The Terror Anniversary Appreciation Week

@berenswick for their excellent fics The Past Is All Behind Me and Tuunbaq’s Tale - the latter of which I believe has the distinction of being the fandom’s only instance of a Tuunbaq-POV fic, and very damn good it is too.

@knit-the-terror for amazing King-William-Island-ready jumpers and a level of technical crafting expertise I could never hope to imitate.

“You’ve seen the sundogs, Graham. How many have there been?”

“The sundogs remain. These are the signs, here… signs that nature doesn’t give a damn about our plans.”

A is for @arcticelves, Queen of AUs,

B’s @bacchanalium, the eeriest muse,

C is for cards, @kami-ships-it‘s creations

D for death, @theiceandbones’s specialisation

E is @edwardii, such delicate prose

F is @franklins-leg, the best name I know

G’s @gargantua01 and Sol/Hickey strife

H @hickeywiththegoodhair, love of my life

I is for @ishmaelis, sad over Gibson

J is @jamesfitzjames, of great taste and wisdom

K’s @knit-the-terror , who brings joy in each purl

L is @littledozerdraws, who lights up my world

M is for music, @singersargent and feels,

N is new art - @goodsir-is-such-a-good-boy, I reel, 

O is for Orange Groves, @plaidmax‘s design,

P’s @prematurecannibalism, whose art is sublime

Q is queer mutineers (@awildprancingbaratheon, but a reach)

R’s @radiojamming and ghosts on a beach

S is for @stripeylittlefishy omg lov her

T’s @teadrunktailor, the one true Goodsir

U is for unlimited resources and art (@theterroramc)

V’s @vodogreyka, whose art melts my dead heart

W is for words, gotta go @blasted-heath

X is for @bloodydroolingmaw, an x-tremely scary beast? (Audible groaning)

Y is for @yverocher, in four fandoms I’ve crossed her

Z is for @zehstern, who deserves an Oscar.

And to all the friends I’ve not managed to fit, Know I love this weird fandom and all within it!

@lafiametta and @arcticelves here with a new fandom event for 2019!

It’s been almost one year since the premiere of Season 1 of The Terror, so what better way to celebrate than with The Terror Anniversary Appreciation Week, which will run from March 25th to March 31st. Join in by posting about your favorites! All kinds of posts are welcome, of course, not just meta/analysis, but also any creative works (fanfic, art, etc.) inspired by the day’s category. 

Please tag all your posts #theterrorappreciationweek, and we’ll make sure to reblog them here. And please be sure to follow this blog if you want to keep up with all the week’s appreciation posts!

but here’s some fanworks/ fanoeuvres i’m thinking about right now. this is like one of those “what’s in X’s purse” articles except it’s “what’s in my brain right now” and we’re pretending that we just upended my brain onto a white drape at marie claire. with me? good!

CATEGORY: FANFICTION

@blasted-heath writes everything with this great Period Vibe and incredibly tender, well-observed moments between characters that twist my heart like a dishrag. As well as f ra n k ly one of the best usernames in the biz

@pottedmusic has the distinction of writing a Good platypus pond (d*n are you listening) Sophia/Lady F fanfiction as well as a CHARMING fixit Bridgens/Goodsir fanfiction that will expand your imagination’s wildest guess about how caring 2 ppl can be.

@viletorpedo wrote a fanfiction called More Fools Than Wise that was the first thing i read in this fandom. that fanfiction basically vacuumed me into this fandom and here i remain to this very day, and that’s not even the half of it. every piece is exquisitely written, balanced and lively and occasionally ruthless with its characters and the reader (i, for example, am STILL not ok) and always absolutely fascinating. 

@wildcard47 writes fanfiction with incredibly emotional richness well still being intuitive to the characters and suited to the universe, oh and nbd like the best blanky you will ever chance to read. the characters are all so wonderfully dimensional and like ?? interesting?? it’s always an absolute j o y to read them interacting, and extremely engaging to find how the author is playing your understanding of the characters against their understanding of themselves, beliefs about others, etc. 

