Fandom: HIGHLANDER
Pairing: Duncan/Methos
Author on LJ: jamwired
Author Website: Jam-Wired's Writing

Why this must be read: Simplistic, but hauntingly brilliant at the same time. This story tells the tale of chances lost and chances found. The best first kiss story I've ever read. Be aware -- hankie alert!

Softly Away

Title: Closure
Fandom: Star Trek: DS9
Pairing: Ezri/ Julian mentioned, Ezri/Worf mentioned
Author On LJ: seemag
Author Website: Unbound - fanfiction by Seema
Why this must be read:

Seema has an absolutely astounding way of writing Trek. Any Trek and I can honestly say this probably won't be the only time I rec her this month simply because the approach she writes these characters and the voice of these characters...I'll read any Trek she posts if I happen to get lucky and catch sight of it. I admit I haven't read a lot of her DS9 fic but when i went looking for recs for all the series' this month someone directed me toward a number of hers and this was the one that caught my eye. I am a huge fan of the Trill and the Joining in particular. So when I see characters and stories dealing with it I'm vastly interested. Incorporate that with the friendship between Dax and Benjamin Sisko, throw Jake into the mix and then the events of the Deep Space Nine finale and put it all in Seema's oh so very capable hands and you get a great little story that stands on it's own very well but also can fit seamlessly in as a companion to another of Seema's stories. But Closure on it's own is a great conversation between Ezri and Jake about remembrance and connection and a thousand little things in between.

Closure

Fandom: LOTRIPS
Pairing: VM/SB
Author on LJ: french_hobbit
Author Website: none that I know of
Why this must be read:

I was trying to find a fic to rec where the hobbits wouldn't have the main part, and I came accross this one. Very short vignette that the author wrote for a challenge where the theme I believe was "anger" (as in the capital sin, lol). The result is a short but bright painting of irrational anger growing unexpectedly in Viggo's heart as he sees his favorite castmates move on to new projects via some glossy magazine pictures. It's interesting and well written, and even though I'm not a Viggo girl at all, I enjoyed it very much. Which is why I thought I'd share. :-)

A Sun of Glazed Paper

Title: Obsession
Fandom: Star Trek: Enterprise
Pairing: Tucker/Reed
Author on LJ: kylielee1000
Author Website: Kylie Lee | Slash Fanfiction
Why this must be read:

Well, it's Tucker/Reed, they're naked...

Okay you want an actual reason. It's based on a vastly entertaining episode (Singularity) it has great cut ins and outs from post ep to during the ep, it's written by an fantastic ENT author who hasn't written much in the way of Enterprise lately thus a welcome and overdue treat...It's slashy chocolate really. Great characterization, great looks at that episode, exceptionally well written and...

Did I mention the naked men? *G* Seriously, this is a great fic to read. Just about all the fics to come out of this ficathon (this was written for the entficathon) were and I'll probably be reccing more of them as we go but I wanted to start with this one. It definitely earned it. :-)

Obsession

Fandom: STAR WARS
Pairing: Gen
Length: 2,500 words
Author on LJ: Unknown
Author Website: Jedi Trace's Fanfiction.net Profile

Why this must be read:

I have to get this particular recommendation in before the vast majority of you see Revenge of the Sith in the next couple of days. A MedStar trauma team takes part in events that change the fate of the galaxy forever. This story contains speculation about events in Revenge of the Sith, but no actual spoilers.

The story is told entirely from the point of view of original characters, the medical team attempting to save Anakin's (or should that be Vader's?) life after his climatic and disastrous duel with Obi-Wan. They understand that the Supreme Chancellor wants this man saved at all costs, but they do not know why.

This brief story is just plain cool for several reasons. First is the non-spoilery speculation. It's probably completely wrong, but it's sounds possible. Next are the original characters--in this brief story, we get a pretty good idea of their individual personalities. Then we have Anakin himself. He says nothing. Indeed, he cannot say anything, but we know through the story exactly what he's going through. The political situation underlying everything just adds that extra bit of tension. Plus, there are hints that Palpatine did not want Anakin fully treated and recovered. Put it all together, and you've got one cool little story. Make it a quick read before you head off to the theater tonight for the midnight showing.

