slinkling

Behind the cut: utterly awesome Sherlock/Dr. Who vid by some brilliant fannish person who goes by liisakee. Found via Metafilter.

( You must see this. )

I'm still alive! I've been all but entirely absent from fandom for, like, forever. But I am doing Yuletide this year! And I'm psyched about that -- both the writing, and the receiving. Yuletide yay! \o/ Which brings me to:

Dear Yuletide Person,

You are awesome. Truly. You’re going to write a fic just for me in one of my favorite little fandoms; who could ask for anything more? Thank you so, so much. I can’t wait to read what you come up with.

A story in any of these fandoms is going to make me happy, no matter what. But if it helps, I can tell you a bit about the things I tend to enjoy most in fic. (And if it doesn’t help, feel free to disregard it and follow your bliss.) It’s all about the characters for me, always. Meaty plots and PWPs can be equally awesome; het, gen, slash, all good – just be true to the characters. I’m a sucker for angsty fic with a hopeful ending. Clever wordplay and snark are quick routes to my heart.

Above all, I love reading fics where I sense that the author had fun with the writing, so write something YOU love and I'm sure I'll love it too.

The text of my requests is included below the cut, in case anyone's curious or just wants to squee with me about one of my newly discovered fandoms. ( Friday Night Lights, Make It or Break It, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. )

I've reluctantly talked myself out of signing up for Yuletide this year. It would be a tremendous amount of fun, it always is, but I have limited time for writing and I really need to reserve that for the writing I hope to sell. So even while I scanned the amazingly ginormous list of nominated fandoms and characters and contemplated what I might offer and request, I had a sense of how it would go: I'd feel bad about taking time away from my other writing, but I'd also feel bad if did a half-assed Yuletide fic, so I'd be stressed out and dissatisfied either way. Which didn't seem fair, either to myself or my recipient. So it's with some sadness that I'll sit this year out, and with much glee that I look forward to reading the posted stories after 12/25, even though none will be written expressly for me.

BUT, this seems an opportune time to talk about something that WAS written expressly for me, last year, because last year I was in a not-hardly-posting place and therefore didn't rec this fic, and that is a crime. Because I received what might be the Yuletide Fic To End All Yuletide Fics. Honestly, it was so incredible that I think I may just read it again this year on 12/25, because it was easily gift enough for two years.

See, I requested a fic based on Italo Calvino's novel, If on a winter's night a traveler. And in my request, I suggested that my writer could blow my mind by writing the story of ME, the reader, reading my Yuletide fic (and losing it, and finding it again, only it's not the same, and so on -- if you know the novel, you know exactly what I mean). And this request fell to norah -- who at that point I didn't know at all -- and BOY HOWDY did she deliver. She read through my journal to find out what fandoms I had nominated for Yuletide, and what I'd requested in prior years. She got in touch with my best friend to get information about my life -- so that not only did the story include all kinds of relevant details about the things that legitimately would distract me from reading my fic, but it even contained accurate descriptions of my house. (Srsly. I was completely convinced that my author had to be a good friend of mine in order to know so much.) AND she wrote this unimaginably stunning fic that tells MY story while traipsing through a host of my favorite teensy fandoms, and she did a pitch-perfect rendition of Calvino's style, and honestly, the whole thing was just gob-smacking and jaw-dropping and I can't believe I never recced it before.

It's here -- If on a Yuletide morn a reader -- and if you have ever read the Calvino (or Carter Beats the Devil, or Soon I Will Be Invincible, or seen The Book of Life or Henry Fool), or just if you enjoy fantastically creative, impeccably crafted fic, you really must read it.

Does anyone know anything about a newish movie version of Hamlet starring David Tennant and Patrick Stewart (as Hamlet and Claudius, respectively)? Surely someone out there in fandom has seen this and can tell me if it's any good.

Until 10 minutes ago, I'd never even heard of it. But Netflix has just recommended it to me, and I'm intrigued, to say the least. I just don't know if my brain can handle watching a Timelord battle Captain Picard for control of Denmark. (I keep going places like: "I could be bounded in a nutshell, and count myself a king of infinite space, because this nutshell's much bigger on the inside...")

You know what I haven't done in way too long?

Been here. In fandom-space. Thinking fandom-thoughts.

That has to change. So:

Okay, I rewatched the first 5 seasons of Supernatural over the summer. I was curious, knowing where season 5 ended up, to revisit the 5-year arc and take another look. (Also, I'd first seen the early seasons in an I'm-taking-care-of-a-newborn haze, and didn't remember them that well.) And honestly, it was fascinating. ( A plethora of spoilers for SPN seasons 1-5 behind the cut. And also thinky meta. )

Last night I watched Twilight.

