Fandom: Oz
Pairing: various (slash and het), but mostly Beecher/Keller, Beecher/Other
Author on LJ: unknown
Author's website: unknown
Why this must be read

Paradigm Shift is a series of loosely interlinked vignettes, set around the early part of Season 4(b). It's told from the perspective of almost every major (and a few minor) characters and I love the freewheeling, panoramic vision of Em City life that emerges from these multiple voices. The character voices are excellently done - most notably Beecher, Keller, Ryan and Father Ray - and the prose is tight and economical, just like the show itself.

What's interesting about these fics is that they're written almost contemporaneously with the first run showing of these episodes. So, some of them sit neatly in canon, tallying perfectly with events on the show, whilst others are more speculative (and surprisingly accurate), based on trailers for forthcoming episodes and so forth. This lends a wonderful sense of immediacy and freshness to these fics - a real "what happens next?" sense of anticipation.

I don't know if Flyboy intended further installments, as we're left with a few loose ends, but one entire B/K story arc is completed and I guess that'll keep most of us happy, yes? And there's a rib-tickling sequence where Keller explains the mechanics of gay sex to an appalled-but-fascinated Ryan that's worth the price of admission alone.

Paradigm Shift 01
Paradigm Shift 02
Paradigm Shift 03
Paradigm Shift 04
Paradigm Shift 05
Paradigm Shift 06
Paradigm Shift 07
Paradigm Shift 08
Paradigm Shift 09
Paradigm Shift 10
Paradigm Shift 11

Fandom: QUEER AS FOLK USA
Pairing: Brian/Justin
Author on LJ: julad
Author Website: Ambivalent Pleasures
Why this must be read: Post Season 3. Justin picks up where Brian leaves off, because *somebody* has to. Or, as the author says "The weirdness gets unavoidable when Brian refuses to get his job back." Web page includes a DVD Commentary on this fic.

( Excerpt )


The Importance of Being Brian

Fandom: QUEER AS FOLK USA
Pairing: Brian/Justin
Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website: Rizabeau doesn't have a website (though she does have a Yahoo Group), but her stories are all archived at Across The Pond Rizabeau's stories at ATP
Why this must be read: Post Season 1. There is something about her stories that brings me back, time and time again. I've printed all of them, and that's saying something as she writes *tomes*. Her stories are almost all AU, but somehow she manages to write instances that correspond closely to canon, *ahead of canon*. Brian is a little more self-realized than he's portrayed in the show, and she uses some of the hot buttons in the fandom; "Baby" to describe Justin, and "I love you" from Brian. She even got them married with children- and I believed it could happen. (For that, you'll have to read "Songs in the Key of Love". [sequel due soon, I hope!])

But, somehow, it works for me when she writes it. When she first posted her work I didn't realize that she had never written *anything* before. Sure, they were rough in places, but I didn't realize that not only was she new to QAF, she was new to fandom in general, and writing in specific.

Jingle All The Way is my personal favorite of her stories. Brian is Brian - abrasive on the outside, hiding his emotions on the inside, but not written as "damaged Brian". Justin tries to manipulate things to go his way, and he's not "sick or abused" at all. And in the end, they have a happy, merry, Christmas.

( Excerpt )


Jingle All The Way

Fandom: DUE SOUTH
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski
Author on LJ: cesperanza
Author Website: http://trickster.org/speranza/
Why this must be read:

In her author's notes, Speranza says that this didn't turn out like it was in her head. I can't imagine it being any better though. The premise is that Fraser invites Ray to dinner a fancy resturant that holds only bad memories for Ray and so Ray is sure Fraser has bad news. Ray's angst as he watches Fraser and his worry builds is fabulous.


( Excerpt )

Until Midnight

Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer / Beowulf
Pairing: none

Author's website: Jennifer Oksana's
jennyo

Why this must be read:
I missed this month's crossover day, so I hope it's ok I fit one in now.

It's always interesting to see the worlds of fandom and classic literature collide. JennyO puts a clever spin on the classic norse tale by shifting the perspective of the story to Grendel, making the monster somewhat different than legend traditionally portrays. She skillfully keeps the tone, and some of the rhythm, of the old oral poem, especially the Norse fatalism; adapting Wyrd and legend to a Slayer's duty makes for a strong, bleak, and impressively executed read.

