Fandom: Homicide: Life on the Street

Pairing: None

Author on LJ: stubbleglitter

Author's websites: Elaysian Fields for Homicide, parodies, and comic stuff, ..unaware.. for popslash.

Why this must be read: Frank takes Tim out to Jimmy's after the movie, and the voices, the anguish, are dead-on. It's short, and it's real, and it's bloody perfect. Just go and read it, okay?

For Remembrance

Fandom: X-MEN COMICVERSE
Pairing: Pete Wisdom/Kitty Pryde (Shadowcat)
Author on LJ: None, as far as I know.
Author Website: None, AFAIK, but has stories on Fonts of Wisdom
Why this must be read: Amanda has a gift for writing the X-Men as real people, exactly as large as life and no larger, who make the same idiot mistakes as everyone else. It's used to full effect in this story, where mutants, magic and government conspiracies all seem realistically ordinary enough that no suspension of disbelief is required. While it doesn't have as much of the snark that's usually what makes this pairing appealing to me, Unidentified Human Remains is a solidly plotted 'case' story that works on several levels, as Pete and Kitty try to rebuild their relationship while solving a series of vile and inexplicable murders.

Some references are made to past canon events, but I don't think they should confuse anyone unfamiliar with them.

She had spent so long amongst invulnerable mutants, immortal enemies, magical creatures, people who came back from the dead on a semi-regular basis, that she had forgotten how small a human life really was. Fragile, delicate, a tiny glowing light cupped gently within hands - so frail that a strong wind could easily snuff it out.

The murderer was a hurricane.

Unidentified Human Remains & the True Nature of Love, by Amanda Sichter.

Fandom: Blakes7
Pairing: Blake-Avon
URL:
http://www.liberated.org.uk/1110lastwishes.htm

Why this must be read: Waaaah! I'll just get my head out of the oven and write up this entry...damn, I *hate* angst, so imagine what this does to people who like it (if that isn't a contradiction in terms). The premise here is that after Gan's death, the crewmembers find his will, and of course they all run off and update theirs, in a revealing explanation of just what matters to them (and what they reveal inadvertently). Not a word wasted, perfect character voice, sad and beautiful.

Fandom: Blakes7
Pairing: Blake-Avon
URL: http://www.hermit.org/Blakes7/Fanzines/Favorite/A-B.html

Why This Must Be Read: A couple of years back, two of our BNFs, Sally M. and Jenny, like Alexander weeping because he had no more worlds to conquer, had eagerly absorbed all the Avon/Blake slash stories they could find. "An intelligent woman can always adapt" so they rounded up a list of their 50 favorite gen stories that involve the same intensity of struggle and need that they look for in slash stories. In just enough detail, they give what is in effect a course in What Makes B7 fanfics work. So not only is this damn fine reading as an essay, and a treasure trove of great suggestions, it's a wonderful tool for writers.(They also have a bonus list of 50 more stories discussed in less detail.)

As for that quote: in the second episode in the series, Blake tells Avon that it would be a good idea for Avon to join him in taking over the prison ship, because their destination, the convict planet Cygnus Alpha, is on nobody's five-star rating list. Avon dismisses him with "an intelligent man can always adapt." It's one of the endless exchanges that perfectly encapsulates their relationship:
1. Avon tells Blake to get stuffed.
2. Avon goes ahead and does what Blake wanted him to anyway.

Title of fiction: Fly on the Wall
Fandom: The Professionals

Author: Lezlie Conch

Author web site: n/a

Pairing: Bodie/Doyle

Why this must be read: Pros tends to be a dark, intense fandom, but there is much space for lighter stories. Fly on the Wall is one of these. Humourous for some readers, hilarious for others, it's a different take on the first time theme, so predominant in slash fandoms in general and and Pros in particular. Don't forget to check the other Lezlie Conch's stories in the Circuit Archive, she has a light but confident touch on the characters and plot.

