merryghoul: road (amy & 11)
[personal profile] merryghoul2015-12-22 08:35 am

The Two Romanas by Lurky McLurklurk

Story: The Two Romanas
Author: Lurky McLurklurk
Rating: Adult
Word Count: 4695
Author's Summary: When Romana comes back from E-Space to a universe where she never regenerated, the consequences expand exponentially, for the universe and herself.
Characters/Pairings: Romana I/Romana II, K-9
Warnings: Explicit Sex

Recced because: Reccer's Notes: I consider this fic to be the cleverest selfcest fic I've ever read in Who fandom. In this fic, the Romana II of canon, the one who left the (Fourth) Doctor to do work in E-Space, leaves E-Space for Gallifrey, only to find this Romana I in this fanfic, one that never regenerated and stayed on Gallifrey.

rec: Nonsense All Compact (The Community Theatre Remix) by Neveralarch

Story: Nonsense All Compact (The Community Theatre Remix)
Author: Neveralarch
Rating: All-Ages
Word Count: 12644
Author's Summary: “Braxiatel directs amateur community theatre in the small village of Gallifrey. Romana is the Council Leader in Gallifrey, and uses theatre as a political distraction. Eventually they hold hands. (Mundane AU of Gallifrey.)”
Characters: Irving Braxiatel, Leela, Narvin, Romana II, The Doctor (8th), Andred, K9, cameos from Eight’s companions
Pairings: Romana II/Brax, Leela/Narvin, Leela/Andred
Warnings: None
Recced because:

This is a mundane AU remix of Aralias’s excellent The Importance of Being On Stage, which is also about Brax having to rustle the denizens of Gallifrey into amateur dramatics and well worth a read. Neveralarch’s version is funny (how could anything about Gallifrey as a middle England town and Brax being dragooned into running its am-dram fail to be funny?) and lovely, with great world-building that uses all kinds of canon well and doesn’t leave you feeling left out if you don’t remember who Samson and Gemma are (don’t worry, the Doctor doesn’t remember who they are either). It’s an ensemble fic before it’s anything else, though its shippy elements are variously satisfying and amusing.

I think you’d even dig this story if you didn’t know the Gallifrey audios and had only a passing familiarity with Big Finish. Brax is the Doctor’s brother and he has a morally-dubious art collection and also does grandiose political machinations back on the Time Lord ranch and pines after Romana and nothing ever works out for him—there, you’re good to go, enjoy.

Nice Ficbits Here )

The fact that this has 0 comments on Teaspoon and but two admirers on Ao3 is a travesty. THE CHARLEY CAMEO ALONE, PEOPLE!! Also, special prize for best use of a Monan Host. ...only use of a Monan Host.

Rec: Romana And The Quest Against Boredom by Gallifrey Immigrant

Calufrax...we meet again! It has been too long. So, anyway, *reads instructions* I'm going to be sharing 4-10 recs with you over the next two weeks *throws instructions away* and I hope you're going to enjoy all of them as much as I did.

Story: Romana And The Quest Against Boredom
Author: Gallifrey Immigrant
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 1778
Author's Summary: Romana's bored. That cannot do, so she's looking for a solution.
Characters/Pairings: K-9, Romana II, The Doctor (4th)
Warnings: None.

Recced because: Well, you know that thing where I'm kind of obsessed with Four and Romana and indeed Four/Romana? I'm even worse at the moment, because I've recently been re-watching Seasons 16 and 17 for the first time in some time, and I'm sort of falling in love all over again with those crazy kids and their idiosyncratic adventures. As I was recently opining in a venue other than Livejournal, I'm not really convinced "too silly" is ever a bad thing where Doctor Who is concerned, especially not when you have a Doctor and companion combo who do "silly" with such panache.

And I think this fic is a good example of the whole Season 17 vibe, capturing that combination of innocent whimsy and knowing absurdism and, let's not forget, genuine warmth. I'm particularly fond of the dialogue in this, which really does sound like exactly the sorts of things these characters would be coming out with, as Romana sets out to fight her newly acquired state of boredom in as business-like and slightly oblivious a manner as you would expect her to do so. Some good asides in this from K-9 too, but what I really love is the way Four himself impinges (or doesn't impinge) upon the story, embodying the disreputable uncle/irresponsible teacher side of his nature as he decides to let his protégé figure this particular lesson out for herself (she does...sort of).

Anyway, I think it's lovely, and I hope you will too when you go and read it. Right now!


