Fandom Snowflake Challenge, Day 6

[aadler]

 
Continuing the meme/challenge begun here and kept up to date here.

Fandom Snowflake Challenge, Day 6
In your own space, rec at least 3 fanworks you thought you wouldn’t like (because they weren’t your fandom or they pushed against your boundaries or you thought you just wouldn’t be interested) and that you ended up loving. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it (include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so).

I can’t really follow this as listed, because I don’t read anything if I expect not to like it. There are some, however that I wouldn’t normally expect to like, encountering them because I followed the recommendation of someone I trusted or because they were produced by an author whose quality I already knew. So, three examples:

“the Bloody Stare of Mars”, by yahtzee63 (Harry Potter). I know sroni already listed this in her own Fandom Snowflake post, but I was the one who recommended it to her. First, I’m not especially interested in Harry Potter fanfic. Second, I am utterly UNinterested in Snape/Hermione. This is Yahtzee, however; you always give Yahtzee a chance. And sure enough, the story is effective, affecting, convincing, makes Snape/Hermione not only believable but plausible (without squee), and brings it to a conclusion that you could easily have seen actually happening in canon.

“Queen of Spades”, by Astolat (James Bond/Casino Royale). It takes characterization as already recognized, and deepens and validates it. Fine portraits of Bond and M (the Judi Dench version), and fine use of language.

“Journey to the Place of Ghosts”, by Massicot (Harry Potter). One of the best fanfics I’ve ever seen, and it isn’t even a story, but a collection of drawings — captioned with verses of poetry from an external author — that works to powerful and haunting effect. The work was well-received and well-regarded on its production, but sadly the host journal was purged. I was able, however, to find a set of reposts, so it can still be seen. (Thanks be to the gods of fanart.)

My main fandom is Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I don’t even really like Harry Potter fanfic that much. It’s just coincidence that two of my three recs are HPfic. Really.