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amplificathon
This is a fairly theme-less rec list. I only started listening to podfic in March, and I've been wallowing my way gaily around since then--coming in through Avengers fandom, but listening to bits and pieces across most of the fandoms I read and a few I don't, really, but will pick up if if the story looks interesting (by which, honestly, I usually mean hot) enough.
This rec-list is heavily MCU-Avengers slanted, in part because that's the fandom in which I've listened the most and in part because I've tried to pick mostly podfic from within the last year, and most of the other fandoms I listen in with any focus (Star Trek reboot, BBC Sherlock, Stargate Atlantis) tend to be older. It also reflects my biases, which are: longer fic (I listen to little under 10 minutes; 30-90 minutes is my preference, but I'll listen to multi-hour with great appreciation), accent-agnostic, reasonable production values (I'm not looking for perfection, but it needs to not be a struggle to understand), and any rating, but with a preference for funny or explicit. Links tend to be to A03 if the podfic has its own page, because that's how my notes track and the A03 page usually has multiple format links if they're available.
Grand Prize for Awesomeness in Podfic
Run Program: DUM-E read by
kalakirya , written by This rec list exists largely because I want to sing the praises of this podfic to the skies. It's told from the point of view of DUM-E, in the form of an activity log:
Timestamp: 03·05·12_02·15Trigger: Tony hasn't eaten in 13 hours.
Run Program: Feed(Tony_Toast).
Running.
Tony threw toast at Dummy.
Not exactly the sort of casual flow I would usually pick as something suitable to read aloud. It's one of those pieces that probably shouldn't work--and does, amazingly well, because of Kalykirya's excellent reading and really amazing editing. If you're the sort of person who listens to podfic while doing something else, approach this one with a little care--I couldn't get into it on my first try (at work), because it takes some attention to get into the repetitive flow of the log and start to see the underlying story developing, but when I started listening while walking, I was able to fall into the flow of the story and it became an amazing, almost meditative, "read"--while still having laugh-out-loud-funny and heartstring-tugging moments. Run Program: Feed(Tony_Toast).
Running.
Tony threw toast at Dummy.
tl:dr - If you appreciate the art of the podfic and have even the slightest appreciation for Avengers fic, give this a listen.
Honorable Mention for being way more awesome than the description leads you to think
Found Your Writing On My Wall written and read by
I have a weakness, which you may have noted above, for "this shouldn't work and totally does" stories, and this is a great example. Read by the author, Star Trek RPF in which Chris pines (sorry...) for Karl while having a casual relationship with an (acknowledged by the author) Mary-Sue self-insert...and it's a great story and an excellent podfic. Jessica is a delightful and nuanced character (while being an unabashed Mary-Sue-ex-machina), thalialunacy does a very good New Zealand accent (to my admittedly very American ears) and this rattles along with wonderful dialogue and just the right balance of heart-tugging and heart-warming.
tl:dr - Everything I love about RPF, in a "this shouldn't be awesome but really, really is" piece.
Honorable Mention for excellence in effects
Shadows on the Wall, read by
lunchee , written by The author's description is "John came back from Afghanistan psychic" and the story does what it says on the tin. It's not an AU, really; it maps closely enough to the first season of Sherlock that I rather wanted to have re-watched the episodes more recently than I have, but was written before the second season aired and builds its own resolution to The Great Game. It also features a rather fraught relationship between John and the severed head in the fridge--it's worth the listen just for that. What earned it a place on this list, though, is the effect lunchee builds for the flashes of knowledge John's gift gives him--a layered, swooping thing that is intense without quite being too much.
tl:dr - Good re-framing of Series 1 and the aftermath, with excellent effects.
Honorable Mention for use of music for scene breaks
Falling To Earth read by
I enjoy kerravon's reading and her story choices in general, but the thing that particularly stood out to me, from the first piece I listened to, was how brilliantly she uses music in scene breaks. Her song choices are clever, and she varies the clips used so they comment on and resonate with the story as it progresses. Falling to Earth is the first fic she recorded--a perfectly nice "Tony and Steve huddle for warmth" story--and, while it's not necessarily my favorite of her readings or my favorite story she's recorded (that would probably be the First Impressions and Second Chances series--see below) ...I spent the first part of the fic trying to place the scene-break music, because I knew I recognized it, and then she finally put in a piece with enough lyrics that I could place it and I had to stop in the middle of the sidewalk to laugh.
tl:dr - Perfect song choice and clip use for scene breaks.
And because I'm incapable of doing anything in moderation (I discovered, while working on this, that I have over 200 hours of podfic in my keep-file, and over 600 hours that I haven't listened to yet--and that's collected since the end of March!), some shorter-if-I-can-restrain-myself rec collections.
Short(ish) and Funny
Because...well, short and funny. Sometimes that's all you need.
Practical Mathematics, read by
sisi_rambles , written by Because sisi_rambles is a lovely reader, and "Steve isn't quite as innocent as Tony thinks" is never not going to be funny.
