Fandom: PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
Pairing: Jack/Norrington
Author on LJ: webcrowmancer
Author Website: Webcrowmancer's Pearls
Why this must be read: So, I promised you lots of J/N on my first day, and then got mixed up in RL adventures and only made about half the recs I'd planned*. But I make up for that by getting in just under the wire with Webcrowmancer, who's probably done more for the pairing than anyone else, including *three* absolutely wonderful novel-length fics.

She's not the technically best writer, but she has that facility-- like Dickens, or Hawthorne, or, umm, McCaffrey, of pulling you into the story regardless, and you love it anyway. It was hard to pick just one story to rec, and if you're interested I'd definitely recommend going for the others, or sampling her comprehensive J/N recs page.

I picked The Cupid Series because it has everything I look for in a good J/N; the perfect combination of snark and sap, the loneliness, plenty of gratuitous drunk scenes, lovelorn lieutenants, and an intricate, realistic plot that uses (and judiciously abuses) the historical politics and economics of the Colonial Caribbean. Oh, and plenty of good sex. She does write a good sex scene.

The Cupid Series.


*Actually, I was sitting on a beach drinking rum.

Fandom:BLAKES7
Pairing:Dayna/Avon
Author on LJ:?
Author Website:?
Why this mustbe read:
B7 is a very slashy fandom, but goodness, I'd hate for you to think there was NO HET! And, although the overt content of the show is All Power Play, All the Time, much of the fiction centers around the dominance struggles between or among the male characters.

But that leaves out the relationships between the male and female characters. In this story (the title means "by force and by violence") Dayna and Avon have a forceful but inconclusive discussion about the value (or otherwise) of revenge. Both the force and the inconclusiveness are thrown into relief by the fact that the conversation takes place in a hotel room where Dayna has drugged Avon, hidden his clothes, and chained him to the bed. For one reason or another.

Dayna sat on the edge of the bed. The mattress yielded ever so slightly to her weight, and he could feel her warmth on his hip. She said, 'You don't really want me to let you go, do you?'
'Yes,' he said, striving for the tone Blake had commanded so easily. [...]Despite his determination, he felt a growing warmth of arousal. No, he didn't. He refused to. He refused to feel that any more.

Alicia Ann Fox is a major B7 writer, who published extensively in zines--and check out the Hermit Library for a couple of dozen of her stories in addition to the stories at liberated.org.uk. She even wrote "Bulkheads," a terrific story about the least plausible pairing in B7 (Vila/Tarrant) but I don't think it's available online.

Vi et Armis

Fandom: ROSWELL
Pairing: Max/Liz, Liz and a gun
Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website: N/A

Why this must be read:
In the first promos for Season 3, the producers of Roswell teased us all with a clip in which Liz is holding a gun. This is speculation fic that takes that image and runs with it. The story delivers far better than the show itself ever did. Maggie creates a Liz in this story that has found a way to regain control, and gives us a glimpse into who the character could have become.

Lyrical and dreamy, the story has a wonderful surreal feel that only emphasizes its disturbing premise.

It's always cold at first, but quickly warms in my hand, becoming familiar, balanced. It's a part of me, the same temperature as my skin, the same temper as my heart.

Target Practice

Fandom: FARSCAPE
Pairing: John/Chiana
Author on LJ: Unknown
Author's Website: Archived at The Void

Why this must be read: Because it's one of the best John/Chiana stories you'll find anywhere. Reads like an early-seasons episode (if just a wee bit more pornalicious than the show's usual fare *g*), with all of the fun and character insight that the show always provided.

Delusions of Desire

Fandom: FARSCAPE
Pairing: John/Aeryn, D'Argo/Chiana
Author on LJ: kixxa
Author's Website: kixxafics

Why this must be read: There are plenty of good reasons to read this story, but the main one I'm going with is the lovely portrayal of the D'Argo/Chiana relationship. It's rare to find a story where their relationship gets to share centre stage with John and Aeryn's, and a D'Argo POV is rarer still. I'm a total sucker for well-written D/C, and this is a definite favourite.

Plus, there's John, Aeryn, Scorpius, Harvey, Braca, and Kixxa's usual slew of intriguing original characters. What's not to love?

How They Fall


*

And that wraps up my month's worth of recs. Hope you all found something that took your fancy. *g*

Fandom: X-FILES
Pairing: Skinner/Mulder
Author on LJ: xanthefic
Author's Website: Xanthe

Why this must be read: Although I show a preference for liking stories that pair him with Mulder, I'm an equal opportunity Skinner slash ho. Slash him with anyone, and I'm a happy boy.

Anyway, for my first X-Files rec, I present you with one of my favorites, entitled Subterfuge. As the name suggests, it talks about how some people hide behind masks and roles, and how others use roleplay to realize who they really are. And that's what happens with Fox Mulder and Walter Skinner -- an undercover mission unmasks a sublimated desire between these two men.

( Read more... )

It's quite long but worth it.

