Reading

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(no subject)

So my

rarepairexchange assignment did not show up in my email inbox! It did show up

Mad Sisters of Esi by Tashan Mehta

Sibling obsession and alienation shape whole cultures.

Mad Sisters of Esi by Tashan Mehta

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No Two Worlds Are the Same: Planetary Diversity in SF

There is no cookie cutter when it comes to celestial bodies...

No Two Worlds Are the Same: Planetary Diversity in SF

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fic rec

Fic Rec Ask Game

Stolen from tumblr.

Each of these categories has literally hundreds of fic I could rec, so I am literally just … mentioning the one that comes up first in my head, not trying to decide which one is the best.

( A fic that lives in my brain rent-free )

( A fic that is not posted on AO3. )

( A fic that is less than 5,000 words )

( A fic that is over 50,000 words )

( A gen fic (no pairings) )

( A fic that does something cool with format or structure (epistolary, social media, 5 things, non-linear, etc.) )

( A fic that uses a trope you love. )

( Recommend a fic with an interesting premise/concept. )

( Recommend a fic from a book fandom )

( Recommend a fic that is more than 10 years old )

( Recommend a fic you think is a hidden gem/deserves more reads )

( Recommend a fic that formed or changed your opinion on something (characterization, backstory, relationship, etc.) )

( Recommend a fic you’ve re-read multiple times )

14. Recommend your favorite fic.

Aha. Ahahaha. Ahahahahaha. You expect me to narrow this down? Here are all my bookmarks on Pinboard and here are all my bookmarks on AO3. Have fun. (Everything is the same in those two places, except that Pinboard also has all the fic that isn’t on AO3 and AO3 only has the stuff that is on AO3.)

( Any fic of your choice )

Bite Me, Anita Bryant

The total import value in June of fresh orange juice from the U.S. into Canada was $5.78 million, compared to nearly $12 million in June 2024.

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Project Farcry by Pauline Ashwell

Dr. Jordan's weird kid Richard is the key to unlocking first contact... and much more.

Project Farcry by Pauline Ashwell

Current Mood: silly
Current Location: far away
Current Music: The Talking Heads

Michigan, again

Visiting the out-laws with Belovedest. Last night we had dinner out at the Dirty Bird (chicken bar & grill) so this morning's breakfast is leftovers. Which I had in bed, due to the scarcity of tables in the hotel room, and my general unwillingness to get out of bed before nine.

Unfortunately, breakfast was crispy chicken Caesar salad, with buffalo sauce on the side. And after I finished that, I was dipping baby carrots in the sauce. And there was a spill.

I can't seem to face up to the facts
I'm tense and nervous and I can't relax
I can't sleep, 'cause my bed's on fire
Don't touch me, I'm a real live wire
Spicy pillow, qu'est-ce que c'est?
Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa, far better
Run-run, run-run-run away
Oh-oh-oh

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Dear RarePear Author

I use the same name everywhere so I am

beatrice_otter on AO3. Treats are awesome.

I would rather get a story you were happy with than "well, she said she liked x, so I guess I have to do x even though I don't like x and/or am not inspired that way." This letter is long with lots of suggestions and preferences if you find it helpful, but feel free to ignore it if it is not helpful. I'm fairly easy to please; I've been doing ficathons for over a decade and am usually very happy with my gifts.

The most important thing for me in a fic is that the characters are well-written and recognizably themselves. Even when I don't like a character, I don't go in for character-bashing. If nothing else, if the rest of this letter is too much or my kinks don't fit yours, just concentrate on writing a story with everyone in character and good spelling and grammar and I will almost certainly love what you come up with.

I have an embarrassment squick, which makes humor kind of hit-or-miss sometimes. The kind of humor where someone does something embarrassing and the audience is laughing at them makes me uncomfortable. On the other hand, the kind of humor where the audience is laughing with the characters I really enjoy.

General Likes and Dislikes

other things to keeep in mind:

