Fandom Promo 2023!

[crantz]

Welcome to the Fandom Promo post, everyone!

Here's where you get those eyes on your fandoms for sign-ups!

Share what makes your Yuletide fandoms the shiniest and why you love them. A big part of Yuletide is how small our fandoms can be, and this is a good way to make sure other people know what gems there are out there!

EDIT: WE HAVE A SPREADSHEET! Thanks to Jaclynhyde we now have a spreadsheet you can access HERE.

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Here are some areas you can cover:

<b>Title</b>:
Please put your fandom's title in the subject of your comment, too. This helps people find your promo again.

<b>Media</b>:

<b>Approx length</b>:

<b>Where to find it</b>:
(If giving links, please only link to legal sources. You may want to encourage people to contact you directly if they are having trouble finding a canon and you can give them tips)

<b>What is it, in summary?</b>:

<b>What do you love about it?</b>:

<b>What sort of things are you likely to request for it?</b>:

<b>Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?</b>:

<b>Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence)</b>:
This is at your discretion and is not expected to be comprehensive

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(Bonus options: What are you thinking of requesting for this? If you're thinking of nominating worldbuilding, what sort of worldbuilding topics might people explore?)


Useful tip (Not required, but helps people if they want to engage with your fandom!):


- It's best to make each fandom its own entry with its own title in the subject line! That makes it easier for people to find/see what you're promoting! Don't worry about 'spam', that is the entire point of this entry and you're using it exactly as intended.



Previous fandom promo posts can be found at this tag!

Comments

Pistol (2022)

[sniffinglue]

Title: Pistol

Media: Miniseries

Approx length: Six episodes that are each around 50 minutes

Where to find it: It's a bit difficult to find due to bullshit so please feel free to contact me via DW's messaging system if you want a direct link to where I watch it. Otherwise, the internet archive has it right here (minus the last episode)

What is it, in summary?: A mildly fictionalized biopic about the Sex Pistols, the 1970s London band that brought punk rock to the UK. It's centered around guitarist Steve Jones as it was based heavily on his autobiography. Danny Boyle directed it and it stars Toby Wallace, Anson Boone, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Tallulah Riley, Louis Partridge, and many others. I wouldn't say it's a totally accurate portrait of the band or their history but it's a lot of fun and does what it sets out to do well.

What do you love about it?: It's a love letter to one of my favorite bands and one of my favorite periods in history. If you like the look and feel of 70s England or old school punk culture then you'll definitely get a kick out of this show because it's a perfect little time machine back into that era. Fantastic soundtrack, fantastic costume design, fantastic set design. The actors are great too and manage to make the (often misunderstood) people they're portraying both sympathetic and entertaining to watch. There's a level of depth afforded to each character and each relationship that I really appreciate as a long time fan of the Sex Pistols. Though the show is centered on Steve, each member of the band gets their time to shine. Danny Boyle seems to really understand why the Sex Pistols were such a big deal back in the 70s and his love for them shines through in each scene. It's also pretty funny and pretty gay at times so that's a plus.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: The relationships between the various characters, specifically the relationships that Steve, Johnny, and Malcolm have with each other. They're the most fleshed out characters in my opinion and their interactions are all fascinating. The weird one-sided (but not actually one-sided) father and son proxy relationship that Malcolm and Steve have that goes from adorable to incredibly dark and heartbreaking, Steve and Johnny having little moments of friendship despite their rivalry caused by them being opposites, and then the messed up 3D chess mind games that are going on between Malcolm and Johnny. They've all got such strong personalities that play off each other well and fascinating ways of viewing the world. There's a lot of room for missing scene stories or pre/post-canon stories.



Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: I suggest watching the entire show since it's only six episodes long.

Content warnings: The main character was sexually abused by his step-father as a child just like he was in real life. There's only one scene (relatively short and respectfully portrayed, I should mention) actually depicting any of that abuse and it's right at the end of the first episode. The third episode of the show depicts another real life story of sexual abuse (of the institutionalized woman who inspired the song Bodies) but there's no on-screen assault. Other than that, there's a decent amount of violence and, in the last two episodes, lots of heroin usage and some on-screen self harm.

Baten Kaitos

[esm8m]

Title:
Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean
Baten Kaitos Origins

Media: Video game

Approx length: Howlongtobeat.com says 52 hours for Eternal Wings and 43 hours for Origins, which sounds about right for doing only the main quest.

Where to find it:
Recently rereleased on Switch! Digital-only in the US as far as I can tell, but physical copies exist in Europe and Japan. Both were originally released on the GameCube, though Origins wasn't released in Europe - those discs are hard to find and fairly expensive these days.

There are also fairly thorough text + screenshots Let's Plays, with video for major moments:
Eternal Wings
Origins

What is it, in summary?: A pair of JRPGs by Monolith Soft (yes, the ones who made Xenoblade). In them, people live on islands suspended in the sky, and have wings, called Wings of the Heart, that are said to represent their souls. In both games, you are a guardian spirit, an entity that bonds with people, who are said to have an outsized impact on the world.

In Eternal Wings, you bond with Kalas, a young man out for revenge after the Alfard Empire killed his grandfather and younger brother. Along the way he joins up with Xelha, a young woman attempting to prevent the Empire from reviving an evil god, as well as many others.

In Origins, you bond with Sagi, a young man in the Dark Service, a private branch of the Alfard military. Together with Guillo, a living puppet, and Milly, a sheltered noble woman who wants to see the world, he attempts to uncover what exactly is going on in the world.

