Fandom: HARRY POTTER
Pairing: Harry/Ron
Author on LJ: I don't know.
Author Website: Helenish.net
Why this must be read: This is a post war story that has one odd pairing, one very conventional (in fic) one, and one of the best portrayals of Harry's adult emotional state ever. It's Ron perspective, and this Ron is definitely the adult version of the guy from the books. All the details dropped in as asides are brilliant and witty.

Close Enough

Fandom: FARSCAPE
Pairing: John/Sikozu
Author on LJ: elishavah
Author Website: ripples of thought

Why this must be read: Because it's Sikozu, and she gets so little playtime in fic... and John/Sikozu gets even less. 'Answer of the Moment' has a pitch-perfect Sikozu voice, with all of the arrogance and self-assuredness that makes her so appealing. The setting draws you in, has you wondering just what the hell happened, and wishing that the show had taken a similar direction.

Of course, I couldn't rec 'Answer of the Moment' without including the NC-17 sequel-of-sorts, 'One Down'. It's a gorgeous, dark John-POV piece, which mixes some damned fine porn with excellent characterisation. There aren't many good examples of Farscape smut that go to darker places, but this one sure helps to fill the gap.

Answer of the Moment

One Down

Fandom: QaF USA

Pairing: Brian/Justin

Author on LJ: josselin

Author Website: Blantant Narcissism

Warnings: *underage sex and incest*

Why this must be read: This is a graceful example of how characters can subtly evolve without grand sweeping drama. I was a bit dissappointed with the ending, but still, overall it's a lovely lovely fic.

Two unanticipated things happened after Brian parked the Jeep and took the kid walking down Liberty Avenue to the diner. First, the kid's eyes bugged out taking in all the sights, and Brian thought he was going to have to bodily pull the kid away from where he was standing, shell-shocked, staring at two men making out in a doorway. Brian found this thing rather amusing, and smirked at the kid's naivete.

Squicky!fic

Fandom: ROSWELL
Pairing: Michael and Maria
Author on LJ: bitchygurl
Author Website: http://www.fangurl.com/
Why this must be read:

I've been here almost a month and I haven't recced an M&M fic, which just will not do. So I pulled outta the proverbial hat this little gem, one of the few Roswell fics that I can read multiple times and still enjoy like it was the first time I'd ever read it.

Loki has such a deft touch with the characters and understands both Michael and Maria perfectly, which shines through in her fiction. I highly reccommend this story!

A Hundred Thousand Million Days

Fandom: HOMICIDE:LIFE ON THE STREET
author on lj: unknown
Author's website:: Mitchell is a main contributor over at the autofocus archive http://evolfic.com/autofocus
Pairing: None/gen
Summary: A day in the life of sixth-grader Tim Bayliss
Why this must be read: My summary doesn't do it justice. In the hands of a lesser writer this could be so much badfic, but Mitchell's eye for schoolyard detail, and a real sense of how "the child is the father of the man" make this a pleasure to read. Mitchell does an excellent job foreshadowing Tim's later conflicts. Speaking of pleasures, it's been a real pleasure driving for you this month.Thanks.
( Excerpt )
Link:http://evolfic.com/autofocus/mit1972.html

Fandom: WEST WING
Pairing: Not really applicable. Sort of Ed/Larry.
Author on LJ: dafnagreer
Author Website: http://www.geocities.com/beruriagreer/

Why this must be read:

Another parody fic, in which Ed and Larry, two fairly anonymous junior staffers, decide to emulate Josh and Sam. This is metaslash, baby, and very funny.

It was Larry who had the idea first. Or maybe it was Ed. Of course, back then Ed kept getting Larry mixed up with Steve (not *that* Steve -- Campaign Steve). So maybe it had been Campaign Steve's idea originally, but in the end it was Ed and Larry who carried out. Or Fred and Larry, since Larry didn't realize he'd been calling him by the wrong first name and Ed was too polite to mention it. (Staff Secret Santa that first year straightened everything out.)

The Legend of Ed and Larry

Fandom: WEST WING
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website: http://www.geocities.com/cornflakegrl27


Why this must be read:

Because it's more Sam/Josh, happy ending. And it's a gorgeous look at a relationship which begins during the show - most of the stories I've read have assumed a previous relationship.

Josh somehow managed the strength to raise an eyebrow. "Do you ever forget anything?" He tried to have it come out light, but it just ended up sounding weary. 

"Not really, no." Sam's voice was soft. Soft and raspy in that sad whisper that always made Josh want to wrap him in up his arms and never let go.

