ermingarden | Entries tagged with fandom: tolkien

Some of you may remember that back in 2019, I posted the first half of a fic called "Screwtape on Maedhros", which is exactly what it sounds like: a Screwtape Letters fusion/pastiche. There it has languished, unfinished, for six years. I always knew where I wanted to go with this fic, but for one reason or another haven't made substantial progress - until recently! So I'm pleased to share a draft for the next letter from Screwtape, written following the Nirnaeth Arnoediad:
( Read more... )

Following directly on from last week's snippet:

"This was the first of their great mercies to us, in Beleriand," he said.

I followed his gaze to the half-completed tapestry, where the Sun's exuberant light gilded the edges of a barren landscape.

"Even when the Trees still lived, their light fell on Valinor alone. In Middle-earth there were only ever the stars. But the Moon and the Sun shine on Middle-earth just as they shine on Aman. They did not have to send them over the Sea - but they did!"

He fell silent; and when he spoke again, his voice was very low.

"You could not see the stars, from Thangorodrim. The fumes, the smoke of Moringotto's forges, blocked them out entirely. There was only the Shadow, unchanging, on every side, until you forgot that there had ever been anything but the Shadow, that there was such a thing as light; until it seemed the stars were not hidden but swallowed up, entirely and forever. Even the light of the Moon did not dispel that black veil, though it seeped through, diffuse - and that was marvel enough, in that place. But O, the Sun! O, the hallowed hour of its rising! The touch of that brave light dispelled the darkness as a dream upon waking."

For Six Sentence Sunday, albeit slightly belated, here are a bit more than six sentences of something I originally started for tolkienekphrasisweek - my first attempt at a reembodied Maedhros. (I thought it would be a short little ficlet...it got away from me.)

"At last the lady Vairë came to me, and asked me, if I would not leave the Halls, still to accept the gift of embodiment, and to come and work under her direction. 'For,' she said, 'it is not in the thought of the One, nor is it the wish of His servants, that anything should be wasted.' And so I acquiesced, and was embodied, but dwelt still in the halls of the Weaver as the living among the dead. And I worked, and I saw that the work of my hands was fair - that my hands, whatever else I had done with them, might still be turned to fair work."

Indeed, his hands were moving on the loom even as he spoke, threading wisps of cloud across a pale blue sky.

But why, I almost asked - and though I bit my tongue, perhaps he perceived the question in my face, or else his thoughts ran this way already.

"I know not why she came to me," he answered my unspoken question. "It was not for what craft was in me, for though I learned to weave in my youth, and liked it well, I did not then come to mastery - and in Beleriand my hand never touched the loom. Perhaps it was for love of Fíriel, her cherished handmaid, though she herself had never known me. What is certain is that it was not because I deserved mercy. I did not. I have never deserved any of their mercies, but they have been merciful to me regardless. Merciful beyond telling."

I could think of nothing more to say to that. His hands, the fair and the marred, kept moving smoothly on the loom, passing the bobbins in and out, in and out.

A fun little meme borrowed from

chestnut_pod: give us the links to your fics with the most hits, second most kudos, third most comments, fourth most bookmarks, fifth most words, and fewest words.

Most hits by far, with twice as many as the runner-up, is "Climbing Garden Walls", a nearly twelve-year-old fic for Attack on Titan, a fandom I was in for about a minute in high school, and that mostly because

sandavier was into it. (I've heard it ended horribly, haven't been keeping up.) Definitely the case of publishing a fic in the right fandom at the right time to get a lot of interest, and it still dominates my stats.

Second most kudos is "Special Assignment", and unlike in hits, this one is actually close - it's only 10 kudos behind Garden Walls and I expect it will overtake at some point. It's a Star Wars fic, Obi-Wan/Alpha-17, written as a pinch hit in the 2020 round of

swrarepairs, and is a product of my Emails Phase. Its (relative) popularity has always surprised me, as I've never been particularly satisfied with it, but re-reading it with some distance, I think I'm a little fonder of it now!

Third most comment threads is "Climbing Garden Walls" again (beaten handily by #1 "Letters from Himring" and closely by #2 "Special Assignment").

Fourth most bookmarks is "necessity", a very short Star Wars fic about Depa Billaba's apprenticeship that was written very specifically for

independence1776 - I didn't care at all if anyone else liked it, and am pleasantly surprised by how many people evidently do!

Fifth most words is "Special Assignment" again.

Fewest words is "Chicken Soup for the Ranger's Soul", a true drabble featuring Aragorn & Gandalf - and some Tolkien fic makes it into this meme at last!

Snowflake Challenge promotional banner with image of snow-covered mushrooms and green moss. Text: Snowflake Challenge January 1-31.

