beatrice_otter (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
beatrice_otter) wrote2010-12-30 12:21 pm
beatrice_otter) wrote2010-12-30 12:21 pm
Yuletide Recs
Written for me: Batman Beyond
Birth of a Lioness. Six months after Terry started working for Mr. Wayne the second time, Commissioner Gordon brought Matt home from school. I like the way this shows Mary McGinnis's awareness that what is best for Gotham is not necessarily what is best for her family.
Back to the Future--two very good (and very different) looks at Marty's life after his adventures.
Alternates. Marty's life isn't at all like how he left it.
we can't live in the present forever. Marty wonders if Doc has the same problem; histories overlapping, memories colliding in the space of a single, shared moment. He hopes not.
Batman Beyond
Scars Revisited. Things change. Except when they don't. I love this whole thing to pieces--Terry, and the new suit he can't roll his eyes in. Dick pwning him so much. Max testing herself by trying to get through the cave's security. Bruce being dragged upstairs. Awesome!
Max Beyond Max's thirtieth birthday went exactly how she wanted. Okay, not the KOBRA goons. But ice cream. Which she used to beat up some Jokerz. And there was hot chocolate with chili powder in it. IOW, all about Max being awesome.
Good Soldiers. Dana’s expression is hard to read; they’re getting good at that, these days, exchanging one mask for another like the poet wrote over a hundred years ago. Preparing faces for the faces that they meet. You don’t even need a cape, a cowl, a domino. Invisible masks hide the most. I love this fic, its sharp edges and its atmosphere and Dana and Max and Terry is still too dependent on his suit ...
Crystallized "Don't look back on a life that hasn't been yours." This is the way Batman would have her trained. I love it, and I love Max growing through it up.
Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Practical, and Magic. I love the idea of Carrie's world opening up due to Miss Price! To the point that it doesn't matter what she can't do, she'll focus on what she can, and take over the world!
Blade Runner
Retirement. Zhora's take on how they got to this moment. Zhora's voice is so in tune with what we see on film but at the same time transcends it. The author gave a fascinating look into Roy, Pris, and Leon--how they all work together, what drives them--while still keeping the focus on Zhora's view of the group dynamic. I loved that and the way the author described the physicality of being a replicant, the feeling of being so aware of your body at all times. This is beautiful and visceral piece.
Blazing Saddles
One Night Only: Lili Von Shtupp! A night on the town goes...well, awry.
Blue Beetle
Curioso Jaime, Paco, Brenda, and Milagro. And Kryptonite.
Calvin and Hobbes
This kid I once knew Daniel sends their whole improv group an e-mail saying "check this out its fun1!1" and a link to a web comic called The Adventures of Spaceman Spiff. Awesome grown-up Susan and (hints of) grown-up Calvin.
Caprica
We Built This City This is an AU in some respects, but it makes sense of canon in really awesome ways. Beware spoilers.
Casablanca/Indiana Jones
Indiana Jones and the Standard of Dishonour Because everybody ends up at Rick's eventually. Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world he walked into this one... and now he can't leave. Great meta about Indiana and Marion, and about Rick's Place.
Chinese Mythology
四十 Chinese mythology recast in the Firefly 'verse. I don't know Chinese mythology and I don't know Firefly, but I really enjoyed this story anyway. It's beautifully written, full of subtle understatement, and the characters feel so real.
Climbing Mount Kunlun This story is a lot of fun--mythical, with just the right touch of realism and characters I could identify with.
A Chorus Line
The Beat Goes On. Diana got the job. Paul got injured. Diana and Paul's friendship is just perfectly pitched, and I love the dynamics we see of Diana's family.
Chronicles of Narnia
No Reservations: Narnia I’m crammed into a burrow so small that my knees are up around my ears and the boom mike keeps slamming into my head, inhaling the potent scent of toffee-apple brandy and trying to drink a talking mouse under the table.
Damar
The Sola's Last Ride Afterwards, it always seemed as though she'd spent six months crying. Aerin, after Tor's death. Beautiful, and the last line is absolutely perfect.
Disney Princess Superheroes (I mean, come on, need I say anything more?)
Just Another Day In The Secret Base Hysterically funny.
you're gonna leave them all behind. Time Magazine 12/20/10 WOMEN OF THE YEAR, by Alice Liddell. "After a certain amount of time," she tells me, "you stop waiting for someone to solve your problems, and start looking for problems to solve."
A League Of Their Own. The practicalities of being a superhero team, international relations and all. How do you blend superhero and princess realities?
