yuletide | Yuletide Fandom Promo 2024!

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yuletide fandom promo

Yuletide Fandom Promo 2024!

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!

Cheju has started a spreadsheet for promo! Here's the link!

Here are some areas you can cover:

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

Media:

Approx length:

Where to find it:
(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)

What is it, in summary?:

What do you love about it?:

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?:

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?:

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

(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!

Threaded | Flat

Title: In Nomine

Media: tabletop roleplaying game

Approx length: Very long if you read the whole set of sourcebooks, adventures and splatbooks. Much shorter if you just use the wiki supplemented by a specific book or two (see later).

Where to find it:
There is a useful wiki.

The actual books are all on sale in pdf at Warehouse 23 or drivethrurpg.

What is it, in summary?:

It's a 1990s TTRPG about the cold war between Heaven and Hell. Thee basic conceit is that angels are selfless and work to support the Symphony (God's intent for the world), while demons are selfish and work to support their own individual "tune". There's also a plane where dreams, other deities and beings live. Each angel or demon is defined by their Choir/Band (type of demon) and which Superior (archangel or Prince of Hell) they serve. Lilith, Princess of Freedom, is an odd exception, as a non-demonic Prince of Hell.

Demons or angels who attain "names" (angel of... demon of....) have power that waxes and wanes with the influence of the concept they are named for.

There's a GURPS version and a book on how to adapt it to anime-influenced settings.

What do you love about it?:

The tagline is Good & Evil. Life & Death. Rock & Roll. That's it, really.

It has really fun worldbuilding about the long clash between Heaven and Hell, and how that results in a stalemate/Cold War in the (present - or thirty years ago) day. There is a ton of politics and alliances and betrayals, and throughout it all demons, angels and their human contacts are running around the Earth, pretending to be human and causing havoc. It's a messy, imaginative setting that covers everything from horror to comedy to angst.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?:

Anything about Nybbas, the upstart Demon Prince of Media - former protegee of Vapula, the mad scientist Prince of Technology, and dad to Rex, Demon of Cool. He's a smarmy, sunglasses-wearing gameshow host type of demon, who really "gets" humans and isn't really into the whole old-fashioned War thing, baby. Shipping is not necessary, but m/m ships for him would be welcome.

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?:

What in Hell is In Nomine? from the fandom wiki. Then reading on any interesting Superiors from the wiki. I'm going to be honest here, you can produce a gift to make me at least very happy without venturing off the wiki. But the books are a good read.

Superiors II: Pleasures of the Flesh is where most of the stuff on Nybbas, Rex, and Kobal the Demon Prince of Dark Humour and Andrealphus the Demon Prince of Lust (two of Nybbas's closest associates) lies.

If you want to set a fic in Hell, Revelations III: Heaven and Hell - has most of the Hell worldbuilding, including Nybbas's Principality, Perdition, one of the least awful (it's a matter of scale) areas of Hell to spend eternity.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence):

It's an "edgy" 1990s rpg and has all the crap that comes with that. Expect sexism and unfortunate (racist, homophobic, fatphobic, transphobic, weird about sex workers etc. etc.) implications to keep cropping up. A fair amount of references to rape and pedophilia. Drug references. The Fall of the Malakhim adventure has some particularly dark stuff about an angel turned over to the sadistic whims of demons to punish him for not being harsh enough on the enemy.

Edited 2024-09-15 08:25 (UTC)

Title: Margo's Got Money Troubles - Rufi Thorpe

Media: Contemporary novel

Approx length: About 300 pages in hardcover

Where to find it: Wherever you buy or borrow books

What is it, in summary?:
Margo Millet is twenty years old, a junior college dropout, and after an ill-advised affair with her English professor, pregnant. Absolutely no one thinks she should have the baby, but she's naive enough and tough enough to do it.
Unfortunately, she's also broke and facing eviction when her ex-wrestler father, Jinx, shows up, fresh off a divorce and a stint in rehab. He moves in with Margo and starts helping with childcare, slowly bonding with both Margo and the baby.
In need of quick cash, Margo starts an OnlyFans, and she turns out to have a knack for the weird-but-hot (for instance, she offers a service matching dick pics to Pokemon). Soon, she's mixing in some of Jinx's pro-wrestling techniques to create characters and storylines that bring in a big audience. Margo's correspondence with one fan even becomes authentic and romantic. But when her OnlyFans is outed, she's at risk of losing custody of her son.

What do you love about it?: This book is such a wild and satisfying ride. It's smart, funny, and messy, always coming at mundane problems from weird angles, much like Margo herself does. There are bad decisions and harrowing moments (Margo's mom is not supportive, and there is some public shaming), and the late stage capitalism of it all is awfully real, but the book overall is warm and defiantly hopeful. And the writing is so fresh and honest:

The sadness from the morning didn’t exactly go away; it dried on me and slowly crumbled, leaving me covered in little flakes, like if you eat a glazed donut in a black shirt. That was how it was being a grown-up. We were all moving through the world like that, like those river dolphins that look pink only because they’re so covered in scars.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: I love a complex father-daughter relationship, and Margo and Jinx are so great both individually and as a duo. What's it like if they take the baby to Disneyland? If someone recognizes either or both of them in person? I love Jinx's wrestling war stories and wonder if there are more he could tell Margo, and how she'd react. Or if she's got anger at him that neither of them have faced yet--how do they go on navigating it?
I'm also mildly obsessed with Margo's in-universe writing/performing for OnlyFans, and I'd love to read more of the story of Hungry Ghost, the sexy maybe-alien. What would her backstory be, if Margo was to flesh her story out? Where's her home? What happens if she wanders out into the world?

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.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): drug addiction, including overdose, sex work and shaming about sex work, pregnancy and childbirth, references to sexual assault. Also, POV shifts between first, second, and third person, but it's worth rolling with that.

Edited 2024-09-15 02:23 (UTC)

Title: The School on the Moor - Dorita Fairlie Bruce

Media: Book

Approx length: Short juvenile novel

Where to find it: Public domain (Canada) at The Faded Page

What is it, in summary?: Toby, who has never been to school before, joins the Sixth Form, and is immediately attracted by the "almost boyish" brusque charms of games captain Dorinda. Dorinda, for her part, is best chums with the pretty head girl Jill, who "hardly realized the strength of her friend's affection." Nt to be deterred, Toby makes winning Dorinda's friendship her mission.

Also there's naughty lower formers, an escaped convict and a hunt for the Ark of the Covenant(!)

What do you love about it?:

'The funniest thing is, I believe I like Dorinda the best of the lot.'
'Why is it a funny thing?' demanded Pen/
'Because,' said Toby, with an odd little laugh, 'she can't stand me at any price! Odd, isn't it?'

that curious fascination which drew her, half against her will, and wholly against Dorinda's, towards the games-captain.

'I - I like Dorinda. I don't mind her sharp tongue.'