The Stars Gleam

Fandom: WEST WING
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website: http://www.geocities.com/lymansmight/


Why this must be read:

It's slightly painful, and hesitant, and the Josh is just... spot-on.

But Sam has been waiting twenty-one years, Josh finally knows. Through Lisa and Mandy, college and the campaign, Sam has been waiting for Josh. And one day, Sam will be waiting in Josh's office or in his living room, and Sam will kiss him, and Sam will let Josh touch him.

Blackjack

Fandom: WEST WING
Pairing: Josh/Sam
Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website: http://subtractions.homestead.com/


Why this must be read:

So here it is, my last rec. There are many more I would have liked to rec, had I been organised enough to spread them over the month, but since I've already gone over the limit for this week, I'll have to stop now. I leave you with one of my personal favourite Sam/Josh stories. It's sweet, it contains elements of hurt/comfort, and oh! Look at that! It has a happy ending!

"In case. You know," Josh jumped in, moving around the chair. "In case you need something, or something."

Or something. Sam stared uncomprehendingly. "In case I need...?"

"Me, Sam. What if it gets bad again?" Josh said, and he almost sounded defiant.

Bodies In Motion

And there we go. Goodbye. :D Except not quite, because I'll be doing Pirates of the Caribbean next month. And I will see you there, because that fandom rocks.

Fandom: ALIAS
Pairing: Sark/Vaughn
Author on LJ: lunasky
Author's Website: n/a
Why this must be read:
In an AU set post-"The Telling", Sark and Vaughn try to deal with the aftermath of losing the women they loved. Brilliant twists and turns and a truly believable build up for the slash. Luna's Sark and Vaughn are both dead-on.

This link is a post containing the last two chapters, with all the previous chapters linked at the top. Do not scroll down or you will be spoiled!


Chains of Self

Fandom: FARSCAPE
Pairing: None, really
Author on LJ: Unknown
Author Website: The Max Factor

Why this must be read: This is one of my all-time favourite stories in any fandom. It's one of those rare fics that dare to step out well beyond the usual boundaries of a fandom, and it sure as hell doesn't pull any punches. The original characters are well-developed and completely believable; after the first time I read it, I felt like I'd known them for years. And the future that Max creates is beautifully crafted, throwing together current Earth culture with Farscape's canon, and bringing about a universe that's both exotic and familiar.

I don't want to say too much more, because I don't want to ruin it for anyone. Gorgeous, heart-wrenching, and real. I can see this happening so easily. (And, considering the events of late season four, it's even easier than it was when I first read this.) It'll make you question your perceptions of Moya's crew, and even that of our own history.

How Sleep the Dead

Fandom: THE X FILES
Pairing: Scully/Doggett, smidgen of MSR
Author on LJ: hesychasm
Author Website: the jinjoint

Why this must be read:

This is an early S8 story completely unlike my previous S8 recommendation -- but equally convincing. Jintian gives us a Scully who's lost to everything but self-punishment and a Doggett who's just plain lost, sex and rage wrapped up in character revelation. When Jintian first posted this, I told her I wasn't sure I liked it -- but I was damn sure affected by it. I still feel the same way.


( Excerpt )

"Suttee"

Fandom: LOTRiPS
Pairing: Elijah/Dom
Author on LJ: Mirabile Dictu
Author Website: None
Why this must be read: "Vipashyana" means "seeing things as they really are." The story is an incredibly sweet falling-in-love fic. :)

Vipashyana

Fandom: THE X FILES
Pairing: n/a
Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: http://www.fanfiction.net/profile.php?userid=15461

Why this must be read:

Alex Krycek is having a lousy life. His plans to be a top-notch assassin/ruler of the free world are going nowhere, some peasants in Siberia chopped off his left arm (and he was left-handed), he's just spent a day driving around old men and a snotty young telepath, and all of a sudden God's telling him to go on a quest for redemption.

It can only get worse from there.

( Excerpt )

"My Little Demons"

Fandom: THE X FILES
Pairing: Scully/Mulder
Author on LJ: denyeverything1
Author Website: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Capsule/4554/

Why this must be read:

When I was first discovering XF fiction, hopping from rec site to rec site, I noticed a lot of people who said that Barbara D. wrote Mulder/Scully repartee as good as the show's. This is not true. Barbara writes repartee as good as the show sometimes got, and as good as I wish it always had been.

