Amplirecathon 2011: Brilliant Long Podfic
Mar. 14th, 2011 06:21 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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amplificathon
Amplirecathon 2011 Entries
Long podfic is my favorite kind - you get to settle into the voice of the reader, and there's enough time to savor the details of the little world that is created. These podfics are ones I thought truly exceptional, and I hope you enjoy them as much as I have... there are many very worthy long podfics that I haven't included here, because I wanted to put some limits on the length of this post.
Supernatural
The Bright Lights of Disturbia
Written by:
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-syndicated.gif){kind=small}
leonidaslion read by: ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif){kind=small}
blackbyrdy Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Sam/Dean
Length: 38:12:22
Link to original posting
Link to archive files
I've always loved leonidaslion's writing, there's a combination of brutality, momentum, and tenderness to it that is unmatched. This story was posted as a serial last summer, and it was always a little bright spot in my week to see that a new chapter was up. Blackbyrdy has a singularly unselfconscious way of reading that draws you into the action and maintains the suspense over an incredible 38 hours of storytelling. It doesn't drag - I never, ever felt bored or tired of her voice, I was always so interested to see how she'd handle the next chapter. There's a lot of angst in this tale, but it's not told in a hand-wringing way - it's just that you feel that the happiness at the end is completely and utterly earned.
The Year of Letting Go
Written by:
runedgirl read by: meansprite Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Sam/Dean
Length: 3:56:15
Link to original posting
Link to archive files
Meansprite has a gift for vocal distinction between Sam and Dean - something that's hard to pull off without flattening the affect of what's being said, but she makes it sound easy. However, it's not just how she reads - its the strong sense of narration she gives it. She knows where each sentence is going, has an excellent feel for the minds of the characters, and carries the story forward effortlessly.
The Knuckles of the Skinnybone Tree
Written by:
hansbekhart read by: dodificus Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Sam/Dean
Length: 3:24:06
Link to original posting
Link to archive files
It's not a new revelation or anything, but ever since I read it somewhere, I've thought that Supernatural is at its heart a Western. This story delivers on the promise of that. There's a visual sensuality to interesting tale of Sam and Dean meeting a younger version of their father in the Badlands while they are all hunting, and the storytelling is excellent. The deliberate and well-thought-out way dodificus reads is punctuated by great dialog delivery, and subtle but excellent choices of sound effects and music.
Lazarus Came Forth
Written by:
oselle read by: baylor Rating: R
Gen
Length: 6:53:10
Link to original posting
Link to archive files
I'm not a big fan of apocalypse fic, but I loved this story - the writing is spare and elegant, and baylor's grave and excellently-paced reading is a perfect match for it. Dean's desperation to find his brother in a version of hell on earth is palatable, but never oversold. And the music! The music choices and integration are perfect.
Credit in the Straight World
Written by:
ninhursag read by: ann_ciudad Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Sam/Dean
Length: 2:50:50
Link to original posting
Link to archive files
While the premise of this story - Sam is bewitched in a way that he's not allowed to express, but that completely changes his life, is interesting, the thing that made me want to listen to this podbook twice is the excellence of ann_ciudad's recording. It's subtle, not overwhelming the reader, but flawless in its execution.
Supernatural/Harry Potter
Old Country
Written by:
astolat read by: fayjay Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Sam/Dean
Length: 3:49:55
Link to archive files
This is a cross-over between these two wildly different worlds that's told with such humor and conviction that you completely buy it. It's actually not such a stretch to imagine Sam as Hogwart's most determined (and tallest) student, single-mindedly bent on getting Dean out of his deal. Dean is completely believable as inadvertent auto-repair instructor and gun-safety advocate, respected by the goblins and utterly beloved by the other students. However, it's FayJay's invincible talent with accents that rules - and the way she gradually unfolds the pathos here is brilliant...
J2
Do I Look Bulletproof to You?
Written by:
fleshflutter read by: cath Rating: NC-17
Length: 8:20:06
Link to archive files
I love the way podcath gradually unrolls this rather dark tale, letting you feel the grittiness and the hopefulness of the characters by turns. There's a lot of humor here, but also a lot of pain, and each get equal time and care applied to them. Sometimes you get a great story combined with an excellent reading, and the sum is more than the parts. That's how I feel about this podfic.
