calufrax

romanajo123.livejournal.com

Rating: Teen

Word Count: 37019

Author's Summary: The end and aftermath of the Last Great Time War in the Pete's World Universe. Gallifrey falls, the Doctor is lost, and a killer is lurking among the residents of a town on the edge of the Canadian wilderness. Alt!Five's story.

Characters/Pairings: The Doctor (5th)/Romana (author-created), The Doctor (5th)/Original Character, The Master(author-created)

Warnings: Some disturbing scenes, and spoilers for the Time War (up to and including Day of the Doctor).

Recced because: This fic is part of a series that explores the idea of "What if the Fifth Doctor had been the one involved in the Time War?" and introduces a Doctor like we've never seen before. A very compelling story; with well-developed original characters and excellent world-building.

dbskyler.livejournal.com

Story: Once Upon a Time
Author: nostalgia
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 2691
Author's Summary: The Doctor's life on Gallifrey is not all it seems.
Characters/Pairings: Eleventh Doctor, Romana III, Braxiatel, Amy Pond, River Song, Rory Williams
Warnings: None

Recced because: This is one of those rare fics where you finish reading it and then think, "Wow." And then you go to read it again. I don't want to give too much away, but I will say that reading this fic is like experiencing what is happening to the Eleventh Doctor -- the slow realization until the "wow" at the end.

( a very small sample )

jjpor.livejournal.com

While we're on the subject of the Doctor and Romana, and indeed Doctor/Romana...

Story: Apologies
Author: missperkigoth
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 301
Author's Summary: The Doctor is not alone. Romana is alive. That does not equal instant happiness.
Characters/Pairings: The Doctor (10th)/Romana (author-created?)
Warnings: None

Recced because: Yesterday we had a Doctor-Romana fic that imagined what might have happened if the Doctor and Romana had tried to fight fate back in those long-ago classic series days, to decide that they were going to try and keep running together forever. And as a fan of these characters and their "thing" together, this warmed the cockles of my heart. The thing is, of course, that nothing is forever, probably not even for Time Lords.

And I think we fans are often guilty - well, maybe "guilty" is too judgmental a term - have the tendency, anyway, to want our cake and eat it too. I think just about all of us know from real life, or will learn one day at any rate, that things don't go on forever, and things like friendships and relationships don't always last, and things don't always turn out the way we'd like them to. And fan fic, as with professionally produced media, can be a refuge from that reality - and there's nothing wrong with escapism, whatsoever - but other fic, as with this triple drabble which sees the Doctor and Romana reunited, eventually after the Time War, stares that reality in the face. There's an argument, or several, that however much some of us fans would love it, having Romana showing up unannounced in the new series might not turn out actually to be a good idea on any of a number of levels. But exploring such possibilities is the prerogative of the fic-writer, and I think this particular reunion is one that just about every fic writer who's a Doctor/Romana fan has at least considered. There's perhaps a tendency, though - and I know I've been guilty of it myself - to gloss over the fact that such a reunion, considering all that must have gone before, would be anything but easy or guaranteed of success. And this fic, even if ultimately heart(s)-warming, as well as being very well written, doesn't shy away from that fact.

This is another author who I don't believe has been recced on Calufrax before, and who as far as I can see hasn't posted any new fic in a few years. Who knows, perhaps a few reviews will inspire them to have another go? I hope so. So, go and read, and leave some words of encouragement.

( An Excerpt )

jjpor.livejournal.com

And so I come to the end of another week's reccing here on Calufrax. It seems to have gone over very quickly this time, but I've still got one story to rec before I leave you to your own devices. Anyway, thanks those of you who have posted reviews on this week's recs and I hope we can do it again some time.

Story: Soon, Love, Soon
Author: Maggadin
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 1147
Author's Summary: Soon, love, soon/Such a wide, wide chasm of faith to leap.
Characters/Pairings: The Doctor (11th), the TARDIS, Romana (author-created)
Warnings: None, unless for some reason you have a real aversion to Doctor/Romana.

Recced because: Repeating yourself, they say, can be an indication of advancing old age. I hope not, because this is the second time this week I've recced a story featuring the Doctor and Romana, although this time we have a different Doctor and indeed a different Romana, and the two stories themselves are, I think, very different in tone and intent.

