Fic recs - Magical Realism v 2.0
Blue Veins by lbmisscharlie
“If a clock could count down to the moment you meet your soul mate, would you want to know?”
Absolutely fabulous, gorgeous language, a languid, perfect pace. A joy to read.
The Guardian by Johnlocksmut
“I have seen the archangels,” he said, in a resonating, velvet voice, “and I have heard God speak. I have met martyrs and walked with saints. I have stepped through the gates of heaven itself – yet it’s you, John, that I believe in.”
Winglock, Sherlock dies at Reichenbach and returns as an angel to look after John. Lovely, angsty-fluff.
The Year That Never Was by emotionanalysis
The last of the gas runs out near the end of the first month, and soon after that the electricity finally cuts off. Their laptops and phones, useless and without connection though they were, use up their batteries and fall dark and silent, and Sherlock gathers their remnants on the sofa as if in mourning.
One morning John wakes up to find London empty except for him and Sherlock. Short and beautiful.
Living Lore series by Silver Pard
London dreams of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson
An absolutely beautiful treatment of London personification - both of these fics are lyrical and gorgeous, a bit somber and reverent. The second one, Genius Loci, has some wonderfully imaginative formatting play.
Waiting to be Known by soera
John Watson has been saving Sherlock’s life for a very long time, even if he doesn’t know it.
Bit of a Time Traveler’s Wife treatment, works quite well. Sparse in the right places and lush in others. Lovely.
Boston Book Festival
Had a wonderful Saturday at the Boston Book Festival! The event is still new (this is only the third year), but with a predicted crowd of almost 30,000 and dozens of prestigious writers in attendance, this will hopefully be a longtime Boston tradition.
The festival has several session running simultaneously in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, children’s lit and YA. Unfortunately, a lot of the good ones overlap and you have to make choices, but I think I made all of the right ones.
The first panel was on Steampunk and featured Kelly Link and Gavin Grant, writers and owners of Small Beer Press, as well as Holly Black (The Spiderwick Chronicles) and Allison DeBlasio (Dr. Grymm Laboratories). Yes, people wore costumes. I don’t know much about this genre, but one of the panelists described it as “what happens when Goths discover brown.” Funny stuff.
Copley Square was packed with small tents showcasing various small publishers, bookstores, writing centers, etc…basically what heaven looks like if you are a writer.
Seriously. I can back this heaven thing up, because there are churches involved.
Aside from the Back Bay Events Center and the auditoriums at the BPL, all of the events were held in Boston’s beautiful old churches, with the authors sitting on stools in front of the altars, ready to give their book sermons. I am going to pretend they ONLY use these buildings for regular church and for book festivals (not other multi-purpose events).
The second event was a fiction panel on how writers handle the concept of time with Jennifer Egan, who everyone (embarrassingly) knows as the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of A Visit from the Goon Squad. I say embarrassingly because each participant that got up to ask a question gushed over her and the life-changing experience they had while reading her book, while pretty much ignoring the other panelists, Peter Mountford and Lawrence Douglas, who were every bit as interesting, insightful and knowledgeable as Jennifer Egan.
The final panel was titled “Far Out Fiction,” and featured Chuck Klosterman, Kate Beaton, Karen Russell and Gregory Maguire. This event was more to showcase their current works rather than to give advice on writing about the fantastical, but I couldn’t help leaving thinking that I would like to head in a different direction with my fiction. Why do I always write about this world we live in, with its rules and limitations and black and white areas? Why can’t people have wings, or be invisible, or wrestle alligators, or reinterpret history?
All in all, a good day. Loved that they had places to buy books and that the authors were kind enough to sit behind tables to sign them.
Lola agrees with my choices.
Taboo
“Do you remember his name?”
The question is innocent enough; it’s not unusual for names to pass away once they’re no longer uttered. The brain’s funny that way - people try so hard to remember that they don’t notice they’ve forgotten.
John closes his eyes tightly and sees those blue eyes dancing behind his lids. Every single fibre of him burned into John’s memory in excruciating detail, and there is no piece of him that the soldier would ever not remember, not for the rest of his battled days.
He nods curtly. “Always.”
++
Names go with the dead. They’re buried and burned, thrown to the wind or sacrificed on an altar. They’re picked apart and strewn across landscapes, painted into secret places. John finds the custom inherently superficial, but even he feels the reverence that comes from keeping something private and hidden. He had folded the name away while he sat stiffly in front of that blank headstone, swallowed it whole years ago, and right then knew he’d keep it always, precious and only his.
Epic Fic Rec - The beauty of magical realism + Sherlock
On a magical realism kick. LOVING IT.
Sherlock lends itself to magical realism quite well, I think. Something about taking the intelligent, logical treatment we’re use to with Sherlock fics and imbuing it with the ephemeral beauty of out-of-this-world possibility. A perfect pairing. Here are just a few of my favorites (send me yours if I miss them!):
Ash, Gold, Quartz by ifonlynotnever
Being heartless is not an advantage, the smouldering embers in his chest tell him. Swallow your pride.
(For a kinkmeme prompt: “Magical realism AU. Moriarty burns the heart out of Sherlock. John builds him a new one.”)
Awake by feverishsea
John Watson spends quite a bit of his time asleep. He has also always been a little bit psychic.
Not in a useful way; not in a way where he knows things other people don’t, or can change the inevitable. His dubious gift is that in the few half-breaths before something really bad happens, John knows with absolute certainty both what is about to happen and that he can’t do anything about it. Although it bothers him, he never feels guilty about it. It’s something he can’t help, the same way he can’t help being allergic to catfish, and just as useless.
Embers series by what_alchemy
Pinocchio-ish:
Regular people, normal people, people like good, warm, tea-making, hair-stroking John, they have visible pulses, pulses that slow and quicken, pulses tied to their emotions and their brains and their life forces. Pulses attached to whatever animates them.
Sherlock has no such time-keeping.
Three Ways to Gain a Heart by silverpard
John has a collection of hearts he’s won and stolen. He doesn’t treasure them at all.
When he discovers them, Sherlock is terrified that John intends for his to join the pile.
The Heart on Your Sleeve by flawedamythyst
Sherlock stared at the imperfect circle on his left wrist in horror, then sat down on his bed with a bit of a thump. After over thirty years, his heartmark was finally showing activity. This was not good.
It Feels like Home when I’m With You by etothepii
Unbelievably lovely, as is everything from this author. And surprisingly sensual!
John still gets nightmares about Afghanistan. That’s the worst part of it all, he thinks — he still has dreams about sand and drowning to death in his own blood. But they’re more memory than nightmare. Ghost!John
anywhere i go, you go by falling_voices (who is nuitdenovembre here on Tumblr)
The first time Sherlock finds John’s heart, it is two in the morning. It is on the kitchen table, abandoned as though John has left it there with his cuppa, left it there for a second while he went to fetch sugar for his tea, forgot it behind. John has gone to bed for three hours, creature of habits. Sherlock picks it up, cradles it in his hand: it is beating faintly, steadily, honestly.
Measuring the Size of the Human Voice by Lotherington
John’s heart is too big for his chest, much in the same way that Sherlock’s mind is too big for his skull. Both of them are so much bigger than their physical constraints and they are both so used to there being limitations on their self-expression that a one hundred and sixty-seven word quota per day is just something else to bear.
Take into the Air My Quiet Breath by thisprettywren
The dreams start in Afghanistan.
The wings themselves are the most real part. John becomes intimately acquainted with them, from the downy scapulars to the sturdier primaries, gentle-vaned and flexible where they curl around his ribs. He finds he can flex them, furl them close against his back.
Half and Half by Random_Nexus (WIP)
Sherlock isn’t altogether human, neither is John, hijinx ensue.
(Angel/Demon awesomeness)
Touchstone by machshefa
Capital H-i-m by cridecoeurOn John Watson’s sixth birthday, his mum gave him a flat wooden box to hold his wish stones. (Johnlock)
The first time John Watson sees Sherlock Holmes, he’s just been hit by a car.
“Bloody fuck,” John says, then looks down at his watch, pops out the winding mechanism, and sets the minute hand back.
And, I think I’ve recced it before - but Whole and Unbroken by Lotherington remains one of my ultimate favorites.
Something dictates that John and Sherlock can only exist together every leap day, but the connection their hearts have wants otherwise.
I Ain't Got No Crystal Ball pt. 1
I Ain’t Got No Crystal Ball
Summary: The Hales are back in town. Things are about to get interesting.
Notes: Yeah, this kind of came out of nowhere. @_@ More soon. This will go up on AO3 when I’ve got more to post.
Warnings: Magical realism, Sterek, Laura being sassy, and Sheriff Stilinski’s inability to not adopt strays.
Part One:
It’s not that the Hale siblings are weird… except…
Yeah. Okay, never mind. They are totally weird, but Stiles can’t really throw stones considering the fact that he lives in an enormous glass castle of assorted personality defects and oddities.
Monday: Damn Good Fics
It Feels Like Home When I’m With You
Author: etothepii
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Angst/AU
Word count: 14,050
Summary: John still gets nightmares about Afghanistan. That’s the worst part of it all, he thinks — he still has dreams about sand and drowning to death in his own blood. But they’re more memory than nightmare.
Why read it: Just like everything etothepii writes, this fic is gorgeous. This is a masterful blending of supernatural and canon, with everyone so fabulously in character.
Read this for the glorious plot, the impressive story-telling, and the intense emotions it evokes.
The Magical Realism Book Club
The Magical Realism Book Club is devoted to the appreciation of magical realist literature. We define “magical realism” quite broadly, applying the term to any works that introduce elements of the fantastic into a detailed, realistic setting in a matter-of-fact way. (Possible future reads include books by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Haruki Murakami, Sherman Alexie, Italo Calvino, Angela Carter, and anyone else members suggest.)
We will read a new book, chosen by club members, each month. During the month, we will update the site with posts relevant to the particular book we are reading. Members are welcome to submit posts during this time period, as long as they contain no spoilers. At the end of the month, all members are welcome (and encouraged) to submit book reviews or discussion questions to which other members can respond. Spoilers can be included at this time.
We will have a week of post-reading discussion, at which time we will also vote on books to add to our reading list. Books will always be chosen at least one month in advance so that members have plenty of time to purchase or borrow the books. In future, votes from participating followers will be weighted more heavily than those from newcomers. (We want to make sure that the people deciding upon the books are actually reading and discussing them!)
To encourage member participation and the submission of posts, we will also be hosting a monthly book giveaway! We’ll post more on this later.
Our Reading List
December 10, 2011 - January 15, 2012: The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
January 22, 2012 - February 22, 2012: The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie
more to follow!
Note to our followers: Sorry that this post repeats information of which you’re already aware! Just wanted to compile all the information in one post for any newcomers or potential followers.