The Trial of Snow White. The Council of Extraordinary Noblewomen for Justice must decide Snow White's fate after she becomes a vampire. Stockholm syndrome, and ethical arguments
Joan of Arcadia
Telling Tales. In times of deepest darkness and fear, sometimes the most important thing at all is to know that you do not stand alone. Joan, and Grace, and God, all perfectly themselves.
Justice League and Justice League Unlimited
Quick Thinking. Flash doesn't always have time to think. Perfect Flash voice, and the way he thinks about his powers as compared to other heroes is completely spot-on, and absolutely hysterical.
Mary Poppins
There Are Silver Skies. Georgie hates his nanny, Miss Andrew, but the wind is about to change. In which George Banks had Mary Poppins for a nanny, once.
Mary Russell
a Tessera from the Mosaic of a Marriage. In which Holmes is not quite so inscrutable as he might think. Holmes and Russel's relationship is so difficult to handle properly--sometimes even King herself doesn't manage it--but this author has succeeded admirably. I quite enjoyed it.
Muppet Show/Doctor Who
It's the Muppet Doctor Who Special, With Our Very Special Guest Star, Matt Smith! My family are both Doctor Who fans and Muppet fans. I read this aloud to them. There were places I had to stop after every sentence to wait for them to stop laughing.
Philadelphia Story
An Inside Look At A Main Line Society Apocalypse Everyone is so freaking in character--and then zombies!! I think Dinah may just be my favorite, just as she is in the movie. This is fantastic. This is so perfectly in keeping with the tone of the movie. Seriously everything a zombie apocalypse fic should be.
Pleasantville
Times They Are A Changing Nothing that happened in the world ever touched Pleasantville. This is what happens when it does.
Star Trek: Deep Space 9
Let It Be. Losing Jadzia, finding Ezri, being Dax: Worf, Ezri, Quark and Julian Bashir. Grief and the connections that endure. A beautiful look at the complex relationships that were in play on DS9.
Temeraire
Everything a Young Lady Need Know Jane (age 8) meets her father. It's hard to do a child's perspective well, but this writer has done an excellent job at it--she's such a believable child, and also so very Jane.
Temeraire/Pride and Prejudice
Lieutenant Bennet's Visit. Elizabeth’s reality is far different from her sisters’. I love Elizabeth's outsider perspective on her family and polite society. The re-versioning of Jane and Bingley's courtship is great, as is Elizabeth's encounter with Darcy.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
My Father's House Has Many Rooms. "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." The character voices feel so true here, and the tone and mood are so right for the show. I particularly loved Ellison.
Normal. The first rule is, there is no normal. A look at the future from the POV of a minor character, Lauren Fields. I love Lauren's practicality and determination, and I love that in the end, more survived because Sarah was not acting alone.
though the fig tree does not bud. Sarah Connor is alone, now, but her work isn't done. Wonderfully evocative version of Sarah post-series end.
Tin Man
The Man Who Knew What He Wanted. Zero knew what the O.Z. was supposed to be like. Realistic and chilling. Truly evil people don't believe themselves to be evil; they believe themselves in the right.
Vorkosigan Series
Finding Absolution Dag Benin, the day before his graduation into the ranks of the Cetagandan Imperial Service, reflects upon the events that led him on this path for the retrieval of the honor of his line. An interesting look at Cetagandan society, and a great backstory for one of my favorite characters.
Offerings to History He pinned down his history, and waited for the pain to bleed away. Duv Galeni--David Galen--history and memory and choices made.
Responsibilities of Command After the end of The Vor Game. Miles may have passed the Gregor problem up the chain of command, but his subordination problems are ongoing. He can't resist the urge to check on things before leaving on his galactic adventure. Well done balance of angst, wit, and humor, like something LMB herself might have written.
Secrets and Lies By likes knowing things other people don't. How Byerly Vorrutyer became an ImpSec agent, told in perfect By-voice, with an outsider's perspective of The Vor Game and various other canon tie-ins. Very well done.
Watchmen
One By One They don't know what they are dealing with. Even those he works with, they don't really think he means it. Except he does. Rorschach is so in character, and Silk Spectre is just right, too.
West Side Story
Independence Wars "We no longer want despots, tyranny shall fall now, the unconquerable women will also know how to fight; We want liberty, and our machetes will give it to us. - La Boriqueña, state anthem of Puerto Rico" This is now my canon for Maria. It is a phenomenal story that needs more love.
