Fandom: THE O.C.
Pairing: Anna/Seth
Author on LJ: hyperfocused

Why this really should be read:
A series of ten connected drabbles tracking Anna from her arrival in the O.C. to a sort of happy assimilation, posted before Anna left the show. There are so many wonderful lines, pithy and clever and wonderful characterization all around.

In the beginning: "You'll be like Brenda Walsh," her best friend Hilary says. More likely, she'll be like that dorky kid in the cowboy hat, the one who shot himself in season one.


Anna Thema

Fandom: POPSLASH - *NSLASH
Pairing: Lance/Justin
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: unknown

Why this must be read:

I have to start off by saying that this story is probably not called Lambs in Spaaaaace but as I don't know what it is called, that will have to suffice. So, if this is your story, or you know more about it than I do, please step forward.

Obviously, it's science fiction. But it's sci-fi done well. Everything is neatly explained. There are none of big, gaping holes in logic that plague other popslash sci-fi stories. It's well thought out and well-executed. Also, I rather like the idea of Lance with a tail. :) Also, it's rather long and good for a rainy day.

( Read more... )

Lambs in Spaaaaace.

Fandom: HARRY POTTER
Pairing: Remus/Sirius
Author on LJ: dorkorific
Author Website: con fuego, baby
Why this must be read:

Beautiful, heartbreaking, weaving between past and present as Remus remembers what is and what was. Some great insights into Remus, into Sirius, into the whole MWPP dynamic.

( an excerpt )

One of the most moving portraits of Remus - of MWPP as a group - I've ever read, told with spare, lyrical prose and a clear look at the characters as they are, faults and all. Absolutely stunning.

That the Science of Cartography Is Limited by rave

Fandom: Farscape
Pairing: John/Aeryn
Author on LJ: thassalia
Author Website: n/a
Why this must be read:

Okay let's get the obvious out of the way right now. You should read this because no one, and I repeat no one can write sex like Thea. NO ONE!. I only speak for the Farscape Fandom with this statement. It's the most hot, painful, fun, messy, dirty, loving, joyous, angst filled sex you will probably ever read.

Thea's ability to dig into the emotions and needs of a character are impressive, but then to translate all that into a sexual situation, well...it is breath-taking. This was meant to be a PWP, but John and Aeryn refused to just do it and wanted to work out some gak. Silly, stubborn characters. Set toward the end of S4, between Twice Shy and Mental as Anything, so it does contain spoilers. However, you really should read at least Part I because DAMN!. There's this alley and...I can't say anything more. *bg*

( Excerpt: )


Undertones

Vidder: Shalott
Musical artist: Kate Bush
Pairing: None
Vidder on LJ: astolat
Vidder's website: Intimations
Why this vid kicks ass:

Hm, there are quite a few good Witchblade vids, but this is a new one and I think the song works particularly well for the show. I also like the visuals and the way the vidder plays with perspective. It's a Sara focused video, and nicely portrays her confusion and frustration with embracing her legacy. While it does lack on the 'Ian emphasis' I prefer, it's a beautiful overview of the first season (and a bit of the second), and Kenneth is depicted in all of his irritating complexity. I'm not entirely certain how well the video will work for those unfamiliar with the show, but it does give you a good feel for some of the interesting imagery that made 'Witchblade' stand out.

Jig of Life

Fandom: STAR WARS/SW:TPM
Pairing: Luke/Wedge, Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon/Han, Obi-Wan/Maul
Author on LJ: http://prillalar.livejournal.com
Author Website: http://prillalar.com/fic
Why this must be read:

A post-RotJ Luke plays Scheharazade, diverting (and often arousing) Wedge Antilles with accounts of the very vivid dreams he’s had about Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon Jinn.

Harlrloprillalar, an active and prolific author, has a knack for humor and detail. These stories are full of amusing touches: Luke and Wedge’s conversation the morning after the victory celebration on Endor (“Don't you know some old Jedi hangover remedy?” “I think it’s called ‘Don’t drink so much’”), Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon’s first kiss (“It was a terrible kiss”), Wedge teasing Luke for dreaming about Han (“You’re going to tell him I had a sex dream about him?” “No.” “Good….” “I'll tell Leia”), Qui-Gon’s craving for tea (“There should be a litany of praise for tea, he thought, and began to compose one as he went to sit”), Obi-Wan’s alleged nickname (“The Mad Lover of Coruscant”). Plus, there’s a good helping of teh pr0n, which is always nice.

“Prologue” is clearly followed by “When I Kissed the Teacher,” but the other three stories, “Nice Men,” “Qui-Gon Jinn and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day,” and “Power in the Blood,” can be read in any order (I should note that “Power...” the Obi-Wan/Maul story, is, unsurprisingly, darker than the others).

Note: the link below will take you to Harloprillalar’s SW fics page. Stories are listed alphabetically.

