Yuletide recs, part the first (pre-reveal)

[buggery]

Just in under the wire: My Yuletide Rareslash recs, before the authors are revealed. There will be more later.



"A Better Bed"
Birds of Prey [TV, not comic] (Barbara/Helena) written for: fyca

I had a lot of issues with the short-lived WB series this is based on, but one of the things I liked was the way the subtext-rich mentor/student relationship dynamic was transferred from Bruce/Dick to Barbara/Helena. Here we have all of that, with the age and in-loco-parentis issues included, in a femslash (YAY!) package -- and it's hot, too.


"Come Into My Closet"
Futurama (Fry/Bender) written for: UserFriendly

I was a "Life in Hell" fan long before I was a "Simpsons" fan, and I always loved that "Futurama" played more to the old-school of Groening humour. This story evokes all those themes of desire, desperation, despair and desensitisation, and like Groening's best work manages to be blackly funny instead of just bleak.


"Left of Me"
Cowboy Bebop (Spike/Faye, Vincent/Faye) written for: Pandora

I haven't seen any "Cowboy Bebop" in at least two years, and even then I'd never caught enough eps to be able to follow much of anything. (The animation is very pretty and the tone is interesting and that's often enough for me when it comes to anime.) My point is, I read the story more like someone who didn't know the fandom at all, and unlike much of fanfiction that's dependent on the reader's knowledge of the relevant canon, I was able to follow the story as well as if it had been original-characters fiction. I was drawn in and interested and involved with the characters right from the beginning of the story.


"Moments After Moonrise"
The Bible (Jonathan/David) written for: Shati

I wound up not having time to write up a spiffy rec for this story yet. Read it anyway. It'll probably get that spiffy write-up in my post-reveal recs set, so it'll get recced twice. Seems like a good deal.


"Pineapple Farming Through the Ages"
My Own Private Idaho (Mike/Scott) written for: Aimee Lou

"My Own Private Idaho" has to be one of the hardest-to-write fandoms requested for Yuletide, at least of the ones I know. I haven't seen the film in entirely too long (and my copy is missing, grr) but this seems to capture the feel of it: Scott's distance punctuated with almost surprising intimacies; Mike's yearning; the creepiness of Richard; and of course the obligatory reference to Bob. ::sigh:: Poor woobie Mike. A must-read for anyone who knows and loves the original.


"Playing for Position"
Andromeda (Tyr/Dylan) written for: Lovely Evil One

If there were more fic this good written for this pairing, I might have actually gotten into Andromeda fandom instead of just dipping in occasionally. And they play go! (Go player from way back, me.) Fantastic, fantastic story, with wonderful dialogue and pacing and steamy hot flirting that flows right into even steamier sex.


"A Question of Trust"
Farscape (John/Harvey) written for: AstroGirl

I didn't think this pairing would work, when I first saw the description. I was wrong. A must-read for any Farscape fans, with an eerily accurate Harvey, and convincingly-written John, Scorpius and Sikozu as well. (I do recommend having a copy of the episiode on hand for reference.) Secret Santa author, your story works better than you give yourself credit for. The characters' actions flow naturally from their past histories to an ending that's exactly right.


"Abbott and Costello Meet the Rainbow Coalition"
Farscape (John/D'Argo) written for: ME!

Oh, Secret Santa. This pushed all my John/D'Argo buttons. Mmm, mmm, good. Plus, you explained the stockings! And you have a wonderful grasp of John's voice and personality. Brilliant work, and thank you very much. I hope you enjoyed the story written for you just as much.


"His Own Soul"
The Bible (Jonathan [Yehonatan]/David) written for: Bonibaru

I wound up not having time to write up a spiffy rec for this story yet, either. Read it anyway, too.


"In Case of Emergency"
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series (Ford/Zaphod) written for: Wildcard

Until the identities of the Secret Santas are revealed, I will maintain that Douglas Adams came back from the dead and wrote this. Afterwards, I will put forward my alternate theory that the credited author channeled his spirit, because I can't quite believe anyone could get the tone and humour of the Hitchhiker's Guide books down so perfectly by skill alone. This story is so damn good it makes me want to cry tears of joy.


