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Hereunder, my traditional ‘don’t really need to know the canon’ rec set, including the remarkable number of stories written for me in some of my favourite fandoms. (Seven of them, can you believe it? I don't know what I did to deserve it. Particularly because they're all good, and I'd be reccing them even if they weren't for me.)
In some cases, knowing the canon makes these even better, but it isn’t necessary:
As Ice in the Desert
12th Century CE RPF, Richard I/Saladin
An appropriately fever-dream atmosphere, short but good.
The Awen
Llyfr Taliesin | Book of Taliesin, Welsh Literary Criticism RPF
Worth reading if you’re interested in writing, or poetry, or art, even if you know nothing of the fandoms.
Cut-and-Dried Sleeve
Liáo zhāi zhì yì | Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio - Pú Sōnglíng
Because I am very lucky, three people wrote me Strange Tales fic - I will succeed in making this a popular fandom yet! This story about Wei (or possibly Li, or maybe Cao) captures the tone - one of the tones - of the original brilliantly.
FoxGhost
Liáo zhāi zhì yì | Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio - Pú Sōnglíng
And this is why I keep encouraging people to write for this fandom. Above, a story that catches something of the humour of the original. Here, a beautiful, disturbing poem that is equally fitting. Even if you don't normally expect poetry from Yuletide, this is really worth reading.
From the beast she pulls a lover
Lady in Furs - Omar Rayyan
Appropriate worldbuilding, fitting the art well. (For a different take, see also the Yuletide Madness story Potsunder Allgemeine, 13/24/579.)
The Scholar's Wife
Liáo zhāi zhì yì | Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio - Pú Sōnglíng
Also written for me, this is a really charming story, in which everyone behaves admirably and gets the ending they deserve - it fits in well with some of the happy stories in the tales.
Invisible Banquets: A Tasting Menu
Invisible Cities - Italo Calvino
Absolutely brilliant pastiche. I’m a little biased, since it does so many of the things I like best in a story (well, it was written for me), but seriously, it’s really, really good, and you should all go read it at once. (Because I did absurdly well this year, I also have a Madness story: The polished column.)
The Wolf Trial
The Wolf - Phildel (Song)
9thC werewolves, comrades-in-arms who may end up on different sides, what’s not to like?
Some familiarity with at least the general outlines of canon is probably a good thing:
A Drop of Blood
Swordspoint, Alec Campion/Richard St Vier
Short character study - Richard is injured.
First and Second Endings
Romeo and Juliet, Mercutio/Tybalt, Romeo/Juliet
Nice characterisation, interesting structure. I could have done with less plot - the first parts were excellent, but the happy ending didn’t entirely work for me. But then I tend to prefer tragedies. I still like the first two parts enough to rec it highly, and other people may well find the ending more to their taste.
go out the door
Táng Cháo | Tang Dynasty RPF
Li He IN SPACE. Also written for me. (It's titled from one of my favourite of his poems, and has lovely characterisation. Seriously, this has been a great year for me.)
Scenes from a Crossing
Mysterious Mr Quin - Agatha Christie
Casefic. I was going to say it approached nearer to Satterthwaite/Quin than canon does, but thinking about some of the short stories, not by that much.
When the Trees Were Enchanted
Llyfr Taliesin | Book of Taliesin, Mabinogion (Myth)
Great weaving together of several sources, to make a cohesive and convincing whole.
In some cases, knowing the canon makes these even better, but it isn’t necessary:
As Ice in the Desert
12th Century CE RPF, Richard I/Saladin
An appropriately fever-dream atmosphere, short but good.
The Awen
Llyfr Taliesin | Book of Taliesin, Welsh Literary Criticism RPF
Worth reading if you’re interested in writing, or poetry, or art, even if you know nothing of the fandoms.
Cut-and-Dried Sleeve
Liáo zhāi zhì yì | Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio - Pú Sōnglíng
Because I am very lucky, three people wrote me Strange Tales fic - I will succeed in making this a popular fandom yet! This story about Wei (or possibly Li, or maybe Cao) captures the tone - one of the tones - of the original brilliantly.
FoxGhost
Liáo zhāi zhì yì | Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio - Pú Sōnglíng
And this is why I keep encouraging people to write for this fandom. Above, a story that catches something of the humour of the original. Here, a beautiful, disturbing poem that is equally fitting. Even if you don't normally expect poetry from Yuletide, this is really worth reading.
From the beast she pulls a lover
Lady in Furs - Omar Rayyan
Appropriate worldbuilding, fitting the art well. (For a different take, see also the Yuletide Madness story Potsunder Allgemeine, 13/24/579.)
The Scholar's Wife
Liáo zhāi zhì yì | Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio - Pú Sōnglíng
Also written for me, this is a really charming story, in which everyone behaves admirably and gets the ending they deserve - it fits in well with some of the happy stories in the tales.
Invisible Banquets: A Tasting Menu
Invisible Cities - Italo Calvino
Absolutely brilliant pastiche. I’m a little biased, since it does so many of the things I like best in a story (well, it was written for me), but seriously, it’s really, really good, and you should all go read it at once. (Because I did absurdly well this year, I also have a Madness story: The polished column.)
The Wolf Trial
The Wolf - Phildel (Song)
9thC werewolves, comrades-in-arms who may end up on different sides, what’s not to like?
Some familiarity with at least the general outlines of canon is probably a good thing:
A Drop of Blood
Swordspoint, Alec Campion/Richard St Vier
Short character study - Richard is injured.
First and Second Endings
Romeo and Juliet, Mercutio/Tybalt, Romeo/Juliet
Nice characterisation, interesting structure. I could have done with less plot - the first parts were excellent, but the happy ending didn’t entirely work for me. But then I tend to prefer tragedies. I still like the first two parts enough to rec it highly, and other people may well find the ending more to their taste.
go out the door
Táng Cháo | Tang Dynasty RPF
Li He IN SPACE. Also written for me. (It's titled from one of my favourite of his poems, and has lovely characterisation. Seriously, this has been a great year for me.)
Scenes from a Crossing
Mysterious Mr Quin - Agatha Christie
Casefic. I was going to say it approached nearer to Satterthwaite/Quin than canon does, but thinking about some of the short stories, not by that much.
When the Trees Were Enchanted
Llyfr Taliesin | Book of Taliesin, Mabinogion (Myth)
Great weaving together of several sources, to make a cohesive and convincing whole.
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