Amplirecathon: Stories I couldn't bear to read

[mific]

This may seem like a weird category for a recs post, but bear with me.

I have to confess that I use certain stories like a drug - hell, I use most of them that way. I've been going through some difficult times across the past year, in the throes of anticpatory grief about losing my parents, and getting involved in fandom reading and writing has been a pretty major way to cope. Well, that and denial, but same difference.

My main fanfic obsession has been John/Rodney SGA fics and when I'm feeling especially fragile it has to be fluff and happy endings all round. But mostly I can handle lashings of angst as long as it all comes out okay in the end for the boys.

That's meant that certain not-really-happy-ending fics were well outside my comfort zone and I avoided them for some time despite all the rec lists telling me I wasn't a true fan until I'd read them. In the end I found that although I couldn't bear to read them, for some weird reason I could listen to them as podfic. Maybe it's something to do with the feeling of driving while listening - maybe that allowed me enough of a sense of escape, of movement. Or maybe it was the opposite - that in the car I had no escape, I had to listen for as long as the trip took, and I have a long commute. In the end, listening while driving was enough to pull me into the stories so that I finished them at home, which was just as well because it was hankies all the way for the first two.

I'm going to rec three fics here. I should warn that there are spoilers here for the stories, inevitably, as I can't talk about them without discussing the content:

( Freedom's Just Another Word for Nothing Left to Lose by synecdochic, read by kuepo )

( Your Cowboy Days are Over by M (samdonne), read by general_jinjur )

( All These Places We Have Met by toft, read by thingswithwings )

So - my suggestion if you haven't been able to make yourself read any of these: try the podfics. They're well worth it.

(and apologies for the shouty bolding - laptop's playing up and won't format properly)

Crossposted to amplificathon

Amplirecathon - Recs from an adict...

[mjluvspolar.livejournal.com]

My ‘discovery' of podfics coincided with the purchase of my first iPod just over a year ago. I knew that recordings of fanfiction existed of course because quite a few of my favourite fanfic writers have had links to them for years. I just didn't realise how many truly fabulous podfics where out there. When I discovered general_jinjur website the amount of squee-ing I did was pretty embarassing for a woman of my age! I admit I may now be a little obsessed. :D


~~PODFICS THAT CHANGE THE WAY YOU EXPERIENCE THE STORY

Title: Ordinary Life by astolat and cesperanza
Reader: zoetrope
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Pairing: McKay/Sheppard
Length: 1:49:22
Link: MP4 file

This podfic is my comfy jumper - I've stopped counting how many times I've listened to it. It's a wonderful story anyway right? Exciting as hell to read, but I confess that I love it more as a podfic. A big reason for this is the fact that zoetrope is such a polished reader and her clear, calm narration makes listening to this podfic a joy in and of itself. It is very obvious that she gets why this pairing works and that is reflected in her reading. But I think the main reason the fic works better for me as a podfic is because I actually experienced the story fully. Part 3 of the story, where basically all that is going on is John Sheppard kicking ass, was obviously a section I skimmed while reading but it toally rocked to listen to! Go listen to it...and then download everything else zoetrope has recorded.


Title: Our Tree by dacro
Reader: rhicauldrie
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy
Length: 51:14
Link: MP3 file

Okay I feel I need to mention up front that this podfic is one that you will have to work to enjoy due to issues with the recording. I think it's worth it or I wouldn't be reccing it, but the fact of the matter is the sound quality of the mp3 is scarily reminiscent of a 60's jazz album being played on an original turntable! I persevered because the story is so amazing that I was, frankly, desperate to at least experience it as a podfic, but OH MY GOD. If you can find a way to improve the sound (please share if you do!) or do what I did and listen to it through computer speakers rather than earphones, rhicauldrie reading will blow you away. Her vocal choices are extraordinary - her Draco Drawl (tm) is a Thing. Of. Beauty. But for me it's the raw, understated emotional depth she has in her narration that added layers of meaning to the story I didn't get when I simply read Our Tree. Now I can't read the story without hearing rhicauldrie voices in my head and I know I love the story that much more because of this.