"Not a Heart, Beating"
Batman (Bruce/*) written for: Mary

Yes. Yes yes Yes Yes YES YES YES. Guh. Two of my most favourite Bat-pairings, a Dick-voice as good as Devin's best work, everyone perfectly, lovably in character. And "Master Dick"! HEEEE! Secret author, whoever you are, I will be stalking you for more like this come 1 January. *I've left the pairing details off because I enjoyed the surprise and didn't want to ruin it for anyone else.


"The Art of Distraction"
Sherlock Holmes (Holmes/Watson) written for: Kormantic

This is the story Holmes/Watson fans have been waiting for: the one where our two gentlemen finally manage to go to bed together onscreen. Watson's wish to "save" Holmes from himself is as sweet as his success.


"Batter My Heart, Three-Personed God, For You"
Stargate SG-1 (Teal'c/Apophis) written for: Adina

Wow. I love me some Teal'c slash, but this... this was deliciously unexpected. A pairing I hadn't thought of, though in hindsight I have a hard time believing that myself, and the author handled the characters and SG-1-verse brilliantly. The offerings along the path were an eerie but perfect touch.


"Goblin Dreams"
Labyrinth (Toby/Jareth) written for: Vanya i'karne (Arabella)

Don't run off to wash your eyes out with bleach just yet; Toby's been aged up to an adult. Stunningly unexpected yet oh, so right. Toby grown up into the young man he had to turn into, and Jareth delicious (Bowielicious) as ever.


"The Galactic Miscellany"
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series (Ford, Arthur) written for: Daegaer

Until the identities of the Secret Santas are revealed, I will maintain that Douglas Adams came back from the dead and wrote this. Afterwards, I will put forward my alternate theory that the credited author channeled his spirit, because I can't quite believe anyone could get the tone and humour of the Hitchhiker's Guide books down so perfectly by skill alone. Careful readers may note that this is the same comment I already made about "In Case of Emergency" (the Yuletide story written for Wildcard). It's no less true for either author, and I maintain that there must in fact be two separate authors, because no one person could possibly have done so well TWICE. Including Douglas Adams.


"The Screaming of Coneys"
Peter Pan (*) written for: Thyme

I confess, I clicked on this story mostly out of a combination of idle and prurient curiosity. I got quite a pleasant surprise -- a story exactly as creepy as it ought to be without going over the top, damned difficult with Barrie's boys. I never would have thought Captain Hook could be a sympathetic character, but there he is, 'James' in all his woobiful existential angst. Beautiful. And I adore the chantey included. *I've left off the pairing for good reason. I'll just say it won't be quite what you expect.


"The Tell-Tale Heart"
Sherlock Holmes (Holmes/Watson) written for: Naath

Easily the most satisfying of the Holmesfics written for Yuletide: a dead-on Watson voice; droll Holmes deduction; their mutual love brought up from subtext to text; and a dollop of Christmas cheer like the hard sauce on the plum pudding. And the Poe title fits perfectly.


"A Greater Compliment"
DC Comics [Justice League] (Batman/Superman) written for: Te

Guh. Okay, Batmanslash is always a good way to go with me, but this? Is fanfuckingtastic. I love the way it takes off on that wonderful Alex Ross comic Goss so generously scanned and hosted for fandom-at-large. And the hotness... though... call me a freak, but I found the first aid almost hotter than the sex itself.


"Out of This Room"
Sherlock Holmes (Holmes/Watson) written for: aerye

In an instant he had whisked out a revolver from his breast and had fired two shots. I felt a sudden hot sear as if a red-hot iron had been pressed to my thigh. There was a crash as Holmes's pistol came down on the man's head. I had a vision of him sprawling upon the floor with blood running down his face while Holmes rummaged him for weapons. Then my friend's wiry arms were round me, and he was leading me to a chair.

"You're not hurt, Watson? For God's sake, say that you are not hurt!"

It was worth a wound -- it was worth many wounds -- to know the depth of loyalty and love which lay behind that cold mask. The clear, hard eyes were dimmed for a moment, and the firm lips were shaking. For the one and only time I caught a glimpse of a great heart as well as of a great brain. All my years of humble but single-minded service culminated in that moment of revelation.

"It's nothing, Holmes. It's a mere scratch."