Someone You Might Have Been
Written by:
fleshflutter read by: fayjay Rating: NC-17
Length: 11:03:52
Link to archive files
Brilliant fic, executed in a skillful and heart-felt way by the one-and-only FayJay. Over 11 hours of Jared and Jensen as spies working for, against, and with each other. Plus, Chad the misbegotten smart-ass spy handler. Seriously, it's splendid, I can't even explain how good it is, you just have to listen to it.
Stargate Atlantis
Your Cowboy Days are Over
Written by: m., read by:
general_jinjur Rating: NC-17
Length: 5:55:56
Link to archive files
This story, and the beautiful reading given to it by general_jinjur, are a devastating combination. John sells his memories for something he holds more dear. The reader doesn't pull any punches, and you feel every one. That's one of the marks of a great podfic, for me. That it makes you feel something viscerally, more than words on a page can convey.
Bell Curve 'Verse 1-2
Written by:
rageprufrock read by: 2naonh3_cl2 Rating: Adult
Pairing: John/Rodney
Length: 4:23:00
Link to original posting
Link to archive files
This is one of the most brilliantly funny podbooks I've ever listened to. 2naonh3_cl2 is an intelligent reader who never steps on the humor, does great inflection distinctions between the characters, and generally maximizes this highly enjoyable fic. Her voice is so clear, never any trouble understanding where she's going with the narrative. John as a bartender/reluctant very-part time stripper and Rodney as the crankiest professor ever are delightful. Like me, I think you'll be sorry to hear it end.
Nantucket AU
Written by:
dogeared , aesc , sheafrotherdon , and siriaeve read by: the_oscar_cat Rating: G to NC-17
Pairing: John/Rodney
Length: 5:32:02
Link to original posting
Link to archive files
There are a number of different writers who contributed to this series of interconnected little stories, but the smoothly unifying purr of the_oscar_cat's voice integrates them all together without missing a beat. Things happen, good, bad, change, life carries on. It's hard to describe, but the loveliness of the reading is indisputable...try it out and you'll see what I mean...
In the City of Seven Walls
Written by:
auburn read by: general_jinjur Rating: NC-17
Pairing: John/Rodney
Length: 17:02:35
Link to archive files
If I had to pick just one podfic, this would be the one I'd pick, because it's so well-written, heartbreaking, and terribly vast in the tale it tells. General_jinjur has a fascinating way of reading that gets its hooks into you and pulls you along. When I was listening, it was as if I could see the blinding-white walls of city, feel the radiated heat of the day in the gardens after dark, smell eucalyptus and dust. It's just that good.
OK Computer
Written by:
speranza read by: mific Rating: NC-17
Pairing: John/Rodney
Length: 3:23:14
Link to original posting
Link to archive files
Mific has a dryly funny way of reading that makes me laugh. There's time-travel in this fic, and alternate versions of reality, and Rodney building a whole virtual world for his substitute cyber-John in his grief after the real one dies...and I can't say anything more without giving away too much. The writer is brilliant, the story twisty and excellent, and mific completely owns it. 100% recommended.
Smallville
IHero & My Boyfriend's Back
Written by:
iibnf read by: twilight_angel Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Lex/Clark
Length: 9:36:01
Link to original posting
Link to archive files
OK, how can you not love a podfic where Lex's superpower is (wait for it...) his control of sound, powered by his IPod? The premise itself is worth its weight in gold, but twilight's wry and funny delivery make it awesome. She has such a gift for dialog and intonation, as well as an excellent feel for the characters, you'll find you always know who is talking and sense their motivation. Her Lex is a completely lovable utter bastard.
Reconcilable Differences
Written by:
astolat read by: fayjay Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Lex/Clark
Length: 4:09:52
Link to archive files
I know I could fill an entire podfic rec post with all FayJay stories, and it is a very strong temptation. Let's just say, she sets the bar very high for the rest of us poor podficcers, but when you get so much amazing entertainment out of the deal, it's impossible to be resentful. This story is rather hilarious - of course the son of Lex and Clark would be an über-pain in both their asses - but also has a lot of real anguish over past decisions and roads not taken, and FayJay easily swoops between the two in a memorable way.
Merlin
Seven Magpies
Written by:
syllic read by: lunchee Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Length: 3:15:01
Link to original posting
Link to archive files
Lunchee has a wonderful feel for the characters, and her dialog is excellent. Plus, I just love to listen to her voice. Arthur and Merlin switch roles in another version of Camelot, one where some very different choices were made, and she plays Merlin's hesitancy and Arthur's confusion admirably. The story has a sort of meditative feel to it - it's funny and wistful and happy by turns, and at the end of it, you feel as though you've been somewhere else, and are just now returning.
