It should be noted that "Witchblade" originally was a comic book series. It was made into a television movie, and then a show. I am mostly familiar with the show so the canon you read here comes from there, and the fiction you will see in this fandom generally works off of the television show rather than the comic books. It should all work out.

First, some music to help you get in the proper mood. Here is a great place to listen to a lot of the music from the episodes in Witchblade Season One. (Click at the bottom of the page on "Season One Music".) I'd highly recommend the song in Episode 1.04 "Sacrifice", called "Cathain." Conchobar sings this to Sara in the episode.

( A brief overview of the fandom. Complete with pictures that won't kill you even if you are on dial-up. That's what the links are for. )

( The Series Overview and Little Cheat Sheets )

( Links to Fic Archives )

Fools & Kings by Jat Sapphire
Fandom: Starsky & Hutch
Pairing: Starsky/Hutch
Author on LJ: Not on LJ, to my knowledge
Author Website: No site... The best place for S&H fiction is Flamingo's Starsky & Hutch Slash Archive
Why this must be read:
It is them. It sounds like them, it uses canon to develop the relationship, and its hot :)

Direct link to Story

This is how I've always seen them. The love developing over the years, the protectiveness and the humor. It's all here. And did I mention that it was hot????

Fandom: THE SENTINEL
Pairing: Jim/Blair
Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: http://members.tripod.com/~JosephineDarcy/
Why this must be read:

For my first set of TS recs, I decided to rec some of the first stories I ever read in this fandom. Some may be a bit schmoopy, most of them have more Guide-fanon than I really prefer-- but they're all sentimental favorites, the stories I go back to over and over again, like comfort food. And all three of the ones I'm going to rec are good examples of your classic TS First Time story: they have romance, they have angst, and they have snark. What more do you need?

Josephine's summary of Without Love is, "An undercover kiss leads to complications." One of the truly classic slash set-ups-- done well it's like crack, and this one is definitely done well. I like Without Love because the kiss does *not* immediately enlighten Jim and Blair to the fact that they love each other and must have sex right now. There's lots of angst and struggle and misunderstanding, intertwined with police work and adventure, before they get to that point.

(  A bit of wonderfully snarky dialogue, post-kiss  )

Fanon-phrases to look out for: "Dial it down," "Spirit Guide" and "Blessed Protector" all make their appearance.

Fandom: THE SENTINEL
Pairing: Jim/Blair
Author on LJ: cesperanza
Author Website: http://www.trickster.org/francesca/
Why this must be read:

The idea that the Sentinel and the Guide have to fuck is The Ultimate TS Slash Premise, so if you're new to the fandom-- get used to it, you'll be seeing it a lot. Here's one of the best takes on the cliche, The Object of My Erections, and surprise, surprise, it's by Francesca. You don't need to know much else, really. The dialogue sparks and snaps, the guys act like the realistic, down-to-earth *adult* men that they are, and the sex is hot stuff. Go, read, grin till your face hurts.

Here's a segment of the story just after the boys have figured out that Jim has come down with a serious case of hots for his Guide.

(  Francesca's Jim & Blair: why I love them  )

In my first post, I said "they have romance, they have angst, and they have snark. What more do you need?" I recced Without Love for angst, and The Object Of My Erections for snark. Now it's time for a romance rec.

Fandom: THE SENTINEL
Pairing: Jim/Blair
Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: http://www.infinitepassions.com/linda/Linda.htm
Why this must be read:

At 130k, reading Paper Cranes is like sinking into a long, hot bath. It envelops and surrounds you completely. But it doesn't *feel* like a long story. The prose flows like a river, carrying you along swiftly and confidently-- unlike my two previous recs, there's no undercover kiss or mystical bond that pushes Jim and Blair into a closer relationship. Jim doesn't know why his feelings have changed, and maybe there is no one particular reason. There's just time, and the way they've grown closer, become part of each others' lives and hearts. The sex scene is warm and comfortable, even though it's Jim's first time with a man, and it doesn't seem weird at all; just inevitable. This story is definitely a classic.

(  An example of Deirdre's prose  )

Title:
A Scandalous Lack of Morals
Fandom: Pirates of the Caribbean
Pairing: Jack/Will/Elizabeth
Author Website: Destiny Interupted
Why this must be read: I'm not one to read stories several times, but I am pretty sure I've read this one over 10 times already. It is that good. It is lovely, hot PWP. Simply Jack, Will, and Elizabeth in bed doing all sorts of fun things. The voices are perfect, the story is fun, it has no socially redeeming value at all, but if you are at all cranky or grumpy, I can guarantee that it will cheer you up.

Fandom: X-MEN COMICVERSE
Pairing: Logan/Domino
Author on LJ: n/a I think
Author Website: Paxnirvana's Circle of Hell

Why this must be read:
This set of stories, one from each POV, is based on the New X-Men 2001 Annual, and reading them is like getting a second helping of that issue, albeit one with an adult rating.

The annual itself is an important issue of Grant Morrison's run on New X-Men, because many of his longer-running story lines started there, with the X-Men in Hong Kong. Scott Summers is fresh from his adventures as Cypocalypse, Emma Frost is making the first of many passes at Scott, and Hank has recently mutated yet again. Logan and Domino round out the roster as the team sets out to rescue new character Xorn. I'll say no more, in the interest of spoilers for future issues.

