221b_recs | Entries tagged with content: transgender

Title: Watson // Watson
Author:

oulfis
Reader:

OtterPods (LapOtter)
Podfic: Watson // Watson (podfic)
Pairing: Holmes/Watson
Length: 21:40; approx 2K words
Rating: Explicit ( <-- author's rating; reccer would judge it only Mature)
Warnings: Creator Chose Not to Warn
Verse: ACD canon
Author's summary:

When it finally happens, it is at breakfast.

"I say, Watson, confirm a theory for me," Homes says. His newspaper crackles as he folds it. "Do you feel yourself truly to be a man, or is this a practical arrangement?"

Reccer's comments: In two mirrored 'verses, Watson gives two answers to one question; the resulting stories twine past each other in a series of paired vignettes that explore gender, identity, and their expression in common fic tropes.

oulfis' original story has a lovely understated poignancy to it, Holmes by turn kind and exasperating as he and Watson navigate their lives together in these twinned universes. LapOtter performs the story with a similarly light touch, and the humour and tenderness of the character interactions sparkle through their voice. They also make nice use of the technology to clarify the relationship of the various story parts to each other. (As they instruct in their reader notes, use stereo headphones for best results.)

While I of course enjoy the podfic purely on its own merits, I admit to being a sentimentalist about the reader's notes, too -- sometimes fandom brings us just the story we need, and sometimes the people, also. Further, I'm particularly pleased that LapOtter was able to put aside any concern about what gender their voice allegedly sounds like in order to bring us this podfic: this story would have been just a little bit less, in my opinion, if recorded in anyone else's voice.

venusinthenight

Title: Primary Sources
Author: Circadienne
Pairing: Mary Morstan/John Watson, John Watson/OFC, Sherlock Holmes
Length: 4613 words
Rating: Teen and up
Warnings: Author chose not to use warnings
Verse: ACD Canon
Author's summary: A Watsonian little story about gender, friendship, and textual uncertainty.

Character death (and/or undeath) as you'd expect from a book-canon context. No explicit sex or violence. Demonstrative of my archives fetish.

Reccer's comments: Some time ago, I read an essay suggesting the possibility of Watson being a woman but it being covered up because of societal norms of that time. (I don't remember the name of said essay, or I would rec that as well.) A little earlier tonight, I saw a recommendation for the aforelinked fic on my Tumblr dash.

I love what Circadienne did here. The issue of Watson's gender identity is there, but then it isn't. Watson just is. I also love that this was presented in an archival format.

holyfant.livejournal.com

Title: And also with you.
Author: reckonedrightly
Pairing: genderqueer!Jim Moriarty/Irene Adler
Length: 6,513 words
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: violence, underage (characters are both 15 years old), cissexism, misgendering
Verse: Sherlock BBC

Author's summary: "And then there’s him and he’s him, he’s Jim, he’s the default and now when he looks in the mirror there is nothing between himself and himself. He’s there, he is sharp, his corners meet his corners and he is so damn well pressed it’s like he was never folded."

Jim is a he like God is a he; Irene Adler is always the Woman.

Reccer's comments: I think I've probably read this fic twenty times by now – every time it blows me away with its razor-sharp dialogue, language flowing like poetry, flashes of humour and stunning views on gender and sex. There's enough reference to the canon events of A Scandal in Belgravia to make this canon-compliant; it just feels so real, like this is exactly what must have happened between Jim and Irene. I love how they are matched word for word, that neither of them is really smarter or stronger than the other, and how they're constantly trying to trick each other into making a mistake. It feels very true to these characters. What I love most about this fic is the references to wee!Jim's childhood as an Irish child moving from female to male and inbetween. There is so much beautiful loveliness to sample in this story, and so much ugly violence, and it all works together incredibly well.

( Excerpt )

(dear mods, could I get a "pairing: moriarty/irene adler" tag, please? <3)

phoenixfalls.livejournal.com

Title: from what i've tasted of desire
Author:

fiercynn
Pairing: Ms. Hudson/Joan Watson
Length: 1,012
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Verse: Elementary
Author's summary: It’s purely association, but when Ms. Hudson thinks of Joan Watson, the first thing that comes to mind is cold.

