annerb

+Thanks so much for all the birthday wishes. I had a pretty good day packed with friends and food and some thought-provoking stuff (and brownies! Did I mention brownies?).

+You know, I've been thinking this for a long time, sort of wincing every time I see it used, but I have to finally just say this out loud: I really dislike the term 'pimp', particularly when used in the context of spreading word about fannish things (comms, ficathons, charity events, etc). I have been trying and trying to think of a better word for what we mean, because pimp is just...yeah. Not a great word to throw around, especially in the context of some of the really positive things people are trying to do when they use it. It's just one of those words that you can't escape the connotations of male dominance, sexual subjugation, and casual commodification of women. And I'm saying this as a fangirl who far too casually uses the term 'whore' to self-describe her obsessions with ship or angst or whump or whatever, which is something I also really need to stop doing. We can all argue that we know what I mean and that it's just a joke, but...that doesn't really excuse it. So. Yeah. In honor of International Woman's Day, lets try thinking of better words for what we mean. Because no matter how easy it is to dismiss as no big deal, words really do matter.

+And because I can't really post without reccing fic, and today is a day for awesome women:

Four Walls and a Blaster by holdouttrout  (Star Wars, Leia, Han, AU)
Han left, and Leia couldn't fault him. What might have happened if he never came back at the battle of Yavin.
This is a great little glimpse into an AU where things don't go so well for the Rebellion at the end of the first movie. Leia is left to fight her own battles in the only way she can. This is the Leia I love, discovering her potential one painful atom at a time.

Like a Leaf on the Water by penknife  (Pirates of the Caribbean, Mistress Cheng)
They were both different people, once, or maybe they weren't that different after all.
Even if you have never seen PotC, or have no memory of the later movies all that much, you still need to read this fic. It's the story of the life of Mistress Cheng and how she becomes a great pirate lord. This is one amazing, well textured woman. Warning for many adult themes and situations. See fic heading info.

Echo by vatrixsta (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Xander, Cordelia, Xander/Cordelia)
Today is Cordelia's favorite day.
Yes, this fic is in first person, which is usually not my cup of tea, but this is so wonderfully done, capturing all my nostalgia for the first show I was ever fannish about, and the sheer joy that was Xander and Cordelia in their early snarky glory. Definitely worth a read.

9.8ms² by delicfcd  (Harry Potter, Ginny, Ginny/Harry)
Ginny can't stop falling.
This is a cute little look into Ginny analyzing her feelings for Harry, and how sometimes boys are just like physics.

So It Goes by Nomad (The West Wing, Jed Bartlet/Abbey Bartlet)
Jed Bartlet. Abigail Barrington. 1967.
This is a great story about how Jed and Abbey may have met, become friends, and eventually fallen in love. I find the characters and their settings very plausible, and the cameos by Mrs. Landingham worth it alone. It's long, but quite a nice read. Warning for depictions of child abuse.

Those of you who like Jane Austen but aren't fans of WIPs, the excellent fic on ffnet that I've been following is finally complete! Check it out! Anne de Bourgh in Bath by SwordSwallower17. (PG, Anne de Bourgh/OMC)

Honest When It Counts and it's sequel Conversations in a Holding Cell by lears_daughter . These are little Leverage/Lie To Me crossovers that are made of win. Gen.

Make a Deal With God by monroeslittle (Fringe, Peter/Olivia.)
The summary kind of says it all: 
Alt!Livia doesn't like Gene, Walter only wants Peter to smile, that is not Ella's Aunt Liv, Elizabeth Bishop isn't going to pretend anymore, and somebody . . . somebody has to set the universes running right again and bring Olivia Dunham home.

An Act of Outright Stupidity by randombattlecry  (Pirates of the Caribbean, Jack/Elizabeth)
Short and perfect. Read it.

Safe in Magnetic Fields by openended  (SG-1, Sam/Jack, Alternative Realities)
Guy walks into the wrong reality, girl tries to get him home.
Angsty, real, and plausible, and oh so fascinating.