We'll just ignore the dates on the Snowflake promo banner, shall we? Anyway, I was delighted by the "Recs Countdown" format but then had a hard time coming up with categories appropriate for each number, so they're a bit random, but without further ado, I present to you...

Five Dragonlance fics:

Travellers (46k) by Allthatisnot
The Raistlin/Magius Dragons of Eternity fix-it my soul was yearning for.

Wither and Bloom (38k) by Skull_Bearer
Excellently unnerving take on both the Tower of Palanthas and the Curse of Raelanna, from a superb Dalamar POV. And it's gorgeously illustrated!

A Dragonlance Carol (9k) by fayolin
This was my Yuletide gift this year and it's amazing! Brilliantly Dickensian.

The Lord of Nothing Series (350k+, ongoing) by ceremonial_motions
Raistlin learns what his plan to kill Takhisis would have led to earlier than in canon. Raistlin/Dalamar, phenomenal canon divergence.

Lucky (1.5k) by

rachelmanija
A little bit of Raistlin & Tanis from the Chronicles days. A nice look at that relationship, with great Raistlin and Tanis characterizations.

Four favorite fics not on AO3:

Luke Skywalker and the Outer Rim Profiteer (Star Wars, 22k) by Niralle
A hilarious spoof of a certain kind of Expanded Universe novel. Excellent outsider POV!

Growing Pains (SW, 156k) by ruth baulding
A series of vignettes from Obi-Wan's apprenticeship.

The Tempered Steel (Silm, 113k) by Lyra
A rightly renowned account of Maedhros' captivity, rescue, and recovery.

A Long and Weary Way (LotR, 445k), and its appendices, by Canafinwe
Aragorn captures Gollum and brings him to Mirkwood. Things repeatedly go sideways along the way.

Three unexpected but brilliant crossovers:

Testing Limits (SW x Portal, 28k) by

atamascolily
"What if the AI Luke encounters on the Eye of Palpatine were GLaDOS" is a question I would have never thought to ask but that absolutely needed to be answered. A brilliant fic that can be enjoyed with minimal or no knowledge of Portal.

Love is All You Need to Destroy Your Enemies (Night Vale x Dresden Files, 222k) by shadydave
Carlos from WtNV and Carlos from the Dresden Files are the same person! Also, mind-bending time travel.

A Star to Steer By (SW x Stargate, 99k) by dogmatix and norcumi
Honestly, I know nothing about Stargate. But I do love this fic. Absolutely fascinating AU take on the Jedi and the clones!

Two fics that felt like sequels to canon:

Ciel D'Oro (The Name of the Rose, 19k) by CenozoicSynapsid
After leaving the abbey, William and Adso get tangled up with a murder in Pavia. This was a Yuletide gift for me back in 2020, and it still blows my mind whenever I reread it - it truly feels like a sequel, and it's just utterly brilliant!

The Lost of Winter (Cemeteries of Amalo, 20k) by

fiona15351
Set after The Grief of Stones, as Thara tries to adjust to the loss of his abilities as a Witness vel ama and he and Iäna inch vaguely in the direction of romance. Also, there's a mongoose. (Full disclosure: I did beta this fic - but that's not why I think it's great!)

And one thing I wrote myself:

The Archives of Beleriand series is probably my favorite of the things I've written; it is also the reason I know how to code footnotes on AO3. Check it out if you like weird academic pastiche! (And the art by

fiona15351 and Fandom_fun13 is so lovely!)

Current Mood: sleepy

Wow, it has been a hot minute since I posted here! It's been a busy couple of months. (Happy Easter and/or Passover, as applicable!)

I had an absolutely marvelous time with

worldbuilding_exchange this year!

I wrote "The Earliest Years of the Sun" for

narya_flame, which is a funky little piece of in-universe meta I summarized as "A Gondorian academic in the Fourth Age explores the development of a solar calendar system among the Noldor in Beleriand." Unsurprisingly to anyone who knows me, it has footnotes *g*

And I received a magnificent gift from

Callmesalticidae: "Notes Toward a Proposal for Renovating the Temple Refectory System" is a fun and extremely clever look at the logistical challenges of a multispecies society like the Jedi Order. I'm over the moon at such a great gift!

Here's a non-exhaustive list of other fics from the collection I particularly enjoyed:

"Into the Wood" by

elementalraven is a beautiful canon-divergent Narnia fic about Jill and Eustace in the Wood between the Worlds, offering intriguing glimpses of many other worlds.

fiona15351 wrote delightful casefic for Robin McKinley's Sunshine: "Never Fall Far from the Tree" is a supernatural police procedural in the vampire-killing-stake orchard, with an engaging and endearing OC narrator, and I can personally attest that it's a lot of fun even canon-blind!