'I say, Toby, you're rather fond of Dorinda, aren't you?'
Toby made a comical grimace.
'Do you think I've any reason to be? It's a queer thing, Jill, and rather clever of you to have spotted it. I didn't think anyone could have noticed it, for I'm not very sure of it, myself, at times. But there is something frightfully attractive about Dorinda, and I often wish she didn't hate me so.'
Gillian nodded.
'I thought as much!' she said. 'And I'm not sure that she does hate you.'

Yeah. That's why I like it. Intense adolescent yearnings that are obviously supposed to be pure friendship (the author famously created the Anti-Soppist League of schoolgirls standing against "soppy" behaviour like pashes) but are easy to ship, because we can admit lesbians exist now.

It's a lot of fun apart from that, anyway. Dorita Fairlie-Bruce was one of the most popular of the Golden Age of girls' school stories, outsold only by the Queen herself, Angela Brazil, and her books are well-paced and fun. While The School on the Moor sometimes reads like a mid-series book and has some minor character overlap with the Dimsie/Anti-Soppist books, it actually is the start of a new series and the only one set at St. Githa's, so it stands alone very well. Also, it's online in public domain

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Toby/Dorinda.

Toby goes through so many agonies to win Dorinda over, and I think she deserves more than cool friendship.

I'd also be into an angsty triangle of sorts where Toby loves Dorinda, Dorinda loves Jill, and Jill is placidly oblivious.

Gen - canon typical shenanigans

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence):
Two comments that are casually racist and antiSemetic. Period-typical classism.

Title: Nightingale & Courtney series, by Katie Daysh

Media: Novel series (2 novels so far, the third one will come at some point soon). The first book, Leeward, was chosen as the Times' Historical Novel of the Year in 2023.

Approx length: 350 pages each? I read them on my phone's e-reader, so hard to say what they take up in print.

Where to find it: Your library or favourite bookseller!

What is it, in summary?: Age of Sail novel(s) with canonically queer protagonists, age-gap and hurt/comfort. You can read one of them as demi, ace (not aro, though) or gay, with all the trappings of the period. The first novel, Leeward, focuses on Hiram Nightingale, Royal Navy captain who's spent the last two years trying to recover from a naval battle (the battle of the Nile, for those of you who are Napoleonic wars fans) where he lost his very dear best friend in a horrible way, and also some of his sight. When we meet him he is sad and depressed and so duty bound that he's on the edge of falling apart completely, and then he meets his new lieutenant, Arthur Courtney when they get ordered to chase a missing ship that has mutinied somewhere in the Caribbean. The book is a beautiful exploration of Nightingale's trauma and history, and how he attempts to move past it. He is a very hurt man who only wants to do what's right. The second book, The Devil to Pay, is set a couple of years after the end of the first, and focuses much more closely on Courtney's past and present, and his insecurities and desires, as he aims to be seen for more than just his origins.

What do you love about it?: Honestly I'm a sucker for emotional hurt/comfort and the books absolutely deliver on that front. Nightingale goes through the fucking wringer in book 1, and deserves the joy and happiness he's starting, sort of, to get, as the books move along. Courtney, too, deserves a lucky break, and by the time we get to his POV in book 2, he is so clearly in love with his old man Nightingale (Courtney is 25 and Nightingale 40 at the start), and wants only good things for him, and it's really very very sweet. The books have plenty of space for tenderness between them but they're not romance novels, the emphasis is still on the plot, and on the inner workings of the characters. I also loved that Nightingale and his wife are both easy to read as being somewhere on the ace spectrum, if you want to look at things through that lens.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Nightingale being happy, to be honest. The man deserves it. And also an exploration of his marriage, and how that lines up with his relationship with Courtney. Nightingale's wife, Louisa, is very aro/ace coded, so jealousy is not the issue here; I just want to see how they (all three) make it all work, and there's a lot the books haven't told us yet about that, so plenty of space to play there.

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 probably get away with reading book 1 only - book 2 is also great times and moves the relationship between Nightingale and Courtney forward in important ways, but Nightingale is the POV character in the first book, and he does reach a sort of calm by its end (and like, half my prompts are gonna be "fill in this particular gap between books 1 and 2") but obviously reading book 2 means you get to know the characters better. Courtney's angst and problems are the focus of book 2, and they're very different in tone from Nightingale's, and so the flavour of the story changes. Still, I would recommend reading them both.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): The books are set in the early 1800s, and come with all of the period's caveats. Homosexuality was a crime, and the fear of being found out hangs over the plot of the two books; while our heroes make it through relatively unscathed not everyone is so lucky, there's internalised homophobia and physical abuse of secondary characters. There's also some floggings, and mentions of rape to a character who's never on-screen. Nightingale's father is a piece of work, although we only see the worst in quick flashbacks, and there's some catharsis to offset it.

Title: The Village That Slept by Monique P Ladebat

Media: Book

Approx length: ~200 pages

Where to find it: Originally published in 1965, and reprinted in 1980, but the cheapest one on Amazon is 450 bucks. Go read it on the internet archive instead (yes, that's legit -- my library uses them to archive materials) https://archive.org/details/villagethatslept00peyr

What is it, in summary?: The Village That Slept is a children's book, originally written in French, although I read it in English.

It was published in 1965, and was set sometime between the end of World War 2 and then, although no real date is given.

In the story three children are the survivors of a plane crash somewhere high in the Alps. The older two Franz and Lydia, can not remember much more than their names. The youngest one, a baby who looks Chinese, they name Tao after the syllables he is babbling. The area where they crashed has been abandoned -- there are two small villages, but no people. Some animals are still around though, and there is a climbers hut with supplies, so with some hard work and trust in each other, they set about creating a home for themselves. Eventually there is another plane crash, but this time the pilot (who they find and rescue) has sent out a radio message and all of them are discovered by the authorities.

What do you love about it?: As a kid I loved stories where kids did things independent of the grown ups. I also liked survival stories, so this one was (and is) a favorite. I was drawn in originally by the illustrations by Margery Gill, who had illustrated other books I liked, but I kept rereading because I liked the way that Franz and Lydia went about solving each problem as it arose.

(Hm.. Come to think of it, this is probably why I also liked The Martian.)

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: The book elides over some of the time so missing scenes would be nice, or a what happens next type story. A problem solving event would also be good. This is definitely one of the times I'd like something canonish, although I'd also really enjoy something which looks at the reaction of the world (and the children's parents) when they are finally rescued.

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

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): amnesia, plane crashes, maybe some old fashioned vocabulary about Tao, but I haven't reread it recently enough to be sure.

Title: The Hidden Almanac

Media: podcast

Approx length: complete at 893 episodes which sounds intimidating, but they're all between 3-5 minutes in length, so we end up at a still respectable but more manageable roughly 60 hours.

