“Ashore on liberty he flashed in escapade, / Vaulting over life in its levelness of grade”

Yuletide 2019 is upon us, and even though I've barely scratched most of the 2018 archive, I should at least rec those fics I did especially enjoy. The bounty of last year's yulepoems deserves highlighting, so I've sectioned those off.

Prose fics:

Always Coming Home: Three Tellings About Dead Things in the Earth by melannen -- Three texts about the Kesh, ostensibly disconnected but really deeply so -- one of them a sequel story by Stone Telling. Matches Le Guin's manner and theme so very well. The moment you realize what's going on with the play is glorious. Canon knowledge essential.

Earthsea: the leaning grasses and two lights above the sea by Toft -- Seserakh visits Ged & Tenar post-canon. Canon knowledge (all five novels) required.

Spirited Away: The Rock and The River by Pi (Rhea) -- Wonderful post-canon novella about Chihiro's sideways return to the spirit world(s) as a young adult. It does include reuniting with Haku but, really, the highlight is her learning how to run a bar. Canon knowledge helpful.

Three Circle of Magic fics that delighted me -- canon knowledge (through Will of the Empress) required for all:

• The friendship in the shawl by Lullabymoon -- Sandry, Daja, and Briar work together to send Tris (who is off at Lightsbridge University) a little piece of home.


• Pearl of my Heart by Ghostinthehouse -- Daja's family takes measure of her next lover.


• Interwoven Lives also by Ghostinthehouse -- Extracts from the guide to the Silver Jubilee exhibition at the Summersea Museum of Faith and Magic, describing the later lives of the Circle in the objects they left behind.

Epic of Gilgamesh: Battle Lines by petrichoral -- space opera AU: "Gilgamesh, legendary space general and ruler of Uruk Prime, has an unexpected encounter with a pirate." Canon knowledge of the basic story of the meeting of Gilgamesh and Enkidu helpful.

Beowulf: Scildend by kalirush -- Wiglaf, long after. (Reminder: the dude who helped Beowulf kill the dragon.) As in centuries after, and the dragon's mate finally catches up with him. Canon knowledge helpful.

The Murderbot Diaries: Down Time by Measured_Words -- Murderbot watches media with Dr. Mensah's Daughter and tries not to think about its situation. This doesn't work. Canon knowledge (all four novellas) required.

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Nat Geo by neveralarch -- In which Squirrel Girl & Kraven go on a date where Doreen gets to geek out over meeting her favorite wildlife photographers. Kraven's formal attire suit is just as bad as you hope it will be. Canon knowledge of characters helpful.

Poetry fics:

Much Ado About Nothing: Sprezzatura by Queue -- A dramatic monologue with Shakespearean wit and Browningesque blank verse: Beatrice loquetur at the start of the play upon her past with Benedick. Canon knowledge required.

Oh, Dio mio. Benedick. I am
not ready. I need shelter. No: a sword.
I need a mask. I—no: to fight. To run.
To dance. To fly at him. To find the best
and sharpest words to cut him to the quick.

Pied Piper of Hamlin: Lament for the Children of Hamelin by kutsushita -- What it says on the tin. Knowledge of the Pied Piper legend required.

Our children left us, so they say,
One hundred years ago today,
But none remember why or how
Among those who are living now.

I'm also going to rec again two of my gifts:

The Tay Bridge Disaster: Seven Views of the Tay Bridge Disaster by winterhill -- McGonagall's poem rewritten as if by a contemporary poet, with a kicker ending. Canon knowledge required but really quick to get.

There’s something not right with the Bridge at the Tay —
there’s bits of it strewn on the silt beneath.
But there’s more than that — I’ve heard that the train
was ablaze when it fell — that the wind was alive —
that there were only forty six bodies —
only forty six, on a loaded train. I ask you.

Hell Gate: The Gate Of Hell, Or, On The Redemption Of Souls by molybdomantic -- Housman's poem rewritten as if by William McGonagall. I'll let that glorious disconnect of substance and style sink in a moment. Knowledge of both canons required, and both quick to get.

Although the walls could not quite be seen
Beneath their dusky screen
Yet a man could just be spied
Marching up and down the ramparts wide
And he was visible because he was on fire

If there are others you think I'd like, please point me towards them!

---L.

Subject quote from Jack Roy, Herman Melville.