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Podfics: they’re the ‘books-on-tape’ of fandom.
They’re often unappreciated or overlooked completely, as they’re not always easy to find. It’s also unusual for people to put the energy into creating them — especially for longer works. I podfic some of my own stories, and in some instances it’s taken me five times longer than the length of the fic to record, edit, and produce it. (I’ve never kept proper track — it’s probably a depressing ratio — but I make podfics because I enjoy the process and the end result. It’s a different type of creativity than writing.)
Ironically, although I’ve created many hours of podfic, I’ve only recently started listening to them. I started running again, and being able to listen to stories takes my mind off the horrible pain and suffering long workouts.
There are some amazing podfics in the Inception fandom. I had a tough time coming up with a selection of only ten. I tried to strike a balance between humor, drama, crack, porn, and AUs, but I rather failed in the AU department. They’re my weakness. I used some very well-known stories, mostly because those are the ones I’ve listened to.
The big podfic repository can be found at http://www.audiofic.jinjurly.com/. It’s not very streamlined in terms of UI, but you can search by author, fic title, or reader, so it’s not too bad to find what you want if you know what you’re looking for.
If you don’t know what you’re looking for, it’s harder. Searching by fandom on ‘Inception’ (http://www.audiofic.jinjurly.com/category/movie-fandoms-live-action/inception) brings back twelve pages of results, but it's difficult to determine an exact number because they list the same podfic multiple times.
The moderators at jinjurly try to keep tabs on AO3 whenever podfic is posted there and add it to the archive. They also archive podfics posted to the amplificathon contest (http://amplificathon.dreamwidth.org/2712026.html). That’s another great place to search for newer podfic. (http://amplificathon.dreamwidth.org/tag/fandom:inception)
Files are stored in zip format containing mp3 or m4b files (depending on what type(s) of file the creator created). If they are listed as mp3, they will work on multiple types of devices. If they are listed as m4b or have [audiobook] in the title, they are intended for iTunes and Apple devices. It’s easiest to download the mp3 files, which work on both.
You can search for podfic on AO3 by checking for a related work link on the fic, looking for ‘Podfic’ in the title, or searching for a ‘Podfic’ tag. You can also type “podfic and inception” into the Search window and ignore the entries that come back with the tag “podfic welcome.” There are currently 115 Inception podfics on AO3. Some works will give you links to the jinjurly page to download the files, while others will host them on a different site.
Before I go, here are a couple tumblr posts with some more recommendations for podfics:
And with that, I hope you enjoy my podfic roundup!
Story: http://archiveofourown.org/works/133555
Podfic Link: http://archiveofourown.org/works/923810 (same as the reader link below, but the file links are broken)
Podfic Reader Link (please leave feedback here): http://archiveofourown.org/works/923810
Temporary podfic links (all MP3):
Title: Presque Vu
Author: rageprufrock
Reader: seussian
Warnings: violence, major character death (Mal)
Pairing(s): Arthur/Eames, Arthur/OMC, Mal/Cobb, Arthur & Mal, Arthur & Cobb
Rating: Mature
Length: 07:14:20
Summary: Or, "on the tip of the tongue." Arthur meets Mal first. He inherits Dom, after. Everything else is on him.
This is an epic podfic, seven hours of immersive story. Presque Vu has been mentioned more than once as “The Inception prequel” — it’s a massive backstory fic for Arthur, Mal, Cobb, and Eames. I got so caught up in this I was coming up with excuses to run errands so I could listen to it in the car. If you’re going to listen to one podfic, and you don’t mind your heart being ripped out in the middle, make it this one.
Story: http://archiveofourown.org/works/364921
Podfic Link: http://www.audiofic.jinjurly.com/waking-years
Podfic Reader Link (please leave feedback here): http://pennyplainknits.livejournal.com/276808.html
Temporary Podfic Links (all MP3):
Title: The Waking Years
Author: weatherfront
Reader: pennyplainknits
Warnings: none
Pairing(s): Arthur/Eames
Rating: Explicit
Length: 02:22:45
Summary: After the Fischer inception, Eames goes back to work as an extractor, and Arthur joins his team. Due to circumstances involving a guy who may or may not be from Greenland, pop astrology, someone's broken limb, hormones, and convenience, they end up learning that love is what starts down below (and makes its way up your spine).
