#the rec center

[fansplaining]

Do you have any advice, guides, or opinions on how write a good rec list?

WELL! This is Elizabeth, and as the longtime co-curator of "The Rec Center" newsletter (with @hellotailor) I do have *a lot* of thoughts about rec lists. 😊 I'm delighted you asked, because as I'm sure both Flourish & I have mentioned on the podcast, rec-list-making is way less prominent now than it has been in previous fandom eras, and I think that's a shame. Reccing can be a great critical tool, and rec lists make a fanwork space richer—not least because they can move readers beyond the mostly quantitative metrics of the AO3.

I'll put the rest of this under the cut:

So obviously there are different kinds of rec lists, including by category/trope, favorites about a character or a ship or fandom, etc. To me, a true ~authored~ rec list is one in which the writer(s) deliberately put together a batch of fics to make some kind of argument about the works/the ship/the fandom/the source material.

Most of the lists we run in the newsletter are not like this, because we're pulling 5-7 works from our guest submissions bank—and since we don't (realistically, can't!) read the stories that are sent in, I have no idea if those 5-7 compliment each other in any real way. (When I put together one of these lists, I aim for balance: not all M/M, not all white characters, not all Western source material, etc.) (Yes, unsurprisingly, those are overrepresented in our submissions bank.)

But an authored rec list treats the rec list itself like a fanwork: you can tap into connective tissue that runs throughout the fics you choose, and you can put stories side-by-side that illuminate something when read together. You can approach this from two different directions: working from a broader pool of fics you like and pulling out a coherent batch, or starting with a theme, an argument, that connective tissue, and seeing what fits.

When I first got into my current fandom, I kept a google doc with fic titles, links, brief descriptors, and general thematic vibes etc., for future reccing use. (Obviously you can do this with AO3 bookmarks, but I use those differently, so this was a separate endeavor.) These were set up to transfer to "The Rec Center" easily, e.g.:

“Celestial Navigation” by kaydeefalls. 9K words, rated Teen. Canon-era: C & E go to NYC to try to recruit several mutants. Delicate balance sort of story with a soft revelation. No tropes.

When I actually go to rec something, I reread it—mostly because I want to get the content warnings right, but also because reading it to rec is more like reading for work: you wind up looking at the text with a different eye, always lowkey thinking about how you'll make your argument about it in writing. I haven't actually recced the fic above in the newsletter, but here's another X-Men fic I did rec at one point:

“Come Together” verse by blarfkey. 60K words across 4 stories, rated Teen.  Backstory: When Peter gets arrested for breaking Erik out of the Pentagon, Erik returns the favor and breaks Peter out in turn—and takes him to live with Charles. Beautifully awkward father-son bonding coupled with bitter, stubborn exes pining: *chef’s kiss*. The verse spans five years, with really believable character growth, which is really saying something, based on the emotionally-stunted starting point for all parties involved. Rec: Peter is the POV character here, so a+++, and the close third-person narration plays with the spaces between what he feels and what he says while capturing his voice beautifully. This means 50% dragging people and 50% feeling like an idiot, which is a total joy. A lot of X-Men stuff, canonically or...fanonically...sorry...is about found family, and I mean, this one is about finding your literal blood relations, but it’s also about building a true family, and I think the author gives that enough space to really sell it.  Content warnings: Canon-typical violence, torture, ableism, the unenlightened thoughts about women’s bodies that preoccupy heterosexual teenage boys 

That rec is from a whole list I did with @morgan-leigh a few (five???wtf lol) years ago, which I think is a good example of an authored rec list: Morgan and I had overlapping tastes and similar interpretations of the characters, so all the fics here feel like they're talking to each other in some way, and making an argument about who these characters are (in Morgan's beautiful words, many of these stories "capture the exquisite and venal dickishness of both our heroes" lol).