He had ripped up my trousers with his pocket-knife.

That's from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Adventure of the Three Garridebs." The three alternate endings to Conan Doyle's version in this story are each slashier than the last, and distinguishable from an actual Holmes story chiefly by not being narrated in the first person by Watson. I really enjoyed reading this; the second one made me want to cry (even more than the first), but the sweetness of the third makes up for it all.

---

::sigh:: This is... not a rec. I wish I didn't have to say it, but I feel I really do have to. I've thought long and hard about this, and discussed it with others (mainly thete1), and decided that I can't let this go uncommented-on.

"The Shocking Affair of the Dutch Steamship Friesland"
(Sherlock Holmes) written for: Beth H

Unlike the other Holmes stories submitted, unfortunately, this one is not only less slashy than many of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's own Sherlock Holmes tales, it centres around the slandering of an entire non-white culture which might have been forgivable from an author of Conan Doyle's time and background but is simply inexcusable today. This is a shame, because the author skillfully recreated the flavour of Conan Doyle's writing.

It would have been one thing for the characters themselves to perceive the Balinese character through the lens of nineteenth-century British-imperialist racist attitudes; it's quite another for the author's portrayal of the character to be the equivalent of portraying Gandhi as a car-bomber. These were people whose mode of protest was to march to their deaths, knowing they had no hope of even wounding the opposing forces -- the equivalent of setting oneself on fire, not of terrorism in any form. As much as misperceiving the Balinese would be period-accurate for Watson and Mrs Van Orden (though I have doubts about whether Holmes would propound attitudes based in such factual inaccuracies), the fact that their prejudices were borne out by Wayan's actions ruined the story for me.

It's not as though I think of the author as being a racist; even if I knew who the author was yet, I can't get inside someone else's head. The problem is, when you're dealing with subject matter as sensitive as race relations, there's a certain degree of care that is absolutely necessary. This necessity comes not out of any idea of the artist as arbiter of societal mores (that's a debate I'm not touching with a ten-foot pole); it's about the artist getting their point across.

Let me say again: the story was quite good, good enough that I would have commented on it just on its merits, if it hadn't been for the racism issue. However, the fact that I'm now wondering whether the author is ignorant of history, uncaring, or in fact racist, is proof, in my opinion, of a serious flaw inherent in it.


And now, I have fic to get back to writing.

Comments

[dana-kujan.livejournal.com]

The yuletide site has updated to include author names, so I can finally say thank you for your kind words about "The Tell-Tale Heart." I've been reading the Canon since I was 13* (almost 27 years) but this was my first attempt at anything resembling a pastiche. I'm flattered than anyone thought I did Mr. Holmes & Dr. Watson justice.

(*Even then, before I ever heard of slash, I just knew they were in love. If only they would admit it!)

Thank you again!

[bethbethbeth.livejournal.com]

Re the Sherlock Holmes story (which was written for me). You know, my first reaction when I read it was much the same as yours. I was on the phone with a friend right after I finished it and I told her I was at a loss about what to say. The story was extremely well-written (and I gather from comments in my own LJ that the author knows this period and political situation well and is extremely sympathetic to the Balinese position), but it was also making me extremely uncomfortable for the reasons you note above.

In the end, I thought about the source material and about how very true-to-those voices this story was (it *is* Watson's pov, after all) and I recced it (although noting my discomfort in the rec). But I do know what you're saying...and I wonder whether I'd be quite so complacent if it had been, say, an evil money-grubbing Jewish villain at the heart of the story instead.

[some-stars.livejournal.com]

Right, so, authors are up and i can thank you for being the first person who wasn't my recipient to leave a comment on my story. Because I'm hideously neurotic and was getting kind of in a state, and your comment meant a lot to me and soothed many feathers. So. Thank you!

[boniblithe.livejournal.com]

When I wrote the first draft of my Gone With The Wind fic, I had included one paragraph in which a character used the word "nigger" when thinking about a negative incident involving a freed slave (which ended in a double killing).

The word itself is used all through Mitchell's book, by both black and white characters, and is historically accurate given the time period, the mindset and place of the characters ... yet I was uncomfortable when I wrote it, as it's not a word I ever like to see or hear used, and thought maybe I should take it out. My beta heartily agreed. So I took it out.

