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Yuletide recs
Dec. 28th, 2012 10:41 amPieces of fiction that made me happy, one way or another. I once again, absolutely sincerely, recommend my Procopius and Leonard Cohen gifts, all of which made me gasp with delight. I'm omitting the St. Augustine fic everybody else is recommending -- if you haven't yet followed the link, do.
Alma-Tadema paintings
Waterlilies and Clove-Pinks
The models for an Alma-Tadema painting and the women who were the originals: four lives interwoven. Beautifully written, clearly seen and conveyed. The period cultural details for both couples are well done.
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
ChaosMasterBilly's Blog of Things How a nerdy graduate student became an aspiring supervillain. Complete with song, linked to a recording sung by the author, who has a gorgeous voice.
Doctor Who RPF (Wait! Wait! Don't run away!)
one beaded blue silk Fortuny Delphos, mint condition, never worn I dislike RPF about living people. This doesn't trip my squick, because it's so clearly AU: people who look very much like Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, and Arthur run a vintage clothing shop. Why, yes, costumes are my bullet-proof kink; even if they aren't yours, this is gentle and funny and loving.
Edward Gorey, The Gashlycrumb Tinies
An Abecedary of Tragic Ends, Explicated for the Reader . Twenty-six drabbles, each the story behind the scenes of a Gashlycrumb couplet. Just as dark, terse, and funny as the original.
Georgette Heyer, The Talisman Ring
The Marriage Masquerade Ludovic Lavenham and Eustacie de Vauban didn't stop being clueless and feckless just because the book ended. Once again, Sir Tristram and Sarah have to disentangle the mess. The author catches Heyer's wit as well as her dialogue tics; this is also a useful reminder that the annoying comedy relief couple would grow even more annoying over time.
Diana Wynne Jones, Chrestomanci series
The Young Chants Christopher's point of view on family life. Doesn't that sound awful? It isn't. It's funny and sharp and loving without being sentimental. Most important, it feels like the late lamented DWJ; Christopher's POV is perfect. (I wish there were a good consistent way to refer to Chrestomanci: this story has both Gabriel deWitt as Chrestomanci and Christopher Chant as Chrestomanci. "Christopher" is as good a solution as any, although I always think of him as Cat.)
Slings and Arrows. This was a lucky year for the fandom; the two fics below both catch the voice of the show, the melancholy underlying the laughter.
The Winter of our Discontent Letters between Nahum and Anna after the end of S3. Both character voices are pitch-perfect, as are the events.
Legacy
Geoffrey and Jack interact as the years pass. Heartwarming, but in a good way ---not like the end of any Spielberg movie, but rather like the end of UP. Geoffrey Tennant's voice as large as life. A completely plausible look at the characters' lives after Lear closes.
And that's what I've bookmarked so far. You?
Alma-Tadema paintings
Waterlilies and Clove-Pinks
The models for an Alma-Tadema painting and the women who were the originals: four lives interwoven. Beautifully written, clearly seen and conveyed. The period cultural details for both couples are well done.
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
ChaosMasterBilly's Blog of Things How a nerdy graduate student became an aspiring supervillain. Complete with song, linked to a recording sung by the author, who has a gorgeous voice.
Doctor Who RPF (Wait! Wait! Don't run away!)
one beaded blue silk Fortuny Delphos, mint condition, never worn I dislike RPF about living people. This doesn't trip my squick, because it's so clearly AU: people who look very much like Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, and Arthur run a vintage clothing shop. Why, yes, costumes are my bullet-proof kink; even if they aren't yours, this is gentle and funny and loving.
Edward Gorey, The Gashlycrumb Tinies
An Abecedary of Tragic Ends, Explicated for the Reader . Twenty-six drabbles, each the story behind the scenes of a Gashlycrumb couplet. Just as dark, terse, and funny as the original.
Georgette Heyer, The Talisman Ring
The Marriage Masquerade Ludovic Lavenham and Eustacie de Vauban didn't stop being clueless and feckless just because the book ended. Once again, Sir Tristram and Sarah have to disentangle the mess. The author catches Heyer's wit as well as her dialogue tics; this is also a useful reminder that the annoying comedy relief couple would grow even more annoying over time.
Diana Wynne Jones, Chrestomanci series
The Young Chants Christopher's point of view on family life. Doesn't that sound awful? It isn't. It's funny and sharp and loving without being sentimental. Most important, it feels like the late lamented DWJ; Christopher's POV is perfect. (I wish there were a good consistent way to refer to Chrestomanci: this story has both Gabriel deWitt as Chrestomanci and Christopher Chant as Chrestomanci. "Christopher" is as good a solution as any, although I always think of him as Cat.)
Slings and Arrows. This was a lucky year for the fandom; the two fics below both catch the voice of the show, the melancholy underlying the laughter.
The Winter of our Discontent Letters between Nahum and Anna after the end of S3. Both character voices are pitch-perfect, as are the events.
Legacy
Geoffrey and Jack interact as the years pass. Heartwarming, but in a good way ---not like the end of any Spielberg movie, but rather like the end of UP. Geoffrey Tennant's voice as large as life. A completely plausible look at the characters' lives after Lear closes.
And that's what I've bookmarked so far. You?