"Bullies, bugs, and birds: a case study on competition between introduced Squawkabilly and a native Fletchling population" by

crowloft is Pokémon in-universe meta that's an uncanny recreation of an academic paper – right down to a "Retrieved March 11, 2023" timestamp at the top! Plus, it has graphics.

"burn for what you believe in" by

flyingfanatic is a Locked Tomb fic about Pyrrha, the early days at Canaan House, and the founding of the Houses that had me unhinged.

And "Grown Deep" by

Hokuto is a lovely Earthsea fic about a wizard reluctant to leave Roke; Hokuto recreates the Earthsea vibe really well!

I love this exchange just as much in its second iteration as I did last time – I can hardly wait for next year!

Current Mood: pleased

Another

seasonsofdrabbles round is at an end, and – as always – it was tremendous fun! I love how much leeway a drabble exchange gives folks to be experimental.

I wrote two fics:

"sorrow for sea-fare" for

zdenka
Tar-Míriel/Uinen, double drabble sequence (600 words)
Summary:
And it came to pass, while the wood of Nimloth burned, that Tar-Míriel – who had ever loved the night-blossoming Tree – slipped from the palace, and came in secret to the westward shore.

"stands yet the wallstone" for

Microscopium
Object and concept anthropomorphism, triple drabble
Summary:
The city had no name.
This was a new state of affairs, and the city was still getting used to it.

I'd been re-reading some of Oscar Wilde's fairy tales before sitting down to write, and I think it shows: the first is reminiscent in some ways of "The Fisherman and His Soul", the second of "The Remarkable Rocket" – only a little bit, and a very poor reflection, but the influence is there.

fiona15351 very kindly betaed both, and she was the one who suggested using a line from "The Ruin" to title "stands yet the wallstone", which gave me the idea of titling "sorrow for sea-fare" with a line from "The Seafarer". (In retrospect, "stands yet the wallstone" would have been an excellent title for "Deep Roots", my TRSB fic this year, but…well, hindsight's 20/20.)

I received two fics as well:

"blessed" by

sincereously
ASOIAF, Baelor the Blessed, single drabble sequence (700 words)
Summary:
Seven perspectives on Baelor, for each of the seven gods.

Folks, "blessed" is the Baelor fic of my dreams! It's a nuanced and beautifully written take on a deeply complex character, and might just be my favorite Baelor fic out there. I genuinely teared up reading it, and I truly can't recommend it more highly.

"annealed" by

allegoriesinmediasres
Maedhros/Fingon, paired single drabbles
Summary:
"... and the Orcs fled before his face; for since his torment upon Thangorodrim his spirit burned like a white fire within… "

― Quenta Silmarillion, "Of the Ruin of Beleriand and the Fall of Fingolfin"

"annealed" is a lovely and poignant Maedhros character study, with some sweet Russingon as well. For its word count, it packs an outsize punch!

I wrote "nidicolous" for AllegoriesInMediasRes as my assigned recipient in the summer round of this exchange, and I think I was their assigned recipient this time, so we clearly have tastes in common! I think I'll keep an eye out for their prompts in the next round…

All in all, definitely a very good time, and I'm looking forward to the winter round!

I'm so excited to say that

fiona15351 and I have just posted our poetry/art collab "Lament for Halwen"! Fiona's art is totally gorgeous, so check it out for that if nothing else!

Summary:
Halwen the Spearwoman was a Avarin elf who joined the service of Maedhros Fëanorion shortly before the Dagor Aglareb and died fighting against her lord at Sirion. The untitled Sindarin text commemorating her, known today as the "Lament for Halwen," survives in a single manuscript now preserved at the Library of Rivendell.

Halwen is an OC from my 2021 TRSB fic, "Letters from Himring", and this fic only exists because of the folks who told me they'd like to see more of her <3

Current Mood: accomplished

The collection is open and authors have been revealed!

I wrote one fic, for

allegoriesinmediasres:

nidicolous
Fandom: Silmarillion
Summary: Sometimes a family is a large waterfowl, an astronomical body, and two Half-elven boys.

The prompt was "A cracky AU where star!Earendil and goose!Elwing raise Elrond and Elros," and it was so fun to write!

I also received an exquisite gift from

aroberuka:

All That Glitters
Fandom: TGCF
Summary: After her ascension, Yushi Huang settles into her new home.

I love it to pieces!

The other Silmarillion fics are both gorgeous:

Sleep could I never on the sea-beds by

cravetherose
This one's about Berúthiel, and I love the writing style; cravetherose takes advantage of the short format to really lean into something unusual, and in my opinion it's very effective.

Land's End by

LookingForDroids
A wonderfully atmospheric piece about Númenor!