Some of you were telling me at MJ that I needed to see this flick, preferably with much wine. kristiinthedark, drlense, was that you guys? Telling me it was terrible but awesome at the same time, and surprisingly hilarious?

Um, yeah. Whoever told me that was dead on. (About the wine, too. Yes indeedy.) My husband watched it with me, and at several points we were just hooting with laughter. At other times we were weirdly mesmerized. It was not a *good* film, not by any stretch of the imagination, but an awful lot of technical skill went into making this incredibly cheesy movie. And an *awful* lot of marketing expertise. Because, wow, it was like watching a $40-million id-stroker for 12-year-old girls.

And clearly, the 12-year-old girl I once was is still there inside me, and gosh but her id was stroked by this. I even want to read the books now. (Which, yes, I am ashamed to admit. Ashamed enough that I probably won't shell out money to buy new copies of the books, even though I want them NOW; instead I'll wait until I find them in a used-book bin somewhere or other. With so many copies in circulation, surely some will turn up at library sales and the like.)

I also (while ducking my head in shame) want fic. Is there crossover fic with the Buffyverse? C'mon, there HAS to be. ( Gosh, maybe I should cut for spoilers. )

I've just gotten back from The Trip To California That Lasted Three Days Longer Than Intended Because We All Got Too Sick To Travel. Big fun, y'all. Lessons learned:

1) Do not talk trash about southern California while still in southern California. The state will get its revenge.

2) If you MUST become debilitatingly ill while 3000 miles from home, doing it at the house of your most low-key sibling is probably not a bad way to go.

Anyway. Home now. Haven't eaten real food in several days and don't especially want to, but we're all on the mend. And I will spend as much time vegging out with my laptop as I possibly can this weekend. Which leads me to...

Recs? Anybody? Anything? I haven't been on LJ for the last 10 days, so if there's anything recent, I haven't seen it. If there's anything older and great, that's good too. Any fandom, any style, I don't even care. PLEASE ENTERTAIN ME I'VE BEEN DEALING WITH PUKE AND POOP FOR TOO MANY DAYS.

/self-pity

thank you.

My husband spends a lot of time over at MetaFilter, and he's told me about a conversation he's seen there a few times now. It has to do with body hair, removal of. And they're not talking about men shaving their faces, or women shaving/waxing their legs. It's not even about the removal of pubic hair. Evidently the current trend involves people of both genders removing ALL their body hair, with the possible exception of what's on their heads.

It seems the folks at MeFi split along age lines: everybody over 30 finds this trend weird and freakish, and sees no reason why people would do such a thing. Everybody under 30 sees it as totally normal, as in, OF COURSE one would remove all one's body hair, and expect one's lovers to do the same, because body hair is, like, icky, and a totally smooth body is ideal.

Now, in my world, men shave their faces or don't, and women shave their armpits and legs or else they don't. There might possibly be some grooming of the pubic area, but it's not that common, and it certainly doesn't go to the extent of total hair removal (or even the pornstar landing strip). Otherwise, people have hair on their bodies, more or less of it as nature endowed them. Unless one is a professional swimmer or a starlet of dubious virtue, one does not go farther than that.

But then, I'm over 30. And maybe I'm just out of touch with Kids Today (TM). So clearly, it's time for a poll.


[Poll #1373119][Poll #1373119]

I am way behind on answering comments, I didn't get around to writing a Thing for this week, and I've been utterly failing to keep up with my f'list. Sorry, all. Life-with-baby is kind of nutty.

I did, though, take an evening off last night to hang out with kassrachel and drink wine and watch the first three episodes of Merlin. And here is what I have learned: ( Cut for possible spoilers, but I don't actually think there are any. )

Back from a much-needed vacation. I've barely glanced at LJ for the past week, so if anything noteworthy was posted, please let me know.

Meanwhile, I'm pleased to return with a Thing for this week: a SV ficlet. Once again dipping into the 69 Love Songs project.

Title: Love Song #29: Grand Canyon
Author: slinkling
Fandom: Smallville
Rating: PG
Length: 600 words
Notes: Unbeta'd, and it probably shows. Oh well. The Magnetic Fields song which inspired this ficlet can be heard here, at the top of the second page. It's one of my favorite sad songs; go listen. Music uploaded by the very generous disprove.

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( Lex isn’t the one who’s changed. )