calufrax

Squeezing in one last rec before my reccing period ends tonight! Hope you've had as much fun reading all these great fics as I have!

Title: Auntie Jo's Cosmic Jumble Sale (and Guide to Civil Disobedience)
Author: MinervaFan
Rating: all ages
Word count: 740
Characters: Jo Grant (with mentions of many more)
Author's summary: Jo Grant Jones has been grounded, but that's not going to slow her down. Explore her wacky view of the universe on her brand new blog.
Warnings: none

Recced because: I recently watched Jo's last TV serial, and the feels hit me hard. So, like many fans, I turned to Teaspoon to help me over the hump, and this delightful little ficlet put a smile on my face right away. I love the idea of Jo cheerfully embracing the digital age in her later years, and maintaining her indomitable optimism, energy, and caring, while crusading for the cause of the planet she calls home, with the help of many friends and family along the way. This one had me cheering: "Shine on forever, Jo!!!"

dbskyler.livejournal.com

Story: Never Meant for One as Beautiful as You
Author: MinervaFan
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 4850
Author's Summary: I’ve seen the whole of time and space. Now I’d rather enjoy a good patch of land and some seeds, if you please. Sarah Jane hires a very unusual gardener.
Characters/Pairings: Sarah Jane Smith, K9, original character
Warnings: Implied off-stage death of an original character

Recced because: This is an utterly charming fic that introduces a wonderfully drawn, irresistible original character named Cal, a soon-to-die Time Lord who has decided to spend his retirement on Earth, and has come to Sarah Jane for help. There are some interesting parallels between Cal and Sarah, but the real delight of this fic is simply in their relationship, and in the marvelous character of Cal.

( Try it out )

brunhilde-1013.livejournal.com

Story: Family Tree
Author: MinervaFan
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 4750
Author's Summary: The Smith-Jackson-Langer-Townsend-Redfern Family Christmas will now commence.
Characters/Pairings: Alan Jackson, Chrissie Jackson, Maria Jackson, Clyde Langer, Natalie Redfern, Sarah Jane Smith, Joshua Townsend.
Warnings: Spoilers for all the Sarah Jane Smith audios.

Recced because: MinervaFan can always be relied on for a good story, and this is no exception: the warmth and affection between the characters practically springs off the page. The focus of this story is family in all its forms - biological, adopted, chosen, and everything in between - and the emotions involved are nuanced and complex, from Sarah Jane's insecurity about getting Luke's first Christmas just right, to a snapshot of Alan and Chrissie's improving relationship. All in all, a perfect Christmas fic.

( a taster.... )

daystarsearcher.livejournal.com

And let's close out the week with a story I desperately wanted to rec last time but couldn't, as it hadn't been posted on Teaspoon yet:

Story: Hen Party
Author: MinervaFan
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 5444
Author's Summary: A mysterious invitation lures Sarah Jane Smith and several other companions to what may be the most unusual party of their lives.
Characters/Pairings: Ace McShane, Amy Pond, Barbara Wright, Donna Noble, Jo Grant, River Song, Sarah Jane Smith
Warnings: None

Recced because: In her author's note, MinervaFan calls this piece "utter silliness," and while that's wonderfully true (oh God, Jo doing the hustle with Liza Minelli!), it belies the skill that went into this piece. Companion mash-ups are fun to imagine, but when it comes to pulling them off, they are hard. Yet MinervaFan does it seemingly effortlessly, bringing together a group of companions with just the right chemistry for their interaction to pop and sizzle and leap off the page, ensnaring the reader and carrying them along. And for all the laughs (and there are many!), what I love most about this piece is the genuine feeling that runs underneath all of it, the palpable love the author has for all the companions and all their journeys. Sarah Jane and River's evolving interaction especially captured what both characters have meant to the Doctor, the show, and the fans, and was perfectly and heart-wrenchingly/warmingly bittersweet.

Excerpt:

Before any of them could respond, a face appeared on Mr. Smith’s view screen. A human woman, perhaps in her early 40s, with curly blond hair and a big grin on her face dominated the screen.

“Sarah Jane Smith! Oh, I’ve been meaning to look you up for ages now. Anyway, I know this is kind of late notice, but I so want you to be there. I’ve sent the coordinates to your gadgets. Dress casual, gifts welcome but not mandatory. Oh, and please don’t bring that damned robotic dog! And sorry–this gathering is adults only, so Clyde and Rani will have to stay behind too. Sorry, kids. We’ll have our own adventure later.”

The three humans stared at each other, then back at the screen.