What do you love about it?: Both games have gorgeous art and music. Both plots are twisty, keeping you on your toes until the end. And the world is fascinating - there are politics in the background of both games, and how the world came to be and what happens to it both have lots of elements to explore.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Post-canon examinations of the world and characters for Eternal Wings. Worldbuilding for the politics and the history.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfill your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: Unfortunately, not really.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): Murder, implied ethnic cleansing, human experimentation

[(Anonymous)]

Title:
Maeve Kerrigan - Jane Casey

Media: Book series

Approx length: 10 books

Where to find it:
Most of the books are pretty cheap as ebooks!

What is it, in summary?: A detective series centered around Maeve Kerrigan, a Detective Constable in the London Metropolitan police, and her team. Each book contains an individual crime (or multiple crimes) to be solved, but subplots link the book together.

What do you love about it?: Maeve is an amazing girlfailure who tries!! So hard! And is the best detective ever but fails at any kind of personal life. I love the cast of characters that surround her and most especially her relationship with Josh Derwent, the Worst guy in the world and her Detective Sergeant. Come for the banter, stay for the devastation that is the development of their work partnership, friendship, and maybe more. They're ride or die for each other, Maeve won't admit that he's her best friend, he won't stop making jokes at her expense, they're the worst.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Would love anything centered around Maeve and her relationships! But of course, I'm likely to request anything Maeve/Derwent because their 9-book slow burn is soooo deeply good.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: Books 8-10 I say stand pretty much on your own, and even book 9 on its own is a devastating arc for Maeve. I'd say those three books capture their relationship pretty well, but highly recommend the whole series! Book 4 is also pretty important for Derwent backstory.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence):
Police, rape, gore/violence, abuse, murder, stalking, domestic violence (book 9), everything you can expect to find in a detective series.

Spy Stuff - Matthew J. Metzger

[taken_aback_by_tuesdays]

Title:
Spy Stuff - Matthew J. Metzger

Media: book

Approx length: 226 pages

Where to find it:
on kindle

on kobo

What is it, in summary?: Anton, a trans teen who just switched schools, makes new friends, and gets asked out by a cute boy.

What do you love about it?: The new friends are the kind out of out of control teens who throw things at each other, are constantly crude, and yet accept Anton (who's gay & trans) & the bi members of the group, which isn't what Anton expected. I like that they may not know the right words but still listen and care.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: I'd be equally happy with post-canon/alternate canon type scenes like: what if Anton joined the football club or what horrible fundraiser does Emma come up with next year, or complete AUs like: what would they be like in a magic school? (Personally I favor Simon Snow or Scholomance, but any you come up with would be fun -- I read any new ones I can get my hands on), maybe coffee shop: if you can figure out how they haven't gotten kicked out/fired before they can manage to meet, or aged up to do tattoo shop (which of them do we trust with a tattoo gun and what tattoos are the rest getting?)

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: Not really, but it's a pretty fast read

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence):
The characters use some slurs -- for Polish people, gay people, and trans people -- but largely not in hate. Anton's dad deadnames him and uses the wrong pronouns. There is some brawling/fist fighting at one point.

Like Real People Do - E. L. Massey

[taken_aback_by_tuesdays]

Title:
Like Real People Do - E. L. Massey

Media: book

Approx length: 284 pages

Where to find it:
on kobo
on kindle

What is it, in summary?: Eli, newly in college & on the figure skating team, meets the local hockey team when one of them parks across the disabled parking spaces he needs to use for practice. Surprisingly, they become friends then sweethearts.

What do you love about it?: the disability representation, not just from Eli, but from Alex -- where it's clear that they both have some difficulties and things they can help each other with sometimes. I also love how much time we get to just hang out, do things like make food, film videos, or play video games with friends

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: hangouts: I'd love to see them film another vid for Eli's channel, Eli to help out at another charity skate, or just play video games and interact

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: while the series has two books with these characters, it's fine if you just read the first one (Like Real People Do) for this and write from that

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence):
very occasional hockey level violence on ice

La legge di Lidia Poët | The Law According to Lidia Poët (TV)

[violet_rain3]

Title: La legge di Lidia Poët | The Law According to Lidia Poët (TV)

Media: TV series

Approx length: 6 episodes approx 40 minutes each / ~ 4 hours

Where to find it: Netflix here.

What is it, in summary?: Your typical historically-inaccurate period drama based on the life of an impressive historical figure, except it's also about solving crimes. Lidia Poët is disbarred from serving as a lawyer in 1880s Turin, but she's not giving up on her chosen career. While she drafts her appeal, she takes on clients, working as her brother's assistant but really driving the cases herself.

What do you love about it?: The fashion is amazing, Lidia's outfits especially (and her insect themed jewellery!!). The relationship between Lidia and her brother Enrico is so sweet, they don't see eye to eye on a lot of things but clearly care about each other. Lidia herself is larger than life and I find her personality super engaging.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Anything, really. I enjoyed all of the series, and I especially love Lidia's family life (her relationship with Marianna, as well as aforementioned with Enrico). I think her romantic life is plenty interesting as well: Andrea's respect for her and what she can do is especially compelling to me, but her and Jacopo do have that chemistry.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfill your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: Since it's so short, I think it's best to consume all the canon.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): Period-typical sexism, the sort of violence you would expect in a crime show (not graphic).

