ermingarden: medieval image of two people with books (reading)
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 [personal profile] 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 [personal profile] 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 [personal profile] 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 [personal profile] fiona15351 and Fandom_fun13 is so lovely!)
ermingarden: medieval image of two people with books (reading)
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 [community profile] worldbuilding_exchange this year!

I wrote "The Earliest Years of the Sun" for [personal profile] 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 [archiveofourown.org profile] 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 [personal profile] 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.

[personal profile] 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 [personal profile] 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 [archiveofourown.org profile] 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 [archiveofourown.org profile] 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!
ermingarden: medieval image of two people with books (reading)
Another [community profile] 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 [personal profile] 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 [archiveofourown.org profile] 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. [personal profile] 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 [personal profile] 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 [personal profile] 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!
ermingarden: medieval image of two people with books (reading)
The collection is open and authors have been revealed!

I wrote one fic, for [personal profile] 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 [personal profile] 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 [archiveofourown.org profile] 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 [archiveofourown.org profile] LookingForDroids
A wonderfully atmospheric piece about Númenor!

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

As Below, So Above by [archiveofourown.org profile] 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.
ermingarden: medieval image of two people with books (reading)
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 [personal profile] 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 [personal profile] 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 [personal profile] dogmatix and [personal profile] 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 [personal profile] 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 [personal profile] 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!
ermingarden: medieval image of two people with books (reading)
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 [personal profile] carmarthen and [personal profile] 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.
🗨 17 comments ➦ Share 🠷 Save 🛇 Hide ⚑ Report

(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 [personal profile] 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 [personal profile] 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!
ermingarden: medieval image of two people with books (reading)
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!
ermingarden: medieval image of a bird with a tonsured human head and monastic hood (monk bird)
I picked up a pinch hit in this round of [community profile] seasonsofdrabbles:

classical reception (700 words)
Fandom: Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Arthur/Bedevere (Monty Python and the Holy Grail)
Characters: King Arthur (Monty Python and the Holy Grail), Bedevere (Monty Python and the Holy Grail)
Additional Tags: Drabble Sequence, Classical Reception in the Middle Ages, Blow Jobs
Summary:
Help, help, Arthur's being repressed!
(Sexually.)

Did I ever expect to write fic for Holy Grail? Not really. Did I expect the first smutty fic I ever wrote to be for Holy Grail? Not in a million years! Still, I'm glad I decided to take a risk and pick up the PH, and I'm satisfied with how the fic turned out. It's been a long time since I've done any sort of fixed-length format, so I enjoyed getting back into drabbles!

Major thanks to [personal profile] fiona15351 for the beta!

I also want to rec a couple of very good fics from the collection:

(no) love left (300 words) by swanfrost ([personal profile] swankitty)
Fandom: 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Jiāng Chéng | Jiāng Wǎnyín & Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn
Characters: Jiāng Chéng | Jiāng Wǎnyín, Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn
Additional Tags: Nightmares, Memories, Complicated Emotions, gratuitous use of italics and em dashes, Light Angst
Summary:
A dream? Or a memory?
The path to the Burial Mounds is dry and dead, just like the first time he walked up it.

The Old Stone (300 words) by [personal profile] zdenka
Fandom: Ancient British Stones, Object and Concept Anthropomorphism
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: The Longstone of Minchinhampton (Ancient British Stones)
Additional Tags: Triple Drabble
Summary:
An old stone hears prayers and answers them.
ermingarden: medieval image of two people with books (reading)
Seven fics in eight(ish) fandoms:

The Professor of Medicine (2k words)
Fandom: Das Glasperlenspiel | The Glass Bead Game - Hermann Hesse

No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Original Female Character & Original Male Character, Joseph Knecht & Original Character(s)
Characters: Joseph Knecht, Original Characters
Additional Tags: Mentors, Father Figures, Friendship, Jewish Character, Academia, Fluff, Metafiction, Angst, Reincarnation, Classical Music
Summary: There are many apocrypha regarding Joseph Knecht's life. This one is unique among others in tying Knecht to the origins of the Game, and in presenting a wholly new theory of the Game's early development. It is therefore, we feel, worthy of the reader's attention, even if the facts cited in it appear to be largely fictional.
My notes: This was my gift, and it's absolutely magnificent – an intricate and multifaceted jewel of a fic that does more in 2k words than many fics do in 20k. I truly cannot recommend it more highly.


