Previously on Popslash: "No one said the word 'subliminal'. But it buzzed around his head like a tattoo made of rhythm all the same."

Today on Popslash: Before You (NC - 17)

Fandom: Popslash
Pairing: Chris/JC (TrickC, Kirkchastrick)
Author on LJ: uhmidont
Author Website: Just So Pretty
Why this must be read:

For the better part of two hours now, I've been trying to organize the many compliments that I want to give this fic into semi-coherent sentences. Not much headway has been made -- possibly due to the fact that I keep breaking off from writing to go back and reread my favorite parts of the story. Then, of course, I have to wallow in my admiration for a while, have some coffee, and then dig out my thesaurus in order to have sufficiently effusive adjectives at hand for that point in the near future when I might possibly maybe consider getting around to finishing this rec. The thing is, there's just so much in this story that I do admire.

Before You doesn't wallop you immediately with something so hilarious/strange as to grab you and hold you tight through the rest of the story, unlike the two excellent stories I recc'ed here before. Instead, it places a relentlessly tormenting Chris and utterly hapless JC in front of you and just lets their messy, dysfunctional, hot -- and monumentally loveable -- relationship develop.

The story is set during the early days of *Nsync (or the era of Baby!Sync, which is the kickier, more poptastic way of phrasing it) when Justin and Lance were both so young as to require parental permission to see a Joe Eszterhas movie and the guys shared a house in Orlando. At times, and depending upon the pairing, Baby!Sync stories often seem to be synonymous with "ew, sap much?" -- luckily for us, though, Amber is too canny an author to succumb to that. She balances out the heavier, more serious scenes by shooting humor through both JC and Chris's characterizations and through their interactions with one another. She also -- and I love this -- occasionally gives us great glimpses of Joey, Justin, and Lance in the background.

Other than Joey's girlfriend, Kelly, and Lance's mother -- both of whom have been covered here on crack_van before -- there's no supporting cast to speak of in this story. So, in lieu of that: ( a small JC and Chris gallery. )

Wednesday on Popslash: "If, at any point, you would like to stop talking, I would be so in favor of that."

**I've been having remote image loading issues today, so please let me know if the images aren't working. After all, I could just tell you that one of the pictures in this post features a very satisfied looking JC wearing David Copperfield's pants and a tiny fur-lined jacket that possibly belonged to his grandmother, but can you honestly say you wouldn't rather see that for yourself?**

Okay, so, SG1 is based on that movie, The Stargate with Kurt Russell and James Spader. Loved Spader, tolerated Russell, and actually stayed for the whole movie. Fast forward a year or two later, and SG1 pops up on TV. This time, Colonel Jack O’Neill is played by Richard Dean Anderson, instead of Russell and Dr. Daniel Jackson is played by Michael Shanks, not James Spader. Love Shanks, LOVE Anderson, am glued to the TV on Monday and Friday nights, own Season 1 through 4 on DVD. So, yes, the TV show made me a fan.

And why not?

( Pics and Bios )

( Show Overview )

And now, for the good stuff, ( SG1 Fanfiction Archives )


And ooo, in case you’re wondering: I like Sam and Jack together. They’re pretty together. See? (Points towards pix.) But you know? So are Jack and Daniel. Mmmmm. So, the recs will run the gauntlet from gen, to het, to slash. Enjoy!

Fandom: CSI
Pairing: Sara/Grissom
Author Website: I don't know if she has her own site, but I'll point you to her page on grissomandsara.com

Why this must be read: Sara and Grissom are arguably the most popular het pairing in the fandom. Sara's feelings for Grissom are canon, which gives the Sara/Grissom shippers a lot to work with. They also have a mentor/student relationship from way back which makes the dynamic interesting. Since I don't read CSI het I asked a friend who writes it what her suggestions would be for really representative het fic in the fandom, and this is the first fic she pointed me to. It reads a lot like a romance novel, actually, and while the formatting is a little unfortunate it's one of those 'what if' fics that fans of the pairing should really take a look at.

The Seduction of Sara Sidle

And the sequel:

Grissom's Overture

Post a comment below to take a turn pimping any or all of the Star Trek fandoms. A week in advance of your assigned month you will be notified with a reply to your comment. During that time, you agree to post a minimum of 1 fic per week in the following format:

Subject: Title by Author (Rating)

Fandom: YOUR FANDOM
Pairing: (no abbreviations, please)
Author on LJ: (if applicable)
Author Website: (author's fics, if available)
Why this must be read:

Emphasis should be on fics that you feel are especially outstanding and accessible examples of your fandom, e.g. it plays on a repeated theme in the show, it's a fandom or a personal favourite, it was a controversial fic, it's good smut. Whatever.

Warnings are not required beyond what the author has posted on their own stories.

Thanks for playing and remember, kids! Without you, the crack_van will run out of gas!!

(snerk)