Fandom Snowflake Challenge, Day 12
Fandom Snowflake details here.
Day 12: In your own space, rec at least three fanworks that you think would make a good intro into XYZ fandom. Rec a fandom overview, a introductory picspam, stories that define and shape the fandom. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.
There's this show called Criminal Minds. There are often serial killers. Mostly, it's about a team, and I love it.
It is all smittywing's fault. She told me about this show, and then she gave me a bunch of episodes, and I loved it EVEN THOUGH it initially involved Mandy Patinkin, who is... not my favorite. Only then he left, and Joe Mantegna came in, and there I was, caught. hook, line, and sinker. I will warn you that it is often graphic, occasionally bleak, and hardly perfect in the way it handles issues. But to me, it does better than most, and it has a dry, unexpected humor and tremendous sense of team, and it's at the top of the priority list for in my limited TV viewing time.
I am very fond of one particular pairing (Rossi/Prentiss, for those not following along), but the thing about Criminal Minds is that they have put together a team of characters that are compelling and generally well-drawn, and that, as a set, share a really fantastic dynamic. Even the recurring secondary characters have enough meat to be well-rounded and fascinating. As proof, let me offer the following recs. Many of these are shamelessly stolen from smittywing, because I completely agree with them. Smitty has a criminal minds LJ tag with a large number of rec posts that I also recommend you check out.
1. Initial case file. Start with thepouncer's primer over on crack_van, so you get a basic idea of who these people actually are. It was written sometime in Season 3, so you get a sense of who everyone is, but miss the later-season spoilers that it's worth having hit you in the face. Join bau_inbox, the community newsletter, and get a sense of who's writing what, where and what the fic and discussion comms are. (And if Rossi/Prentiss appeals, go join cmrossiprentiss. And if you want some links to introductory clips from eps, comment or PM and I will send!
2. Profile. Check out some fic. Check out some vids. There's a bunch of recs under my fandom snowflake tag, so I've tried to rec more outside my general reading zone here. Like I said, check out smittywing's criminal minds tag. saturn92103 has a list of recs, over at Moonshot. thepouncer has recs here.
Go here, specifically, for some great team vids to get you started. (Again, comment or PM if you'd like some links to episode clips.)
Two favorites that show case secondary characters beautifully:
A Road, Long and Winding, by shetiger Get into the head of the Unit Chief, Aaron Hotchner. Added bonus: lovely fleshing out of a wonderful (but sadly NOT recurring) secondary character from early in the show's run, John Blackwolf. Really, read this. And then read everything else she's written.
Bau Bau to the Black Sheep, by kuriadalmatia. The relationship between Hotch and Haley is difficult at best, and it's easy to find fic that demonizes Haley and idolizes Hotch. This fic is lovely and a little brutal, a cross between an excellent casefic and a telling character study.
Also, read anything smittywing has ever written. She is my friend, but I say this because she is just. that. good.
Finally, two more Rossi/Prentiss recs, as well as
Why You Should Never Drink Too Much In Vegas, by innerslytherin and severitysoftly. This is the fic that hooked me on the pairing. It opened my eyes to the possibility, and I fell in love.
The Flesh is Willing, by smacky30. Slow, quiet, lazy smut that has such a clear sense of personality behind it.
Day 12: In your own space, rec at least three fanworks that you think would make a good intro into XYZ fandom. Rec a fandom overview, a introductory picspam, stories that define and shape the fandom. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.
There's this show called Criminal Minds. There are often serial killers. Mostly, it's about a team, and I love it.
It is all smittywing's fault. She told me about this show, and then she gave me a bunch of episodes, and I loved it EVEN THOUGH it initially involved Mandy Patinkin, who is... not my favorite. Only then he left, and Joe Mantegna came in, and there I was, caught. hook, line, and sinker. I will warn you that it is often graphic, occasionally bleak, and hardly perfect in the way it handles issues. But to me, it does better than most, and it has a dry, unexpected humor and tremendous sense of team, and it's at the top of the priority list for in my limited TV viewing time.
I am very fond of one particular pairing (Rossi/Prentiss, for those not following along), but the thing about Criminal Minds is that they have put together a team of characters that are compelling and generally well-drawn, and that, as a set, share a really fantastic dynamic. Even the recurring secondary characters have enough meat to be well-rounded and fascinating. As proof, let me offer the following recs. Many of these are shamelessly stolen from smittywing, because I completely agree with them. Smitty has a criminal minds LJ tag with a large number of rec posts that I also recommend you check out.
1. Initial case file. Start with thepouncer's primer over on crack_van, so you get a basic idea of who these people actually are. It was written sometime in Season 3, so you get a sense of who everyone is, but miss the later-season spoilers that it's worth having hit you in the face. Join bau_inbox, the community newsletter, and get a sense of who's writing what, where and what the fic and discussion comms are. (And if Rossi/Prentiss appeals, go join cmrossiprentiss. And if you want some links to introductory clips from eps, comment or PM and I will send!
2. Profile. Check out some fic. Check out some vids. There's a bunch of recs under my fandom snowflake tag, so I've tried to rec more outside my general reading zone here. Like I said, check out smittywing's criminal minds tag. saturn92103 has a list of recs, over at Moonshot. thepouncer has recs here.
Go here, specifically, for some great team vids to get you started. (Again, comment or PM if you'd like some links to episode clips.)
Two favorites that show case secondary characters beautifully:
A Road, Long and Winding, by shetiger Get into the head of the Unit Chief, Aaron Hotchner. Added bonus: lovely fleshing out of a wonderful (but sadly NOT recurring) secondary character from early in the show's run, John Blackwolf. Really, read this. And then read everything else she's written.
Bau Bau to the Black Sheep, by kuriadalmatia. The relationship between Hotch and Haley is difficult at best, and it's easy to find fic that demonizes Haley and idolizes Hotch. This fic is lovely and a little brutal, a cross between an excellent casefic and a telling character study.
Also, read anything smittywing has ever written. She is my friend, but I say this because she is just. that. good.
Finally, two more Rossi/Prentiss recs, as well as
Why You Should Never Drink Too Much In Vegas, by innerslytherin and severitysoftly. This is the fic that hooked me on the pairing. It opened my eyes to the possibility, and I fell in love.
The Flesh is Willing, by smacky30. Slow, quiet, lazy smut that has such a clear sense of personality behind it.