Fandom Snowflake Days 12 & 13

[kmo]

Still catching up on Fandom Snowflake. I really should be writing right now but...nah...gonna procrastinate a little.

Day 12- An Intro to Fandom/Canon Post

I was going to skip this one, as I really am not good about thinking about introductory materials to a fandom. Intro materials to a US History survey, yes. But then I thought of these lovely photosets about the women of The Hour. Right now it's just Marnie and Lix, but doesn't the sight of Lix being tough and smoking and drinking, looking like Katharine Hepburn, make you want to watch this show?  And love Marnie, too, and how she's just so much more than a society housewife. I'm not sure I buy Oona Chaplin as some kind of English Rose...she's too much of "Talisa" from Volantis for me...but she's lovely in this. 


Day 13- Recs, please!

I recently completed a rewatch of s3-4 of Battlestar Galactica and it's got me in the mood to read some good gen/worldbuilding fic. Send me recs for something that explores the origins of the Cylons and the Final Five, the religion and mythology, and/or Starbuck's death and rebirth as a angel. I was never entirely satisfied with how these questions were answered in canon, and hoping fic can provide some closure. 

Ha, so I bought Lego Pirates of the Caribbean video game the other day. It's very cute and a lot of fun- the best part is Lego Jack Sparrow drunkenly running around in a perfect imitation of Johnny Depp. It's made me rediscover my love of this fandom, especially the Sparrington pairing. (some cute Sparrington moments in the video game, incidentally. i wonder if the creators knew...) I was never a rabid fan and I often find big fandoms difficult to navigate, so i'd definitely appreciate some good Sparrington recs. I like the ones where James is all stuffy and proper and the perfect gentleman and Jack seduces him. I'd love to read some fix-it fic for the last movie, too. 

Canon Recs- I'm always on the lookout for a new tv or book series. Preferably ones with prominent and complex female characters- bonus points if they also have moral ambiguity. I tend to read historical fantasy, historical fiction, and mysteries but am open to other genres, too.  Also fantasy or genre novels that feature LGBT characters and relationships- I prefer the ladies, but I will read about the mens, too. :)

Comments

[likeadeuce]

Have you read Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody series? I feel like you are likely to have read these, but in case not, historical mysteries about a family of Egyptologists, which eventually covers the late Victorian era through World War I. Marvelous first person lady narrator. I like the whole series, but even if you're not into committing to a lot of books, the first novel, Crocodile on the Sandbank is a great tweak of the romantic adventure/Victorian lady traveler story.

As far as other recs, do you read comics or manga?

[kmo]

you know I tried to read Amelia Peabody a couple years ago and just couldn't get into it. i don't know what it was, because on paper, it seems like exactly the type of book i would like. have you read any of the Vicky Bliss series Peters' wrote, are they any better?

i don't really do comics but I am open to manga and graphic novels if you have suggestions.

[likeadeuce]

I don't think I've read any of EP's others, but I recall the Vicky books involve a lady librarian and a master thief so they might be up your alley? I've also heard they are kind of sexually harass-y, though, in like the romance novel tradition where you can tell the dude likes her b/c he won't leave her alone (though that convention is present but gets sent up a lot in the Peabody books, so I'm not sure how straight it is played.
/speculating about books I haven't read.

Re: GN's have you read any "Queen & Country?" Contemporary-ish spy stuff with a female protagonist; or "Whiteout" by the same writer, Greg Rucka. He really specializes in damaged women with intense relationships (he also launched the current Batwoman series & invented the backstory where she got kicked out of West Point for being gay.)

My go-to manga is Fullmetal Alchemist which is (sort of?) historical fantasy with magic and (though it's essentially a teen boy adventure -- I've heard it compared to AtLA this way) lots of awesome ladies. I don't really know if this is a well-directed rec but I like to mention it to everybody since it's my favorite thing ;).

[kmo]

forgive me if this sounds too social-justice wanky, but my issue with Amelia Peabody was how unselfconciously imperialistic it was. like yes, Victorian Britain was an imperialistic place, and yes, people like Amelia were agents of imperialism. but i just had a hard time swallowing it. i do like librarians and thieves but i absolutely hate the romance novel trope you describe. I'm reading "A Discovery of Witches" right now and it's driving me bonkers.

I will file away Queen & Country and Greg Rucka's stuff. I don't usually read manga or GNs but i like to keep an open mind! :) I've never checked out Fullmetal Alchemist, it looks like the anime series is on Netflix, so yay. it does have my favorite anime trope of women wearing uniforms. *cough* I was quite the Gundam Wing fan back in the day precisely for this reason....

[likeadeuce]

Hee, I will talk your ear off about FMA given half a chance. FWIW, the Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood anime is pretty faithful to the manga (and has much more for your women-wearing-uniforms needs); the regular Fullmetal Alchemist series has pretty much nothing to do with the comic after the first few episodes (and I can't rec or anti-rec it because I haven't seen much of it.)

[kmo]

do you have a preference for anime or manga series? i'm just curious. i tend to pick up an anime series and then check out the manga if i really like it.

[likeadeuce]

I tend to prefer manga just because I'm more of a comics reader than an anime watcher (and also in this case I read the book rabidly and only caught bits of the adaptation later.) But I think watching a few from either series would tell you if the general premise appeals to you. (To be totally pedantic, I would watch the first few of the FMA series, because it's a better introduction, then switch to episode two or 3 of Brotherhood -- because the first episode is pretty bad and the second is not much better but then it picks up rapidly and --

Possibly this is a thing it would be better for me to flail about in person; I can trade that for Carmen Sandiego flail. ;)

[kmo]

ha! well that seems like an equal trade. i'm hoping to come to Richmond maybe next week. i'll keep you posted!