I like stuff that takes side characters and puts them center-stage, especially when the characters and/or actors are marginalized. I enjoy seeing them come to life.
I don't like it when marginalized characters get relegated to the sidekick/supporting/helper role so that it can be All About The White Dude.
I like it when female characters are more than just the Strong Female Character(tm) or The Nurturer.
I like fluff
I like angst with a happy ending
I like stories that make me think about things in a new way.
I like to know that culture matters to people, and to see how different cultures interact and where the clashes are.
I like unreliable narrators.
I like acknowledgment that different people can have different points of view without either of them being wrong.
I like stories that engage with problematic aspects of the source, and which deal with privilege in one way or another instead of sweeping it under the rug.
Worldbuilding is my jam, I am pretty much always up for explorations of why the world is the way it is. I love hearing about the economics, the politics, the religion, the clothing, the history, the folklore, all of that kind of stuff. And I want to know why it matters--how is all this cultural background stuff affecting the characters, the plot, everything. You don't have to do deep worldbuilding, but I'll enjoy it if you do.
I don't like it when plots hinge on characters being selectively stupid, or selectively unable to communicate. Like, if they are stupid or a himbo or whatever in general, or have problems communicating in general, that's fine! Or if they canonically have a blind spot in that area, again, it's fine. But if it's just "the only way I can think of for this plot to work is if the character spontaneously and temporarily loses half their intelligence and competence," then I'm going to spend the rest of the fic wondering why the character didn't just ____?
I like AUs, but not complete setting AUs (i.e. no highschool or college or coffee shop AUs, and especially not mundane AUs--nothing where you keep characters but drop most of the worldbuilding). I like fork-in-the-road type AUs, where one thing is different and the changes all result from that one thing, and you explore what might have been if such-and-such happened.
I like the concept of sedoretu marriages.
I like historical AUs, but only when the author actually knows the history period in question and does thoughtful worldbuilding to meld actual culture of the time with the canon.
Crackfic is really hit and miss for me, sometimes I love it and sometimes I can't stand it. Basically, if it's the characters we know and love in a ludicrous situation, that's great. If they're OOC or parodied in order to make something funny ... it's not funny to me.

I like plotty, gen stories, and plotty stories in general. I don't care for explicit sex, particularly when it's just thrown in for teh porn. I'm asexual; a lot of the time I don't even bother to read the sex scenes. Romance is awesome (as long as both are in character and the romantic plot doesn't hinge on one or both of them being an idiot). I love it when friendship is held up as important and not secondary to romantic relationships and blood ties.

Please no incest or darkfic. I define "darkfic" as stuff where there's a lot of suffering and no hope even at the end and all the characters are terrible. Angst with a happy ending is fine, I enjoy it, but there's gotta be a payoff. Even an ambiguous ending is fine! But there has to be some note of grace or redemption or hope somewhere, it can't just be "people are awful and the world sucks, the end." I define incest as siblings and/or parents, cousins don't count.

I love outsider perspectives and academic takes on things. In-universe meta (newspaper articles, academic monographs--especially with the sort of snarky feuding common in actual real-world academia, social media feeds in current day or future worlds) is awesome.

Also, I'm picky about European historical clothing details. You don't have to talk about it at all! In fact, if you don't know much about historical clothing, I would prefer if you didn't mention it at all. My pet peeve is corsets: no, they weren't a restrictive tool of the patriarchy, no, they didn't interfere with most women's daily lives, no, most women weren't wearing them so tight they couldn't breathe.

I like religion but I'm picky about it. Basically, Christianity is deeply weird compared to most other religions, and a lot of people whose only experience with religion is living in a culturally-Christian nation assume that what they know about Christianity is some sort of universal principle of What Religion Is Like, and that's just not the case. For example, in Christianity what you believe is more important than what you do. This is not to say we Christians don't teach and practice Christian ethics or have rituals we are very attached to, but rather that if you don't believe in Jesus Christ, it doesn't matter what rituals you participate in or what ethical things you do, you are not a Christian (although you may be a "cultural Christian"). Every Christian group has at least a minimal core theology that members must affirm, but participation in ritual is far less rigidly a requirement. Most other religions rank what you do (both ethically and ritually) as more important than what you believe, and it is often quite possible to be a member in good standing if you participate in the practices and rituals even if you believe none of the teachings. Anyway, point is, if you are doing worldbuilding for a fantasy or SF or otherwise non-Christian religion ... unless it is explicitly a Christian-analogue, it should be different from Christianity. Question your assumptions and see where that leads you, and I will be fascinated and thrilled.

The Goblin Emperor Series - Katherine Addison

Arbelan Drazharan/Maru Sevraseched
I can see them having so much fun together when he visits. They're both old enough to know what they want and how to get it discreetly, they're both outside the normal court bullshit, and Arbelan's gone through enough trouble. Let her have some fun.

Chenelo Drazharan/Marquess Lanthevel (TGE)
I have no idea how this might come about, but the premise intrigues me. Did Chenelo survive relegation, and come back to court with Maia after Varenechibel's death, and go looking for allies to help her son's reign be stable? Is V'bel just 2% less a jerk and doesn't relegate her and Maia, but they're still persona non grata at court, and she and Lanthevel come to be friends and then have to dance around the edges of what they can safely do (because V'bel is looking for an excuse to divorce her)?

Chenelo Drazharan/Nemolis Drazhar (TGE)
V'bel already had several grown sons by the time the marriage with Chenelo was arranged; surely Maru would have wanted his grandson to be an emperor, instead of merely another younger son? The political maneuverings around this must have been really interesting, but also, the few glimpses we get of Nemolis is of a kind, thoughtful man who is a good husband and father. I don't care whether they fall in love or not, but I'd love to see the two of them working together and being partners in a difficult situation. Either when they're first married or later.

Eiru Berenar/Arbelan Drazharan (TGE)
Does Arbelan marry him instead of V'bel (and thus have a much nicer life)? Do they start up something when she comes back to court? Please no cheating—maybe his wife is marnis and they have an Understanding. I just want Arbelan to have good things.

