My Yuletide Story & two more recs

Jan 02, 2011 12:54

Happy New Year, folk of the journalling lands!

As mentioned previously, I participated in Yuletide for the first time this year. I was a little worried, especially when my life was painfully hectic up to the last week before the story was due, but it did turn out to be a great experience, one I hope to repeat. I wrote this story, with very helpful beta-ing by
bowdlerized:

The Gap (3587 words) by
idlerat
Fandom: Mad Men
Rating: General Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Abe, Peggy Olson, Joan Holloway, Joyce Ramsay, Roger Sterling
Summary: In the midst of cultural and political upheavals, New York rings in 1966 with a transit strike, and Peggy realizes she could use an new type of ally. Warning for depictions of racism and homophobia. Does the sexism go without saying?

Those kind souls who commented did a much better job of summarizing it than I did, so I have made a vow to start thinking of a summary earlier in the process next year. It's basically a character/mis en scene/speculation piece about Peggy and Joan, and follows them in independent streams until those streams cross (Ghostbusters! panic!!) at the end. (See why I can't write my own summaries?) It's set a couple of months after the most recent episode (and spoils it), but more than one person said it worked even if you didn't know the show.

I also want to mention two other fics. I already recced two stories that I knew were by
bowdlerized here (the Jane Eyre and a Mad Men fic, Bound and Determined), but she also wrote a third wonderful piece for a fandom I don't know at all (but didn't have to):

Dig Me Out from Under Our House (1001 words) by
Bow
Fandom: Hospice (album)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warning: Major Character Death
Characters: Sylvia, Narrator
Summary: What happens before the choir sings, and afterward.

Finally, the best Yuletide fic I read - my favorite, anyway - was this Monty Python RPF, already recced elsewhere but deserving of much, much more love:

READ THIS ONE FIRST (3872 words) by
trifles
Fandom: Monty Python RPF
Rating: Not Rated
Warning: Author Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Terry Jones, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Alison Telfer
Summary: Anne Durham: What it is to be married to Clive.

I'm going to give slightly different advice on reading this one than
ellen_fremedon did when she recced it. There are two AO3 files that are part of it (the other is We would skip this one, if we were you...). The story is in hypertext: it's full of links, some of which go to the second "story" file, and some of which go to other pages and files - some of which, in turn, contain further links (labeled "back" but not always going straight back). It's a fantastic ride, completely appropriate to Monty Python, but the core story is fantastic also. I recommend first reading it ("READ THIS ONE FIRST") straight through, and taking it at face value in that mode. And then experience it as quite a different story by reading it through again and following all the links, watching the vids, etc. It changes what the story is about, and it works both ways, so I advise that you do yourself a favor and experience it both ways. And one of the Easter eggs made me cry.

I do think this is for lovers of Monty Python with an affection for those boys, but it's so ingenious, moving, funny, and original, and the characterizations and the sense of time and place are so acute, that if you have any fondness for Monty Python then I recommend this story to you in the highest terms.

recs/reviews/readings, my_fic

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