Eldritch Horror (Board Game)

[magpiecastiel]

Title: Eldritch Horror

Media: Board Game

Approx length: From 2-5 hours per game depending on # of players; it can get a lot longer with inexperienced players

Where to find it: The game itself is available at all my local (Canadian) board game stores, so you might have luck with that! If not, it's always available through the website.
If you don't want to shell out money for the game, you can find all the rules, character sheets and old god sheets, and plenty of the cards that make up the game on the Eldritch Horror wiki and Board Game Geek

What is it, in summary?: A cooperative boardgame set in a vaguely-1920s setting focusing on characters and concepts from Lovecraftian Horror (and more broadly, cosmic horror in general). Each player (1-8) takes on the role of one of the 55 Investigators, each of which have their own backstories, skillsets, and roles within the team--anything from magic-users to fighters to item collecters. The goal is to stop the awakening of one of the Great Old Ones or Elder Gods (e.g., Cthulhu, Azathoth, Nyarlathotep) through solving mysteries, fighting monsters and closing gates in reality, and desperately trying to keep order. It's a notoriously punishing game, with health- and sanity-related death mechanics and consistent onslaughts of events designed to make your lives hell.

What do you love about it?: Ohhhh, man. Is it cheating to say everything? To give a proper answer, I love all the elements of cosmic horror, from the awakening ancient gods to the little mysteries scattered across the globe. I love the characters (especially the ones I've nominated!) and how despite all their varied backgrounds, they've all come together for this one goal. I love the excitement of making a risky play and succeeding with it, and the satisfaction of watching the chaos clear up as you put your characters to work.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Something set in the canon setting. I've played this game hundreds of times and I'll never get tired of the canon.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: You can read through the stats, blurbs, and skills of every investigator on the wiki. To get a better sense of just how punishing the game can be, there are quite a few playthroughs on Youtube (caveat: I haven't watched any, so I don't know which to recommend!)

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): Violence, body horror, allusions to 1920s-typical "isms" but nothing too explicit. Almost everything is text-based but some of the horror can be quite...evocative lol

I Wake Up Screaming (1941)

[doreyg]

Title: I Wake Up Screaming (1941)

Media: Movie

Approx length: 1hr 22m

Where to find it: You can find this movie to watch (For free!) here: https://archive.org/details/iwakeupscreaming1941

What is it, in summary?: When Vicky Lynn, an up and coming actress, is murdered suspicion immediately falls upon the man who discovered her, Frankie Christopher. Pursued by the cops, especially the sinister and suspicious Ed Cornell, he works with Vicky's sister to clear his name and discover who really killed Vicky Lynn.

What do you love about it?: This is one of those movies that has kind of crawled inside my brain and taken up residence there. It’s one of the earliest noirs, made in 1941, and so doesn’t have a strict adherence to the genre. It’s largely a dark, complex movie about a man who is accused of the murder of his former protege and has to prove his innocence with the help of her sister and the hindrance of an extremely obsessive detective. It’s a very dark and twisty and interesting film, which goes in some really interesting directions! I watched it on a whim, then couldn’t stop thinking about it for the life of me.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Frankie/Ed messed up slash. These two are the highlight performances of the movie, and have SUCH great chemistry with each other. I started shipping them the moment Frankie wakes up to realise that Cornell is in his room and watching him sleep, and it only gets more intense from there. Frankie is technically the good guy while Cornell is definitely the bad guy, but both of them have a lot of interesting darkness going on. They’re both twisty and complex people who you get the impression are never telling the entire truth about themselves, and I’d love to see more of their toxic dynamic

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: I mean, I suppose you could just skip through the film and only watch the (numerous) Frankie & Ed scenes. But it's less than an hour and a half long, so why not watch the whole thing?

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): Corrupt cops, murder (specifically of a female character), stalking, jealousy, multiple threats to life (even by characters who are supposed to be heroic)... It's a noir, at least technically, so if you're familiar with the genre you'll be familiar with the amounts of moral ambiguity.

Johnny Eager (1941)

[doreyg]

Title: Johnny Eager (1941)

Media: Movie

Approx length: 1hr 45mins

Where to find it: Can be found on youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeOSdNkeMIo

What is it, in summary?: A noir movie focusing around the exploits of Johnny Eager, a gangster who is pretending to be reformed but who is actually just as bad as ever. Several people rotate around him like the sun, most notably Lis - the stepdaughter of one of Johnny’s enemies - and Jeff the loyal henchman, and he ends up using and abusing basically everybody in his path. Until the end, where he finally has a change of heart just a little too late.

What do you love about it?: The cinematography is absolutely excellent, the plot is engaging and the main characters (I’m counting three, Johnny & Lis & Jeff, though many may disagree) are all absolutely fascinating people who interact in really interesting ways. It’s a really dark film, from start to finish, but the darkness feels well earned and it does the excellent trick of really making you care about the characters.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Jeff & Lis or Jeff/Lis post-canon. They’re both (basically canonically) in love with Johnny, they both have their lives pretty much completely ruined by his actions, and yet at the end they’re the only two people left who could possibly mourn him. They have so much to talk about! And also, so much in common. Not just in terms of the hole Johnny leaves in both their hearts, but in the fact that they’re both willing to see the best in him and both extremely sensitive souls and both quite obviously well-read and intelligent. I just think their interactions could be really interesting!

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: Not really, as Jeff and Lis are both fairly major characters in the film and have moments sprinkled throughout. It's a fairly quick watch, though.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): typical noir darkness, gangsters, corrupt cops, manipulative relationships, borderline abusive relationships (Johnny is really not a nice guy), physical violence, depiction of undefined mental health issues.

Act of Violence (1949)

[doreyg]

Title: Act of Violence (1949)

Media: Movie

Approx length: 1hr 20mins

Where to find it: You can buy it on Amazon for £20. OR you can message me on either Dreamwidth or Tumblr (my username is the same on both) for help with finding a copy.