And this "Object and Concept Anthropomorphism" fic is beautiful too:

As Below, So Above by

archea2
The characters are "Walled Garden" and "Mermaid Statue"; if you've ever read any of Oscar Wilde's fairy tales, it reminds me a little of those.

Current Mood: happy

maitarussa made a very fun uQuiz: As a Maia, which Vala do you serve?

I got Vairë, which is entirely accurate:

You are a follower of the Weaver of Time. You are greatly concerned with the truth, and hate being lied to above all else. It is likely that you spend a great deal of time asking how or why, and that you desire to know the reasoning behind each and every thing that is done or that happens. You make it your mission to make the truth known, which may result in a tendency to correct others too often. Keep in mind when it is a good time to do so, and when it is better simply to let things go.

Current Mood: pleased

Found this very fun uQuiz: What Middle-earth Dish Should You Eat?

I got Athelas Tea:

Also known as ‘Sam’s Kingsfoil Brew’. Athelas/Kingsfoil was a healing herb that grew throughout Middle-earth. The herb was used throughout the books and films. Aragorn also used Athelas to ease the pain of Frodo's wound when he was stabbed by a Morgul-knife at the Weathertop camp. The scent of the leaves also calmed the minds of the other Hobbits. Aragorn used Athelas in the Houses of Healing to revive Faramir, Lady Éowyn, and the hobbit Merry. Herb-lore of Middle-Earth is mostly confined to herbs native to the Shire, records of True Athelas are scarce. However, it seems by all accounts that Mint is the closest relative. A cup of nice mint tea is as close as we can get in the real world.

I don't have any mint tea on hand, but I do have chamomile; I think I'll make myself a cup right now.

Current Mood: insomniac

Ten transparent icons made from Tolkien's heraldic designs for Silmarillion characters:

Idril	Lúthien	Lúthien (alternate)	Melian	Elwë


Finwë	Finarfin	Finrod	Bëor	Gil-Galad

Drop them on top of a background of your choice, or just use as-is like I do!

(Finrod's heraldry looks so different from the others because it's in the Mannish rather than the Elvish style; meanwhile, Bëor's has a fairly Elvish design. Perhaps they designed them for each other?)

Current Mood: creative

A fun meme borrowed from

ysilme:

How big are your fandoms? List them in order of the number of works posted for them on AO3.

I'm doing this for the fandoms I'm currently active (i.e., regularly reading and/or writing fic) in. As of approximately 6 PM Eastern Time on March 20, 2022, the work count is as follows:

1) Star Wars – All Media Types has 192,780;

2) 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù has 54,335,

3) The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth – J. R. R. Tolkien has 21,340,

4) The Lord of the Rings – J. R. R. Tolkien has 21,168, and

5) 天官赐福 - 墨香铜臭 | Tiān Guān Cì Fú - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù has 9,221.

I'm totally shocked – MDZS has over twice as many works on AO3 as does the Silm or (bookverse) LotR!

The MDZS novel serialization on JJWXC only began in 2015, and CQL only came out in 2019! (2019 was also the year the fan translation of the novel by Exiled Rebels was completed.) CQL has 38,138 works; 9,883 of those are not also tagged with MDZS, bringing the total for the umbrella fandom across media types up to almost 65k! (There's no "All Media Types" umbrella tag for MDZS; there are 250 works tagged with the donghua but neither the novel or CQL.) TOLKIEN J. R. R. – Works and Related Fandoms, the broadest Tolkien umbrella, beats that with 84,066 – but the oldest of the Tolkien works is (back)dated to 2003, and The Hobbit was published in 1937!

Current Mood: surprised

For International Fanworks Day, I'm posting a few themed rec lists! This one is for crossovers and fusions, particularly the unexpected ones:

Star Wars x Portal:
Testing Limits (28k) by

atamascolily

Chapters: 8/8
Fandom: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: New Republic Era - All Media Types, Portal (Video Game)
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Characters: Luke Skywalker, C-3PO (Star Wars), GLaDOS, Turrets (Portal), Weighted Companion Cube, Cray Mingla, Callista Ming, Nichos Marr, Other Star Wars Character(s)
Additional Tags: Crossover, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Artificial Intelligence, Body Horror, science gone wrong, Portal 2 Spoilers, Portal References, Whump, curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal, the ghost in the machine, essence transfer, Plot Twists, Fix-It of Sorts
Summary:

Trapped on the crumbling Eye of Palpatine warship, a grievously injured Luke Skywalker is forced to navigate an experimental training course managed by a sadistic, strangely human AI intent on carrying out its top-secret mission ... all in the name of science, of course.