Where to find it: available for free on most podcast websites, also here on the official site (can be downloaded for offline listening) https://hiddenalmanac.com/

What is it, in summary?: it's a narrative fiction podcast with a limited cast, penned by Ursula Vernon/T. Kingfisher, starring Kevin Sonney as Reverend Mord with (first occasional, later very frequent) guest appearances of Ursula Vernon as Pastor Drom.
Reverend Mord is a plague doctor with a garden, a degree in hagiography (the study of saints) and a regular radio programme in which he gives his listeners gardening tips, general advice, and tells little stories about the Saint of the Day.
This pleasant life of his is occasionally disrupted by foolish interns, eldritch horrors, cursed animals, the undead, apocalypsae, and - worst of all - Pastor Drom, a miracle worker who is the social butterfly to Mord's reclusive scarab beetle, frequently guest-stars on his radio programme, drinks a lot of tequila, suspects Mord is not quite human under that plague doctor mask, and drags him out on an ill-advised adventure now and then. Mord would swear under oath that he really doesn't like her... but I suspect he would be lying.
There is also George, who is A Very Good Crow, and beloved by all for this.

What do you love about it?: The worldbuilding, first of all. There's a strong dark fantasy vibes to all the supernatural aspects of it, lots of gothic and supernatural horror, but there's also a great deal of absurdity and comedy, and People Being People in the face of the supernatural. Despite The Horrors, this is a very cosy podcast, Mord's droning voice is very soothing, and for all that he is overall grumpy, he also has a deep love for nature and humanity that really comes across the longer you listen. Also, his dynamic with Drom is frankly delightful, she's a really great contrast, I love their bickering and their friendship, and the ways they care for each other really very deeply. I don't want to spoil the ending here, but let's just say, I love that very much as well, it's excellently done.
I also enjoy the format, the little bite-sized bits of radio segment, and how they slowly start forming longer interconnected storylines as time goes on. It's such fun to start recognising callbacks or recurring themes, and it's amazing when the episodic format slowly starts to shift into a bigger, more adventure-y story arc - but the podcast always goes back to those cosy individual bits in-between. Also, if you binge it, it's kind of lovely to follow the changing of the seasons from back when the podcast was published through Mord's garden updates...

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: possibly something post-canon, perhaps a bit more worldbuilding, very likely something more about Mord and Drom's relationship, be that platonically, romantically, sexually, whateverally - I just want to see more of them!

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 definitely can get a feeling for Mord's narrative voice, the general format, and the atmosphere/humour of the podcast by just listening to the first handful of episodes, or just picking a few random ones.
Drom's first appearance is in the episode from June 16th, 2014, which, with the following episodes on the 18th, 20th, and 23rd, should do a good job of introducing her.
There is a lot of Mord's backstory, as well as relationship building, plus establishing the setting for post-canon fic, in the final few episodes, starting from August 19th, 2019, until the last on September 13th, 2019 (totalling 12 episodes).
So, if you're really pressed for time, you could cover these bare essentials in under 2h. However, due to the many callbacks, indirect characterisation/casual worldbuilding and instances of strange supernatural logic that won't make that much sense without context, for personal enjoyment I would listen to it all chronologically.
There's also a wiki, though it's somewhat incomplete: https://thehiddenalmanac.fandom.com/wiki/The_Hidden_Almanac_Wiki

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): there are liberal mentions of gore, violence, and horror; in particular a good number of the saints Mord talks about get martyred more or less gruesomely. Also, Drom has a bit of an alcohol problem (much tequila). Insects also get mentioned quite frequently, though I don't believe there are any sound effects to indicate their presence. There's one bigger arc that rests heavily on nonconsensual mind manipulation and cult themes. On occasion, unnamed side characters/interns are in serious peril, get harmed, or even die, which is however treated more comically.

Content warnings (placed first due to image links): graphic gore

Title: Valentine Dragons Art Sleeves - Dragon Shield

Media: Art

Approx length: five images

Where to find it: 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024.

What is it, in summary?: It's the love story of two dragons, one black and the other white. They meet by the shores of a beautiful river and sparks fly! They go to a solstice festival together! They get engaged! They get married! They murder the shit out of every human they meet and eat the bodies!

What do you love about it?: I'm a sucker for "they're so awful, they make each other worse, they're a menace to everyone around them, but they love each other and they're so happy together". I also like the recreation of classic romantic tropes - this was Valentine's Day merchandise, after all - with the very literally violent subversion.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: I'd love to see some fragments of their relationship that aren't shown in here - if the dragon courting process is supposed to last "longer than most humans live", we can't be looking at the whole thing. Alternately, further adventures of Black Dragon and White Dragon. What do they do for anniversaries? What are their children like?

Title:
琴師 - 音頻怪物 | A Stringed Instrument Player - Yīnpín Guàiwu (Music Video)

Media: Music Video

Approx length: 5 minutes

Where to find it:
link to the video with English lyric translation :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_M1mX3bOaTA

Link to the video with the original Chinese lyric
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4VcBCE-8fU

What is it, in susmmary?: A bittersweet gay love song about the romance between a war captive qin player and a surprisingly kind enemy court guard. At the end, the captive is released and they are forced to separate.

What do youand love about it?: It packs a lot of feeling for the romance: tender care, unexpected mercy, angst, and the captive's complex feeling about the captivity

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Shippy fics

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

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): none

Title: Death and Other Details (TV
Media: TV
Approx length: 10 episodes (one season)
Where to find it: Hulu!

What is it, in summary?: This is a ridiculous murder mystery TV show set on a luxury cruise ship full of horrible rich people! It aired on Hulu this winter, but was cancelled after only one season, which is too bad because it is very fun if you like murder mysteries and watching rich people suffer.

What do you love about it?: It's so fun! I really enjoyed the combo of washed-up detective Rufus Cotesworth (Mandy Patinkin) and our 20-something heroine Imogene (Violett Beane) who is out for revenge and to find out who murdered her mother. There are lots of twists and turns and secrets, plus many messy relationships (including Imogene's love-triangle-that-should-be-a-threesome with Sunil and Jules), some of which are queer (like Leila and Anna's dissolving marriage)!

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: The show ends with all the people who don't suck (which is not most of them, to be clear) teaming up in a way that screams polycule to me, and I want to know what they do next! Since the show got cancelled, I'd definitely be interested in post-show case fic! But I think it would also be fun to play around during the scope of canon, and I DO think that a) that love triangle should be a threesome and b) Leila and Teddy should kiss.

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?: It's a pretty tight 10-episode mystery, so unfortunately not really. But it's only 10 episodes!

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): Murder! So much murder. Also some torture, violence, and gore.

Edited 2024-09-15 19:52 (UTC)

Title: Fall for Autumn (Switzerland Tourism Commercial)
Media: YouTube Commercial
Approx length: 1:52 (only two minutes of canon!)
Where to find it: YouTube

What is it, in summary?: A commercial for Switzerland?! To be honest, I don't even know. A friend linked me to this last week and I was immediately like, "THIS IS A YULETIDE FANDOM." The summary on YouTube says: "All Roger Federer wants to do is make a film about the beautiful autumn in Switzerland with the actor Mads Mikkelsen. But Mads is taking his preparation in the Swiss countryside perhaps a little too seriously..."

What do you love about it?: It is SO FUNNY. Also I am obsessed with the idea of Roger Federer having a huge crush on Mads Mikkelsen. The implication does seem to be that they fall in love with nature...AND EACH OTHER.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Sex in the woods, clearly.

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?: It is only 2 minutes long!

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): Nope!