What is it, in summary?: Frank is a former US POW, who is now living in a small town with his wife and child and regarded as a local hero. But he has an incredibly dark past, and this comes home to roost when one of his old comrades turns up looking to talk to him. What follows is Frank making an endless succession of bad decisions, desperately trying to outrun his past.

What do you love about it?: I just really loved all the characters in this. There are three arguable main character and a very strong backing cast. Some of them are innocent at the start, but none of them are innocent by the end. It’s very much an unflinching portrayal of trauma and guilt and the lies people can tell each other, and asks the question whether people really can ever recover from the terrible things that they’ve inflicted upon themselves and others. All the interactions are top-notch, and while it is depressing I never found it destructively bleak.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: I'm planning to request any combination of Edith/Joe/Ann (romantically, platonically, or just with Edith on her own). The three of them are left in a really interesting place at the end of the film, after Frank's actions, and I'd love to see them trying to come to terms with everything that's happened.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: Not really I'm afraid, as I'm mainly planning to request post-canon fic, but it's a very short movie.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): WWII, Nazis, a main character who collaborated with the nazis, war trauma, stalking, lying to an SO, a scene where a male character breaks into a female character's house and menaces her.

Re: Act of Violence (1949)

[(Anonymous)]

It's on dailymotion
if that's any help.

The Maltese Falcon (1941)

[doreyg]

Title: The Maltese Falcon (1941)

Media: Movie

Approx length: 1hr 40mins

Where to find it: Can be brought or rented on youtube, or brought or rented on amazon. Or, y'know, message me on dreamwidth or tumblr if none of those work out.

What is it, in summary?: The Maltese Falcon is one of the few noir films that needs no introduction, but I’m going to give it one anyway. It’s the story of Sam Spade: who runs into a femme fatale, three complete weirdos and then ends up having to solve the mystery of where exactly The Maltese Falcon is hidden and who exactly gets to take home the loot.

What do you love about it?: Well, it’s really good with great characters, a great story and a really tight plot that doesn’t meander at all. I also love this film because it’s absolutely HILARIOUS. Technically it’s got all the usual trappings of a noir, the darkness and the sense of loose morals, but it’s also an incredible amount of fun. Humphrey Bogart is obviously having the time of his life, there are multiple laugh out loud moments and all of the characters are SO weird that they kind of detach from reality (in a good way) at a certain point.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: I'm requesting Spade, Cairo and Wilmer as characters. And planning to ask for Spade/Cairo or Spade/Wilmer or Spade/Cairo/Wilmer in my optional details. Spade has charged interactions with absolutely everybody in the film, kudos to Humphrey Bogart for so cheerfully acting like he wanted to screw everybody around him, but I've narrowed it down to Cairo and Wilmer as my favourites.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: Not really, as it has a lot of twists and turns throughout. But it's another relatively short movie.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): noir typical grimness, murders, physical violence, some sexual menace, Spade gets drugged and left for dead at one point.

Isekai Shokudou "Restaurant to Another World"

[dulcito]

Title: Isekai Shokudou "Restaurant to Another World"


Media: Anime

Approx length: 2 seasons (24 episodes each)

Where to find it: wherever you watch anime, it does have an official English dub.


What is it, in summary?: A restaurant in modern day Japan that specializes in Western style food has a magic door, that only works every saturday. The door appears in many locations in an alternative, fantasy world and patrons from that world come to the restaurant to eat. It's a slice of life, food focused show.

What do you love about it?: I love that it is telling a story, quite an interesting one, but slowly and through little vignettes centered on a single dish. The animation is lovely and the characters are interesting.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Either some world-building, character studies (there is a Dragon with the power to kill everything that lives on the moon...but is also a server at the restaurant!) or something along those lines.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: The first episode sets the tone of the entire show, so nothing more than that one needs to be watched.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): none that I'm aware of?

Mountains of the Moon (1990)

[(Anonymous)]

Mountains of the Moon (1990):

Media: Film

Approx length: 136 minutes

Where to find it:
It's currently available to rent on Amazon Prime Video, I think also Apple TV

What is it, in summary?:

It's the story of how a pair of Victorian explorers became friends and ultimately arch-enemies after a dangerous expedition together to find the ultimate source of the Nile. Richard Francis Burton and John Hanning Speke (played by Iain Glen!) are very different men - Burton is a larger-than-life translator, travel writer, raconteur and sexual adventurer, while Speke is an upright officer in the British army. The movie shows how their unlikely friendship develops and then is destroyed by Victorian stiff-upper-lip denials, stubbornness and a mutual craving for public recognition.

What do you love about it?:

So, um, here's a vid I made about it...

password is 'mountains'

It is extremely gay! Richard Francis Burton the historical figure is fascinating and the film is basically a love letter to him and his work.

In case you were wondering, the director ships it too... “I’m sure Speke was a closet homosexual,” said Bob Rafelson. “Who knows what must’ve gone on between the two men. After all, they spent 1000 days together, walking through Africa. Did they? It probably happened. But I prefer to let the audience imagine the whole of the relationship. I think it makes them more complex. It thickens the relationship.” (from an LA Times interview)

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?:
Anything would be a delight, there is literally no written fic for this film that I can find! My OTP is obviously Burton/Speke, but Burton and his fiancee Isabel Arundel (Fiona Shaw) are also very fun together and on camera Burton has this fantastic disaster bisexual energy.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: You pretty much have to watch the whole movie - what might seem like an unnecessary focus on some details of the expedition comes back to haunt the characters in London and this build-up is important. You don't need to look at anything else about the history of the period though - the film stands pretty nicely alone.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence):
Period-typical colonialist attitudes and racism, which the film somewhat tries to address. Burton is shown studying people's cultures in a more respectful way, sort of as a proto-anthropologist, and acknowledging (for instance) that 'discovering' the lake is absurd since locals have known about it for centuries. But Speke is very decidedly of his time. The black character with one of the largest roles, waYao explorer Sidi Mubarak Bombay (played by Paul Onsongo) is given some uncomfortably-stilted pidgin English lines to read despite being described as fluent. There is also a disturbingly vivid scene of a beetle flying into Speke's ear and having to be burned out.