"Sixty Degrees of Separation" is a quirky and charming post-"Triangle" story featuring spies, lies, and screwball comedy. I knew from the minute I volunteered that this would be my last recommendation, if someone else didn't get to it first, because it's clever and sweet and always, always leaves me with a smile.

( Excerpt )

"Sixty Degrees of Separation"

Fandom: X-MEN MOVIEVERSE
Pairing: gen
Author on lj: vagabond_sal
Author's website: Wordsmithy
Why this must be read:

X-Men movieverse is a more realistic universe than comicsverse, and one hard truth that's a result of that is that the oldest generation of characters won't live forever. Trismegestus shows us a sharp portrait of Charles Xavier facing a slow death that's far from what he would have chosen, with Scott and the rest of the X-Men dealing with it with as much grace as they can. Even if you don't usually read death stories, this one's worth it.

Caducity

Fandom: X-MEN MOVIEVERSE
Pairing: Xavier/Magneto (with a twist)
Author on lj: astolat
Author's website: Intimations
Why this must be read:

Some Xavier/Magneto stories get you with their subtlety and the layered history between the two of them. This one gets you with the sheer perversity of a passion that's survived every terrible thing the two of them can throw at each other, twisted out of shape but never broken. So very, very, wrong, and so very, very hot. And if you're wondering why Mystique plays along, the last story in the series gives a sharp answer that rings true.

Going Down
Suspension
Second Story
Underground Levels

Kissible Fanatic, Unhinged Minim Artist by Basingstoke (not rated, NC-17?)

Fandom: X-MEN MOVIEVERSE
Pairing: Toad/OMC
Author on lj: basingstoke
Author's website: Basingstoke
Why this must be read:

And one more for the road. There's almost no good fanfic about Toad. This one's great. It's quirky and fun and thoughtful, and the sex is exactly as weird as it should be. Trust me on this one. You won't be disappointed.

Kissible Fanatic, Unhinged Minim Artist

Fandom: LOTRiPS
Pairing: Elijah/Dom
Author on LJ: OneAngryKate
Author Website:Postcard from the Edge of Nowhere
Why this must be read: It's about paper cranes, insecurities, and longings. Angsty and yet very sweet.

Balance

(Sorry for the short posts. RL has been kicking my ass so I'm trying to quickly post as many recs as possible.)

Fandom: LOTRiPS
Pairing: Billy/Dom
Author on LJ:

Fandom: MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.
Pairing: a little Napoleon/other female, but mainly Napoleon/Illya.
Author on LJ: veronicaluv
Author Website: ooooh, shiny

Why this must be read:
If any episode needed a slashy epilogue, it was Nowhere Affair.

( quick recap for the curious )

Needless to say, it's a slasher's worse nightmare.

Thank goodness for this story. It starts off where the ep leaves off. Napoleon is fondly watching Mara go through rehab; Illya is busy working, and doing his damndest to be pleased for the happy couple. Napoleon is troubled by Illya's distant behaviour, and tries to re-establish their close friendship. However, Mara senses that Illya represents a serious threat and decides to confront Illya herself...

Please don't be put off by the alternating first person point-of-view. The narrative is easy to follow, with clear references provided so readers can identify who is speaking. It's an engrossing and satisfying depiction of a love triangle in which *all* the characters remains sympathetic and likeable.

The Twisted Ties Affair

Fandom: LOTRiPS
Pairing: Hugo Weaving/Sean Bean
Author on LJ:
Author Website:
Why this must be read: In which there is a dream and much longing from a distance.

Received Pronunciation

Fandom: MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.
Pairing: Napoleon Solo/Illya Kuryakin
Author on LJ: janeterry
Author Website: nil as yet.

Why this must be read:

Illya gets too much angst in fanfic. He's been tortured, raped, forced to relive his horrible childhood...and a whole lot of other unpleasant things I've conveniently blocked from my mind.

This story puts the shoe firmly on the other foot. Napoleon is captured by Thrush, and endures a terrible ordeal involving paralytic drugs, steel manacles, uncontrolled seizures, cigarette burns, threats of sexual assault...but he isn't actually raped. However, after being rescued, he becomes obssessed with the idea of bondage and anal penetration. He dreams about it, fantasizes about it. He wonders if he is going mad.

Others start to notice his pensive mood. Angelique picks up on it. April worries about it and offers a cure of sorts. Then finally--alleluia!!--Illya returns from an assignment in Turkey. Napoleon has a chance to confide in someone he can trust. Unfortunately, his dreams start to take a distinctly kinky twist...