Fly by fic recs for what I've been reading lately.

A Tale Retold-At World's End by Laura H and Sal R (Pirate of the Caribbean, R, Jack/Elizabeth with various other pairings)
I'm not a huge Pirates fan, but I certainly loved the first two movies and surprisingly have a bit of a thing for Jack/Elizabeth. This epic fic takes all the characters from the movies, treats them all with interest and respect and conflict and gives them all a destiny and a part that makes sense. It is loooong, and wonderful and definitely pays off. I admit, the cahracterization of Elizabeth bugged me a bit in the beginning, but the author's evolve her so wonderfully and completely by the end that I totally forgave them. The story also treats Elizabeth/Will with respect and tenderness and believability and that is always a bonus to me when there is a love triangle. If you like Pirates and have an inkling for Jack/Elizabeth, you can't miss this epic, epic fic.
My biggest beef is that they didn't consistantly link from the end of one chapter to the beginning of the next, nor is there a comprehensive table of contents page or whatnot. So you have to dig through this tag some.

Unlimited Minutes by artaxastra  (SG-1, R, Sam/Jack)
This is a lovely fic covering the evolution of Sam and Jack's relationship over the years through various phone calls they share over the years. It is subtle and believable and carefully characterized to show growth in their relationships and the individual characters. Definitely don't miss this one!

Unlahfulliche in Lyhte by pepper_field  (SG-1, R, Sam/Jack)
Oh, aliens made them do it at its best. The build up is magical. And the aftermath. And the frank conversations. I am sure you have all already read this, but in case you haven't: GO NOW.

v.2 by Suz (SG-1, PG-13, Sam/Jack)
An oldie but goodie that has been getting a lot of re-reading from me lately. Fantastic what-if for '2010'.

Zomg, tealc_ficathon draft completed and off to beta. Phew. I cannot tell you what a weight off my shoulders that is. I mean, there is still time to hear that the story is crap and needs major revision (a high probability), but a finished draft! Woot. And now there is hope that I might actually work on something else. And boy do I have a lot to choose from: The Mystery Project for charity that is now a year and a half overdue. (*is a shameful charity ho*), the languishing WIP that probably has people wondering if I'm buggering off for good in the middle of it (I swear I'm not), the on-going series (will this darn thing ever end?), the still half-complete first fic for Day of Indulgence (slavery! telepathy! near death experiences!), oh! and the random, bizarre story set in The Lies You Feed Yourself universe (don't ask). I feel like I'm forgetting something.

Hmmmm....gate_women is gearing up for another ficathon (and looking for prompts). Oy. The only thing that bugs me about this one is that it is limited to "regular characters", meaning it must involve at least one of: Sam, Janet, Vala, Teyla, Elizabeth, Jennifer. I mean, I have no problem with these ladies. I love 'em all. But what if I want to write the lost adventures of Lindsey Novak and Cassie Fraiser? What if I want to write about Jennifer Hailey meeting Anise/Freya for the first time? Gairwyn and Lya? Yes. Perhaps a secondary characters ficathon is needed. Only, don't look at me. I've sworn off ficathons.

Things I've been reading lately that I highly recommend (a bizarre and multi-fandom list):

SG-1
Weightless and Maybe by anr (PG, Sam/Jack, Continuum)
Gorgeous, full of tiny moments between Sam and the people in her displaced life. It will take you some time to climb back out of the world created in this one.

Harry Potter
Yes, I have a secret weakness for Harry/Ginny, but I can't stand smut with these two, and you all know I have a low saccharine tolerance. These all pass with flying colors, I promise.  And the Luna fic...just can't be missed.
The Knowing by ladywhizbee  (Harry/Ginny, Post-DH)
This Space is a Gallery of You and Me by pocketfullof  (Harry/Ginny, Post-DH)
The Grown-Up Driver by pocketfullof  (Harry/Ginny, Post-DH)
Subtleties by magentabear (Luna Lovegood, gen)