Masked Cities (Interactive fiction, 8k words)
Fandom: Le città invisibili | Invisible Cities - Italo Calvino

No Archive Warnings Apply
Additional Tags: Interactive Fiction, Travel, Tourism, Worldbuilding, Masks, Don't Have to Know Canon
Summary: You take a trip to the city of Agilulfa.
My notes: This is a fascinating interactive fiction/text-based game in which you explore Agilulfa, the City of Masks (masquerade masks, not medical masks), a city that doesn't appear in Calvino's Invisible Cities but which very well might have. Among other things, it's a reflection on travel, tourism, and what it means to be visibly or invisibly foreign. No knowledge of canon required.


5 Ways To Rewrite Zhuangzi (1.3k words)
Fandom: 莊子 - 莊周 | Zhuāngzǐ - Zhuāng Zhōu

No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Zhuangzi (The Zhuangzi), Huizi (The Zhuangzi), Xunzi, Ezra Pound, W. V. Quine
Additional Tags: Translation Theory, Linguistic Sacrilege, Philosophical Sacrilege, Sacrilege In General, Not Quite Crossover, random guest appearances, Yuletide Treat, Crack, But also not quite crack, 5 Things
Summary: The Way, transmitted1.
1 Sorta.
My notes: I really, really love translation theory, which made this fic an absolute delight. If you don't know at least some things about the Zhuangzi, you'll probably be fairly lost, but I last read it five years ago and have only ever read it in translation and I enjoyed the fic just fine, so detailed knowledge is not required.


from laden boughs, from hands (3k words)
Fandom: The Goblin Emperor Series - Katherine Addison

No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Maia Drazhar
Additional Tags: Worldbuilding, Infrastructure Porn, Canon Compliant, or at least I'm trying, Food
Summary: A day in the life of the Untheileneise kitchens.
My notes: A sweet-but-not-saccharine window into the lives of several people from all walks of life in Cetho.


Flotsam (3k words)
Fandoms: Piranesi - Susanna Clarke, Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis

No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Sixteen | Sarah Raphael, Piranesi | Matthew Rose Sorensen
Additional Tags: Worldbuilding, Crossover
Summary: Sarah Raphael finds an unusual object while exploring the labyrinth.
My notes: The perfect crossover! A poignant little fic (with guinea pigs). Requires knowledge of Piranesi and of The Magician's Nephew, but no other Narnia books.


Devotion and Adoration: a Queen/Knight Ship Manifesto (4k words)
Fandom: Top 5 Rat Movies I Made Up - JP Brammer: Legends of the Great Below

No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Rat Girl Hero (Top 5 Rat Movies: Legends of the Great Below)
Additional Tags: Ship Manifesto
Summary: A manifesto for the Fiona Highrafter/Queen Elisaveta pairing from JP Brammer's Great Below.
My notes: I'm now a devotee of a ship from a canon that doesn't exist. A spot-on pastiche of the very best shipping manifestos, and absolutely hilarious! Knowledge of canon not required, since canon doesn't actually, well, exist.


New perspectives on Chaucer’s Aldris: Editor’s introduction (2k words)
Fandoms: Legend of Good Women - Geoffrey Chaucer, Beowulf (Poem)

Warning for Major Character Death
Characters: Grendel's Mother (Beowulf)
Additional Tags: Pseudo-scholarship, AU: Chaucer Lives Till 1404, Heroic Grendel's Mother, Etymology, Crack Treated Seriously, Implied/Referenced Suicide
Summary: Feminist readings of Aldris are, of course, some of the most prominent. While some early voices see Aldris as simply assuming a masculine role, Carol Clover’s 1993 “Flyting as gender performance” examines Aldris’s reproach of Earl Roger and his knights...
AU: Chaucer lives four more years and writes a tale about Grendel's mother in his Legend of Good Women. Hundreds of years later, academics are still arguing over the details, because of course they are.
My notes: I'm a sucker for academic pastiche, so I was destined to love this. Requires at least a vague familiarity with Beowulf and a general understanding of who Chaucer is, and having read a lot of academic writing is ideal for full effect.
ermingarden: medieval image of two people with books (reading)
Two fics (one long, one short) for MDZS/The Untamed, and one for TGCF:

