Fandom: FARSCAPE
Pairing:: None
Author on LJ: rubberneck
Author's Website: fanfic by feldman

Why this must be read:

Because this is Farscape on acid.  This is a scary, wild ride with dialogue that's sharp, observations that sting, and a John that's slowly sinking into insanity.  Many, many characters make an appearance, including one of my guilty pleasures, DK. 

During Season 2, Farscape treated us to the slow, gradual descent of John into madness.  Here, feldman takes that stencil and really shows us how mad John possibly might be going.  It's painful to read, in some apsects, because this is a character you love, a character that's breaking in front of your eyes. 

Another first person POV fic and, like themonkeycabal before her, does it well and does it with flair.  Vivid images and characters that you almost see from two different views.  The first being the characters in John's mind, the slight hint of insanity they all have and the characters as they are, on the periphery, watching their friend cracking.

And there's PK-DK. 

Like Scorpions For Chocolate

Fandom: BLAKE'S 7
Pairing: Blake/Avon
Author on LJ: blakefancier
Author Website: There probably is one, but don't know where
Why this must be read:

Ahh, Zenia. One of the best B7 writers today, IMHO. It was hard to pick just one of her stories, as they are all great. She specialises in short vignettes, moments, sensations, scenes... all written with beautiful words and phrases and sparkling dialogue and/or thoughts. I love the way she captures Blake and his way of speaking. Most of her stories are melancholy, quite suitable for the B7 universe.

This story is an AU set after the series. Blake has retreated from rebelling, yet there are still things that remain unsaid between him and Avon. Blake realises he's severely ill, and that puts things in motion. I hear there's a sequel to come, and I am waiting for it with eager anticipation. This one was so damn good I had to write a complementary story myself (not exactly a sequel since it's set in the same time frame). Zenia's just so bloody brilliant I'm not surprised a lot of people are inspired by her writing:).

Sunrise

Fandom: QUEER AS FOLK US
Pairing: Brian/Michael
Author on LJ: seperis
Author Website: Indulgence

Why this must be read:
This AU story made me very happy when I discovered it, but if B/J is your only pairing, give it a miss.
Learning Curve

Fandom: YAMI NO MATSUEI
Pairing: none
Author on LJ: aeanagwen
Author Website: http://www.livejournal.com/users/aeanagwen
Why this must be read:

Because he is a relatively minor character, I did not mention Terazuma Hajime in the fandom overview. He gets no mention at all in the anime and just a brief side story in the manga.

If you are not familiar with Terazuma, ( here’s all you really need to know: )

This short gen fic deftly explores the Terazuma + KokuShunGai backstory, how they came to be together, how Terazuma handles the betrayal and the violation and grudgingly comes to accept his lot. It’s a great little vignette for a fascinating character that doesn’t get enough play in the fandom.

( Excerpt )

Idee Fixee

Fandom: THE SENTINEL
Pairing: Jim/Blair
Author on LJ: Not that I'm aware of
Author Website: Archived at 852 Prospect
Why this must be read:

This is a Jim centric story and a kiddie fic. I usually stay away from kids fic but this story took on two challenges:

One : not make Jim jump off a tall building when Blair leaves after "The Sentinel by Blair Sandburg" (and trying his hand at being a cop) because of the "bond" between sentinel and guide.

Two: J. M. Griffin created a nice kid that fit with and in Jim's life : Eli, Blair's son.

I do have a soft spot for Jim centric stories. This one is interesting, has nice plot twists, manages to have all the usual suspects who moved on with their lifes: Megan, Rafe, Simon, etc.

It's not without its flaws but it's a good portrayal of Jim. Not mushy, comfortable and it's kinda sweet to see Jim has a father. I think the fact that Richard Burgi had a nice rapport with kids on the serie helped a lot in the way writers can portray Jim has a father figure.

Heartbeats part one and Heartbeats part two

Comments always welcome

Fandom: YAMI NO MATSUEI
Pairing: Tsuzuki/Tatsumi
Author on LJ: boniblithe
Author Website: Bonibaru.com
Why this must be read:

I told Boni if she recced me, I was allowed to rec her, and so I am.

This is Tsuzuki/Tatsumi through the eyes of a rather lovestruck Hisoka and yeah, it hurts, but in YnM, pain is beautiful, and Boni makes it moreso. This story is so atmospheric, so lyrical, and so devastating, that perhaps it should carry a warning label for stylewhores and Hisoka fans like myself. If you're looking for a good story to elegantly break your heart, just click on the link below.

Palette

Fandom: HARRY POTTER
Pairing: Severus Snape/Sirius Black (plus some other peripheral pairings)
Author on LJ: fabularasa
Author Website: Fabulae
Why this must be read:

Snape/Black (or Snack, as it is sometimes referred to) is one of my top three pairings in HP. Right now, at this moment, it could be my favorite.

I like them because, well, I’m a massive Snape ho, and I love Sirius to bits (actually something I can pretty much credit Fabula with- she writes him so well). They’re both so deliciously flawed, and they have such a great backstory in canon that you can do so much with. Besides which, I’ve always been a sucker for the we-hate-each-other-but-we’re-screwing-but-we-definitely-hate-each-other-right? kind of pairing. Also I personally think that Snape and Sirius have much more of a spark than other older generation pairings like Remus/Sirius and Remus/Severus.

Writing them together well is very difficult, however, which is why fabularasa deserves major props. Because not only does she write Snape/Black better than anyone else out there, she’s also extraordinarily prolific. I think she’s penned over 15 Snack fics, and all of them are worth reading, let me tell you. And oh, how I agonized over which one to rec. Even writing this, I’m still debating over whether I picked the right one.

Rat’s Alley is generally agreed to be the best out of all of Fabula’s wonderful stories. It’s beautifully yet tightly written, and what’s more, it has T.S. Eliot, chess and vampire!Snape in it (and if you cringed right there, trust me, it works, and what’s more, it’s hot). What’s not to love? This is perhaps a bit longish to introduce someone to this pairing (for a shorter taste I’d recommend Fabula’s Epistula Ultima or Eight Times), but it really exemplifies what I love about Fabula’s fics- tense, compelling dramas (with plenty o’ smut) that will keep you glued to the computer.

Rat’s Alley starts off with a fairly common premise in HP fanfiction: two characters, Snape and Sirius, captured by Death Eaters, locked in a cell. For a hint of what happens there…

( Click on the excerpt…you know you want to )

Gah...can’t think of anything else coherent to say (not that what came before was particularly coherent) except read this. Right. Now.

Rat’s Alley

Fandom: QUEER AS FOLK US
Pairing: Michael/Ben
Author on LJ: wyoluvr
Author Website: HodgePodgian Fan Fiction

Why this must be read:
Although I was skeptical at first, Michael and Ben grew on me as a pairing when I saw how well they got along together. This story is set early in their relationship, and this Ben has a bit of an edge that I like. Canon Ben comes off as too saintly sometimes; I like it when he's human.

This Is How