Star Wars x Silmarillion:
Fear No Darkness (19k) by

independence1776

Chapters: 10/10
Fandom: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien, Star Wars: Rise of Empire Era - All Media Types
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Maglor, House of Fëanor, Elwing, Eärendil, Finarfin, Original Characters, Nerdanel
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Star Wars Fusion, Jedi, Canon-Typical Violence
Series: Part 1 of Fear No Darkness
Summary:

Two years after the Empire's birth, Imperial forces led by Darth Vader devastated the Arda system. A few hundred Quendi fled the system's takeover. Among them is Maglor Fëanorian, the lone survivor of his Jedi-trained House. He has spent the past three years hiding in plain sight as a singer for a starliner cruise company. Now he is about to strike off on his own as an independent cargo pilot, unsure of what the future will bring him.

Star Wars x Stargate:
A Star to Steer By (99k) by

dogmatix and

norcumi

Chapters: 20/20
Fandom: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types, Stargate SG-1
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Characters: Jack O'Neill, Obi-Wan Kenobi, CT-7567 | Rex, Clone Troopers, Goa'uld - Character, Janet Fraiser, George Hammond, Daniel Jackson, Sam Carter, Teal'c (SG-1)
Additional Tags: not rex/obi in the conventional sense, but definitely a strong connection, Alternate Universe - Fusion, GFY, swearing/adult language, mention of clone/clone pairings, era appropriate homophobia, Don’t copy to another site
Series: Part 1 of A Star to Steer By
Summary:

Jack O'Neill runs into the weirdest snake he's ever met, and that's saying something. Obi-Wan just wants to get his people home.

Night Vale x His Dark Materials:
He Says He Is An Experimental Theologian (182k) by

erinptah

Chapters: 33/33
Fandom: Welcome to Night Vale, His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Relationships: Steve Carlsberg & Cecil Palmer, Carlos/Cecil Palmer, Khoshekh & Cecil Palmer, Past Lyra Belacqua/Will Parry, Carlos the Scientist/Other(s)
Characters: Old Woman Josie, The Angel Erika, City Council Messenger Children, Khoshekh, Steve Carlsberg, Cecil Palmer, Hiram McDaniels, Desert Bluffs Carlos, The Man in the Tan Jacket, The Faceless Old Woman, Earl Harlan, Pamela Winchell, Intern Dana, Xaphania, Carlos' Team of Scientists, Carlos the Scientist
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Daemons, Re-Education, Hurt/Comfort, Canon-Typical Violence, Bilingual Character(s), Alternate History, For Science!, Alethiometer Use, Español | Spanish, Visually Impaired Character, Christmas With Family, Culture Shock, Post-Traumatic Stress, Slow Burn Carlos/Cecil
Series: Part 1 of Republic of Heaven Community Radio
Summary:

Ever since Carlos was little, he and his daemon have been fans of Dr. Lyra Belacqua. Both as the most groundbreaking experimental theologian of the 20th century, and as the heroine of dozens of fantasy-adventure children's stories (based very loosely on her own mysterious childhood).

But Lyra's true legacy is still bigger than Carlos ever imagined...until he took a team of scholars to study Rusakov particles in the most theologically interesting community in Hispania Nova. Now his own day-to-day life is full of things like angels, witches, hooded spectres, portals between worlds, vague yet menacing branches of the Magisterium, and a man who walks around without his daemon and can read an alethiometer as easily as a stop sign.

Night Vale x Dresden Files:
Love is All You Need to Destroy Your Enemies (222k) by

shadydave

Chapters: 20/20
Fandom: Welcome to Night Vale, The Dresden Files - Jim Butcher
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Carlos Ramirez/Cecil Palmer
Characters: Carlos Ramirez, Cecil Palmer, Carlos' Team of Scientists (Welcome to Night Vale), Cactus Jane/Judy/June, Tamika Flynn, Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden, Mouse (Dresden Files - Butcher), The Traveler (Welcome to Night Vale), Anastasia Luccio, The Apache Tracker
Additional Tags: Original Character(s), Crossover, Time Travel, Magic, Science, Magic and Science, Mad Science, Comic Book Science, Dubious Science, Fake Science, Just Generally a Lot of Science, poorly researched, on Wikipedia, gratuitous Shakespeare references, Needs More Dinosaurs!, Covered in Bees!!
Series: Part 3 of Love is All You Need to Destroy Your Enemies
Summary:

There are a few things that Carlos may have neglected to tell Cecil.

Like his last name.

Or how he hasn’t actually dated anyone since his junior year of high school.

Or that he’s a wizard of the White Council and the regional commander of Wardens in the western United States and not, in fact, a scientist.

You know. Minor details.