“A Thousand Nights and a Knight”

Fandom: STAR WARS: TPM
Pairing: Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan, Obi-Wan/Bruck, Bruck/OFCs, references to Qui-Gon/Mace
Author on LJ:
Author Website: http://home.mindspring.com/~writestufflee/index.html
Why this must be read:

When I was tapped to be a guest SW reccer, I decided my recommendations should include at least one Big Honkin’ Epic. This is it. If you have a weekend — or a week, or, hell, a month, depending on your reading speed — to spare, you’re in luck. The Warrior’s Heart, which spans the last five years of Obi-Wan’s apprenticeship, consists of thirty-six chapters divided into three sections: “Early Days,” “Trials and Errors,” and “What Was Old Is New Again.” (WriteStuff is at work on a sequel series, “The Long Shadow,” parts of which are available at Master Apprentice.)

( Interesting characters, a morally ambivalent universe, and Hot Jedi Action. Who could ask for anything more? )

In short, this is a multicourse feast of a story which should appeal to many palates. Enjoy!

Note: I’m linking to the disclaimer page of the author’s Web site. The chapters are accompanied by illustrations, some of which are NOT work-safe or kid-friendly.

The Warrior’s Heart

Vidder: Uluviel
Musical artist: Savage Garden
Pairing: Dom/Elijah
Vidder on LJ: uluviel
Vidder's website: Four Hobbits
Why this vid kicks ass: There aren't many lotrips vids, probably due to the limited nature of the source material. You can rack up well over 10gig of lotrips-related multimedia from any number of PR events, but putting the jigsaw together into some sort of coherent narrative whole is another matter; what we generally see are funny and/or moving photo montages to music, with a few clips interspersed. Uluviel completed this vid in April 2002 when there still wasn't a whole lot of footage to work with, and yet she managed to put together a great example of the sort of persuasively shippy vid more familiar to FPS-fandoms. There are some uncanny match-ups of lyrics to facial expressions, particularly in a section where Elijah is watching Dom at the FotR press conference in Tokyo (But I need to make connections/ No, I wasn't staring/I was only trying/To get some substance/To get some meaning) and no matter where you stand on the ever-controversial Domlijah issue, there's no denying their public interaction has been endearing.

Vidder: Vrya
Musical artist: Tool
Pairing: N/A - Spike Character Study
Vidder on LJ: http://www.livejournal.com/~vrya/
Vidder's website: http://vrya.net/ts/index.php
Why this vid kicks ass:

Reminder to those like me who wear the glasses of a particular 'ship, or of Spike love in general - Spike is a deeply conflicted, complex person. There are so many amazing vids in this fandom, making picking just one a terribly difficult choice, but although this vid isn't exactly new, it's new to me and my current favorite. "Schism" takes Spike, seasons two through seven, in his entirety. Too often Spuffy or other romantic/erotic Spike fic and vids shy away from how horrifying his past was - or artists sometimes gloss over Spike's repentance to glory in his "no rules," pre-chip freedom. This vid juxtaposes evil!Spike, chipped!Spike, repentant!Spike, souled!Spike, and several other incarnations, partially from the perspective of 7th season Crazy!Spike, in an effort to reconcile all these pieces into a coherent whole. Amazing editing and rhythm, excellent sense of narrative and development (which I appreciate more each time I watch it), and bitingly clever use of clips combine to make this vid truly memorable.

Schism

Fandom: Farscape
Vidder: Tazey
Musical artist: Tom McRae
Pairing: John, Aeryn
Vidder on LJ: tazey
Vidder's website: Farscape Music Videos
Why this vid kicks ass:

Now I am not much in to the whole vidding portion of the fandom. Not for lack of interest, because there are some incredibly talented folks out there, but because I can only view vids on my work computer. *bg* So I don't know much but I do know what I like, and I like Taz's vids. There are not that many of them, but you can see the quality in each one, and the increase in skill.

Karaoke Soul is all about John and the decisions he's made throughout the series but mostly the decisions of S4. It shows a man beaten down and not having any idea where to turn. The editing is wonderful and the last scene kills me. The song also rocks in a mighty way. *bg*

Karaoke Soul

For those who are trying to avoid watching the trailer for the mini but want something, check out Taz's Farscaper Trailer. Music by Eminem. It will pump you up without spoiling you for anything beyond S4.

Fandom: BLAKES 7
Pairing: Avon/Vila
Author on LJ: janecarnall
Author Website: http://hjc.akicif.net/
Why this must be read:

I'm reccing this one because I realised I hadn't recced any Avon/Vila yet, and I thought that was a shame. I'm mostly a Blake/Avon girl myself, and generally find it very difficult to believe in a pairing which mostly requires a demotion or flat-out ignoring of Avon's canonical obsession with Blake. (The happy Avon/Vila fluff out there is generally too cute for suspension of disbelief, for me.) This fic, though... this one persuaded even me to rec it. :)

For a start, it's actually got Avon and Vila having issues and disagreements which are based on those they have in canon. Avon isn't necessarily very nice, although he's still maybe a little nicer than I would give him credit for. Vila isn't a spineless chump just taking the abuse, and his position as a lowly Delta is actually discussed. It's a rare fic that manages to take interesting issues from canon and build on them; I think I'd find this worth reccing if only for that. It's even rather better written than most.