Title of fiction: Gift of the Moggy

Fandom: The Professionals

Author: The Hag

Author web site: n/a

Pairing: Bodie/Doyle

Why this must be read: continuing with the lighter stories in Pros, I introduce you to The Hag. Her wit is unforgettable, her characterisation spot on, her style subtle. Her stories (mostly short stories) are always, always a pleasant read, creating a soft ambiance for CI5's hard men. In particular, The Hag always manages to write a believable environment and to sketch full-rounded supporting characters with only a few strokes. If you are looking for an intelligent, pleasant, humorous comfort read, this is the one.
Oh, and The Hag can write the feline subject like no other ~g~

Other stories by The Hag that you don't want to miss are:
Discovered in a Furball
Glenmorangie
The Last Cherry

Title of fiction: Hombathlay

Fandom: The Professionals

Author: Jane Mailander

Author web site: n/a

Pairing: Burdock/Hombathlay (that is, Bodie/Doyle disguised as...rabbits)

Why this must be read: Eh. Yes, this story has rabbits as main characters. But the rabbits are Bodie and Doyle, at the same time. Talk about knowing your characters inside out and writing them as utterly believable even when they are rabbits. The story is inspired by Richard Adams' book Watership Down, but don't worry if you haven't read it. There are Author's Notes and sufficient background in the story to make it an easy read.

Go on, give it a try :) Jane Mailander is a skilled writer that knows where the story is going and will get you there. Her work is an excellent example of the variety of fiction in Pros, ranging from rabbits to fairy tales rewrites, such as:

The Little Merman
Beau and the Beast

Smallville has always diverged from comic book canon--the very premise of the show--"What if Clark Kent and Lex Luthor were friends?"-- runs counter to any print version of Superman.* While TPTB obviously enjoy poaching from nearly 70 years of Supercanon, they're clearly not bound to it and, accordingly, fanfic also runs hot and cold with the "rules" laid down by the comics. For those who enjoy complaining, it can be said of much SV fic, especially that written after S1, that it could be about any two non-Super guys, provided one of them has no hair and the other is unusually pretty. Spoilsports. Just shut up and enjoy the gay porn!

But when Clark's very Superness is the crux of a story, and when other well-known "facts" about Superman are woven in, it gives a story grounding that I feel the TV show often lacks. I'm not a big comic geek at this point--in fact, Batman was my print boyfriend, and even that was 20 years ago--but I love seeing the basic details of Supercanon used in fanfic, especially when they're the focus of a story.

So here they are: are some of my favorite stories that play with Supercanon. And just so you know that I'm aware of my bias...Yes, these stories cover some similar territory. So? There are lots of Supercanon stories that are gritty and sad, but I don't love those even when I admire them immensely.

Demarcation - Livia

That Old Schizophrenic Jealousy - Lenore

The Rules of Blue - Thamiris

*ETA: I'm wrong! Please see what taraljc says regarding this in the comment to this post below. However, I don't think I'm wrong in stating that my ignorance on the matter is probably more common than not among viewers of the TV show. More proof that we are shallow and merely here for the pretty ;)

Another fabulous parody fic:

Nine Men and a Little Lady
Rating: PG
Fandom: Lord of the Rings
Pairing: well, mostly Mary Sue/Legolas, poor hunted boy
Author's homepage: Subreality Inc.
Author on LJ: kielle - personal journal. _redpanda_ - LotR related journal.
Why this must be read:

This is a Mary Sue-fic skewering. For the uninitiated among you, "Mary Sue" is the name given to original female characters who are a)completely one-dimensional and b) usually thinly-veiled self-insertions by the author. Frequently much is made of their hair/eyes/general beauty, they have ridiculous special powers or are more heroic than the heroes. Mary Sue is ubiquitous to all fandoms - nearly every writer has committed MS at one point in her career, and it's ok. Most eventually look on their MS period as a learning experience and develop out of it.

However - while these Mary Sue stories exist, they are both painful and funny for the reader, and a great many were produced in the wake of LotR:FotR, primarily due to Legolas' exceeding prettiness. Kielle writes a sample story as a series of journal entries by the Fellowship members as they deal with the unexpected person in their midst. It is immensely funny, as Legolas is running scared, Aragorn is confused, Gimli is irritated, and Mary Sue herself is conflicted.

Direct Link: Demarcation
Fandom: Smallville
Pairing: Clark/Lex
Rating: NC-17
Author on LJ: liviapenn. We are also all more-or-less patiently waiting for her to add to her AltvilleWiP at box_of_serial
Author Website: Livia's Library

Why this must be read: Because it fucking rocks, that's why. Duh.

We've got the canon elements that everyone knows and likes: We've got Lois and reportage. We've got Fortress. We've got Clark being Super. We've got Lex being all sneaky (and giving a particularly artful version of the "My Daddy was mean to me" speech). To all of that, add some really hot Supersex and a romantic moment that packs more swoon into four words than you would have previously thought possible, and you have a classic.

Read, enjoy, and then tell her how much you loved it.

