18 podfics about women

[cantarina]

Hello!

In a move that will surprise absolutely no one who knows me, this rec set is 18 podfics about female characters. Like in the rest of fandom, works about men are produced at a rapid clip and those podfics have given me many, many happy hours of listening. Some days, though, I just want stories about ladies in my ears! Here are some of my favourites.


Amateur Production
Performed by sophinisba
Fandom: Community
Characters: Britta/Paige
7 minutes
Squee! Great story, great reader. I particularly like the hesitance she puts into the character's voices toward the end of the story. There are a lot of questions left and Sophinisba highlights it really well.

Anything
Read by S.K. Lee
Fandom: Stargate: SG-1
Characters: Sam Carter
15 minutes
I love S.K. Lee's readings, maybe because they sound so different from most readers. I don't know if there's anyone else with quite so low and gravelly a voice and it's brilliant to listen to. "Anything" is one of my favourite S.K. Lee podfics (there's a second one further down the list) and absolutely worth the listen.

Be So Bold
By sophinisba
Fandom: Merlin (BBC)
Characters: Gwen/Morgana, cameo by Vivian
33 minutes
There are aching moments of intimacy and suspense in her reading that have to be heard. Also, her gossipy, gossipy Vivian is pitch-perfect and giggle-worthy.

The Blue Jell-O Metaphor
Performed by malnpudl
Fandom: Stargate: SG-1
Characters: Sam Carter
28 minutes
I've listened to this one again and again and again. It's a quiet, solid reading about Sam. Love it.

Cheating the Other Guy
By general_jinjur
Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Characters: Sam Carter and Teyla Emmagen
13 minutes
A lovely, wry reading that's well-matched to the story.

Goddess and the City
By fresne
Fandom: Chinese Mythology
Character: Queen Mother of the West
10 minutes
I'll say this in more detail later, but I love fresne's lively readings. Also, it's raining, all thunder and lightening, in the background of the recording. I don't know that was added in later of if it happened to be raining that day, but it adds wonderful atmosphere. It's fitting that nature's showing off it's power while a goddess is being extolled.

i am acton bell's metaphorical manhood
By pennyplainknits
Fandom: Hark! A Vagrant
Characters: Bronte Sisters, as interpreted by Kate Beaton
10 minutes
The opening line of Penny's reading is emphatic and sets up an excellent energy that caries through the rest of it. Also, she ((spoilers)) you, just for listening. It's glorious. (No really, I'm not telling you what that spoiler it is. You'll have to listen for yourself.)

Intersection
Performed by sophinisba
Written by
Torchwood, Tosh-centric
40 minutes
If you're a fan of Toshiko Sato, this is a MUST. Sophinisba does a beautiful job of telling this story, quietly letting the whole tale spin out in all of its horror and beauty. She lends Tosh strength and vulnerability all at once!

Juanita Lee's 3rd Grade Book Report
Performed by S.K. Lee
Fandom: Stargate: SG-1
Characters: Sam Carter, OC (Juanita Lee)
2.5 minutes
I love S.K. Lee no matter what they're reading, but they nail this one. S.K. transforms their usual reading style and they sound really marvellously like a third-grade child; all the ways children talk until they run out breath and haven't quite mastered pacing. There's no lingering over moments that would be sad if an adult were telling the story. It's just a little girl rambling on in her book report, and it's wonderful.

Once Upon a Time
By fleet
Fandom: Star Trek Reboot
26 minutes
This is a story all about two women finding their way to friendship through the difficulties of navigating two very different cultural backgrounds. fleet handles it with beautiful aplomb, conveying the good intent of both women, but also all of the frustration and confusion that comes with that kind of situation with lovely nuance.

Open the World
By kalikirya
Fandom: due South
Characters: Martha Fraser and OCs
1 hour 4 minutes
Kalikirya has such a soft, sweet reading style for this story that's a pleasure to listen to. She brings the cast of characters to life and sends you away with the sense of them and the story, bright and lovely.

Pastimes and Lifestyles
By sophinisba
Fandom: Merlin
Characters: Morgana/Gwen
1 hour 47 minutes
In which Morgana takes on Merlin's mantle when he never arrives in Camelot and basically, it's like Sophinisba is reading me an awesome, female-centric, fantastical bedtime story.

Sailor's Delight
By appellant
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Stargate: Atlantis (Fusion with Night of the Comet)
Characters: Dawn Summers and Jeannie Miller
2 hours, 17 minutes
Aside from being a great, plotty story, it's a great reading of Dawn. It's all that bubbly, fast-talking energy caught up in the podfic.

Snow Fairies
By Regina Nigellus
Fandom: Harry Potter
Characters: Padma Patil, Luna Lovegood
10 minutes
Listening to this podfic is always like bringing a bit of magic into my daily life. The reader brings just the right amount of wonder to the pivotal moments, which is contrasted against Padma's earlier sarcasm and boredom.

Someone to Watch Over Me
By fresne
Fandom: Twisted Princesses (Disney Fanart)
Characters: Mulan and Tiana
19 minutes
Great music choice and even better emotion poured into her reading. She runs the range, from tired or cheerful to terrifyingly intense and cheerfully nonchalant over some things we recognize as awful, but the character really, really doesn't.