Nemriän Drazhin/Maru Sevraseched (TGE)
So what are the POLITICS of this? Did the marriage with Chenelo not happen? Did it go better? Is Maru using this marriage to pressure V'bel into treating Chenelo and Maia better ("If you don't take better care of my daughter and grandson, I'll do the same or worse to Nemriän)? What were the pressures that were making it advantageous for the Ethuveraz and Barizhan to have closer ties? (Notably, Barizhan has a coast and the Ethuveraz doesn't, and their major river goes right through Barizhan to the sea. If Barizhan wants to cut off the Ethuveraz's trade, they have every capability of doing so.) Does Maru get a legitimate son and heir out of the marriage, or another daughter, and what happens then?

Shaleän Sevraseched/Shaleän Sevraseched's Wife (TGE)
Pirates! Have fun!

Treats welcome
DNW: bashing, incest, explicit sex, rape/noncon, major embarrassment/humiliation, setting change AUs, human/no powers AUs, darkfic

Lord Peter Wimsey - Dorothy L. Sayers

I would love a casefic, but also, all of these are such interesting characters, I'd love to go deeper into their dynamics.

Charles Parker/Mary Wimsey (Peter Wimsey)
Everybody treats Mary like she's a child who doesn't know her own mind, but she is only five years younger than Peter. In Clouds of Witness, she is 28 years old. I deeply dislike Sayers' trope of women who take up the interests of the men they fall in love with; I want her to be a leftie out of her own conviction. (Is that the reason it takes her and Charles so long to get together? He's so staid and conservative; maybe it took a while to negotiate what their relationship was going to be like.) I want her to get the respect she is denied by the narrative, and I want Charles to have someone he can have reasoned intellectual disagreements with. (I love that he reads theology for fun.)

Charles Parker/Peter Wimsey (Peter Wimsey)
Is Charles really okay with Peter leaving him with all the footwork all the time? Is there ever a time when Peter is wrong and Charles is right? Peter went to a boys' school, and situational homosexuality is a thing, besides his general cosmopolitanness; does Charles have more problem with it than Peter does? They are both such deeply principled men, and they have the principles of their class and time; does "living in sin" bother them? The fact that they can't be open and honest about it?

Colonel Marchbanks/Mrs Marchbanks (Peter Wimsey)
The Marchbanks are so stodgy, but also very decent people. I would love to see more of them. Maybe something during the war, where they're both dealing with the fact that this is not like the wars he's served in in the past? Maybe a house party at Duke's Denver goes deeply wrong (in a non-murdery way)?

Freddy Arbuthnot/Rachel Levy (Peter Wimsey)
Freddy's brainpower is only concentrated in his one area, but in that area he's very good, and he seems to be a kind enough man … and one willing to move beyond his prejudices. I'd love their courtship from Rachel's point of view, or maybe something from later on after their marriage. I would be equally thrilled for something that expands these two characters but treads lightly on the antisemitism of the time as I would be for something that dives deep into it. (What do they do before WWII as conditions for Jews are worsening, especially in Europe?)

Mervyn Bunter/Harriet Vane/Peter Wimsey (Peter Wimsey)
I absolutely cannot buy that Peter and Harriet's relationship would go the same way if he was in a pre-existing relationship with Bunter. Bunter is not like his mistresses, which bring mutual pleasure and enjoyment but have little real depth of feeling and are largely separate from his day-to-day life; Peter depends on Bunter for his healing and sanity. There are "jokes" in canon about how Bunter is basically his wife. It is an extremely important relationship to Peter, and I can't see sex making that less important. So he would not immediately propose in a jail cell, because he's basically already married and there would have to be a lot of negotiation before things went forward with Harriet. (When he visits Sylvia and Eiluned is he sounding them out discreetly as to how okay she is with gay men and threesomes?) There are so many points along their courtship and relationship where things would have changed based on that. I'd love to see them explored. Or you could have P/B not be pre-existing, and something about Harriet changes the dynamic enough that they have a belated relationship and end up in a triad where Harriet is the pre-existing partner? Or maybe a true menage a trois?

Mervyn Bunter/Peter Wimsey (Peter Wimsey)
When do they get together? During the war? After it? How does it affect their cases, and their social circle? Who knows about it (Bunter's mother? The Dowager Duchess? Charles Parker?)? How do they navigate the issues of Peter's fluctuating mental health? How does it affect their cases?

Treats welcome
DNW: bashing, incest, explicit sex, rape/noncon, major embarrassment/humiliation, setting change AUs, human/no powers AUs, darkfic

Star Wars Original Trilogy

My favorite parts of Star Wars includes the PT, the OT, the Zahn trilogy (especially Mara Jade) and the X-Wing books, bits and pieces from the TV shows, Rey&Finn&Poe as the only contributions from the ST, and an ending where something new and better results after all the pain and trauma. (Or at least something different.) It's not that everything has to be perfect, but I want there to be at least some growth and change. If you are inspired by other corners of the Star Wars universe, feel free to bring them in, but those are my happy places, and I am perfectly fine with completely ignoring the ST or rewriting it to make it either less stupid or less depressing (or both).