Obviously rec lists don't have to be super formal—we created this reccing format a long time ago to keep things standardized—and I certainly don't think recs need to sound like literary criticism (not that the examples above sound like literary criticism lol...you know what I mean). Some of my favorite rec lists are pure vibes and (performatively? in a good way) emotional, and that's great. If you're a fic author, you know what a delight those comments are to receive. And like someone's AO3 bookmarks, the all-vibes rec list is an opportunity to see if you, too, feel like the selected fics smack you in the face or whatever violent expression of appreciation people are using. They often don't give you a ton of information, but if you and the reccer have similar taste, you know you can trust their picks.

But! I would make the case for reccing as a chance to talk about fic in a way that you really wouldn't in a comment to the author or in a performatively emotional tag: critically, not in the "this is bad" definition of "criticism," but, like, in the lit-crit way. Why does this work—and how does it work? As with all literary criticism, "work" is totally contextual; a good rec list sets up that context, and gives you just enough information to want to click through and see for yourself.

All that being said, you don't need to overthink it—and I say this partly because I'd really love to see more rec lists floating around! The AO3 often primes people to sort in a top-down way, and though there are tons of great fics with lots of kudos, as the meme goes,

Rec lists let you include things that aren't super popular, that hit niche characterization or plot notes, that really worked for you specifically for whatever reason. They're pure human curation—not just recs, but an arrangement of those recs that creates a whole new work in the process. And that's something I really love about fandom! We don't want algorithmic 'if this, then that' for-you pages; we're interested in doing the actual work of reading, thinking about, and sharing what we like with others, and that's wonderful.

#asks #fanfiction #reccing #rec lists #the rec center

[queersintherain]

I wrote a Strange New Worlds explainer/rec list for the rec center! I am super proud of it, and thrilled they were able to publish it the day after season two started coming out :D

Tl;dr for those not following me for Star Trek reasons: Strange New Worlds is a wonderful return to my fav things about episodic television, has many wonderful (and shippable) female characters, and being in Star Trek fandom is SUPER COOL because there are so many canons to enjoy, both for watching/reading and for playing with in fic.

If you are in the US and want to check it out, it is free to watch on YouTube till the end of June.

If you want more of my thoughts on both the show and some of my fav fics coming out of it so far, as well as some choice screencaps, check out the newsletter! (The Rec Center is also wonderful on other weeks too!)

Fics recced include work by the wonderful @nike-ravus, @igrockspock, @sun-lit-roses, @vulcunt, and sixbeforelunch!

#fic rec #rec list #star trek #star trek fanfic #star trek strange new worlds #the rec center

[laiqualaurelote]

(this is a bit belated but I have been In The Countryside all weekend with next to no Internet - anyway! I was a guest reccer for @thereccenter last week. I've been the beneficiary of many kind recs in this newsletter and wanted to pass it on, so I made a list of my favourite heist AUs. I am thrilled it has appeared in the same edition as Michelle Yeoh's Oscar win.)

Laiqualaurelote adores AUs and crossovers, often incredibly niche ones. She is the author of the Ted Lasso heist AU “they will see us waving from such great heists” and can be found on Tumblr here.

Someone once described heist fic to me as the Little Black Dress of AUs—it’ll go with anything, provided you can pull it off. The joy of the heist AU lies in how it deploys its tropes—it’s delightful to see an ensemble you love cast in the archetypes of the heist crew: the Mastermind, the Grifter, the Hacker, the Hitter, the Thief, the Driver, the Forger, the Person Who Blows Stuff Up, etc. (All the better if this unfolds in a Recruitment Montage.) Most heist AUs riff off Ocean’s Eleven and/or Leverage, but the good ones are especially ingenious in how they adapt the cons to fit the fandom and manage to keep the reader guessing till the final sleight of hand. Heist heist baby!

