the widening gyre

The artistic ecosystem of Bucky Fanfiction is an intricate, fascinating, gorgeous landscape of entwined artistic works that deserves analysis and recognition

most contemporary storytelling considers "originality" as an inherently good quality. Creators are encouraged to conceal their influences as much as possible, so it should be difficult to trace directly where ideas descended from. It's not spoken out loud but once you see it, you can't stop realizing how weird it is.

An artistic ecosystem that rejects that premise can do some BONKERS stuff.

It's intoxicating to see stories interacting on an ecosystem level so closely, exchanging and circulating ideas, refining and clarifying

And with early Stucky fandom, it's driven by this frenetic sense of passion. I don't think everyone believed that the ship would become canon, but in a way that's hard to describe, you can tell they believed it was real.

Rocks (you will cry about one (1) rock)

Space germs/pond life in space (eating ur sun)

More space pond life

Found family (see: rock. You WILL cry)

Russian prison tattoos (just one)

Adorable kids (meat and rock varieties)

Karaoke (music with rocks in, non-Pratchett variety)

Really good space science

Truly terrible linguistics but who cares

Cute fox sweaters

Yes, he can take care of himself, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t vulnerable in many, if not most, of his scenes. This is the guy stricken by nerves during his first hookup. Panicking after said hookup. This is “wow, generic” teary eyes guy. Sad and rejected at the Olympics guy. Lip trembling while watching Ilya win the cup guy. Guy who looked like he wanted to cry during sex with Rose, after sex with Rose, and while Rose was coaxing him into coming out.

Hudson played him vulnerable, and fandom took that and built on it. While we should be cautious of racial bias and stereotypes about gay men, we also shouldn’t ignore that Shane’s softness is a wonderful and very present trait within his character.

It’s part of what makes him a good match for Ilya who is just as soft, if not softer, but doesn’t show it as much until the last two episodes.

Greetings from Button House (2025)

So, I collect vintage large letter postcards that often are based around a US state, city or landmark, and I decided to create my own version based on Ghosts.

All the character portraits inside each letter are hand-drawn digital art by me, the lettering was my design and the background was a little bit of rough sketching I did/digital modelling I noodled with.

Me reading the Mysterious Affair at Styles: That was probably very true when they were written, but there's a whole genre based on her work now. It's probably more predictable to those of us who have experienced so many derivatives of her work in the hands of other authors.

unfair advantage | 1.6K | Ilya leans forward in his chair, deliberately, to put his mouth right next to the microphone. “Oh wow,” Ilya says brightly. His Russian accent is thicker than usual. “Drapeau must be trying so hard to seduce me. But I am sorry, I am already taken. A one man man, I am.” | Great characterisation, perfect Ilya voice. And this fic contains the best Ilya-chirps-Scott-Hunter line ever.

we could get better mileage by @twinkwolf | 6.9K | "Have you ever gotten someone pregnant?" | This fic discusses abortion and there's a pretty graphic description, FYI. If you can stomach this, it's such a fantastic story. A great exploration of Shane and his feelings towards the idea of parenthood. And a lovely portrayal of Shane and Jackie's friendship, which is something I'm a sucker for. It also features some smoking hot sex scene and also a really believable, grown-up version of Ilya and Shane. Highly recommended.

A Friend of the Family by@twicesonnet| 11.9K | Two months after Jackie lets the backyard fire pit fall over and just stands there letting it burn, Hayden has a boys trip. Arrangements are made. Enter: Svetlana Vetrova, daughter of the famous Soviet goaltender, and Ilya Rosanov’s best friend.| This is the best Jackie character study I've seen so far. Jackie here is a real person, much more than the magical being who does emotional labour for Hayden in most stories. And I love how open-ended this is.

I know that I feel it, but I don't know the name | 12K | David Hollander gets in a car accident while Shane and Yuna are travelling. Ilya, newly traded to Ottawa, is the only one available. He handles it pretty well. Until he doesn't.| David is in an accident. Ilya in this one almost broke me. It gave me all the feels.