Title: Belladonna Melodrama - Charming Disaster (Song)

Media: Song

Approx length: 5min 21s

Where to find it: Charming Disaster on Bandcamp

What is it, in summary?: Belladonna Melodrama tells the story of Alexander and Isabella, two lovers immersed in intrigue and danger from the plans of mysterious secret societies conspiring in the shadows for unknown nefarious purposes. The narrative builds suspense until a melodramatic climax that spells tragedy for the star-crossed couple.

What do you love about it?: I love, well, the melodrama. The building suspense without really knowing why all this is happening, the realization that some people are more involved in the conspiracies than they first let on, the tension that develops between the lovers, the heart-breaking denoument... It's an intense story in a 5-minute song.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: I'd love to see backstory: exploration of how Isabella and Alexander first found each other, what Alexander's father shared or kept secret from Alexander while on his deathbed, how involved Isabella may have been in that, how much Isabella knew/what her true motivations and feelings were... I think it would be best in the spirit of the song not to definitively answer too much about the conspiracies and the goals of the organizations behind them, but I'd love to see more about the characters' own beliefs and emotions and drives while being manipulated by those in control of the secrets within secrets.

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?: Nope, it's just the one song.

Content warnings: Conspiracies, murder, violence, betrayal

Title: The Old Kingdom series - Garth Nix

Media: Novel series
Approx length: 5 books total: A standalone first book, with two sequels forming a trilogy, and two other sequels, written much later, as a connected pair (rec focuses on the first three, as the other two are separate/have a lot of later setting drift). + a couple of short stories

Where to find it: Bookstores/libraries! Your libby/library app will probably have them

What is it, in summary?:
A series of fantasy novels set at the boundaries between two colliding universes, Ancelstierre, resembling mostly-mundane 1910s England, and the Old Kingdom, a magical version of Scotland hundreds of years earlier. The first book follows Sabriel, a young woman raised in an ordinary girls' boarding school, who must take up her father's role suppressing the malicious spirits of the dead and return to the Old Kingdom to fight the genocidal schemes of a dead sorcerer. The second and third books take place a decade later and follow Lirael, who teaches herself strange and dangerous magic while trying to understand why she never developed the prophetic skills of all her relatives, and eventually embarks on her own quest to suppress the Dead and restore the balance of magic.

What do you love about it?:
A really vividly-written and unusual fantasy world with fun and strange details, occupied by two very real and grounded female protagonists. Both Sabriel and Lirael are simultaneously very strange and very realistic people

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?:
Worldbuilding about political structures or reconstruction in the Old Kingdom, about the Library where Lirael works. Stories about Sabriel and/or Lirael, including character studies, canon divergence AUs where they meet earlier or have different adventures, or stories about their postcanon lives.

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?:
Sabriel, the first book, is entirely standalone and a roughly standard-size YA/adult fantasy novel. I would certainly be delighted with fanwork only focusing on Sabriel characters/settings, and it captures the most interesting and unusual details about the world without a need to refer to the later books.

Edited 2024-09-15 23:28 (UTC)

Title: Lavender Jack

Media: Webcomic

Approx length: 124 chapters

Where to find it: The complete story is available on Webtoon.

What is it, in summary?:
"All those sinners who've grown rich from a thousand little thefts, who stand tall on a thousand broken backs… If they are to be the heroes of their own sordid little stories, let us forever be their villains."

The city of Gallery! A tiny city-state in Europe that stands at the vanguard of the dawning twentieth century. Its science, diversity, and wealth eclipse all others… but it's also held in the clutches of a corrupt elite, enriching themselves at the expense of the common folk. But what of this masked man who's been terrorizing the rich and powerful? Dressed as a grinning devil, capable of great feats of acrobatics, able to make lamps or pistols explode with a snap of his fingers, he effortlessly steals evidence of their crimes and leaks it to the press, bringing ruin to the powerful and justice to their victims.

To bring down this villain known only as 'Lavender Jack,' the mayor of Gallery calls in the worlds greatest detective, Theresa Ferrier. Though past her prime, Madame Ferrier is still a mind to be reckoned with. With Chief Inspector Honoria Crabb at her side, there's little doubt that she'll be able to track down Lavender Jack. But will he be able to elude her long enough to achieve his aims, whatever they may be? And when they come face to face, will she chose the law, or justice?

Lavender Jack is an adventure story drawing on both superhero stylings and older heroes, villains, detectives, and phantom thieves: Zorro, Tarzan, Fantomas, the Count of Monte Cristo, Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot. (The premise, in fact, has been described as 'What if Bertie Wooster were a bi Black man — and also Batman?')

What do you love about it?: It's an excellent story, first and foremost. Dan Schkade is a master of the art of crafting comics — the pacing is brisk and engaging, the story is layered and nuanced without ever getting too bogged down in itself, the characters are all likable (or hateable — or both!), and it comes to a satisfying conclusion for each season. The art, too, is amazing — Schkade cut his teeth working on an homage to Will Eisner, and he evidently learned a lot from it. (The colorist, Jenn Manley Lee, also deserves a lot of credit, with her beautiful pallet for the series drawing a lot on turn-of-the-century art.)

The representation is almost effortless. Schkade mentioned he designed several characters to be the sort of people he wouldn't be able to draw working for anyone else, and so we get people like Teresa Ferrier: tall, butch, bald, Black, muscular, quite elderly, not at all pretty, and deeply in love with her wife. Of the main characters, more are female than male, more are of color than White, all of them are at least implicitly (and usually explicitly) queer in some way. There's gay, lesbian, bi, trans, and ace representation throughout the story.

But basically, it's a story that sucked me in from page one, and didn't let go of me until I was finished. I love the characters, I love the world, I love the mysteries the characters try to solve, I love the ups and downs of the story, and while it came to a satisfying conclusion, I can't help but want more of everything.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: I'd definitely lean towards the shipping for this one, either the canonical relationship between Teresa Ferrier and her wife Marguerite, or the implied possible post-canon attraction between Ducky and Crabb.

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 'season,' which covers the first 48 comics, would be enough to get a good understanding of Teresa and Marguerite, and their relationship. Anything shippy between Ducky and Crabb would probably require reading through to the end, since a lot of their closeness pops up closer to the finale. However, there is a recap chapter right before season three that summarizes the entire story to date — not quite as good as reading through the whole thing, but it should be enough to get by with.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): Some noteworthy violence, some with lasting consequences, such as scarring or hearing loss, as well as death. One of the villains engages in what are essentially terrorist attacks, destroying buildings and killing the people within. The setting is largely free of trans- or homophobia, as well as racism or sexism, but the queer characters do take their share of the damage when violence breaks out, and one queer love interest is killed off in the backstory to motivate a protagonist. Another character is suffering from a brain tumor that puts her in a dementia-like state. Mental illness of various forms does come up, and is sometimes preyed upon by the villains.

Title: We Can Be Heroes (2020)

Media: Movie

Length: 1 Hour 40 Minutes

Where to find it: Netflix!

What it is, in summary:
We Can Be Heroes is a children's movie about (approximately) middle school aged superheroes racing to stop an alien invasion. The ensemble cast are all the children of famous superheroes, and as the next generation, it is up to them to take up their parents' responsibilities and save the day.