A Sample )

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

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 )

Rec - Duct Tape by captain chico

Story: Duct Tape
Author: Captain Chico
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 9297
Author's Summary: Sarah Jane has an unexpected visitor.
Characters/Pairings: Clyde Langer, K-9, Mr. Smith, Other Character(s), Sarah Jane Smith
Warnings: None

Recced because: I'm ending my recs with yet another new author, and an entertaining Sara Jane Adventures story that refers back to one of the most interesting canon characters we never quite met in Doctor Who (yes, I am being a little cryptic) and does so with immense style. Some familiar characters do appear, and it's fun and fast-paced throughout.

A small sample )

Rec - The Case of the Missing Jelly Babies by Janna Silver Hawkins

Story: The Case of the Missing Jelly Babies
Author: Janna Silver Hawkins
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 380
Author's Summary: The Doctor's jelly babies are missing. Wherever could they have gone?
Characters/Pairings: K-9, Romana II, The Doctor (4th)
Warnings: None

Recced because: Inspired by one of my icons, I went looking for stories about the Doctor and his relationship with jelly babies. This was the one that made me cackle the most, by another author who hasn't been previously recced here.

A small sample )

Felis Catus Temporus

Story: Felis Catus Temporus
Author: Lissy_Strata
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 6032
Author's Summary: The Doctor needs Peri's help, but can she stop laughing long enough? (This fic has evolved into a series of unrelated cat stories.)
Character/Pairings: Sixth Doctor, Fifth Doctor, Third Doctor, Second Doctor, Eleventh Doctor, Peri Brown, Tegan Jovanka, Nyssa, Ace McShane, Second doctor, Polly Wright, Ben Jackson, Jamie McCrimmon, Jo Grant, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Delgado!Master, Amy Pond, Rory Williams, Sarah-Jane Smith, K-9
Warnings: Kitties

Recced Because:

Awwww, who's a kitty! Mostly the Doctor. Though several companions, enemies, and by-standers are also affected by acute Felis Catus Temporus in this adorable sequence of fic which answers several important, kitty-related questions such as: What happens when K-9 meets a kitty? Do kitties get along with nitro-9? Can you put a kitty in a fez?

If you want to know, read on and find out (just be aware that the resulting cute may leave you incapacitated with kitty!love for an unspecified duration…)



A Teaser-Taste )

rec: How the Doctor Stole Christmas by Endelda

This will be my final rec this week. Hopefully, you enjoyed at least a few of them. ;-) Now that I'm surrounded by snow, I can't help but think of Christmas and how we only have 10 more days until 11 regenerates...

Story: How the Doctor Stole Christmas
Author: Endelda
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 1237
Author's Summary: But the Doctor, who lived in the TARDIS, did not.
Characters/Pairings: 10th Doctor and Rose Tyler
Warnings: Please DO NOT warn for slash or het.

Recced because: It's silly and sexy and festive, and if anyone had a reason to dislike Christmas, I'd say it's the Doctor. Christmas never seems to go so well for him, but at least in this version he gets a happy ending, with no hand choppings or ship crashings to get in the way.

Happy Whomas to all, and to all a good night!

rec: Picnic by Laurus Nobilis

Story: Picnic
Author: Laurus Nobilis
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 427
Author's Summary: The Doctor has a great idea and even greater timing. As usual.
Characters/Pairings: Fourth Doctor, Romana II, K9
Warnings: None.

Recced because: It’s a joyful bit of banter and fluff for Four, Romana and K9, entertainingly rounded off by the wonder that is the Doctor’s sense of timing. I’ll say no more…

Rec - Subroutine Stream by Amilyn

Story: Subroutine Stream
Author: Amilyn
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 1957
Author's Summary: Set just after "The Five Doctors," based on the conjecture that the Master was involved in the gift of K9 to Sarah Jane.
Characters/Pairings: K-9, Sarah Jane Smith
Warnings: None.

Recced Because: There's an odd dichotomy about K-9. On the one hand he's one of the most beloved characters of the show and percieved as a perfect pet (see my icon above); on the other hand, he's a machine, and all of his loveable characteristics are products of his programming. This story looks behind the facade, and asks what would happen if his programming hid a few surprises.

A small sample )

Times Such as These by Neveralarch

I'm really terrible with posting this time round. Apologies for that.

Story Times Such as These
Author Neveralarch
Rating teen
Word Count 4755
author's summary The Time War is too large and complex and confusing to be viewed in generalities. Four personal stories from the War.
characters/pairings Irving Braxiatel, Leela, Narvin, Narvin, Romana II, The Doctor (8th), The Master (Other)
warnings None

recced because As is clear from my previous reccing spree, I am a huge fan of the Time War. The concepts fascinates me, and I like that we do not know for sure what exactly happened. It's perfect for angst, usually involves Romana and the Doctor being awesome, and gets to be quite dark and gruesome. See, there is no downside to the Time War! (aside from the fact that (spoiler) everyone dies, of course).