Reccer's comments:
There isn't much written for this pairing yet, and what there is is almost all from Joan's POV, so it's really wonderful to see fiercynn tackle Ms. Hudson's perspective. They handle her beautifully, taking the few canonical details we've been given and fleshing them out into something lovely and well-rounded. The fic touches just lightly on so many bits of character development - the peculiar position a housekeeper is in, privy to the private life of the house while not being a part of it; the complicated relationship Ms. Hudson might have with her first name; her checkered relationship history as a kept woman and muse - and all of that adds up to some really compelling reasons for Ms. Hudson to fall for Joan. There's a lot packed into this short fic, and it definitely rewards multiple readings.

nathaniel-hp.livejournal.com

Title: Battle Wounds
Artist: SirLemoncurd
Pairing: Gen
Length:n/a
Rating: G
Warnings: n/a
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Artist's summary: There is so much that can be said about this, idek.

So, the idea of Sherlock being FTM (female-to-male transgendered) first came to me from a piece by ~Daakota ([link] ), and I really couldn't shake it.

So, months later, here is this.

There is a lot of genderbending going on in this fandom, drawing the male characters as females, and I thought... Well, what if he's already genderbent?

Reccer's comments: Yes, what if? :)

I love this little pic so much. Seems so simply and yet there's so much to it.

A pic that shows us John's and Sherlock's battle wounds in ghastly pink that immediately catches the eye. I also love how the two pics are the same colour-wise, but also opposites.

Drawing a parallel between the very different battles these two had to fight works so well. I don't mean to say that fighting in a war and transitioning are at all alike. Personally, I'd have surgery and deal with coming outs and shrinks and shit from random people in the streets any day before going to fight in Afghanistan. But both are battles in their own right.

And looking at these two next to each other, the different way in which they regard their scars is illustrated very well. John fought for someone/something else, Sherlock for himself.
Is John ashamed or annoyed? I'm not sure.
But Sherlock's defiance - the way he looks directly at you, the way he seem to dare you to comment - is really beautiful to me.

nathaniel-hp.livejournal.com

For my recs this month, I have picked fanworks that feature trans*characters. Not genderswap fics, in which character X has always been the other gender, but those with characters that are transsexual, transgender or genderqueer, or choose to present as another gender. Fics that actually deal with gender dysphoria.

My first rec is:

Title:Brilliant and Commonplace
Author: Red
Pairing: Holmes/Watson
Length: 5776
Rating: R/NC-17
Warnings: n/a
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: John's been comfortably heterosexual for years. Well, unless you count that bit when he'd been erroneously figuring himself Lesbian Daughter #2. Enter Sherlock and... uh, mildly kinky gay sex?
Reccer's comments: Okay, I always have trouble coming up with something to write here other than "I enjoyed this story, and I think you might do so, too", which is true but not very satisfactory, is it?

Let's give it a try ...
Things I liked about this story:
- Sherlock and his porn research :D
- Sherlock being Sherlock and going through John's things
- the way in which John's story unfolds without unnecessary drama
- sexy trans*body

( and a quote )

bluebrocade.livejournal.com

Title: The Syntax of Things [Available on LJ or AO3 . Note, AO3 post is restricted; you must be logged in to view.]
Author:

what_alchemy
Pairing: John Watson/Sherlock Holmes (past Sherlock/Sebastian)
Length: 19,231 words
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: transphobia
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: When John looked at him, Sherlock felt whole, felt like he was who he was meant to be. Not a freak, an oddity, or a monster in-between.

Reccer's comments:This is one of my favorite first-time & hurt/comfort fics. Sherlock is a transexual man who was deeply wounded as a child by his parent's treatment of him, as well as by a disastrous first relationship with Sebastian (from 'The Blind Banker'). He's learned not to trust, to take care of himself, first & foremost. But has he gone too far? By closing himself off emotionally, is he just hurting himself more? Perhaps With John, he has finally met someone he can rely on. And perhaps John is just the beginning.

( Excerpt )

oxfordtweed

Title: Intemperance
Author:

basingstoke
Pairing: Watson/Mary Morstan, Holmes/unnamed OC, Holmes/Irene Adler
Length: 17,900
Rating: M
Warnings:Author chose not to warn, and I agree with her on this one
Verse: Ritchie

Author's summary: "Intemperance," a story from the secret journals of Doctor John H. Watson, intimate friend and long-time companion of the infamous Sherlock Holmes: A most curious and instructive report of the great man's improbable fecundation, gestation, and parturition.

