Fandom: The O.C.
Pairing: Seth/Ryan
Author on LJ: joyfulgirl41
Author's Website (Note: This website is her SV fic, which also rocks, btw.)
Why this must be read:


I was hard pressed to choose which of joyfulgirl41's OC fics to recommend, because they are all fabulous. Do yourselves a favor and go over to her LJ and read all of her OC stories. (There's an excellent, must-read sequel to this very fic.)

The romantic tension building between Seth and Ryan in this story is palpable and exciting. It strikes a perfect balance between sexy and adorable, the kind that gives you warm tingles all over. Excellent use of POV, sparkling dialogue, lovely Seth and Ryan.

Without further ado, I'll direct you to: A Home For Guido.

(FYI--I haven't posted here as much as I wanted to, so I am posting three recs now to do a bit of catch up. Hope you enjoy them!

Another aside: You may notice that my "must be read" descriptions for these are rather short. That is because I don't want to spoil the stories for anyone, and my reasons for choosing fic to recommend here are fairly simple and straightforward. Basically, all these stories are what I feel are the most well-written and enjoyable examples the fandom has to offer. I am trying to include a variety of writing styles and ratings as well. )

Fandom: The O.C.
Pairing: Seth/Ryan
Author on LJ:hackthis
Author's Website
Why this must be read:

How can you resist a Seth/Ryan adventure complete with illegal substances? This has great characterizations and a fun, unique story. The author skillfully takes the characters beyond what know about them from canon, all the while keeping them real.

Here I will echo what I said in my last rec: if you enjoy this story, I highly recommend checking out this author's other OC fic, which can be found on her LJ. For now, here is The Happiest Place on Earth

Fandom: The O.C.
Pairing: Seth/Ryan
Author on LJ: serialkarma
Author's Website: I searched, but couldn't find one.
Why this must be read:

Well, it was high time for me to rec some OC porn and this... um...really hits the spot. It is a delicious and seriously HOT PWP. No matter how cold you think you are, I recommend having some popsicles on hand for afterwards because this may give you a wicked craving. *g*

Popsicle Day

Fandom: Homicide: Life on the Street

Pairing: Tim Bayliss/Chris Rawls; Kay Howard/John Munch (implied)

Author on LJ: verdandi, violetisblue

Website: http://www.certando.net; all the Homicide fic can be found at http://www.certando.net/fic1.html.

Why this must be read: This is the third part of a three part series Called Summer of '98 (part one, Two Partners, and two, Long Hot Summer Night, are also well-worth reading). All three parts stand alone quite nicely, and this one's my favorite. It's Chris Rawls waiting at Tim's bedside after he gets shot, and then having a conversation with Kay Howard. It's simple and clean and gets the voices right, plus it just gets the *feel* right of what it's like to be waiting while someone you love is sick or injured and surrounded by all the accoutrements of modern hospitalization. Just the first line, "He's getting to know the nurses now," brings you right in, and there you stay, and it's an interesting place to be, in Chris Rawls' head, at least as Vali writes him. And if you're a big Munch/Howard fan, make sure you read the first two parts of this story.

Summer of '98 III: Our Mutual Friend.

Note: I'm going out of town for a week and probably won't be able to post any recs during that time. Rest assured I have some great ones to come in the remaining weeks. Any feedback on how these recs are working for people? Also, I already posted a cross-over rec (the first story of Vali's I recced, The Accidental Finale), but I hope others will rec some crossovers in their month of recs!

Title: A Bunch of Us: Or, Gand Candy by Executrix
Pairings: Avon/Ethan, Gan/Joyce, Giles/Ethan
Author on LJ: executrix
URL: http://strangeplaces.net/ethan/gand.html

Why This Must be Read: I don't know about MUST, but...Dana said that I get a bye to rec my own stories until someone else starts doing B7 recs. Not to mention the fact that crossovers are not held in the highest possible esteem in B7 fandom, so there aren't all that many of them.

At any rate, I'm pleased with the way this one (Band Candy as a Blakes7 episode) turned out. Selling his soul to a demon to defeat the Federation is exactly the kind of dim-bulb stunt bold Revolutionary tactic that Blake would have tried if he'd thought of it, so it's lucky that he didn't. I think Gan makes a better ships-in-the-night partner for Joyce than Giles, and Avon-at-16 is an even more alarming proposition than Giles-ditto. Some of the story is funny, some is melancholy, and it proves once again that the Perils of Pauline technique of having several story lines--so you can cut away just as the audience REALLY WANTS TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN--is sure-fire.

Title: Gifts of Home by Squeaky and Leah
Pairings: ::deep breath:: Tucker/Malcolm Reynolds, Simon/Jayne, Zoe/Wash, Archer/Inara, Mayweather/Kaylee, Malcolm Reed/Sato
Authors on LJ: I don't know.
Author Websites: Squeaky and Leah

Why this must be read: Because it's a great crossover. What? I need another reason? Okay, okay, if you insist. You should read it because this story has everything: adventure, humor, romance (both het and slash), drama, action. Not to mention how the characterizations are spot on. I think that this story is accessible if you haven't seen both series. It might even be accessible if you've seen neither, that's how clearly the characters are drawn.

