( Smallville - HoYay Capital of the World! )

Recommendations to come tomorrow...

My overview is slashcentric because the fandom is primarily slashy. I mean, just look at the boys! They're so pretty, and so in love! However, there is great het and gen fic, too, and I'll be making an effort to include some of those stories. But really, I'm all about the m/m love.

Finally, it is done. *g*

The X-Files was a show that ran for close to a decade, so not surprisingly, this is long. It is also very spoilery and picture heavy. I've done my best to give a balanced view of the series, but since I'm a slasher, I've given a bit extra room to things that are especially relevant from that aspect. Don't sue me, okay? ;) Also, my viewing of the last two seasons was sporadic at best, so in this overview, I don't have much to say about them. If I've gotten something completely wrong, don't hesitate to let me know.

( Files, what files? )

( Consortium, colonization, cloning... Why is it all so complicated? )

( Smokers, rats, gunmen... Don't these people have names? )

( That almost made sense. Now where's the fic? )

Previously on Popslash: "You're telling me I came out last night, and that wasn't the lead story on MTV?"

Today on Popslash: Flesh Mechanic (R)

Fandom: Popslash
Pairing: Supremely twisted Chris/Justin (Timbertrick). Chris/Justin as it might appear in a Thomas Harris novel.
Author on LJ: pop_tarts and throughadoor
Author Website: Kel's Songs about the Impossibility of Singing and Lise's Celebrate!
Warning from Author's Website: "Disturbing -- not graphic or gorey -- but disturbing."
Why this must be read: And now for something completely different.

As mentioned in my last post, I recc'ed Remember two days ago because of it's accessibility to newbies. Flesh Mechanic is, in my opinion, an equally accessible story...and that -- along with the fact that it shares a few of the same main characters and is, you know, written in English -- is the most these two fics have in common.

Flesh Mechanic was utterly unique within this fandom at the time it was first posted last year and has been endlessly recc'ed, analyzed, argued over, dismissed, and reclaimed by popslashers since then. My modem hates me for liking this story -- it groans in anguish when I try to upload the pages upon pages of discussion this story has generated over LJ.

It's a story that presents drastically different, extreme characterizations of the *Nsync-ers and delves into questions about the effects of celebrity worship and the nature of fans. It also raises questions about media accuracy, questions about the boundaries of RPF as a genre, and questions about what's really going on with Justin's blindingly white outfits -- all through a creepy, darkly humorous mixture of narrative, faux articles and interviews, images, and some kick-ass html work.

To be any more specific would be to give everything away, so I'll just link you one last time and send you on your way.

( The Supporting Cast: Additional Info. )

Monday on Popslash: I'll recc something with actual sex to fulfill the S part of this RPS-based fandom. Promise.

It's time for the second Homicide fic rec, and this time I've gone with something completely different, as befits a fandom with such a broad range of slash, gen, and het possibilities.

Fandom: Homicide: Life on the Street

Pairing: None, really, although there is reference to Kay Howard/John Munch

Category: Humor, crossover, AU

Story: The Accidental Finale by Valeria (verdandi, also known as violetisblue)

Website: http://www.certando.net; the Homicide fic is all here

This story is available at Vali's website and also on Schism and 11 cents.

Why this must be read: There are very few fanfic writers out there who do humor really well. There's cesperanza in due South, of course. And there's Valeria. She also does serious stuff quite well.

Valeria is wicked smart and sharp as a tack, and you don't want to get on her bad side. Some of the decisions *cough*Michael Michele*cough* that the Powers that Be *cough*Tom Fontana's an asshole*cough* made towards the end of Homicide's run incited the wrath of Valeria. We can all enjoy the results.

Yes, it's long. It's worth it to keep going though. Trust me.

( An excerpt. )

Go and read, my friends. You won't be sorry.

Fandom: THE SENTINEL

Pairing: Jim/Blair (slash)

Author Website: http://hos.slashcity.com/arslash.htm

Why this must be read:

Fruit of the Vine

One of the most intriguing themes in Sentinel erotic-fic is the consideration of what effect Jim's heightened senses would have on his sexual experiences. The various treatments of this range from the humorous to the scorchingly HOT, and Aristide deftly navigates the water between the two, adding just enough angst and introspection to give this story real resonance.

This story deals with Jim's senses in a unique and highly erotic manner, and the character development is superb -- this is a story in which you feel the emotions and the sexual tension, and the relief and satisfaction for the reader when the story reaches its climax (yes, pun intended) is simply luscious.

Aristide has a wonderfully descriptive style, and the dialog is fabulous as well. Plus, you'll definitely leave this story with a new appreciation for strawberries.

So, go read Fruit of the Vine, you know you want to; here's a taste to get you started:

"...you were just another partner to me, you know? A cop and a roommate, and I thought that I'd screwed things up for good, but then I figured out what I needed, and once I figured that out I was glad that I did what I did, because now I don't need a single, goddamn thing from you, except for you to love me."

Continuing with our first-season theme...Spark by Lara (aka Laras_Dice)

Fandom: Alias
Pairing: Sydney/Vaughn
Author on LJ: larasdice
Author Website: http://www.geocities.com/laras_dice/index.html
Why this must be read:

This is--okay, I almost said this is a typical first-season fic, and that sounds all wrong. This fic deals with two common season 1 themes. One is the hypothetical end of SD-6, how that would play out, and what the aftereffects would be. The other is the Sydney/Vaughn relationship (usually abbreviated S/V, despite the other Ses and Vs on the show), and how they could ever get together, given the handler/double agent dynamic.

This is one of my favorite fics to deal with both issues. Lara has a brain for plots and technical know-how that you wouldn't believe, and I like her take on the Vaughn/Sydney relationship. So much has happened since this story was written, but it really reminds me of how exciting that first season was, and how much we loved our characters.