Reccer's comments: This fic broke my brain, but in the best possible way. I'm not the Ritchie film's biggest fan. I tend to run screaming at Mpreg. The idea of Holmes/Irene Adler usually makes me want to break something. BUT, I will trust Basingstoke to the ends of the Earth, because she's never led me astray before. So, out of a healthy mix of boredom and mild insanity, I gave this one a try. And good lord, it may actually be my favourite piece of hers, and I think Mycroft's line illustrates quite beautifully why this fic simply must be read:

Mycroft Holmes snorted throatily. "Solving petty crimes. What a waste. Still, as a girl he was far worse. An embarrassment. As a man, he is a credit to the family name, even if he is wasting his full potential."

"Intemperance" handles an element of FtM transsexuality that can be positively traumatising for many transmen. An Basingstoke doesn't shy away from it, but rather tackles the issue head-on, with the added drama of Victorian sensibilities and makes it damn near impossible to look away until you've finished the story. You don't even have to be particularly familiar with the Ritchie-verse to enjoy this one, beyond the knowledge that when compared to his other counterparts, RDJ's Holmes is a bit of a shortarse.

sussexdowns.livejournal.com

Title: Seems So Easy For Everyone Else
Author:

etothepii
Pairing: brief Sherlock/OC and Sherlock/Seb, but mostly gen
Length: 15,000 words
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: suicidal ideation, transphobia, some homophobia
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: He signs his correspondences to the police as Sherlock H, as he always has, and he signs his letters to his parents as SH -- they can take what they will from the S. He signs his school assignments S. Holmes, and manages to get away with it because he is the only Holmes in his classes. FtM!Sherlock.

Reccer's comments: One of my absolute favorite things about this fandom is the abundance of really well-done trans* and gf fic. A few pieces we recced here in previous months, and believe me when I say there is so much more out there. This story deals wonderfully with Sherlock and Mycroft's relationship as it evolves over the years, which is always a pleasure to read, because it's just so interesting. Another thing I really liked about this was the way

etothepii uses pronouns throughout. Another trans*-themed story that was recced here was written in second person which very neatly avoided gendering the character/s incorrectly. This story goes the complete opposite route and uses clearly gendered pronouns very effectively.

( I dithered over which snippet to include, because there are so many amazing ones, but I just loved this too much not to include it. )

unovis.livejournal.com

Hi!
Just a few words on our tags and tagging your recs.

Tags are useful search tools for grouping the recs by categories: by pairing, genre, content, and sources for the stories or other fanworks.

We ask that reccers attach tags that are relevant to the works they rec. You don't have to add everything that applies-- for example, not a character tag for everyone who might appear in the story, or every theme or content. But if Molly has a significant cameo, say, that you think people searching for her might appreciate, then by all means list her in a tag. Likewise if you think this is the addiction story people should read, then use the content: addiction tag.

The required aspects to tag are pairing (if it applies), relationship genre (i.e., gen, slash, or het*), and verse (the source: ACD books, Sherlock BBC, Granada, etc.).

The easiest place to see all of the tags available is in this list of tags.

Tagging is enabled only for the author of the post and the mods. Only the mods can add new tags. We have a beginning list up now, anticipating likely categories and characters. We'll add more as recs are made, if characters and pairings, for example, aren't covered already. You can request a new tag to be added by commenting here or by contacting one of the mods. Keep in mind, again, that we'll be adding character tags as additional characters appear in recs.

Sherlock Holmes and John Watson have been abbreviated as SH and JW in pairings and some other places (e.g., content: sick jw). Since this recs comm is open to all versions of Sherlock Holmes, it seemed the simplest way to identify the characters. Lestrade, Gregson, and Dimmock are listed as "inspector" following ACD book canon, and Moriarty is listed only once by his (their) surname alone. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is abbreviated throughout as ACD.

*We won't add a category for "slash-if-you-squint" or similar invitations for the reader to see subtext in a story. If the author hasn't labeled her work as slash, then it's genre: gen or genre: friendship.

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221B Recs

A Sherlock Holmes Recs Community

Entries tagged with content: transgender

Podfic Rec: Watson // Watson

Fic Rec: Primary Sources

Fic rec: And also with you. by reckonedrightly

Fic: from what i've tasted of desire

Art Rec: Battle Wounds

Fic Rec: Brilliant and Commonplace

Fic Rec: The Subversive Potential of Gender Transgression

FIC REC: The Syntax of Things

FIC: Intemperance by Basingstoke

FIC: Seems So Easy For Everyone Else

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