~~WRITTEN AND READ BY...

I have to admit to really, really having a thing for listening to authors reading their own work. For me, it's like the podfic version of those 'DVD commentary' things so many of my favourite authors are doing now. A few I wanted to mention have already been recced, but here are a few more...

Title: Second Course Written and Read by danceswithgary
Fandom: Smallville
Pairing: Clex
Length: 42:00
Link: MP3 file

Man do I love danceswithgary whiskey and honey voice! Seriously, she could read the phone book and make it both compelling and, oh my GOD, sexy. Out of all the podfic's danceswithgary has recorded though, I love Second Course the most because it's utterly mesmerizing. The fic is kind of experimental in that the story is being told from Clark's pov and Clark is suffering from long term insomnia (and a broken heart). danceswithgary narration has a dreamlike quality to it that seems to invite you into Clark's dream, which at times, is actually a nightmare. Everytime I listen to this story I find myself being lulled into a sort of dreamlike fugue that sucks me straight into Clark's lethargic, heartbroken, sleep deprived mindset. It always makes me cry, even though I know how it ends, but I keep coming back to this podfic because it is so overwhelming - in the best possible way.

Title: Laphroaig Written and Read by kadiel_krieger
Fandom: CW RPS
Pairing: Jensen Ackles/Misha Collins
Length: 33:04
Link: MP3 file

Laphroaig is a Porn WITH Plot story that goes down smooth and leaves a warm glow of satisfaction in it's wake - we're talking seriously top shelf here! Now I'm the sort of person who can get flustered just reading anything steamy so I was not only delighted, but kind of in awe of the way kadiel_krieger manages to draw the tension of the story ever tighter with her beautifully unselfconscious but very erotic narration. Yeah, this is RPS, not work safe and not one for the kiddies, that's for sure, but WOW. Laphroaig is sinfully intoxicating and totally worth a listen. Also? I'm so hoping kadiel_krieger records the other stories in this series!


Well that's me done. Thanks for letting me play in the sandbox!

SGA - Dance Like No One Is Watching, by Wolfshark

[cookiemom6067.livejournal.com]

( You're about to view content that the poster has marked as potentially inappropriate for anyone under the age of 18. )

SGA - Small Primes and Square Roots, by Livia

[cookiemom6067.livejournal.com]

Title: Small Primes and Square Roots
Author: liviapenn
Reader: cookiemom6067
Fandom: SGA
Pairing: McShep
Rating: R (to be safe - very nearly PG-13)
Warnings: kidfic
Summary: "I hope you picked someone really intelligent, otherwise it seems like it would be kind of a waste. Of incubation time, if nothing else."

Reader's note: One of my all-time favorite McShep kidfics. I love Livia's original character here, Sara. She is just so fully realized and smart without being obnoxious. I know kids like this, and she is AWESOME. The relationship between John and Rodney blossoms and grows in very unusual circumstances and their voices are very well rendered here. Thanks to Livia for allowing me to podfic her gem. And, especially, thank you to elemgi, the winner of this podfic from help_haiti.

Temporary Sendspace link: http://www.sendspace.com/file/wwgaxz

Permanent links, courtesy of general_jinjur (right click/save as)

MP3
MP4

podfic: Moons and Junes and Ferris Wheels (SGA) by winkingstar

[winkingstar]

Title: Moons and Junes and Ferris Wheels
Author/Reader: winkingstar
Fandom/Pairing: Stargate: Atlantis; John/Rodney
Summary: Things they don't have and things they do.
Length: 6:06 (5.9 MB, mp3)
Permanent Link: @ audiofic

Comment to the author/reader: here or below.

[Cross-posted to sgapodfic and amplificathon.]

Amplirecathon: Recs of various lengths, fandoms and formats

[podfic_lover]

( Tiny Gems: Great Podfic Under Five Minutes )

( The Long Haul: Great Long Stories that are Worth Every Second )

( You Crack Me Up: Readers' Excellent Comedic Timing )

( Freeform: This Podfic Is Not Like The Others... )

crossposted from amplificathon