CATEGORY: ART

@kami-ships-it is a (lady franklin voice) star in our galaxy of worthies, providing incredibly distinctive and beautiful art and also some of the funnies shit you’ve ever seen in your life. the tarot series is breathtaking. and the work done uncovering AMC’s conspiracy to conceal the secret beach episode is deserving of all our admiration. 

@crowthis makes art that makes me go :o and then go absolutely feral and run into the forest by night never to be seen again by mortal man. if i’m not being clear that means i really like the art. each piece has a harmonious palette,  composition, and sense of action that = an immediate, exquisitely-communicated, wholly realized Feeling. also there’s usually some guy in the background making a Face that just kills me

CATEGORY: KNITTING

@knit-the-terror is the most creative accounts i’ve ever seen. it’s knitting. it’s the terror! it’s knitting, the terror. i tried to knit exactly one (1) time and i immediately gave up because it hurt my fingers & i couldn’t look at my devices so the actual practice is nearly mystical to me. but it’s also so interesting and lovely to see the way canon and research influence their knitting choices – especially during this week when each of the prompts was somehow done as! knitting! 

CATEGORY: KNOWING ABOUT SHIPS

@tautline-hitch provides invaluable insight into nautical life, from the clothes to the ships to The Way Things Were. this is a blog that always makes me feel like a giant dumbass but in the best way if u know what i mean. also tautline is a wonderful artist and luminary in the terror’s shadow james clark ross+a lot of kittens fandom. 

The Terror Appreciation Week: Day 7 :: Favorite Fandom Creation

The Terror RP Community

In conclusion to The Terror Appreciation Week, I’d like to make a special shoutout to The Terror RP Community! We’re small and tight-knight, and through our love of the Franklin Expedition / the AMC show, I’ve met some insanely talented writers. They’ve made me laugh, uncontrollably cry, everything in between, and over and over again fall in love with the characters they portray on a whole ‘nother level. The time and dedication they put into writing and exploring the nooks and crannies of their characters and the insight they give is so impressive I have to pinch myself they’re not actually ghost-written by {insert-character-names-here} themselves!

P.S. Thanks for also welcoming my oc with wide open arms into our great Franklin Expedition alternate universe(s)! We’re only getting started and it’s an awesome ride!

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@kiev4am’s “Idol Boast.” The loving banter in the beginning of this fic is exquisite. Also, the wonderful crossover with another fandom, which shall remain nameless in case someone reading here is not yet in on the…surprise. Two of my dearest universes collide! 

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@captain-crozier’s “Forged in Ice” universe. I love the gothic horror in the original fic, and the slow burn, and the remarkable development of every single character. The language is very Victorian, and absolutely wonderful. Oh, and the  descriptions. The descriptions of the landscape and the ships and buildings, and every expression anyone ever wears…. ahh! But I especially love the follow-up, “Shirt Tails,” wherein James is the just the sweetest and most attentive partner in the whole of Victorian England. (And “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”, who am I kidding? That’s my favorite carol and I’m a sucker for Victorian Christmas. I read that one like 10 times over the holidays.)

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Everything @bro-stoevsky writes is magnificent, in its attention to Victorian detail, and Victorian modes of behavior—while also being wildly funny. I particularly love Bro’s tumblr fics, including this one wherein someone has written a poem of more than usually revolting sentimentality and less than usual quality about Crozier. 

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@wildcard47′s “The Book of Love.” This is the most caring and sweet fic you’ll ever read, and is full of lovely Victorian literature. And James sings, guys. That’s all you need to know. Put that image/sound in your head and tell me you can ever make it leave. 

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I love @terribleoldwhitemen‘s “The Devils Before Us” as much as everyone else in this fandom. But I should also add how much I love “Appetites.” It’s adorable (and hot), and I love the premise of James being unable to refrain from displays of affection, even at a dinner party. 

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I’m currently loving @lesbiantex‘s “Like Salt in the Wound,” because I’m a sucker for slow burns and anything where Ross is a character. Also, Ann Ross is my favorite. I can’t wait for new developments in this one!

