Customs by Stranger (PG/PG-13)

[aralias.livejournal.com]

Hi. I'm aralias and I'll be driving the Blake's 7 crack van for this, the comm's final flight.

Some quick context about B7 and what I'm likely to rec before I get down to the business of actually reccing some fics: B7 is a bit like what you would get if you cross Classic Who with New Who, A Brave New World, Star Trek: TOS, and Firefly. It's a bit like that (the first, third and fourth influenced B7; B7 almost certainly influenced the second and fifth). executrix has already written a fandom summary (N.B. MANY spoilers), linking to astrogirl2's more objective fandom summary. I would also recommend the Fanlore page (again - spoilers), or lost_spook's non-spoilery guide (written this year) of many pictures and quotes.

Blake was a megafandom for decades and was still active in the early days of LJ - to the extent that it had a regular driver 2006-07. It is still active today, but on a small scale. If you wanted to, you could hang out on such comms as b7friday, b7_kinkmeme or blakefest. Because the fandom is old, I offer you some key advice at this point: do not believe that anything is truly gone. Always ask the Wayback Machine (coincidentally, the first episode of B7 is also called 'The Way Back'). Many of the links on this comm are dead... or so they seem (coincidentally - SPOILERS).

Because this is the one and only time I'll get to rec Blake to a wide audience, I'm planning to rec quite a few fics. I will do this... in chronological order, starting with a three fics written in 1988 (7 years after the show ended) and going up to three written in 2013 (or even, who knows, 2014). I will warn you now that quite a few of my recs are Blake/Avon (which we newbies sometimes call Blavon), and quite a few of the ones that aren't B/A... are intense character-based gen about Blake and/or Avon. But, to be fair, B/A is arguably the most popular pairing in the fandom, Avon is inarguably the most popular character (and at least half of all the most popular ships), and Blake and Avon are the main characters.

There will be spoilers for the show in almost all of the fics, but I will try and keep them out of the recs unless it's absolutely necessary, in which case I will mark them.

Fandom: BLAKE'S 7
Pairing: Predominantly gen, with Jenna/Cally and Avon
Length: 2599
Author on LJ:
Author Website: Stranger on AO3
Why this must be read: This fic was written in 1988 for a zine by one of the people who contributed most heavily and (I think) insightfully to the famous 1998 essay, 'Normal Female Interest in Men Bonking'. If you like femslash - well, actually, don't get excited about this fandom. This is my first rec, my first femslash rec - and my last femslash rec (but not my last rec). But I am very excited to have this one to rec first (even though, it was in a way, a quirk of its date) because while in one way it's unusual (sorry femslash), in another it demonstrates a lot of the stuff that's most exciting about B7 fic - great snarky dialogue between the ensemble, strong characterisation for all (even women!), unlikely friendship with people who go out of their way to look like jerks, and convincing world building. There's some femslash at the end and it's good and interesting femslash, but mostly this fic is a gen fic about the way the Federation looks to those inside and outside it.

Thanks go to wellharkather for showing me this fic after I'd already drawn up a shortlist of what I wanted to rec.

Excerpt:

Cally sipped again at the wine (or brandy) consideringly. "Do humans really like this?"

"Frequently," Avon assured her, flicking a significant look at Vila.

Vila did not perceive the shade of significance Avon had intended. "S'great," he affirmed, happily. "Makes everything look better." He grinned.

"Except you," said Avon.

"Ah, but I don't have to look at me."

"If only the rest of us were so lucky," said Jenna.

Link: Customs

Comments

[kulfold.livejournal.com]

Oh so excited Blakes seven recs......Christmas come early! And I am thrilled to here this fandom has newbies. I am afraid that as I saw the first episode the first day it aired this is not a description that I can claim.

[aralias.livejournal.com]

i'm about to reach my one year anniversary with blake (i think i started a few months before december, but i watched series 2-4 in the space of about three weeks about this time). so - i'm settling into it now, but i still feel like a newbie. and a newbie who is thrilled that this fandom still has people in it who are not newbies! it's a lovely environment to be a part of.

and thank you for commenting! i was posting mostly for posterity, but it's brilliant to know that there are actual people who will read and (hopefully) enjoy the recs as they go up. and i do - hope you enjoy them.

[strangerian.livejournal.com]

I'm very sorry to see Crack Van closing down, although if the community posts remain available, that's an enduring gift to fandom. Blakes 7 is a fascinating place in fandom's history, being in many ways a reply and counterpart to Original Trek, as well as having obvious roots in British SF. I'm flattered at the story being one of your choices, and look forward to the others.

[aralias.livejournal.com]

I feel the same about crack van - so pleased its staying open. Although from the mod posts, it does sound like this is the right time to go.

Thank you for writing this fic (and posting it on ao3 where I could find it). I really enjoyed and I thought it was a great fic to open my rec month with.

[elviaprose.livejournal.com]

I hadn't read this one. It's a great rec. One of my favorite portrayals of Cally I've read. Jenna and Avon are also fantastic. It's an interesting conversation that they have, made more interesting to me by the fact that Avon finds it intriguing--nice to see him thinking, a bit, instead of just rattling off insults (although obviously there's plenty of that). Thanks for sharing!

[aralias.livejournal.com]

late reply and i already told you this, but i really like your point about avon actually interacting seriously with cally. it's a subtle and accurate point of characterisation that i didn't fully/consciously appreciate when i read this fic, but yes - it's very true, and i really like the way you've articulated it.

[burntcandlemas.livejournal.com]

Ooh, a good B7 fic that I missed. Ta for that! Great to see someone so enthusiastic about B7 (says the inveterate lurker, shame on me!). I will read your future recs with interest. I'm an original viewer (albeit of the kiddie variety), but only in the last few years a properly obsessed fan. I'm already resorting to fanzines for my hit.... so any recs from or of fanzines will have at least one enthusiastic reader! :)

[aralias.livejournal.com]

you're most welcome! and i love finding out that people are interested in blake's 7. it is possible i am currently too invested in this fandom...

i'm glad you enjoyed it - and i hope you enjoy the recs to come. i have in fact just recced another zine one today, but i think most of the others i'm going to rec can be found on the internet (mind you, if you want recs for zines - i have reviewed plenty over on my LJ under the zine tag).