Mó Dào Zŭ Shī x Tiān Guān Cì Fú:
Lan Jingyi and the Adventure of the Immortal Cultivator (5.5k) by litbynosun

Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: 天官赐福 - 墨香铜臭 | Tiān Guān Cì Fú - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù, 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s), Jīn Líng | Jīn Rúlán & Lán Jǐngyí & Lán Yuàn | Lán Sīzhuī & Ōuyáng Zǐzhēn
Characters: Xiè Lián (Tiān Guān Cì Fú), Lán Jǐngyí, Lán Yuàn | Lán Sīzhuī, Wēn Níng | Wēn Qiónglín, Tiān Guān Cì Fú Ensemble, Módào Zǔshī Ensemble
Additional Tags: Crossover, Just a Fun Little Romp, Minor Injuries, Canon-Typical Violence, Ghosts, postcanon, (for both books), Friendship, A Pack Of Teens Roaming The Countryside With Swords
Summary:

Lan Jingyi likes to think he's fairly clever and observant. He's a Lan disciple, after all, and one of the more skilled ones! He's also, unfortunately for a cultivator, rather scared of ghosts. Now if only his friends would listen to him when he warns them about the newest addition to his group...

Or, Xie Lian takes a little vacation, certain important biographical facts are omitted, and Wen Ning makes a friend.

Don't see your favorite here? Link it in the comments!

For International Fanworks Day, I'm posting a few themed rec lists! This one is for epistolary (and epistolary-adjacent) fics, i.e., fics consisting entirely or in significant part of letters, documents, social media posts, etc. – one of my favorite formats!

STAR WARS

Waste Not, Want Not (1.6k) by

carmarthen and

motetus

Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: The Dianoga (Star Wars), Original Characters
Additional Tags: Humor, Worldbuilding, Epistolary, Sanitation, Military, Illustrated, Crack Treated Seriously, Science Fiction, Podfic Available
Summary:

Imperial Sanitation Specialist Yaran Avoset discovers a jam in Death Star garbage compactor 3263827. His superior is not amused. Fortunately, a resourceful man can go far in the Imperial Navy.

Or, how the Death Star got dianogas.

Words by Carmarthen, art by motetus.

Re: FWD: Re: FWD: FWD: FWD: FWD: (1.5k) by 13th_blackbird

Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Star Wars: Thrawn Series - Timothy Zahn (2017)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Thrawn | Mitth'raw'nuruodo/Eli Vanto
Characters: Thrawn | Mitth'raw'nuruodo, Eli Vanto, Original Characters, Karyn Faro
Additional Tags: background/implied thranto, Epistolary, Bureaucracy, extremely poor email ettiquette, Supply Officer!Eli AU, forensic accounting, Sting operations, being good at math is sexy, needlessly circuitous plans (tm), karyn faro doesn't get paid enough, Chimaera staff, Comedy of Errors, this is silly, i mean it's just very silly, the height of action in this is an audit, Auditing, imperial supply forms, flirting through invoice comments, Podfic & Podficced Works
Series: Part 1 of bureaucratic nightmares
Summary:

Takes place in a world where Eli Vanto became a Supply Officer and shot right to the top of operations for Imperial Star Destroyer supply in and around Coruscant, and Grand Admiral Thrawn became the same scheming bastard we all know and love.

Emails are exchanged. Funds are embezzled. More emails are exchanged. There's very measured flirting. Jobs are offered and taken. Thrilling stuff.

(See above. Please advise.)

I have acquired a child. (2.8k) by stingrcy

Chapters: 2/?
Fandom: The Mandalorian (TV)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Baby Yoda & The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV)
Characters: The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV), and a bunch of well-meaning but confused holonet users, mentions of other canon characters
Additional Tags: Attempt at Humor, Indirect Fluff, Epistolary, ManDadlorian, not explicitly at first but as we go on? ohoHOHO
Summary:

How can I ensure its welfare without having it become attached to me?
Thank you.
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(The r/Parenting AU some people wondered about but technically did not ask for.)

Note: Reads as complete despite chapter marking.

TOLKIEN

Common Counsel (3k) by

bunn

Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Fingon | Findekáno & Maedhros | Maitimo, Fingon | Findekáno/Maedhros | Maitimo
Characters: Fingon | Findekáno, Maedhros | Maitimo
Additional Tags: Epistolary, Letters, First Age, Beleriand
Summary:

A few letters sent between Fingon & Maedhros immediately after Maedhros went East with his brothers to Himring.

It is not entirely clear what the relationship was between Maedhros and Fingon during this period. There appear to be a number of things in these documents that are understood, but not spelled out.

The Sealed Letter (6.6k) by

rhymer

Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Aragorn
Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Letters, POV Outsider, Angst, Framing Story
Summary:

An isolated farmer finds a badly wounded man in a ruined farm. Six hundred years later, a historian researching King Elessar comes across a sealed letter. What links these two events is a story long forgotten.

