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recsforalloccasionsWhy I Worship at the Feet of Nindulgence and You Should Too
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nindulgence has a true gift for prose, her every sentence is diamond-sharp, her every word carefully chosen. She doesn't write many long stories. She doesn't need to. With never a word wasted she can convey as much in 500 words as another author might in 5000. There's a wonderful variety to Nin's stories. But from the lightest humor to the darkest angst everything she writes reads as real and honest and true. And that, I think, is the highest praise I can offer any writer.
I have the great fortune to share my two biggest fandoms with Nin. She's written a remarkable range of Horatio Hornblower fic, all of which I recommend heartily, and recently she has begun to write Stargate: Atlantis fic, filling my life with great, great glee.
All of Nin's fic can be found in her memories here organized by fandom and type. Go, explore, read. NinFic really does make the world a better place. And if you want a place to start, here are some of my absolute favorites:
Horatio Hornblower
From the Notebook of Myrtle Beddington: - The shared universe of Fictional Scholarship is one of the cornerstones of Hornblower fandom. Here, Nin weighs in with one of the "lost erotic poems" of Archie Kennedy, and accompanying scholarly commentary. Taken together, they are a perfect example of Nin's two greatest strengths: her stunning turns of phrase and her sparkling wit.
The Mer-King - Another piece of poetry, the laudanum-induced scribblings of the unfortunate Midshipman Wellard. Not only is it a gorgeous poem, it's a gorgeously in-character poem, a perfect-mix of hallucinatory imagery and fumbling adolescent angst.
An Unexceptionable Acquaintance - In a trebble written for the![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
hh100 Pastiche challenge, Nin channels Georgette Heyer and introduces the most formidable personage of Edrington's mama. And she is perfect. Scrupulously correct in manner and tone, she's the very picture of the upstanding regency matron and she could have walked off the page of one of Ms Heyer's finest.
His - I don't normally rec drabbles, because there's just not enough to say. But for Nin I make an exception. This is just so right. And so painful. It's Archie and Simpson in a nutshell. So perfect that I swear this happened just off screen on the Justinian in The Even Chance/The Duel.
Red Tide - Matthews and Styles perspective of the dark days aboard the Renown. An uncannily effective use of biblical symbolism.
Dribble - Edrington. Butter. And the best opening line ever. A true drabble.
Taken Aback - A small act of kindness aboard the Justinian. Nin illuminates both the desperate atmosphere of fear that pervades the ship and the way that fear magnifies the significance of even the simplest, most human gestures.
Afraid To Call It Love - Three sailors, a beach and... that would be telling *g*. Seriously, this story is a best if you know as little as possible about it going in. A short, sweet, post-Kingston LKU full of witty banter, keen character insights and the cleverly nuanced writing Nin does so well. An absolute must-read.
Ellipsis - Horatio finds Archie's diary. There is just so much between the lines in this story. The little hints of Archie's past. All the things the diary doesn't say that come through loud and clear anyway. And woven through it all, a thread of mutual longing and regret that just breaks my heart.
At Dawn - An early morning duel and a wonderful bit of insight into Edrington. The last line absolutely makes this story.
Misgiving - And here Nin breaks my heart into itty bitty pieces. And then stomps on it. And, god love her, I just want to go back for more. This is Archie's death, and his last scrawled letter to Horatio, as seen and read by William. And it will break your heart. And yet you will love her for it.
Anniversary - A different kind of post-Kennedy fic, It's seemingly a normal day on the Hotspur, except somehow it's not. The Captain's twitchy and foul-tempered, the First Lieutenant's keeping his distance, the crew members who've known the Captain longest are exchanging knowing looks and Midshipman Orrock wants desperately to know why. It's a clever perspective that makes a simple story something much more.
Hellespont - Here, she turns her eye on Archie Kennedy and the Earl of Edrington. A perfect snapshot in time, Hellespont offers a glimpse into Archie and Edrington's relationship; everything they have and a few things that never will be. A gorgeous story that will simply take your breath away.
Baser Impulses - Nin neatly turns fanon convention on its head and turns it into this perfect little gem of a story. Archie Kennedy is only human. And when he gives in to his baser impulses he finds that the seemingly-perfect Horatio Hornblower is only human as well. Nin does some clever playing with roles here contrasting Archie's casually impetuousness with Horatio's rarer -- and much more dangerous -- risktaking.
