oxfordtweed: (Animated - H2G2 Lemons)
Richard Book is Innocent ([personal profile] oxfordtweed) wrote2010-11-30 09:11 pm
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Crack Van

Hey, Guide fans out there!

Over on [livejournal.com profile] crack_van this month, I'll be doing recs for, you guessed it, Hitchhiker's Guide. Be sure to watch the community for the recs I'll be posting for the month of December. Or, if you have any suggestions on what I should rec, let me know!

[identity profile] afullmargin.livejournal.com 2010-12-02 03:30 am (UTC)(link)
It is so very awesome you're doing HHGttG this month. :) I'm totally fangirling all over the thought. <3

I won't pass over many recs because I want to see what you come up with, but you know I'm voting anything Ford/Arthur with a good Arthur voice.

Oh! On second thought, just one nugget I absolutely adore by a writer who is really one of those writers that deserves to be on every rec list, really. Beverages (http://community.livejournal.com/libraryofsol/10349.html) is pretty awesome, PG rated mildly slashy Ford/Arthur with good Ford double speak and dense Arthur.

There, did my piece. Hee.

[identity profile] mr-x-indeed.livejournal.com 2010-12-02 03:35 am (UTC)(link)
Awh, man. I was hoping to get away with a totally slash-free string of recs. :P


Actually, that's a lie. Two of the ones I have on my list are sort of in that wishy-washy 'implied' area, and one that I'm still sitting on is overtly slash (which, honestly, is why I'm still sitting on it lol).

I don't know what it is, but no matter how much I squint and turn my head to the side, I cannot see it. Maybe I just like Fenchurch and Lintilla too much. Or, more likely (as is evidenced by the rest of my choice pairings), I've just outgrown my slash goggles all together.

Then again, I never shipped Arthur with anyone but Fenchurch, as even Lintilla, while funny, still doesn't quite do it for me.

[identity profile] afullmargin.livejournal.com 2010-12-02 04:06 am (UTC)(link)
:P Those of us still watching slash-vision appreciate the nod. Hah.

I do understand where you're coming from, and you know I'll all about whatever works for you. :)

I have pretty much always shipped Ford/Arthur - mostly because in many ways I never got beyond Restaurant At The End Of The Universe and Fenchurch doesn't really register on my radar much. :( I always sort of felt her characterization was weak for Adams, and in a way that never called out to me for development.

I'll blame it all on the buddy aspect, though - I don't know what it says about me but I don't think there is a buddy pairing I don't tinhat.

[identity profile] mr-x-indeed.livejournal.com 2010-12-02 04:13 am (UTC)(link)
I do think that a lot of my Arthur/Ford aversion actually has to do with Geoffrey McGivern being my Ford. I've heard people say that he and Dixon were almost exactly the same, but I disagree completely.

It might only just be that because they were on television, and we could therefore see Dixon's rather soft little face (which, yeah. He was adorable as Ford), it sort of injected a sort of sympathetic element that I never got from McGivern.

McGivern's Ford was always rather snarky, and seemed to like having Arthur around in the same way that a person likes having a cat around; he was rather attached to the poor human, but it wasn't really clear why.

And at the same time, that's why I adore Fenchurch. She was the first character who really seemed to 'get' Arthur. She knew that he was kind of dim, but she also accepted that.
Edited 2010-12-02 04:19 (UTC)

[identity profile] afullmargin.livejournal.com 2010-12-02 04:18 pm (UTC)(link)
AHHHH. That actually makes total sense. McGivern & Dixon are MILES apart in their portrayal. Personally, my Ford and Arthur will always be Dixon & Jones (Though I was quite happy with Martin Freeman, but when am I not?) and I really think it makes a huge difference with the slash goggles.

I think Dixon's Ford really seemed to play up the affection Ford really had for Arthur that I see particularly in the first book. Of course, Dixon also really seemed to play up a bit of Ford's not-quite understanding of human motivation and emotion.

Hee. And yes, I completely agree about McGivern's Ford - the big difference in that particular aspect I think was for Dixon it wasn't that didn't know why he was attached to the poor human, it was that he wanted to understand/protect/guide him. I sort of have this head canon idea that in his reasoning Ford actually thought he could bring Arthur up to a "higher plane" of reasoning and that Arthur would be a more ideal traveling companion... you know, if things hadn't have gone a bit wonky and all.

My reading of Fenchurch always felt that she was a bit condescending to him, but I'm quite open to your interpretation. Damn it has been too long since I've read the books.

[identity profile] mr-x-indeed.livejournal.com 2010-12-02 04:28 pm (UTC)(link)
I've got my own headcanon for Ford (and Zaphod, as it follows) for why he brought Arthur along, which also explains why he doesn't seem to think it's a very big deal that the Earth is no more. The basic gist of it is that what with Betelgeuse being on the verge of supernova as it is, and from our perspective could actually go at any time, it already has. A red giant goes supernova? It's not just going to take out its own planetary system, but several nearby star systems as well. That Gretchentown, New Betel that Ford mentions to Hotblack, in my headcanon, is actually a totally different planet orbiting a totally different star just north of Orion's Belt.

I'm sort of starting to explore these reasons in my Nano fic that is taking way too long to finish, but I do plan on doing something a bit more with it later.
Edited 2010-12-02 16:29 (UTC)

[identity profile] afullmargin.livejournal.com 2010-12-02 04:42 pm (UTC)(link)
Huh, quite interesting. :) Yet another reason to eagerly await the NoNo of dooooom.

I love it when you totally make sense of things I don't even consider.