Strawberry Pavlova
By elaineofshalott
Fandom: Sherlock (BBC)
Characters: Mrs Hudson
7 minutes
elaineofshalott nails Mrs Hudson's slightly dotty persona, the one that hides someone a little bit more devious underneath. Go listen, it's gorgeous.

Warning to Children
By croissantkatie
Fandom: Doctor Who & Torchwood
Characters: Amy Pond, Joan Redfern, Gwen Cooper, and Donna Noble
I lovelovelove the ethereal quality Katie brings to this reading! (Also, to my untrained ear, I love the Welsh accent she puts on to read Gwen!) This one was a case of not liking the story much when I read it and absolutely loving it when I took a chance and listened to it.

wishes are no horses
By luzula
Fandom: Anne of Green Gables
Characters: Diana, Anne, others
22 minutes
Read with her typical grace, luzula paints this alternate take on the Anne of Green Gables world all in bright colours.


Edited to add, after seeing injunket's post: if you have favourite podfic about women that don't show up here, please share the link in the comments! The more, the merrier!

Comments

[starduchess]

I completely agree with "Snow Fairies". Such a delightful listen!

[cantarina]

Yes! I'm reccing it in another set, but "Spinsters on a Sunday" morning was another favourite to come out of that fest.

[elaineofshalott]

Two of my favorite women-centered podfics are from Sherlock (BBC) fandom and recorded by croissantkatie:

"The Uncanny Mrs Hudson", part of the Awesome Ladies Podfic Anthology II (multiple download options at the post)

and

"The Mourning Woman", character: Molly Hooper


croissantkatie captures each of the characters' voices, conveying Mrs Hudson's enjoyment of her 'dotty old lady' façade, and Molly's fragility post-"Reichenbach" (spoilers in that one). <3

[cantarina]

Oh man, I wanted to mine the Awesome Ladies and Peck on the Lips podfic anthologies so much, but already had a list of almost forty stories just from mining favourites from my collection of stand-alones /o\ So many amazing readings in those collections!

[clairshadows]

Sharring Links :)

Experimental science written by Corona read by Otrame
http://www.audiofic.jinjurly.com/experimental-science-audiobook

A Doctor who general audience story I adore. Otrame's Donna's voice is spot on placing emphasis on certain words in a perfect way and this post Doctor Donna story fixes the hurt left behind beautifully. Excerpt:

"I'm going mad," Donna says quietly and she's amazed her voice isn't higher, isn't more hysterical, because she thinks the situation deserves a little hysterical at this point. "Completely mad."

Though it isn't as terrifying as she'd thought it would be. Mostly because it's four in the morning and though she's clearly suffering from some terrible compulsive need to build things that has to be better than hearing voices that tell you to kill the neighbours. In fact building things is almost friendly in comparison, and if that's all that there is, if that's the only weird quirk to her accident, or whatever than she should be grateful

The Big Bang and Everything After written by Mandy's Bitch and read by general_jinjur
http://www.audiofic.jinjurly.com/big-bang-and-everything-after

A Firefly/SGA crossover story. Pairing River/Rodney.
This story is told from River's point of view admittedly I'm biased towards story's which are written in this POV, however this story also manages to show a Rodney who struggles hard to fit into his new reality and a River who gets that and helps.

Walk out of the World written by Martha Wilson and read by Summertea
http://www.audiofic.jinjurly.com/walk-out-of-world

A Firefly/SGA crossover story. General Audience.
This is a relatively short story told from River's point of view (see above). In which River and Kaylee meet up with the SGA team + Miko and avoid getting eaten by the Wraith.

Excerpt (or why I love River's POV):
The other is small like River, wearing the blue and tan of the to-be-protected, and she's beautiful, like a flower carved out of ivory, all intricate layers woven with delicate precision, and her head is full of numbers and time as well.

[cantarina]

Looking forward to listening! Thanks for sharing :D

And you! Are you still recording things? Have I just missed seeing them posted to Amplificathon?

[clairshadows]

You'll probably see me posting again sometime in November. Life is a little crowded at the moment.

[fire_juggler]

*flails* Some of my absolute favorites are on here, and I have RUN to download the rest!!! Awesome rec post!!!

[cantarina]

:D

[croissantkatie]

Thank you so much for the rec! The fact that you didn't like the story but liked the podfic makes that even more amazing to me. Thank you. <3

Also, I am truly shocked by the theme of this recs list. Truly shocked. And now I'm going to download pretty much all of these so I can have all the awesome lady podfic! :D

[cantarina]

ALL LADIES IN YOUR EARS, ALL THE TIME

[kalakirya]

EEEEeeee I'm so glad you liked Open the World!!! Thanks for reccing it!!!

[kalakirya]

also, there's podfic for the twisted princesses?! And I missed it?!! *runs off to download*

[cantarina]

Glad I could a) make you squee via the rec and b) point your toward the Twisted Princesses podfic :)

[lunchee]

I would expect nothing less from you \o/

awesome ladies! definitely getting some of those on the iTunes :D

[cantarina]

\\\o///

Enjoy, bb!

[fresne]

Yay to the theme and much with the happy downloads. Also, thanks for the recs.

[cantarina]

:D

[sophinisba]

Hadn't seen this post before I saw your Tweet to Yue today. Thank you so much, Carina, this is awesome to see.

[cantarina]

Truly, this was the recs post I was born to make.

Did you catch the unofficial second half of this post, which focuses on Bechdel passing stories? Also relevant to your interests.