Pirates of the Caribbean
No idea how I found my way to this, but I love it to pieces.
Shadow and the Soul by She's a Star (Elizabeth/Jack UST)

Austen

Castle

CSI: Las Vegas

Firefly

Fringe

Gilmore Girls

Glee

Harry Potter

Leverage

Sanctuary

Stargate Atlantis

Stargate SG-1

Star Trek Reboot

Star Wars

The West Wing


All other fandoms:

Addams Family
The Bridal Path by Vyola (Addams Family, Wednesday/Joel)
To marry an Addams means taking marriage very seriously. After all, it is till death do you part. And even then, sometimes they come back.
Okay, so it's not like I'm this big Addam's Family fan or anything. I'm pretty sure I saw the movie a million years ago. But, god, I love Wednesday, the quirky worldview of the Addam's family, and their non-traditional romance. This is such a great little fic. Short, quirky, and definitely worth a read.


Bible
The Apple by kitausu  (Bible, Eve)

We Laugh Indoors by martyr4mylove4u  (Bible, Lilith [/adam, /lucifer]) 
SO AWESOME.


Bourne Identity
Survivor by .unique.curious.individual. (T, Marie-centric, Marie/Bourne)
She is Marie Helena Kreutz, and she is a survivor.

Breathe by fearlessfan (T, Marie/Bourne)
Filling in the space between.

Easier by medie   (Nicky/Jason)
Jason Bourne is one of my fictional boyfriends, because, hot and tragic, duh. But this fic is great because it's a Nicky fic about not quite knowing what the hell she is doing, with a dash of ship for flavor.


Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Echo by vatrixsta (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Xander, Cordelia, Xander/Cordelia)
Today is Cordelia's favorite day.
Yes, this fic is in first person, which is usually not my cup of tea, but this is so wonderfully done, capturing all my nostalgia for the first show I was ever fannish about, and the sheer joy that was Xander and Cordelia in their early snarky glory. Definitely worth a read.

Bunny, Bunny, Oxen Free by lowercase k (?)
I have a soft spot for Anya. This is post series finale, Buffy investigating when Anya unexpectedly shows up. It's short and quirky and is so the Anya I love. Gen.

Physical Presence by Mona (monanotlisa) (SGA/Buffy, Anya/Rodney)
Oh my goodness, you guys.  I have been craving Rodney/Anya fic since I signed up for the ucp_ficathon ages ago.  I even wished for a Rodney/Anya story for my Holiday Wish List.  And then, lo and behold, just as I had begun to lose hope, rositamia rec'd one over at stargateficrec.  All is right with the world once more.  Especially because it is funny, snarky and full of pop culture references.  If you have any Buffy love mixed in with your Stargate fannishness, go forth and read.


Burn Notice
Five Things Madeline Knows by myystic (Burn Notice--Madeline, Michael, Nate, Frank)
About her family.
This is a great look at my favorite character on Burn Notice. It gives us a great look at the Westen family, and shows so clearly just how much Madeline sees, and how much she pretends not to.

If you love Maddie, read the first part of this fic: The Last Smoke. (spoilers for season 3 finale).


Dollhouse
Identity Crisis 101 by irony_rocks   (Sierra/Victor)
No matter my issues with Dollhouse, I still love Sierra and Victor, and this fic is a great look at the fragmenting of identity, the brokeness of these liberated dolls, and what in their lives may actually anchor them.


Eureka
A Hand to Hold by jedibuttercup  (Eureka, Jack/Tess)
The first Jack/Tess fic I've managed to find, and it's short, but lovely. Tag to "Ship Happens"


Friday Night Lights
bright and clear by hardlygolden (Friday Night Lights--Tami/Eric)
"Eric Taylor," she declares, "you are my hero." Two decades later, he still is.
My love for these two is no secret. This is a great look at their lives together, and how much they love their family. Short and sweet with great characterizations.

There are Roads Left in Both of Our Shoes by likewinning  (Friday Night Lights, Julie Taylor)

Building Shelters by myrifique (Julie Taylor/Tim Riggins)
The pairing sounds odd, I know, but it works.