Honing - A terrific bit of backstory for the unusally charged relationship between Captains Pellew and Foster in The Fire Ships. I really believe in these younger versions of the characters.
Namesake - Edrington is a fascinating character, and the dearth of canon information about him gives fic writers a wonderful freedom to extrapolate his past and his future . Here, Nin gives us the young not-yet-Earl of Edrington and a friend, waking up of a Sunday morning. Light and happy, like a single brilliant ray of sunlight, this story just glows. A delightfully subtle crossover with Pirates of the Caribbean that does credit to both fandoms.
Stargate: Atlantis
Wormhole X-Treme! II - An absolutely hysterical piece of multimedia fic created for thesga_flashfic Documentation challenge. Introducing "Wormhole X-treme II: Space Vampires from Beyond the Galaxy!". From the hilariously perfect casting to the caustic user comments to the absolutely priceless trivia, Nin's spoof IMDB page is a true work of art.
Hands-On Science - This wonderful gem of a story was written for thesga_flashfic school challenge. Years before Atlantis, John and Rodney meet up during concurrent field trips to the Ontario Science Centre. The Rodney McKay tour of the museum is a treat -- for John and for Nin's readers -- and the glimpse of John and Rodney's high school selves, is fascinating and revelatory. Nin's prose just sparkles, it's tight and witty and deliciously in-character. I can really believe that these two grew up into the John and Rodney we know and love.
This Isn't Happening, You Say? - Wraith poetry. No, really. Creepy and effective.
Stargate SG1
Ritual - A humorous send-up of the classic "Aliens Made Them Do It" story, as told from the perspective of one of the aliens in question. The scenario is cracktastically fabulous, but what makes the story truly great is the wonderful outsider perspective of the SG1 team (handily identified by our pov character as Grumpy, Curious, Calm and Thoughtful) and their unique form of interpersonal communication.
Harry Potter
Run to Earth - A sonnet. Nin manages to capture everything I love about Remus and Sirius in 14 short lines. Shivery and intense and just gorgeous.
nindulgence has a true gift for prose, her every sentence is diamond-sharp, her every word carefully chosen. She doesn't write many long stories. She doesn't need to. With never a word wasted she can convey as much in 500 words as another author might in 5000. There's a wonderful variety to Nin's stories. But from the lightest humor to the darkest angst everything she writes reads as real and honest and true. And that, I think, is the highest praise I can offer any writer.I have the great fortune to share my two biggest fandoms with Nin. She's written a remarkable range of Horatio Hornblower fic, all of which I recommend heartily, and recently she has begun to write Stargate: Atlantis fic, filling my life with great, great glee.
All of Nin's fic can be found in her memories here organized by fandom and type. Go, explore, read. NinFic really does make the world a better place. And if you want a place to start, here are some of my absolute favorites:
Horatio Hornblower
From the Notebook of Myrtle Beddington: - The shared universe of Fictional Scholarship is one of the cornerstones of Hornblower fandom. Here, Nin weighs in with one of the "lost erotic poems" of Archie Kennedy, and accompanying scholarly commentary. Taken together, they are a perfect example of Nin's two greatest strengths: her stunning turns of phrase and her sparkling wit.
The Mer-King - Another piece of poetry, the laudanum-induced scribblings of the unfortunate Midshipman Wellard. Not only is it a gorgeous poem, it's a gorgeously in-character poem, a perfect-mix of hallucinatory imagery and fumbling adolescent angst.
An Unexceptionable Acquaintance - In a trebble written for the
hh100 Pastiche challenge, Nin channels Georgette Heyer and introduces the most formidable personage of Edrington's mama. And she is perfect. Scrupulously correct in manner and tone, she's the very picture of the upstanding regency matron and she could have walked off the page of one of Ms Heyer's finest.His - I don't normally rec drabbles, because there's just not enough to say. But for Nin I make an exception. This is just so right. And so painful. It's Archie and Simpson in a nutshell. So perfect that I swear this happened just off screen on the Justinian in The Even Chance/The Duel.
