Finally

[jadesfire]

After a week, this cold finally seems to be actually getting better, instead of pretending to get better, then knocking me over when I try to do anything. Which is good, because I've got lots to do today before I go on holiday \o/ I can't wait!

The last few days have been wonderfully uneventful, what with pretty much going home and going straight to bed, so all I've really had on my mind has been what I'm packing for Menorca. The physical stuff is easy, but trying to choose fic to take is much harder. I'm definitely putting in the tardis_bigbang complete PDF, and most of the stuff from my "fic-unread" tags at Delicious. But as for anything else? Looks like I'll be paying a visit to the crack_van

But it also got me thinking, what would be my 'Desert Island Fics"? Eight fics and one podfic (the programme does 8 music + 1 book, so that seems fair) that I would take to my desert island.

Man, that's a hard one.

Stuck in Traffic on the Magic Roundabout by xwingace. Torchwood, Gen.
One of the first Torchwood fics I ever read, and it remains the definitive Jack 'Timey Wimey' story as far as I'm concerned.

Team B by apiphile Torchwood, multi-part, various ratings.
This is story-telling and character and Torchwood at its best. All three of the main characters are...not at their best, not at their worst, but in what I want to call the reality, the messiness of what Torchwood is. Not for the faint-hearted but one hell of a ride.

No Little Charity by perspi. House, Gen.
It was seriously hard to choose just one of Perspi's stories, but having watched this one grow from a simple 'what if', I had to go for this. I love stories that take a simple idea and pushes it to breaking point, and this is the perfect example, as far as I'm concerned.

The Annals by nightdog_barks House, AU.
:P to anyone who thinks I'm cheating by choosing long, multi-part stories. These are desert island fics precisely because you can lose yourself in them completely - they transport you, and The Annals takes me back a few thousand years to the period I'm happiest in! But really, what sets this AU apart is the growing friendship between James and Gregorius, and the gradual transformation is perfectly done.

Scymnus by aeshna_uk. Torchwood, Gen.
See, this one is short! And beautiful. This is poetry in prose, stretching language to the limit to describe the incomprehensible. I don't think I'd ever get tired of it.

See No Evil by greyias. SGA, Gen.
Sometimes, what a girl really, really needs to read is a really good car chase. Add in character development, a mystery plot that bubbles away underneath, great fight scenes and a rip-roaring pace, and I think I just described my ideal fanfic. Which this is.

Time Fugitive by fajrdrako. Torchwood/Firefly, R.
Oddly, I don't reread this fic very often, and to my shame I've just noticed that I've never commented on it (soon to be corrected!) but it's stayed with me, even so. At the time, I hadn't seen a whole episode of Firefly, but I was captivated by the characters, and the scenes between Jack and River were so touching that just thinking about them makes me smile. Sometimes, it's not so much one detail of a fic, it's the world and the flavour of the story, and it's that that's stayed with me.

Accidents will happen by holli SPN, Gen.
This is the kind of fanfic that you read and wish you'd thought of. Hilarious, silly, touching and surprising, it just gets better the more you read it. Or listen to it, in my case, because the Podfic of it is also awesome.

If I could only take one of those? *dithers* I think it'd have to be See No Evil.

And my podfic? Well, this is where I reveal my self as the most terrible egotist to ever tist an ego, but I think it would have to be A World Called Catastrophe by perspi. Not only does this enable me to take 2 of Perspi's stories, but it's moving and beautiful and real, and was an absolute joy to read. Plus, when I'd listened to it a few hundred times, I'd know how to do it better when I got back to civlisation ;)


What about you guys? What fics would you take to a Desert Island? What fics and podfic should I take to Menorca? I seem to have missed so much lately!

Comments

[fish-echo.livejournal.com]

I am glad you're feeling better! I hope that continues! YAY MAJORICA!

I'll have to get back to you with my desert island selection. And when I say 'back' I mean 'quite likely in a long while' :P (Because I haven't given thought to this one before.)

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Hee. I did go through your recs looking for reading/listening material, but I'm really just looking for Gen stuff, which makes me picky ;)

It's quite interesting trying just to choose the stories that really grab you, the ones that stay with you, because fandom is full of awesome people making awesome stuff, but finding the ones that push your buttons is much harder. I'll look out for the list with interest.

BTW, you're a foodie person - any interest in an awesome banana curry recipe? It sounded (and looked) rather alarming but was nomalicious!

[fish-echo.livejournal.com]

Hee. I did go through your recs looking for reading/listening material, but I'm really just looking for Gen stuff, which makes me picky ;)
I'm flattered that you went through my stuff and sorry that there's not more there that you would like :( Between doing the podfic recs (where I don't want sexytimes) and reading in SPN (where I don't want Sam/Dean or Castiel/anyone), I'm just now really realising what an annoyance it is to have a tight constraint on reading. Hmphf. (There's still that part of me that was four and thought that maybe I could read every book in the world. And it is always disappointed when it cannot.) Long way around of saying: Happy reading and sorry for not having recs for you right now! (But I think maybe I have some in your 'to-read' tag so at least past-me was more useful?)

BTW, you're a foodie person - any interest in an awesome banana curry recipe? It sounded (and looked) rather alarming but was nomalicious!
I agree that it sounds ... odd ... but I'm always up for nommy recipes! So please yes!

[51stcenturyfox.livejournal.com]

Team B - seconded! It's awesome, though I have just dipped in and am saving the whole shebang for when I have a flight to take.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

I was in the middle of betaing it when my last netbook was stolen, and I haven't had the time to recreate my efforts. But it took me ages because I kept getting to the end of a section and realising that I'd been *reading* rather than *checking*. It's worth saving it though, definitely :)

[perspi.livejournal.com]

Oh, Jades, I am glad to see your list because I haven't got 'round to reading 'See No Evil' yet, and I hadn't exactly been grabbed by the summary, but then--car chases. *glee*

Also, I'm blushing over here, so a heartfelt thank you. :)