Amplirecathon 2011 - Recs from a N00b!

[starrylizard.livejournal.com]

I'm about as new as they come to all this podfic business. I've been vaguely aware of them for a while, but only listened to my first podfic (something by FayJay, I'm pretty sure it was Shift - not recced here, but a fabulous podfic, so please consider this a mini-rec.) on a random whim when I saw it turn up on sherlockbbc . I knew that I had a rare boring day at work coming up, where I would be doing mindless, repetitive tasks and I thought I'd give one of these podfic things a shot. I was surprised to find myself getting rather involved in the plot and enjoying FayJay's excellent dulcet tones and I've been randomly sampling the various podfic on offer since.

I haven't bothered with reading rec posts (until this recathon anyway), but instead I've been enjoying just downloading something that looks mildly interesting from a fandom/genre perspective and allowing myself to be surprised by the reader. I adore discovering all the different accents and speaking styles and seeing whether there are added extras like music and effects... I think finding out what someone sounds like for the first time is really rather wonderful and while I already have a few favourite readers, I will keep sampling new ones, because it's such a delight every time. :)

So, enough rambling. Here's some... Podrecs from a N00b!

These got a little long-winded, so I hope that's okay. I kept typing up recs and then deleting, because I wanted to limit myself to five choices and I kept changing my mind. Ha! SO here are the SIX I had when I finally hit send rather than go insane. Enjoy!

* History, Repeating itself written by gyzym and read by speccygeekgrrl
Sherlock Holmes | AU | Holmes/Watson | NC17 | audiofic archive link | 4:32:31

So far, this is my favourite podfic and it'll take a lot to displace it (do keep trying though peeps). This is not a fic I would have naturally decided to read, which only makes it all the more fantastic. The story is windy and wonderful and praise-worthy and funny and sexy all of its own, with it's wonderfully messed up Holmes and Watson in a modern-day guise, but speccygeekgrrl really brings it to life with so much expression. I couldn't stop listening. And there is over FOUR and a HALF HOURS of this fabulous podfic to listen to and it never at any point lost my interest and speccygeekgrrl never faltered in her marvellous reading. The first person pov lends itself so wonderfully to audio, drunk!Holmes actually made me spit my tea from laughing (around about 1:16:00 mark for those interested) for it's realism and PTSD!Watson made my heart tug from the emotion in her voice and just... *flail* I'm not good at expressing myself in rec posts, but I hope you all get the idea. This one is totally worth downloading and keeping forever!


* Defender written by jadesfire2808 and read by reena_jenkins
Stargate Atlantis | Gen | audiofic archive link | 43:11

I have a major soft spot for stories in which Sheppard connects with Atlantis in some way, so having come to expect crack!fic from reena_jenkins (Or that's possibly my love of crack!fic controlling which ones I download and yep, she's become one of my fave readers), I was pleasantly surprised to find this little fic. The story is a fresh take on a common SGA trope and while it's drama and h/c, I also love the humorous snark that's so very in character, especially for Rodney. But on to the reading... reena_jenkins does wonderful SGA character-voices - her Rodney in particular is brilliant to listen to - and her voice is lovely and clear and warm and so very easy to listen to. What made this fic PERFECT though was the simple addition of an effect on the parts of dialogue that are being carried out over the communications system. It adds an authenticity to it somehow, while making it very clear that the characters are scattered around different parts of the city and communicating via mics. Just yay!


* Strange Bedfellows written by JoJo and read by nikojen
Magnificent 7 | gen | PG | audiofic link | 33:02

Oh, it made me so happy to find Mag7 fic, you have no idea, this being a fandom I discovered long after the show had ended and so I have only really read authors recommended to me by a few friends who were in the fandom when it was active. Finding such a great gen podfic, full of h/c and angst and worrying, but tough cowboys and just... *guh*. But then, and here I ask you to excuse my need to employ capslock glee, nikojen DOES THE DIFFERENT VOICES!! Ahhhhhh! F**k yeah! Favourites and keeps forever! \o/


* Endemic (It Takes a Soul To Hold It) written by eighth_horizon and read by nickelmountain
Supernatural | gen | mp3 | m4b | 0:37:43

Great h/c with an incapacitated Dean and lovely Sam angsting... basically wonderfully gen brotherly love and worry. nickelmountain's emphasis of dialogue and thoughts is subtle, but works wonderfully. You can easily differentiate the different characters. I really got hooked into this story and zoned out of what I was meant to be doing completely. Good stuff.


* Crossbones written and read by Baylor (baylorsr)
Supernatural | R | Mary/John | audiofic m4b & mp3 | 1:54:50

Lovely, lovely AU where Mary comes clean to John about her family of hunters and together they try to find a solution to the deal she made. The sound is slightly echoing, but Baylor has a great clear voice with quite a strong American accent (Wherabouts is your accent from?), that is surprisingly easy to listen to with half a brain (while the other half is engaged in working like you're meant to be *whistles*) and I just really enjoyed this one.


* Everybody Loves Ianto written by Pennyplainknits and read by reena_jenkins
Stargate Atlantis/Torchwood | Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones, Rodney Mckay/John Sheppard | audiofic link mp3 | 25:18

Hahahahahahaha! *snicker, snort, giggle* Just hilarious! Fabulous fic, fabulous reading. I could totally feel Sheppard's confusion, exasperation and jealousy as he sulks and generally acts rather like a big child. And Rodney all but orgasming over coffee is just so Rodney. It's pure love. PURE LOVE!


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Comments

[starrylizard.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Glad I sell them right. :D
I vid a fair bit using Sony Vegas and that program has an effect that has names like "warm concert hall" and that's how I tend to imagine baylorsr, sitting in a warm concert hall. :D

(edit, because it's too early to type)

[cantarina]

I think that that mental image is going to stick with me too!