Fandom: Oz
Pairing: genfic - B/K mentioned
Author on LJ: maverick4oz
Author Website: Oz Stories (by Maverick and Catheights
Why this must be read:

Ah, yes! PG Ozfic. Not merely PG Ozfic, but PG comedy Ozfic - and the whole damn cell-block says "What gives? Where's the angst we were promised?" Well, see, I'm out on parole going on holiday in a few hours and I don't want to be reading that depressing shit before I get on the plane. You got something to say about that, prags?

Also, this fic is a gem. Set in an alt Season 5, Keller's back home in Em City and Ryan's filling him in on a recent McManus initiative that is seriously bizarre even by Timbo's sterling standards. The Ryan and K-Boy double-act of season 4 was more than a masterclass in the art of manipulation (and the piling up of bodies)- it was totally hilarious as well. They have this great rapport, wonderful gallows humour (much like the fandom) and a gleeful, almost schoolboyish delight in yanking everyone's chain and getting away with it. That's what I like about this fic - even though it's a comedic parody of the show, the Ryan and Keller voices are authentic, reflecting aspects of the characters that I've always enjoyed on the show but rarely see reflected in fic.

poetic justice

Hi, I’m Alex and I’ll be pimping Lord of the Rings fanfiction for the next month. The stories that I’ll be pimping will be taken from a broad range of genres – humour, action and adventure, angst, smut and romance – and I’ll be covering both slash and general fiction.

Fandom: Lord of the Rings
Pairing: Sam/Frodo
Rating: PG-13
Author Website: Amazing Creatures

Why this must be read:

To kick off, I’ve chosen a story by an author who has already been pimped in this fandom. Teasel is one of the most thoughtful writers I have come across in this fandom – her writing is reflexive and has a stillness to it which is very attractive. Added to this, her ability to weave together vague notes from Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit into a convincing and compelling story easily sets her apart.

In this story, set pre-quest, a terrible drought is threatening the Shire. Not only the beautiful gardens are dying, but also the crops which will sustain the hobbits for the next year. Unable to prevent the slow death of ‘all that is good in the world’, Frodo takes quiet strength from his desire for Sam but it is not until he returns to Bag End from helping Merry in Buckland that he begins to understand exactly what is threatened by the unnatural heat.

The strength of this story is in the writing. Lyrical and descriptive, Teasel evokes the spirit of Tolkien’s Shire with astonishing skill. She does not rush to the climax, but rather lets the story take its own speed. The characterisations of Sam and Frodo are excellent and strong enough to satisfy the most critical reader. Like Tolkien, Teasel spends very little time describing Sam and Frodo’s outward appearances while taking the time to investigate what motivates their hearts. The romance is skilfully handled and, for a pre-quest story, surprisingly believable.


Excerpt:

"Sam," said Frodo, planting his heels on the floor to slow their progress. "I'm fine, really I am. Or as fine as anyone is in this heat."

Sam tightened his hands on Frodo's shoulders, and studied him disapprovingly with the warm brown eyes that Frodo had longed for every night since leaving Bag End. "Right worn out you look to me, sir, and drawn, too, like they've not been feeding you right in Brandy Hall." His tone softened. "Oh, Mr. Frodo, have you had aught to drink since you came home?"

"No, not yet, but Sam -- "

"Not - another - word," Sam said, squeezing Frodo's shoulders for emphasis. "Not one more word. I'll be going to the well to get some water, like as I ought to have done this morning in case you came. But before anything else I want you in that bed of yours, and I want you there now."

Frodo felt himself blush to the tips of his ears. Surely it would never occur to Sam that this might mean -- But apparently it had, for Sam's eyes widened and his rosy lips parted in an "oh" of dismay.

Heat Wave by Teasel

Hi! I'm sorry that I'm just doing week one now. I've been out of town on business. Let's just hop to it, shall we?

Fandom: SMALLVILLE
Pairing: Clark/Lex (*confused* Is there any other? Kidding.)
Author on LJ: MistressAce
Author Website: None.
Why this must be read:

Do you like porn? I mean, really, really good porn? The kind that scorches your computer screen? Do you like a great story that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy? Do you like Lex and Clark being, well--Lex and Clark, (imho)? Do you enjoy a bit of angst-icing to make the cake all that much sweeter? Do you like it when authors actually know how to spell and generally use grammar correctly? Do you like a story with a sense of humor?

Need I say more?

If you like these things, then this story is for you. It was written by mistressace in response to a cliche challenge issued by yours truly. It started out simple enough, but then it grew and grew and grew! And now it is a delightfully entertaining, heart-warming and funny masterpiece, if I do say so myself.

