In this episode of Fic Clique, your hosts discuss "Blood in the Moonlight," by rosemeister (Baldur's Gate III). With one long fic guiding our discussion this episode we packed in everything a person could want: academic texts as references, discussions of the queer as monstrous, breaking of cycles to forge your own path, and a whole lot of extoling the joys of femslash. 

In this episode of Fic Clique, your hosts discuss "Dust," by levelone (TAZ Balance) @06:38, "A Game of Two Halves," by stickmarionette (FE3H) @34:32, and "the most remarkable thing about you standing in the doorway is that it’s you," by greatunironic (Stranger Things) @1:00:55.  Ficlets we are so back! Season two of Fic Clique kicks off with us honoring our long journey as a podcast alongside you the listeners, specifically by picking fic recommendations from three different eras of the pod. We dig in to what it is we love about fanfiction that has kept it so near and dear to our hearts for all these years, with some classic tropes to guide our way. 

In this episode of Fic Clique, your hosts discuss "it was dark when i found you," by whimsicalimages (Skyfall) @14:01, "Because it is bitter, and because it is my heart," by kaydeefalls (Inception) @40:30, and "Situation Normal: All Fucked Up," by gyzym (MCU) @1:09:24.  It's another blast from the past as we round out this year's birthday episodes, and this time we examine fandom-wide trends of breaking characters away from their archetypes, raising the stakes in opposite ways to canon, and the tropes we always return home to. 

Summer is soon upon us, and with it comes something new for the pod; your hosts are taking a hiatus beyond our normal summer break. Though we will be leaving for a few months, like any good teacher we've assigned you all some homework in the interim! We promise it's all in good fun though, and we're also leaving you with some media reccomendations, activities, and thoughts about the future of the pod. We'll see you all in the fall with a fresh, fun, and updated version of Fic Clique podcast. 

In our 107th episode, your hosts are back to talk about three baller fics: "primped and polished till you glow with pride" by VagabondDawn (Mulan) @17:30, "A to Z (of the Universe)" by Nope (NASA Visions of the Future Posters) @42:21, and "i'll tell them put me back in it" by yeahitshowed (Agatha All Along) @1:12:36. While this episode has no formal theme, it sure does celebrate women and feminine expressions of desire! Come listen to this femslash-heavy episode as we discuss filial duty, unexpected genre fusions, and fiction as a site for the unveiling of subconscious needs and desires.

In this episode of Fic Clique, your hosts (re)discuss "The End of All Things," by Telanu (The Devil Wears Prada) @12:15, "Worldwide Lonesome," by loindexter (BTS) @45:42, and "A Cornstalk Fiddle," by notbecauseofvictories (Devil Went Down to Georgia @1:22:09. We are constantly talking about the cyclical nature of things on the podcast, a phenomenon of life from which we are not exempt! Our passion for previous fics discussed on the pod has us re-examining some old favorites in a new light. With distance and some new perspectives we were able to find commonalities through all three fics of sacrifice, inversions of tropes, and expectations of who you're supposed to be.

In today's episode of Fic Clique, your hosts discuss "Astronauts" by HawkinsLocal (The Bear) @16:33, "Harder for You, of Course" by pendrecarc (Think of England by KJ Charles) @44:09, and "Hero of Another Story" by Banhus (D&D Honor Among Thieves) @1:12:11. This classic three-fic format episode has no formal theme. It does, however, contain lots of informal passion as we create a beautiful and unique collaborative narrative, debate the mystery genre, and consider diction and detail as functions of POV.

In this episode of Fic Clique, your hosts discuss "Live From New York," by varnes (The Untamed/MDZS). We are back with another longer fic discussion, Ficlets! For your consideration, we present a Saturday Night Live AU full of laughs, heart, petty revenge, and sketches with multiple meanings. Join us as our discussion meanders from considering the premise and casting of each character to an iconic central slowburn romance and beyond. Alternate titles include: "His Angry Eyebrows Bring Flavor," "Gross, Charming, Wonderful, and Disgusting!" "I'm the Anti-Macklemore," and "She Learns How to be Bacon."

In this episode of Fic Clique, your hosts discuss "give me your hand, darling," by Omcree (Critical Role) @12:51, "Competition," by astolat (Game of Thrones) @42:28, and "The Downsides to a Secret Identity," by liodain (DCEU) @1:11:02. In this (slightly belated) Valentine's Day episode, we got granular with our focus and narrowed in on three variations of one romance trope-- [blank] to lovers. Looking at the different permutations let us identify some of the key elements we love most in these types of fics, and what draws us in as individuals. Be you a friend, an enemy, or something in between, there's a path towards love for you in this episode.

