Fic Clique

Nic & Reid are back for another two-host episode and they're here to talk about interactive (fan)fiction. You've heard of standard prose fanfiction, now get ready for: fics you can play like a game! From choose-your-own-adventures to explorative social media to fully voiced visual novels, the world of interactive fanfiction is vast and varied. This minisode explores not only a range of said fics, but also how the format allows for a different kind of collaborative storytelling. 

Ficlets, you're invited to our Halloween party! We're starting the spooky season festivities early by visiting fics that feature costumes each of us has worn over the years, from a childhood look to a teenage crew to a full group organized effort from a few years ago. 

These fics contain major themes of legacy (establishing one, running from one, embracing one), reckoning with mortality, what makes a "good" life, the dreamscape and the fantastical, complicated relationships with institutions, and of course costumes, performance, and the true self as reflections of desire. You'll also get some host lore, so look forward to that.

Get the party started by enjoying our fics from this episode, which include:

- "The Red Country" by jibrailis (Alice in Wonderland)

"The average podcast doesn't make it past seven episodes. Fic Clique Georg, who is celebrating their seven year anniversary, is an outlier adn should not have been counted." - Nic Fic Clique

In honor of our seventh anniversary we have once again returned to a For Our Consideration, where we discuss a beloved fic recommended to us by the ficlets! In addition to a heartfelt discussion about language and connection we also do some retrospecting about what season two of the pod has meant to the three of us. Thank you all as ever for coming along for the ride. 

Works discussed in this episode: 

Happy back to school season, Ficlets! Whether you or a ficletlet are headed back to your studies or you're just looking forward to cooler weather and autumn vibes, this time of year has plenty to celebrate.

In this themed and studious episode your hosts explore setting as a vehicle for found family dynamics, mentorship and intergenerational friendship, the tradition of bildüngsroman and college AUs, and an unintentionally vast pile of campus novel recommendations.

Works discussed in this episode:

- "i'll write you harmony in c" by magneticwave (Pride and Prejudice)

This special episode of Fic Clique treads familiar ground with new faces as your hosts welcome guests of the pod Isis, Morbane, and Pendrecarc! 

Yuletide is an annual exchange that is beloved not just to the pod but to fandom at large, and we were thrilled to chat with some of the mods and dig a little deeper into the event. This episode provides everything you need to know about Yuletide, from participation logistics to moderator insights to many wonderful fic recs. We even have the inside scoop on some news for 2026's event, but please; leave your questionably-real German novels at home. 

Works mentioned in this episode: 

- "The Marvels of Whitby" by Sath (Medieval Manuscript Illustrations)

You can find the mods and other information about the event at yuletide-admin.dreamwidth.org.

In this not-so-mini two-host minisode, Brenna and Reid explore one of their most beloved corners of Ao3: Astolat's Geralt/Emhyr Witcher works! Using a rubric we created from the foundational elements of this ship we analyze how each work functions to help craft the narrative of this rarepair we love so much. 

Works discussed in this episode are all of Astolat's Geralt/Emhyr Witcher fics, which can be found in the compiled series on her Ao3 profile. 

3...2...1...Liftoff. We're rounding out this year's birthday episodes with one of Reid's favorite genres: space opera! With themes of language, sacrifice, and human connection, the backdrop of space provides a rich setting for us to play in. 

Media discussed in this episode include: 

Ficlets, we don't know about you, but your hosts are having a Greek God Summer. Join us in this episode for a sweeping discussion of mythmaking, why we tell stories, and which ones have the most staying power. And also a surprisingly high amount of chatter about Hadestown for an episode that doesn't feature a Hadestown fic.

Works discussed in this episode:

- "seventy-five perpetual deaths for the underworld’s prince" by anonymousAlchemist (Hades Game)

Hot off of our omegaverse episode, we jumped into another classic fandom mainstay: the trio of fandoms known (perhaps only to us) as SuperWolfLock — Supernatural, Teen Wolf, and Sherlock. If that wasn't enough of a uniting theme for you, these fics also have something else in common, and the prognosis is not looking good.

Join your hosts as we dive into fic about harrowing (sometimes terminal) illness, romance in dark times, and three classic fandoms where fic writers have been cooking up stories for years upon years.

Works discussed in this episode:

- "Alone On the Water" by Mad_Lorie (Sherlock)

What's the smell in the air? Is it fresh coffee grounds, or the earth after rain? No, it's something a little... wolfier? 

Ficlets, it's time to foray into the omegaverse! This episode looks at the trope from its inception to modern day, with our discussion examining the trope's worldbuilding, allegories of oppression, and lasting power in fanfiction spaces.

Works discussed in this episode: