[ Request for recs ] - Gundam Wing
Sep. 30th, 2003 08:09 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tomomichiI'd like to request something of anyone who's reading--I was trolling fic rec journals earlier and somehow I got back around to Gundam Wing and... I would like to start reading fic for it again. However, I have this problem with finding fic I like, because I am a horribly picky bitch. I would like to ask anyone who's reading if they could recommend a good fic/author to start with--the catch is that the fic needs to be perfect. Like, so fucking perfect it sets your teeth on edge and makes the writers among us seethe with jealousy.
I mentioned the picky bitch part already, right? Okay, good, let's get on with what I'm looking for then.
Absolute musts:
* - Duo being treated well. Duo is my baby and, goddammit, he's a Gundam pilot. He's a smart, resourceful, resiliant fighter. No weepy, suicidal Duo for me. This, by the way, goes for all character assasination. No bastard!Heero, but no weepy!depressive!crying!Heero, either. And no schmoopy romance. No rapevictim!Trowa, no uber-femmy!Quatre, no JUSTICE!Wufei (well, a little of that is okay), and for the love of god no BitchQueen!Relena. Especially the first two and the last one. Relena doesn't gotta be in it, but I love her and I can't stand to see her character so mangled.
* - Heero/Duo vibage. It doesn't gotta be outright 1x2, but that certainly wouldn't hurt my feelings at all. DuoxRelena is good, too, I love them together, but I've probably read all the good stuff for them by now. And what I'm really looking for is some good old-fashioned Heero/Duo. They are and always will be my GW OTP. However, I make exceptions for a handful of certain other pairings, which I'll note later.
* - Writing so perfect that it puts stars in your eyes. There are a lot of good authors out there, but I'm looking for the 'fucking great' ones. Fangirl Japanese is something that can make me irritated with a story, but I'll put up with it if the writing is good enough. Well. Ammendment. I'm looking for characterization so fucking perfect that it really warrants that bit of swearing. XD
Things I will turn my nose up at in a fit of snobbery:
* - Cliche plots. I've read my fair share of boarding school fics, I'm looking more for something that could actually slip into the canon of the series. Or, better yet, a continuation of the series. Which means no AUs or other-genre stuff, please. (Unless you have a really, really, really good reason, like the fic is on par with Katsu no Miko's writing.)
* - Traditional het pairings. You like HeeroxRelena? Good for you. I don't. I have my (long-winded) reasons, I won't bore you with them, I'll just leave it at that I won't read it. The only traditional het pairing I'll read is WufeixSally. (And even then I mourn the loss of my NoinxSally.) Even if it's in the past or Relena being all in love with Heero--I don't want to read it. I don't believe Relena was ever in love with Heero, I don't think that was what the relationship was about, but I'll put up with it if she's IC about it. Ie, gentle and accepting. But, like, if Heero's in a loveless marraige with her when he goes to cheat with Duo, forget it.
* - Depressing fics. I'm fine with angst, kind of looking for it, actually, but no death fics or break-up fics. I want something that'll leave me feeling happy I read it by the time I'm done.
* - NCS/rape fics. With very few exceptions, I'm not a fan of rapefic and, like deathfic, I generally avoid it as a rule. Either it's done right or it's done badly--I'm not looking to put myself through the wringer of either one.
* - Overly sappy romantic stuff. Okay, I am as much of a sappy romantic as the next yaoi fangirl and I don't mind a few "I love you."s here and there at the right moments, but if it's every other paragraph with the declarations of how much they love each other... I just have to go o_O and wonder who replaced my teenage boys with teenage girls.
Other pairings I'd like to read if you've got recs for 'em:
* - Dorothy-samaxRelena - However, the same thing that applies to 1x2 applies here--no 1xR in the story, please. Other than that, as long as the fic treats them well, I'd like to read.
* - DuoxAny Female but Hirde. But especially DuoxDorothy. I have a soft spot for that one.
Some of the authors I worshipped during my time: (To get a sense for what I like.)
* - MadamHydra. The Mechanics of Control series is still one of my all-time favorites.
* - Katsu no Miko. I make an exception to my usual other-genre-no-read policy for her fics. *__*
* - Sefilin. I'd read almost anything she wrote, and she's the author who made me like Relena.
I mentioned the picky bitch part already, right? Okay, good, let's get on with what I'm looking for then.
Absolute musts:
* - Duo being treated well. Duo is my baby and, goddammit, he's a Gundam pilot. He's a smart, resourceful, resiliant fighter. No weepy, suicidal Duo for me. This, by the way, goes for all character assasination. No bastard!Heero, but no weepy!depressive!crying!Heero, either. And no schmoopy romance. No rapevictim!Trowa, no uber-femmy!Quatre, no JUSTICE!Wufei (well, a little of that is okay), and for the love of god no BitchQueen!Relena. Especially the first two and the last one. Relena doesn't gotta be in it, but I love her and I can't stand to see her character so mangled.
