these are the dog days of summer

[raven]

Quick fic hit, first of all: This Is What's Next, Mr Kirk of Iowa, by chaletian. Guys: meet Jed Bartlett, President of the United Federation of Planets.

The author mentions she's not happy with the execution and I can see what she means, but, dude, the idea. And Donna-the-Bajoran, Leo-the-Tellarite and Toby-the-Vulcan (ohmygod yes) are worth it.

Today, I bought interview clothes, which was not very fun - although the clothes are nice - and boots, yaaay. They're meant to replace my old battered ones, and they are solic and chunky and have that new-boot smell, and also the inside of them still has that your-feet-are-cast-in-iron feel that I like. All tact as usual, mother has been complaining that they make me look like Popeye, but as I have attempted to patiently explain, my feet are not exactly something for which I bear responsibility and it's not as though any shoes I wore, and indeed my bare feet, wouldn't make me look grotesque by her definition. I don't know. Moving right on.

Two other things. Firstly, Deep Space Nine is great! Why did no on tell me Deep Space Nine is great? It dawned on me that it represents an enormous chunk of Star Trek that I have not seen - I mean, I don't think I have seen every episode of TNG and Voyager, but I have definitely seen the good ones. A lot of times. And Enterprise I did give the proverbial fair try, and I have seen the classic TOS episodes - enough to know you need a beard to be evil, except that all Irish people by definition are.

Actually, I'm being unfair to TOS. There's one or two episodes which I would love to see remade now, or at least, I'd love to see what a good writer would do with them and the reboot cast: there's "The Empath", which is about the only one of the originals where I can look beyond all the terrible effects and see the scary, angstilicious one-act play that's really being done, and then there's "And The World is Hollow For I Have Touched The Sky", which I think is massively underrated, and also something that Kirk/McCoy shippers ought to do a lot with. I mean, it seems clear that at some point in the reboot timeline, McCoy will be diagnosed with xenopolycythaemia.

There's a great idea for a ficathon right there, in fact: rewrite, or remix, or retell, a TOS episode plotline in the reboot universe. I'd run it if I hadn't sworn never to run a ficathon again - four is enough in a lifetime - but... yeah. A good idea, someone take it from me.

Aaaanyway, Deep Space Nine. I have watched the first four five eight oh, shut up episodes, and they are wonderful. Well, the pilot isn't - I was singularly unimpressed with it, but that said most pilots are terrible, The West Wing being the honourable exception - but all the rest take the dodgy premise and colour in the lines beautifully. So far, I think Bashir is cute, Sisko is bland but fun, Kira would be less annoying if she shouted less, but she's growing on me, Odo is full of promise and Dax is my favourite. I love Garak. I love how it has all the mess and complexity of real politics, and upright and basically good people who nevertheless want to beat the crap out of each other, and quirky little tensions and background details and flashes of humour. And I love how all the runabout ships docked at the station are named after rivers on Earth. I have a feeling watching it all is going to be a long-term project.

(Also! Avery Brooks has the nicest smile. Seriously! I love the way his entire face lights up. Awww.)

And the other thing. imochan is hosting a Sirius/Remus renaissance and it is AMAZING. Okay, Sirius/Remus has come up a bit recently, and every time I just sort of respond by clutching my breast and going, "oh, my heart." Because I am not what you might call OTP-girl - almost a decade on I am still vainly asserting that I write gen, really - but Sirius/Remus, I never loved a pairing like that and I never will again, because oh, dear, their love, I get silly about it. Their epic, beautiful, doomed love. (I mean, I say things like "epic, beautiful, doomed love".) Their history, the way they finish each other's sentences after thirteen years apart, their history. And, the way that post is all people I used to know shouting Animagi! Bring back Black! Killed by DRAPERY! Shoebox! Levity! Lying low at Lupin's, a genre!, without any shred of context because they don't need it. It was a fandom within a fandom, really. It was joyous and I loved it so much.

Threfore: an old rec: seven things that didn't happen on Valentine's Day at Hogwarts, or maybe they did by rageprufrock.

And a new thing: dogdaysofsummer, 2009. I'm sorely tempted.

This has been your daily gamma-ray burst of high-pitched shrieking. I leave you now for tracing at common law.