This story is angsty and there is frank description of Napoleon's suffering, but the depiction of it is very matter-of-fact. There's no over-the-top wallowing in pity. This understated narrative style actually gives the story its emotional impact; we are given the opportunity to read between the lines and reach our own conclusions.

Solo angst at its best. And Illya is worth waiting for, even if makes a delayed appearance halfway through: he is such a sweetie.

Needs

Previously on Popslash: JC made sure to enunciate, he didn't want to have to say this twice. "Alex and I had sex, and I don't regret it because it made me realize that I've been fucking devoted to you for years if completely ignorant of the fact. But we slept together and I wouldn't want you to suddenly find that out at some point when all it would do is fuck us up because you're for shit at trusting people and I won’t allow you not to trust me."

Today on Popslash: Juppy the Vampire Slayer

Fandom: POPSLASH
Pairing: N/A.
Author on LJ: eponymous
Author Website: Juppy.org
Why this must be read:

( The first time Joey noticed was in Germany, when Justin crept into the hotel in the pale pre-dawn light. Joey was kissing a particularly enthusiastic fan goodbye, pulling her mouth up to his as he ran his fingers through her soft blond hair. )

Yeah, I know, it's been weeks since I gave y'all any HCL recs, and now it's the last night. Sorry, dudes. Gonna try to get a couple more great ones in here under the wire, okay?

Fandom: HARD CORE LOGO/DUE SOUTH
Pairing: Joe/Fraser
Author on LJ: aukestrel
Author website: Passworded.

Why this must be read:

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Aukestrel *gets* Joe Dick. Which is not an easy thing to do, IMO. She also gets Benton Fraser; although the Fraser here might be a different one than the one you normally think of, he's still indisputably Fraser.

The Distance Between

Fandom: HARD CORE LOGO
Pairing: None
Author on LJ: jacquez
Author website: devilmonkey

Why this must be read: It's post-movie, and it's dark, and kinda creepy, and really, really good.

Blood Makes Noise

Fandom: HARD CORE LOGO
Pairing: Joe/Billy
Author on LJ: unknown
Author website: unknown

Why this must be read: Just a quote from the beginning to whet your appetite:

In the top drawer of his dresser, under two stacks of flannel shirts, a spare set of strings, and a pile of t-shirts, tucked in Joe's Hard Core lyric spiral notebook between "Something's Gonna Die" and "Who the Hell," Billy kept a picture of Joe with a bullet hole under his chin and his blood and brains spattered against the dingy white tiling in the bathroom of the Hard Cores' old apartment.

If *that* doesn't pique your interest, I don't know what would.

The Dead Pictures

Fandom: HARD CORE LOGO
Pairing: Joe/Billy
Author on LJ: unknown
Author website: den of sin

Why this must be read: I love different people's takes on post-movie Billy, and this one is a really good one. He's on tour with Jenifur, and he's thinking about the past, about Joe. The voices are spot on, the tone bittersweet.

Bucksnort

Well. This month we've had freaky werewolf curses, mindmeldy love, some hairy feet, zombie Backstreet Boys, sexy manhunts, sweet and lesbian love, murdered rappers, incesty boyband love, really, really old boyband members, slashy superheroes, true love and secret agents, and curly-headed vampire slayers. I think that covers the range of AU's and crossovers, hm?

But, as I promised at the beginning of this month, here's a few places where you can find more pop/fandom stuff, if you so wish:

TeeVee (TV Based Pop AU's
not of this world: popslash (and not so slash) AU's
Popslash Media Crossovers

I've really enjoyed this month; I wish I'd had more consistency with my recs, as I'd intended to do one every other day, but I kept going out of town and screwing myself up. Anyway, I got in all my twelve, and I hope you enjoyed them and thought they were interesting. Cheers!

Fandom: HARD CORE LOGO
Pairing: Joe/Billy
Author on LJ: unknown
Author website: Purna's fiction

Why this must be read: Purna's written some great due South stories, but she's also written a couple HCL pieces, and this is one of them. It's another post-movie look at Billy, a Billy torn apart by what has happened, and it's just plain magnificent.

Hollywood Babylon

Fandom: HARD CORE LOGO
Pairing: Joe/Billy
Author on LJ: viridian5
Author website: The Green Room

Why this must be read: These two stories take us back to the early days of Hard Core Logo, back in 1978, back to the beginning of the Joe & Billy show. Viridian effortlessly turns back the clock and captures the essence of these two characters.

Following

Watch Your Back

And that's it for me, kids. It's been fun, and I'm sorry to be hitting you with so much at the very end!