And now I've represented Avon/Vila fic to the world and so a certain friend of mine should be happy. :D Phew! Heh.

This Neurotic Little Worry

Fandom: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
Pairing: Buffy/Spike, Willow/Tara, Xander/Anya
Author on LJ: http://www.livejournal.com/users/sadbhyl/
Author Website: http://www.sadbhyl.riverworld.net/home.htm
Why this must be read:

I'd like to preface this by saying that I adore gender-swap and body-swap fics and I'll read stories in almost any fandom or pairing that includes this concept. So, I'm something of a connoisseur of this genre. Impossibly Delightful Flesh does an unusually wonderful, plausible, and especially *in character* job of handling an unusually large number of swapped genders in one fic. While out on patrol Buffy, Spike, Tara, Anya, and Xander slay a strange demon - which releases a magical charge causing sex/gender reversal to everyone in the immediate vicinity. The author does an excellent job of making the gender swap plausible by contextualizing it within the mythology of the Buffyverse, and of creating very individual, in character reactions for each gender-swapped scoobie. Xander and Anya enjoy new sexual experimentation, but deal with some unforeseen consequences, Willow helps Tara through her fears and concerns when she suddenly looks like her abusive brother, and Buffy and Spike do what they always do - perhaps in bodies even more suited to their usual roles. Fantastic emotional and character continuity. Come for the zany sexual exploits, stay for Spike's girly T-Shirts :)

Impossibly Delightful Flesh

A drawing of the gender-swapped scoobies can be found, at the end of the story, here. Build your own mental image as you read, or check this out first.

Fandom: X-MEN MOVIEVERSE
Pairing: None, with some implied Charles/Erik, Logan/Jean, and Logan/Rogue
Author on LJ: yahtzee63
Author Website: Yahtzee's Fic
Why this must be read:

This fic takes a done-to-death storyline – Rogue dealing with the new personalities in her head, post-Liberty Island – and turns it into something wonderfully fresh and insightful.

'He/We/They/I' manages to do something that few Rogue character-based fics manage: giving plenty of time to the voices in her head, whilst not drowning out Rogue herself. There's something for anyone who likes any of the characters involved (including Charles, whom I particularly love here), and each of them is drawn with precision and depth.

The story also strikes a good balance between the serious, the laugh-out-loud entertaining, and the poignant, and there are several lines that will stay with you for a long time afterwards.

He/We/They/I

Vidder: West
Musical artist: The Muppets
Pairing: Shampoo/Ranma Saotome, Ukyo Kuonji/Ranma Saotome, Akane Tendo/Ranma Saotome, Mousse/Shampoo, Tatewaki Kuno/pig-tailed girl, Ryouga Hibiki/Akane Tendo
Vidder on LJ: unknown
Vidder's website: West's Anime Music Videos (most vids are down at the moment) and West's Happiness Dojo page at animemusicvideos.org, where you can actually download the vid, or West's vidder profile page at amv.org
Why this vid kicks ass:

Especially for US media fans who aren't used to seeing characters lip-synching along to a songvid's lyrics, this vid just rocks. Ranma's life at the Tendo Dojo is pretty much chaos all the time, and Nerima is pretty crazy, full of disorganized and barely managed chaos that somehow manages to stay interesting and move the plot along. For me, this vid captures that and more... it reminds me of the glorious disorganization of the original Muppet show and the utter fun of the first few Muppet movies. Happiness Hotel is a low-rent haven that our heroes stay at briefly in The Great Muppet Caper, and I never seem to be able to keep from giggling to hear Muppet voices coming from Ranma 1/2 characters' mouths. Genma now sounds like Fozzie sometimes when I read the manga, which is really funny and very disturbing on some level!

"Somebody's checkin' in!"

"Somebody's checkin' in?!?"

"Hey, how're you guys fixin' to pay?"

"C... sneakin' out in the middle of the night."

If you've never downloaded Anime Music Videos (AMVs) from animemusicvideos.org before, I highly, highly recommend scrolling down to the "Things you need to know about the AMV -- Anime Music Video Archive" section in this post by flummery, who explains the site and how to use it much more understandably than I can. This particular AMV is a 50.4MB AVI file, so it's rather inaccessible to dialup users, sorry. Anime vidders tend to make high-res files. The AMV site is huge, with an amazing collection of local and offsite links to vids, so even if you're not planning on watching this vid, I recommend setting up a membership there.