“Oh, I forgot. Sarah darling, when you get to the coordinates (please don’t be late), tell them Dr. Song sent you. Ta for now, my lovelies. Oh, in case you do want to bring a gift, I wear a size six shoe and I adore Sergio Rossi. Or Jimmy Choo. Whatever you like is fine. See you there.”

averita.livejournal.com

Story: Warmth
Author: MinvervaFan
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 717
Author's Summary: Set after Pyramids of Mars. Sarah Jane Smith doesn't remember ever seeing the Doctor cold, shivering. She doesn't remember ever seeing him helpless before.
Characters/Pairings: Sarah Jane Smith, Fourth Doctor

Recced because: This is a short piece, but a powerful one. One reason it really stuck with me was the idea that "Sarah is used to this sort of thing--her piddling human brain is like a children's toy to most of the aliens she encounters. She has been drugged, hypnotized, brainwashed, confused, so many times she doesn't care to think about it." The Doctor, however, isn't used this sort of vulnerability, and in this instance Sarah is the guiding hand. She's simply, quietly, there for him in the aftermath. It's a lovely snapshot of their relationship at this point in time.

paranoidangel

Story: Here Be Dragons!
Author: MinervaFan
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 4665
Author's Summary: In order to get a rare substance for the TARDIS, Harry and Sarah must get married. Too bad the Doctor didn't give them much advance warning.
Characters/Pairings: Sarah/Harry, Sarah/Fourth Doctor
Warnings: None

Recced because: This is funny as the Doctor hints at things and fails to tell Sarah and Harry other things. I like the initial idea of Sarah and Harry having to get married in order to get a part for the TARDIS, but what makes this fic stand out is what's happening between Sarah and Harry, and Sarah and the Doctor.

( Excerpt )

If you like this, don't forget to tell the author.

wendymr.livejournal.com

I'm sneaking in a bonus rec here, as I couldn't in the end narrow my choices down to seven. I'll be back tomorrow with my final rec for the week.

Story: A Final Toast
Author: MinervaFan
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 2750 words
Author's Summary: Jo Grant-Jones, Liz Shaw, and Sarah Jane Smith have a private gathering to honor the Brig.
Characters/Pairings: Jo Grant-Jones, Liz Shaw, Sarah Jane Smith, Doris Lethbridge-Stewart. Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart mentioned.

Recced because: There has been a lot of death-of-the-Brigadier fics lately, as is only to be expected and entirely deserved, too, given Nicholas Courtney's contribution to Doctor Who. But, in my opinion, this one is the best I've read. A Final Toast starts with Jo, Liz and Sarah attending the Brigadier's funeral, and thereafter adjourns to Liz's hotel room, where Jo instructs them on the proper and appropriate ritual to pay tribute to their departed friend: "Ladies, let's get pissed!"

There's plenty of humour in this short fic, including reference to suggestions that UNIT is a giant sex club, and this classic:

Jo has found several teeny, tiny bottles of Tequila.

She hands one to each of the women and with a grin says, "Five rounds. Rapid."

But, while the humour is indeed wonderful and completely in character, it's not what makes this story. It's the deft little character portraits of each of the women, now very much older than they were in their UNIT days. They're very different from each other, as Liz notes at one point, yet they've got a lot in common, and not just their love for and loyalty to the Brigadier (and the Doctor, who's both absent and unmentioned in this fic). It's clear too that, while they may well be getting older, not one of them's ready to give up their active and trail-blazing lives. They're all still making a difference.

This story is as much a tribute to three strong, intelligent and much-loved companions as it is to the Brigadier, and it's highly recommended.

As always, if you enjoy the story, please tell the author!

dbskyler.livejournal.com

Story: Maybe It's Just North Dakota
Author: MinervaFan
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 509
Author's Summary: On what once was Earth, Sarah and Four spend a quiet moment together contemplating the sunset.
Characters/Pairings: Fourth Doctor/Sarah Jane Smith
Warnings: None

Recced because: The Fourth Doctor and Sarah Jane watch the sun set over what used to be North Dakota. That's the whole thing, really, but the way it's rendered is absolutely gorgeous. It's nothing but a moment, but that moment is painted with such vivid description and emotional resonance, you can't help but experience it with the characters. And what more could you ask for than the chance to experience a sunset with Four and Sarah Jane?

( see for yourself )

amaresu

Story:What Not to Miss While Traveling in France
Author: MinervaFan
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 478
Author's Summary: Four drabbles set during the First Doctor episode, The Reign of Terror.
Characters/Pairings: First Doctor, Susan, Barbara, Ian
Warnings: Spoilers for The Reign of Terror obviously.

Recced because: Four looks at our intrepid heroes during a rather trying time in their journeys. It's an interesting look at how the four of them dealt with the situation and provides a bit of insight into how they'd learned to cope.

ionlylurkhere.livejournal.com

Story: The Ghost of Christmas Always
Author:

minerva_fan
Rating: Teen
Word count: 5087
Author's summary: Maria and Sarah Jane manage to spend Christmases together, despite the distance between them. Implied Maria/SJS crushing.
Characters/Pairings: SJS, Maria, Luke, Clyde
Warnings: Character death (but not a bad sort of character death)

Recced because: A completely unseasonal rec, but I don't care. This is a wonderful fic, jumping forward through a selection of Christmases over thirty years to show the SJA gang's futures through Maria's point of view. The characterisation is deftly handled, making it feel completely canonical to me, to be honest (while YMMV about the existence of Maria's crush, I'm completely convinced of it, so).