[likeadeuce]

Cool. I will be around for most of next week, so keep me posted.

[chaila]

BSG fic recs:

Blast from the past! I've not read any of these fics in. . . actual years, so I can't swear they fit your criteria but in my memory they do! Though if I recall correctly, they were all written before season 4 aired, so they may not directly engage with season 4 much or at all.

The Body is a Myth by beccatoria is basically a completely alternate ending and explanation for, well, everything. Written pre-season 4.

The name of this story is your name., again by beccatoria, on the other hand, was written post-finale and rescues some of the themes (um, I thought they needed rescuing, but you might not have! Either way, this is a wonderful story). Caprica Six-centric.

Eschatos by pellucid, again written pre-season 4, engages with a lot of the mythology in a more interesting way than the show ended up doing. Laura-centric.

I wholeheartedly recommend all of their BSG fic, but those are the ones that in my memory kind of fit your criteria!

And Faith Like Wings by callmeonetrack doesn't exactly deal with Kara as pigeon angel (it might have been pre-season 4 too; I'm very hazy on dates) but it engages with the mythic parts of Kara's character, and I really love it.

Canon recs:

WATCH THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES. Ahem. Although maybe not; I cannot be trusted as an ambassador of this show, for I am hopelessly un-objective. :) But it's amazingly female-driven (they kept adding awesome ladies!), and definitely the most female-driven genre show I've seen (though, it must be said, I don't watch a ton of genre!)

As for genre books with LGBT characters, I think I'd assume you've read Laurie Marks' Elemental Logic series? But if not, people love it! I've not read the whole series myself though.

Rosemary Kirstein's Steerswoman series doesn't have LGBT characters, but the central relationship is a female friendship between two very different, equally awesome women, and the whole narrative is a quest for knowledge in an interesting fantasy world. I ADORE them.

[kmo]

wow, thanks so much for all the recs! I will definitely check these out. I actually only got into BSG after it was already finished, so I have no real knowledge of the fandom as the series was actually unfolding. And I'm kinda happy I was able to watch it all in a binge, because I think I would have been even MORE disappointed had I been given time to speculate about the mythology and read fan theories. that's what happened to me with Lost. :(

i have never seen any of the Terminator movies but I love Lena Headly and I will consider checking it out. :) and i'm not familiar with Elemental Logic or Steerswoman- adding them to my list, thanks!

[chaila]

You don't need to watch the Terminator movies to watch the show; the first two Terminator movies are sort of helpful to know the gist of (and will allow you to get some sly references the show sometimes makes back to the movie canon) and will help flesh out backstory, an occasional ep, and some minor characters and points, but not necessary. I knew nothing about the movies (I actually thought they were, er, about Arnold Schwarzenegger, which is now hilarious in retrospect), though I did end up watching the first two in preparation for mainlining the show (which are the only two movies with Sarah in them, thus forming the need for "The Sarah Connor Chronicles" the show, which is essentially AU fanfic that splits off from movie canon where movie canon dropped Sarah's story). But I really didn't need to.

All of which I offer as just, like, points of information and not attempts at persuasion! I am super reluctant to rec shows to specific people anyway (for all that I rec them all the time in my journal--I know, it makes no sense), so my brain is already a little concerned that I told you to watch it. :D

[kmo]

ok, that's what i wanted to know. looks like its available on Amazon Prime so i will keep it in mind. and hey, no shame, i asked for recs! :D i kind of just realized that aside from Homeland and Borgen, there was no series that i was dying to see. and having it be female-centric action adventure increases the chance I can get my partner, V, to watch it with me. she's picky when it comes to genre stuff.

[summerstorm]

I am going to attempt canon recs, though I'm not sure anything I mention will appeal to you! Lately I've been devouring Connie Willis's Oxford Time Travel series, and it is all about time-traveling historians going to the past, which is such a brilliant concept, but also there are female characters front and center and that is wonderful to me. CW's Beauty and the Beast is—well, it's a CW show, but the ladies are so pretty and compelling and absolutely the show's priority, I think, so far. And you have fantasy/sci-fi and mystery there, though it's a contemporary. Also a contemporary: Pretty Little Liars, the TV show. I mean, it's another one of those things where you might not like it if you have high standards for quality, but it is a delightful show and chock full of complex, layered women who have complex, layered relationships with each other. And there sure is mystery in it. ;)

And have you read Malinda Lo's Ash? It's historical fantasy and a lovely lesbian retelling of Cinderella. I enjoyed it quite a lot. And The Montmaray Journals! Such a fantastic series, though I'm sure you've at least heard of it. Historical fiction, canon LGBT guys, and lots of absolutely wonderful ladies.

[kmo]

oooh time travelling historians sounds like my thing exactly! i have seen people talking about the Oxford Time Travel series but i wasn't sure what it was about. adding it to my list. :) i wasn't aware that CW had produced a new Beauty and the Beast and I have heard good things about Pretty Little Liars. i watch a lot of "srs business dramaz" (Breaking Bad, the Wire) but i also love the campy, pulpy stuff like Gossip Girl and Revenge. so, thanks!

i have read Ash...it was lovely. it wasn't 100% to my tastes, but there are a lot of things i admire about it. i actually think Huntress, the prequel, might be the better book. i have not heard of The Montmaray Journals, but it sounds absolutely wonderful! Thanks for all the recs!

[sevilemar]

Hm, do you know Ellen Kushner's work? Especially Swordspoint and Privilege of the Sword. The first is about a swordsman and his eccentric student/riot inducing madman partner, the second about a niece of said madman/student/riot inducer, whom he makes learn the sword against all tradition. Both is a kind of fantasy historical novel.