Direct Link: That Old Schizophrenic Jealousy
Fandom: Smallville
Pairing: Clark/Lex
Rating: NC-17
Author on LJ: scribblinlenore
Author Website: Lenore's Stories

Why this must be read: I don't think there's anything by Lenore that I don't like, and I have been vacillating over which story of hers to rec, and which category I'd put it in... There are a few authors whose work I'd read even if they did something nasty, like Martha/Pete or Jonathan/cow, and Lenore is one of them. But that's not specific enough, I suppose.

This story is funny as hell, both playful and agonizing (poor woobie Clark!), and accentuates Lex's risk-taking behavior to good effect. There's a lot of sex-with-banter (which always makes me squee anyway, no matter who wrote it) that actually manages to be much hotter than the sum of its parts. And, of course, given my tenuous theme this week, Superness is the plot.

Read, enjoy, and then tell her how much you loved it.

Direct Link: The Rules of Blue
Fandom: Smallville
Pairing: Clark/Lex
Rating: NC-17
Author on LJ: thamiris
Author Website: Odysseys and Ecstasy

Why this must be read: In case you are truly new to SV fandom, I shall point out that you do need to read everything Thamiris has written. Yes, every bit of it. I'll wait patiently while you go do just that.

Back? Okay, good. Since your hands are probably shaking too hard for you to click so much as a "page down" button with any accuracy, I'll keep this short: In Blue, Lex makes things harder for himself just by being himself, Lois is indiscreet, Supes is very Clarkish, and then we get the sort of Ur-sex for which Thamiris is justly infamous.

Read, enjoy, and then tell her how much you loved it.

Title of fiction: Land-Bridge

Fandom: The Professionals

Author: Jane Mailander

Author web site: n/a

Pairing: Bodie/Doyle (implied), Doyle/Murphy

Why this must be read: the same writer can bring you rabbits, and then this. One of the most heartbreaking stories I have ever read. One of the important issues in Pros fanfiction is what expectancy of life CI5 agents have. Not a long one, most of us think. So...what if something happens? Something terrible, something devastating, like losing your partner? This story, in five parts, explore this dramatic scenario, the nightmare of all slash fans.

Land-Bridge
Migration
Settlement
Exploration
Commemoration

Title of fiction: The White Cloth

Fandom: The Professionals

Author: Nell Howell

Author web site: n/a

Pairing: Bodie/Doyle, Cowley/Doyle

Why this must be read: proceeding from an exploration of pairings and separation, this story is a careful, detailed, intense take on a difficult relationship and true feelings. The complex way in which the characters act and interact, nothing is casual, everything is 'felt'. We are back in the darker place of Pros fanfiction, and the extreme emotions and broken boundaries of CI5. nothing is clear or simple, and choices have to made, and choices have consequences. Another intense, poetic Nell Howell's story very dear to me is the following:

Dancing in the Rain

Previously on Popslash: "I'm really fucking tired of being shot at. I'm in a damned boy band. I sing, I dance, I like cute boys, I produce movies. None of those things should get me SHOT AT!"

Today on Popslash: The Vacation (PG 13)

Fandom: Popslash
Pairing: Joey/Lance (JoLa)
Author on LJ: kaneko
Author Website: Any Road: Popslash Fiction by Kaneko
Why this must be read:

Artifical Intelligence. Mechanical beings with the ability to think, reason, and act like humans. A grand tradition in science fiction brought to us by such luminaries as Asimov, Heinlein, Roddenberry, Kubrick, Lucas, Whedon, and...uh...whoever it was who wrote that Alan Thicke movie about Chip the Robot Boy that used to air every Father's Day on the Disney Channel. And -- in the simultaneously amusing, sweet, somewhat spooky, and disorienting popslash fic The Vacation -- by kaneko.

The plotline of this fic is pretty straightforward -- Lance tires of *Nsync's rigorous touring schedule and abandons the guys for a warm beach somewhere tropical, leaving a life-like Lancebot to take his place. kaneko's writing style is equally straightforward, too -- the whole story is unfolded to us in a hilarious deadpan manner. All this matter-of-factness is great, as it serves to highlight the one really not-at-all straightforward element of this story: Joey. As readers, we get the pleasure of going along with Joey here as his understanding of what it means to be a player in the corporate music world, what it means to be a celebrity, and -- most importantly -- what it means to lust after an absent boybander's robot clone, slowly changes and shifts.

Go! And keep an eye out for some good one-liners and references, too!

( Additional Information )

Monday on Popslash: "He has an impossible picture of Chris and Justin and all the postcards and a restlessness, bone-deep, itching under his skin. His oil has been changed and his tires checked and he's called his mother, to make sure she knows he loves her."