Re: Mountains of the Moon (1990)

[(Anonymous)]

And the vid did not post! Sorry about that, here's a better link:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/36134191

Pistols for Two (Georgette Heyer)

[(Anonymous)]

Pistols for Two:

Media: Short story

Approx length: 20 pages

Where to find it:
It's in the same-titled Georgette Heyer short story collection, 'Pistols for Two' and also in 'Snowdrift and other stories' which I think is basically the same book under a new title (?)

What is it, in summary?: A surprisingly-slashy short story about a duel between two young hot-heads after a country ball.

What do you love about it?: It's the perfect dose of Georgette Heyer, a Regency romp with some surprisingly serious and heartfelt moments. The straight romance is worked out mainly off-screen and what we focus on is the life-long friendship and recent romantic rivalry between Tom and Jack (spoilers, neither of them gets the girl). It seriously reads like the set-up for a KJ Charles book.

"In the end, the quarrel, smouldering for so many weeks, flared up over such a trifle that anyone, Tom reflected, would have laughed to have known the cause. Only they had not really reached pistol-point because Jack had stepped backward in a doorway, and cannoned into him, making him spill his glass of champagne, and treading on his foot. Nor had Jack turned pale and tight-lipped with anger because he had cursed him for being a clumsy oaf. If you had known a fellow from the cradle, had played with him, gone to school with him, shot, fished, and hunted with him, you could curse him with impunity, and either it ended in a bout of fisticuffs or in laughter: not in a meeting in the chill morning, attended by seconds."

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?:
Tom/Jack now and forever please

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: No, but the story is short and sweet

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence):
Threatened murder in a duel, nothing graphic though

Wings of Fire - Tui Sutherland

[marmolita]

Title: Wings of Fire - Tui Sutherland

Media: Book series, also available as audiobooks and some (1-6) available as graphic novels

Approx length: About 350 pages per book, 17 books total, very easy and fast reading. The book series is divided into three 5-book arcs, with 2 additional prequel/tie-in novels.

Where to find it: Anywhere books are available. It's a very popular series so it should be easy to get anywhere. Find them at your local library in the section for middle grade readers as they are targeted at the 8-12-year-old market.

What is it, in summary?: It's a fantasy adventure series with all that that entails -- worldbuilding, prophecies, wars, politics, spies, assassins, sorcerers, found family, family drama, a tiny bit of romance -- but all the main characters are dragons! Each arc involves a group of young dragons (dragonets) working together to fulfill -- or stop -- a prophecy.

What do you love about it?: I love that it deals with heavy themes, but since it's targeted at 8-12yos, it doesn't dwell on the worst parts so much as it focuses on the positive way that bad things can be overcome. Also, I love that it's really a found family story in general, mixed with a little bit of coming-of-age. The worldbuilding is great and I appreciate that despite being a story about teenagers (teenage dragons, anyway), it is very light on the kind of teen angst you find in YA books. It also has canon queer and trans characters! My favorite arc (the second one) really is focused on the moral question of whether you can have absolute power and not be corrupted by it. A side bonus of these books is that I can enjoy reading them and talking about them with my kid, who also reads them, because it has broad appeal to all ages.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: My nominated characters are all from the second arc, and I really love their friendship. I'll be requesting anything that focuses on those three (Moon, Qibli, and Winter) either as a friendship or in an OT3.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: Yes! The Jade Mountain Prophecy arc is books 6-10 and that is where my requested characters are from. They are present in the third arc as well, but the second arc is the one that's really about them.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): For a book series targeted at 8-12yos, this series has a LOT of warnable content. It's the kind of genre where adults find a lot of the content disturbing but it goes over kids' heads or kids otherwise don't really get bothered by it (like Animorphs). So, for the following list of warnings, keep in mind that it's written in a way to be digestible to children, not in a way to shock/horrify adults.

Warnings include: child abuse, child neglect (these are for dragon children, not human, generally speaking), mind control, attempted genocide, magically changing people's (dragons') emotions, something that looks very much like enslavement of a dragon race though it's never directly called that, in-universe racism against other types of dragons and mixed-race dragons, descriptions of serious physical injury and disability resulting from that injury, humans treated as unintelligent animals.

Expedition with Steve Backshall RPF

[marmolita]

This nomination hasn't been approved yet but assuming it's going to be...

Title: Expedition with Steve Backshall RPF

Media: TV series

Approx length: 2 seasons, 16 episodes total. Each episode is a bit less than an hour (would be an hour with commercials).

Where to find it: In the US, you can find it on PBS, either their app or their website here. It's a British show though so I assume it's available somewhere else over there and in other places around the world. There are a bunch of bits and pieces on PBS's youtube here and on Steve Backshall's youtube channel (like this one).

What is it, in summary?: It's a nature docu-series in which Steve Backshall travels to unexplored places around the world to encourage their conservation.