MÓ DÀO ZŬ SHĪ

在此恭迎夷陵老祖; to yiling laozu, the great and venerable (6.8k) by yiqie

Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV), 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī/Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn
Characters: Lán Yuàn | Lán Sīzhuī, Jīn Líng | Jīn Rúlán
Additional Tags: Epistolary, Urban Legends, Relationship Advice, Post-Canon
Summary:

“You don’t know? In Yiling, there’s a tree at the edge of town, one that stands at the fringes of where the city ends and the Burial Mounds begin, called the Lover’s Tree. They say if you write a letter and nail it to its branches, Yiling Laozu will receive it, and he’ll reply.”

Don't see your favorite here? Link it in the comments!

For International Fanworks Day, I'm posting a few themed rec lists! To start with, here are my favorite time loop fics – a list that might have been better posted on Groundhog Day:

Tiān Guān Cì Fú:
a long day in yong an (66k) by ThreePlums

Chapters: 3/3
Fandom: 天官赐福 - 墨香铜臭 | Tiān Guān Cì Fú - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù, 天官赐福 | Heaven Official's Blessing (Cartoon)
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Relationships: Huā Chéng/Xiè Lián (Tiān Guān Cì Fú)
Characters: Xiè Lián (Tiān Guān Cì Fú), Huā Chéng (Tiān Guān Cì Fú), Bái Wúxiàng, Ruòyé (Tiān Guān Cì Fú)
Additional Tags: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Whump, Claustrophobia, Self-Harm, Suicidal Thoughts, Awkward Flirting, Coming In Pants, Shame, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Flashbacks, Guoshi Grave, Blood and Gore, Time Loop, Misunderstandings, Food as a Metaphor for Love, Anxiety, Guilt, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting
Summary:

"Gege," San Lang calls, his voice oddly strained. He isn't looking at Xie Lian's face, his eyes instead fixed pointedly over his shoulder. "You remember me?"

Xie Lian takes a few tentative steps closer. "Of course," he says cautiously. "How could I forget San Lang so easily?"

"But you said," he croaks, and then stops to clear his throat. He shakes his head, and then quickly walks over to meet Xie Lian halfway. "Gege," he whispers. "You said it wasn't happening to you."

"I said what wasn't happening?" he asks, matching San Lang's volume.

"Today," San Lang says, finally meeting his eyes. "Haven't you lived it before?"

Featuring: a thrice-sealed coffin, an extravagant parade, and too many osmanthus cakes.

The Silmarillion:
A Thread Unraveled (91k) by ScribeofArda

Chapters: 21/21
Fandom: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Fingon | Findekáno/Maedhros | Maitimo, Maedhros | Maitimo & Maglor | Makalaurë, Celegorm | Turcafinwë & Maedhros | Maitimo, Caranthir | Morifinwë & Maedhros | Maitimo, Curufin | Curufinwë & Maedhros | Maitimo, Amras & Maedhros | Maitimo, Maedhros | Maitimo & Sons of Fëanor
Characters: Maedhros | Maitimo, Fingon | Findekáno, Maglor | Makalaurë, Celegorm | Turcafinwë, Caranthir | Morifinwë, Curufin | Curufinwë, Amras (Tolkien), Azaghâl (Tolkien), Húrin Thalion, Gwindor (Tolkien), Beleg Cúthalion, Celebrimbor | Telperinquar
Additional Tags: Anyone who was at the Nirnaeth Arnoediad is present or mentioned, Fix-It, Time Loop, Alternative Universe - Groundhog Day AU, Everybody Lives, Everyone who was still alive by the Nirnaeth, Sorry Aredhel and Fingolfin, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Temporary Character Death, In the way of time loops, Everyone is going to die at some point in these loops, But they get better, Need to emphasise the angst again, Maedhros is not doing great at times, But Fingon loves him so damn much, This is a fix-it I promise, Working title: How to Fix the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, Maedhros is trying goddammit, He is going to make this right if it kills him, Which it does, A lot - Freeform, Still definitely a fix-it though
Series: Part 1 of Aurë entuluva
Summary:

Maedhros wakes up again, on the first morning of the Nirnaeth Arnoediad.

Of course, nobody calls it that. For them, it hasn't happened yet.

Don't see your favorite here? Link it in the comments!

In light of the current widespread discussion of the upcoming Amazon show, I'll just reiterate what I said on Tumblr back in 2017:

All I want from the silmarillion tv show is for episode 1 to begin with a shot of Maedhros hanging on the cliff and then

*record scratch*
*freeze frame*

"Yep, that’s me. You’re probably wondering how I got into this situation…"

Current Mood: tired

To get you into that ~spooky~ spirit!
(Not an exhaustive list, just the fics I happened to think of off the top of my head.)