Moonlight as My Guide (32k words) by BromeliadDreams
Fandom: 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV), 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Relationships: Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī/Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn
Characters: Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī, Lán Huàn | Lán Xīchén, Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Luó "Mián Mián" Qīngyáng, Wēn Qíng (Módào Zǔshī), Ā-Qìng (Módào Zǔshī), Mèng Yáo | Jīn Guāngyáo, Xuē Yáng | Xuē Chéngměi
Additional Tags: Case Fic, Body Horror, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Alternate Universe - Academia, (book) canon-typical desecration of the dead, actually far more soft domesticity than the previous tags imply, background/implied xiyao, grey-ace wei ying, Podfic Welcome, rated M for bodyparts but not the fun kind, feat. the author's feelings about academia
Summary: A modern cultivators AU in which Wei Ying, local talisman nerd and tired post-doc, finds himself drawn into the circle of professional cultivators Lan Huan and Lan Zhan as they attempt to track down the person responsible for a series of horrific magical ‘experiments’ in Yiling.

life, uh, finds a way (1k words) by [personal profile] verity
Fandom: 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī/Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn
Characters: Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī, Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Lán Qǐrén
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Museums, Dinosaurs, Jurassic Park but it’s just one cultivator messing around with a flute in a museum
Summary: "That was an exhibit," Lan Zhan said after a moment. Tarbosaurus bataar, the gem of the Museum of Natural History's collection.
"It was," Wei Ying said smugly. "And now it has feathers!"

Call it fate, call it karma (25k words) by goodbye_blue
Fandom: 天官赐福 - 墨香铜臭 | Tiān Guān Cì Fú - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Huā Chéng/Xiè Lián (Tiān Guān Cì Fú)
Characters: Huā Chéng (Tiān Guān Cì Fú), Xiè Lián (Tiān Guān Cì Fú), Hè Xuán (Tiān Guān Cì Fú), Shī Qīngxuán
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Magical Realism, Alternate Universe - College/University, Graduate School, Meet-Cute, Mutual Pining, Humor, Angst, Happy Ending, summoning a god in your dorm room, hua cheng is a masters student, xie lian is still a god, ill advised use of magic
Summary: “Alright.” Hua Cheng said, rolling his shoulders back a few times. “Oh magnificent god of mine, Taizi Dianxia,” he said, grinning, eyes firmly locked on Xie Lian’s. Xie Lian made a show of rolling his eyes. “Grant me your strength so I might vanquish your enemies on this mortal plane.”
Sorcery grad student Hua Cheng accidentally summons long-forgotten god Xie Lian into his dorm room in the middle of the night. They figure things out from there.
ermingarden: medieval image of two people with books (reading)
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 [personal profile] 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 [personal profile] 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 [personal profile] 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 [personal profile] 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.)
ermingarden: Wei Wuxian (CQL version) reading a book, captioned "reading fanfic" (mdzs: reading fanfic)
I've been sucked into MDZS/The Untamed over the past month, and I thought I'd share some fics I've particularly enjoyed:

moonlight caught in mutton fat (45,008 words) by Raitelzen
Read more... )

Five Dogs, One Cat (13,443 words) by ryfkah ([personal profile] skygiants)
Read more... )

by the way, i forgive you (9,085 words) by surething
Read more... )
ermingarden: a human Jedi in a hooded robe (sw: jedi)
I received two - two!! - absolutely wonderful gifts in the [community profile] maythe4thbewithyou fic exchange:

Fire in the Jungle details )

From Shanties to Stardom details )

Whoever these authors are: I love you forever. These fics are incredible.
[Edit 5/11: [personal profile] atamascolily wrote BOTH OF THEM!!!]

