gensplosion | Entries tagged with longer

FANDOM: Red Dwarf
FIC LINK: A Different Kind of Ace
AUTHOR LINK:

RowenaZahnrei
RATING/WARNING(S): G | mild body horror
WIP?/WORD COUNT: WIP (just updated) | 42000+
MAIN CHARACTERS: Arnold Rimmer, Dave Lister, the Cat, Kryten, Kristine Kochanski, Frank Rimmer

FIC SUMMARY: Rimmer left Starbug to become someone he liked, but he always hated Ace. Now he feels he's trapped playing a part, a failure in a shiny costume. To become a hero in his own right, Rimmer must face up to his old crew, his family, and his self-loathing...

RECCER'S NOTES: One of my favourite genres of RD fanfiction is the one that addresses the Rimmer-as-Ace issue, because it seems sad somehow that our Rimmer, the neurotic arsewipe we know and love, could simply be subsumed into Generic Space Hero #1598719 (what a guy!) with no trace of the original remaining; and over the years there's been many stories written with different versions of What Happened Next. This one, as the title implies, aims to unite the two personas; its depiction of Rimmer's struggle with / acceptance of the role is excellent, it has a good ear for character voice and the plot moves at a good lick. But beyond all that, it's just... fun. To be read slowly - take a break between chapter and chapter, savour the twists in the road. If you've not read it before you're in for a treat, and if you have you're in for another, because it's just updated and the end is in sight. Go!

Current Mood: bouncy

longlivehumour

FANDOM: Fullmetal Alchemist (all universes)
FIC LINK: Stock Market Crash
AUTHOR LINK:

VIKAN
RATING/WARNING(S): Complete | Discussions of genocide, some gore, swearing
WIP?/WORD COUNT: Complete | 30,500
MAIN CHARACTERS: Roy Mustang, Edward Elric

FIC SUMMARY: Stranded in the middle of the Eastern Desert, Roy Mustang must try to get himself and a concussed Edward across it safely before he completely loses his mind.

RECCER'S NOTES: OH GOD THIS FIC. Told from the perspective of an increasingly-unbalanced Roy Mustang, this is a superb story. Though the subject matter is grim, the dialogue is sprinkled with humour - Ed and Roy's acerbic relationship is a joy to read - and it never falls into the trap of navel-gazing that plagues so many fanfics. Mustang is a complex character who's done some truly horrible things, and this story has no qualms in showing that. If it has one flaw it's the proofreading, which left out a number of homophone mistakes, but the rest of the writing is fantastic: vivid and to the point. The story structure keeps the suspense right up till the end.

"Evil, evil thing, to make someone want revenge."

~~(Happy birfday to meee now here's some SUFFERING)~~

longlivehumour

FANDOM: MCU / Iron Man
FIC LINK: "The Kids Aren't All Right" by Christine Everhart (vanityfair.com)
AUTHOR LINK:

samdonne
RATING/WARNING(S): G
WIP?/WORD COUNT: Complete | 11,500
MAIN CHARACTERS: Tony Stark, Christine Everhart

FIC SUMMARY: It’s been 'a hell of a year' since industrialist Tony Stark owned up to his alter ego in a move that stunned observers and longtime aides alike. With the US facing unprecedented homegrown suicide attacks, Iron Man's contribution to national security is more than ever under scrutiny. As she follows Stark during a year of crisis, exclusively for Vanity Fair, Christine Everhart explores the many contradictions of the man behind the mask, uncovers tales of personal loyalty, patriotism gone awry and corporate betrayal, and asks whether Iron Man is the embodiment of an outdated American fantasy—a self-made, unilateral, technological solution to hopelessly complex problems—and whether he can survive the violent encounter with reality.

RECCER'S NOTES: A mock Vanity Fair article on Iron Man. This is one of those fics that everyone must have surely read by now, but I have a grand total of six K titles in my faves list, so... Not that it doesn't deserve the publicity, because there's a small chance you haven't read this yet and if this is the case you should do so, immediately. It's that rare thing, a fic that really makes you stop and think, and then keep thinking long after you've finished reading. Plus! Photos, formatting, and a magazine writing style that makes me wibble.

thisbluespirit

FANDOM: Doctor Who
FIC LINK: The Spartans
AUTHOR LINK: JJPOR
RATING/WARNING(S): Teen | Violence, Slavery
WIP?/WORD COUNT: 69,883
MAIN CHARACTERS: Second Doctor, Polly Wright, Jamie McCrimmon, Ben Jackson

FIC SUMMARY: Greece, 480 BC: As the vast armies of the King of Kings prepare to battle the outnumbered defenders of the Hot Gates, the Doctor and his friends find themselves where they often find themselves at times like this – caught in the middle.