This story has all things mentioned, but is written with an unusual underlying sense of dread and despair. I simultaneously hated and loved reading it for exactly that reason. It's dark (pitch black in fact), but somehow totally irresistible. There is something about the writing which drew me in and made me read until the end, despite the fact that the characters I love so much made me feel wrong. Their actions feel alien, yet I can see them behaving in exactly that way when pushed to the edge and over it. It is not an enjoyable read, but by Rassilon is it a good one.

rec: Five Time Romanadvoratrelundar Missed the Signs, and One Time She Couldn't Possibly Ignore Them

Story: Five Time Romanadvoratrelundar Missed the Signs, and One Time She Couldn't Possibly Ignore Them
Author: JaneTurenne
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 6484
Author's Summary: The most powerful woman in the known universe has a tendency to attract admirers. She would probably find this a distinct annoyance—if she could ever be bothered to notice.
Characters/Pairings: Romana II, The Doctor (4th), Irving Braxiatel, Narvin, Leela, K9
Warnings: n/a

Recced because: This is just a joy to read.  The Gallifrey audios are my favourite corner of Doctor Who, and fic that deals with them is relatively hard to come by (although of unwavering quality).  The tale of Romana's many thwarted admirers makes for a genuinely funny story that nevertheless stays perfectly in character.  Part of JaneTurenne's gift is the uncanny ability to make every single line of dialogue she writes sound like it belongs in the characters' voices, and this is no exception: from the Doctor's theatrical boom to Leela's earnest directness, the dialogue sparkles with wit and humour.  One to bookmark and reread.

Girls' Morning After

Hello everyone, I’m a Whovian over from Belgium, and I’ll be your reccer this week. It is my first time here so apologies if anything goes wrong. I will rec a variety of stories covering most eras of the show so I hope there is something for everyone to enjoy the coming week.

Story:  Girls’ morning after
Author: diabolicalfiend
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 615
Author's Summary: Iris' visit leaves Romana with a headache.
Characters/Pairings: Iris Wildthyme, Irving Braxiatel, K-9, Leela, Narvin, Romana II
Warnings: none

Recced because:

Gallifrey V came out recently, and to celebrate that I have this hilarious little ficlet for you all to start off the week. It captures the characters and the tone of the series perfectly, and it made me laugh out loud more than once. I always enjoy stories which show the author is familiar with less known facts in canon, as is the case here.
I almost didn’t read this because I don’t know Iris other than by reputation, but since she doesn’t actually feature here (other than by reputation!), it wasn’t a problem.  The characters are perfectly portrayed, especially Romana II and her wicked sense of humour.
The set-up for the story itself is quite ingenious, and brings out everything I love about the Gallifrey series. There is banter, humour and even a bit of political backstabbing. What more could you wish for on a Monday morning?

I realise the Gallifrey fandom is quite small, but I hope non-listeners will enjoy this too. The story does not require extensive knowledge of the series, so just give it a go (and perhaps check out Gallifrey after that!).  The author does not appear to have been recced before, which is also a bonus. 

Rec: The Very Model

Thank you very much for having me. Please give some of my obscure canon choices a chance. It may lead you down the road to a side of Who fandom you've not considered that is actually brilliant.

Today, I was planning on reccing a completely different Neveralarch story, and then I saw this one right below the moderately sensible choice I'd been planning, and I thought 'nobody knows what Gallifrey is or wants Age of Sail AUs of it', but... well, the other choice was more Doctor/Master and probably not as brilliant as this. So-

Story: The Very Model
Author: neveralarch
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 10070
Author's Summary: Being the tale of how Admiral Romana kept her job, how Rear-Admiral Braxiatel fought off the empire's enemies, how Leela of the Sevateem gained an audience with the Admirality, and how Captain Narvin was irritated by just about everyone. (A Gallifrey/Age of Sail fusion, where most of the characters are still Time Lords, even though that doesn't make much sense when they're on wooden ships.)
Characters/Pairings: Romana II, Leela, Braxiatel, Narvin, K-9s, and various other Gallifrey people who aren't on Teaspoon

Recced because: Reasons I love this fic that hopefully apply to more people who aren't me:

a) Age of Sail is a particular vice of mine. If you are fond of this genre, but haven't heard Gallifrey - give it a try.
b) I particularly like Age of Sail fics in which Romana is a headstrong admiral who beats people up with buckets, and Leela is a pirate. (A small category, alas). Other characters are also treated very well - K-9 is Age of Sail-ified most brilliantly, and Brax is sort of trying to take over the navy and Narvin is trying to play by the rules and is so angry that nobody else will.
b2) It is a true ensemble fic.
c) The narrative voice is consistently hilarious. And so is the dialogue.
d) For all that it is an Age of Sail AU, it is also a brilliant Gallifrey-type plot that you can actually get wrapped up in. Do you like intrigue and backstabbing? Yes. Great. Read this fic.

