Fandom: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
Pairing: Willow/Tara, slight mention of Xander/Buffy

Why you must read this:

I like short character driven stories over long, plotty stories, I think that's evident by now.

Winners blew me away the first time I read it. Then I read several more times in one sitting. It's a short little story that looks unassuming but the ending sneaks up on you and then grabs you by the throat.

Set in Season 5, there's everything you'd find in the series: the Scoobies are together fighting and quipping, trying to keep Sunnydale from being overrun. Spike's playing both sides against each other. And Buffy's worrying over the implications of being a Slayer. The differences between her and them.

Most important of all, the Slayer always wins.

http://www.eterniata.com/winners.html

Fandom: Firefly
Pairing: gen, some slash implied
Author on LJ: none
Author Website: http://unitb.slashcity.net/andromeda/andromedamain.html
Why this must be read: In some of my other recs for Firefly, there's been a concentration on the light and funny aspects of the show. But it's two-sided coin, because just as strong in each episode was the threat of all the bad things that were out there for them: death, torture, misery and unhappiness. Left Behind was the same good characterization and voice as the other stories, but the subject it explores is different, unfolding as a series of short vignettes, each dealing with that perpetual threat, and how the characters would have to deal and live with the results.

Left Behind

Fandom: Star Wars
Pairing: Han/Luke
Author on LJ: valarltd (I have no shame)
URL: http://www.geocities.com/lady_aethelynde/SW/vision.html

Why this must be read: Leia is more often an obstacle than a character in the slash fandom. This story is her gathering her thoughts after Endor and putting all the pieces together.

But the look on his face when he went to Han... It was relief, love, desire, security and desperation rolled into one. He looked as if he would stay there forever.

Fandom: Star Wars
Pairing: Han/Luke
Author on LJ: caraloup
URL: http://www.elusive-lover.de Zines online, Elusive Lover 2

Why this must be read: Many stories deal with the aftermath of Bespin, but this tyakes it one notch higher (and explains Han's unusual behavior in RotJ). It also gives us a milieu in which the relationship of the two men is not acceptable, which is a rarity in this fandom.

Fandom: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
Pairing: Spike/Drusilla
Author on LJ: pandarus
Author's website: Spreading the Yay, one Ho at a Time"

Why you must read this:

Drusilla is a hard character to write, even for the shows writers. There's a tendancy to just give her strange babble that makes no sense or treat her like she's stupid or innocent. Drusilla for the most part knows what she wants and that generally includes games and blood.


When Spike and Dru were in Prague something happened and a mob descended on Dru and she became very weak, which is what led Spike and Dru to Sunnydale in the first place. Although parts of The Prague Series have been Jossed, FayJay's tale of what happened to Dru is beautiful and sexy and wicked and fun.

The way Spike and Dru are together.

Be warned this is Spike that sees people as Food or Toys. To be used and played with, broken and discared. There's slash, and violence, and blood. Spike is vicious and cruel and unrepenent. Drusilla likes to play with humans too, before she eats them.

The story itself starts out like this: Spike and Dru are travelling, having a good time. Cutting a bloody swath on their way to Prague--fucking, eating, making up games to pass the time, going to the ballet. In Prague it's more of the same.

Except, they kill the wrong girl and Drusilla pays the price, Spike tries his best to save her and ...well, they have to go to Sunnydale.

The stories are clever and beautiful and The Sick Rose is a stand out with tight action sequences and wonderful dialouge and characterization.

For me, this is the best story about Pre-Sunnydale Spike and Drusilla.

Painted Eggs
Chapel of Bones
The Sick Rose

Fandom: Witchblade
Pairing: Sara/Ian
Author on LJ: seperis along with Sare Liz
Author Website: Indulgence and Necessary to Life
Why this must be read: A great look at Ian's role in Sara's lives. (No, not a typo.) A story that makes me feel wistful all over again for the sheer potential of these two and everything it almost was.

Light Inescapable

Fandom: Witchblade
Pairing: Mainly het
Author on LJ: NA--name: Sare Liz
Author Website: Necessary to Life

Why this must be read: This is a truly interesting, fun twist using the "Choose Your Own Adventures" books as a format for the story. What happens when you pick A instead of B? Pick your own path to follow in the story and see where you and Sara end up. The author actually says it best in her summation: "...and as we all know from Witchblade, from our own lives, and from the Choose Your Own Adventure books, one decision can make a world of difference."

This story lives by this rule.

Saving Grace

Fandom: OZ
Pairing: Schillinger/Keller
Author on LJ: rowanfairchild
Author Website: http://rowan.mrks.org
Why this must be read: Four words -- Chris Keller at seventeen. The story is set in Lardner in the late seventies, creating a perfect, creepy, believable backstory for Schillinger and Keller. Chris already has the swagger and the smirk and the smarts to play both down when necessary, and Vern is almost innocent in his ideals, twisted as they are. A gorgeous piece, especially if you're a backstory slut like myself.

(Direct link: "Jailbait".)

Fandom: X-MEN COMICVERSE
Pairing: none
Author on LJ: domarzione
Author Website: The DMZ
Why this must be read: I'm not, for the most apart, against the killing of characters in any medium, but the death of Colossus a few years ago in the core books still really chaps my ass. It felt cheap and pointless, and because there were a lot of creative changes right around that time, the poor dead Russian kind of got pushed under the rug and forgotten.

This story is what we should have gotten in the comics. The choice of narrator is unexpected, but it makes so much damn sense once you get over the surprise. A posthumous fic in which a dead man's possessions and the people who knew him best are all that's left to speak for him. And they do.