* - Heero/Duo vibage. It doesn't gotta be outright 1x2, but that certainly wouldn't hurt my feelings at all. DuoxRelena is good, too, I love them together, but I've probably read all the good stuff for them by now. And what I'm really looking for is some good old-fashioned Heero/Duo. They are and always will be my GW OTP. However, I make exceptions for a handful of certain other pairings, which I'll note later.
* - Writing so perfect that it puts stars in your eyes. There are a lot of good authors out there, but I'm looking for the 'fucking great' ones. Fangirl Japanese is something that can make me irritated with a story, but I'll put up with it if the writing is good enough. Well. Ammendment. I'm looking for characterization so fucking perfect that it really warrants that bit of swearing. XD
Things I will turn my nose up at in a fit of snobbery:
* - Cliche plots. I've read my fair share of boarding school fics, I'm looking more for something that could actually slip into the canon of the series. Or, better yet, a continuation of the series. Which means no AUs or other-genre stuff, please. (Unless you have a really, really, really good reason, like the fic is on par with Katsu no Miko's writing.)
* - Traditional het pairings. You like HeeroxRelena? Good for you. I don't. I have my (long-winded) reasons, I won't bore you with them, I'll just leave it at that I won't read it. The only traditional het pairing I'll read is WufeixSally. (And even then I mourn the loss of my NoinxSally.) Even if it's in the past or Relena being all in love with Heero--I don't want to read it. I don't believe Relena was ever in love with Heero, I don't think that was what the relationship was about, but I'll put up with it if she's IC about it. Ie, gentle and accepting. But, like, if Heero's in a loveless marraige with her when he goes to cheat with Duo, forget it.
* - Depressing fics. I'm fine with angst, kind of looking for it, actually, but no death fics or break-up fics. I want something that'll leave me feeling happy I read it by the time I'm done.
* - NCS/rape fics. With very few exceptions, I'm not a fan of rapefic and, like deathfic, I generally avoid it as a rule. Either it's done right or it's done badly--I'm not looking to put myself through the wringer of either one.
* - Overly sappy romantic stuff. Okay, I am as much of a sappy romantic as the next yaoi fangirl and I don't mind a few "I love you."s here and there at the right moments, but if it's every other paragraph with the declarations of how much they love each other... I just have to go o_O and wonder who replaced my teenage boys with teenage girls.
Other pairings I'd like to read if you've got recs for 'em:
* - Dorothy-samaxRelena - However, the same thing that applies to 1x2 applies here--no 1xR in the story, please. Other than that, as long as the fic treats them well, I'd like to read.
* - DuoxAny Female but Hirde. But especially DuoxDorothy. I have a soft spot for that one.
Some of the authors I worshipped during my time: (To get a sense for what I like.)
* - MadamHydra. The Mechanics of Control series is still one of my all-time favorites.
* - Katsu no Miko. I make an exception to my usual other-genre-no-read policy for her fics. *__*
* - Sefilin. I'd read almost anything she wrote, and she's the author who made me like Relena.
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(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-30 02:47 pm (UTC)I'll compile a list of about 15 of my top recs for you when I get home from work. Until then, I'll tell you my current favorite story. I'm about halfway through the darn thing and I'm adoring it like mad. It's Lasha Lee's series of fics, beginning with And I Have Touched The Sky.
I never thought I'd enjoy any story where Duo is a dad. It does have past 2xH, but Hilde is dead before the story even starts. It's 1x2x1 all the way. I actually adore Duo's son, Jazz. He's more realistic than any other kid I've seen in a GW fanfic. And he gives Wufei fits. That's always a plus. The story itself is a science fiction piece, and it continues on into three sequels. I'm mid-way through the second.
If I had to pick one GW writer to say is the best I've read, it would be Lasha Lee. Her work, for me, is like reading a professional novel. She's one of the reasons I can't totally leave GW yet. I'll tell you a few more, later.
[Edit: I forgot to post a link. She's archived at http://gwaddiction.com under Lasha Lee.]
(no subject)
Date: 2003-10-02 04:04 am (UTC)My personal favorite of the stories is
My personal favorite of the stories is <a http://duoxhilde.50g.com/lapse.html">'A Momentary Lapse of Reason'</a>, which features Wufei and Duo in a rather unique view on their comradeship. I like it mostly because Duo is so genius in it. It's cool ...
No cliche plots. No angst plots. Nothing even resembling romance. Duo isn't treated <i>well</i>, maybe, but he's definitely not lacking smarts! Or smartass comments, either. :) I think it fits as a story the SDDI (Society for the Defense of Duo's Intelligence) would be proud of. No character assassination. Plenty of Heero x Duo vibes, although in the end Duo is very, very straight. And *great* writing. I only wish I was this creative.
But before you go skipping off to read her fanfiction, stand forewarned!