The story is funny and sexy and a satisfying listen. The original characters in the story are well-rounded and their interactions really add to the narrative; weatherfront writes great fic, and this is no exception. Pennyplainknits is an amazing podficcer. She’s read a lot of weatherfront’s work, and I think I’ve listened to most of it.
Story: http://archiveofourown.org/works/118140
Podfic Link: http://www.audiofic.jinjurly.com/incipit-0
Podfic Reader Link (please leave feedback here): http://anatsuno.dreamwidth.org/971393.html
Temporary Podfic Link: MP3 (25MB), M4B (25MB)
Title: Incipit
Author: thehoyden
Reader: anatsuno
Warnings: none
Pairing(s): Arthur/Eames
Rating: Explicit
Length: 00:54:35
Summary: Arthur has been his editor from the beginning. Eames says he won't work with anyone else, and what Arthur will never tell him is that he would cut anyone who tried.
This is the Author!Eames/Book Editor!Arthur AU. It’s funny and sweet, and it makes me laugh every time I listen to it. There is also another version of it read by Twilight — you can find that here: http://www.audiofic.jinjurly.com/incipit (Temporary MP3 (30 MB), Podfic Reader Link). They are both very good.
Story: http://archiveofourown.org/works/225612
Podfic Link: http://archiveofourown.org/works/231564 (Note: audio links work)
Title: Breaking and Entering
Author: resonant
Reader: anatsuno
Warnings: none
Pairing(s): Arthur/Eames
Rating: Explicit
Length: 00:54:00
Summary: Eames is very good at pretending.
This was one of the first stories I read in the Inception fandom. It’s rather angsty but very satisfying. Eames is amazing in this, and I think this story is where I first fell completely in love with him as a character. This is another fic with anatsuno as the reader. I love the way she differentiates the characters and how she injects feeling into the story.
Story: http://archiveofourown.org/works/185459
Podfic Link: http://www.audiofic.jinjurly.com/any-eventuality
Podfic Reader Link (please leave feedback here): http://anatsuno.dreamwidth.org/979236.html
Alternate Podfic Link (from reader's page): mediafire link
Title: Any Eventuality
Author: Starlingthefool
Reader: anatsuno
Warnings: BDSM, consensual violence
Pairing(s): Arthur/Eames
Rating: Explicit
Length: 00:59:10
Summary: People assume that Eames likes to be in perfect control of everything: how he presents himself to the world, how others see him, how an extraction goes down. That's true, mostly. Sometimes. The reality is more complicated.
A story in which Eames is a sub who doesn't like to be penetrated, and Arthur is a dom that really, really does.
This story hit so many of my buttons, in all the best of ways. Once again, anatsuno is a brilliant reader, inflecting the different characters well and bringing a lot of life to reading. A word of warning for those who listen to podfic in public: this story is explicit for much of the time.
Story: http://archiveofourown.org/works/187557
Podfic Link: http://www.audiofic.jinjurly.com/everythings-magic
Podfic Reader Link (please leave feedback here): http://aphelant.dreamwidth.org/426779.html
Temporary Podfic Links (all MP3):
Title: Everything’s Magic
Author: foxxcub
Reader: aphelant
Warnings: none
Pairing(s): Arthur/Eames
Rating: Explicit
Length: 02:09:16
Summary: Eames is a were-unicorn, and Arthur is the architect unknowingly out to destroy Eames' home. The rest is just a fairytale love story.
It’s cracky, and funny, and well worth a listen. Everyone needs a fairytale AU. Aphelant does a great podfic, with a nice voice and great production quality.