I love Lando, and I think he was absolutely right to put the safety of his entire city and everyone living in it ahead of the well-being of a couple of old friends. He is smart, pragmatic, and responsible in the best possible way. Do Leia and Lando work together on political negotiations/shenanigans while Han plays house-husband and swoops in with the Falcon when they need backup? Do Han and Lando go off and make shady business deals and come home to Leia with intelligence she can use politically? Does Lando start up a new operation--maybe mining, maybe something else--or take over an existing one after the war is over, and become a respectable businessman? I was one of the contributors to the "What if Han became Emperor by accident" thread on tumblr a while back, and my contribution was "ooh, Lando would be his Grand Vizier!" and if you want to go that direction that would also be awesome. (It's not on tumblr any longer, but the podfic and transcript of it are here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18219923) Also, Weird Jedi Shit is always fun.

Treats welcome
DNW: bashing, incest, explicit sex, rape/noncon, major embarrassment/humiliation, setting change AUs, human/no powers AUs, darkfic, Kylo Ren

Crossover Fandom

Bertram "Bertie" Wooster (Jeeves and Wooster)/Harriet Vane (Peter Wimsey)
Look, Harriet Vane is far from the worst person he's ever gotten accidentally engaged to, but he still doesn't want to be married. For a fun twist on the usual J&W plot, what if there's some reason that she feels her honor is engaged? Being a sensible woman, I'd think Jeeves' approach this time might be to just … talk with her and explain the whole situation and find a way out of it that satisfies them both. And then shenanigans happen, and they go away with no hard feelings.

Donna Noble (Doctor Who)/Lando Calrissian (Star Wars)
I think Donna would be suspicious of Lando's charm, but also really enjoy him flirting with her, and they'd have a great time together (while the Doctor just wanders around confused in the background). Maybe she saves Cloud City through the power of temping and bureaucracy, maybe she helps him conning some people who really deserve it pre-Cloud City, maybe she helps him on a rebellion mission, maybe they meet on vacation.

Elinor Dashwood (Sense and Sensibility)/William Laurence (Temeraire)
Two people of deep reserve, intelligence, and honor—there are so many ways they could have an interesting relationship, and so many ways their respective book plots would complicate that. I'd love to see it.

Martha Jones (Doctor Who)/Peter Grant (Rivers of London)
Peter would love to meet an actual alien, and I think a case where he has to do with weirdness that's not magic related would be good for him. I think there would be a lot of mutual wariness and misunderstandings, because she's going to assume aliens and he's going to assume magic, and she would probably assume that his powers are, like psychic stuff or whatever.

Martha Jones (Doctor Who)/Stephen Franklin (B5)
Two doctors with both compassion and determination, willing to go to the limit to do the right thing and save people (and sometimes the world). You could do so many interesting things with that—fit Martha and the Doctor into a B5 typical plot, or maybe Martha gets stranded and starts working at the clinic in Downbelow to make ends meet while she waits for the Doctor to come pick her up.

Natasha Romanov (MCU)/Bruce Wayne (DCU)
Do they meet on a mission? Are they targeting the same person? Is Natasha sent in to find out who the Batman is? Does Bruce go looking for "what is SHIELD and what are they doing at that base in Gotham?" Does she moonlight as an actual supermodel for a while to build up one of her covers, and get invited to a party at Wayne Manor? Any incarnation of Bruce Wayne is fine with me.

Peggy Carter (Agent Carter)/Diana (Wonder Woman)
I am fine with any version of Diana. I would LOVE to see them on a case during/after WWII, or working together during Peggy Carter's days as director of SHIELD. I think they could bond over lost loves (and over a shared love of hitting bad people very hard). Secret identity shenanigans would also be interesting.

Peggy Carter (Agent Carter)/Henry "Indiana" Jones (Indiana Jones)
I don't like Temple of Doom, but Crystal Skull is ok. Given that HYDRA was going after mystical artifacts, you know they had to have crossed Indy, or maybe the SSR/SHIELD needed his expertise. Also, he canonically has a thing for competent brunettes, so.

Phryne Fisher (Miss Fisher)/Peggy Carter (Agent Carter)
Adventures! Is the Honorable Phryne Fisher also an agent of the SSR? Does one of Peggy's cases post-war take her to Australia?

Treats welcome
DNW: bashing, incest, explicit sex, rape/noncon, major embarrassment/humiliation, setting change AUs, human/no powers AUs, darkfic

Babylon 5 (TV 1993)

Ah, the fandom of my youth! This was my first fandom that was mine, and not just something the family watched together. I love the layering of the themes, and how you can watch it on multiple levels (action/adventure, character arcs, political allegory, deeper themes about truth and freedom and who are you and what do you want and why are you here). The characters and their story arcs were all so compelling. One of the things I love about Babylon 5 is that there were so many characters where the fact that they were antagonists didn't mean they were stupid or bad people, just people with a different perspective honestly trying to do what is right.

