Yuletide 2025 Letter
Oct. 20th, 2025 09:02 pmI felt like requesting all Ursula K Le Guin things this year.
Gammarad on ao3
My general likes letter is here.
I'm most interested in ideas for this - whether carrying forward Le Guin's ideas, or your own in tension with hers - and in the character, what made her who she was, what it meant to her. If you want to focus more on worldbuilding, Odo can be a historical character in the story rather than living, or the story could go into her past and she could be very young. Or maybe she makes a friend her own age around the time period.
DNWs for this request: setting change AUs or crossovers with non Le Guin works. Canon divergences that don't change much about the setting and world are fine. Crossovers with other Le Guin works that are set in this story's setting are fine.
Standard DNWs: anything that would fit ao3's underage sex warning; injuries involving exposed bone; bad ends for cat characters; explicit threats made to a character regarding hurting their loved ones or a child or pet
I'm most interested in ideas for this - whether carrying forward Le Guin's ideas, or your own in tension with hers - and in the characters, what made them who they are, what it meant to them. It can be as political as you like.
DNWs for this request: setting change AUs or crossovers with non Le Guin works - canon divergence is fine, changing minor details of the culture of Urras is fine, crossovers with other Le Guin works are fine if that's a direction you want to take.
Standard DNWs: anything that would fit ao3's underage sex warning; injuries involving exposed bone; bad ends for cat characters; explicit threats made to a character regarding hurting their loved ones or a child or pet
I recently read the story "Dragonfly" about Irian's youth and finding her true identity, and I'm mostly interested in a fic based upon that story, rather than all of Earthsea. Maybe Irian can go visit somewhere in Earthsea in mostly human form as well as maybe sometimes dragon form. Maybe she has friends to visit and hang out with. Maybe she is seeking an item or a piece of knowledge. Maybe she goes time traveling to meet some of the early mages of Roke, especially the women there early on before it became all men (I also read The Finder around when I read Dragonfly).
DNW for this request: crossovers, setting change AUs. Exception: crossover with Searoad or setting change to allow Dragonfly/Irian to visit Klatsand would be welcome. Maybe a dragon is a kind of rain woman or foam woman there.
Standard DNWs: anything that would fit ao3's underage sex warning; injuries involving exposed bone; bad ends for cat characters; explicit threats made to a character regarding hurting their loved ones or a child or pet
I recently re-read the book to write my worldbuilding assignment and fell in love with it again. I'm very interested in the ideas behind Karhide's culture, and how they are similar and different with the other cultures on Winter. The frustrating government of Orgoreyn has interesting parallels and differences to various real life nations as well. Anything that explores the culture, the governments and religions, the influence of the unique relationship of people on Winter to gender and primary sex characteristics, and parenthood, the relationships between children and their parents, siblings, all of it (though I'd prefer less focus on sibling sexual and romantic relationships than the book has, I don't mind at all focus on siblings co-parenting).
Feel free to bring in characters or societies from any Hainish works to compare and contrast and make trouble.
DNWs for this request: removing the unique sex-and-gender qualities of characters and most people in their culture; crossovers with non-Le Guin works.
Standard DNWs: anything that would fit ao3's underage sex warning; injuries involving exposed bone; bad ends for cat characters; explicit threats made to a character regarding hurting their loved ones or a child or pet.
The four nominated characters in this were my four favorite ones, so a story about any of the four would be excellent. Put in as many of them interacting as you want, and bring in any other canonical characters that you like, too.
Virginia: She's had a lot going on in her life; Hernes tells a lot of it, but there's definitely room for stories of what happened in between those times. Her relationships with Jane and with Lily are very important, but so is the future. What happens with Virginia post canon?
Katharine: What kind of book will she have a relationship with next? Maybe she can enjoy something different from her usual. I've vaguely heard of a concept called a 'fucklibrary' where books get checked out and turn into people that have sex? I might have this entirely wrong, but also it seems like the sort of thing Katharine would be incredibly into?
Rosemarie: I feel like she could write the script for a great comic or graphic novel, if she found the right person to illustrate it. Or maybe she really does meet an alien at her motel? Was she involved in her husband's death at all, and if so, does anyone ever catch on?
Ava: I am sure there's a lot to be written about her, she's so much more interesting than that darn writer she caters to. But he doesn't deserve to know anymore (he could anyway). Maybe something with her son, or where she's trying to help a young woman out? But really any inspiration you get about her would be great.
DNW for this request: Crossovers with fandoms I've never requested (use the app to see all my previous requests, or ask via mod email). Crossovers with fandoms too big for Yuletide.
Standard DNWs: anything that would fit ao3's underage sex warning; injuries involving exposed bone; bad ends for cat characters; explicit threats made to a character regarding hurting their loved ones or a child or pet
The ideas and culture in this story (Solitude) are so compelling and different and the character of Serenity especially caught my attention, along with her mother and her friend.
For worldbuilding, I'd love to read a fic about how things change or how they got the way they are shown in Le Guin's story. Or about what happens with locals who don't meet Hainish people, or meet them later on. Does anyone ever manage to get someone willing to speak for the planet? is that person locally considered suspect for doing so? A planet where people absolutely refuse to have a government or let anyone try to persuade them of anything is quite a challenge for a Mobile.
for the characters, I want to see what they get up to, but I haven't any fixed ideas.
DNW for this request: graphic noncon (canonical mentions okay). Crossovers with non Le Guin works.
Standard DNWs: anything that would fit ao3's underage sex warning; injuries involving exposed bone; bad ends for cat characters; explicit threats made to a character regarding hurting their loved ones or a child or pet
Gammarad on ao3
My general likes letter is here.