What I love about it:
The main team of kid superheroes are absolutely the strongest part of the movie. While most characters are built off of general 'gimmicks' (both with their powers and their personalities), they are well written and their friendships with each other are just as good. It is possible to read a surprising amount of depth into some of the characters who get less screentime, and every time I rewatch the movie I notice a cute background interaction between the kids that I hadn't before.

The movie is also amazing at fulfilling its job as a work for children. The worldbuilding, plot, and the way the kid cast drive the story onward, were all written to reflect what a kid's world might look like. On top of that, all of these elements, and by extension the kids watching the movie, are taken completely seriously. It may be a kid's world, but no part of it feels insincere; in fact, this movie feels sincere in a way I feel children's movies often aren't allowed to be. It's filled to the brim with a wonderful sort of charm, and it can be unabashedly cheesy at times, but it's a fun watch even if you're over 18.

If you're looking for some good fun, this is your movie. If you're looking for something wholly serious, then it won't be. That being said, there IS some fun angst in this movie. Other moments of angst or layers of depth can be read into most aspects of the work, even the ones that come off as goofy. If you love to extrapolate based on limited canon material and read into minor details, then you'll have a blast like I did.

What sort of things I'm likely to request for it:
I'm likely to request gen content between nominated characters, focusing on their dynamics with each other after the conclusion of the movie's events, OR before the movie's canon. I'm also likely to ask for something focused on how the kids' powers (or lack thereof) impact who they are as people.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfill my requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?:
I highly recommend watching the movie in full. For each character and dynamic there are so many small moments throughout the movie's runtime that splitting them up by character would not do any of it many favors. The movie is extremely compact and every moment is filled with SOMETHING.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence):
There are no serious content warnings like ones you might find in a movie targeted towards older kids, but there are some odd moments I feel I should warn for. Namely:
-The kid in the wheelchair is called Wheels. Yes, it's ridiculous that they named the character this. Yes, every other character is named for something unique about them. No, I am not saying that makes it okay (it is not my place to say for sure whether it is or isn't). In my opinion, the character is well written and fun to watch, and makes major contributions to the team.
-The ending to the movie might have you furiously trying to pick apart some plot holes. Sorry in advance. Though I cannot stress enough how enjoyable the movie is despite this.

Title: The Roads to Freedom

Media: TV

Approx length: 13 episodes

Where to find it: Online or contact me via my Dreamwidth page.

What is it, in summary?: A BBC production from 1970 that’s based on the trilogy of novels by Jean-Paul Sartre. It showcases the lives of various people in Paris right at the start of WWII (1938-1940).

What do you love about it?: I like how character-driven it is. It’s a very bleak show, and also realistic. Very philosophical. A lot of what is shown was radical for its time (homosexuality, frank discussion about abortion, sexual assault).

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: I am requesting Ivich and Claude. Claude only appears for two episodes (5 and 9), but he leaves an indelible impression on Ivich that, unfortunately, was not followed up on after his character’s last episode (although their relationship’s fate was briefly discussed at the start of episode 10). I would love a story that touches on the aftermath of episode nine, and how their relationship continued.

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?: Although Claude only appears in episode 5 and 9, I would say that, to understand Ivich’s character, you should watch everything from 1-10. Claude doesn’t appear in episode 10, but he is relevant in terms of Ivich’s life and should also be watched.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): Rape appears in episode 9. There are various episodes and scenes that depict typical WWII-era violence on the battlefield.

Edited 2024-09-16 13:21 (UTC)

Title: Brides of Chance Creek Series - Cora Seton (also fondly known as the Issued to the Bride series)

Media: Series of novels

Approx length: Six not-super-long books, all in a series but each somewhat stand-alone!

Where to find it: Here on Amazon, for one; I found them all on the ebook service Libby through my library as well!

What is it, in summary?: A series of contemporary western arranged-marriage military-adjacent romance novels... with magic! There's a lot going on there, I know. Basically, we have the General, who has been an absentee father to his five daughters since the death of his beloved wife a decade+ ago, choosing to send them caretakers and nannies as they grew up running semi-wild on his wife's Montana ranch instead of being there himself. The daughters are now all in their 20s and have gotten into trouble when some of the men the General sent to run the ranch instead of allowing his (very smart and capable!) daughters to run it themselves turn out to be rapscallions, scalawags, and generally nefarious individuals, as well as the daughters tending to fall in love with Bad Boys who are bad for them, so the General hatches a cleverly evil scheme in which he will gather up a troop of guys from various military branches who are all in some kid of trouble and blackmail/coerce them into going to his ranch, seducing his semi-estranged daughters, and marrying them in order to get the right kind of men into the family to help run the ranch.

What do you love about it?: I'm actually really fond of the whole series at this point; the women of Two Willows Ranch are spunky and individually interesting and the relationships among all the sisters + the oldest sister's best friend are great, the military guys are mostly your average romance-novel-male-lead jerks but they mostly shape up by the end of their books and I love the camaraderie among them, some of the romances are touching, the smut is good. It's fun! But my interest in the series lies almost entirely in the sixth book, Issued to the Bride: One Sergeant for Christmas, which focuses on the General's handsome and devoted young aide and right-hand man, Sergeant Emerson Myers, and how in love with his General this lonely orphaned woobie is and how he just wants to serve him and stay with him and be his man forever.

Okay, the book is not ABOUT that, but it almost is! Really, the General is very attached to his aide and wants to give him a share in the ranch after they both get injured and are probably going to have to retire from Army, but he's out of daughters to marry off to military guys, so he decides that Emerson must marry his oldest daughter Cass's best friend Wyoming, who is staying at the ranch and is similarly lonely, orphaned and woobie and in need of a place to call home (incidentally, Cass and Wye also love each other with deep intensity that may or may not be romantic if you read it that way!). The book is nominally about Emerson and Wye's romance and the obstacles they have to overcome on the way to the altar, but it's striking to me how non-centered their actual relationship is compared to Emerson's relationship with the General and Wye's with Cass.

(Oh, and did I mention the magic yet? Each of the daughters has a magical gift, inherited from their mother, who could see the future and whose advice the General still relies on, as she wrote him a whole box full of future-dated letters before she died to give him her perspective on what's going on with their kids. There's also a magical standing stone at the center of a hedge maze that predicts the future and may or may not be possessed by the spirit of the dead mother; unclear, but what is clear is that every couple in the books has semi-public sex against the standing stone at least once because... the magic compels them? It's, uh, something. (I love it. I need it for General/Emerson.))

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: General/Emerson, anything! I love their relationship so much and I yearn for any kind of fic, whether it's backstory or something going on during or after the events of the fic. There's so much potential to take this in any direction from mutual silent pining, to a 'they were actually together all along!' reveal, or anything else.