What do you love about it?: It's interesting and exciting, and you learn about all kinds of places around the world that you may not have known about before. Steve is an entertaining host, and while it's mostly fairly calm, there are some moments of drama/suspense when they get into dangerous situations. Most episodes also features his friend Aldo Kane, and the two of them are pretty fun together as well.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Anything focusing on Steve and Aldo together, either as a friendship or a relationship. Missing scenes of things that might have happened on their adventures, or something about how they met, anything like that.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: You don't need to watch more than one or two episodes to get an idea for the show. Here are some clips that showcase Steven and Aldo together though (check the warnings list below before watching!):

• this clip where Steve jokingly refers to Aldo as his husband


• this clip about Steve and Aldo


• this clip where Steve and Aldo explore the jungle at night

Steve is in every episode. Aldo is in episodes 2-10 of season 1, and episode 2 of season 2.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): This is a nature adventure show and comes with all the warnings you might expect as part of that. Spiders, snakes, other creepy-crawlies, dangerous large animals, claustrophobia (multiple episodes about caves and cave diving), drowning (multiple episodes with kayaking dangerous rivers, one in which Steve is pulled under for several minutes and nearly drowns), injury (Aldo breaks his thumb, and another team member gets a pretty bad cut, but it's not like gory or anything), lots of discussion about climate change, poaching, slash and burn/clear cut agriculture, and strip mining. Steve interacts respectfully with the local and indigenous people of the areas he's visiting (asks permission before proceeding, and often has a local on the expedition with him), but that doesn't change the fact that he is a British guy exploring their territory. Some of the exploration is into historic sites that may have been sacred to people who used to live there. They come across human remains (bones) in some caves, and there is some discussion of how the people may have died.

The Marianne Series - Sheri S. Tepper

[puppet_theatre]

Title: The Marianne Series - Sheri S. Tepper
Media: Dead trees
Approx length: 3 short novels, but nominated character only appears in part of book 3
Where to find it: https://www.sfgateway.com/titles/sheri-s-tepper/marianne-the-matchbox-and-the-malachite-mouse/9780575116078/

What is it, in summary?: The specific part I am asking for is the story of Buttercup, who was raised to lose in a deathmatch because politics. With the help of the voice in her head, she fights to avoid this doom.

What do you love about it?: The dewclaws are canon. Okay, so they're called "spurs" in canon, but we're talking about biological spurs that grow naturally, not the metal things that attach to boots. Also, the chin fang is canon. And the femdom society is canon. And the deathmatch is canon.

Why should you request it?: Because you think it'd be fun to receive a classic Untherius-style fic! Girls with fangs and dewclaws fighting to the death!

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: Buttercup's story happens in chapters 4-7 of the third book, Marianne, the Matchbox, and the Malachite Mouse. She also has a cameo later in the book (around chapter 20?) that is the only description of her facial appearance. Absolutely nothing else is required.

The Shout (1977)

[fullborn]

Title: The Shout (1977)

Media: Film

Approx length: 1 hr 26 min

Where to find it:
Currently on Criterion Channel and on Tubi here

What is it, in summary?:
From Criterion: “This entrancing psychosexual puzzle thriller from Jerzy Skolimowski features a memorably unsettling performance from Alan Bates as an enigmatic drifter who insinuates himself into the lives of an experimental electronic composer (John Hurt) and his wife (Susannah York) living in a remote coastal cottage.” The drifter, Charles Crossley, claims to know the magic of how to perform the titular Shout, which will kill anyone who hears it. It’s abstract and weird.

What do you love about it?:
I love the unreliable narration and opacity of the story, the strange symbolic magical elements and their weird fairytale logic, disruption of English convention. Mysterious commanding Alan Bates inserting himself into young John Hurt's house and marriage, who is very meek about the fact his wife is sleeping with an odd stranger but becomes increasingly obsessed with the Shout. Is Charles really magical or just a charismatic delusional potential murderer?

It’s just a classic moment of being too polite to stop Some Guy you met from moving into your house and seducing your wife, as in all the best horror. The underlying unease and tension and ambiguity. Windswept English countryside. Francis Bacon imagery. Young aggrieved John Hurt. Electronic experimental noise score. Also, Tim Curry is there.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?:
Canon divergence, missing scenes, bisexuality. Would like to see more psychosexual elements, or Charles deciding to seduce Anthony, not Rachel. Or making Anthony join them instead of cucking him? Horror such as cosmic horror re: The Shout as a destructive force, home invasion dread held hostage to politeness, experimental musician as mad professor (Anthony becoming obsessed to recreate The Shout even if might destroy them all?). Possession and more magical realism. Epistolary post-canon could be fun too.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence):
There’s the problematic, shall we say, use of “Aboriginal” magic as a kind of hand-wave mysticism explanation for White Man Learning Arcane Knowledge, and the presumed use of magic itself to make an otherwise unwilling participant consent to sex. Mental institutions feature.

Jury Duty

[lastofbarrettsprivateers]

Media: Jury Duty (2023)

Approx length: 8 ~20 minute long episodes

Where to find it: Amazon Freevee

What is it, in summary?: A documentary about the jury in a civil trial through the eyes of juror Ronald Gladden....except it's not a documentary, and everyone but Ron is an actor.

What do you love about it?: Mostly the comedy and humor, and the way that Ron responds to absolutely bizarre situations that are portrayed as part of the trial! But it also gets very sweet at parts, and Ron seems like genuinely a good guy.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: There's a good bit of time skips in the show---I'd love to see what happens in the gaps between what's filmed!

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: Probably not? But it's short enough to watch in one day.

Equus--Peter Shaffer

[fullborn]

Title: Equus—Peter Shaffer

Media: Play

Approx length: 106 pages in the version linked below.

