Fandom: RANMA 1/2
Pairing: (I've tried to catalog the romantic infatuations, loving relationships, and sexual encounters present in this story.) Mousse/Shampoo, Mariko Hibiki/Ranma Saotome, Ukyo Kuonji/Ranma Saotome, Tatewaki Kuno/Akane Tendo, Akane Tendo/Ranma Saotome, Tatewaki Kuno/Mariko Hibiki, Ranma Saotome/Nabiki Tendo, Koji Hibiki/Nabiki Tendo, Mariko Hibiki/Tsen Wu, Ukyo Kuonji/Tsen Wu
Warning: Character death(s), sexual violence, nonconsensual situations and brutality
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: Transpacific Fanfiction!
Why this must be read:

I'd better say this first... this story isn't a must-read. It's more of a must-know-about. Every so often a story comes along which rocks a fandom to its foundations. Some stories are such a departure from what has already been written that they can catalyze a shift the climate of the fandom. I'll be recommending more stories of this catalyst-nature over the coming weeks.

This one is among those stories which widened the possibilities for character interpretations into uncharted, unknown territory. With a few decisive wrenching twists to canon events, suddenly a whole startlingly dark alternate reality not previously considered became a plausible possibility, well-crafted and well-written. If such a harsh version of the Ranmaverse could exist, if the character interactions still rang true through the darkness which permeated and engulfed them, then how many other possible realities could be just as plausible, and just as unique, and just as different in tone from canon as this particularly cruel catalyst story?

Ill Met By Starlight is dark, violent, brutal, and not for everyone, that's for sure. However, there is no other Ranma 1/2 story quite like it that I know of. There certainly weren't others like it at the time it was written.

Ranma is an invincible martial artist. In this story, that's a truly horrible thing, because he's just not right. He's psychotic, and twisted, and horrifying.

Reader discretion advised. This one's a difficult read, even if you're into that sort of thing. If you do make it through the story, I highly recommend reading the epilogues, as well. (And now I'm going to read something else in hopes of staving off nightmares.)

Ill Met By Starlight

Fandom: RANMA 1/2
Pairing: Ranma Saotome/Akane Tendo, Ryoga Hibiki/Akane Tendo, Ukyo Kuonji/Ranma Saotome, Akari Unryu/Ryoga Hibiki
Warning: Character death(s), domestic abuse
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: Zen's Fanfiction Page has achieved a state of nonbeing -- to find Zen's stories, your best bet is The Penultimate Ranma Fanfic Index which links to archived USENET posts and webpages both.
Why this must be read:

OK, I changed my mind. I haven't gone to sleep yet. Instead, I'm recommending another story which rocked Ranma fandom to its foundations, another must-know-about story. This story created such furor, discussion, and flamewars on the USENET groups pertinent to Ranma fandom at the time that this story became more or less an infamous discussion topic.

Because there are almost no canon relationship resolutions in Ranma, fans can and do imagine any future they like for these well-loved characters. In any fandom, there are character-specific fans who place their favorite character on a pedestal. There are also pairing-specific fans who want their chosen pairing to live happily ever after. 'Shipper wars are common in every fandom, I suspect, whether the pairings of choice are het, slash, mixed threesomes or whatever.

The Bitter End not only triggered fan-confrontations based on those usual reasons, but also all sorts of discussion about Zen's characterization of Ranma, the ostensible hero of most other stories, as well as meta-discussion about what stories should or should not be written for fandoms with canon of varying themes... Rumiko Takahashi would never have taken on such themes in a manga and anime which is basically a slapstick romantic martial arts comedy, and fans disagreed about what themes were appropriate in fan-work reaching beyond the canon's original genre.

Fan discussions also spun into a storm of gender issues related to domestic violence. Domestic abuse is a serious topic, and a sensitive one.

The aftershocks of this story's appearance were still going strong in the newsgroups at least three years after it was posted, perhaps longer. You can go to http://groups.google.com/ and search for "ranma bitter end fanfic" for a sampling if you like.

For me personally, this is a believable, heartbreaking story. It may or may not work for you, but it is a significant piece of Ranma fandom.

Reader discretion advised.

The Bitter End

Fandom: The O.C.
Pairing: Ryan/Seth
Author on LJ: wavinggrain
Author Website: ficorama

Why this really should be read:

A darker story where Ryan returns to Chino with his mother and her new husband, and all the toll that duty takes on him. I heart this story for all the ways Ryan fights back against the things he feels he has to do.

And it begins: He comes home one afternoon (Marissa kisses him before she turns around and walks away, another event to organize and will he call her later? does he promise?) and she's sitting there, right there at the kitchen table, back to him and shoulder resting against someone else's. Kirsten and Sandy are sitting across from her. He can see them. Sandy is nodding and Kirsten is smiling the way she does when she knows she needs to be careful. He thinks of it as her Caleb smile now but he's seen her use it on another person, once.

stop

Hey there, cats and kittens, it's victoria p. driving the Harry Potter crack van this month. I was on vacay last week, but I'm sure I'll be making it up in the remaining three weeks of August.

So you know, I'm a Remus Lupin fangirl (book, please, not movie) and so most of my recs will be Remus-centric, with a strong Remus/Sirius bias.

To begin.

Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Remus Lupin/Sirius Black
Author on LJ: phineasjones
Author Website: phineasjones
Why this must be read:

This is one of the first stories in this pairing I read, and it remains a favorite. It completely blew me away. Gorgeous, breath-stealing fic, evocative, tight - every word just fits and builds on the one that came before. A gem of the "lie low at Lupin's"/post-GoF reunion subgenre, this story captures the edge of waiting and the sharp joy and ever-present pain of Remus's reunion with Sirius after Goblet of Fire.

Just beautiful.

( a quote )

All Souls Day by phineasjones

Fandom: RANMA 1/2
Pairing: Ranma Saotome girl-type/Akane Tendo girl-type, Ranma Saotome girl-type/Akane Tendo boy-type
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: Nightelf's Elysium
Why this must be read:

Nightelf provides a really nifty depiction of Jusenkyo as a sentient magical presence, and one which needs Ranma and Akane quite specifically.

This short story is one of a handful in the Ranma-girl-type/Akane-boy-type pairing which I adore. It's an intriguing pairing, and Nightelf works some lovely femslash and het sex into the mix of Jusenkyo's magic.

The Other Side Of Life

Fandom: RANMA 1/2
Pairing: Ranma Saotome/Akane Tendo, Ryoga Hibiki/Akane Tendo, Tatewaki Kuno/pig-tailed girl, Ukyo Kuonji/Ranma Saotome
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: Nightelf's Elysium
Why this must be read:

This little script-format comedy fits right into canon craziness in Nerima, with the addition of an unexpected interaction between ancient magic and microbiology.

A common flu sweeps through Nerima, but mutates uncommonly when those with Jusenkyo curses are exposed...

The mental images of Nerima during the epidemic get me giggling every time.

Contagion

Fandom: Farscape
Pairing: John/Chiana
Author on LJ: _maayan
Author Website: The Janissary
Why this must be read:


Ten years into the future and the universe is a different place. There is a war that no one is really winning and the reason for resistance is harder and harder to find. Family and friends dead and gone. Safety is an illusion and peace has faded into myth. John and Chiana on a mission to destroy wormhole research.

But that's not what this story is about.

This is a story about Chiana and love and memories. It is a story about need and fear and pain. About Death and life. About not being alone.

It is a story about, how in the end, all love is selfish and letting go is harder then remembering.

( Excerpt: )

Gehenna

Fandom: RANMA 1/2
Pairing: Ranma Saotome/Akane Tendo, Ukyo Kuonji/Ranma Saotome, Ryoga Hibiki/Akane Tendo, Ryoga Hibiki/Ukyo Kuonji
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: CBear's Ranma Fanfiction Archive
Why this must be read:

Set before Ukyo knows about Ryoga's curse, this WAFF (warm and fuzzy fic) is about a simple evening of comfort and sympathy between a lonely chef and a pet piglet.

Sometimes you simply need someone to talk to, someone to empathize with.

Over The Counter

Fandom: PROFESSIONALS
Pairing: Bodie/Doyle
Author on LJ: Unknown
Author Website:
Why this must be read: Like a fine wine, a Jack Rueben Darcy story is to be savored. I first discovered this author in The Sentinel fandom and was sad when she stopped writing in that fandom. Her Jim/Blair characterizations were dead on! So, when I found Pros fandom last year, I was delighted that she had also written Bodie/Doyle fiction.

This story is a favorite of mine and no, it's not an A/U! *g* It starts out as a death story - be warned, it's sad. Doyle has died in an apparent tragic skiing accident that Bodie blames himself for. It is a guilty, angst-ridden Bodie at his best and Jack takes us through an emotional roller-coaster ride until the very end.

We go through Bodie's memories of Doyle and his last days together and what led up to Doyle going on holidays without Bodie. I won't give the end away, just to say, it's a shocker!

Go and read!


Saints and Miracles

Fandom: Queer as Folk USA

Pairing: Brian/Justin

Author on LJ: gaedhal

Author Website: http://members.aol.com/gaelmcgear/fanfictionpage.html

Why this must be read:

Hi, my name is Talitha and I'll be driving the van for Queer as Folk USA in August. A couple of words about what you can expect from my recommendations: I pretty much only read Brian/Justin in this fandom, so if you're looking for something else, please check back next month. Also, I am a huge sucker for epic romance dripping with angst, the longer the better. If you're looking for pure escapist B/J fun, I got your poison. On that note:

Queer Theories is one of the first stories I read upon entering the QaF fandom, and I still return to it regularly because it really cannot be beat for sweeping, wide-canvas B/J romance. This is fanfiction soap opera crack, and it never ends! The saga is over a hundred and twenty chapters long and still going strong in the sequel Queer Realities. I can't really do justice to the plot twists and turns in this review, but in brief: the story begins sometime in the early Season 2 timeline (before the Ethan/Ian travesty) and goes merrily AU soon after. Basically, Brian runs off to Hollywood, becomes a star, and Justin deals with the fall-out. And their love is timeless and true, forever and ever, amen. :)

I admit that I had a little trouble with the multiple POVs and non-linear narrative to begin with, but once I was sucked into the Queer Theories universe, I was addicted. This is fun stuff!

Queer Theories, Chapter 1