Daughter of the Hall

Fandom: The Sentinel
Pairing: Jim/Blair
Author on LJ: wistful_fever
Author Website: wistfulworld
Why this must be read

Wistful is the second "relatively new" writer in TS-fandom I want to rec here. Her "Personal Casualty" takes place after TSbyBS with Blair as Jim's permanent official partner. It is emotionally dark, Jim's feelings are painfully realistic described and it has no happy end. It's so well written that I couldn't shrug it off but desperately wanted to *fix* that situation (not necessarily the story *g*) because it simply felt so wrong and it hurt to watch them.

Well, Elaine apparently also couldn't stand it and wrote two sequels to it, giving a somewhat "happier" ending to the events. They can be found at the 852 prospect archive, just use the search engine.

With this last rec I say good bye and I'm looking forward to next month' recs.

Personal Casualty

Fandom: FARSCAPE
Pairing:  Scorpius/John
Author on LJ: searose
Author Website:

Why this must be read: You've probably all guessed by now that I'm not a shipper. The John/Aeryn dynamic just doesn't interest me. The Scorpius/John pairing is probably my favourite for its nuanced fear, for the subtle undertones of attraction and sexuality, the two men circling each other with a wariness borne of a forced proximity. This wonderful story references their first meeting. Three series later, both are still picking up the pieces.

He was beginning to learn the true, insidious nature of Humanity.

Blood Memory

Fandom: FARSCAPE
Pairing:  John/D'Argo
Author on LJ: shrift
Author Website: Shrift's fan fic

Why this must be read: Because it's hilarious. It's spaced out John and D'Argo, and what happened on LoMo. Shrift is a total master (mistress?) of the killer lline. Go and enjoy!

(Excerpt...) They've been doing this a lot lately. Bickering. Bickering over who gets to fly the transport pod, over whose turn it is to stock up on food cubes, even over whether Stevie Ray Vaughn could make a shilquen wail like a banshee, and John has to admit that last one was pretty stupid considering that D'Argo doesn't even know what an electric guitar or a banshee sounds like.

Apparently, they've been bickering so much that they've successfully driven Pilot insane. So when the rainbow coalition walks up to their table and asks if he and D'Argo are a couple, John isn't particularly surprised by the question. Even though they both deny it, it sure feels like he's married to the big, tentacled jerk these days.

Abbott and Costello Meet the Rainbow Coalition

Fandom: EVERWOOD
Pairing: Bright/Laynie/Ephram
Author on LJ: misswindy
Author Website: Miss Windy
Why this must be read: Because it has to be one of the hottest things I have EVER read!!

Author's Summary : I guess you could consider this some kind of seriously pervy AU. Basically, college-aged Bright, Ephram and Laynie get conveniently piss-faced drunk, and get into a situation that's a little over everyone's heads.

I can't think of anything nicer than drunk boys playing with each other!!


Firecrackers

Fandom: Lotrips
Pairing: Orlando/Viggo/Elijah/Dominic; Dominic/Billy
Author on LJ: ukcalico
Author's Website: Calico's Lair

Why this must be read:
Because this is the Lotrips smut classic. It's been written ages ago and still melts my brain. It is just that hot. Page after page after page of sex, it doesn't get boring once. Maybe it's because Calico's PWPs are always more. The characterisation and subtle plot prevent you from getting distracted by something shiny on the road, you stay in the story.

Sabotage

sequel: Subversion

Fandom: Lotrips
Character: Elijah
Author on LJ: milochka
Author's Website: no real personal site

Why this must be read:
To prove Lotrips isn't just about Teh Pretty but also about Teh Geeky. A drabble that had me laughing so hard it hurt. Literally and figurativly speaking. What if Elijah were a unix system administrator? Find out for yourself.

wankscript

Title: Not In Vain
Fandom: Lord of the Rings
Author: Lucy Hale (email: trickylu@hotmail.com)
Author website: n/a
Pairing: Merry/Pippin, Merry/Boromir (sort of), Merry/Pippin/Boromir (a little)
Rating: PG-13

Why this must be read:

Okay. It's time to come clean. I'm a Boromir fan. Oddly, this has nothing to do with the movie although that scene in FoTR almost always makes me cry. That being said - and added to what's probably an excessive love of Hobbits - I was pretty much predisposed to enjoy this story.

