#but there are also a lot of super overblown and boring fics

[renaerys]

I feel like every fandom that has "fic bible" where it's almost like a mandatory read and I'm curious, what would your rec be?

I am probably of the minority opinion here that there is no such thing as a fandom bible. I don’t really like the idea that there is one true fic that is the “best” in the fandom. When we elevate one work like that, there’s a tendency to whitewash any problems or shortcomings that are present in it, and in the worst case scenario it chills any criticism of the work, including legitimate criticism. There is no such thing as a mandatory read imo.

I would prefer to encourage people to read a lot, read (and write) diverse, and look for creators to support on the merits of their writing rather than the number of kudos or comments they may or may not get.

[sarapsys]

holy shit im dying

husband and i are travelling to go for a wedding and he got some books on tape

whether its food books or whatever his selection process is “pick whatever sounds neat” which generally drives me nuts bc i have to microanalyze every facet of whatever it is before i can make up my mind on a decision

but he went in with the single criterion “not a romance book” and ended up grabbing an anita blake novel

which

i hadn’t actually read any anita blake before? but i was like oh lordy it’s a vampire novel this is gonna be... not what you think it is, i bet. and of course he’s like no no it’ll be fine, lots of action etc

we drive four hours listening to it and im DYING bc it’s just - it’s so bad it’s hilarious, and even more hilarious bc HE thinks it’s so bad

like this book is 20% bland and judgmental descriptions of new characters, 30% boring-ass unnecessary stand-offs that drag forever, 35% ridiculously overblown UST and unconvincing love triangles, and 15% anita being super defensive about chauvinists but also gabbing on about how “she’s not like other girls because gun”

just, if it were a fanfic i would have gotten one paragraph in before noping out

anyway he’s in the wedding party and im not so i got to laze around in a hotel room while he drove out for the rehearsal and i guess he listened to more bc he was SO bent out of shape when he got back. 

i had bet him a cup of coffee that there would be a sex scene and he’s like “no way” and i’m like “look buddy i’ve read enough fic to know where this is going” and so apparently anita almost did the do with her lusty werewolf bf but then refused, so husband was thinking he’d won the bet, and then the narrator ends up watching a crime scene video of a graphically described half-shifted lycanthrope threesome and i just

im DEAD. DEAD.

we’re probably not going to listen to the rest rofl