(General content warning for criminality)

“Rose’s Eleven” by leupagus (@leupagus). 50K words, rated Explicit. Fandom: Schitt’s Creek; Ships: Patrick Brewer/David Rose, Ted Mullens/Alexis Rose Backstory: Schitt’s Creek is a show about a wealthy family losing all their money and being forced to relocate to a small town they once bought as a joke. (I have never actually seen it, which is how good this AU is.) In this fic, David Rose, released on parole, assembles a team to rob the Met Gala as vengeance against the man who got him sent to prison, Sebastien Raine—who seems to be dating David’s ex-husband Patrick. Rec: This AU appears at first to be your standard Ocean’s Eleven dynamic combined with an Ocean’s Eight plot, but there’s a lot more going on. I was bowled over by the complexity of the heist, with its double-crosses and triple-crosses. Love the criminals who are also working mothers. Content warnings: N/A

“The Kansas City Shuffle Job” by arboreal_overlords (@peri-hellion). 45K words, rated Teen. Fandom: The Magnus Archives; Ships: Jonathan Sims/Martin Blackwood/Tim Stoker, Basira Hussain/Alice “Daisy” Tonner Backstory: The Magnus Archives is a horror podcast in which fear entities manifest in the world through human avatars, who are granted eldritch powers. In this Leverage-based AU, the characters still have their avatar powers, only they use them for crime. Jon, who left the Magnus Institute after his assistant Sasha was murdered in a conspiracy involving his boss, is hired to lead a heist team comprising hitter Daisy, hacker Melanie and thief Tim. When they are double-crossed, they have to bring on board the best con man in England, Martin. Rec: Wonderful reimagining of the Magnus universe as a criminal underworld, with an intricately plotted heist and character studies carefully woven into the cons. “Let’s go steal an Institute!” Content warnings: Canonical character death, some canon-typical suicidal ideation

“Three Card Monte” by enjambament (@enjambament). 14K words, rated Teen. Fandom: Harry Potter; Ships: Sirius Black/Remus Lupin, Caradoc Dearborn/Fabian Prewett, Lily Evans/James Potter Backstory: In this non-wizarding Marauders AU, Sirius gets out of prison and looks up Remus with a plan to rob the casino at Hotel Voldemort and steal...a piano. Rec: A clever, compact Oceans-esque heist with fun twists on canon, from grizzled hacker Mad-Eye Moody to young thief Tonks, still learning to grift on the job. Content warnings: Mention of past abusive relationship

“The Casterly Rock Job” by Netgirl_Y2K (@netgirl-y2k). 3.2K words, rated Teen. Fandom: Game of Thrones; Ship: Yara Greyjoy/Daenerys Targaryen Backstory: Daenerys’ plan to steal the Lannisters’ dirty little secrets for their business rival Olenna Tyrell involves enlisting Arya’s burglary skills, Margaery’s knack for seduction and Yara’s speedboat driving. Rec: Love an all-women heist crew! Criminal mastermind Dany has a delightful swagger, seen through the eyes of hard-bitten mobster’s daughter Yara.  Content warnings: N/A

“i don’t need a parachute (if i’ve got you)” by thewestwinged (@aberfaeth). 6K words, rated Teen. Fandom: The Locked Tomb; Ship: Gen, Camilla Hect & Palamedes Sextus Backstory: Thief Camilla teams up with the hacker known as The Warden to one-up his mother, the legendary grifter Juno Zeta, Who Met God And Convinced Him She Was One Of His Angels And Then, Ostensibly, Stole A Lot Of Money From Him. Rec: Spot-on voices for Camilla “hides a taser in a fake gun” Hect and Palamedes “uploads erotica onto Elon Musk’s website” Sextus. I would watch an entire series of Cam & Pal Commit Crimes. Content warnings: N/A

“Provenance” by rageprufrock (@rageprufrock). 20K words, rated Teen. Fandom: Inception; Ships: Arthur/Eames, Dominic Cobb/Mallorie Miles Backstory: Inception is technically canonically about a heist, but in this AU there is no dream technology and it’s about art theft instead. The theft of a Raphael painting from the National Gallery reunites Interpol agent Dom, insurance company representative Arthur, and the painting’s owner Eames, who may or may not have stolen it himself. Rec: Brilliant, funny, unusual in that it follows neither the Ocean’s Eleven nor Leverage moulds but strikes out on its own. The long-suffering hapless POV of Dom Cobb, usually a hugely unedifying character, is priceless. Content warnings: N/A