I find your comments on the other story interesting, and wonder how much of an uproar there would have been had I left the part with the offensive word, in the story. I could not read through the story you mentioned, as quite honestly the fandom does not interest me and I lost my attention span for it fairly quickly, so I cannot comment about it though.

"The Shocking Affair of the Dutch Steamship Friesland"

[blktauna.livejournal.com]

I loved this. The only real disappointment was the lack of slashiness. The pace was excellent and the plot and it's little twist nicely done. I felt the subject matter and the views of the characters were perfectly in tune with the times and this piece could have been written then. It was written to capture that time, and it managed not to impose our modern feelings on that time. That's really the thing I like best.

A Better Bed

[zoerayne]

Wow! I'm flattered that you liked the story despite your issues with the series. It was a particularly difficult story for me to write because it's so far removed from my typical fandoms. Plus, while I'm a dyed-in-the-wool slasher, in this instance I really ship Helena/Reese, so it was difficult for me to come up with a scenario that didn't just gloss over or wreck their relationship in favor of the Barbara/Helena relationship.

Thanks so much for your comments!

[franzeska]

On the contrary, I am not at all ignorant of history, but I am beginning to wonder if you are. Far from being a peaceful protest, the act of puputan was more of a way of maintaining honor for the nobility. A few months after my story would have concluded, the Dutch openly attacked the Balinese over the issue of the looting of their wrecked ships and, nominally, to liberate the Sasaks from their Balinese overlords.

The Sasaks soon realized that the Balinese were less dreadful conquerors than the Dutch, but the fact is that both were imperialist powers. Indeed, they fought a bloody war over Lombok. One battle in particular ended in a decisive victory for the Balinese and humiliation (and carnage) for the Dutch. (Though, of course, the Dutch then retaliated by massacring tons of Balinese.)

I'll admit that it is entirely implausible that the Balinese would have had such a successful spy, but not that they would hesitated to assassinate an ambassador if it furthered their purposes. They were nasty, violent, imperialist, oppressive rulers, just like the Dutch. They had no right to do a great many of the things they did, just as the Dutch had no right.

As for your analysis of Holmes, I must strongly disagree. I like him too, admire him even, and I would like to think that he is not racist. However, he is a man of his time, though fictional, and must hold at least some of the irrational prejudices of it. His feelings towards women are highly irrational, and I do not see why his views of foreigners would be less so. The entire Sherlock Holmes oeuvre is racist and imperialist in the extreme. If you read it, if you like it, you must accept that and perhaps even turn a blind eye to it for the space of the story.

As for the slashiness of my story (or lack thereof), I do not think it is at all relevant to accusations of racism. Are you complaining because you disliked my story or because you see a specific problem with it? Don't try to bolster your argument with attacks on my personal taste. No, I didn't write a sex scene, but I did have them in bed together.

Clearly, my understanding of Balinese history is somewhat superficial, but then so is yours. I thank you for the compliment of being interested enough to criticize me, but I must also disagree with you.

Left of Me

[virtualinsomnia]

I read the story more like someone who didn't know the fandom at all, and unlike much of fanfiction that's dependent on the reader's knowledge of the relevant canon, I was able to follow the story as well as if it had been original-characters fiction. I was drawn in and interested and involved with the characters right from the beginning of the story.

Thank you so much for your kind words. I'm glad you were able to enjoy it, even with your limited familiarity with the characters. That's a really fine compliment, since it can be so easy in fanfiction to just assume that the reader knows these characters and totally disregard the fact that they might not and write the stories without taking that into account. I know I'm guilty of it from time to time; we all probably are. So knowing I was able to write something that can work for both those familiar with the show and those who aren't is very good to know. :)

[silveraspen]

Stunningly unexpected yet oh, so right. Toby grown up into the young man he had to turn into, and Jareth delicious (Bowielicious) as ever.

And now that the reveal's done, I can say thank you, very much, for your comments and your rec of my story! :)

[pseudo_tsuga.livejournal.com]

Hi, I was trawling through Yuletide and I was glad to see your comment; I also was shocked by the depiction of the Balinese character. Is that alright if I link to this post about it?