(Okay, yeah, I know, I used other peoples' comments for some of my reviews. Only when they said what I wanted to say, only better.)
Birth of a Lioness. Six months after Terry started working for Mr. Wayne the second time, Commissioner Gordon brought Matt home from school. I like the way this shows Mary McGinnis's awareness that what is best for Gotham is not necessarily what is best for her family.
Back to the Future--two very good (and very different) looks at Marty's life after his adventures.
Alternates. Marty's life isn't at all like how he left it.
we can't live in the present forever. Marty wonders if Doc has the same problem; histories overlapping, memories colliding in the space of a single, shared moment. He hopes not.
Batman Beyond
Scars Revisited. Things change. Except when they don't. I love this whole thing to pieces--Terry, and the new suit he can't roll his eyes in. Dick pwning him so much. Max testing herself by trying to get through the cave's security. Bruce being dragged upstairs. Awesome!
Max Beyond Max's thirtieth birthday went exactly how she wanted. Okay, not the KOBRA goons. But ice cream. Which she used to beat up some Jokerz. And there was hot chocolate with chili powder in it. IOW, all about Max being awesome.
Good Soldiers. Dana’s expression is hard to read; they’re getting good at that, these days, exchanging one mask for another like the poet wrote over a hundred years ago. Preparing faces for the faces that they meet. You don’t even need a cape, a cowl, a domino. Invisible masks hide the most. I love this fic, its sharp edges and its atmosphere and Dana and Max and Terry is still too dependent on his suit ...
Crystallized "Don't look back on a life that hasn't been yours." This is the way Batman would have her trained. I love it, and I love Max growing through it up.
Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Practical, and Magic. I love the idea of Carrie's world opening up due to Miss Price! To the point that it doesn't matter what she can't do, she'll focus on what she can, and take over the world!
Blade Runner
Retirement. Zhora's take on how they got to this moment. Zhora's voice is so in tune with what we see on film but at the same time transcends it. The author gave a fascinating look into Roy, Pris, and Leon--how they all work together, what drives them--while still keeping the focus on Zhora's view of the group dynamic. I loved that and the way the author described the physicality of being a replicant, the feeling of being so aware of your body at all times. This is beautiful and visceral piece.
Blazing Saddles
One Night Only: Lili Von Shtupp! A night on the town goes...well, awry.
Blue Beetle
Curioso Jaime, Paco, Brenda, and Milagro. And Kryptonite.
Calvin and Hobbes
This kid I once knew Daniel sends their whole improv group an e-mail saying "check this out its fun1!1" and a link to a web comic called The Adventures of Spaceman Spiff. Awesome grown-up Susan and (hints of) grown-up Calvin.
Caprica
We Built This City This is an AU in some respects, but it makes sense of canon in really awesome ways. Beware spoilers.
Casablanca/Indiana Jones
Indiana Jones and the Standard of Dishonour Because everybody ends up at Rick's eventually. Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world he walked into this one... and now he can't leave. Great meta about Indiana and Marion, and about Rick's Place.
Chinese Mythology
四十 Chinese mythology recast in the Firefly 'verse. I don't know Chinese mythology and I don't know Firefly, but I really enjoyed this story anyway. It's beautifully written, full of subtle understatement, and the characters feel so real.
Climbing Mount Kunlun This story is a lot of fun--mythical, with just the right touch of realism and characters I could identify with.
A Chorus Line
The Beat Goes On. Diana got the job. Paul got injured. Diana and Paul's friendship is just perfectly pitched, and I love the dynamics we see of Diana's family.
Chronicles of Narnia
No Reservations: Narnia I’m crammed into a burrow so small that my knees are up around my ears and the boom mike keeps slamming into my head, inhaling the potent scent of toffee-apple brandy and trying to drink a talking mouse under the table.
Damar
The Sola's Last Ride Afterwards, it always seemed as though she'd spent six months crying. Aerin, after Tor's death. Beautiful, and the last line is absolutely perfect.
Disney Princess Superheroes (I mean, come on, need I say anything more?)
Just Another Day In The Secret Base Hysterically funny.
you're gonna leave them all behind. Time Magazine 12/20/10 WOMEN OF THE YEAR, by Alice Liddell. "After a certain amount of time," she tells me, "you stop waiting for someone to solve your problems, and start looking for problems to solve."
A League Of Their Own. The practicalities of being a superhero team, international relations and all. How do you blend superhero and princess realities?
