out_there | Fic Recs: Utopia | five times milton escaped from hell (and one time he didn’t)

Fic recs, because mentioning what you've enjoyed reading leads to more happy reading for everyone.

Firstly, a gen Firefly story that captures how incredibly creepifying the Reavers can be and how strong the crew can be for each other. I love the pacing of this and the growing dread (do not read last thing at night), and a hopeful ending with the crew together. (Halfway through I was worried it wouldn't end well, so I wanted to flag that upfront.)

Utopia (7619 words) by MSSalieri
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Firefly (TV 2002)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Jayne Cobb, Serenity Crew (Firefly TV 2002)
Additional Tags: Reavers (Firefly TV 2002), Canon-Typical Violence, Torture
Summary:

Jayne leaned over Mal in the pilot’s chair, one hand gripping the frame of the cockpit windows as he craned his neck up to get a good look at the underbelly of the ship. In barely legible lettering on the side was the ship’s name: Utopia. Jayne appreciated the irony of that, proving that he wasn’t as stupid as he liked to pretend.

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On the other end of the scale, I watched Drive Angry on the weekend. If you haven't seen it, Drive Angry features Nicholas Cage as John Milton, a dead man who's escaped from Hell to save his baby granddaughter, and William Fitchner as The Accountant, the agent of Hell sent to retreive him. The film feels like a nod to 70s B-movies: the cars, the exaggerated violence, the female nudity, the Satanic cults, and there's something about the cuts and the speed of filming that feels 70s to me. It is not a good movie and I can't recommend it in good conscience, but it is enjoyable enough if you turn your brain off and enjoy watching Nicholas Cage and William Fitchner do what they do.

Now, having said that, this fic is an absolute gem that captures the vibe of the film and the voices of the characters, and is ridiculously fun.

five times milton escaped from hell (and one time he didn’t) (23652 words) by Dien
Chapters: 6/6
Fandom: Drive Angry (2011)
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Relationships: John Milton/The Accountant
Characters: John Milton, The Accountant (Drive Angry)
Additional Tags: Frenemies, Dubious Consent, Canon-Typical Violence, Prostitution, Drug Use, Hatesex, your life choices milton, smarm as foreplay, bonding over cars and murder, violence as foreplay