Is there a problem on Babylon 5 that needs to get solved? Is there some Minbari cultural rite or Earthforce political intrigue? Is the PsiCorps making trouble? I'd also love something post-series about peace-building.

I especially love Minbari culture. If you do worldbuilding for Minbari culture, past, present, or future, I will love you forever. I consider "To Dream in the City of Sorrows" canon and firmly believe that when Sinclair went into the past and became Valen, he found Catherine again after she was lost in time.

Catherine Sakai/Jeffrey Sinclair (Babylon 5)
I love stories where Jeffrey/Valen meet up with her again in the past. But I would also be interested in stories about the two of them juggling their relationship and their respective careers, or the changes once he's assigned as ambassador to Minbar.

Delenn/John Sheridan/? (Babylon 5)
I love John and Delenn together, but she is way too smart for him and I like it best when he knows he's a bit out of his league and a bit uncomfortable at all the alien stuff (and yet maybe a bit excited by it under the surface). The political implications of their relationship, on both Earth and Minbar, fascinate me. Then you add in either Neroon or Lennier, and what happens? I don't think John would be terribly comfortable with it; three may be holy on Minbar, but John sure didn't like Lennier's love for Delenn. What if Neroon survived somehow and had to learn to be religious caste? How would Neroon and John get along as part of a marriage? What about John and Lennier?

Delenn/Neroon, Lennier/Neroon (Babylon 5)
Neroon survives AU! Or maybe something exploring his earlier career, or his relationship with Branmer, or the complexities and frustrations of his encounters with Delenn, or his time on the Gray Council. Delenn has dealings with Neroon, and Lennier is her go-between, and then Neroon has Opinions about Lennier's attempts at trying to subsume his romantic feelings into service and pretend he's just fine with John Sheridan, and things snowball from there.

Marcus Cole/Neroon (Babylon 5)
They only really interact in that one episode, but it is FASCINATING. Marcus changes Neroon's whole perspective; I don't think he could have done what he did, later, without it. Either something where Neroon survives or something where he doesn't could be interesting. Or maybe Neroon figures out how to save Marcus. This could be tragic or happy ending or something set earlier before either of them dies.

Treats welcome
DNW: bashing, incest, explicit sex, rape/noncon, major embarrassment/humiliation, setting change AUs, human/no powers AUs, darkfic

Sense8 (TV)

Hernando Fuentes/Lito Rodriguez/Daniela Velasquez (Sense8)
I love the worldbuilding and the characters, and what I most want is what happens NEXT. And I'm curious for both the immediate lives of the cluster (I love them all), but also for the larger world of sensate clusters. Do they start building their own culture, now that it's safer? What scars have been left by the corporate exploitation and murder? What continuing steps are needed to get rid of the lingering influence of BPO? Does the larger world ever learn about sensates, and what happens to the cluster then?

I love Sun's contradictions and complexity, I love Capheus's heart and courage, I love Lito's drama and sweetness, I love Nita and Nomi's trust and mutual devotion (and Amanita's quick thinking), I love the way Lito and Hernando's relationship grew and the way Daniela became a true partner for them and they have a relationship with her that's as important as a marriage but not romantic/sexual in the traditional sense. I love the way all of the cluster interacts and how together they are so much more than the sum of their parts, and I love watching all of them grow and become more truly themselves as they become entiwned in one another. (And I wonder what it would be like for clusters that weren't so well-suited, if that might be part of where Whispers came from.)

Treats welcome
DNW: bashing, incest, explicit sex, rape/noncon, major embarrassment/humiliation, setting change AUs, human/no powers AUs, darkfic

Star Trek: TNG

I love alien culture worldbuilding, boldly going, exploring, wacky science hijinks, time travel, AU shenanigans. I love the hopeful attitude that we can become better than we are. I love cross-cultural romance (especially when it deals realistically with having to figure out what compromises each is going to make on what they expect out of a relationship--love is not all you need, you also need a lot of hard work and communication).

As for plot ... it's Star Trek. If you want to play it serious, go for it. If you want to lean into wacky tropes, that's great too. As long as everyone is in character, feel free to go as cracktastic as you want with the time travel and travel to alternate universes and weird missions.

Guinan/Jean-Luc Picard (TNG)
Guinan is awesome, but please tone down the Magical Negro stereotype--she's not just The Wise Magic Advisor. She's got her own prejudices and traumas. I would love anything that dove into her past or her culture. Picard and Guinan have INCREDIBLE chemistry. Watch Time's Arrow and see the way he LOOKS AT HER. Something with time travel and meeting in the wrong order a la Time's Arrow would be interesting, but so would them hanging out together and being friends. Or an adventure from before they were together on Enterprise. I don't like most of the Picard TV show, but I do appreciate Picard and Guinan's stuff.