Red Tide - Matthews and Styles perspective of the dark days aboard the Renown. An uncannily effective use of biblical symbolism.
Dribble - Edrington. Butter. And the best opening line ever. A true drabble.
Taken Aback - A small act of kindness aboard the Justinian. Nin illuminates both the desperate atmosphere of fear that pervades the ship and the way that fear magnifies the significance of even the simplest, most human gestures.
Afraid To Call It Love - Three sailors, a beach and... that would be telling *g*. Seriously, this story is a best if you know as little as possible about it going in. A short, sweet, post-Kingston LKU full of witty banter, keen character insights and the cleverly nuanced writing Nin does so well. An absolute must-read.
Ellipsis - Horatio finds Archie's diary. There is just so much between the lines in this story. The little hints of Archie's past. All the things the diary doesn't say that come through loud and clear anyway. And woven through it all, a thread of mutual longing and regret that just breaks my heart.
At Dawn - An early morning duel and a wonderful bit of insight into Edrington. The last line absolutely makes this story.
Misgiving - And here Nin breaks my heart into itty bitty pieces. And then stomps on it. And, god love her, I just want to go back for more. This is Archie's death, and his last scrawled letter to Horatio, as seen and read by William. And it will break your heart. And yet you will love her for it.
Anniversary - A different kind of post-Kennedy fic, It's seemingly a normal day on the Hotspur, except somehow it's not. The Captain's twitchy and foul-tempered, the First Lieutenant's keeping his distance, the crew members who've known the Captain longest are exchanging knowing looks and Midshipman Orrock wants desperately to know why. It's a clever perspective that makes a simple story something much more.
Hellespont - Here, she turns her eye on Archie Kennedy and the Earl of Edrington. A perfect snapshot in time, Hellespont offers a glimpse into Archie and Edrington's relationship; everything they have and a few things that never will be. A gorgeous story that will simply take your breath away.
Baser Impulses - Nin neatly turns fanon convention on its head and turns it into this perfect little gem of a story. Archie Kennedy is only human. And when he gives in to his baser impulses he finds that the seemingly-perfect Horatio Hornblower is only human as well. Nin does some clever playing with roles here contrasting Archie's casually impetuousness with Horatio's rarer -- and much more dangerous -- risktaking.
Honing - A terrific bit of backstory for the unusally charged relationship between Captains Pellew and Foster in The Fire Ships. I really believe in these younger versions of the characters.
Namesake - Edrington is a fascinating character, and the dearth of canon information about him gives fic writers a wonderful freedom to extrapolate his past and his future . Here, Nin gives us the young not-yet-Earl of Edrington and a friend, waking up of a Sunday morning. Light and happy, like a single brilliant ray of sunlight, this story just glows. A delightfully subtle crossover with Pirates of the Caribbean that does credit to both fandoms.
Stargate: Atlantis
Wormhole X-Treme! II - An absolutely hysterical piece of multimedia fic created for the
sga_flashfic Documentation challenge. Introducing "Wormhole X-treme II: Space Vampires from Beyond the Galaxy!". From the hilariously perfect casting to the caustic user comments to the absolutely priceless trivia, Nin's spoof IMDB page is a true work of art.Hands-On Science - This wonderful gem of a story was written for the
sga_flashfic school challenge. Years before Atlantis, John and Rodney meet up during concurrent field trips to the Ontario Science Centre. The Rodney McKay tour of the museum is a treat -- for John and for Nin's readers -- and the glimpse of John and Rodney's high school selves, is fascinating and revelatory. Nin's prose just sparkles, it's tight and witty and deliciously in-character. I can really believe that these two grew up into the John and Rodney we know and love.This Isn't Happening, You Say? - Wraith poetry. No, really. Creepy and effective.
Stargate SG1
Ritual - A humorous send-up of the classic "Aliens Made Them Do It" story, as told from the perspective of one of the aliens in question. The scenario is cracktastically fabulous, but what makes the story truly great is the wonderful outsider perspective of the SG1 team (handily identified by our pov character as Grumpy, Curious, Calm and Thoughtful) and their unique form of interpersonal communication.
Harry Potter
Run to Earth - A sonnet. Nin manages to capture everything I love about Remus and Sirius in 14 short lines. Shivery and intense and just gorgeous.