Subterfuge

Fandom: THE PROFESSIONALS
Pairing: Bodie/Doyle
Author on LJ: gwyn_r
Author Website: http://www.drizzle.com/~gwyneth/

Hi, I'm Nell and I'll be reccing stories in my first, still primary, and much beloved fandom, Pros. I'm going to present holiday-themed stories this month, starting early in the year, moving to what Bodie and Doyle get up to during their leave or spare time, and finishing with stories fashioned around winter holidays. Subject matter and tones will range from light to dark, so I hope there'll be something for every taste to enjoy.

Why this must be read:

Valentine's Day stories don't abound in Pros, but this is a fine example of how a somewhat unapt (for CI5 agents) theme can work. It's light and charming, mushier than this author usually writes, but avoids over-the-top sappiness. A grumpy Bodie wants nothing to do with Valentine's Day:

Bodie generally hated holidays, anyway, but at least he could swallow Christmas and things of that nature. They represented something real. But bloody Valentine's Day...well, it really was bloody, wasn't it? Named for some geezer who got his hands cut off.

...but someone is courting him anyway. Gwyn is a stylish writer and this story is just plain fun.

Be My Valentine

Fandom: THE O.C.
Pairing: Seth/Summer
Author on LJ: kieyra
Author Website: None

Why this must be read: This is one of the better Seth/Summer fics that I’ve seen simply because of her characterizations. This was written sometime around the first hiatus back in August which makes it eerie how much insight kieyra has into Summer and her motives especially given what's been revealed on the show recently.

The only quibble I have with the story is that Summer’s mother plays a pivotal, involved role in her daughter’s life whereas the show has told us nothing about her real mother. It's an extremly minor quibble. Go, read, and enjoy.

The link will take you to a main page that lists all the stories in the series.

The Definition of Intelligence

I'm Pinn, by the way, and I'll be distributing The O.C. love this month.

Fandom: STARGATE SG-1
Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Author on LJ:: N/A
Author Website: http://www.geocities.com/keiko_kirin/

Why this must be read: The Steak Series is a Stargate slash fandom classic. This series of stories traces the slow development of a relationship between Jack and Daniel as they take cautious steps toward intimacy. As they progress from realization to desire to awkwardness to love, Keiko shows us how they react to each new level, gives them time to work through it, and then moves to the next step.

Though the relationship is center stage, it's set within the context of their daily lives: missions, tensions on base, interaction with their teammates -- all written in a believable, subtle, mature way. Plenty of plot and action, plenty of sex, and plenty of emotional payoff. There are twelve stories, and by the end of the series, I was satisfied, and sad there was no more to read. Steak helped convince me of the Jack/Daniel pairing; I couldn't fully see Jack and Daniel together when I started reading this series, but by the time I finished the last story, I was hooked.

( Excerpt from Steak 7: Steak and Cows )

The Steak Series

(By the way -- I'm Destina, and I'm rec'ing Stargate SG-1 stories this month. I'll attempt to recommend a variety of different stories from gen to slash, from older classics to sparkly new stuff.)

Fandom: STARGATE SG-1
Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Author on LJ: dmarley
Author Website: http://dmarley.mattachine.com/

Why this must be read: Because it is erotic, and lovely, and because it will break your heart into little, bitty pieces. This story begins in season one or two, with Daniel on the verge of finding Sha're, and it captures a moment in time where Jack and Daniel are free to be everything they want to be to each other, without boundaries. The sex in this story is scorching hot, but I love the story because of the deeply emotional undercurrents. It hurts, but in the best possible way.

( Excerpt from One Bare Hour )

One Bare Hour

Fandom: STARGATE SG-1
Pairing: Jack/Daniel/male
Author on LJ: troyswann
Author Website: http://salieri.bonuspoints.net/

Why this must be read: This story takes place offworld during a mission gone very wrong, where things get worse, and then worse again. There is an original character whose point of view is startling and unique, and a scenario we've rarely seen in SG fan fiction. The slash here is so subtle that I was actually holding my breath during one scene, and its subsequent echo later in the story. Excellent characterization all the way around, plus a nice, tight, tense plot.

( Excerpt from Willing )

Willing

Fandom: X-MEN COMICVERSE
Pairing: Gen
Author on LJ: Erm, buggered if I know...
Author Website: David J. Warner's section on shifting-sands.alara.net
Why this must be read: Let's start off at the very beginning, shall we?

Back before she was Phoenix, back before she was Marvel Girl, back before she died (and came back, and died, and came back again...), back before she was replaced by her malevolent clone, back before she was placed in a cocoon under the Hudson Bay by an omnipotent space deity intent on usurping her life (as you do), Jean Grey was a simple teenage girl dealing with some pretty hefty issues.

Good representations of Jean in fic are to be treasured above rubies, and I think that "Jean and Me" was one of the first great Jean-stories out there. I pretty much presume that this story is canon, myself, or at least as close to canon as it gets when we're looking from the outside-in; it's one of those fics that just fits, some elegant conjuration of the spark that compels us to love these wacky, madcap, misfit mutants.