I also want to highlight a couple of other great fics from the exchange:

a whole galaxy of light is a really sweet fic featuring Depa, Caleb, and Mace. Lineage as family! Jedi culture! What more can I say?

dog days features some great interaction between Mara and Luke at the Praxeum, with a glimpse into Mara's past.

moment's silence is a poignant little Beru/Owen/Obi-Wan fic, with stellar characterizations for all three.

Finally, it's appropriate that it was today that I saw the prompts for Jedi June 2021 - I am so excited!!! I wasn't able to post anything for last year's fest, but I'm going to start work for this one as soon as my exams are over.
ermingarden: medieval image of two people with books (reading)
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!
ermingarden: a human Jedi in a hooded robe (sw: jedi)
Happy Star Wars Day!

The MayThe4thBeWithYou collection is now open and oh my gosh! So many wonderful fics!

NB: Edited May 10 to include usernames of MayThe4th authors.

Someone smaragdbird wrote a super sweet Codywan fic as a gift for me: What if the war ends? Cody is injured, forcing Obi-Wan to consciously acknowledge his feelings for him - it really tugs at the heartstrings. Whoever it was, thank you!

I want to give a shoutout to some other fics I've really enjoyed from the collection:

Joint Command by [personal profile] countessofbiscuit is a Cody/Rex/Ahsoka fic that alternates between side-splittingly funny and occasionally heartwrenching. It's sex comedy, which is one of my favorite genres: Sex is inherently weird and funny, and I love fiction that embraces that rather than glossing over all the awkward details. So be aware that it is rated explicit.

I've only recently discovered Beru/Owen/Obi-Wan as a ship and I already love it, so I was delighted to discover not one but two fics for this great little ship! They are Stay by [personal profile] keeperofseeds and Shifting Dunes by [personal profile] independence1776 and I adore them both.

Creativity by evilmouse is an absolutely fabulous Luke/Mara fic, featuring witty banter, clever escapes, and a very protracted striptease (less sexy than it sounds, it's rated T).

I'll also take the opportunity to rec a few great Star Wars fics I've encountered this year that weren't part of this exchange:

Cloaked in Mystery by Caedus501 is a really wonderful exploration of a frequently overlooked facet of Jedi tradition - the clothes! Master Obi-Wan Drops-His-Cloak-Before-Every-Fight Kenobi is one of the Jedi quartermaster's least favorite people...but he learns the error of his ways. 100% gen.

Bad Decisions by berrymascarpone is a very funny fic set post-Clone Wars in a much happier universe. I suppose it's another example of sex comedy, though much less explicit than "Joint Command"; it features Obi-Wan gradually getting over himself and getting together with Cody - a path that leads through several other people's beds.

The Rainfall on Geonosis series by ealcynn is a gorgeous pair of fics taking place during the Clone Wars episode "Landing at Point Rain". It's written in the first person (!) with a perfectly characterized Obi-Wan as the narrator and features some great clone OCs. 100% gen.

Churyc jora bah churyc by [personal profile] texasdreamer01 is an Alpha-17/Obi-Wan fic, which alone gives me a soft spot for it, as that's one of my favorite ships and is definitely a rarepair. It's set on Kamino during 17's time as a trainer there, and 17's friendship with Shaak Ti absolutely gives me life! Plus, the prose is totally gorgeous.

Waste Not, Want Not by [personal profile] carmarthen and [personal profile] motetus is a fabulous exploration of, to quote the summary, "how the Death Star got dianogas." Fics told via email, chat messages, and miscellaneous official and unofficial documents are my favorite thing ever, as are fics exploring weird fiddly bits of canon. 100% gen.

Finally, the The Happening series by writehandman is absolutely hilarious. It's mainly Codywan but has a full ensemble cast, all characterized brilliantly. Both an Order 66 fix-it and an utter romp.
ermingarden: medieval image of a bird with a tonsured human head and monastic hood (Default)
Two recently discovered favorites, one for the Silmarillion and the other for Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Read more... )
ermingarden: a human Jedi in a hooded robe (sw: jedi)
A little late, but here are three of my all-time favorites!
Read more... )
ermingarden: One of JRRT's heraldic devices for Lúthien. (tolkien: luthien)
Day 2: Rec at least three fanworks that you didn’t create.
Read more... )
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