I especially enjoy the comparisons of the Enterprise and Firefly universes, and how the two sets of characters respond to each other-- for instance, Mal's paranoia and Malcolm's caution, balanced by River's trust and Jon's earnest desire to help.

Gifts of Home

Fandom: CSI/Without a Trace
Pairing: Danny/Martin, Nick/Greg
Author on LJ: carolinecrane
Author Website: Desiderium Caritas
Why this must be read:

Okay, I feel kind of dorky for reccing myself. Actually I feel like a giant attention whore. But there's not much in the way of CSI crossovers out there, and the few that I've read I wouldn't rec. Okay, there's one I'd rec if it weren't a WIP, but alas.

I wanted to offer *something* for Crossover Day, though, and since I happened to have this crossover just lying around I figured why not. I'm even more ashamed of myself for doing this because this is really more of a Without a Trace fic than a CSI fic. But it has Nick/Greg, and there's definitely not enough of them in the world. So yes, I am reccing myself like a big dork. But I'm hoping the smut will distract you from that fact.

Circumspect

Previously on Popslash: "There was nothing but this: wind, road, dust. And the low, lazy hiss of static on the radio, tuned between stations."

Today on Popslash: "Suddenly Justin sits up very, very straight. 'She's cutting up his credit cards and his driver's license--she's got them in her hand and she's--my god.' He stands up one more time, turns the light on again, then looks hard at Chris. 'Okay. Tell me everything--all of it. From the very beginning.'"

Title: The Window
Pairing: Chris/Justin (Timbertrick). Yes, more.
Author on LJ: beth666ann
Author Website: ..unaware..
Why this must be read:

shaggirl's request for crossovers caused a little panic here earlier today. I haven't read a huge number *Nsync/Any Other Fandom stories and, suddenly, all my bookmarked stories were glaring at me, mocking me with their exclusive *nslash-ness.

I looked again at the list of stories I already had planned to rec here, however, and was suddenly struck by the fact that this story -- beth666ann's highly entertaining *nslash remake of Rear Window -- fits the "crossover" description perfectly. Almost.

The Window gives us injured, paparazzi photographer Chris Kirkpatrick stuck in his one-bedroom apartment with only his neighbors, his telephoto lense, and his semi-frequent sexual encounters with opinionated boyfriend Justin to relieve the boredom. I've really exhausted my supply of adjectives recc'ing stories here, so this next bit may sound familiar, but it's not any less true. beth666ann wrote this to be an incredibly clever, involving story with so much good dialogue that I'm almost sad some of it wasn't used in the original film. And, like Hitchcock's work itself, it's full of wit and sharp details.

Embrace the voyeurism.

( Starring Chris Kirkpatrick as L.B. Jefferies and Justin Timberlake as Lisa Fremont. )

Friday on Popslash: Picking up next with the fic I was going to do today and here with the quote I used last time. "Not because I'm polite," Justin said. "I mean. I hope there are sexier things about me. But I thought it couldn't hurt."

Fandom: Enterprise
Pairing: None
Author on LJ: taryneve
Author website: She no longer has one.

Why you should read: This story completely encapsulates for me what good Trek and/or good Trek fanfiction should be. Taryn takes a fairly standard plotline--two crewmembers stranded on an alien planet, meeting the natives--and uses it to articulate the dilemma underlying the Prime Directive. This story has layers, a moral, and a knock-em-dead plot twist.

Taryn has a great feel for the characters, a knack for evocative description, and her story will make you think. To me, that's what science fiction is all about.

The First Stone

Taryn's never written a bad story, but here are a few others that I specifically recommend:

Brother to Battles--Malcolm leaves the ship at the request of an alien warlord. Will he ever return? And can things ever be the same? (Malcolm/Hoshi pairing)

Sagittarius--A problem during an away mission leads Jon to think about his place on Enterprise. (Jon/Hoshi pairing)

Escape Plan Beta--"I have fleas. This isn't what I had in mind when the Captain asked if I wanted to go on a first contact mission." Malcolm & Hoshi are hostages of an alien in a cave. (Malcolm/Hoshi pairing)

Hmm, all gen or het. Okay, I promise I'll tackle some slash recs next!

For Crossover Day:

Numenelisse by Twinkledru J.
Fandom: LotR/Buffy
Pairing: Willow/Arwen
Author's page: i'm not bitter [dot net]
Author on LJ: twinkledru

Why this must be read:
LotR is a hard fandom to cross with others - the "high style" language, the age of the world it is set in, and it's very separate-ness from our world/the "just-to-the-left of our world" setting of most fandoms. Twinkledru has a rhythmic flow to her style that fits Tolkien well (unsurprising when you know she writes narrative poetry as well as fanfic), and a good ear for character "voice." To that she adds splashes of color and the slightly dreamy feel of an encounter with the otherworld. More specifically, she remembers that Tolkien wrote LotR as British mythology, and tells the story of Willow's post-S6 summer in England, and an Arwen who remained in ME and diminished, but did not die.