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! I read the sixth book first without reading any of the others, and while it wasn't completely standalone (the magic stuff in particular and the thing with the dead wife's letters came as a big confusing surprise to me), it was mostly fine! If you want a little background you could probably read the first part of the first book, which sets up the General's scheme and introduces most of the characters; the General is present at the beginning of each book, and Emerson has brief appearances in the first four and then a slightly larger but still minor part in the fifth, but their main appearances are in the sixth book and I think you could get all the relevant plot and characterization just from that one. (If you're more interested in Cass and Wye, both of them appear throughout the series; Cass's book is the first one, and Wye has major roles in books five and six, but I definitely got enough to ship them just from the sixth book!)

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): Plenty of romance-novel sex (all het), some mild violence, some threats of sexual violence (not in the sixth book, though), military and war themes and references.

Title: The Goes Wrong Show

Media: TV show (but also in a sense recordings of theatre plays)

Approx. length: 2 seasons with 6 half-hour episodes each, totalling 6 hours.
There are also two longer plays in the same universe that would amount to 2h more, and a 2h radio segment, for supplemental watching/listening (more on that later).

Where to find it: BBC iPlayer has both seasons (and also the two supplemental plays), I believe you can also get the show on DVD, the radio segment is a bit harder to find. Please feel free to contact me on Tumblr (https://www.tumblr.com/blog/wyvernquill) if you need help with any of it!

What is it, in summary?: This show follows the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society (fictional, portrayed by the Mischief Theatre group) and showcases their brave attempts to put on even a single successful play - all of which inevitably go wrong because they’re all rubbish at acting, and even beyond that the universe quite plainly conspires against them. Each week, the Drama Society puts on a different play, and each week, it goes catastrophically and *hilariously* wrong - but, well, the show must go on, and maybe there’s at least some Family to be Found in this never-ending stage purgatory.
It’s very much an ensemble cast show, and each episode puts different characters to the foreground. Here’s a quick round-up of them, which may be helpful for a first watch, since all of them are constantly ‘in-character’ (or trying to be) as their roles in any given play, and therefore rarely get addressed with their actual names:
- Chris Bean, the director, a perfectionist with a short temper who gets increasingly desperate the more things go wrong
- Robert Grove, the lead actor (he insists), who has a weird obsession with Chris and tries to steal every scene by being the loudest in it
- Sandra Wilkinson, the lead actress (genuinely), who is dating Max and tries to steal every scene by being the hottest in it
- Max Bennet, dating Sandra, nepobaby who got them this broadcast because his aunt runs the BBC, eternally smiling, just *so* happy to be here, easily drops out of character
- Dennis Tyde, really bad at remembering his lines, just generally really bad at everything, usually has to play animals and inanimate objects
- Annie Twilloil, down for anything, throws herself into every role body and soul and easily overdoes it, lots of fun costumes and quite a bit of crossdressing
- Vanessa Wilcock-Wynn-Carroway, intense anxiety, really bad at improv, gets lost every time someone else derails the play
- Jonathan Harris, never manages to enter a scene
- Trevor Watson, stage manager, should not be made to act, always there to fix whatever has gone wrong with the props or set *now*, though half the time it’s probably his own fault

What do you love about it?: frankly, it’s just really, *really* funny. I love the humour of it, all the various minor and major disasters the cast has to fight their way through, and how each play eventually descends into chaos - but at the same time, I also love how they’re all in this together, and those moments of camaraderie and joy when they’ve *somehow* managed to make their way through a difficult scene. It’s messy student theatre at its finest, and while the slapstick humour is of course in the foreground of it all, I also really like the more implicit characterisation of the whole cast and their individual dynamics with each other, how they’re all flawed people in their own right, and only get worse when put together… but also, there’s clearly a lot of fondness between them all, or they wouldn’t keep acting in this group.
I particularly like Chris, whose actor (also one of the writers) once said about him “I always imagine that he must be having a very painful personal life”, which offers a lot of subtle emotional hurt/comfort potential, but also somehow explains a lot about why he is the way he is, and tries so desperately to rule the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society with an iron fist… also, his dynamic with Robert, who is an utterly fascinating (derogatory) character himself, is just delightful. There’s something there, and that “something” might just be petty rivalry, or might be something more - in either case, I think it might help if they angrily made out over it.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: I really enjoy the antagonistic rivalry-obsession between Chris and Robert, so probably ship content for them, though I also love the whole cast and the general humour of a play going wrong, so some ensemble cast gen or focus on one or more of the other characters would be great, too! Sometimes I also wonder about what their lives would be like ‘post-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?: For ensemble cast purposes, the final two episodes of s2, The Cornley Drama Festival Part 1 and 2, are probably ideal for highlighting each individual cast member, their personal interests, and why they’re so horribly bad at acting. Each member of the troupe gets to put on their own play/acting masterclass/improv workshop/etc., and we get a great deal more of them being ‘out of character’, i.e. being themselves instead of playing a role in a play.
For a spotlight on Robert, and his dynamic with Chris, the s2 episode “Summer Once Again” is probably ideal.
If you are willing to dip into the supplemental material, Peter Pan Goes Wrong and A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong (the two longer plays) both showcase a lot of ‘behind-the-scenes’ relationship drama among the whole cast, and Christmas Carol in particular strongly highlights Chris and his personality/motivations. The radio segment, The Christmas That Goes Wrong, is great once more for Chris/Robert purposes, but also for them (and Dennis, and Jonathan) individually.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): various depictions of injuries on stage, on occasion some blood, though as a rule the characters are always fine in the end. If you are very sensitive to second-hand embarrassment this might not be the show for you, though ymmv - I tend to get uncomfortable quickly, but was perfectly fine watching this series.

Title: Dot

Media: episodic radio comedy

Approx. length: 13 half-hour episodes (3 seasons of 4, plus the pilot), plus one 45min special (Dot and the Russian Dossier), so around 7h in total

Where to find it: can be purchased on Amazon or Audible, you can also message me on Tumblr (https://www.tumblr.com/blog/wyvernquill) if you need help finding it!

What is it, in summary?: a radio comedy by Ed Harris about Dorothy, nicknamed Dot, a secretary in the Cabinet War Rooms during WW2, and her (female) colleagues.
In her attempts to make herself useful to the war effort, and also perhaps earn a medal or two, Dot stumbles her way through various schemes (none of which ever really seem to work out for her), bosses around her friends/underlings Myrtle and Peg (Pearl in the pilot), and enjoys a healthy (mildly homoerotic) rivalry with snotty fellow secretary Millicent.

What do you love about it?: I generally enjoy a good historical sitcom, Blackadder is one of my favourites, and this feels *very* similar in vibe - except with a mostly-female cast (some of whom really feel very, uh, *directly inspired* by Blackadder characters tbh.)
Overall, I just love how all these ladies are weird, selfish, useless, and often horrible to each other in the most comedic fashion, and the sometimes-absurd humour of it all. The historically-inspired plots/references are also always delightful, and sometimes, when you least expect it, there’s a surprisingly raw and genuine moment of acknowledging the horrors of war and/or being a woman in mid-20th-century Britain tucked away in there…

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: femslash! Most probably Dot/Millicent, because I enjoy their rivalry with poorly concealed romantic-sexual tension underneath - though I’d also be quite open to general comedic shenanigans with these characters.

