DGHDA Feedback Fest: Beesâ All-Time-Faves
Yeah, so unfortunately I didnât get to do as much reading/reccing for @dghdafeedbackfest as Iâd have liked- this is always a pretty busy time of year! But Iâve really enjoyed making my little mini read-n-rec lists, so I think I may try and keep doing them even if itâs just every other week- itâs really helped me start making a dent in my tbr list, and itâs a good way to spread love and encourage people! I may dabble in them for other fandoms I read for too- Iâll probs keep the format I have though because while I admire and envy the abilities of people like @juniper-and-lamplight to make thematically coherent rec lists, I think thatâs currently beyond my time and attention span xD
This week has been a great excuse for me to start catching up on my reading backlog, discover new fics and authors and spread the love for them; which is a must because I know there are certain fics/authors that make it into recs time and time again which is great for them but not great for spreading new voices in the fandom. That being said, a fave is a fave, and whether itâs a popular work or not every piece in this list is a story that I adore and have saved and have re-read many times, and will probably re-read many times for.
split the secret up by piggy09
He asks if Dirk can hear it and Dirk just laughs, the sound reassuringly human.
Well, not reassuringly. Reassuringly would mean Todd had to be reassured.
Itâs just â it sounds human. Which is good. Because Dirk is human. Definitely.
My notes: This is not just one of my fave DGHDA fics but one of my favourite pieces of horror storytelling ever. It is incredible, it is evocative, it legitimately creeped me out and also made me incredibly envious of this authorâs way with words. An absolute must-read of the highest order.
you could bring my healing by cosmicocean
âYou see, I believe in the fundamental interconnectedness of all things.â
ââŠthe fundamental what?â
âThe fundamental interconnectedness of all things. You see, Iâm a holistic⊠something. Iâm not sure.â
âSure, yes, I suppose. Anyhow, the term âholisticâ refers to my convictions about the, you know, aforementioned-â
âFundamental interconnectedness of all things.â
Where the whole thing takes place in a fantasy world that is not unlike but not quite mostly for legal reasons Ankh-Morpork, Dirk is generally an existential dragon, Todd is a washed up electrical lute player, everyone is kind of awkward and useless except maybe for Amanda, and there is a boatload of fantasy references, plus one (1) Star Wars one.
My notes: Maybe Iâm slightly biased because this fic was literally written for me, but itâs so fun and creative and whimsical, I adore it, I want to print it out and make a storybook cover for it one day, go read it. @cosmicoceanfic, you freakin rock.
Peach, Plum, Pear by Lavellington
âMona!â Dirk says. âWhat have we said about sneaking up on people in the form of inanimate objects?â
âItâs bad manners,â she says, âand may result in invasion of privacy, or untimely cardiac arrest.â
âYes,â he says, âgood, thank you.â
My notes: Obviously Lavellington is a staple of the fandom and her fics are (quite rightly) widely adored, but this unassuming little one shot is among my faves of hers. It was posted shortly after season 2 aired I believe, and was one of the first and best Mona character studies I read. Weird and wistful, brilliant. Honourable mention also to Electric Ghost Rhino, and all time fave by the same author which I almost put instead of this one but thought I should switch it up because basically the rest of this list is Brotzly! @lavellington, you are a legend <333
then what weâve got is gold by gentleau
Dirk has never had a romantic relationship before. So now that it appears he is in the process of one such relationship with Todd, it is⊠startling.
Or, in which Dirk is scared that he canât be what Todd deserves, and Todd tries his best to convince him that that isnât true. Featuring: a lot (and I mean a lot) of cuddling, thirty seven cast-iron pans, and one novelty condom.
My notes: I had the pleasure of illustrating this story for a Big Bang event, and it remains one of my all-time favourites. Tender, emotional, sexy, raw and real and so so comforting, itâs a beautiful exploration of Toddâs relationship with an inexperienced and insecure Dirk and the ups and downs of their developing intimacy. Heed the warnings of course, but itâs so worth reading, please.
