Hiya peeps. ^_^ Your newbie USQAF crack reccer for January. As my favourite character is Michael, the recs for the month will revolve around pairings featuring him, and try to endorse authors/stories that deviate from the usual Brian/Justin side of the USQAF fandom. Any comments/suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Hope you guys enjoy this first offering.

Fandom: QUEER AS FOLK US
Pairing: Ben/Michael, Brian/Michael
Author on LJ: http://www.livejournal.com/users/mikou/
Author Website: http://mikou.popullus.net/
Why this must be read:

A long, eminently satisfying read by one of my absolute favorite authors in the QAF fandom, I hope that this gem makes a good first opening rec for the month. A beautifully written Alternate Universe, the story introduces Michael and Brian already in a relationship, and an unexpected chain of events is begun when the former agrees to a threesome "just this once". What happens next when this third party walks back into their lives again? Read and find out.

Ultraviolet skillfully manages to construct a believable AU through a creative yet convincingly plausible reworking of the character-dynamics, dialogue and events that occur in canon. Although a balanced fic that doesn't go overboard with the angst, there are some quietly aching bits which stay in your mind and give you an intimate glimpse into how the author views the relationships between the main characters. It hits all the right notes with me, so check this fic out, enjoy, and remember to send some nice FB to the lovely Ultraviolet.

( I want more )


Just Once

Happy 2005 and welcome to the seventies! I'm laceymcbain and I'm not only driving the Crack Van this month, I'm painting it red with white racing stripes! Starsky would be proud. I'm a first time rec'cer here, and I'll try to bring you a good selection of fics. I tend to be a slasher at heart, but in this fandom the line between slash and gen is pretty thin, so keep that in mind.

Fandom: STARSKY & HUTCH
Pairing: Starsky/Hutch (implied only)
Author on LJ: morgandawn
Author Website: http://www.morgandawn.com/
Why this must be read:

There are a lot of fics that deal with the fall-out from "The Fix", the episode where Hutch gets shot up with heroin. Hutch isn't the passive victim here--he's making bad choices and the consequences threaten to destroy both him and Starsky. This story shows partners being dragged down by what they don't say to each other, by the fact that things have changed and neither wants to admit it. Each of them is waiting for the other to do something. It's not a happy story, but it's a painfully honest take on a "what if" that's rarely explored in addiction stories.

( Excerpt from Snapshots )

Snapshots

Please remember to send the author feedback if you enjoy the story!

Fandom: THE O.C.
Pairing: Implied Seth/Ryan, Ryan/Zach
Author on LJ: torchthisnow
Author Website: Riders on the Storm
Why this must be read:

Hello, I’m Pouncer and I’ll be recommending The O.C. stories this month. I drove the Crack Van back in May, when we were all tearstained from watching Ryan leave Newport to return to Chino with his pregnant former girlfriend Theresa. Seth was so heartbroken by this that he sailed away in his catamaran, and Ryan’s girlfriend Marissa turned to the bottle. ( Summary of events up to this story, including pictures of new character )

This story explores the subtext between Ryan, Seth, and Zach (and there’s a big heaping dose of it on the show, believe me). Seth’s expectations of attention are overturned and he has to come to discover that he’s lost what he really wanted without even knowing he wanted it.

An excerpt:

Ryan just returns his attention to the book. “You got Summer back inside two weeks, man. He conceded gracefully and everything, and you said you guys were cool. So what’s the issue with Zach?”

Seth isn’t sure yet if this tirade falls in the justified camp, or if it’s already in the box labeled ‘stupid’, so he pushes it a little further. “I’m sorry -- I wasn’t aware that I traded him my best friend for the safe return of my girlfriend.”

When Ryan rolls his eyes, gets up, and takes his book back out to the poolhouse, Seth decides that he’s definitely in the big box of stupid.

Popular Mechanics for Lovers

I'm cat, your Lord of the Rings driver for the month of January. I read just about anything in this fandom, but my primary focus tends to be on the humans, especially Aragorn.

Fandom: LORD OF THE RINGS
Pairing: Aragorn/Legolas
Author on lj: lady_elina
Author website: Unknown
Why this must be read: The attention to detail in the author's writing is just spot-on without ever being overbearing or feeling heavy. I love the way it stays in canon (bookverse) without becoming tedious or forced. I have never read any other Aragorn/Legolas story as rich and true and inevitable as this.

Like a spider may patiently and imperceptibly spin glimmering fabrics amongst tree branches, years have woven a net of translucent strings between us. Delicate, yet firm and demanding strings that grow when you have lost track of the time you have spent with someone: tilt your head in a certain way and I know immediately where your mind is set today, move your hand and I look before I know I am looking, stir to take a step and I already follow.

Leaves of Gold
Chapters 1-2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5

Hi, there! I'm krabapple, and I'll be your driver for The West Wing this month. I'm a die-hard Josh/Donna shipper, and even though I'm usually a slasher, I tend to read mostly het in the West Wing fandom. However, I've been on the lookout for good West Wing fic in lots of genres and pairings, so I hope to rec a variety of fic. I promise it won't be all Josh/Donna, all the time. Unless you want it to be, of course . . . :)

Fandom: THE WEST WING
Pairing: Josh/Donna
Author on LJ: Unknown
Author Website:http://fwf.healthyinterest.net/index.html (please note, Jo and Ryo have moved from www.fanficwithfootnotes.com and can now be found here)
Why this must be read:

I looked diligently through the memories section for this fandom, looking to see if this fic, and indeed, the series itself, had been recced, and I didn't find it. This is probably because everyone and their mother's cousin has read it already, but I decided to rec this first for a few reasons.

First, this fic, along with the rest of the AWS series, is a classic of the Josh/Donna pairing. To me, it's a must read for anyone interested in Josh/Donna; indeed, I almost feel that this fic is a must read for anyone in the fandom. Why? Because Jo and Ryo write fic about these characters that's so good, so accurate that it gives anyone (especially new people) a good idea of what makes these characters tick. When these stories were first referred to me years ago, they were described as "the best fanfiction I've read in any fandom, ever." At least four years and many fandoms later, I still think that's a reasonable statement.

I encourage you to start with this classic story, and move on to the rest of the series. The level of writing, attention to detail, plot, characterization and dialog are all top notch. Every character's voice in this fic/series is spot-on from CJ to Toby to Leo--it's not all just Josh/Donna. And this series even has a happy ending (which other series by Jo and Ryo don't necessarily have).

But enough of my rambling. Go read and enjoy!

A Winning Strategy