Go! Read! Love! Enjoy! :D

Card One: The Fool - One Man's Journey

Fandom:BLAKES7
Pairing:Avon/Tarrant
Author on LJ:?
Author's Website: Holodeck 4, http://members.lycos.nl/Andreyah/holodeck4.htmlHolodeck4
Why this must be read:

The episode "Sand" includes one of the few canonical leg-overs: the (rather implausible) Servalan/Tarrant. This story starts right afterwards, as Tarrant returns from Virn with a persistent cough caused by a stray pubic hair that he just can't get rid of. All his crewmates hassle him about L'Affaire Virn, but only Avon is sufficiently lacking in "tedious scruples about cheating and lying" (and horny enough) to Save the Day and thoroughly take advantage of the situation:

"Or you could ask Avon," Orac suddenly said, almost sounding sarcastic.
Tarrant frowned in disbelief. "Avon?"
"In a way that I'm not programmed to describe Avon managed to help Blake when he suffered from the same discomfort."
[...]
I suppose you tried the showerhead?" Avon asked casually.
Tarrant nodded sadly.
Avon's lips twitched. "I thought you would. So did Blake. And you might want to know that the average velocity of water form a shower is about fifty kilometres per hour. The maximum speed of sperm when ejaculated however is seventy kilometres per hour. Furthermore it is thicker and stickier than water."

In a way, the whole story is about a practical joke, although the victim isn't necessarily complaining by the end of the story. I suspect that, given half a chance, Vila would have been the best customer of the Weasley twins' joke shop, but you'd never be safe from Space!Whoopie Cushions anywhere on the Liberator or Scorpio.

Note: The story is also on Andreyah's site; this is the link to Liberated (which spells the author's name wrong), given in case you feel like checking out some other B7 stories when you're there.

Cough

Fandom: CSI
Pairing: Nick/Warrick
Author on LJ: perpet_fic
Author Website: Motion in Two Parts
Why this must be read:

I will admit to this being semi-fluffy, it's light-hearted without being sappy, and there's an underlying sexiness to it that I love.

It's not very long unfortunately, but there's just something hilarious about Nick feeling Warrick up as drunk!Grissom sits across the table from them harping on about grasshoppers.

Fic: Drunk, Tipsy and Neither.

Fandom: MAN FROM UNCLE
Pairing: Napoleon/Illya, plus a Napoleon/Illya/OFC threesome
Author on LJ: lyrebird
Author Website: lyrebird*mound

Why This Must be Read: Because the characterizations are razor-sharp, the tension between Napoleon and Illya is strung tight as a wire, the dialogue is multi-layered and the sex absolutely sizzles.

This story builds from conflict created within an episode. In "Thrush Roulette", Illya was temporarily 'programmed' via devious psychological conditioning to kill Napoleon. The episode pretends there's no emotional fallout from this conditioning; Clare knows better. Although having seen the episode would probably enhance a reader's understanding of the initial situation, Part One of the story gives you all the backstory you need to understand what's going on between the partners.

Like many good MfU stories, this one deals with issues of trust. Illya comes to mistrust himself, and Napoleon sets out to remind Illya of his own trustworthiness. Miscommunication comes into play and a plot that involves flying pigs (really!) is interwoven with an examination of the complex give and take of their partnership. It makes for a very entertaining and often edge-of-the-seat read. Mind the 'slippery when wet' signage; I was reduced to puddles of melted goo at regular intervals.

( steamy excerpt )

I hope you enjoy this story as much as I do!

Friendly Fire

Fandom: PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
Pairing: Sparrow/Norrington
Author on LJ: firesignwriter
Author's Website: http://www.catthause.com/webcrow/firesignwr.htm

Why this must be read:

I know it's a WiP, and I weep for that fact, while apologising to you all. Can I just slip this one under the net? It is one of the most fascinating and satisfying Sparrington stories I've read. It can be read as complete, if you like angst, but I am an optimist. I hold out for a happy ending. firesignwriter gives us beautiful hurt/comfort in a Spanish jail.

Norrington's breathing steadied gradually as his body slowly, slowly slumped against Jack's rather-more-yielding-than-stone torso. That rigid spine of his loosened marginally, letting Jack roll his head forward to rub at the agonizing tension at the base of his skull, from side to side in order to stretch and ease neck muscles. There was only so much he could do, but distraction in the form of pleasurable contact had its uses, and if the man's overall tautness could be drained it would certainly lessen the pain. Right now those clenching, shivering muscles were their own worst enemies.

Jjail

Fandom: FARSCAPE
Pairing:  Chiana
Author on LJ: apathocles
Author Website:http://www.livejournal.com/users/lemon_curry/ (for drabbles)

Why this must be read: Apathy wrote a whole series of 'Things that never happened to...' fics. One of her loveliest was ...five thngs that never happened on Nebari Prime. Shades of Grey is by turns unsentimental, forthright and lyrical, the five short stories combining to throw light on all aspects of Chiana's quick-silver character. She's not always good, and sometimes her best laid plans don't work, but she's always in there trying, with that indefatigable Chiana style.

Excerpt...she could slip quietly into the night, tumble into the darkness with barely a whisper. But he won't let her. Every time she sticks her head out the window, the fekik whispers in her ear, indignant voice demanding to know what the frell she's doing. For a figment of her imagination, he's frelling convincing. She can hear his hushed laugh – he could never stay mad at her – as he lists every reason he can think of to hold her back a little longer.

Shades of Grey