Comments

[wishfulaces.livejournal.com]

Sikso becomes far, far less bland over time. I'm rewatching favorite bits--not the entire series as that would be exhausting, but everyone keeps talking about DS9, making me nostalgic--and Sisko is far, far more interesting for me this time around. Then again, when I started watching this show, I was twelve and obssessed with Bashir. Sigh.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

I look forward to that! I do like the actor very much, so.

(Oh, Bashir and his EGO the size of a PLANET.)

[subservient-son.livejournal.com]

Famously Bashir was hated for the first couple of seasons (they didn't know what they were doing with him), but after that he's kinda awesome.

[fyrdrakken]

Bashir is most fun when he's around Garak. Or failing that, Miles.

[me-ves-y-sufres.livejournal.com]

Wait until you get until the last few series of DS9, oh man. Watching them all in chronological order is definitely the way to go because then you can see the plot arcs. (Also if you really like thoughtful treatments of galactic politics IN SPACE then I humbly submit that you should run, not walk, to watch all of Babylon 5. If you can make it through the first season.)

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

Emma was watching all of Babylon 5 in my living-room for the last six months I lived with her. :) It's on the to-watch list.

Right after DS9 all the way to the end, because I'm kind of hooked.

[me-ves-y-sufres.livejournal.com]

I'm genuinely looking forward to see what you'll make of Garak and Bashir by the end of it.

[skywaterblue.livejournal.com]

...

Have I failed completely in DS9 evangelizing? It truly is the best Star Trek, you'll be doing yourself an EXTREME FAVOR to watch it all the way through. By the end you'll think it's the best series ever.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

Apparently! I'd only seen a small handful of episodes before this. I am now on 1x16 in three days, so, well. I foresee much more mainlining in my future.

[ladyvivien.livejournal.com]

Ficathons make me a stresshead too. Which sucks, because out of ficathons you get fic and fic is shiny and pretty. I LOVED the TWW/Trek crossover even though I still haven't seen the film as I am a lazy arse.

I've never seen DS9 either, but people do keep telling me to. And the only thing better than Voyager when it's good is Voyager when it's really, really bad.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

See it! Soon! It is awesome!

(I <3 Voyager. All of it. Except maybe "Threshold".)

[hawkmoth.livejournal.com]

We are re-watching DS9 and I am amazed at how it stands up, and even though they were still finding their way, first season is pretty good. Wait till you get to "Duet." Abd I still think that the four story arc of 1st season's last and 2nd season's first three episodes is the absolute best story arc of the "modern" Treks.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

I am just about to reach Duet! Eeee!

[anotherusedpage.livejournal.com]

I told you DS9 was great! I distinctly remember telling you that DS9 was great. Inna coffee shop. *nodnod*

Sisko is awesome. Bashir is great! and highly slashable.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

You did! I humbly concede that you were right all along!

[katemonkey.livejournal.com]

Oh DS9! It gets so much better.

Oh, when you get to "Far Beyond The Stars"...which I think is one of the finest pieces of television I've seen.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

*grins* I am enjoying it so much.

[nerves-patterns.livejournal.com]

TOBY THE VULCAN. XD This totally made my morning. I've just recently gotten into The West Wing, so this rec is perfect timing. XD

Remuuuuusssss/Siriuuuuuussssss, omg. *melt*

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

Oh, yaaaay for TWW. And for Sirius/Remus, omg. (Their names sound good either way round! Just another aspect of the awesome!)

[the-acrobat.livejournal.com]

For what it's worth, I think you have lovely hands and feet.

Also, Remus/Sirius eee!!! I don't think I've had an OTP since then, or even been as personally invested in a fandom. Yum!

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

Oh, honey! What a lovely thing to say. :)

And... Remus/Sirius. I love how they provoke happy sighs in everyone.

[pinkdormouse.livejournal.com]

So much Remus/Sirius love! (and so many fics, but so little time to read...)

and yay for new clothes and Boots!

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

It's one of those fandoms where the good stuff really is the old stuff, I find - not that I've been looking recently, but still. There's still years of it to get through!

[subservient-son.livejournal.com]

Toby could never be a Vulcan, he is far too argumentative and self-righteous. He would make a much better Tellarite and Leo a Vulcan.

DS9 season 1 is almost as bad as Enterprise. Season 3 onwards it's alright.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

DS9 season 1 is what's getting me into it, so I think I disagree.

[subservient-son.livejournal.com]

Naturally, I was just being hyperbolic :P