Fandom: Star Wars: Prequel Trilogy
Pairing: None, really; a couple mentions of Anakin having romantic liasons, but no pairing specifically.
Author on LJ: The author is not on lj, as far as I know.
Author Website: The Darth Side
Why this must be read:

Z.P. Florian has a knack for getting into Vader’s helmet. This story, covering Vader’s thoughts after he takes on the mantle and mask of the Vader we know so well, is a well written piece, made all the more amazing by the fact that it predates Episode 3 yet still manages to echo bits of Anakin from the prequel trilogy. Simultaneously mournful, joyful, and angry, it’s an intteresting – and disjointed- look into what’s going on in Vader’s head.

Excerpt: ( You could have let me die, had you an ounce of mercy. )

Almost

Fandom: SMALLVILLE
Pairing: None; Clark/Lex-centric gen
Author on LJ: corinna_5
Author Website: Corinna's Fanfiction

Why this must be read:
This is a melancholy post-"Exodus" story, and it makes me feel what Lex is feeling after his time marooned on the island, that "detached from the world" mood, when you remember you have people who care about you, but those connections don't feel real at all, and you are just floating in your own universe.

The Gift

Fandom: THE WEST WING
Pairing: A little CJ/ Toby
Author on LJ: Unknown
Author Website: I get the feeling this was drive-by fanfic. But it would be great if the author would come forward and let us know whether s/he is still writing because I would *definitely* read.
Why this must be read:

If I were ever asked for advice about how to write West Wing fic (and yes, there's a strong a possibility this might never happen...) I think the first thing I would warn against would be taking on Sorkin. That is, trying to write a Sorkin-esque political argument. He's good at it. *Real* good. And he has a writing team and script editors to patch over the bits where he's not. You can't compete with that, and you will come off looking liking a weak attempt if you try.

That said, there are always exceptions to the rule - a few authors have tried and come damn near close. And I admire them a great deal (you know who you are).

This story is one of those brave attempts that comes close enough to warrant applause. Written in the hey-day of Wing writing when damned smoking writing was a daily feature of the yahoogroups, it sadly appears to be the only offering from the author in this fandom. A shame because the Sorkin-esque political drama is very well done and the character interaction and political nous is completely credible. The administration comes off looking a looking a little callous in light of later episodes (the third season's "The Women of Kumar" comes to mind as it touches on the same issue and the outcome is very different to the story here) but the story is set circa season two and reasonably fits what we know of the characters at the time.

You should read this because it's great character work, it's dramatic, it's politically pointed and the dialogue is enticing. But most of all you should read it because it's a true story.

( If ever I should stop thinking about music and politics... )

The Game Everywhere

Half of July has gone by and fandom is dozing gently. There isn't much to read and that is of course the best of all times for me to swoop in and push the crack on vulnerable fans in bad need of a fix.

Fandom: DC Comics
Pairing: Kon/Cassie(/Bart/Tim)
Author on LJ: thete1
Author Website: Teland
Why this must be read: I'm an old school Young Justice fan, so when I pondered my next rec, I decided these characters would get the spotlight. They have this bizarre rhythm between them that makes anything that happens to them, no matter how bizarre, come off as just normal teenage stuff.

This fic is TT era, but it's just genuine fun, with hang gliders and lasso and pimping and evil minions. By highlighting the various characters' flaws, Te shows us why they're so endearing.

Also, the porn is hot. =)

( Here's a sample to whet your appetite )

Other smiles may make you fickle

Fandom: X-MEN
Pairing: Bobby/John
Author on LJ: escritoireazul
Why this must be read: Another short, porny fic. This one's a popular X-Men pairing Iceman/Pyro or Bobby/John. It's popular for a reason, who doesn't like mopey teens with that whole "opposites attract" super-power thing going. This story is hot wank fic (there must be a better term for that) with a somewhat original mutant twist on what turns John on. Lovely lines, especially the last one.

Pyretic






Extra: Cute Bobby/John fanart by dreamhunter
http://slavefactory.net/stuff/blood.html

Fandom: FARSCAPE
Pairing: Scorpius, John/Aeryn
Author on LJ: astrogirl2
Author Website: Maximum Verbosity
Why this must be read:

The sprog_wars sprogathon produced some great fic, and AstroGirl's Circle of Life is at the top of the list for me. She takes the often debated wormhole DNA plot point and creates a wonderfully dark and probable story where Scorpius goes to great lengths to extract the knowledge that is brutal and absolutely practical from Scorpius' point of view. Please heed the author's notes, and make sure to feedback.


( Practicality was all, and time was of the essence )

Circle of Life