Podfic Recs: Readings which amazed me

[busaikko]

I was trying to think if there was a theme to my podfic recs, and was nearly sure there wasn't, and then I realized that the one thing I wanted to praise all of them for were the readers, for taking on challenging voices and stories. Characters whose canon characterization can be two-dimensional (the comic relief, the villain, the tough guy, the hero), or who have distinctive accents or voices, or who are doppelgangers distinguished by the reading. I personally would be nervous reading Nick Fury's POV, so it blows me away that it's been done so awesomely. So here are some great character voices:


(Note: if I couldn't find coverart, I used the covers I made (because I like covers!). My apologies for not being good at making covers, though...)

Gen
Coverart by: saldemonium I put off listening to this for years, because it was long and I had the suspicion that it would tear me up into little tiny pieces of heartbreak. Which it did! But then, just like the characters in the story, all the pieces get put back together in new and wonderful configurations. Aside from the length, the main challenge of the story is that there are duplicates of characters, who are the same person but with different personalities. The reading differentiated between the same/different characters wonderfully, and there was never any confusion as to who was who. A real tour de force.	the magical number seven (plus or minus two) by anatsuno Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis Rating: Not Rated Characters: John Sheppard, Rodney McKay, Teyla Emmagan, Ronon Dex Author's Summary: This is a treatise on the nature of identity, and the interrelation of legitimacy and memory. Which is to say, it's mostly about John Sheppard, and how he found his way home. Also, there's a high body count, and Kraft Dinner is an exotic delicacy. Podfic Length: 6:14:31
Femslash
Coverart: akamine_chan Anna_unfolding does a wonderful job of capturing Pansy's voice, snarky and smart, and those of the other characters (Cho, who speaks as if with a knowing smile; Draco, who is slow to catch on).	Podfic: The Sporting Life by anna_unfolding Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Relationships: Cho Chang/Pansy Parkinson Characters: Pansy Parkinson, Cho Chang, Draco Malfoy, Theodore Nott, Blaise Zabini, Millicent Bulstrode Additional Tags: Veritaserum, inter-house fraternization, Podfic, Podfic Length: 10-20 Minutes, Audio Format: MP3 Summary: ten sporting moments and two clever girls Podfic Length: 18:58
Another fic where the voice is spot on. The story has gentle canon-typical humor, but Frannie is serious and sympathetic, never a caricature despite occasionally mixing up words or loving a beautiful pair of shoes. Luzula does a great job of giving us Frannie's frustration and heartache.	[Podfic] This Body Is Someone by Luzula Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: due South Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Margaret Thatcher/Francesca Vecchio Characters: Margaret Thatcher, Francesca Vecchio, Ensemble Additional Tags: Podfic, Established Relationship, Podfic Length: 20-30 Minutes Author's summary: A pair of spectacular vegan Fluevogs encrusted with ethically-mined Canadian diamonds is on display at the Canadian Consulate, and Frannie is taking point when it comes to protecting them during a party -- and it's the night of her 18-month anniversary with Meg. Podfic length: 27 m 37 s.
Slash
This is the one 'ship I walked out of Avengers with, and I was delighted with the story and thrilled when it got podficced. Nick Fury in the films has such a distinctive voice, and SK Lee really pulls off his narration, deep and slow and convincing.	[podfic] You can't lose some blues you ain't never had by stellarwobble by sk_lee Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Relationships: Phil Coulson/Nick Fury Characters: Nick Fury, Phil Coulson Additional Tags: First Kiss, Pre-Canon, Hurt/Comfort, Friends With Benefits, Podfic, Audio Format: MP3, Podfic & Podficced Works, Audio Format: Streaming Summary: Phil's been acting weird lately. Podfic Length: 25:49, 17.6MB, 96K MP3
Coverart by: ? Abbybanks's story is a mystery, jumping from present to future, and a lot of the horror comes from not knowing if the narrator's unreliable or not - if it's real or just a dream. Luzula and Podfic Lover do a fabulous job of alternating the different times and the mounting horror, and the whole time I was listening I was trying to figure out which one of them I could trust not to break my heart. ;_; You should probably have a nice fluffy blanket on hand to hide under afterwards.	Podfic of 'Wars Not Yet Dreamed Of' by Luzula, podfic_lover Fandom: due South Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death Relationships: Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Alternate Universe - Apocalypse Summary: They do what they have to do, which is to live. Podfic Length: 19min:55sec
Coverart by: mific This is like the Cirque du Soleil of readings; Mific juggles emotions and voice brilliantly, and brings out the angst and pain so deftly, that I had trouble remembering what the story said (it's a fairly mundane argument) because all I recalled was that Fraser's heart was being ripped out and Ray was swinging from a violence of emotions to an accepting calm. In about ten minutes. It hurts, but I had to immediately listen again.	As He's In It by mific Fandom: due South, Stargate Atlantis Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski, Benton Fraser/Ray Vecchio Summary: Ray catches "extremely inappropriate," and he answers back real quick, "I don't need the gory details, okay? Just give me something to hang my hat on." Podfic Length: 11 min