Excerpt )
nonelvis: (DW blue TARDIS)
[personal profile] nonelvis2012-11-02 09:33 am

Rec: The Eloquence of Angels

Story: The Eloquence of Angels
Author: Palgrave
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 2,908
Author's Summary: The Doctor wouldn't normally have a conversation with a statue -- but then, he's never met one that moves before.
Characters/Pairings: Fourth Doctor, Leela, K-9
Warnings: None

Recced because: What if "Blink" wasn't the Doctor's first encounter with the Weeping Angels? Palgrave suggests it was the Fourth Doctor who first ran into them, deep in a family tomb with nothing but his wit, a dog whistle, and a scarf to protect him. The character voices here are spot-on, particularly Four's deadpan humor and Leela's fierceness, and there's very little that makes me happier than an author who can write the characters so that they sound exactly like themselves.

Excerpt: after the cut )

As the World Falls Down

Hello, hello all! Tis PhoenixDragon - back again with a handful of recs! I'll try to do multi-era (I'll do my best) but I'm quite sure there will be something for everyone. I'm really excited to be sharing again this week - so let's get started, shall we?

Story: As The World Falls Down
Author: TimeLord1
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 23,356
Author's Summary: Rose Tyler rarely speaks. She is invisible. One day, she decides to take a walk down a tree-lined road to meet the madman that lives at the other end.
Characters/Pairings: Jackie Tyler, K-9, Rose Tyler, The Doctor (9th)
Warnings: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Drama, General, Mystery

Recced because: Ahhh, this is what I consider one of the best kinds of Doctor Who fic. A fairytale (if you will) within a fairytale. It feels like a whole 'nother world, even as it is very much a Doctor Who fiction. This author has such phenomenal characterization, she can place these characters in any situation and keep it all in balance (and she has done so several times) and yet, you never feel as if you are out of place. Her grasp of the intricacies of the characters, the wonderfully vivid settings and the pacing of her plots makes all of her fiction worth a read. But this is one that sits very close to my heart and sits at the top of my favorites. I certainly hope you enjoy it as much as I have. Oh! And don't let the wordcount daunt you. Before you know it, the fiction is over and you are left blinking, wishing it could have gone on forever...

Excerpt behind the cut )


Be sure to stop and tell her how much she rocks!

rec: Terminal Decay

Hi all! *waves awkwardly*
So my name is Bianca, a whovian hailing from the Netherlands, and I'll be reccing for you this week (:
I understand that for a part of you it's still Sunday, but well.. let's just view this as a bonus than, shall we? ;)

Besides, if you're going to read this fic (and I think you should) you're going to need the extra time...


Story: Terminal Decay
Author: Unslinky
Rating: Adult
Word Count: 3,071,407 (yes, you read that right - this is not a typo)
Author's Summary: Set shortly after The Planet of the Dead. AU to everything Doctor Who and Torchwood after that.
Characters/Pairings: Clive Jones, Francine Jones, Gwen Cooper, Ianto Jones, Jack Harkness, Jack Harkness, K-9, Leo Jones, Luke Smith, Martha Jones, Martha Jones, Mickey Smith, Sarah Jane Smith, Sarah Jane Smith, The Doctor (10th), The TARDIS, Tish Jones, Tom Milligan, Torchwood (I've only copied the list of characters Unslinky indicated on Teaspoon because I do not want to spoil what happens in the story! :))
Warnings: Explicit Sex, Explicit Violence, Swearing

Recced because: This fic took Unslinky nearly two years to complete and it has just over a 1,000 chapters. I came across it when the fic had been growing for some time already, but rapidly caught up and then followed it all the way to the end. I realise three million words may seem rather daunting, but trust me when I say that once you start reading this fic, it becomes part of your life shockingly easily and quickly. (I'm rereading it at the moment - worth every step of the way.)