To Know the Parts of Me By Name (series) by electricteatime
To Know the Parts of Me by Name is a fanfiction series for Dirk Gentlyâs Holistic Detective Agency, a series of stories looking at the different people Dirk has been in his lifetime, and how they are all a part of him even if he tries to keep them separate. The culmination of all of these stories will hopefully in some way resemble a character study of one Dirk Gently.
My notes: A beautiful and insightful character study, one of the best ever if not the best, poetic and masterful- read every part, in order, and watch a beautiful portrait of everyoneâs favourite holistic detective unfold. And then read everything else by this author while youâre at it. @kieren-fucking-walker, youâre too awesome for words <333
Universal Truths by inkyfishes
ââŠVery long story short, until yesterday, it hailed as my greatest case: one of deception, danger, double-crosses, and an all-round perversion of high emotion and - dare I say it - romanceâŠâ
What do horses, robots, time-travel, false identities, alternate universes, flagrant homosexuality and the University of Cambridge have in common? Probably not much, but itâs all Todd Brotzman has to work with after he falls through a hole in space and time, arriving at St. Ceddâs College for the first day of Svlad Cjelli (not yet notoriously known as Dirk Gently). Thereâs a case to be solved, but it refuses to start. For both Todd and Svlad, and Dirk and Farah, events unfold in exactly the way youâd expect at Dirk Gentlyâs Holistic Detective Agency.
My notes: Want a DGHDA fic that reads like a lost work of the late great Douglas Adams himself but with exponentially more queerness? Look no further. Simply the best; hilarious and ingenious, timey wimey and entertaining from start to finish, the case of Puffles the Horse is a must-read.
Cheer Up, Buttercup by teacupsandcyanide
âOh, listen to Dirk. Heâs a bathing goods psychic.â
âI am not a psychic. I simply donât always concern myself with such petty things as employee protocol and company script. I see the solution to each customerâs needs as being detectable in the pattern and web of the whole. The connections between bathing rituals and physical-mental health are often much more subtle and complex than we, with our rough and ready understanding of cocoa butter, might naturally suppose.â
Todd goes into a bath bomb store to get a present for Amanda and meets an overeager sales assistant. Self-examination, and - dare I say it - romance ensues.
My notes: A relatively recent addition to my faves list, but a more than worthy one: this fic was like taking consecutive shots of serotonin straight to the brain veins. It is Self Love: The Fanfiction. It is a rollercoaster of emotions, shot through with the most delightful slow-burn romance, and has a good chance of legitimately changing your life for the better. Cannot recommend enough.
Over, Under, Around, and Through. by the_ninth_planet
âTodd,â better late than never he supposes, closing the space between them and reaching out to cup his jaw, âdarling.â Toddâs eyes flutter shut and Dirk can feel where his breath shudders out of him, a little of the tension in his shoulders dissipating with the contact. They stay there for a while, Dirk brushing his thumb over Toddâs cheek, skin rasping against stubble until he leans into the gesture willingly.
Itâs just some very emotional non-boring sex porn. With feelings.
My notes: Want something hella sexy that also satisfies your emotional needs? Wanna see Todd experiencing the best results of submitting to the mortifying ordeal of being known? This is your fic. Featuring bratty, insecure, subby subby sub Todd, and Dirk giving him the care and attention he needs and deserves; even if he has to tie him up to do it.
or make a home by reptilianraven
âPerhaps,â Dirk says in his best âyes, Iâm bullshitting you, but Iâm your boyfriend and you love me stillâ voice. âThe universe wants it this way.â
âThe universe wants you to always forget to put the cap back on the toothpaste,â Todd says, unimpressed, screwing the cap on himself.
Or Toddâs adventures in dating Dirk Gently, the mundanities of which unsurprisingly turning out to not be very mundane at all (featuring, among other things: intergalactic wormholes, regular periods of lying down on the floor, and several annoying habits that concern toothpaste and toothbrushes.)
My notes: Just a sweet, whimsical, heart-warmingly domestic fic about these two weirdos settling into life in each otherâs orbit. Itâs soft, itâs beautifully characterised and it deserves all the love in the world, just like these boys do. @actualbird, thanks for being an awesome writer AND an awesome commenter <333
Thank you, wonderful writers for creating some of my fave pieces of literature <3
