Fandom: HARRY POTTER
Pairing: Remus/Hermione and Remus/Hermione/Severus
Author on LJ: arsenicjade
Author Website: Every Rose Has a Thorn
Why this must be read:

"Care of Magical Creatures" presents a rag tag group of survivors after Voldemort's fall, trying to suture their lives back together when the wounds of the past and continued injustices of the present flatly refuse to heal. Driven by her need to focus on a pressing but external problem and inspired by increasingly inhumane conditions for werewolves and particularly the plight of a young, newly bitten boy, Hermione begins a campaign to better the lives of those magical society most fears and derides. Along the way other desperate, shattered people are drawn into Hermione's orbit and her unwavering determination to create a home from the rubble of war and prejudice; particularly central are Remus, thought lost after the final battle, Severus, still prickly and defensive, and Hermione's newly adopted werewolf son.

Finally seeing these slowly mending broken people learn to support and love each other delivers an incredible emotional payoff. The relationships here are wonderfully complicated and difficult, and thus all the more satisfying and warm when affection and contentment manage, somehow, to unexpectedly steal in.

Care Of Magical Creatures

Fandom: HARRY POTTER
Pairing: Hermione/Severus
Author on LJ: Theatresm's Livejournal
Author Website: Palimpsest
Why this must be read:

"Chaos is Come Again" is an amazing story, but I do want to provide some reader warnings.

1) It is really really really long. Really. A true literary achievement.

2) It's not romance. In addition to being an amazingly tense political thriller, it's also a twisted, uncomfortable, human relationship. I almost stopped reading several times, but in the end, it was very satisfying. (I actually wanted it to be a little longer to see the rest of Hermione's psychological journey, but see #1)

That said, it's a fascinating, deftly plotted, awe inspiring piece of fic. It has house elf exploitation and rebellion, sexual politics, an incredibly spooky search through an abandoned mental institution, and a Wizarding version of the European Union - what more could one want? The author's footnotes are well worth reading along with the fic.

"Chaos is Come Again" also dovetails with WIKTT's "Marriage Law Challenge" - an incredibly popular list challenge which asked authors to write a post-Voldemort story wherein the ministry creates contractual marriages between half-bloods and purebloods to promote genetic stability in the Wizarding world. The contract allowed half-bloods to choose between suitors if they received multiple contracts, but they could not refuse their consent to marriage. Often these stories included some kind of contractual, forced sex. Not itself a formal part of the challenge, "Chaos is Come Again" de-romanticizes/parodies the many hundreds of Marriage Law Challenge stories.

Chaos Is Come Again

Fandom: STARGATE SG-1
Pairing: Sam/Jack
Author on LJ: mylittleredgirl
Author Website: ...out of the badlands
Why this must be read:

This is blatant fluff. Little Red even says so in her Author's Notes. However, I think it's often forgotten that 'fluff' does necessarily equal 'suck'. Angst gets a reputation as being 'what the cool kids do', but you know what? Sometimes couples are happy, even if just for an hour or so.

Little Red's definately one of the cool kids, and this piece of fluffy fun rocks my world. Jack and Sam have finally found The Love, and he likes to tell her about it. A lot.

( excerpt )

Saying It

A reminder: tomorrow is the 15th of the month and that means Crack Van Collisions, a.k.a. cross-over day.

Drivers, you may rec one fic that crosses over your fandom with another (no, this does not count against your maximum). Please post crossovers in the following format:

Subject: Fandom/Fandom (Rating)

Title: Title by Author
Pairing: (no abbreviations, please)
Author on LJ:
Author Website:
Why this must be read:

(link to story)

Thanks, all!

Fandom: OZ
Pairing: Beecher/Keller
Author on LJ: fanfromfla
Author Website: Author Page at Unit B Archive
Why this must be read:

This is a wondefully brilliant noir AU, closely linked with the canon events of Operation Toby. The way canon and AU has been intertwined here, without disturbing the lovely 'noirish' atmosphere of the fic is masterfully done. This is such a well-written, easy, enjoyable read, that you zip through it and are left wanting so much more of this great tale. If this were a just world, fanfromfla would have a lot more time on her hands to write fic, and we'd have more than just the few choice pieces she has done (although, since some of that time is spent maintaining a truly kick-ass Lee Tergesen website, I'm willing to let it slide....for now. *g*)

Clean Break

Fandom: LOST
Pairing: Jack/Sun
Author on LJ: maybedarkpink
Author Website: A Darker Shade of Pink
Why this must be read:

A tiny little vignette that packs a big punch. It's futurefic, a year in the future, and Jack does what he must to preserve all he has left. It's dark, this little gem, but so very plausible. A sympathetic Jack, who's still making the hard decisions, a sweet Sun, and a love born out of desperation. What's not to like? :) Spoilers up to Exodus Part II.

Day 365

Fandom:: DUE SOUTH
Pairing: None
Author on LJ:
Author Website: Melanie's Due South Fan Fiction Page
Why this must be read:

This story features a young Harding Welsh. It's become one of my favorites in this fandom. He struggles with his morals and how they can fit into the ideals of the police department as well as his father's beliefs. It's an incredibly well-written story that is very powerful. Melanie manages to get us inside of Welsh's head and see the terror that is unfolding around him. It's not a long read at all, but it is a terrific story.

( Excerpt )

Chicago, 1968

While a few SW fans had slashy thoughts about Obi-Wan Kenobi and Bail Organa before The Phantom Menace, the majority of us shallow fangirls built and jumped on the Obi/Bail bandwagon when LucasFilm announced they'd cast Jimmy Smits as Bail. Jimmy had shown a lot of luscious skin in Old Gringo and NYPD Blue, and Ewan shows lots of luscious skin in just about every movie he makes. Hey, that's enough reason to slash, isn't it?

Fandom: STAR WARS PREQUELS
Pairing: Obi-Wan Kenobi/Bail Organa
Author on LJ: jedirita
Author Website: http://www.wyomingnot.com/rita/rita.html
Why this must be read:

This story is actually the last one posted in Jedi Rita's large "The Prince and the Padawan" series (so far at least!). But it was the first one she posted to the Master-Apprentice mailing list, and it make me fall in love with the pairing. Rita's style is straightforward but elegant, and both Obi-Wan's and Bail's sorrow following the Jedi purges and Obi-Wan's exile is palpable. Bring a hanky.

The rest of the series can be found at the Bail Now's archive. If you decide you need more crack, err Obi/Bail, there's bail_lovers.


Batter My Heart

Fandom: HIGHLANDER
Pairing: Duncan/Methos
Author on LJ: sidhe_woman
Author Website: Taterville
Why this must be read:

Humor is one of the most appealing genres in Highlander fandom. This story, in particular, tickles at all my funny bones: the guys go out for a walk and rain happens. Which, of course, Methos doesn’t really like.

Rain

Fandom: BUFFY
Pairing: none
Author on LJ: juliefortune
Author Website: Fanfic For the Fearless
Why this must be read:

Mirror universes; what if’s, parallel worlds—the Buffyverse lends itself to plenty of fics like these. The show itself tipped its hat to them, in that Halloween episode where Buffy wore fangs instead of a stake. But this fic, When She Was Bad is the best of them. The world is completely flipped over. And I mean, completely.

( Read more... )
When She Was Bad