* * *

( Excerpt )

Recovery

Fandom: THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.
Pairing: Napoleon Solo/Illya Kuryakin
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: none
Why this must be read: This is a short story, short, yet elegantly beautiful in its simplicity. I love the way Napoleon's feelings are captured even when he thinks he's not thinking about them. Ah, but when he does! Jackie's choice in what Illya uses to say what he wishes to say is devastating, for the reader as well as for the one the words are meant for. A simply gorgeous story I reread often.

Sorting Things Out

Fandom: LORD OF THE RINGS
Pairing: none
Author on LJ: queenofthorns
Author Website: Author’s LJ
Why this must be read:

Boromir’s seduction by the Ring is a theme a lot of authors out there have explored. Few have succeeded as wonderfully as queenofthorns. She takes us through a journey parallel to the Quest itself, one that none of the Nine Walkers was able to stop until it was already too late. Boromir was meant to want to the ring, as he was meant to attempt to acquire it: this story gives us a glimpse of what his downfall must have been like.


Siren’s Song

Fandom: PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
Pairing: Jack Sparrow/James Norrington
Author on LJ: marinarusalka
Author Website: www.marinafrants.com

Why this must be read:

Because it's excellent, one of the best Sparrington fics I ran across. It has everything I love in a good story: Brilliant writing, spot on characterization, a nice plot, humor,and hot sex.

Authors summary: One storm. Two ships. One island. You do the math.

( Excerpt )


A Strange Lull

Fandom: POPSLASH
Pairing: Justin/JC/Lance and a smattering of Joey/Chris. Joey's kitchen Sink has a lot to do with it, too.
Author on LJ: ukcalico
Author Website: Temporary Insanity, along with Juliad and Nemoinis
Why this must be read:

The Author herself says it best:

Warning: excessive boy-on-boy (repeat to the power of five) action herein.

There's a lot of good things about this fic. Nsync gets drunk together, and then decides that obviously that's not enough. There are hot visuals in every inch of this piece, and it goes out of its way to prove that Calico is a master of the group slut fic, a rare and dying (if it ever truly lived) form. There's a beautifully slow buildup, great use of double entendre, amazing metaphores (Justin as an angel fallen to earth and forced to take up as a rent boy? Sign. Me. Up!), A little bit of force that toes the line a few times, but after it's there, you get an amazing toe curling delivery of what a popslash threesome is truly meant to be. Calico gets the voices right. She gets the logical-yet-illogical path of logic that JC often exibits. She gets the strangely young yet appropriate banter of Justin. She gets the deep, sex-toned drawl of Lance, and manages to do all of it in the same paragraph, in the same page, which is admittedly hard to do.

Aw crap, Just read it.

Tropics by Calico

Fandom: DUE SOUTH
Pairing: Kowalski/Turnbull/Fraser
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: Sweet Uncleanness
Why this must be read:

Well, the author dedicates this story, “This slashfic is for Ewan McGregor, at least,” and summarizes it with the words, “Wherein first names are revealed and used; Ray comes in Canadians and goes to Canada; and Diefenbaker makes three new Scottish friends, however reluctantly.”

Despite the breezy tone of the synopsis this is a long, sometimes painful story in which none of the relationships come easily. There’s a lot of yearning, jealousy, fear, and heartbreak, especially for Turnbull, whose history is a match for Fraser’s and Ray’s, i.e. full of parental estrangement and romantic calamity. Furthermore, the problems don’t magically disappear when the characters take one another to bed; instead, they’re forced to confront new issues: When somebody leaves you, can you be with someone new without forcing him into the role of the one who’s gone? Can you ever have parity in a relationship with someone you consider your superior?

Fortunately, there is also humor, kindness, bravery, friendship, and, yes, extremely hot sex.

“Three Lone Lorn Creatures”