Drastically Redefining Protocol
Written by:
rageprufrock read by: revolutionaryjo Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Length: 4:25:41
Link to original posting
Link to archive files
Excellent story, even better podfic. Revolutionaryjo is brilliant at voicing the (very unlikely) romance between hapless medical intern Merlin and heir apparent Arthur. It sneaks up on you how good it is, because revolutionaryjo never sells the story short with over-dramatizing it, just makes you forget where you are and what you are doing because you just have to know what happens next. Her voice is remarkably soothing but completely delivers on the snarkiness and moments of anguish. Also delivered: scorchingness.
Torchwood
Get Loved, Make More, Try to Stay Alive
Written by:
dsudis read by: superstitiousme Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Ianto/Jack
Length: 7:24:52
Link to original posting
Link to archive files
I love superstitiousme's quiet, devastatingly-effective work. This is an epic tale of Ianto and Jack moving through time - though not necessarily only in one direction. Completely compelling, and sort of made me feel desperately sad for parts of it, though the ending is a happy one. There's a strong sense of memory throughout the fic - time running out, time being treasured, ending, starting out. Hard to adequately describe the complexity of it, but well worth your own time investment.
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(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-15 03:24 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-15 01:41 am (UTC)May I ask for a wee bit more info? Could you note pairings (or gen) for the SPN fics, or at least whether or not they're Wincest? In some cases it's not stated on the linked fic page.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-15 02:03 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-15 02:36 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-15 01:58 am (UTC)I like your descriptions and that you address both content and performance (I know it's so easy to focus on why we like the story only. I know I tend to think about podfic in terms of things I don't like usually, though I am getting better at just...listening :)
Thank you for the rec. I think I love podbang so much because it really challenges me to do longer fic, and I'm glad I took on this story, bc it's so worth it!
(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-15 02:05 am (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2011-03-16 02:05 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-15 12:15 pm (UTC)This is such a fantastic list, I will definitely be checking them out later! The way you've set out your recommendations is very appealing :)
(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-15 01:05 pm (UTC)It's weird because I deliberately got on the comm just now in the futile hope it was on here (futile because I was sure I would have seen it before if it had been podficced)
And there your recs were! It's like fate. :D
(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-15 01:12 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-15 05:15 pm (UTC)Great list and I can't wait to grab:)
(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-16 02:06 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-15 06:55 pm (UTC)Thank you kindly for going to all this effort, it's much appreciated.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-16 02:07 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-15 08:13 pm (UTC)I looove long podfics, and I've only listened to 3 of the SPN ones you rec'd (and they were all amazing, so I'm super excited to have a chance to listen to the others). The only other fandom that would be applicable would be Torchwood, and I've never listened to any Torchwood podfic before. (I haven't even really read any Torchwood fic, that I can think of) but now I'm excited at the possibility of listening to this one!
(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-16 02:09 am (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2011-03-16 06:23 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-16 09:14 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-16 09:55 am (UTC)thank you!
(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-16 01:16 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-16 12:27 pm (UTC)Aww, yay! Thanks, love - I'm delighted you enjoyed those stories, and I'm flattered to death by your kind words! (In a flaily, awkward, always-both-embarrassed-and-thrilled-by-compliments kind of way.)
And THANK YOU for all the other links - looking forward to downloading more of these!
&hearts &hearts &hearts
(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-16 01:19 pm (UTC)LOVE
Date: 2011-03-16 06:12 pm (UTC)IHero was epic wasn't it? -so funny and so well read. I completely agree with you there.
I like how you gave a little bit of a summery as well, which is so much more helpful then- "HGFTDH! GO DOWNLOAD NOW! IT'S AWESOME."
I'm slowly entering the world of Torchwood and since your summery of Get Loved, Make More, Try To Stay Alive is so compelling I'm downloading right now and can't wait to listen.
Aw, Thank you for the rec darlin' :) *is tickled*
Re: LOVE
Date: 2011-03-17 01:43 am (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2011-03-17 06:54 pm (UTC)I'm stupidly happy with the praise for my vocal interpretation of
Once again thank you so so much. :)
(no subject)
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Date: 2011-04-14 01:01 am (UTC)Podfic Roundup: Podfic appreciation 102
Date: 2012-02-12 01:32 am (UTC)