The Day before the Revolution: Laia Asieo Odo
I'm most interested in ideas for this - whether carrying forward Le Guin's ideas, or your own in tension with hers - and in the character, what made her who she was, what it meant to her. If you want to focus more on worldbuilding, Odo can be a historical character in the story rather than living, or the story could go into her past and she could be very young. Or maybe she makes a friend her own age around the time period.
DNWs for this request: setting change AUs or crossovers with non Le Guin works. Canon divergences that don't change much about the setting and world are fine. Crossovers with other Le Guin works that are set in this story's setting are fine.
Standard DNWs: anything that would fit ao3's underage sex warning; injuries involving exposed bone; bad ends for cat characters; explicit threats made to a character regarding hurting their loved ones or a child or pet
The Dispossessed: (any nominated character)
I'm most interested in ideas for this - whether carrying forward Le Guin's ideas, or your own in tension with hers - and in the characters, what made them who they are, what it meant to them. It can be as political as you like.
DNWs for this request: setting change AUs or crossovers with non Le Guin works - canon divergence is fine, changing minor details of the culture of Urras is fine, crossovers with other Le Guin works are fine if that's a direction you want to take.
Standard DNWs: anything that would fit ao3's underage sex warning; injuries involving exposed bone; bad ends for cat characters; explicit threats made to a character regarding hurting their loved ones or a child or pet
Earthsea: Orm Irian
I recently read the story "Dragonfly" about Irian's youth and finding her true identity, and I'm mostly interested in a fic based upon that story, rather than all of Earthsea. Maybe Irian can go visit somewhere in Earthsea in mostly human form as well as maybe sometimes dragon form. Maybe she has friends to visit and hang out with. Maybe she is seeking an item or a piece of knowledge. Maybe she goes time traveling to meet some of the early mages of Roke, especially the women there early on before it became all men (I also read The Finder around when I read Dragonfly).
DNW for this request: crossovers, setting change AUs. Exception: crossover with Searoad or setting change to allow Dragonfly/Irian to visit Klatsand would be welcome. Maybe a dragon is a kind of rain woman or foam woman there.
Standard DNWs: anything that would fit ao3's underage sex warning; injuries involving exposed bone; bad ends for cat characters; explicit threats made to a character regarding hurting their loved ones or a child or pet
The Left Hand of Darkness: (any nominated character)
I recently re-read the book to write my worldbuilding assignment and fell in love with it again. I'm very interested in the ideas behind Karhide's culture, and how they are similar and different with the other cultures on Winter. The frustrating government of Orgoreyn has interesting parallels and differences to various real life nations as well. Anything that explores the culture, the governments and religions, the influence of the unique relationship of people on Winter to gender and primary sex characteristics, and parenthood, the relationships between children and their parents, siblings, all of it (though I'd prefer less focus on sibling sexual and romantic relationships than the book has, I don't mind at all focus on siblings co-parenting).
Feel free to bring in characters or societies from any Hainish works to compare and contrast and make trouble.
DNWs for this request: removing the unique sex-and-gender qualities of characters and most people in their culture; crossovers with non-Le Guin works.
Standard DNWs: anything that would fit ao3's underage sex warning; injuries involving exposed bone; bad ends for cat characters; explicit threats made to a character regarding hurting their loved ones or a child or pet.
Searoad: (any nominated character)
The four nominated characters in this were my four favorite ones, so a story about any of the four would be excellent. Put in as many of them interacting as you want, and bring in any other canonical characters that you like, too.
Virginia: She's had a lot going on in her life; Hernes tells a lot of it, but there's definitely room for stories of what happened in between those times. Her relationships with Jane and with Lily are very important, but so is the future. What happens with Virginia post canon?
Katharine: What kind of book will she have a relationship with next? Maybe she can enjoy something different from her usual. I've vaguely heard of a concept called a 'fucklibrary' where books get checked out and turn into people that have sex? I might have this entirely wrong, but also it seems like the sort of thing Katharine would be incredibly into?
Rosemarie: I feel like she could write the script for a great comic or graphic novel, if she found the right person to illustrate it. Or maybe she really does meet an alien at her motel? Was she involved in her husband's death at all, and if so, does anyone ever catch on?
Ava: I am sure there's a lot to be written about her, she's so much more interesting than that darn writer she caters to. But he doesn't deserve to know anymore (he could anyway). Maybe something with her son, or where she's trying to help a young woman out? But really any inspiration you get about her would be great.
DNW for this request: Crossovers with fandoms I've never requested (use the app to see all my previous requests, or ask via mod email). Crossovers with fandoms too big for Yuletide.
Standard DNWs: anything that would fit ao3's underage sex warning; injuries involving exposed bone; bad ends for cat characters; explicit threats made to a character regarding hurting their loved ones or a child or pet
Solitude: (any nominated character)
The ideas and culture in this story (Solitude) are so compelling and different and the character of Serenity especially caught my attention, along with her mother and her friend.
For worldbuilding, I'd love to read a fic about how things change or how they got the way they are shown in Le Guin's story. Or about what happens with locals who don't meet Hainish people, or meet them later on. Does anyone ever manage to get someone willing to speak for the planet? is that person locally considered suspect for doing so? A planet where people absolutely refuse to have a government or let anyone try to persuade them of anything is quite a challenge for a Mobile.
for the characters, I want to see what they get up to, but I haven't any fixed ideas.
DNW for this request: graphic noncon (canonical mentions okay). Crossovers with non Le Guin works.
Standard DNWs: anything that would fit ao3's underage sex warning; injuries involving exposed bone; bad ends for cat characters; explicit threats made to a character regarding hurting their loved ones or a child or pet