Unintended Side Effects, read by
Because "Steve isn't entirely comfortable with sex and the 21st century" can be even funnier, and ArwenLune's reading is dry and witty and perfect.
To Be Modified As Necessary, read by
greedy_dancer , written by Because I have very strong feelings about Avengers-as-team/family, greedy_dancer is always fun to listen to, and this podfic has awesome cover art.
Jasper Sitwell: BNF, read by
fleurrochard , written by Because I have an endless love for "canon intersects with fandom", and Fleur Rochard's reading is always engaging.
Team Effort, written by
inlovewithnight , read by reena_jenkins (Buffy/SGA, PG, 12m) Because Faith and Cadman were in fact made to be BFF's and make Sheppard's life more interesting, and I always like listening to reena_jenkins.
Silly boys falling in love
(Because sometimes you just want fun and not-too-long romance)
Apple Bottom Jeans (And Other Love Songs) read by
reena_jenkins , written by Because TONY SINGING IN THE SHOWER, and REENA_JENKINS, and silly boys falling for each other. Not sure I need to say much else, really. It's fluffy-feel-good-awesome, and reena_jenkins is an wonderfully expressive reader.
Love in the Three-Ninth Kingdom, read by
kalakirya , written by lavvyan (Avengers, G, Clint/Phil, 31m)Because Natasha's perspective as exasperated onlooker is great, and kalakirya's reading is warm and lovely.
A Mountain That Has Been Moved, read by
fire_juggler , written by melfice (Skyfall, Mature, Bond/Q, 37m)Because the story's put together beautifully, piece by piece spiraling tighter and tighter, and fire_juggler's reading is even and measured and the prefect complement to the storytelling.
The Twice-Told Tale, read by
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif){kind=small}
liannabob, written by Because the story is a twisty and clever take on "Tony and Steve don't get along...to start with..." and liannabob does great voices for both Tony and Steve.
But I Will Hold On Hope (And I Won't Let you Choke), read by
crinklysolution , written by Because the characterizations--main and supporting cast, including the OCs--are great, crinklysolution's reading is warm and humorous, and there are several laugh-out-loud funny bits. (Prankster!Clint, with an unexpected assist from Fury...)
Long wallows
(Because sometimes you just want a nice, long wallow in a good listen with lots of feels.)
Wilt Thou Exchange, read by
Because this is one of the stories that sold me on always-a-girl-Tony, a great team-fic along with the romance, and exmanhater's character voices are excellent.
Solve For X, read by
cyranothe2nd , written by Because it's great story with a realistic Loki and a slow-build redemption, excellent math and mythology, and nicely paced reading by cyranothe2nd. (there is also a short sequel, Marathon)
The Physics of Present Tense, read by
zwischendenstuehlen , written by Because it's a long, slow, sweet, dark story, and zwischendenstuehlen's reading is sweet and soothing and warm.
My Siberia: A Russian Knitting Circle Story, read by
knight_tracer , written by Because I've been binging on Hockey RPF, and this is all the things I love about it--boys being stupid about emotions, hot sex that doesn't fix things, smartass comments, interfering friends and teammates, and a happy ending that's not too perfect--in a good reading with great voices from knight_tracer.
Through the Glass, read by
liannabob, written by Because it's beautifully structured, dark for much of the story without being bleak, with a deeply satisfying ending and an engaging reading by liannabob.
The First Impressions and Second Chances series, read by
Iron Man Yes, Tony Stark...Not Recommended (2h17m)
Paved With Good Intentions (3h44m)
Cuts and Bruises (4h19m)
Because they're the perfect example for this category--over ten hours (and counting; the next story in the series is a WiP) of angst and slow team (re-)building, with kerravon's typical energetic reading and great music choices. (I love these enough that I broke out my pathetic graphics skills to make cover art and assembled the podbooks.)
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Date: 2013-07-23 08:11 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-07-25 04:24 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-07-25 05:03 am (UTC)I built the list working by story, and was pleased to discover when I started assembling it that I'd managed to grab a really broad range of readers.
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Date: 2013-07-31 08:54 pm (UTC)(and also three-ninth kingdom, which I do love too! :D)
(no subject)
Date: 2013-08-04 12:10 am (UTC)Thanks, and I hope you like them.
Moderation is not, perhaps, my greatest virtue...
(no subject)
Date: 2013-08-04 12:15 am (UTC)(And really, truly, this rec list exists because of it. I headed out for a week of vacation--which involves a lot of planning and packing--on the 26th, and was dithering over whether I was going to have time in the week-and-a-bit before to put together a post. Knowing just how much I wanted to flail about Run Program DUM-E was what made me decide I could carve at an hour or two (HA. ha ha ha...over four, I think, by the time I had all the links working) to put this together.)
I built this working by story rather than reader, and was pleased to discover that at the end I'd managed to get a wide range of readers in--and unsurprised to discover that you were one of the four who appeared twice.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-08-14 04:09 am (UTC)Cyranothe2nd
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Date: 2013-08-14 04:43 am (UTC)