Story: http://archiveofourown.org/works/135925
Podfic Link: http://www.audiofic.jinjurly.com/we-were-once-cinema-gods-in-night
Podfic Reader Link (please leave feedback here): http://aphelant.dreamwidth.org/418065.html
Temporary Podfic Links:
- complete file (MP3, 53 MB)
- part 1 (MP3, 40 MB)
- part 2 (MP3, 40 MB)
- podbook (M4B, 70MB)
Title: we were once cinema gods in the night
Author: gyzym
Reader: aphelant
Warnings: none
Pairing(s): Arthur/Eames
Rating: Mature
Length: 01:56:15
Summary: That's the thing about Hollywood--everyone has a Hollywood story.
It’s the Hollywood AU by gyzym, who also did the Domestic!verse. I love my AUs, and this one is no exception. It’s a classic. Once again, alephant does a great job with the podfic side of things, even doing special effects with telephone calls.
Story: http://archiveofourown.org/works/135867
Podfic Link: http://www.audiofic.jinjurly.com/ive-got-nothing-to-do-today-but-smile-only-living-boy-in-new-york
Podfic Reader Link (please leave feedback here): http://pennyplainknits.livejournal.com/248394.html
Temporary Podfic Links (all MP3s):
Title: I've Got Nothing To Do Today But Smile (The Only Living Boy in New York)
Author: gyzym
Reader: pennyplainknits
Warnings: none
Pairing(s): Arthur/Eames
Rating: Teen
Length: 01:51:03
Summary: Arthur's a corporate lawyer, Eames owns the coffee shop across the street, and all good love stories start with a quadruple shot latte.
This is the famous Coffeeshop AU. Pair that with pennyplainknit’s magical reading, and I can’t not include this. (Have I mentioned I love her voice?)
Story: http://archiveofourown.org/works/209225
Podfic Link: http://www.audiofic.jinjurly.com/we-can-do-this-until-we-pass-out
Podfic Reader Link (please leave feedback here): unknown
Temporary Podfic Link: none available (see below for podbook)
Title: We Can Do This Until We Pass Out
Author: delires
Reader: seussian
Warnings: none
Pairing(s): Arthur/Eames
Rating: Explicit
Length: 02:34:04
Summary: Disturbing London, baby, we about to branch out. (The one where Eames is a chav.)
This is the Chav!verse. It’s all about class differences and it takes a little while to get used to the slang. That said, this is one of those stories I’ve only listened to (and not read), and I picked it up just fine.
From the Oxford English Dictionary, a chav is “an informal British derogatory, meaning ‘a young lower-class person who displays brash and loutish behaviour and wears real or imitation designer clothes.’”
This is a podfic of the first story in the series. There's another version by the same reader that includes the sequel, but it's only available in podbook form.
Podfic Link: http://www.audiofic.jinjurly.com/we-can-do-this-until-we-pass-out-sequel-audiobook
Temporary Podfic Link: podbook only (M4B) 91MB
Title: We Can Do This Until We Pass Out + Sequel (Down to the Ground)
Length: 03:08:55
Story: http://archiveofourown.org/works/153587
Podfic Link: http://www.audiofic.jinjurly.com/node/7193
Podfic Reader Link (please leave feedback here): http://pennyplainknits.dreamwidth.org/88555.html
Temporary Podfic Link: podbook 74 MB (no MP3 available until the archive is back)
Title: Ach, des Knaben Augen
Author: toomuchplor
Reader: pennyplainknits
Musical editing and production: Xenakis
Warnings: none
Pairing(s): Arthur/Eames
Rating: Explicit
Length: 02:36:01
Summary: Being a freshman piano performance major at a prestigious New England conservatory is difficult enough without landing the school's star baritone as your singer, and inevitably, your hopeless crush.
This is the first story in the Steinway!Verse, the College AU where Arthur and Eames are musicians. The podfic is beautifully done and includes music, which really adds to it. I read the story first, and not knowing anything about music was a bit of a hindrance to my imagination. It’s only the first story in a huge series, but it can be read as a standalone with no problems.