To Kill the Starlight by

independence1776 (8k words)
Fandom: Star Wars
Characters: Depa Billaba, OCs
Summary: Depa had not expected to wake. But she is of use to the burgeoning Empire.
Comment: This fic is brand new – just came out this week! It features some really creepy medical experimentation and twists that will send shivers down your spine.

Fire in the Jungle by

atamascolily (2k words)
Fandom: Star Wars
Characters: Tionne Solusar, Exar Kun
Summary: Tionne faces off against a Sith ghost in an unusual battle.
Comment: This one isn't scary, but there is a ghost in it, so it counts. It's one of my absolute favorite Star Wars fics, which, considering how many millions of words of Star Wars fic I've read over the years, is saying a lot!

The Malignant Dead by frangipani (9k words)
Fandom: Star Wars
Characters: Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, Han Solo, Kam Solusar, Mara Jade, Gantoris
Summary: Luke Skywalker and sticky ghosts. A JAT- inspired ghost story
Comment: Like "Fire in the Jungle," this is a fic about a ghost on Yavin IV, but the similarities pretty much end there; "The Malignant Dead" is much darker. It's deliciously eerie and unnerving!

All Along the Watchtower by TheLionInMyBed (2k words)
Fandom: Tolkien
Characters: Maedhros, OC
Summary: In the eighty-third year of the reign of King Elessar, a salvage hunter pays a visit to Tol Himling. She finds more there than broken pots and ancient gold.
Comment: Another ghost story! Haunting rather than scary, and very beautiful.

What other ~spooky~ fic recommendations do you have?

Editing to add:
The Silver Mirror by

narya_flame (3k words)
Fandom: Tolkien
Characters: OCs
Summary: Two intrepid Hobbits explore Tol Himling, where they find an unusual artefact that is more than it seems.
Comment: Big thank you to

hhimring for pointing this one out to me! It's a beautifully written epistolary fic, and it's definitely on the scarier side – really gives me goosebumps. (I think "Tol Himling ghost stories" might be my new favorite Silmfic subgenre.)

Current Mood: spooky

(This is an in-universe footnote from my TRSB fic, in which Halwen plays only a tiny part.)

Halwen the Spearwoman was a Avarin elf who joined the service of Maedhros some time before the Dagor Aglareb. She fought in Maedhros' forces at both the Dagor Bragollach and the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, but it is unclear whether or not she participated in the Fëanorian attack on Doriath. At some point prior to the assault on Sirion she broke ties with the Fëanorians, and she was killed fighting to defend the Havens from her former lord.

A poetic account of the battle, written by a refugee from Sirion, recounts that Maedhros slew her himself:

…In Maedhros' path, upon the sward,
With oaken shaft in steady hand,
Stood Halwen, who had been his guard,
And sworn to fight at his command.

"You are forsworn!" he cried, full wroth,
And drove his sword into her side.
"Better by far to break my oath,"
"Than slay my kin," she said, and died…

But this is otherwise unattested and, as the poet elsewhere takes considerable liberties with historical fact, his account is not dispositive.

Current Mood: satisfied

Snowflake Challenge promotional banner featuring a cup of frothy coffee or hot chocolate on a plate with a piece of greenery and a cozy comforter with a sprig of baby’s breath. Text: Snowflake Challenge: 1-31 January.

Rec at least three fanworks you didn’t create.

First things first, I have to rec the absolutely mind-blowing novella CenozoicSynapsid wrote for me for Yuletide:

Ciel D'Oro (18766 words) by CenozoicSynapsid
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Il nome della rosa | The Name of the Rose - Umberto Eco
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Adso da Melk, Guglielmo da Baskerville | William of Baskerville
Additional Tags: Case Fic, Murder Mystery, Monks, Scholastic Philosophy, Polyphonic Music
Summary:
The second book of Adso of Melk, in which is described his journey to the city of Pavia, together with a description of the cathedral which is named San Piero Ciel D'Oro, and of the tombs of Augustine and Boethius and other famous men who are buried there. Containing also a narrative of a most infamous murder, and the investigations of this matter which were made by the learned friar William of Baskerville, employing methods of deduction. And in addition some discourses on music sung in one voice or in many voices, namely which of these is most fitting and proper for the celebration of the Holy Offices and the most solemn feast of the birthday of our Saviour.

This is one of the best works of fanfiction I have ever read. Heck, it's better than most published novels! The plot is so clever, and the author really captures the interplay of allusions that characterizes the source text. And the strength of the intellectual element doesn't come at the expense of the emotional element; there are moments that really tug at the heartstrings. I can't recommend this more highly!

Here are two fantastic Silm fics written in 2020, both Maedhros-centric:
( Read more... )
I posted a big bucket of Star Wars fic recs here for May the Fourth, but there are always more:
( Read more... )
Enjoy!

Current Mood: geeky

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