Where to find it: Currently available to borrow on Archive. org here

What is it, in summary?:
A psychiatrist, Martin Dysart, attempts to treat a young man, Alan Strang, who blinded six horses in a seemingly random outburst. Over the course of the play Dysart tries to find the root of this violent attack and also unpack the imagery and causation of Alan’s extreme psychosexual religious obsession with horses. Dysart is disillusioned with his career and dealing with Alan further challenges his own ideas of normality, societal taboos, and worship. Patient making the therapist worst!

What do you love about it?:
The back-and-forth dialogue between Alan and Dysart, the interrogatory format, Dysart’s discursive monologues, desperate psychosexual repulsion/obsession, Dysart's very English repression and Alan's disrupting effect, the conflict of Dysart’s role as a psychiatrist and his dried-up desire for instinctual and true worship that he knows he will never have in the way Alan has, Apollonian vs Dionysian values, doubts and mental decline, the central question of “what is Normal and what sacrifices do we make to it, in its role as society’s true God?”

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?:
Character study, therapy discussion, homoeroticism. More psychosexual obsession, more of Dysart's interactions with Alan and his own intellectualisation, more mental dissolution. Rituals and images of Equus. Dysart’s discontent with societal mores and his own loveless marriage and repression of instinct is good material for a gay reading of his character. Strange and offputting manifestations of repressed attraction, boundaries, Alan decimating Dysart’s worldview, connection and Seeing Self Represented in The Other. There’s a lot of Themes to play around with here!

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?:
No, though the 1977 film is a good place to start if you want to see the characters performed, though obviously it curtails the more abstract theatrical staging of the play. Burton and Firth give great performances (watching this for the first time while cleaning stables on an isolated horse ranch was certainly…a choice 🤪). I don’t think there are any professional stage recordings online but there may be amateur ones on Youtube.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence):
Animal harm, discussion of violence, self-harm, implied bestiality—though the sexual element is more about religious Passion and Ecstasy rather than specific sexual acts, patient-therapist dynamics, mental institutions.

Roma sub Rosa Series - Steven Saylor

[fakecirilla9]

Title:
Roma sub Rosa Series - Steven Saylor

Media: book series

Approx length:
14 books plus 2 volumes of short stories
The numbers may seem off-putting but the pacing in the story is so good and the plot so gripping it feels as if you were watching a TV series rather than reading xd

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?:
(I'm shuffling the order and putting it here because) yes, there is one book in the series I am particularly interested in. It's titled "Catilina's Riddle". You can read that book on its own, you can read most of them separately. Each has a separate plot. There might be some minor spoilers about who died or who's whose son, etc. A lot of plottwists remain intact though!

Where to find it:
Internet Archive has it https://archive.org/details/catilinasriddle0000sayl_y3z4
Your local library perhaps has it if you prefer a paper version like me ;)

What is it, in summary?:
These are detective stories set in Ancient Rome. The main hero solves criminal mysteries and meets a lot of fascinating historical figures on his way. The characters are very well-written, they have unique personalities and believable motifs. These books revive Ancient Rome in a way that paints this past world as strikingly similar to ours.

What do you love about it?:
On general, what I enjoyed the most about this series was Gordianus' (the main character) worldview. I tend to find most heroes annoying or boring but this one is a common guy who tries to lead a simple good life that politics hinder him from.
In particular, Catiline! I started the book knowing nothing about him. I ended it in love with him.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?:
I would most like a fic with Catiline (a historical figure) and Meto (a fictional character from the books), exploring the relationship they had in the book rather between the lines;)

Another thing I would greatly enjoy is a fic featuring Mark Antony. Preferably something that describes his alleged relationship with Curio but it could be with anyone else really. As long as you give me Mark Antony, I will be happy


Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence):
Period typical things like slavery

Gilda (1946)

[fullborn]

Title: Gilda (1946)

Media: Film

Approx length: 1 hr 50 mins

Where to find it: You can find it on Tubi, Youtube, or Archive.org

What is it, in summary?:
Johnny, a charming drifter and small-time crook, becomes a Buenos Aires casino owner’s right hand man. His new life and loyalty are turned upside down when he meets his boss’ new wife—who happens to be Johnny’s old flame. If you’ve seen the cinema scene in the Shawshank Redemption, then you’ve seen Rita Hayworth’s iconic introductory scene as Gilda.

What do you love about it?:
Divorce! Lies, catty comments, jealousy, complicated messy history covered with smooth disinterest and deception, hate as an exciting emotion. It’s film noir with a criminal enterprise plot but the interplay between the three main characters is where the real drama lies, it’s delightfully blisteringly sexy and complex. The subtext between Johnny and Ballin, from Ballin pulling Johnny out of the gutter and Johnny's enduring loyalty to him ("You have no idea how faithful and obedient I can be" 👀) to Ballin taking in Gilda and his possession of them both. And of course Johnny and Gilda's twisty and bitter past, and the tension simmering beneath the surface! Johnny and Gilda are both trying to pay their way on Ballin's ticket but there's a danger to being in Ballin's confidence. And it's fun to see their clever ways of hurting each other.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?:
Variations on Johnny/Mundson/Gilda, bisexual messiness, jealousy, psychosexual mind games, canon divergence, emotional manipulation and displays of loyalty. Basically it would be fun to see the homosexual subtext made text, and to see more of Gilda and Johnny’s complicated history.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence):
Various men treat Gilda as property and belittle her agency. There’s a controlling spousal relationship, and some domestic violence. Violence and murder are in the usual film noir fashion.