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 think just the pilot episode could give you a feeling for most of the main characters and the general humour - I can also recommend The Astonishing Adventures of Agent Whiff-Whaff (s1ep1) for Dot having a bit of a lesbian crisis over a rather butch female pilot, and London Can Take it (s3ep4) for Dot and Millicent sniping at each other throughout and very good characterisation of them both individually and their dynamic together.
Overall, as the format is quite episodic and there is only limited continuity, it’s definitely not necessary to listen to the whole series to write for it.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): general warnings for “this is set during WW2” (some scenes of air raids and bombing, some references to male relatives dying), and some of the period-typical British attitudes cropping up (though mostly in a way that clearly parodies them), in particular rampant classism.

Title: The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August

Media: book

Approx. length: 400 pages

Where to find it: should be available anywhere you can buy books!

What is it, in summary?: A novel by Claire North about individuals who live their lifetimes over and over. The book follows, as the title suggests, the first fifteen lives of one Harry August, how he comes to realise what he is, how he learns more about this secret society of sort-of-timetravelers he is a part of, and how he met Vincent Rankis, a man Harry finds himself fascinated by, but who also may or may not be bringing about the end of the world sooner and sooner…

What do you love about it?: I found myself really drawn in by the very personal and intimate narration of Harry’s lives, and fascinated by the glimpses we get through his POV of the larger society of these functionally-immortal people. In many places this book is very tragic, and there is something bittersweet to how time and existence work for Harry, how the way he views other people shifts the more often he lives the same life again.
And then, of course, there’s Vincent. The way Harry describes his relationship with him has something repressed and unreliable, while also being oddly intimate - there’s some measure of attraction and kinship there, as much as Harry might not want to acknowledge this, and deliberately sets himself apart from Vincent in his narration. They’ve done horrible things to each other, and yet… And Yet.
Also, there’s some measure of attempted (Vincent doesn’t know it failed, and Harry does his best to not let on) memory erasure, and the identity porn/subterfuge resulting from that is just *delicious*.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: I find the relationship between Harry and Vincent fascinating on various levels, so probably something shippy, but would also just generally enjoy something from Vincent’s perspective - Harry is a rather unreliable narrator, after all, and we never truly know what is happening in Vincent’s head. So I’d love a missing canon scene, a post-canon scenario, pre-canon Vincent, or a canon scene from Vincent’s POV…

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?: it’s *really* not ideal to read only parts, as the narrative tends to jump and circle around, this is a book best enjoyed in its entirety - however, if absolutely necessary, the final fifty pages (starting from Chapter 74) mmmmight suffice to fulfil my request? Chapters 52-58 (~40 pages) also provide a great deal of context as the lowest point of Vincent and Harry’s relationship.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): this is a rather dark book - it’s also been a while since I last read it in full, so please take this as an incomplete list.
There are obviously multiple deaths, violence, and severe injuries suffered by Harry August himself or other characters in the narrative (this includes some suicides). Furthermore, there’s attempted mind manipulation/gaslighting, attempts to nonconsensually remove memories, torture of the protagonist, and terminal illness, both the cancer that frequently ends Harry’s life, and once, towards the end, by radiation poisoning which is quite vividly described. At the very beginning of the book, Harry also briefly recounts the rape of his mother.

Title: John Finnemore's Double Acts

Media: radio comedy anthology

Approx. length: 12 half-hour episodes, 6h in total

Where to find it: Audible, Amazon, you can order it as a CD box set…

What is it, in summary?: a comedic radio series penned by John Finnemore (probably best known for Cabin Pressure), each episode featuring only two main characters, played by two new actors each time. In the first season, all individual stories are (very loosely) interconnected, in the second season this is no longer the case. From a psychologist teaching a businessman to imagine tigers, over an old woman giving a con man a lift, or Queen Victoria letting a recording of her voice be made, to the intricacies of British-Danish diplomacy… this series has it all!

What do you love about it?: Finnemore is just brilliant at writing radio comedy, and there are some truly amazing comedic actors involved in this, too. Each episode introduces you to new characters, and by the end of the episode you’re guaranteed to love them dearly (or sometimes love to hate them) - many episodes are also built up very cleverly, where the full extent of the situation only gradually starts unravelling the longer you listen. And if you don’t like one episode’s setting or characters, the next one will be about something entirely different!

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: most likely an extension of the Penguin Diplomacy episode, featuring a Danish eccentric and a British governor who meet on a windswept little island rather close to the antarctic in 1948, and develop a strange, heartfelt friendship over chess, divorcing penguins, and international power struggles. The ship potential is obvious, and I love how the two communicate (or fail to communicate), so something post-canon, a missing scene, or anything else with similar vibes between these characters - perhaps an AU transferring their circumstances into a different context? Modern AU? Scifi AU? - would be delightful to me.

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?: Obviously, to fulfil my request, only listening to Penguin Diplomacy would be entirely sufficient. (I have also only nominated those two characters, please let me know if you would like someone else to be added.) Beyond that, I recommend English for Pony-Lovers and The Goliath Window, which are my personal top 3 episodes of the show together with Penguin Diplomacy.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): nothing substantial. One episode briefly references homophobic attitudes (The Rebel Alliance), Penguin Diplomacy very briefly and indirectly hints at war trauma, and The Goliath Window references amputation of a limb while at sea (and possibly unknowingly eating it), but it’s all very blink-and-you-miss-it.

Title: SBI Rust
Media: Web video
Approx length: N/A (mostly lost)
Where to find it: Canon is mostly lost, here is a video about the characters I nominated: https://youtu.be/lLgNNeUTq5c?si=E3Yoy0bVb1vLHrAh

What is it, in summary?: Livestreamed roleplay series set in the game Rust, streamers play characters in a post-apocalyptic world setting. There's conflict between the two main groups - the Dome Cult, a group who found a giant dome-shaped building and worship it, and Fort Kickass, a small group of cannibals.

What do you love about it?: Fort Kickass are extremely interesting to me, particularly Krinios who maintains the belief that what he's doing doesn't make him evil and doesn't like people he considers evil despite being a cannibal prone to random violence. The three form a sort of dysfunctional family unit with Tubbo as their kid, but all three gleefully consume their own and each other's bodies after respawn.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Just things looking into Fort Kickass as characters, there's no fic centered on them and only one where they appear at all and I've been fascinated by them since the series was still going in 2021. I also like shippy Krinios/Hycei :)

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 whole canon doesn't exist anymore anyways. All that's left for Fort Kickass is the Krinios video (and maybe a Tubbo video or two if he has any).

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): Video game violence, cannibalism, cults

Edited 2024-09-16 15:44 (UTC)

Title: SDMP | Sleep Deprived SMP

Media: Web video, livestreamed

Approx length: N/A

Where to find it: Highlight videos and VODs are on YouTube

What is it, in summary?: Spiritual successor to SMPLive, has the same wacky improvised sitcom energy but with modded Minecraft instead of vanilla. Very gay and very silly.