Jean-Luc Picard/Kamala (TNG)
Picard/Kamala, the "empathic metamorph" who imprinted on Picard but then went on to her arranged marriage anyway? On the one hand, you have the appeal of the whole soulmate trope, and on the other you have the ickyness of how that works for an empathic metamorph, but on the other hand, he was the one she chose, and then you've got the political aspects. Even once she's free do either of them want a long-term relationship, despite the fact that they are perfectly matched?

I see it as unrequited, unless dude Kamala married died in an accident and she left the planet. Even then, I don't know that she would have sought him out. I like that her choice was just that--her choice. And in a shitty situation, she chose to bond with the person whose desires made her into someone she wanted to be. I wonder what she did after? Obviously, duty and ethics are very important to her. But what does that mean, in the long run, given her situation? Does she use her position to advocate for change, or just endure until her husband died and then leave after he dies (she's a lot younger than he is)? OTOH, what happens if something happened and the Enterprise had to go back to the planet she married into?

Jean-Luc Picard/Ro Laren (TNG)
I love the friendship and mentorship they have despite (or maybe because of) their differences, and the mutual trust they built. I'd be interested in an episode-type story set before she defected to the Maquis, or an AU where she didn't for some reason, or something after the Dominion War when she's no longer a terrorist. Or a role-reversal AU where Bajor is the perfect paradise world that's the founder of the Federation and provides most of the people for Starfleet, and Earth is the one conquered by the Cardassians. I absolutely LOVE Ro Laren, she's such a contrast to the rest of them.

K'Ehleyr/Worf (TNG)
I love Klingons, PARTICULARLY when they're written with depth. The warrior ethos shapes their entire culture, but it's not the only thing about them. Worf/K'Ehleyr: K'Ehleyr rejects much of what Worf is desperately trying to cling to. And Worf's view of Klingons is very one-dimensional, almost an outsider's view, because of his upbringing. If she had lived and they'd had to actually work things out, that would have been fascinating. Not to mention very different views on how to raise Alexander.

William Riker/Deanna Troi/Worf (TNG)
Deanna Troi/Worf (TNG)
This is three different cultures, and 'human' is the place in the middle that they all understand, but I'd be interested in something that explored the 'alien' cultures and didn't assume 'human' as normal. Klingon gender roles are that the women are loud and violent and the men read love poetry. Deanna's more the poetry type than the loud and violent type, and I'm not sure how much of a soft side Worf has. So neither of them quite 'fit' Klingon gender/sexual norms. Feel free to bring in the perspective Martok and the others had on mental illness when they were trapped in that Dominion prison camp, that mental illness is an enemy to fight and it takes a lot of strength to fight an enemy in your own head. From that perspective, Deanna is a weapons trainer for the mind.

Deanna/Will, there's history, not all of it good, and a reason they haven't been together for a long time. With Worf and either of them, there's not that baggage.

William Riker/Ro Laren
Riker/Ro: the episode where they have amnesia is amazing, I love stories that deal with what happened afterwards. Before that, they have such great conflict, because Riker is trying to manage Ro and not connecting with her, and Ro has Problems With Authority (unless she independently has come to respect the individual, as with Picard). Then they have amnesia and sleep together! And then they try to pretend it never happened.

Treats welcome
DNW: bashing, incest, explicit sex, rape/noncon, major embarrassment/humiliation, setting change AUs, human/no powers AUs, darkfic

Star Trek: TOS

I love alien culture worldbuilding. I love boldly going and exploring and wacky science hijinks and time travel and alternate universe shenanigans. I love the hopeful attitude that we can become better than we are. I love cross-cultural romance (especially when it deals realistically with having to figure out what compromises each is going to make on what they expect out of a relationship--love is not all you need, you also need a lot of hard work and communication).

As for plot ... it's Star Trek. If you want to play it serious, go for it. If you want to lean into the wacky tropes Star Trek was known for, that's great too. As long as everyone is in character, feel free to go as cracktastic as you want with the time travel and travel to alternate universes and weird missions.

Montgomery "Scotty" Scott/Nyota Uhura (ST: TOS)
Between the two of them, they really do keep the ship running when the Big Three are off having their adventures. And we see them closer in the movies. I'd love to see how they got there.

Spock/Nyota Uhura (Star Trek: The Original Series)
My headcanon on Vulcans was shaped by 80s Trek novels but I also enjoy trying to fit the Star Trek: Enterprise Vulcans with ... everything else we know about Vulcans. One thing I will point out, though, is that while there are a lot of things about Vulcan culture that seem/are sexist, the most powerful Vulcans we see throughout the series are elderly women. I love Pon Farr, but mostly dealing with the implications of it (both before and after) and not the sex part.

I love Spock/Uhura, they had such great chemistry in TOS (better, actually, than in the AOS). There's such mutual respect and such playfulness, it's wonderful. And please don't disrupt the canon relationships with Kirk—obviously he and Spock are incredibly important to one another, but also, Kirk and Uhura are such besties, too, I love their mutual respect.