This isn't a pairing you see often, but it's done to perfection. Theoretically based on just a few lines of dialogue in which Logan puts the moves on Domino, these stories actually incorporate and elaborate on not just the events in the annual itself, but comic canon stretching far and wide. Not enough to alienate readers who may not be all that familiar with the labyrinth that is X-Men canon, but just enough to make it sting.

They've got smut, they've got angst, they've got characters who are too damn self-aware for their own good, trying to find a little comfort. These are the X-Men at the end of the day: tired, sad, needy, but still determined to get what they can while they can, and continue on when the sun comes up. The stories and the characters are raw, painful, and totally believable, even if you haven't read the annual, because the emotions are familiar and real.

Whenever I re-read the annual, I have to re-read these stories, and vice versa. Perfect complement to the book, and if what Emma Frost said in a later issue is true, probably not that far off from what really happened. ;)

Logan: "So. . .you need some company after this gig?"
Domino: "Can't hide from the man with the hypersenses, huh? No-strings animal passion, Logan, and you're paying for the drinks."
Logan: "The Professor hands out platinum credit cards to his teaching staff."

No Strings: His
No Strings: Hers

Lotrips: It's All About the Pretty!

Imagine pretty boys and gorgeous men being all over each other, declaring their love for each other, hugging, kissing and just generally being adorable. Every.Single.One.Of.Them. It was just not fair. We had no choice. So Lotrips was born.

I could go on at length about how this fandom is about expanding horizons, sharpening writing skills, and admiring the talent of these fine actors, but I'll spare you all this pretentious nonsense because, when it comes down to it, we are a shallow bunch, as shallow as shallow gets. It's all about the Pretty.

Lotrips is a m/m slash fandom first and foremost. Real people slash, at that. There are femslash, het and gen stories, too. But you have to search for them. Therefore I will focus on the boys.

( the facts, backstory, and a little bit of unnecessary but lovely randomness. )
( the Pretty, or you could say: the actors )
( Lotrips speak and linkage )

Fandom: HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET
Pairing: mostly gen, but a little Munch/Kay
Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: 11 Cents Fanfic Archive
Why this must be read:

In "Adena 1950," Scott reimagines the pivotal crime of Homicide, the brutal rape and murder of eleven-year-old Adena Watson, in a far different Baltimore than the one we know and love. Homicide always did an excellent job exploring racial tensions; in the Baltimore of 1950, they're explosive. What might have become of some of our favorite detectives if they had been barred from the police force because of race or gender? How might they have behaved in a time of prejudice and segregation?

The characterization is excellent (though Felton fans, be warned), and is best of all in its portrayal of the tenuous alliance between war hero turned homicide detective Tim Bayliss and Frank Pembleton, a man who refuses to conform to what society expects of his race. This one's a don't-miss for Bayliss/Pembleton fans.

Author's Note: "This story is set in 1950 and has a great deal to do with race. Since it is set in a different era and is about white cops from that time, there are racial slurs in it. I want to stress that these aren't my feelings. I am only trying to put words in the mouths of ignorant people so please don't bash me for being a racist. I also want to point out that words like 'colored' and 'Negro' were the polite way to refer to African-Americans back then as ugly as they sound today. I have also portrayed some of the H:LotS cast in a less than flattering light. Please remember that this is a 'what-if' story. I'm fully aware that our favorite detectives from Baltimore wouldn't have acted like this today. That's the point. What would they have been like then?"

Adena 1950

Fandom: THE WEST WING
Pairing: Joshua Lyman/Sam Seaborn
Author on LJ: out_there
Author Website: Amazed by the Mathematics
Why this must be read: I'm taking the risk of appearing to show partiality in this recommendation (Annie's a friend, and I betaed the story), because this is a true little gem that deserves a wide audience.

Annie has the knack of getting into Sam's head, and this is a superb example of that. She takes a simple concept, that Sam is trying to define his relationship with Josh, and pulls us into seeing the way Sam works around the ideas in his head. He's a logophile, and Annie is an author who seems to love language, so the enthusiasm that Sam feels comes shining through. It's also a gentle love story, an ode to a relationship, and has a simply perfect last line.

The Right Word

Fandom: STARGATE SG-1

Pairing: Jack O'Neill/Daniel Jackson, Daniel Jackson/Paul Davis, Daniel Jackson/OMC/OMC

Author on LJ: minkboylove

Author Website: http://www.versaphile.com/anais/

Why this must be read: Yes, kiddies, it's Anais Week here at SG Rec Central. I should save myself some time and just say, "Go read everything by Anais," but that would be lazy, wouldn't it? And even though I do think you should read everything by Anais, I will single out one story that I particularly like: The Wedding Day.

This story is sort of an AU version of Daniel's departure at the end of Season 5. Daniel is sent to Abydos to set up an off-world research station after Jack discovers him making whoopie with Major Davis (who's wedding day it is). Upon arriving on Abydos, Daniel buries the Stargate, and at the beginning of the story, it's been a year since he's had contact with the SGC. After being abused across the galaxy by Daniel, Jack journeys to Abydos to convince Daniel and Skaara, who is now the leader, to allow the SGC to set up a base on the planet. Jack is pissy, Daniel is pissier, and this story packs great dialogue, intriguing situations, general weirdness, and oh, yeah, a lot of Anais' special brand of toe-curling sex.

The Wedding Day