Image Management by @409-conflict and ritualist| 9K | During his rookie year, Shane goes to a Halloween party at a Montreal gay bar to confirm some suspicions about himself. Unfortunately, it’s 2010, so the official photographer uploads a few hundred photos to the bar’s Facebook page.| Great use of socmed. And I just love how 409_conflict writes Yuna. Also, this is possibly the only time I've ever felt so wthinf resembling a positive feeling towards Grigori Rozanov? The power of transformative works!

tender by @barkerandlovelace| 18.3K | Ilya had dismissed the feeling out of hand, except he has now just spent half an hour in the bicycle shop considering the difference between 190 gsm and 250 gsm merino wool and which would best keep Shane warm while wicking sweat during his morning commutes. This is yet another thing Ilya has never done before. The only person whose sweat he has ever contemplated the wicking of has been himself.| Amazing full AU. AMAZING. Ilya is still a hockey player. Shane has a government job. They meet after Ilya retires. The perfect mix of fluffy/funny/tender with stellar characterisation.Imo, it's on a par with the AUs by magmeticwave and Vera Dragon, I can't think of any higher praise than this.

think twice (and come back for a third time) | 70k | Shane is heavier than he used to be; his weight bears down on Ilya in a new way. He’s put on pounds of muscle since Ilya last touched him like this. Ilya flattens his palms, skims them under Shane’s undershirt, feels the flat solidity of his abs, the bulk of his lats, the swell of his chest. It’s the same and it’s new, this body; it’s the boy he couldn’t stop thinking about when he was 18 and the man he loved enough to let go at 26 and the person who somehow always comes to find him when he’s lost. A stranger, and the love of his life.| Canon divergence. Ilya and Shane breakup and never get back together. Very angsty. Well-written, good characterisation. Lovely Yuna/Ilya.

big things happen every time we meet BY @trippedlaces| 14.5k | Halfway through Shane and Ilya’s first season playing together in Ottawa, an online sports betting company figures out how to make itself the main character when it comes to social media’s new favorite topic.| Extremely funny, good use of socmed. Great characterisation too, especially Shane, who comes off as suitably hockey-obsessed. :D

too busy making my own waves by@themardia| 4.4K | In Hayden’s defense, JJ’s new habit of dropping chirps that sound like they’ve come straight out of Shakespeare just seems like another round of JJ being his usual weird, over the top self. And hey, if he wants to call the opposing team a bunch of “malicious gnomes” or “mud-licking wretches”, he can have at it. (After Scott Hunter coming out last season, everyone's making some adjustments.)| A much kinder look at JJ than canon, and it totally works. Love him and Hayden trying to be better human beings because they love Shane.

Untouchable Face by @zenaidamacrouras1 | 76k | Shane was twelve when hockey scouts started showing up to his games. He was barely fifteen when a check went horribly wrong, fucked his knee to hell and gave him a grade III concussion. During rehab he found swimming, and he was seventeen when he went to the Olympics as an alternate for freestyle swim events. He’s 24 and working for his mom’s sports PR company when he meets Ilya Fucking Rozanov. May contain: Shane Hollander navigating what it means to be mostly normal when your whole childhood was about preparing you for greatness. Shane Hollander attempting to flirt. Possibly less than 100% accurate descriptions of what a sports PR agent does.| I'm extremely picky about AUs where Shane is not a hockey player but this one totally worked for me. Extremely cute.

the intricate brocade of this happiness by@always-waxing-crescent| 10K | But Ilya shakes his head, absolutely mute. There’s no universe, no universe where he can talk about this. He moved to America to forget. | A brutal look at Ilya's childhood and the new phase of his life after the Cottage. Yuna isn't immediately enamoured with him and I love this characterisation. Interesting exploration of his relationship with Alexei too.