T'Pring/Nyota Uhura (ST:TOS)
I have no idea how this would work but I am fascinated by the premise. An AU where T'Pring was the one who went to Starfleet and Spock stayed on Vulcan? Uhura as a teacher of languages at the Vulcan Science Academy while Enterprise is being refitted? Uhura wants a pen pal to practice her Vulcan with and Spock suggests his betrothed? T'Pring and Nyota encounter each other when Nyota is on Vulcan during Star Trek III?

Treats welcome
DNW: bashing, incest, explicit sex, rape/noncon, major embarrassment/humiliation, setting change AUs, human/no powers AUs, darkfic

Star Trek: Voyager

I love alien culture worldbuilding. I love boldly going and exploring and wacky science hijinks and time travel and alternate universe shenanigans. I love the hopeful attitude that we can become better than we are.

I love cross-cultural romance (especially when it deals realistically with having to figure out what compromises each is going to make on what they expect out of a relationship--love is not all you need, you also need a lot of hard work and communication).

My headcanon on Vulcans was shaped by 80s Trek novels but I also enjoy trying to fit the Star Trek: Enterprise Vulcans with ... everything else we know about Vulcans. One thing I will point out, though, is that while there are a lot of things about Vulcan culture that seem/are sexist, the most powerful Vulcans we see throughout the series are elderly women. I love Pon Farr, but mostly dealing with the implications of it (both before and after) and not the sex part.

I think Kate Mulgrew did an excellent job of playing Janeway despite the inconsistent writing she was given, and I love the way Tuvok was definitely a Vulcan but also a very different Vulcan than Spock. And I think their friendship was a foundation for both of them, having someone they'd known and trusted for years while so far from home. She's very casual about touching his hands, and he's fine with it. Whether it's just for Pon Farr or something deeper and longer lasting, I'm here for it.

Prompts: Day in the life stuff about dealing with the challenges of being so far from home and the top-ranking loyal Starfleet officers. Maybe something set early on dealing with Tuvok's suspicion of the Maquis (and their suspicion of him) and Janeway trying to bring the crew together would be interesting. Pre-series stuff about how they came to be close. Post-series stuff--I mean, it's great, they're both glad to be home, but they've changed and the Federation has changed. (Has Tuvok's wife moved on/remarried?) If you wanted to handle Pon Farr and/or them becoming a couple, I would enjoy that too. Or something dealing with the aftermath of the episode Blood Fever, which I would imagine made Pon Farr and/or Vulcans a really public topic of discussion on the ship. (It's not something that could have been easily hushed up!) Another idea: some Vulcan festival is coming up, and the Vulcans are going to have a hard time celebrating it so far from home, so Tuvok and Janeway have to get creative to figure out how to handle it.

T'Pel/Tuvok: I would be happy with ANYTHING, there is NO fic for this pairing. What's their marriage like, with him gone all the time? What was she doing while he was off being a rebellious teenager? What was she doing while he was on Voyager, and what was it like when he came home?

If none of that appeals ... it's Star Trek. If you want to play it serious, go for it. If you want to lean into the wacky tropes Star Trek was known for, that's great too. As long as everyone is in character, feel free to go as cracktastic as you want with the time travel and travel to alternate universes and weird missions.

Treats welcome
DNW: bashing, incest, explicit sex, rape/noncon, major embarrassment/humiliation, setting change AUs, human/no powers AUs, darkfic

Still Star-Crossed (TV)

Benvolio Montague/Rosaline Capulet
So much potential, cut so tragically short. I would love just about anything that showed What Happened Next, or maybe an AU where things happen differently (take just about any canon event and play it out), or maybe far in the future after they're married and things have settled down. What roles do they play, together, in establishing a lasting peace? Do other Shakespeare characters wander through?

Treats welcome
DNW: bashing, incest, explicit sex, rape/noncon, major embarrassment/humiliation, setting change AUs, human/no powers AUs, darkfic

Entry tags:

bundle of holding

Bundle of Holding: TinyZine

The complete four-year run of TinyZine, the tabletop roleplaying magazine from Gallant Knight Games that supports the streamlined minimalist TinyD6 rules system.

Bundle of Holding: TinyZine

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Steel of the Celestial Shadows, volume 1 by Daruma Matsuura (Translated by Caleb D. Cook)

What dire motivation drove beautiful, rich Tsuki to marry a pitiful wretch like Ryudo?

Steel of the Celestial Shadows, volume 1 by Daruma Matsuura (Translated by Caleb D. Cook)

Entry tags:

Five SF Works About Repurposing Organs and Other Body Parts

Sometimes organ donation is voluntary. Sometimes, people (or aliens) just take what they want.

Five SF Works About Repurposing Organs and Other Body Parts

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Robert A. Heinlein: In Dialogue with His Century by William H. Patterson

A two-volume look at a prominent 20th century SF author.