I'm not a Willow fan, but I like this piece.

101 Ways To End Up In A Canadian Shack
Fandom: Angel crossed with Due South (in a meta way) and Hedwig and the Angry Inch.
Pairing: Angel/Cordelia, Lindsey/m, Lorne/Hedwig, and Wesley/Gunn
Author on LJ: The Angel shorts are written by rheanna27 and yahtzee63.
Author Website: Golden Maze: Rheanna's stories and Yahtzee: Genre Edition
Why this must be read: Because you're bound to find something from your fandom here, and the stories range from absolutely hysterical to touching to incredibly hot.

The concept of this one does require a tiny bit of explanation. *g* Various fanfiction authors from Due South fandom were discussing the common plot device of the characters ending up in a Canadian shack in the middle of nowhere and this leading to the sex. This turned into a challenge to do this in more fandoms. Nearly *every* fandom, actually. There are 30 authors, 62 fandoms, 102 amazing short stories.

The Angel-related drabbles are #61, #83, #89 and #99, and I adore all of these too much to pick a favorite. But I really encourage you to read all of the stories. You'll definitely find something surprising and wonderful.

Title: Triple Cross by The Spike
Pairing: Alex Krycek/Lex Luthor (Lex Luthor/Clark Kent)
Author on LJ: spike21
Author Website: The Spike
Why this must be read: The X-Files is a show which through the mobility of its characters lends itself easily to crossovers, and there are a lot of excellent stories with wonderful, sometimes unexpected, pairings. Clearly, shaggirl is evil for limiting us to one rec and forcing me to make the impossible choice between Mulder/Methos and Krycek/Lex, but, since Smallville is my main fandom at the moment, when it comes down to it, there's really no contest. Triple Cross is the fic I have to rec.

This is one of a very small number of fanfics that I've read over and over again, and I'll probably keep reading it about a thousand times more before it loses its appeal. So short as to barely be more than a vignette, it captures the meeting of two fascinating men, both in their own way equally smooth, calculating and deadly, and with a similar hunger burning under the cool surface - warped mirror images of each other. The sexual tension is so sharp it leaves me panting, and the way The Spike achieves this effect impresses me every time. It's all in the details, in the careful recording of every physical sensation, every fluid emotion, all combining to create a breathtakingly vivid moment in time. It is brief, fleeting, yet almost painfully palpable. Beautiful in its deceptive simplicity.

Perhaps this is more a Smallville story than an X-Files story, because what it ultimately achieves is a perspective on Lex. By holding Alex(ander?) Krycek up to us as a reflection of him, it tells us something about who Alexander Luthor is, and about what he might become. And the effect of this double portrait is dizzying.

Triple Cross

The Alias and Blakes7 fandoms are short on volunteers to rec fics in November and beyond.

Please sign up to take a turn behind the wheel!


And thanks to seanarenay for naming that theme day! Crack Van Collisions.

Fandom: Farscape/Hitchhiker's Guide. Among others.
Pairing: none
Author on LJ: rubberneck
Author's website: her personal site looks like it hasn't been updated in awhile, but you can find all her stuff on Leviathan.
Why this must be read: It's frelling hilarious, that's why.

So it turns out that most of the Farscape crossovers out there are either too outdated to be relevant, permanently unfinished works in progress, metatextual satire, or stylistic "crossovers" rather than fandom crossovers (ie, the characters of Farscape play the characters in some other well-known story.) The last two of which are good and well (and often very good) but not quite what I was looking for.

"Mostly Harmless" takes the infinite improbability generator from Hitchhiker's Guide and sets it loose in the Farscape universe. Wackiness, predictably enough, ensues. Like the author, it's short, it's sweet, it's twisted and disturbing! There is no bad here!

Mostly Harmless, My Eema by feldman

If you'll excuse me, I need to hide now.

The World Where You Live

Fandom: Sports Night/ Everwood (and a little bit of Northern Exposure)
Pairings: Dan Rydell/Casey McCall, Ephram Brown/Colin Hart
Author on LJ: HYPERFocused
Author's Website: HYPERFocused

Why this must be read: Most of the Sports Night crossovers I've seen are with The West Wing, for obvious reasons. This is different. In it, Dan and Casey travel to a small town in Colorado to interview a young athlete who has gone through a life altering experience. There are parallels between Dan and Casey, and Ephram and Colin. Personally, I think this worked, but of course it's up to you to decide if I'm right.

Title: Resenting Paris by Shrift
Pairing: Eric Weiss/Alex Krycek
Author on LJ: shrift
Author Website: Shrift at Bifictional Bedlam
Why this must be read:

The Spy Crossover Extravaganza produced, and is in fact still producing, a number of kickass crossovers, most of which involve Alias. This is my favorite, though.

Weiss is a pizza and beer kind of guy, and Paris is not the city for guys like him. In fact, Paris actively mocks guys like him. He's an analyst; he doesn't have to appreciate aesthetics, he just has to understand them.

The dialogue is witty, the sex is hot, and hey. Krycek. Weiss. Paris. What's not to love?

(Psst. Read the rest of them, too. *g*)