Three Princes

Fandom: OZ
Pairing: Ryan O'Reily/Sean Murphy
Author on LJ: Last one I knew was colleenkane, but that appears to be defunct. Can anyone help?
Author Website: See above, re: http://colleen.mrks.org
Why this must be read: This is my not-so-secret OZ OTP, and Colleen captures it beautifully, complete with all the hurt/comfort you could want; a bitter, self-sacrificing McManus hanging around the sidelines; and vengeance, O'Reily style, which is always a treat. Not to mention the final installment, a prequel which features Ryan at seventeen -- the perfect capper for me, the aforementioned backstory slut.

While you're at it, check out the rest of the Institutionalized 'zine. Fantastic stuff.

(Direct link: "Lucky".)

Fandom: Witchblade
Pairing: none
Author on LJ: malisita
Author Website: A Thousand Suns
Why this must be read: It's short, quite short, actually. Yet the story fits well in that brief frame. It's the only look at Gabriel in those final moments that I've ever been able to find, and it works. There are some nice one-shot lines that will linger with you for a while.

Turn the Page

Fandom: X-MEN COMICVERSE
Pairing: Logan/Jubilee
Author on LJ: malisita
Author Website: Malisita.Com
Why this must be read: Because it will hurt you and you'll like it. Dark Logan/Jubilee that makes you ache for both of them, and hope for the best even though you know from word one what's going to happen.

This story follows the events of Uncanny X-Men #423, in which Logan and Jubilee had a short-lived reunion under extremely unhappy circumstances. Things don't get much better once this fic picks up the storyline, but even while you're wincing, you'll appreciate the insight Mala has into these characters and their relationship, and just how vulnerable it makes them.

Like Open Doors

Fandom: Smallville
Pairing: Clark/Lex
Author on LJ: destina
Author Website: Worlds Without Boundaries: Destina Fortunato's Fan Fiction

Why this must be read: It's a time travel story (pay attention to the dates--pay attention to the whole thing because this one will make you work for it) and it's done superbly well. It's creepy and brilliant and you won't want to miss this one.

So many temptations for Lex, how can he possibly do this right? Prophet of Eden

Fandom: Smallville
Pairing: Clark/Lex
Author on LJ: merryish
Author Website: Any Road

Why this must be read: It might be cold in the setting of this story but it certainly makes me feel warm. There is some gorgeous prose, great first time sex and a look at what makes Clark and Lex tick in addition to all of that. A wonderful read all around.

This is my final SV rec for this month, something to set a good mood for December. I hope you've had a great time in November!

Ice

Fandom: SPORTS NIGHT
Pairing: Casey McCall/Dan Rydell
Author on LJ: debchan
Author Website: debchan.com
Why this must be read: The story flows really well, and it focuses on Casey and Dan without excluding everyone else or making others seem trivial or cartoonish. Jeremy's obsessive geeky tendencies are played up beautifully in a way that brings the whole piece together and works to compel rather than impede its progression. This story is realistic in the odd way that only Aaron Sorkin's characters can be.

In "Sandwich," humor is combined with the kind of snarky terseness that's characteristic of Dan and Casey, especially during personal conversations, and that works well. I'd say 'surprisingly well,' except that Sorkin wrote his episodes the same way, so I've seen how well that style works on the show. And reading this story is a lot like reading an episode transcript.

"A Sandwich Is a Transitory Thing" is one of those memorable stories that I can read over and over and be just as entertained every time. Hopefully you'll feel the same way.

"A Sandwich Is a Transitory Thing"

Fandom: X-FILES
Pairing: Mulder/Krycek
Author's Website: Worlds Enough

Why this must be read: Gorgeously long story (721K!)that pulls you in from the first moment. One of the things that always intrigued me about the character of Krycek is how little we actually knew about him ... and anything he said could be a lie, so even when he was forthcoming with facts, they were not to be trusted. So when Mulder thinks he might have a way to find out The Truth ... he grabs it with both hands.

::checks watch:: I'm almost out of time for the month. Go read. You'll be glad you did.

The Gift of an Enemy

It's been fun!!!

Fandom: SPORTS NIGHT
Pairing: None, but it's labeled as "pre-slash" for Dan Rydell/Casey McCall.
Author on LJ: If anyone knows of a LiveJournal for Amirin, I’ll gladly fill in the username.
Author Website: Amirin's Sports Night Slash Page
Why this must be read: (My apologies for the re-post; LJ has been causing serious trouble.) For my last entry this month, I really wanted to recommend this story -- and Amirin's City of Death series as a whole -- because it's what first drew me into reading Sports Night fanfiction. I read this story and immediately read the entire rest of the series in that same sitting. It's addictive and immensely enjoyable.

The abundant dialogue zings wonderfully, so that even if you're unfamiliar with the SN cast you'll probably still be well able to hear their individual voices through these lines. Both the dialogue and narrative of "Cleveland" make me laugh out loud every time. Like SN episodes, though, there's a healthy dose of drama mixed in with the comedy.

I love the Sorkin style that comes through so clearly in this story, and I love that Amirin manages to subtly advance relationships between the characters by simply flexing the canonical boundaries of those relationships. Everything that happens and everything that is said seems perfectly natural for these characters and their world.

"Cleveland" is fairly short, and it's engaging from start to finish. Although a complete story, it's almost guaranteed to hook you into wanting to read every other story in the series. So what are you waiting for? Get started!

"Cleveland"