[identity profile] mr-x-indeed.livejournal.com 2010-12-02 04:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Did you mean for that to be "NoNo" or are you making interesting typos again?

[identity profile] afullmargin.livejournal.com 2010-12-02 05:03 pm (UTC)(link)
I should have left the version up with the html tag fail too.

Oy. I hate using keyboards that are not my own!!! *kill*

[identity profile] mr-x-indeed.livejournal.com 2010-12-02 05:04 pm (UTC)(link)
haha I was gonna say, I saw you delete that comment. That was some epic HTML fail. :P


Man, I've become so spoiled by ergo keyboards. I can't use the regular flat ones any more.

[identity profile] afullmargin.livejournal.com 2010-12-03 04:30 am (UTC)(link)
Haha. I'm really good at that... fail really runs in my blood.

And I'm one of those people with hands that are actually much smaller than the really should be given my massive size. On top of that I'm getting a bit more swollen and gnarly ever year and ergo keyboards just don't work out well for me.

I'll take my tiny little laptop keyboard and screen that makes me squint. :P

[identity profile] mr-x-indeed.livejournal.com 2010-12-03 04:33 am (UTC)(link)
The break in my current keyboard is really small, and it annoys me. My previous keyboard, the break used to be several inches, and there was a huge angle in the bend.

And then it went out, and I had to get a new one. This was the only ergo keyboard Best Buy had. Apparently, they're going out of style, which makes me sad.

[identity profile] afullmargin.livejournal.com 2010-12-03 04:45 am (UTC)(link)
Awh. I have no idea how you do it, hon. Wow, that really just amazes me that people prefer them.

And I seriously feel the same way about mice that are *not* wireless. I totally don't trust wireless attachments as mine seem to have a nasty habit of dying after about six months. *twitch*

[identity profile] mr-x-indeed.livejournal.com 2010-12-03 04:49 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, god. Wireless computer gadgets. Just... no.


But, yeah. It was weird to get used to at first, but I have to say, I can handle being on the computer for a lot longer before my wrists start to bother me, now.

[identity profile] afullmargin.livejournal.com 2010-12-03 04:52 am (UTC)(link)
They make me twitchy... and it gets even worse for laptops where everyone assumes you must be totally wireless at all times... I get funny looks when I take my laptop to school and whip out my huge ass corded mouse.

[identity profile] mr-x-indeed.livejournal.com 2010-12-03 04:54 am (UTC)(link)
haha yeah.

My laptop mouse has a cord, but my laptop is dead. So now, I'm just on my desktop. Which is on my coffee table, and set up like an oversized laptop. XD

[identity profile] afullmargin.livejournal.com 2010-12-03 04:59 am (UTC)(link)
Hahaha. I have the exact opposite issue - desktop died after many years of horrible abuse and has since been more or less replaced forever by my laptop.

I actually held out on getting a laptop - I've had this one just over a year and it is my very first. :) The thought of getting one made me feel like I was giving in to the social conscious that said we all have to be mobile. Much like my battle with cell phones, I caved and got one when the convenience factor outweighed my desire to be a hold out.

[identity profile] mr-x-indeed.livejournal.com 2010-12-03 05:02 am (UTC)(link)
I've been wanting to get a new laptop for a while. They just cost money.

[identity profile] afullmargin.livejournal.com 2010-12-03 05:05 am (UTC)(link)
Yes, that whole money thing is a horrible issue. Before the whole move/split/drama business I managed to set aside enough to pick up a $300 Compaq that suits my needs well.

Granted my needs are amazingly simplistic. I can play video games, use Word, and access the internet. I'm happy.

[identity profile] mr-x-indeed.livejournal.com 2010-12-03 05:07 am (UTC)(link)
Replace games with music and video, and that's pretty much exactly what I need, as well.

[identity profile] afullmargin.livejournal.com 2010-12-03 05:25 am (UTC)(link)
I've had pretty good luck with my beast so far... heats up a bit after three-four hours but a cooling pad solved that. Came with the Windows Vista virus, and eventually I'll upgrade that out of the system too.

Other than that, well worth the cash. I'm so glad I bought it when I did because now... yeah, money? What's that? I forgot just how bad it sucks to live on a student income as opposed to a busting-my-ass income.

[identity profile] mr-x-indeed.livejournal.com 2010-12-03 05:28 am (UTC)(link)
Awh, yeah. But being a student at least means that you'll be able to do something a bit more interesting than cube farm work. In theory, anyway.

[identity profile] afullmargin.livejournal.com 2010-12-03 05:30 am (UTC)(link)
In theory. In practice it means I'll spend the next 8-10 years puttering through under-grad/grad work with a few meaningless jobs only to be told my Ph.D Psy is obsolete. Or so my inner pessimist says.

Gah I love that picture. I'm now completely distracted by your icon.

[identity profile] mr-x-indeed.livejournal.com 2010-12-03 05:31 am (UTC)(link)
Gah, my icons. I realised today that I have more icons than I have LJ posts.

WTF, self?

[identity profile] afullmargin.livejournal.com 2010-12-03 05:40 am (UTC)(link)
Yikes, I really have more posts... but several of them lack the content of your icons. Hah.

[identity profile] mr-x-indeed.livejournal.com 2010-12-03 05:41 am (UTC)(link)
I rationalise it by saying that I post more to communities than I do to my own journal, so the icons are warranted.

Yep. Totally and completely necessary.

[identity profile] afullmargin.livejournal.com 2010-12-03 05:43 am (UTC)(link)
Absolutely necessary. Undeniably.