When I rec here, I often use these notes to pontificate on what I think good fanfiction is and the things fanfiction can do. And I think the idea of crossing different eras of Who is one of the things that a great many writers of Who-fic toy with at one time or another. I suppose such fics ultimately take their lead from the multi-teamup anniversary stories in the original series, principally The Five Doctors, although of course there was no (intentional!) shipping in that. I don't know whether the idea of Eleven/Romana is an obvious one or not, but there are quite a few examples out there by now and in just about all of them the pairing works very well indeed, and casts interesting sidelights on Eleven and his situation. And I think this fic is one of the very best examples.

I'll be honest, the author of this is a firm online associate of mine, but I know for a fact that I would be reccing this regardless of whether I knew the writer or not. This is one of only two stories she has posted on Teaspoon (the other a drabble), but on this evidence she needs to write more. I would describe this story as haunting, hallucinatory (and possibly some other words beginning with "h" if I could think of any); it hints things rather than states them and I find it extremely affecting indeed. In short, it's the sort of Doctor/Romana fic that has me going away shaking my head in admiration and quiet envy. If you're into this pairing, and even if you're not, I urge you to read this and leave encouragement for the author, and maybe she'll write some more.

( An excerpt )

persiflage-1.livejournal.com

This is my last rec this week (and the longest fic!). I hope everyone's found at least one new story to enjoy!

And don't forget - if you've read and enjoyed any of the fics this week, leave a review (however brief) - such things are better than meat and drink to us fic authors.

Story: A Time of Grace
Author: Rivendellrose
Rating: Adult
Word Count: 44439
Author's Summary: Following the Time War, Romana discovers that she has enemies she'd rather forget, friends she's never met, and a duty to the memory of her planet.
Characters/Pairings: Ace McShane, Gwen Cooper, Jack Harkness, K-9, Leela, Lucy Saxon, Martha Jones, Other Character(s), Other Character(s), Other Character(s), Other Character(s), Other Character(s), Romana II, Romana (Author Created)

Recced because: It's a brilliant post-Time War fic that combines Classic and New Who seamlessly.

There was a... thing, in the Tardis control room.

The Doctor had picked it up on a dark, ravaged moon in the Equinos system - one of those places he hadn’t really meant to go to, but had nonetheless found himself landing on after entering random coordinates into the Tardis’ systems. The last time he’d been there there had been the first tiny, delicate sparklings of life beginning to burst out on its icy, rocky surface. Now, nothing.

Nothing except this thing. The thing, as he’d begun to think of it. It was almost at the point of developing independent capitalization in his mind, and that was, in his experience, never a good sign.

The thing came up to about the top of his breast-bone, and was about as wide as his arms could reach around, though it tapered a bit at the top. When he first saw it he’d had the sick thought that it was a new kind of Dalek armour that had somehow survived the war, but closer inspection hadn’t borne that out. It was gold, but the shape and design of it was completely unlike their circular knobules and venting. It wasn’t made of dalekenium, anyway, but some other metal equally impervious to all the scans he’d subjected it to. The elemental make-up seemed somehow familiar, but he couldn’t quite put a finger on it.

Current Mood: cold
Current Location: Home
Current Music: Classic FM - Tim Lihoreau

clocketpatch

Story: Among the Jarveys of the Metropolis
Author: Johne
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 2540
Author's Summary: When you absolutely, positively, need to be there on time.
Characters/Pairings: Amy Pond, Rory Williams, Romana (author created)
Warnings: None

Recced because:

( "Do you want the monologue?" the driver asked. "Only that's extra." )

clocketpatch

Greetings! I'm Clocketpatch and I will be your assigned reccer for the week. Most of the stories I've picked out already are a trifle on the long side and I do apologise in advance. I'll try to get some shorter ones in as well for those who enjoy having tales which they can read and digest over a lunch break.

Story: Wibbly-Wobbly, Timey-Wimey (Book I: Exile)
Author: I Walk In Eternity
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 33280
Author's Summary: “People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect… but actually, from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it’s more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly…. timey-wimey…. stuff.” (The 10th Doctor, ‘Blink’) An adventure spanning all of the Doctor's lives begins with a series of vignettes from the eras of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Doctors. May they rest in peace.
Characters/Pairings: Barbara Wright, Ben Jackson, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Dodo Chaplet, Ian Chesterton, Jack Harkness, Jamie McCrimmon, Jo Grant, John Benton, Liz Shaw, Martha Jones, Omega, Polly Wright, Romana (author created), Susan Foreman, The Autons, The Doctor (10th)
Warnings: Some swearing

Recced because:
For my first rec of the week I wanted to start at the beginning, literally. Using the simple, yet brilliant, premise of a diary bequeathed from companion to companion, this story follows the life of the Doctor and those many companions, allies, and enemies who have been swept into the whirl-wind of his existence. The plot is, in some ways, straight-forward, but at the same time it is very, well, I guess the scientific term is “wibbly-wobbly”, as it darts from past to present. This is, really, a love song to the show. Every character from Jack, to the Brig, to Ben and Polly, to the Doctor himself(s), is perfectly voiced and painted with the palate of an author who is both a very talented writer and a very devoted fan. There are continuity references galore for those who like them, though the story should still be a good romp for someone who has only basic knowledge. There's a mystery as well!

Current Mood: crazy

avarill.livejournal.com

Story: Paradox Loop
Author:

lizbee
Rating: Adult
Word Count: 3544
Author's Summary: He's seen her from childhood, but he doesn't know her name.
Characters/Pairings: First Doctor, Romana, Susan
Warnings: Explicit Sex

Recced because: This one made my eyes mist over and blew my mind at the same time. It's a nifty temporal paradox, a desperate love story, a look at the Doctor when he was young, and a tidy solution to some interesting continuity puzzles all at the same time.

Current Mood: accomplished

whochick.livejournal.com

Story: Mind The Gap (WIP)
Author: moonmonkey
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 27056
Author's Summary: Londoners. They'd have you believe that their city is the one true beating heart of the entire world - of the universe, even. And they'd be right.
Characters/Pairings: Anji Kapoor, Fitz Kreiner, Romana (author created), The Doctor (8th)
Warnings: Explicit Violence, Swearing

Recced because: Crossovers are often between uncomplimentary fandoms, but the steam-punk gothic feel of the middle of the EDA series melds seamlessly with Neverwhere. This is a great concept written by someone who clearly has a feel for the characters and has perfected haunting menace to a fine art. It is a WIP, but it is regularly updated with decently lengthy chapters ... and let's face it, good fanfic is worth waiting for.

( Excerpt )

kerravonsen

Story: How Martha Jones Saved the World and Lucy Saxon Initiated Divorce Proceedings With Extreme Prejudice
Author: LizBee
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 12199
Author's Summary: An alternate resolution to the "Sound of Drums" cliffhanger, featuring a cavalcade of companions, UNIT soldiers and rather more Time Lords than one usually sees.
Characters/Pairings: Liz Shaw, Lucy Saxon, Martha Jones, Other Character(s), Romana (author created), Sarah Jane Smith, Tegan Jovanka, The Doctor (10th), The Master (Simm), UNIT
Warnings: None

Recced because:Let me count the ways...

This was the first someone-else-in-a-pocket-watch story I read, and it was inspiring.
This was much, much better than "The Last of the Timelords".
1. a better plot, which made a lot more sense
2. a different but interesting origin of the Toclafane (this story was written in the week between "The Sound of Drums" and "The Last of the Timelords", which was a feat in itself).
UNIT!
Former companions! Particularly Ace, Liz and Jo.
Romana!
And Martha did rock, too.
Snark, banter, and good characterisation.

Current Mood: pensive

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 companion: romana (other)

Rec: And Then There Was One by SpaceTimeConundrum

rec: Once Upon a Time, by nostalgia

Rec: Apologies by missperkigoth

Rec: Soon, Love, Soon by Maggadin

Rec: A Time of Grace by Rivendellrose

REC: Among the Jarveys of the Metropolis

Wibbly-Wobbly, Timey-Wimey (Book I: Exile)

Rec: Paradox Loop

rec: mind the gap

Rec: How Martha Jones Saved the World...

reccity-rec-rec

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April 2018

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