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The final day of @the-terror-appreciation-week is for favorite fandom creations, and it’s high time I did a rec list anyway, so here are twenty of my favorite Terror fics. Many of these writers have done a lot of amazing work that I haven’t included here for the sake of space, so I’d recommend checking out their AO3 pages as well.

there are some excellent lines in The Terror—I think “I am hungry and I want to live” is excellently understated (like i 100% get why the Monologue strikes some people as slightly bathetic, but it works for me); “Close is nothing” remains solid; “Does one not bring one’s habits to Terror” is as I have said I think before a pretty enjoyable exploitation of the inaudibility of italics—but I would like to mention one that is much less of a showpiece and also I think quite excellent:

I don’t know what you’re due.

The barb on it! In the aftermath of the previous episode’s flogging, the crack of the cat is right there. Crozier is at this stage barely competent as a commanding officer, but he is also, perhaps more significantly, no longer functioning as a gentleman; he is not dressing or speaking or conducting himself as a gentleman must. And Fitzjames informs him it’s been noticed in such a perfectly gentlemanly way: this little assertion of class and power, of the hierarchy which underpins every interaction on a warship (and this is a warship, because Crozier by his methods of discipline has made it one). What is a thief due? Well, that depends on his station. What are the conditions for mutiny? Shipwreck, alcohol, flogging—and a captain without authority. Which authority Crozier has just spent on those 16 bottles. 

If you are reading this as a part of The Terror fandom, then you are my favorite. If you’ve ever posted anything about this show, whether it was a fic, an art piece, a gif, a joke, a text post with your thoughts on a certain character, scene, etc., or even if you’ve never posted anything, but just read, liked, commented, or even silently supported the fandom, then I am so very grateful to you. It has been such a gift to be able to come online throughout the past year and share the Terror experience with you all, to work through all the sadness, joy, inspiration, laughter, and life-changing experiences this show brought to us. It’s been a comfort to know that so many other people have felt what I’ve felt, and to be continue living in this awful, wonderful world far beyond the bounds of the ten episodes we got. The Terror experience isn’t a thing of the past, it’s still a thing of the present, and I have all of you to thank for that. I do want to give a special shout-out to @arcticelves and @lafiametta for organizing our two great fandom events (@12daysofcarnivale and @the-terror-appreciation-week), which have provided so much inspiration to me and so many other people, and have helped to keep our pulse going strong.

So to everyone in the fandom, I love you, I love you, I love you. Thank you so much for everything from this past year, and I look forward to many more years of sailing on this ship with all of you.

I love so many Terror fan creations that it’s impossible to name them all (seriously, I have a folder on my computer with 287 items and growing). BUT I just stumbled upon this fresh fic by @kaledanvers (what up, fellow cat lady librarian!), and OH MY HEART. 

@write-on-my-way and @theiceandbones have already summed up my feelings more eloquently than I can - my favourite Terror fandom creation IS the fandom, for all the reasons they express.  The quality and diversity of what everyone makes and the energy and supportiveness of the community means I settle into the tag every day like a well-worn armchair knowing I’ll be entertained, educated and cheered.  I love the broad spectrum of content, the enthusiasm for research, the irreverence and humour.

There are so many writers, artists, researchers, crafters, cosplayers, video makers, meme creators and generally inventive, engaged, funny fans in this fandom, I could go on for pages and probably should, but in the interests of actually getting a post out I’ll give mention to just a few - and I KNOW I’m going to forget people and kick myself later because my brain is a weak thing, but:

@plaidmax whose beautiful, aching, note-perfect Terror fics first drew me into the sweet special hell that is Fitzier, never to return.  IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT THANK YOU.

@arcticelves and @lafiametta both for their excellent fandom event skills and also for their Jopson/Little stories which are, each in their own way, sublime.

@terribleoldwhitemen for the mighty ‘The Devils Before Us’ and other Fitzier fics which emotionally compromise me on each re-read.