The Trial of Snow White. The Council of Extraordinary Noblewomen for Justice must decide Snow White's fate after she becomes a vampire. Stockholm syndrome, and ethical arguments
Joan of Arcadia
Telling Tales. In times of deepest darkness and fear, sometimes the most important thing at all is to know that you do not stand alone. Joan, and Grace, and God, all perfectly themselves.
Justice League and Justice League Unlimited
Quick Thinking. Flash doesn't always have time to think. Perfect Flash voice, and the way he thinks about his powers as compared to other heroes is completely spot-on, and absolutely hysterical.
Mary Poppins
There Are Silver Skies. Georgie hates his nanny, Miss Andrew, but the wind is about to change. In which George Banks had Mary Poppins for a nanny, once.
Mary Russell
a Tessera from the Mosaic of a Marriage. In which Holmes is not quite so inscrutable as he might think. Holmes and Russel's relationship is so difficult to handle properly--sometimes even King herself doesn't manage it--but this author has succeeded admirably. I quite enjoyed it.
Muppet Show/Doctor Who
It's the Muppet Doctor Who Special, With Our Very Special Guest Star, Matt Smith! My family are both Doctor Who fans and Muppet fans. I read this aloud to them. There were places I had to stop after every sentence to wait for them to stop laughing.
Philadelphia Story
An Inside Look At A Main Line Society Apocalypse Everyone is so freaking in character--and then zombies!! I think Dinah may just be my favorite, just as she is in the movie. This is fantastic. This is so perfectly in keeping with the tone of the movie. Seriously everything a zombie apocalypse fic should be.
Pleasantville
Times They Are A Changing Nothing that happened in the world ever touched Pleasantville. This is what happens when it does.
Star Trek: Deep Space 9
Let It Be. Losing Jadzia, finding Ezri, being Dax: Worf, Ezri, Quark and Julian Bashir. Grief and the connections that endure. A beautiful look at the complex relationships that were in play on DS9.
Temeraire
Everything a Young Lady Need Know Jane (age 8) meets her father. It's hard to do a child's perspective well, but this writer has done an excellent job at it--she's such a believable child, and also so very Jane.
Temeraire/Pride and Prejudice
Lieutenant Bennet's Visit. Elizabeth’s reality is far different from her sisters’. I love Elizabeth's outsider perspective on her family and polite society. The re-versioning of Jane and Bingley's courtship is great, as is Elizabeth's encounter with Darcy.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
My Father's House Has Many Rooms. "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." The character voices feel so true here, and the tone and mood are so right for the show. I particularly loved Ellison.
Normal. The first rule is, there is no normal. A look at the future from the POV of a minor character, Lauren Fields. I love Lauren's practicality and determination, and I love that in the end, more survived because Sarah was not acting alone.
though the fig tree does not bud. Sarah Connor is alone, now, but her work isn't done. Wonderfully evocative version of Sarah post-series end.
Tin Man
The Man Who Knew What He Wanted. Zero knew what the O.Z. was supposed to be like. Realistic and chilling. Truly evil people don't believe themselves to be evil; they believe themselves in the right.
Vorkosigan Series
Finding Absolution Dag Benin, the day before his graduation into the ranks of the Cetagandan Imperial Service, reflects upon the events that led him on this path for the retrieval of the honor of his line. An interesting look at Cetagandan society, and a great backstory for one of my favorite characters.
Offerings to History He pinned down his history, and waited for the pain to bleed away. Duv Galeni--David Galen--history and memory and choices made.
Responsibilities of Command After the end of The Vor Game. Miles may have passed the Gregor problem up the chain of command, but his subordination problems are ongoing. He can't resist the urge to check on things before leaving on his galactic adventure. Well done balance of angst, wit, and humor, like something LMB herself might have written.
Secrets and Lies By likes knowing things other people don't. How Byerly Vorrutyer became an ImpSec agent, told in perfect By-voice, with an outsider's perspective of The Vor Game and various other canon tie-ins. Very well done.
Watchmen
One By One They don't know what they are dealing with. Even those he works with, they don't really think he means it. Except he does. Rorschach is so in character, and Silk Spectre is just right, too.
West Side Story
Independence Wars "We no longer want despots, tyranny shall fall now, the unconquerable women will also know how to fight; We want liberty, and our machetes will give it to us. - La Boriqueña, state anthem of Puerto Rico" This is now my canon for Maria. It is a phenomenal story that needs more love.
(Okay, yeah, I know, I used other peoples' comments for some of my reviews. Only when they said what I wanted to say, only better.)