In this episode of Fic Clique, your hosts discuss "The fox who can never be caught," by ionthesparrow (Top Gun Movies) @16:41, "Ammurapi, King of Ugarit," by the_alchemist (Late Bronze Age Collapse RPF, Hamlet) @46:32, and "Homecoming," by jellyfisheries (Ocean's Echo) @1:15:16.In this episode, your hosts explore how to navigate complex family relationships, the synchronicty of two tragedies coming together, and what expressions of vulnerability and trust can look like.

In this episode of Fic Clique, your hosts discuss "The One Coming Back for You," by orphan_account (Teen Wolf) @15:41, "Blue on Blue," by Lindentreeisle (Sherlock) @42:05, and "all the world's a stage," by Abagail_Snow (Hunger Games) @1:13:23. Ficlets, did you keep your party hats on from last episode in anticipation of Nic's birthday? Well take them off, this is a solemn affair. In true Host Nic fashion, all three fics this week shared common themes of grief, trauma, and a home that will never be the same.

In this episode of Fic Clique, your hosts discuss "5:35 pm" by belldamn (White Collar) @13:13, "Tintagel," by seperis (BBC Merlin) @43:18, and "The Curious Incident of Eduardo in the Night-Time," by jibrailis (The Social Network) @1:09:07.In this special birthday edition of Fic Clique, we're kicking off the year by celebrating Brenna & her fandoms of yore! We also perform a roast, talk about the urge to recreate a once-in-a-lifetime feeling, and do some investigative journalism into the prevalence of Tuesday time loops.

It's the end of another turn around the sun! As we come to the end of 2024, it's time for yet another minisode during which we can look both backward and forward (much like owls). Ficlets, join us as we review our years as well as our bingo cards, discuss our favorite fics of the year that didn't make it to the pod, and make grand and perhaps impossible plans to take over the world in the months to come.  Alternate titles include: “Mantra: I’m So There,” “Who Even is Joshua?” and “The Platonic Ideal of Fandom” 

In this episode-turned-minisode-turned new format, your hosts revisit their annual rec exchange with a new twist. Focusing in on the tropes of our respective gifted fics, we examined the optics of being a professional shipper, keeping your cards close to your chest, and the inevitability of fanfiction itself.  Alternate titles include: "The Chef's Special," "The Plate Tectonics of Fandom," and "I Only Know the Way of the Chalant" 

In this minisode, your hosts reprise their award-winning (citation needed) panel at Geek Girl Con 2024, wherein they discussed patterns of fannish migration and many of the factors that cause, influence, and direct these migratory paths. Come for the semiotics and reflections on what makes certain fandoms so compelling, stay for the discussions of Young Sheldon and the close encounters with various squares on the 2024 Fic Clique bingo card.

In this episode of Fic Clique, your hosts discuss “kintsukuroi,” by tomorrowsrain (Naruto) @21:55, “freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose,” by synecdochic (Stargate Atlantis) @53:00, and “The Fisher-Prince,” by roachpatrol & urbanAnchorite (Homestuck) @1:22:49.  It's No Knowledge November! This themed episode your hosts forayed into three popular fandoms we all were unfamiliar with it. Through this uncertain territory we found familiar themes of mentoring the next generation, holding grief for your past life, and navigating foreign ways of relating to one another.  

In this episode of Fic Clique, it's once again Halloween! For this horror special, we've decided to mix things up, so prepare to expect the unexpected and navigate some treacherous, touching, and nightmarish stories alongside your hosts. Join us for a thrilling chat that covers topics such as: where to find custom embroidered robes, how to muster the courage to ask about the contents of a punch bowl, and when it's a bad idea to kick rocks. Sfx sourced from Pixabay. "Baroque Noble Party" music is by @MichaelGhelfiStudios 

In this episode, your hosts discuss "You have [1] New Message," by torikabori (Star Trek AOS).Happy fifth anniversary to you all and to us, ficlets! Thank you as ever for joining us on this journey. This anniversary episode contains both fic discussion and reflections on the state of the show, as well as a dad of the pod lore drop, pitch for a new fannish term, and return to our roots.

In this minisode, your fearless hosts reflect on our own personal reading trends, books that may have started as fics, and offer some bespoke book recommendations for lovers of certain fics we've brought to the pod! Let's read, baby!

In this episode of Fic Clique, your hosts discuss "Upside Down," by redbrickrose (Inside Out) @16:07, "Thick as Thieves," by robotboy (Black Sails) @42:21, and "sinking/synching," by radicchio (SVT RPF) @1:07:40. Reflections on personhood are at the core of this episode, with fics that consider what it means to be at the wheel of your own identity, how far you can or cannot stray from a predestined narrative, and refractions of ambition as a means of character work.