That being said, this is an immensely enjoyable and sympathetic look at Boromir - the changes and emotional growth he goes through - during the quest and Merry and Pippin as catalysts of this. Taking Gandalf's words in TTT as inspiration - "It was not in vain that the young hobbits came with us, if only for Boromir's sake." - the author casts a new eye over the events immediately preceding the Council of Elrond through to Boromir's death. Into the canon events - there is a cavet in that the author generally chooses movie canon over book canon when the two conflict - she weaves a a story of a surprising and unexpected friendship and burgeoning love that knows no boundries.

Incidentally, for those who are squicked by the thought of interspecies sex, don't worry. You can read without fear of squickage.

( Excerpt )

The link goes to the Library of Moria site which is a LoTR slash archive and worth checking out.

Not In Vain by Lucy Hale

Fandom: Lord of the Rings
Author: Lobelia Sackville-Baggins
Pairing: Sam/Frodo
Rating: PG

Why this must be read:

In five words or less? Because it'll Make You Smirk.

Poor Sam. Poor, poor Sam.

The effect of the Ring has been dealt with by many writers - not least Tolkien himself lol - but until I'd read this story, I'd not considered this particular effect. After reading, it seems rather blindingly obvious that the Ring would be able to manipulate the Ringbearer through his *cough* libedo. One can only assume that the general lack of sex in Lord of the Rings and Tolkien's own rather Victorian and Catholic views on sex prevented him
from exploring this particular avenue.

So. The Ring has this effect on the Ringbearer and since this story is set post-Council of Elrond, the Ringbearer is of course, Frodo. (Without it being stated overtly, this is pretty much obviously movie-verse as the book-verse Frodo isn't anywhere near as jailbait as Elijah Wood's Frodo.) And a distressingly virginal and inexperienced Frodo at that who is ill-equipped to deal with the lure of the Ring.

However - Gandalf has a Plan!

Without meaning to suggest that the story is particularly derivative, it reminded me of Cassandra Claire's 'Very Secret Diaries' with the fantastically Oblivious Frodo and the Mentally Eye Rolling And Persistant Sam. Reminiscent, perhaps, but this is what we were cheated of in 'Very Secret Diaries'.

Admittedly, there is one slightly jarring point for the pernickety reader; Aragorn mentions what Frodo looks like when wearing the Ring, except that of course, the Ring makes him invisible. It's easy enough to gloss over and doesn't detract from the general enjoyment of the story.

It's light-hearted and funny and especially nice to read following some of the more angsty stories. And the supporting characters reactions and 'help' is highly amusing.

Personally, I loved the last line.

A Dirty Job

Fandom: X-Men Movieverse
Pairing: Xavier/Magneto
Author on LJ: Astolat
Author Website: http://www.intimations.org/
Why this must be read:

Short peice set in the aftermath of X2. Some relationships are inescapable and she does a wonderful job of showing tied together the history of these two is. Somethings never get any easier.

Pigrimage

Fandom: X-Men Movieverse
Pairing: Iceman/Pyro, Magneto/Pyro
Author on LJ: suckerilove
Why this must be read:

Magneto/Pyro has a bit squick factor for alot of people. It's understandable given obvious age and power dynamics. Those are some of the same factors that make it an interesting pairing to read and write if done carefully keeping proper characterizations in mind. That is the case with this story. Characterization here is done wonderfully and the dynamics. I particularly like parallels between Bobby/John and Charles/Erik (that is hinted at).

Family, happiness, and companionships come in all kinds of ways.

An excerpt.
( Read more... )


Chele Kodesh

Fandom: POPSLASH
Pairing: JC/Lance
Author on LJ: jchalo
Author Website: Idol Hands
Why this must be read:

There have been a million-and-one stories about the aftermath of Lance's (so far) unfulfilled dream of going to space, but this one stands out.

( An excerpt. )

It's set at the video shoot for JC's first solo single, shortly after Lance's return from Russia. There are moments of sadness, but not the kind of moments that clobber you over the head with the weight of their overwhelming angst. Mostly, it's quiet, it's understated, it's funny. halo has a nice touch, and a feel for both JC and Lance, and it all comes together just right in the series of moments that make up the story.

Not Yet