At the request of our esteemed WebMater, I now attempt to furnish full direct links for my Recs.

Belatrix Carter's Natural Habitat:
http://www.hermit.org/Blakes7/Library/DispStor.cgi?DD=0&ST=0016&COUNT

Willa Shakespeare's Coma Avon Nights:

http://www.hermit.org/Blakes7/Library/DispStor.cgi?DD=0&ST=0239&COUNT

From which I deduce that if you know the index number of one of the blasted stories you can just edit the string to include it just before "&COUNT"--e.g., Willa's "Love's Illusions" as #0240.

Gaaaah, I feel like Princess Katherine in Henry V muttering about "le count" and "le foot." Quel langage immonde!

Another character-themed rec.

Where the Shadows Lie, by Anne Ellis
Fandom: LotR
Pairing: none/gen
Author Website:Anne Ellis's fic at Versaphile
Why this Must be Read:
For starters, it's pre-Quest Frodo, who we don't see too much of. For another, it recalls the death of Frodo's parents, but in an understated fashion. It's just Frodo out swimming with his young cousins, which of course makes him think of his parents. Less a relevatory character study, and more a painting of a moment, Anne's lovely, rich-but-simple language follows Frodo's thoughts and captures the feel of a warm lazy day in the sunshine, with just the tiniest hints of darkness lying underneath.

Excerpt: The river swirled around his waist. Frodo sank into it, letting the water take his weight as it sluiced over his shoulders with a thrilling shock of cold. Pippin still clung about his neck.
"Merry said you left Buckland to live with Bilbo because your dad and your mummy died. It was a long time ago, wasn't it?"
Frodo turned to his back and lifted his feet. "I was about your age, Pip." The current cupped his body like a hand, the rocking of the river immediately taking them further from the shore.

Fandom: X-MEN COMICVERSE
Pairing: Gen
Author on LJ: kassia06
Author Website: Kassia's page at fanfiction.net
Why this must be read: I settled on Break Through for my first rec, after much fandom-appropriate angst, because it's so newbie friendly. There's really nothing you need to know about the main characters -- Bobby Drake/Iceman and Magneto -- their history, or their situation, that isn't in the story.

Break Through has pretty much everything that brings me joy in a story. In fact, I'd be perfectly happy to kill someone -- preferably the current writers -- to see this sort of thing in the actual comics. The plot makes sense. The actions taken have consequences. The dialogue is sharp, people-actually-do-talk-like-this stuff. It is frequently very funny, but not at the expense of the (wonderful) characterisation. And the first time I read it, it had me on the edge of my seat in suspense, trying to work out what the hell was going on, and what the hell was going to happen next.

I tried to pick out an excerpt, but I didn't want to give even any little spoilers for a story that's full of unexpected developments, and anyway, it's great right from the beginning. Just start reading; I doubt you'll want to stop.

Break Through, by Kassia. It's also available at (unfrozen) in parts, if you want to torment yourself with cliffhangers.

So, I'm the lazy slacker who is supposed to be doing Firefly, but my computer keeps on eating my posts. I should have it up later tonight, but I want to post this pic to get you all excited for my fabulous gay space cowboys.

And this isn't even the slashiest pictures I have. Notice the very tight pants and the nudity. It's a Firefly theme.

First, I want to say how impressed I am with those who have gone before me. You all kick ass! I’m sorry this has taken so long, but I’m lazy and LJ ate my post… twice! I hope it was worth the wait!

Also I struggled with how much of the plot of the show I should give away. I decided to be pretty vague about the plots of specific episodes. I really encourage people to watch the show. It’s tons of fun and the dvds are coming out soon. Watch, read the amazing fic, drool over all the pretty people.

So, Firefly…

( “Introduction” )
( “Overview” )
( “Characters” )
( “Bits” )
( “Fic )
If I forgot any thing or if anything is at all confusing please tell me. Fic recs starting tomorrow. I also hope I have managed to convey how truly awesome and fun this show is. The actors are pretty and more importantly can actually act. The stories are fun with the perfect about of angst and the dialogue is witty. There are dvds in December and a movie next year. Love the gay space cowboys and you will be richly rewarded. I again apologize to all the non-slashers out there. I promise to rec some good het too.

Fandom: THE X-FILES
Pairing: Fox Mulder/Alex Krycek
Author Website: The Garret
Why this must be read:

Given the canonical relationship between Mulder and Krycek, it's hardly surprising that violence and abuse are common components in M/K slash. A Boy and His Rat is a fic which delves deep into these dark aspects of the pairing, while being at the same time a beautiful, even romantic, love story. It takes the on-screen Mulder who never thinks twice about beating Alex up even when he's in handcuffs, and lets us look inside his mind as he comes to discover what those impulses really say about him, sexually and emotionally. And it gives us a Krycek who worships his G-man with a near religious fervour, willing and eager to sacrifice everything he is - everything that remains of him after a life-time of horrors - on the altar of his love. It's a tale of two men so damaged by life that there is nothing normal left about the way they seek love, but who nevertheless discover that they can love, and perhaps be loved back, with a depth and a passion they didn't know themselves capable of.

This is a long story, but the further you get into it, the more moving it becomes, and the better the writing is, so make sure you stick with it till the end. For me, this is one of those reads which are utterly, devastatingly mesmerizing while you are in the middle of them, and which stay with you long after the final sentence is over. As an example of Mulder/Krycek fic, it illustrates the intermingling of violence and passion, love and hate which for many people lies at the core of this fandom, but it does so in a way uniquely its own, stretching the borders of the characters while keeping them true to themselves. It remains one of the greatest, and most disturbed, love stories I've ever read.

A Boy and His Rat