Versailles no Bara | Rose of Versailles

[(Anonymous)]

Title:
Versailles no Bara | Rose of Versailles

Media:
Anime and Manga

Approx length:
40 episodes ~25 min each, or 14 volumes of manga

Where to find it:
It was recently rereleased within the past 2 years or so. I know for sure you can get both manga and blu-ray anime from rightstufanime.com, though you can probably find them elsewhere too. There is no English dub for it, but there are dubs out there in multiple other languages if that’s going to be a thing for you. If you’re lucky you can find old used DVD releases floating around as well.

What is it, in summary?:
(I’ve only watched the anime) It’s a historical shoujo anime from the 70s that starts with a man who wanted a son, but got a daughter instead. So naturally he named her Oscar and raised her like a son so she eventually becomes a bodyguard and confidant to Marie Antoinette. The series follows them as they grow up amidst the turmoil that is the precursor to the French Revolution and Oscar must choose where her loyalties lie.

What do you love about it?:
I’ve always had a morbid fascination with the French Revolution and this anime really packed a punch, combining real historical people and events seamlessly with original characters and storylines. With the advantage of hindsight, we as an audience know that the ending is not going to be a happy one, and is so eloquently forecasted through both the narrative as well as character interactions. Additionally, I was pleasantly surprised at how *good* the anime looks. I was expecting the production to be similar to Utena (my beloved), but you can tell so much love and care was put into it to make it as visually pleasing as possible for the time. I’ve seen it said it is also one of the pioneers of the “shoujo” art style, which I can easily believe.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?:
Character studies, probably, especially of Oscar and her relationship with gender and how that affects her relationships. I would also love a story with even more historical research put into it, and crafting something from that.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?:
Unfortunately no, you kind of have to watch the whole thing.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence):
Off the top of my head, period-typical violence, period-typical gender roles, terminal illness, one scene of a man trying to force himself on Oscar.

Re: Versailles no Bara | Rose of Versailles

[borderparasol]

If you want to watch the anime, you can watch it free, legally, subbed in English via retrocrush.com!

(also go watch this show, it's so good)

Parallel World Pharmacy

[dulcito]

Title: Parallel World Pharmacy

Media: anime

Approx length: 12 episodes

Where to find it: anywhere you watch anime, it has an official dub.

What is it, in summary?: A pharmaceutical researcher, dies of overwork and is reborn in a fantasy world.

What do you love about it?: I found it really engaging! It doesn't shy away from drama, especially things around identity (main character is a transmigrator) and power struggles. It's a fun series.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Family centric hurt/comfort; minor character studies. The main character has been reborn as the avatar of a god - and his father, in particular, really struggled with accepting this. I would like to see more of the family dynamic.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: Hard to say, because the anime only has 1 season and it's fairly short. But maybe the first couple of episodes.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): the main character is the god of healing so there is a lot of medical crisis' going on. Illness, accidents, some violence.

14th Century CE Lithuanian RPF

[fakecirilla9]

Title:
14th Century CE Lithuanian RPF

Media: RPF

Approx length: It's a bottomless well of historical sources and various fictional interpretations of the past events. Wikipedia gives some examples of the portrayal of these characters which you may find inspiring

Where to find it:
Wikipedia has an article about each of the characters I nominated for the fandom that is Vytautas the Great, his mother Birute, his wife Anna the Grand Duchess and Ulrich von Jungingen, the (future) Grandmaster of the Teuton Order.


What is it, in summary?:
A super interesting historical period of a big military conflict that brewed for years and is soon coming to a resolution. There are cultural differences and a strong religious conflict at its bases. The politics of the times are so tangled it's hard to keep track of whose on whose side at the moment.

What do you love about it?:
I love this period in history in that corner of Europe for the similar reasons I appreciate the Silmarillion for xd. It's basically one big family drama ruining whole nations on its way (or bringing them to glory, depending on whose side you're on).

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?:
Please don't worry if you get lost in all the dates and places Wiki articles cover. The most interesting event from all this chaos for me is something that is ready to turn it into a fic I think. Namely the story of Vytautas' escape from Kreva castle with the help of his wife (and, as rumour has it, dressed in her robes) into the Teutonic lands. Ulrich was not yet a grandmaster at the time but I'm sure he was an ambitious man who could use Vytautas' appearance in great need for future potential benefits.

The story of the infamous escape is mentioned in the shortest article on Wikipedia, the one about Anna ;)

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?:
Frankly, I am not that interested in exact dates or historical accuracy. You can even write an AU if you wish, changing who won which battle ;)
What I'd love you to explore is the connection between the characters. Don't Vytautas and Anna act like Lord and Lady Macbeth? Or maybe Ulrich could play a Lancelot's role to the crowned couple?
Alliances and treaties were so often made and broken I'm sure these guys knew each other pretty well. Were they as close as friends or even closer, like enemies? ;))
I included Birute too, because she's a fascinating figure. I think she was already dead at the time of Vytautas' escape to the Teutons but what is fanfiction for if not meddling with the timeline a bit. Besides, she was rumoured to be a witch. I'm sure she could manage to survive somehow.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence):
There is some (not really) incestuous marriage of Vytautas to his second wife after Anna's death that Wikipedia article mentions.
There is a severe religious conflict and pagans are persecuted. Pagans, from their side, may still practice some human sacrifice but it may just be an enemy chronicle writer's propaganda. Either way, you may encounter some gory descriptions in the internet vastness.
There is an uprising and then a war and a lot of people die.

Ulrich dies in the Battle of Grunwald.

The most horrifying event, I think, is the death of Birute who was drowned, at least according to some sources.