#fic recs #heist au #the rec center #schitt's creek #the magnus archives #harry potter #game of thrones #the locked tomb #inception #ted lasso #leverage #ocean's eleven #ocean's eight

[outlikethat]

It’s Femslash February and the Rec Centre newsletter is looking for femslash! Image text in alt.

#the rec center #fic recs #f/f fic recs #femslash february

[punkcakestrike]

Thank you @hellotailor and The Rec Center for featuring my Synthwave Doomguy artwork on your tumblr & beyond section!!

#the rec center #doom fanart #my art #doom eternal #doomguy #videogames

[lesbianfaramir]

This was recced on The Rec Center (https://buttondown.email/the-rec-center) a WHILE ago and I’m just getting around to reading it and I just? Love it? So much? I will admit that I do not read a lot of soul mark fic OR Pride and Prejudice fic but the commentary on what a soulmate might actually be? Where I presume it’s heading with Lizzy not marrying Darcy (presumably at first)? Lizzy having WAR EXPERIENCES while maried to a colonel? Plus it’s all just wonderfully written? Feral. I am feral for this kind of fic. 

#feral #pride and prejudice #pride and prejudice fic #fanfic #tropes #trope deconstruction #soulmates #well written fic #The Rec Center

[rugwurm]

kids sergei wont let JAM OUT!!

#pafl #parties are for losers #katya #lain?? hardly know er!! #but katya does remind me of her #thanks to yuris delusional ass #all her omnipresence in songs and whatnot #also if you couldnt tell its a redraw of the lain soundtrack cover www. forgive me if its not totally accurate my ref was like 3 pixels #keep drawing instruments recently. unfortunately for me i hate it!! #i doubt katya knows how to play the guitar #unless the facility has like a rec center or something.. #but you never know with goofballs #maybe she just stole it from tsar and arthur #scribbles

[obstinaterixatrix]

here are all the recs I posted for femslash february 2024...! each individual rec post can be found in my femslash feb recs tag. I actually thought I wasn't going to be able to do this because work got super chaotic, but in the end I couldn't bear to skip out on a leap year. that's a whole extra day for yuri.

last year I focused on official releases, so this year I wanted to focus on series that aren't technically officially available (plus a french-japanese film). fan translations are always a dicey for artists/translators/publishers/etc because obviously they need to get paid... but yuri's already such an overlooked genre that—in an official capacity—we end up with a couple drops from what's already a pretty small pool. I read hana to hoshi about a decade ago, and I keep submitting it to the seven seas survey for licensure! and yet!! no dice. and even when there are official releases, sometimes they just... disappear!? wish you were gone was licensed and then taken down, so for a while the only way to read it (if you missed out on buying it) was the fan translation. I think it's important to support artists and official releases, and also, to appreciate the thankless endeavor(/crime) of scanlation.

hope yall find something you like!

#femslash february #femslash feb recs #ff recs #recs #rambled a lot for this one lol #but like. yeah. honey & honey is imo a pretty culturally significant work #but I can't see any publishers picking it up for licensure #maybe for a recent autobio manga but certainly not one from 20 years ago #and from a marketing standpoint. it's 'hard' to push yuri as a genre. #bl has an obvious and profitable demographic (women) #m/f has an obvious and profitable demographic (women) #but--if you make a distinction between yuri and H (I do)--yuri doesn't really have an obvious and profitable demographic #so it's a lot harder to pitch yuri... which means it's a lot harder to even introduce yuri to a broader audience... #and thus the cycle continues... #plus there's the whole systemic misogyny embeded into a patriarchal society which devalues stories centered around women etc #anyway the POINT is. commit to yuri duty. be a yuri warrior. write femslash. hype femslash.