The story's narrator, Joey Bilotti, truly is an Everyman we can all identify with, an Everyman living through the most interesting of times; and through his honest, perceptive eyes we witness the dawn of an age of marvels. I dare you to read this without feeling that you, too, were once a little bit in love with the Red-Headed Girl Who Flew.

( A brief excerpt: )It is with great joy that I recommend Jean and Me: A Tale of the Marvels.

(Oh yeah, and I'm Jeff, I'll be your tour guide this month through the wonderful world of Disney X-Men comicfic. Y'all won't be getting sprawling epics from me--for one thing, I have the attention span of a mayfly in heat, but more importantly, most really long plot-driven novel/las in X-Men comicverse demand at least a serviceable command of well over forty years of confusing, infuriating, and often contradictory canon, and frankly, there're only so many times a fanboy can explain something like Inferno or the Age of Apocalypse without feeling a little bit silly afterwards.

So. That being said, I'll be concentrating on shorter, character-driven pieces. I'll also be reccing lots of older stuff, so many of these authors may not have LJs.)

Fandom: STAR WARS: THE PHANTOM MENACE

Pairing: Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan

Author on LJ: lori and wolfling

Author Website: Lori's Pages and Wolfling's Lair

Why this must be read: I fall in love with this series more and more each time I read it. Obi-Wan expresses his love for Qui-Gon in a letter that he never intends to be read, and the letter gets sent to Qui-Gon by mistake, sparking the most delightful romance I've ever had the pleasure to read. This is Qui and Obi as I love to see them, both of them uniquely independent characters living their own lives, who just happen to love each other deeply. The series describes the growing pains of their deepening relationship and the impact it has on their lives as Jedi. There's a fair amount of plot and angst, but mostly it's a story about love, so beautifully written that I can never get tired of rereading it. Definitely one of my favorites in the fandom.

Also not to be missed are the series' sequels: Foursome, War Chronicles, and Rebellion Missives (linked from the sidebar of the Letters webpage).

Letters

Fandom: STAR WARS: THE PHANTOM MENACE

Pairing: Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan

Author on LJ: ????

Author Website: It says on the story's webpage that she has one, but I'm not sure where it is. But most (if not all) of her stories are archived at the Master & Apprentice archive.

Why this must be read: This story is the perfect balm for anyone who's ever been frustrated by the Jedi Apprentice novels' depiction of how the Jedi choose their padawans. It's an alternate universe where initiates actually have a say in their futures and play a significant role in choosing who their masters will be. Qui-Gon, wounded by the betrayal of his previous padawan Xanatos, has determined to never take on another padawan. But the Force has other ideas, and makes its wishes known through an initiate named Obi-Wan who is determined to befriend him.

I absolutely adore this Jedi society as Eliz-mar describes it, filled with such love and comfort and nurturing. The story is pre-slash, yet completely satisfying (which you won't hear me saying often). Eliz-mar's writing is always a joy to read.

The Choosing

Fandom: PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
Pairing: Sparrow/Norrington
Author on LJ: cinzia
Author Website: http://www.digitalcandy.net/~cinzia/

Why this must be read:

Because it's one of the least soppy, yet still romantic, Sparrington stories I've ever seen. Because it's beautiful. It's a good introduction into why Sparrington works, I think, and a nice character study of Commodore Norrington.

Norrington remembered he was never able to keep Elizabeth, not this way, but this man, this pirate, he was a different matter altogether and maybe--oh, Lord--maybe he could...

...just like that, Sparrow would vanish. Not like Elizabeth, sweet warmth fading in cold morning mists, no: more like the ever-receding horizon, endless, uncatchable. Always there, forever out of grasp.

Nigh Uncatchable

I'll be reccing PotC this month. I ship primarily Sparrington, I love happy endings, and I worship Jack Sparrow. *waves* So, hi.

Right, so. I'm Halo, and I'll be doing my best to tempt you into the glorious world of popslash (if you're not already here). In the interest of full disclosure, I'm a big fan of the JC pairings, and particularly of Chris/JC, but I will try my best to be well-rounded and suchlike. But I'm starting with Chris/JC, and what is possibly my very favourite popslash story of all.

Fandom: POPSLASH
Pairing: Chris/JC
Author on LJ: helenish
Author Website: http://www.helenish.net/
Why this must be read: Because in a fandom where one or both of the (male) characters in any given story is frequently written as "the girl", this is a story about two guys, and all the quirks and neuroses that go along with them. There's a lot of anger and frustration in this story, but there's also wit, and love, and a healthy amount of lust. In addition to that, the Chris/JC dynamic is one that is many-faceted and a lot of fun to explore, and Helen's story is a great example of one of the ways it can go.

( A brief exerpt. )

Now, go forth and read:

The Way You Do It

Fandom: DUE SOUTH
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski
Author on LJ:Viridian5
Author Website: The Green Room version 2.0
Why this must be read:

A short, simple story that is one of my favorites because it captures the feel of the show. It's funny and sweet and really perfect. I frequently use it as a gateway story for the fandom.

The Thrill of the Chase

(I'm Cat, I'll be your dS dealer for March.)