I recently read C. S. Friedman’s This Alien Shore. The main idea is fantastic. Space migration caused mutations to the genome and Earth gave it up as a bad cause. Some humans look nothing like us. The people of one planet still looks human; their mutations were mental. They all have what would be referred to as mental illnesses back on Earth, which is quite homogenized in terms of how your mind can vary from the “norm.” So one character is, I believe, autistic and another has obsessive compulsion disorder; they have different names for the different mentalities and I didn’t know what they all were. They paint or tattoo their faces based on their dominant mode of mentality and have ritualized forms of interaction to counter their dramatically different world-views. It’s fascinating. Friedman has created an awesome universe. Note: this race has found a way to use some of their people to travel through space safely (without causing mutations) and so they dominate space travel.

I believe I also spotted influences of early science fiction authors. The differences between Earth and the outer planets reminded me of E. E. Smith’s Subspace Explorers. The means of space travel reminded me of Cordwainer Smith’s “Game of Rat and Dragon”. Since these are both authors I adored early on, seeing their influence made the book even more fun for me.

The book was fantastic. It seems a bit abridged at the end. After the climax, the denouement should have been longer, but otherwise I adored it.

I never would have expected Harmony / Wednesday to work, but it does.

Zen Pencils on Rachel Carson. Brilliant.

Catle Waiting, Vol 1. Fairy tales. Circus acts. An order of bearded nuns. It's so good it gets the "I have no mouth and I must squee!" icon. ;-)

Day 03

In your own space, post a rec for at least three fanworks that you have created. It can be your favorite fanworks that you've created, or fanworks you feel no one ever saw, or fanworks you say would define you as a creator. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

Mostly Buffyverse:
The Letters (the 84, Charing Cross Road remix): cross-over between Harry Potter and Buffy the Vampire Slayer written for the Circle of Friends remix. I always enjoy taking part in CoF because it takes me outside of my box, allows me to try styles of writing I hadn't before. This story depicts a relationship in letters, e-mails, and wedding invitations.

Pulling a Rabbit Out: Anya/Giles during Tabula Rasa. Humor. “Sex relieves stress. We should have sex.”

One Zombie Two Zombie Red Zombie Dead Zombie: another out-of-the-box story, "The Zeppo" as written by Dr. Seuss.

Sailing Toward the Dawn: I just love this one. Babylon 5 set during the days when Dr. Franklin was hitchiking through the stars. Stephen realizes he isn't just running way. He's running to something, even if he doesn't know what it is yet.

A Note From a Memory You Never Had: BtVS but Fray!verse (comics). The library, abandoned for over a century, is unexpected but not as much as the note left for her.

Feeding: Dark!Willow. This one also depends on the Fray!verse. Willow's first concern when magic returns to the world.

Marzipan: Leverage: Of course teen-age Parker's first adult friend would be a woman the rest of the kids are scared of.

Edited:
I'm adding In a Corner of My Soul. I'm rereading it in preparation of finishing the next chaper or two. I'd forgotten how good it actually is. *grin*

restfield has an excellent list of Willow/Tara recs. Usually I go through rec lists thinking "you like that? Really?" but almost every single one of these is amazing!

Geeky of me, I know, but this Captain America fanfic mentions the gravestone symbols at Arlington cemetery, the symbols that reflect a diversity of faiths, and one of those it specifically mentions is Wiccan.

It just made my day!

For when you kind of want a fanfiction where the Howling Commandos are picked up by Princess Elizabth driving an ambulance recklessly through Europe.