various communities and journals. I did not finally watch the series until last year, when a real life friend (rare, I know) told me I had to watch them. So I sat down and devoured all four seasons and the mini series in just under a month. Part of what caught my attention so fully was the relationship between John Crichton, an astronaut lost in a distant galaxy, and Aeryn Sun, an alien woman raised as an emotionless soldier. Over the course of the series, these two people came to depend on eeach other and love one another. I have heard in various places that the relationship between Aeryn and John is one of the most realistically progressing relationship in science fiction. I agree.
One last thing before we get to the recs. I have often seen friends say that they don’t read Farscape fanfic because the show gave them everything they needed. This may be true, and is in many cases, but I hope you give some of these amazing fics a chance. Most are very long, but all are beautifully written. (Plus, there is some of the hottest porn you will ever read!)
Fic Rec #1: Pretty in Punk
Author: feldman(rubberneck)
Link: Pretty in Punk
Rating/Warning(s): R (My rating)
Why This Must Be Read: This is a great story that deals with John and Aeryn post-PKW. It shows the two of them in a marriage and as parents. To me, it seems true to the characters and to life. Parents don’t always agree, but part of making a life together is learning to disagree, learning to fight, and learning to make-up. The story also showcases a post-peace Sun-Crichton family, Aeryn and John making a life in peace after running and fighting for years.
Fic Rec #2: Bellum Interruptum
Author: Cofax
Link: Bellum Interruptum
Rating/Warning(s): R (My Rating)
Why This Must Be Read: Casablanca + Farscape = Bellum Interruptum. This story invokes just enough Casablanca without making it a retelling of the famous film with different actors.
Fic Rec #3: In the Company of Ghosts
Author: KodiakkeMax
Link: In the Company of Ghosts : link is to the first part; links to subsequent parts are at the bottom of the page
Rating/Warning(s): R with a separate NC-17 coda at the end. Language and violence. Contains John/other and Aeryn/other.
Why This Must Be Read: This is one of those amazing, brilliant AUs where the author changes one small moment in the series, in this case the position of Aeryn and Tauvo’s ships when Crichton arrives through the wormhole in the first episode, and tracks the web of that one incident as it changes everything. Here, Tauvo does not die, but is drawn into Starburst with Moya, while Aeryn becomes a member of the "black ghost" division.
The story is long, three novella-length parts and an NC-17 coda, and if you are reading it soley for the Aeryn/John romance you must wait a long time for the payoff, but read it anyway. This is world building at its peak. A beautiful story examining another way in which Aeryn can "be more."
Fic Rec #4: Lesser Evils
Author: simplystars
Link: Lesser Evils
Rating/Warning(s): R
Why This Must Be Read: This is the angstiest of the angst. From the author’s summary: a scenario where Aeryn had to choose between the baby and John, with accompanying fallout.
Fic Rec #5: Sea Change
Author: Thea (thassalia)
Link: Sea Change
Rating/Warning(s): PG
Why This Must Be Read: Once upon a time, before she lost her eyes, she'd seen them kiss in an empty hallway, oblivious to anything but each other, hands clutching, bodies yearning, reality suspended. She'd felt a jolt in her spine, in her sex, watching them, but she'd learned long ago never to want anything that badly. It always got broken if you did.
And they broke a lot of things, including each other more than once.
Beautiful look at a future through the eyes of Chiana. Season Four-ish.
Fic Rec #6: Rain
Author: smd
Link: Rain
Rating/Warning(s): PG-13
Why This Must Be Read: Vignette. John and Aeryn in the rain. Set during “Terra Firma”.
Fic Rec #7: Fair Exchange
Author: Shan
Link: Fair Exchange
Rating/Warning(s): NC-17
Why This Must Be Read: For a moment, in the deepest part of her soul, she wished he would tie her down, tightly so that she couldn't move, so that the responsibility of not moving was taken from her, so that she couldn't disappoint him. It was amazing to her how much she didn't want to disappoint him...
Amazing character snapshot framed by porn.
Fic Rec #8: Obsidian Spirits
Author: gigerisgod
Link: Obsidian Spirits
Rating/Warning(s): R
Why This Must Be Read: John Critchton is haunted by himself.
Fic Rec #9: The Noodle Fic, or Mama Bears Don’t Stand Aside
Author: tassosss
Link: The Noodle Fic, or Mama Bears Don’t Stand Aside
Rating/Warning(s): PG
Why This Must Be Read: It’s a Firefly/Farscape crossover that works. Oh goodness, it works so well!
Fic Rec #10: Scientist, Astronaut, and Nymphomaniac: The nine lives of John Crichton
Author: feldman
Link: Scientist, Astronaut, and Nymphomaniac: The nine lives of John Crichton
Rating/Warning(s): NC-17
Why This Must Be Read: I promised porn! This is THE story. In the episode "Out of Their Minds," John, Rygel, and Aeryn switch bodies. John is a scientist and a guy; do you really think he would not have experimented? This is perhaps the body switching story; it is hot and thoughtful at the same time. Highly Recommended.
Bonus Rec: A Human Reaction
Author: ladydisdain225
Link: A Human Reaction
Rating/Warning(s): R
Why This Must Be Read: Crossover with Veronica Mars. Logan and Veronica watch Farscape.