Greek Mythology
Moirai by prozacpark (Greek Mythology, Athena, Hera)
"that's the art of war, and she knows war." [Hera and Athena as allies in a war against Zeus.]
Even if you know nothing of Greek mythology, this is an awesome fic. Hera with a reason for the way she does things, Athena with a secret hidden agenda, and the ways these women find to work together behind the scenes. One of the tags for this story is 'women being awesome' and I couldn't agree more.

Five Futures Kassandra Saw and One She Could Not by prozacpark (Greek Mythology, Kassandra, Andromache, Helen, Klytemnestra)
to know your fate is to be a slave to it.
Oh, man. There is nothing I love more than fic that gives a story to the peripheral ladies of great manly tales (and AGENCY and PURPOSE). This story has that in spades.

Hid By Night and Every Fault Forgiven by kitausu  (Odyssey, Penelope)
OMG, so awesome.


Inception
walking on my skin again by seimaisin  (Inception, Ariadne, Ariadne/Arthur)
What makes me love this fic more than anything else? That this is really an Ariadne fic first, about her friendships and relationships, but most importantly, how she finds her own place in the world. Excellent inclusion of Eames, Cobb, Yusef, and even Mal. (God, I love where Mal goes in this fic. Love like whoa.)

daytime language by dropsofviolet  (Inception, Ariadne)

remember how you got here by kellifer_fic (Ariadne with bits of Ariadne/Arthur).
I swear, Kellifer is just incapable of getting a character voice wrong.


Inglorious Basterds
smoke in the blood by lesaut  (Inglorious Basterds, Shoshanna)
the stars are made of fire by penny_lane_42  (Inglorious Basterds, Shoshanna)


Ironman
That Time with the Dobermans (and the Hole in the Wall) by mspotts  (Tony/Pepper)
I never got quite as sucked up by Ironman as everyone else, but I love this fic. This is a Tony/Pepper I could easily get into. Hilarious Pepper voice that reads true.

The Priming Game by amonitrate (Ironman, Rhodey, Tony, Tony/Pepper if you really squint)
Rhodey wonders if from now on it's going to be Tony Before and Tony After.
This is a fill in for the time between when Tony is rescued out of the desert and when he lands back in America. Rhodey's POV on the changes that have come over Tony, the secrets he is clearly keeping, and the suspicions of the US Government that threaten to push Tony over the edge. Such a clear vision of the characters and their relationships as well at the way Tony is changed by his experience.


Lie To Me
Boundaries by teyla (Lie To Me--Cal, Emily, Zoe)
Proof is always better than trust. Or is it?
This is an amazing look at what Cal's job affects his relationships with his wife and daughter, no matter how hard he tries not to let them. This is also a great look at Emily, the ways she deals with Cal, how well she understands him, even when her attempt to get around him fail as always. This is an Emily trying to be her own woman with a father that makes it impossible. Great, great fic.

Honest When It Counts and it's sequel Conversations in a Holding Cell by lears_daughter . These are little Leverage/Lie To Me crossovers that are made of win. Gen.


Lord of the Rings
Hail The Queen by snowyofthenight  (Lord of the Rings, Eowyn)


Mulan
My Story is Not Like Yours by moirariordan  (Mulan, Mulan)


Pirates of the Caribbean
Like a Leaf on the Water by penknife  (Pirates of the Caribbean, Mistress Cheng)
They were both different people, once, or maybe they weren't that different after all.
Even if you have never seen PotC, or have no memory of the later movies all that much, you still need to read this fic. It's the story of the life of Mistress Cheng and how she becomes a great pirate lord. This is one amazing, well textured woman. Warning for many adult themes and situations. See fic heading info.

An Act of Outright Stupidity by randombattlecry  (Pirates of the Caribbean, Jack/Elizabeth)
Short and perfect. Read it.