1) She supports Duo x Hilde. Now, it's very subtle most of the time, or only important to one scene, because Hilde is never a main character (although Duo almost always is). If you can't get past Duo thinking about Hilde as a romantic interest, don't go to this website at all. I think it works in context (I'm not huge on any pairing in GW), but some people are so anti-Duo x Hilde they wouldn't like it. 'Momentary Lapse' only mentions it in passing.
1b) She supports Heero x Relena, sort of. I think. Um ... it's more like 'soldier protects figurehead' stuff, though. And Quatre x Trowa, and surprisingly, Wufei x Meiran!
2) There is NCS/rape referred to, and in 'Wizard of Oz', some is described (very lightly). Like I said before, Duo gets the short end of the stick. A lot.
3) The thing that I had the hardest time wrapping my tiny brain around, actually, is Duo's addiction to drugs. I can see him being on stims in the actual GW series, but he ends up on more dangerous stuff as the story arc goes on. 'Momentary Lapse' actually explains his addiction to the stronger stuff.
I hope you like it ... :)
~~Vikki
I almost forgot!
Date: 2003-10-02 04:23 am (UTC)Okay, let's get the big problem out of the way; with these fanfics, it's the lack of Heero/Duo vibes - probably because Heero is hardly to be seen in either of them. Well, maybe there are Heero/Duo vibes in the first one because -- no, I'll shut up, it's a spoiler. :)
Duo's Deal (http://gwfanfics.virtualave.net/store/nettie-duosdeal.html) - Duo and Heero go into combat, and come out of it in bad shape. For once, it's Duo doing the saving, but when Zechs catches up with the fleeing Duo and Heero, there's trouble ...
What sells this fic: Duo being brilliant, Heero/Duo vibes, Duo-Zechs interaction, attention to detail
Lions and Hyenas (http://gwfanfics.virtualave.net/store/nettie-lionsandhyenas.html) - the sequel to 'Duo's Deal'. Zechs calls in his favor from Duo and sends him off to net a criminal ring working in a circus - specifically, Trowa's circus. Success depends on teamwork ...
What sells this fic: Duo being brilliant, Duo-Zechs interaction, Duo-Trowa interaction, and Duo-Catherine interaction, attention to detail, realistic expectations of bodies under stress, plotline/conspiracy
These are the fics that inspired me to write my own pathetic GW fanfiction (DON'T read it, don't read it, it's scary how bad it is O___o ) - it's just fun action-adventure. I love it.
Ah, the days before I was a yaoi-bunny ... >___> ...
~~Vikki
(no subject)
Date: 2003-10-10 04:44 am (UTC)First off, I think everyone in 'Drums of Heaven' is perfectly in character in this story. No bastardized, overly weepy or tormented characters, and Relena is most definitely not a bitch. In fact, in the 'Behind the Scenes' (http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=1434172), Zephyr made a point of promising not to revert to fanfiction stereotypes.
'Drums of Heaven' is an ensemble piece that takes place 5 years after Mariemaia and focuses on Heero and Duo. The plot's complex and genuinely interesting and the writing's absolutely bloody brilliant. It's still in progress, but that's okay since she updates frequently, sometimes even two days in a row (though that's sadly very rare). She also has another GW story she's working on and two 'Spirited Away' stories which I also recommend.
I hope you enjoy, and please let me know if you agree with me. I haven't had a chance to talk GW with anybody in a while. AIM: K Rumors
(no subject)
Date: 2003-10-17 03:12 am (UTC)However, I wanted to say, OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH. That is exactly what I was looking for and I've just been deliriously in love with the fic ever since I started. Oh, her Heero is gorgeous and her Duo brilliant and I am incoherent with the love, I really am. Her Relena is wonderful and exactly the charming girl I grew to be so fond of, her Wufei and Quatre are strong and wonderful and I'm gushing now.
plot's complex and genuinely interesting and the writing's absolutely bloody brilliant.
I admit, I was a little worried at first because she started out with Heero being a photographer and I just... didn't see that in his future for him, but as the story unfolded, she made it believable. Hell, she did more than that, she made it seem like the most natural thing in the world, even working the ideas behind photography into Heero's point of view for the story. And, holy Christ, she's updated even since I started reading. Several times. @_@ *is in love*
*glomps* Thank you so much for recommending this one to me, I'm just delirious with the love for it already. XD (And my AIM name is Canal Vorpheed, feel free to pounce any time or *coughs* expect rabid pouncing in return. ^_~)
(no subject)
Date: 2003-10-24 01:36 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-10-24 01:39 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-11-08 06:15 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-11-08 06:17 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-01-16 08:45 pm (UTC)If you're still looking for recs, I have a pages of Gundam Wing recs on my website (plus a lot of other recs). I think some of the stories I've rec'd might fit your criteria (though I'm pretty certain that some won't). http://www.therck.org/gwrecs.html