What I particularly love about it, though, is the way that with a few carefully chosen descriptions,

minerva_fan captures the essential feel of not only SJA ("Luke has never seen fit to improve on Sarah Jane's somewhat anachronistic method of hiding the key. It's as if the mere act of living like nobody would find a key under a plant will somehow make it true."), but some wildly different parts of canon that Sarah's been involved in as well, and makes it all seem part of a seamless whole. Which, of course, it is, from some very old school stuff about themagic of the TARDIS to the new school excesses of there being aliens every Christmas. Lovely stuff.

morgeil.livejournal.com

Story: Innocence Lost (Emo Dance Remix)
Author: MinervaFan
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 2160
Author's Summary: Wrong time. Wrong place. Wrong Sarah Jane. Really, really, really wrong Sarah Jane. Careful, Doctor.
Characters/Pairings: Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith, Maria Jackson, Clyde Langer, Luke Smith

Recced because: Four meeting Sarah's teenage companions! I mean, do I really have to say anything else to sell this?

Actually, this is a companion story to another of

minerva_fan's fics, but it stands quite fine on it's own.

( Excerpt )

Current Mood: stressed

stellastars

Story: Friends of a Friend
Author: MinervaFan
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 1796
Author's Summary: "AU: Josh Townsend and Natalie Redfern deal with tragedy. Spoilers for the DW episode Turn Left."
Characters/Pairings: Josh Townsend, Natalie Redfern, Sarah Jane Smith, Luke Smith, Maria Jackson, Clyde Langer
Warnings: Spoilers for Turn Left.

Recced because: In Friends of a Friend, MinervaFan takes the AU "right turn" scenario and uses it as an opportunity to explore Josh Townsend, Sarah Jane Smith, and the very-Sarah-Jane-theme of picking up the pieces when one's world has changed. The result is a unique and seamless melding of the Sarah Jane Adventures and the Sarah Jane Smith Audio Stories, with excellent characterizations throughout.

nonelvis

Story: Just Another Friday Night
Author: MinervaFan/

minerva_fan
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 5,215
Author's Summary: All Sarah Jane wants for her thirtieth birthday is a bit of Italian food and a quiet night with a friend. The universe has other ideas. OR: The Tale of How Harry Sullivan Bows to Peer Pressure and is Made to Regret It By Miss Sarah Jane Smith.
Characters/Pairings: Sarah Jane/Harry, the Brigadier, Yates, Benton, Jo
Warnings: None

Recced because: This is a fluffy, funny, and utterly delightful story about the consequences of arranging a surprise party for someone who really, really doesn't want one. Although Harry isn't the only UNIT employee responsible for the party, Sarah Jane takes the opportunity to play one long, practical joke on him for revenge, and watching her run rings around him is incredibly entertaining.

clocketpatch

Story: Conversations
Author: MinervaFan
Rating:
Word Count: 1513
Author's Summary: Chrissie Jackson and Jackie Tyler discover a common bond, and a close friendship.
Characters/Pairings: Chrissie/Jackie
Warnings:

Recced because:

Minervafan is one of my absolute favourite authors on the ‘spoon, and I think that it is an absolute crime that more of her stories haven’t been recc’d. I could happily spend all seven of my recs on her, but I had to be choosy and reduce it to one.

This is a story about an unlikely pairing which makes perfect sense when you see it written out. Chrissie and Jackie are very similar and their relationship is charming, funny, and vaguely tragic. Minervafan has a talent for taking side characters and fleshing them out into full, real people, and this story is a stellar example of that. Even if you don’t like femslash, I recommend you take a look at Minervafan’s work just for the amazing dialogue and characterization she brings to every story.

dark-aegis.livejournal.com

Story: Living History
Author: MinervaFan
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 9668
Author's summary: Sarah Jane and her gang are entrusted with a priceless legacy.
Characters/Pairings: Sarah Jane Smith
Warnings: none

Recced because: Every once in a while you come across a truly unique story, one that you've never seen before or heard before and really wish you had because it's so completely brilliant. This is one of those stories. Sarah Jane saves an alien from death and then saves him again from that much more. It raises some good questions - what is a culture but a collection of stories? And what happens if that culture, that species, is gone, everyone except for one and they, too, are dying? It's a lovely, bittersweet tale that brought tears to my eyes at the end and, despite that fact, made me smile.

( Sample section )

reccity-rec-rec

calufrax is sleeping in your mind. One day, it may be brought back in front of your eyes.

April 2018

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A rec comm for A Teaspoon And An Open Mind

Entries tagged with author: minervafan

Rec: 'Auntie Jo's Cosmic Jumble Sale (and Guide to Civil Disobedience)' by MinervaFan

rec: never meant for one as beautiful as you, by minervafan

rec: 'family tree' by minervafan

Rec: Hen Party by MinervaFan

rec: warmth by minerva fan

Rec: Here Be Dragons!

Rec: A Final Toast

rec: maybe it's just north dakota, by minervafan

Rec: What Not to Miss While Traveling in France, by MinervaFan

the ghost of christmas always, by minervafan

Rec: Innocence Lost (Emo Dance Remix)

rec: friends of a friend, by minervafan

Rec: Just Another Friday Night

Conversations

Rec: Living History by MinervaFan

reccity-rec-rec

Links

April 2018

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