@aes-iii, @drawsaurus, @captain-crozier, @wildcard47, @bro-stoevsky, @davantagedenuit, @blasted-heath, PasdeChameau and @halotolerant for all their awesome Fitzier fics and headcanons (with extra apologies to @halotolerant whose incredible wolfbrother AU I haven’t commented on yet).

@nuizlaziart, @littledozerdraws, @goodsir-is-such-a-good-boy, @crowthis, @oochilka, @alessiapelonzi, @kami-ships-it, @veni-vidi-acdc and @zehstern for all their amazing, amazing fanart.  Sometimes I just go through my archives to stare at this stuff with a big sappy grin on my face.

@iceboundterror for their fantastically detailed and beautiful Icebound comic.  Although Icebound is an original work based on the Franklin expedition (rather than a Terror-related fanwork) I’ve read it in parallel with all my Terror fandom activity and I’ve been so impressed and moved by it - and so fascinated by the contrasts and correspondences between it and The Terror - that to me it’s an intrinsic part of the fandom, as is its author!

THE TERROR ANNIVERSARY APPRECIATION WEEK Day Seven - Favorite Fandom Creation: Guys this day is very hard to do ‘cause I love all of our creations. I’m really shy and I don’t talk with anyone but I really love this fandom. You’re all very talented, creative, kind and really funny! 

I’m so happy I joined this fam that I always look from the distance. Thanks for your work, love you all!

However… I selected a few fan arts that made me cry the first time I saw them.

And my fav video (I think I see it like 100 times every day).

Thanks to the artists: 

@iceboundterror 

@goodsir-is-such-a-good-boy    

@crowthis 

@zehstern

Bonus that always makes me laugh (by @kami-ships-it): 

This is where I go on a bit about a handful of incredible writers and artists. There are too many to name and this is in no way exhaustive. From the bottom of my heart thank you to all the content creators: no matter how you participate…through art, fic, poetry, meta, videos, memes, liveblogs, knitting, dolls, etc. thank you so very, very much. 

Fanart 

1 and 2 | @daintyfoot  | An incredible writer and artist. His angel John Irving against a bright background (x) is my current desktop wallpaper. It’s my favorite color and I adore the character so this is the best of both worlds. I also can’t get over this, ‘John Irving’s last love song’. It broke me. Plus, his Gibson is beautiful whether drawn to exaggerate his large eyes and angular features or done with realism. 

3 and 4  | @bacchanalium | What more can I say? bacchanalium's work leaves me breathless, no matter if it is fandom specific or original. The subjects are drawn with delicacy and lightness even when focused on a torn and bloody limb or a portrait of a character. 

5 | @kami-ships-it | This one is hilarious. It’s Fitzjames at his most dramatic complete with these giant watery eyes that get me every single time. And alas poor Stanley! Though he is an incredible artist (refer to his entire tumblr for proof!) this simple little comic and Stanley’s terrible suffering is my favorite.

Also, whoever slapped these subtitles on this cap. It covers a wide variety of emotions and I use it often. 

Fanfic

This fandom is filled with some incredible writers; we are richer for their contributions. There is so much to glean, so many scenarios to cover, and ways to fix or break the canon. 

skazka | dottore_polidori | disenchanted

Stories Let To Tell by @kiev4am |  His shadowed eyes dance with mischief. “I may possibly… have provoked him." 

not the worst of it by @pottedmusic |  “Have you heard about the Less Than Ten Society?”

Wisdom of the Fool by libbertyjibbit |  Cornelius smiled. “Well, isn’t this a turn up,” he said.

The-Terror-Appreciation-Week: Favorite fan art, favorite fan fic, fav fan vid.

Fan art: This drawing by Crowthis moves me beyond feelings.  It invokes the romantic color palette as used in early 1960’s women’s magazines (i.e. McCalls), and it also reminds me of Van Morrison’s “And the Healing Has Begun” (my favorite Fitzcro tune). 