A Tale Retold-At World's End by Laura H and Sal R (Pirate of the Caribbean, R, Jack/Elizabeth with various other pairings)
I'm not a huge Pirates fan, but I certainly loved the first two movies and surprisingly have a bit of a thing for Jack/Elizabeth. This epic fic takes all the characters from the movies, treats them all with interest and respect and conflict and gives them all a destiny and a part that makes sense. It is loooong, and wonderful and definitely pays off. I admit, the cahracterization of Elizabeth bugged me a bit in the beginning, but the author's evolve her so wonderfully and completely by the end that I totally forgave them. The story also treats Elizabeth/Will with respect and tenderness and believability and that is always a bonus to me when there is a love triangle. If you like Pirates and have an inkling for Jack/Elizabeth, you can't miss this epic, epic fic.
My biggest beef is that they didn't consistantly link from the end of one chapter to the beginning of the next, nor is there a comprehensive table of contents page or whatnot. So you have to dig through this tag some.

Shadow and the Soul by She's a Star (Elizabeth/Jack UST)
No idea how I found my way to this, but I love it to pieces.


Romeo and Juliet
a fleck on my porcelain skin by martyr4mylove4u  (Romeo and Juliet, Rosaline[/Juliet])
Love.


Saint Trinian's
Mama Who Bore Me by language_escapes (Saint Trinian's)
Ten stories about eleven St. Trinian's girls and the women who shaped them.
This is set in a specific version of this universe by this author that I love. (Having Chosen, So Defined). I think this fic even manages to blow that one out of the water. You know, even if you have never seen the St. Trinian movies, I think you really might enjoy this fic. It's about daughters and mothers and the paths we chose in this life. It's lovely and powerful, and way better than the original movies themselves which are amusingly bad, but make up for it in the idea they put forth.


Sleeping Beauty
Unhappily by lyrstzha  (Sleeping Beauty, PG-13)
I don’t care what you’ve heard; there were never any fairies involved.
An awesome retelling of the Sleeping Beauty fairytale, only this time with snark and human error and ZOMBIES. I love the narrator's voice, and the story is just great. I like that idea that when you peel behind the disney-ification of fairytales there are much darker and grittier things hidden underneath. This fic is short and fun. Definitely give it a read. And feed the author!


Star Trek Voyager
Some Other Girl by alicamel   (ST: Voyager, Miral Paris) Oh, man. It's not easy being the daughter of heroes.


Thor
It's Electrifying by waketosleep (Thor, Darcy, Clint Barton, Jane, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Darcy/Clint)
Clint Barton is apparently an Avenger and a pretty good shot, but whatever, Darcy has a taser and no reluctance to use it. Clint is the damaged one if he finds that charming.
Oh lord, where to begin? The Darcy voice is awesome and sarcastic and just so wonderful as she faces off against Clint and hulks and even Tony Stark. Love this fic to pieces. (The caveat is that beyond Ironman, I know nothing of the comics world, but still enjoyed the hell out of this.)


True Grit
A Long Time Traveling Away From Home by lindentree  (True Grit, Mattie/LaBoeuf)
Proverbs 16:18 - "Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." Mattie has one version of events. LaBoeuf has quite another.
This is not your traditional love story, but for these two would you really expect anything less? Lovely story telling and pacing and just overall so true to the characters and the source material. Great read.

We Have No Rodeo Clowns in Yell County by SarahT (True Grit, Mattie/LaBoeuf)
As I grew into a young lady, I was not much troubled with suitors.
Can't say I was all that certain about this pairing, but Mattie's voice is so well done I sort of didn't care.


Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego
the catch is you stay and see what becomes of us by anythingbutgrey  (Carmen/Waldo)
I'm not kidding, guys. read this.


Wizard of Oz
poppies stretch for days by falseeyelashes  (Wizard of Oz+ZOMBIES, Dorothy, Dorothy/Tinman) I mean, zombies. Do you need another reason?


X-Men
Gravity by penknife  (X-Men, Rogue)
There are all kinds of weight. Rogue is learning that.
This is an awesome, awesome, awesome fic all about Rogue dealing with the voices left in her head, and the men she has touched. Love this.