Fandom: THE PROFESSIONALS
Pairing: Bodie/Doyle
Author on LJ: No
Author Website: http://galileo.apo.nmsu.edu/~mcmillan/stories.html
Why this must be read:

This is your basic first-time slash story, but with an interesting twist, one that I haven't encountered before in any fandom. It's a rape story, and of course rape stories aren't all that uncommon in slash - but I can't recall offhand another in which one of the guys is not the victim but the perpetrator of a rape - and not of his partner, or of a bad guy, but of an innocent woman (and it's really not a spoiler to tell you that - this is the whole premise of the story, and it becomes apparent within the first few lines). Guilt Trip is about Ray's attempt to deal with his own guilt and remorse over his actions, to come to terms with his mistake, and how the situation affects his relationship with Bodie and eventually brings them together.

Given the type of guys Bodie and Doyle would have to be to be effective CI5 agents, this actually doesn't strike me as that far-fetched a scenario, but it's fairly original as a premise for fanfic. Russ, whose writing I like very much, handles this somewhat difficult issue effectively and interestingly. While she never glosses over or makes light of it, the story never feels bogged down or maudlin or takes itself too seriously or (what could have been a fatal flaw) turns into a tract about rape either - she strikes a nice balance, and the story is well-paced and engrossing from start to finish . So while it might sound like this could be heavy going and pretty unappealing, it really isn't.

Because after all is said and done, this is a story about Ray, and about Ray and Bodie. The characterization is solid - Ray's feelings and thought processes struck me as fairly authentic, and the author manages to keep the blame where it belongs while preserving our sense of Ray's basic decency and humanity and permitting us to feel some sympathy for him. And while this is mostly Ray's story, and it's told entirely from Ray's (first-person) point of view, she gives us a pretty fascinating glimpse into Bodie - there's a little twist there as well. Their relationship develops in a reasonably believable way, and the intimacy between them is very sweet but in an understated, guy-like way, with a little bit of a hurt/comfort feel, but not over the top.

This is a story that could have been run-of-the-mill, but isn't - it's a great illustration how fanfic can feel fresh and interesting and original while still following familiar patterns and adhering to well-loved fanfic conventions. It's well-written and engrossing, with a nice bit of smut thrown in for good measure. All in all, I found this an enjoyable and satisfying read with enough depth that I've returned to it multiple times.

Guilt Trip

(Written in 1997)

Title: Normal Like You
Fandom: The OC
Pairing/Characters: Seth/Summer
Author on LJ: dirty_diana
Author Website: shocking pink
Why this must be read:

( Seth liked Saturdays. He liked Saturdays a lot. Saturdays were good days, maybe even the best day in the entire week. It wasn't only the lack of school, although it was, yeah, mostly the lack of school. By noon on this Saturday, he had already taken Darrah Mcleod for her sailing lesson and beaten the Moscow level in Tony Hawk Underground. He was just starting in on his second breakfast, a bowl of Lucky Charms, and trying to decide whether he should wait for Ryan to wake up before he started the extended version of The Two Towers, or whether he should watch Fellowship of the Ring first anyway, when Ryan wandered into the kitchen, barefoot and half-asleep. )

Fandom: XENA
Pairing: Dar/Kerry, uber-fic
Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website: Merwolf's Cave
Why this must be read:

I'm reccing Merwolf's other major series of stories because I feel that Dar and Kerry are an excellent place for new readers to begin exploring the subcatetory of Xena fanfic known as "uber". For those who may not have seen the show, it's canon that Xena and Gabrielle are soulmates, forever and ever and ever. Their future incarnations will occasionally meet in a linear time-stream, and will, in all likelihood, recognize one another for who they once were and truly are.

Yeah, I know. Sounds horribly smarmy, but it works. They did this on the show in a few episodes, and fanfic writers took what is normally known as an "alternate universe" and made it their own. And Merwolf makes it work really, really well. As a computer professional, I can empathize with Dar and Kerry's lives even as I appreciate just how well the core traits of Xena and Gabrielle can be placed in the 'right now'. This (incredibly long and fantastic) series parallel's much of the television characters development even as it adapts and changes some of those circumstances to modern day challenges.

Dar is a tall, goregous, dark haired, hard as nails corporate executive who is excellent at her job, but has an empty life outside of it. Kerry is the daughter of a US Senator who has been fed the party line since she was born, and longs to find her own way in the world. They meet the day Dar comes to take over the business Kerry works for, and their lives take some interesting twists from there. I've grown to love Dar and Kerry just as much (if not more) as Xena and Gabrielle, and hope some of you looking for a fulfilling, satisfying, 'make you laugh and move you to tears' storyline will read this series.

It may be frowned upon to rec the same author twice in a row, but I absolutely love the entire Dar/Kerry series, and hope you'll dive into the heart of the uber-fic maelstrom with Tropical Storm.

Fandom: Lotrps
Pairing: Sean B/Viggo
Author on LJ: childeproof
Author Website: None, as far as I'm aware.
Warning: childeproof cautions everyone that "sensitive readers may be shocked by the fact that Viggo wears Birkenstocks in this fic. Usual warnings for coarse language and m/m sex."
Why this must be read:

It's been 22 years since the film was released -- are we finally all agreed upon the fact that the only good things about Fast Times at Ridgemont High are Judge Reinhold in a faux-Pirate suit and Sean Penn? (Uh, if not, feel free to direct your rage-filled letters to my lj email.) I re-watched it recently with my roommate and found that we spent most of the movie paying more attention to our fascinating new sofa cushions than to the screen. The only thing that consistently grabbed our attention was Spicolli and, dude, his brilliant lines. "Learning about Cuba, and having some food!"

Thankfully, No Harm Done doesn't have any of those moments of mind-numbingness. What it does have, though, is an absolute plethora of Spicolli-esque lines -- lines that force you to pay attention because of their creativity, their humor, or their references to Sean Bean in a towel. childeproof is excellent at coming up with unique, subtle descriptions and sly shots of dry wit -- as well as excellent at not letting all of her obvious writing skill minimize the total hotness of the Viggo/Sean pairing. *g*

Go, marvel, and enjoy!