Robert A. Heinlein: In Dialogue with His Century by William H. Patterson

Bundle of Holding: Tiny Dungeon MEGA (from 2023)

An assortment of tabletop roleplaying games from Gallant Knight Games that use the streamlined, minimalist TinyD6 rules.

Bundle of Holding: Tiny Dungeon MEGA (from 2023)

Entry tags:

clarke award

Clarke Award Finalists 2010

2010: Cadbury falls into shadow, electoral loss sends the Labour Party off on a delightful journey of reinvention, and millions of travelers spontaneously learn how to spell Eyjafjallajökull.

Poll #33506 Clarke Award Finalists 2010

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 32

View Respondents

Which 2010 Clarke Award Finalists Have You Read?

View Answers

The City & The City by China Miéville
32 (100.0%)

Far North by Marcel Theroux
0 (0.0%)

Galileo's Dream by Kim Stanley Robinson
6 (18.8%)

Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding
2 (6.2%)

Spirit or The Princess of Bois Dormant by Gwyneth Jones
0 (0.0%)

Yellow Blue Tibia by Adam Roberts
2 (6.2%)

Bold for have read, italic for intend to read, underline for never heard of it.

Which 2010 Clarke Award Finalists Have You Read?
The City & The City by China Miéville
Far North by Marcel Theroux
Galileo's Dream by Kim Stanley Robinson
Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding
Spirit or The Princess of Bois Dormant by Gwyneth Jones
Yellow Blue Tibia by Adam Roberts

Found while looking for something else

Cut for size
( Read more... )

2025 Hugo, Lodestar, and Astounding Awards Winners

The 2025 Hugo, Lodestar, and Astounding Awards Winners are as follows

Best Novel: The Tainted Cup, Robert Jackson Bennett

Best Novella: The Tusks of Extinction, Ray Nayler

Best Novelette:"The Four Sisters Overlooking the Sea”, Naomi Kritzer

Best Short Story: “Stitched to Skin Like Family Is”, Nghi Vo

Best Series: Between Earth and Sky, Rebecca Roanhorse

Best Graphic Story or Comic: Star Trek: Lower Decks: Warp Your Own Way, written by Ryan North, art by Chris Fenoglio

Best Related Work: Speculative Whiteness: Science Fiction and the Alt-Right, Jordan S. Carroll

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form: Dune: Part Two, screenplay by Denis Villeneuve & Jon Spaihts, directed by Denis Villeneuve

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form: Star Trek: Lower Decks: “The New Next Generation”, created and written by Mike McMahan, based on Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry, directed by Megan Lloyd

Best Game or Interactive Work: Caves of Qud, co-creators Brian Bucklew & Jason Grinblat; contributors Nick DeCapua, Corey Frang, Craig Hamilton, Autumn McDonell, Bastia Rosen, Caelyn Sandel, Samuel Wilson (Freehold Games); sound design A Shell in the Pit

Best Editor, Short Form:Neil Clarke

Best Editor, Long Form: Diana M. Pho

Best Professional Artist: Alyssa Winans

Best Semiprozine: Uncanny, publishers and editors-in-chief Lynne M. Thomas & Michael Damian Thomas; managing editor Monte Lin; poetry editor Betsy Aoki, podcast producers Erika Ensign & Steven Schapansky

Best Fanzine: Black Nerd Problems, editors William Evans & Omar Holmon

Best Fancast: Eight Days of Diana Wynne Jones, presented by Emily Tesh & Rebecca Fraimow

Best Fan Writer: Abigail Nussbaum

Best Fan Artist: Sara Felix

Best Poem: “A War of Words”, Marie Brennan

Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book: Sheine Lende, Darcie Little Badger

Astounding Award for Best New Writer: Moniquill Blackgoose

Thanks to Talk Origins

I found a new gumbo of eccentricity.

Entry tags:

Galaxy: The Best of My Years by Jim Baen

Jim Baen's version of a single perfect issue of Baen-era Galaxy.

Galaxy: The Best of My Years by Jim Baen

Extreme amounts of "fun"

Thursday's appointment was one that I knew was going to stir up trauma. The doctor ended up listing that aspect of it as PTSD, which I guess is fair. I always have thought of it as "trauma" rather than PTSD, which is kind of odd in retrospect.

I wound up taking a small dose of my "street cred" when I realized I was starting to have a trauma response. That turned out to be a good idea. There's a follow up in a few months, and I should pre-medicate for it.

Afterwards I got the 32 oz reverse mocha from a local coffee shack. (Not one of the bikini coffee shacks.) With chocolate whipped cream, thank you very much. My first time encountering white coffee espresso in a drink. Interesting and almost floral. I had Belovedest (a bitter supertaster) try it. Still coffee tasting, but not as strongly.

Although that's also possibly due to me only having 3 shots of espresso in the drink instead of the usual 6.

I would much rather discuss the coffee than the source of the trauma and the appointment, in any event.