What do you love about it?: It features a lot of people I really enjoy, and has a lot of fun dynamics in it. I really love Traves, Hunter and Krinios, and Yahi.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Almost certainly gen, but might include worldbuilding. Very cracky goodness.

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?: Everyone has their own content for their POV. Yahi, Traves and Krinios have all their VODs on YouTube.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): N/A!

Title: 赠答诗 | Poems Composed in Reply - 金车美人 (弘农) | Beautiful Woman in a Golden Carriage (Hong Nong)

Media: Very short story with poetry (~450 characters/~550 words in translation)

Where to find it: Original is at https://zh.wikisource.org/zh-hans/御定全唐詩_(四庫全書本)/卷866#金車美人, and my translation is at https://larryhammer.dreamwidth.org/796115.html#hongnong. There are alternate versions of this story in Extensive Records of the Taiping Era at https://ctext.org/taiping-guangji/364/xieao/ens and Xuanshi Records at https://zh.wikisource.org/zh-hans/宣室志/補遺#謝翱, neither of which AFAIK aren’t translated anywhere.

What is it, in summary?: A short romance of Tang Dynasty China where one of the couple happens to be a ghost, or at least some sort of non-human. (In Complete Tang Poetry, it’s in a chapter of poems by ghosts, but the Extensive Records of the Taiping Era version is put in tales about 妖怪, monsters/devils.) Poems are exchanged after a one-night stand that neither can forget, and after being reunited (exchanging more poems) they spend a few nights together until the ghost “vanished in both sight and sound.”

What do you love about it?: It’s enigmatic, even by the standards of ghost stories of the time. Why is Hong Nong interested in Xie Ao and his peonies? Why does she have to vanish? What’s with the golden carriage? What type of being is she anyway? Plus I love her sass when they meet: “He naturally asked who she was, and she replied, ‘You understand I’m not human, yet calmly ask such a question?’”

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: More about the enigmatic Hong Nong of the Crooked Path. Answers to any of the above questions.

Content warnings: major character death

The other stories in that translation post (and the other ghost poem posts) may also be of interest, and certainly the lore of Chinese ghosts they reveal might be useful.

Title: Di Gi Charat (1999)

Media: Anime

Approx length: 16 4-minute mini episodes + 5 groups of specials + a movie. The franchise has much more but I only nominated the original incarnation.

Where to find it: No legal streaming option at the moment. Can be purchased on Blu-ray from Sentai Filmworks: Link. The set contains the original series and all the specials, but not the movie.

What is it, in summary?: Very stupid show made to promote a games store in Japan, completely nonsensical. Focuses on a cat girl named Dejiko who has eye lasers and her friends.

What do you love about it?: Characters are super endearing, and the humor is actually great for how old the show is.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Probably something focusing on Dejiko and Piyoko? I haven't really decided yet, I just wanted a fourth nom and I enjoy this series a lot.

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 would just recommend watching the main series + the summer 2000 specials. (Piyoko is introduced in the summer specials). The other specials aren't really required. There's also a 2003 miniseries you can watch to learn more about Piyoko.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): N/A! Very safe series.

Edited 2024-09-16 16:06 (UTC)

Title: The Saint of Steel - T. Kingfisher
Media: Book series

Approx length: This is a series consisting of four books (Paladin's Grace, Paladin's Strength, Paladin's Hope, and Paladin's Faith); the publisher's website lists the longest one at 436 pages. My rough math puts this at roughly 140k words for this particular book? The shortest is at 270 pages.

Where to find it:
The publisher sells it directly in ebook and hardcopy formats (and as of this writing, seems to be on sale!): Ursula Vernon (Writing as T. Kingfisher) at Argyll Productions

What is it, in summary?:
This is a series of books where a small group of berserker paladins are struggling to heal and continue living in the wake of the their god dying. In each book, they take it in turns to go adventuring and solve some kind of dangerous and gruesome problem and fall in love with a very interesting love interest character who's usually in some kind of awful danger or on a quest of their own. Or both: both is good.

What do you love about it?:
The worldbuilding is great, the characters are excellent, and it's also just great to read adventure fiction where the characters are all above the age of like twenty. Lots of main characters in their forties or so. We have the berserker paladins as a through-line, but we also have a perfumer, a spy, a coroner, and a bunch of priests of the White Rat, who take holy vows to go out and solve problems and be public defenders (among other things) in a medieval/fantasy world. It's some cool jars we're shaking these characters up in.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?:
Oh, damn. God, I'd love some adventure? I'd especially love some expansion on scenes that get briefly remarked on in the books but not like, explicitly told? I like competence and the product of weird rabbit-holes on Wikipedia for weird little facts. I would also like the honeymoon period/domestic life after the various couples are out of danger. And also the gnoles are great and I'd love to see Brindle or Earstripe. And the weird gruesome magic that features is also very interesting.

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?:
Yes! Each book centers on one relationship.
Minor spoilers ahead in the next section but not anything more than you'd get from reading the backs of the books:

MINOR SPOILERS
Paladin's Grace (#1) focuses on Stephen and Grace. Perfumes, sock knitting, assassins, recovering from bad previous relationships, and a fantasy crime procedural.
Paladin's Strength (#2) focuses on Istvhan and Clara. Gladiatorial arena. Awful infrastructure. Weird fucking magic.
Paladin's Hope (#3) focuses on Galen and Piper. A coroner (lich-doctors, here) with a little magic, and also the only book so far with an M/M couple. Dangerous murder-solving.
Paladin's Faith (#4) focuses on Shane and Marguerite, who we met in book #1. Spying! Fancy gowns! Industrial espionage! Business groups with secrets they'll kill to keep!

Content warnings: Some weirdly gruesome magical violence. And the first book in particular has a main character who left an absolutely awful relationship and is recovering from that. We see some slavery in book #2.

Edited 2024-09-16 16:39 (UTC)

Threaded | Flat

Page 8 of 14

Yuletide Fandom Promo 2024!

In Nomine

Margo's Got Money Troubles - Rufi Thorpe

The School On the Moor - Dorita Fairlie Bruce

Re: The School On the Moor - Dorita Fairlie Bruce

Nightingale & Courtney Series - Katie Daysh

The Village That Slept

The Hidden Almanac (podcast)

Valentine Dragons Art Sleeves - Dragon Shield

琴師 - 音頻怪物 | A Stringed Instrument Player - Yīnpín Guàiwu (Music Video)

Death and Other Details (TV)

Falling for Autumn (Switzerland Tourism Commercial)

Belladonna Melodrama - Charming Disaster (Song)

The Old Kingdom - Garth Nix

Re: The Old Kingdom - Garth Nix

Lavender Jack

We Can Be Heroes (2020)

The Roads to Freedom (TV)

Brides of Chance Creek Series - Cora Seton

The Goes Wrong Show

Dot (BBC Radio Drama)

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August - Claire North

John Finnemore's Double Acts

SBI Rust

SDMP | Sleep Deprived SMP

赠答诗 | Poems Composed in Reply - 金车美人 (弘农) | Beautiful Woman in a Golden Carriage (

Di Gi Charat

The Saint of Steel - T. Kingfisher (aka Ursula Vernon)