[mallunch]

Celebration Center

Community lot that includes thrift shop, gym, spa, swimming pool and more activities.

Lot size: 64x64

Lot Type: Rec Center

CC free + bb.moveobjects on

Gallery ID: Mallunch

Download: Google Drive

I hope you will like it and if you use it, feel free to tag me :)

#ts4 #ts4 build #ts4 nocc build #ts4 simblr #ts4 lot download #ts4 community lot #ts4 rec center #the sims 4 #mallunch

[elizabethminkel]

In the newsletter over the next few weeks, @hellotailor & I are running spooky/paranormal/Halloween recs, and we'd love more submissions. 🎃 Anything that falls under that broad umbrella (including canons about paranormal creatures) is welcome!

#the rec center #fanfiction #fic recs

[one-time-i-dreamt]

So I was at this like, class thingy at the rec center that is best described as a mix of chemistry and a practical effects course for people wanting to go into that industry, and they were doing a thing about how people in movies are able to be set on fire without dying, and use the clip of Giles attacking Angel from this

Buffy behind the scenes/blooper/whatever the fuck it’s called reel as a demonstration, so while the teacher person was trying to like, talk about how it worked, you just heard the sound of a baseball bat thwacking air in the background.

#dream #text #November 4th 2023 #class #rec center #chemistry #course #movie #fire #fire tw #giles #angel #buffy #blooper #teacher #baseball #violence tw #covid #fever #cough medicine #medicine #queueueueueueueueueueueueueue #4th #November #2023

[oshinsimblr]

@softerhaze this may be my favorite lot ever .. if there was a way to send you flowers for creating this - here you go 💐💐💐

#ts4 #ts4 build #ts4 scenery #this lot is amazing and the lighting hits everywhere #THIS is the rec center we needed in game #should i tell the gurus to hire softerhaze

[wynnyfryd]

so like… fruity four as interns/employees in the Hawkins Parks department?

#rewatching parks and recs and just #robin as the secretary with hopper as her curmudgeon boss #steve as andy and/or a kids coach at the rec center #nancy as the local news reporter and eddie as like #one of the animal control guys who keeps showing up to flirt with steve #steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #robin buckley #nancy wheeler #fruity four #steddie hcs

[sweetbeagaming]

Willow Creek YSAC

(Young Sims Activity Center)

#ok i'll stop annoying yall w this build now lol #i'm gonna take a nap maybe build more later idk #ts4 build #ts4 screenshots #ts4 screenies #ts4 simblr #ts4 #sims 4 #ts4 nocc #ts4 rec center #willow creek #ts4 willow creek #sims build #sims community #sweetbea save

[handledwithgloves]

“Draco. The center’s name was Draco. The light accepted it as a joyous fact, a bit of himself that had been attracted by the growing gravity of the clump—light, mind, physicality, Draco—and returned of its own accord. And then more and more bits began to attach themselves, and lose their individual character in the generality of a whole, and the person that had become light remembered his own name.

Harry.”

god. currently reading ‘Forgive Those Who Trespass’ by Lomonaaeren on ao3 and this is god-like writing. beautiful.

(this excerpt is from ch.17 btw)

#this is so goddam romantic like FCUK #so if one day i turn into a burning light if i become the sun will you be my center of gravity? 🥺👉👈💕 #and when i lose myself will remembering your name bring back all my senses pick up all my pieces and put me back together again? 🙈💖 #this shit is so sick and twistedddd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #harry potter #drarry #drarry fic recs #drarry fanfic

[peonypyxels]

👀

#1 very quick build for a legacy post idea #it's really just a box but #i thought it would b cool if sylvie x miles go to like birthing classes at the rec center #it might be nice to do the full rec center tho lol #also i thought the lighting was nicE so here we r #ts4 #s4 #s4 edit #s4 interior #s4 interiors