RECCER'S NOTES: As I’ve said, I have a weakness for Doctor Who historicals, and this is one of the very best. The author is amazing (consider this also an author rec: JJ is an incredible fanfic writer and pretty much never puts out a duff fic) and also has a clear love of history, which shines through. It’s an all-out action-adventure piece at novel length, although that’s not to say there’s not some great characterisation, with the TARDIS team being split up (as ever) but into two lesser-explored combinations, which allows for some lovely development between the still-new group, as Polly and the Doctor have to work together while Ben and Jamie find themselves in some surprising situations, not always easy for a 20th century English seaman and an 18th C Scottish Jacobite.

(There’s a tiny bit of canon-typical Ben/Polly at the end, and a little bit of slightly more unexpected Ben/Jamie along the way because of plot, but nothing to render it non-gen.)

Anyway, it’s long, fabulous, enthralling, and novel-style (and length) enough to be read on its own strengths if you’re not all that familiar with this TARDIS team (who have after all been especially unfairly hit by burnination).

thisbluespirit

FANDOM: Sapphire and Steel
FIC LINK: Daisy Bell
AUTHOR LINK:

usernamegoeshere
RATING/WARNING(S): Teen | Canon-typical horror, ghosts, death
WIP?/WORD COUNT: 32,278 words
MAIN CHARACTERS: Sapphire, Steel, Silver, Diamond, Radium, Original Characters

FIC SUMMARY: In 1979, Sapphire and Steel arrive at the Howard Street Hospital to investigate a time break. They have a chance encounter with the receptionist, Daisy. In 1999, Diamond, Radium, and Silver arrive at the Howard Street Hospital to investigate a time break. They have a chance encounter with the receptionist, Daisy.

RECCER'S NOTES: Sapphire and Steel is the most beautifully weird TV show I have ever encountered (as one TV guidebook described it: “There are many ways of holding a TV audience... Total lack of explanation is not supposed to be one of them.”) and also one of the most interesting fandoms for fic, as authors each try in their own way to interpret those mysteries and transpose that sense of otherness in the mundane to their writing, and nobody does it quite the same way, so I’m hoping to rec some more S&S before I’m done here.

Anyway, this fic one of the best examples - it’s marvellous, long, plotty, completely true to canon-weirdness (if you can say such a thing) and sharply characterised, with every bit of Sapphire-Steel-Silver interaction a delight. Plus – always a huge bonus for me – not only does it include Silver but it brings in some additional ‘operators’ from the opening credits, and explores just how strange they might be. And if you don’t know the series, but you like exploring the weirdness of time or enjoy ghost stories, why not give it a try? It’s a glorious fic and you really won’t know any less than those of us who have watched the canon, honest…

thady

FANDOM: Marvel Cinematic Universe
FIC LINK: Infinite Coffee and Protection Detail - series.
AUTHOR LINK:

owlet
RATING/WARNING(S): PG-13
WIP?/WORD COUNT: series [two complete stories posted so far] | ~ 87,000 words
MAIN CHARACTERS: Bucky Barnes; Steve Rogers, team

FIC SUMMARY: The mission resets abruptly, from objective: kill to objective: protect.

RECCER'S NOTES:

There are two complete stories posted so far. You could read only one or the other, but it works better together. While there could be more, each story has an clear ending.

The first one depicts Bucky's reclamtion of himself from the Winter Soldier. I love how this is depicted, how it wars inside of him. Love also the humor that is spread throughout the story. It's hard work for him, so the humor is very much appreciated. He has some help though, the OCs are great!

The second story deals with Bucky's integration into the team. I love how he learns to connect with each of them, each in their own way.

gensplosion!

Entries tagged with longer

Red Dwarf: A Different Kind of Ace, by Rowena Zahnrei

Fullmetal Alchemist: Stock Market Crash, by VIKAN

MCU / Iron Man: "The Kids Aren't All Right" by Christine Everhart (vanityfair.com), by samdonne

Doctor Who: The Spartans by JJPOR

Sapphire & Steel: Daisy Bell by nemo_the_everbeing

MCU: Infinite Coffee and Protection Detail - series, by owlet.

The Espresso Addict