A Doctor Who Reccing Community

Time to get right into it, I guess! - this is for the seasonal challenge, of course, and my character is Bernice Summerfield! I can't wait to pull out my favorite obscure fics, and remember how much I love Benny all over again. 

Title: Among Mad People

Creator: schrodinger

Rating: All Ages

Word Count/Length/Size: 59609 words, 16 chapters

Creator's Summary: On a desert world, Benny Summerfield and her team of students are uneasy neighbors with the Interplanetary Mining Corp. But now one of her students has turned up dead, and Benny needs the Doctor's professional opinion. As usual, she's going to get more than she bargained for. Part 2 of the "Companion" series.
Characters/Pairings: Bernice Summerfield, Doctor (Author-Created), a whole host of wonderful original characters.

Warnings/Notes: Swearing, some violence. 
 

Reasons for reccing: Way back when I was in primary school (yes, this is going to be one of those rec stories - sorry in advance) I was the sort of kid who was deeply in love with Doctor Who and its expanded universe, but was slightly too immature/flighty to actually understand it, if that makes sense. So I knew what Faction Paradox was, I knew about Anji and Fitz and Benny and Iris and everybody else, but I didn't actually.... know them. Not really. This led to a lot of really terrible (thankfully unpublished) fanfiction that I ended up writing in which I twisted everybody and everything utterly out of character and tone, and.... well! Anyway! This is my roundabout way of saying that I also had the odd tendency of going around all sort of fanfiction websites and reading fics about these characters, without ever properly reading them. That is to say, I sort of just skimmed them mindlessly, without absorbing any of the plot, and pretended I was enjoying it. Often, I'd come to a certain chapter/paragraph/section, blink back into reality, and really really enjoy that particular part. And I'd read it over and over without reading the rest of the story and pretend I knew what was going on. Yeah. I was a weird kid. Anyway, as the older, arguably wiser person I am now, I've ended up going back to these stories I skimread as a preteen and actually reading them this time. And more often than not, I'm pleasantly surprised how good they really are.

As you may have guessed by the longwinded childhood recap, 'Among Mad People' was one of these stories. (Yeah, now we're getting to the point! FINALLY!) It's a wonderfully longfic set in a universe of the author's devising, with a completely original (and ingeniously characterized) Doctor and companion and story arc. This particular story that I'm reccing is actually second in the series (which is overall titled 'Companion'), so it might be a good idea to go and read the first story first. Although both 'first' times I didn't even realize it was a series, and I think the second fic stands well on its own either way, so. Up to you, really. But honestly, schrodinger's writing is really REALLY good - it flows smoothly, the characters (original as they are) are intriguing and interesting, and you end up sympathizing with some of them even when you know you shouldn't. 

Anyway, let's talk about the story itself. The main character (despite the Doctor and Alex being there) is Bernice Summerfield - a slightly older version, anyway - one who's no longer travelling with the Doctor and has a son and a life of her own. She's on an expedition on some alien planet with a whole cast of her students (who are wonderfully developed characters on their own, by the way, that you'll grow to love through the story) when problems, as they always tend to, begin to arise. And the Doctor turns up, although it's not quite the one she was expecting. To say anything else about the plot would be to spoil it, because it's a mystery on some level; one that unfolds through the course of the story in an organic and natural way, with a couple of really brilliant plot twists here and there.

But the thing that really carries the whole piece is the character interactions. I'm usually super skeptical about author-created Doctor, and author-created companions too, come to think of it. However, in the hands of a skilled author - I've come to learn - they can be pulled off admirably. And schrodinger is nothing if not a skilled author. Alex - the companion - is a poisonous, sharp-witted delight of a character, presenting a perfect foil for both Benny and the Doctor, neither of which are taking any of her nonsense. The Doctor is uniquely Doctorish in manner, but still somehow different from all other incarnations. All of his interactions with Benny were pitch-perfect, despite there... not really being a pitch to match where canon is concerned. But he is definitely the Doctor - kind, funny, sad, and has the perfect plan at the end to save everybody. And then there's Benny, who has been written ever so well in this. God. I've been trying to adequately describe how great she is for the last few minutes, and I can't come up with any coherent words to suit. 

As one commenter said (and really, they've summed up my own thoughts on the story rather well): 'the whole story is worth it just for that last scene in the Library where they trade shots and Beatles lyrics'. Because oh my good god, the library scene is fantastic. 

But the rest of it is great, too.

This story is (checks) over a decade old. Which is making me feel old too now. But it is definitely, one hundred percent worth a read, and I deeply encourage you to check it (and the rest of the Companion series) out - if my long-winded rambling, and the intimidating wordcount, hasn't scared you off yet! I devoured most of it over the course of two nights on my More Mature Reread, and I have no doubt that you will end up doing much the same. You will laugh. You will cry. You will whisper 'Alex, no' very softly into the hand that you have raised to your mouth to prevent yourself from gasping out loud. I know I did.


( A preview... )

Link: https://www.whofic.com/viewstory.php?sid=12448