So what makes this fic so captivating? There is more Doctor!Whump out there in which he (nearly) dies [keeping open the outcome so as not to spoil you guys], after all, and those are not as epically long as this fic. There are several reasons.
One is that Unslinky's characterisation is amazing. Unslinky knows how people work, what makes them tick, what makes them laugh, and she manages to write the dilemmas that come with being/caring for a dying alien, the last of his kind, in a way that is incredibly realistic. There are no good or bad guys in this story - everyone has two sides. There will be moments when you really hate a particular character (at least I did), but later that will always be put into perspective because the reasons for their behaviour are revealed and you suddenly understand that even though sometimes people say or do things that make you want to punch them in the face, they're not all bad. Every story has two sides and nothing is ever only black or only white.
That brings me to my second reason: realism. The Doctor is suffering from a degenerating disease, which will kill him if nothing is done, and a lot of people (see character list and then some) get involved. That means there are a lot of angles to be written, a lot of point of views, tensions, opinions - not to mention that an illness as seriously as the one from which the Doctor suffers in this story simply can't be fixed in two or three chapters. The illness is described very naturally, over a period of time, and Unslinky gives us readers wonderful medical details and descriptions without making it too brainy too understand - and then of course there is also the psychological side. The Doctor has to accept that he is ill and that he needs help, he bonds to people in entirely new ways, but the other characters are also affected - they have doubts, are hurt, hope, work, scream, cry (everything you might expect of someone with a close friend who is dying). Rather than rush through events towards a happy ending [or not!], Unslinky isn't afraid of putting the main storyline on hold to be introspective or have a flashback. This doesn't impede the story at all, however, but rather adds to it, shaping the characters and making them incredibly real.
In the end, this didn't feel like a story, but rather as a journey. It has made me look at some characters in an entirely new way and by the time I got to the end I didn't think 'oof, I've finally read it', but rather 'why is this over already?'.


Preview )
neveralarch: (Default)

rec: a country of smaller wars

Story: A Country of Smaller Wars
Author: levendis
Rating: Adult
Word Count: 23,303
Author's Summary: Looking for home in all the wrong places: Narvin, professional voyeur and artful patriot, follows his ex-president, a con-man, and a savage through alternate universes only to find himself pretty much, but not quite, back where he started.
Characters/Pairings: Narvin/Romana II, Leela, Irving Braxiatel, K-9
Warnings: Swearing.

Recced because: This is one of the best Gallifrey fics I've ever read, and that's already a quality subset of Doctor Who fandom. This rec is later than I expected, because I got so caught up in rereading the story that I kind of forgot I was reading it for a reason.

A Country of Smaller Wars follows the plot of the Gallifrey series of audios from Coordinator Narvin's perspective, before moving beyond the latest audios and into speculation for the next ones. The fic takes knowledge of the Gallifrey series more or less for granted, but if you haven't listened to Gallifrey I really recommend the audios as well - personally, I think they're the best work Big Finish has done in the Doctor Who universe. And then you can come back and enjoy the fic!

If you've already listened to Gallifrey, then you should definitely read A Country of Smaller Wars. It has some fascinating conceits and a really great take on Narvin, and Narvin and Romana's relationship. Also, a fantastic Leela. I am running out of adjectives, here - you should just read this.

[calufrax] Rec - The Facts of Life by JJPOR

Posting my Sunday rec very early because I'll probably be sleeping late...

Story: The Facts of Life
Author: JJPOR
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 529
Author's Summary: The moment most parents must dread.
Characters/Pairings: Jenny, K-9, Romana I, the Doctor (4th)
Warnings: None.

Recced because: Just a light-hearted bit of fun to end the week, in which Romana has to deal with one of a later Doctor's little problems.

rec: the barmpot and the skoth by gary merchant

Story: The Barmpot and the Skoth
Author: Gary Merchant
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 3152
Author's Summary: Compo, Clegg and Foggy offer their help to a bohemian-type stranger wearing a floppy hat and a long scarf. A crossover with Last of the Summer Wine.
Characters/Pairings: Fourth Doctor, K9, Norman Clegg, Compo Simmonite, Foggy Dewhurst (etc.)
Warnings: None.

Recced because: It’s an unlikely crossover with the long-running UK sitcom Last of the Summer Wine and it’s well done, and charming. I don’t know how it reads to a newbie to the other show (although I hadn’t seen it for years – a little of LotSW goes a long way - & I loved it anyway), but this is a summery story set in the Yorkshire Dales, where the Doctor encounters three new friends, sorts out the business of a lost alien and has a sticky bun while being disapproved of by the female half of the population. It’s one of those things you’d assume no one would ever write, but this author did, and it’s brilliant.