“And we’ll walk down the avenue in style And we’ll walk down the avenue and we’ll smile And we’ll say, baby, ain’t it all worthwhile, when the healing has begun”

 The perfection of Crozier’s profile and the downward smile of Fitzjames (our C.O., i.e. our “Creased Overlord”, as someone on Discord [I think] called him) speak of the warmth and the healing that we need from Fitzcro shipping which we need here and now and now and here …     clearly, it is getting too difficult for me to explain the exact beauty of this image – I might as well try to explain Vermeer’s “Milkmaid”.

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Favorite fandom fic:  Impudent Guttersnipe’s “Naval Training and Discipline for Young Ladies” (confession: it came from a suggestion I offered to the Carnivale ficfest) is beyond belief sexysexysexy.  My favorite part:  Jopspon is stuffed, STUFFED I TELL YOU, with Fitzjames’ favorite Chinese ivory dildo. And Thomasina, as he is known here, keeps it in him all the way through the story.  JeeeeZ.  What could be more enticing?!?!

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‘Rope and forks, the new Fashion Look of 1848′  -  @graduatedpillowmonster

There was no way I was going to be able to limit this to one, or two, or three favorite fan works. That would be impossible in a fandom filled with such creativity, talent, and genuine love for the characters, the show, and the history behind it. All I can do is list a few of my favorite creations, and feel tremendously guilty for omitting the many, many other fics, fan arts, and posts that have brought me so much happiness. You are all - ALL - incredible people and I am so grateful to know you!

@theterroramc‘s gifs - @theterroramc has done an incredible job of keeping this fandom active and informed, and a big part of that has been supplying us all with beautiful gif posts. I can’t possibly pick a favorite, because they are all gorgeous!

You, beloved, who are all the gardens I have ever gazed at and Without feet I can make my way to you, without a mouth I can swear your name by @lafiametta - The epitome of Jopson/Little feels. I love everything @lafiametta has written for this fandom, but reading You, beloved and its sequel is like imbibing liquid lust, if all the jittery butterflies and excitement of new desire could be condensed into a drug. No matter how many times I read these fics, the effects on me remain the same: sweaty palms, tingly skin, and a racing heartbeat. They are divine.

@goodsir-is-such-a-good-boy‘s Jopson/Little fan art. All of it, but in particular this one and - I’m biased - this one, very kindly (and beautifully) based on one of my fics. @goodsir-is-such-a-good-boy is so talented at depicting passion, such as in this pic of Fitzjames and Crozier, yet another of my favorites!

@uska-jules, @sufayr, and @priestly‘s Jopson/Little fan art. I feel so lucky, because my favorite ship has been blessed with not one, but four, amazing artists who have created fantastic works for it. There’s @uska-jules tender, intimate portrait; @sufayr‘s blistering hot embrace, and @priestly‘s adorableness.

Close and In Hot Water by @aes-iii. @aes-iii is another writer whose every work for this fandom has blown me away, but these two fics in particular - the first featuring my beloved Edward Little and his relationship with Crozier, the second focusing on Jopson/Little - are my favorites. The first one broke my heart; the second healed me.

@zehstern‘s crack videos. Just thinking about them at random times makes me start laughing. They have brought a smile to my face on many a dark day.

The incredible cosplay of @teadrunktailor as Goodsir, @mannisbaratheon as Tozer, and @graduatedpillowmonster as an unfortunate crew member. I am in awe of the skills the three of you possess!

Stories Yet to Tell by @kiev4am and A Lighthouse by th_esaurus. There is an abundance of fantastic Fitzier fics out there, but these are the ones I reread the most. Beautifully written and so poignant, both fics bring me to tears: not something many fics can do. But the depth of feeling depicted between Crozier and Fitzjames in these two stories is astonishing.

John Irving’s Guide to Redeeming Devious Seducers by spooky writer. At the opposite end of the spectrum is a fic that makes me laugh out loud so many times I lose count. What makes this modern AU so hilarious are the perfectly on-point characterizations and all the little details. Irving’s chore wheel. Hickey’s phallic art. Fitzjames’s Pintrest fashion boards. And Gore, Little, and Hodgson as the world’s best - or worst? - possible flatmates.