Fandom: HIGHLANDER
Pairing: Methos/Duncan/Amanda
Author on LJ: junoesk
Author Website: Cinel's Snuggery
Why this must be read: It is a beautiful, sweetly erotic threesome story with a most evocative imagery layer upon layer like sunshine through the canopy of leaves. Like all Cinel's stories, it has the feel and cadence of a prose poem.

Melange

Fandom: HORNBLOWER
Pairing: Lt. William Bush/Midshipman Jack Hammond
Author Website: None
Why this must be read:

A wonderfully crafted moment-in-time fic, as cold and hard and wary as a sailor on the midwatch, with a spark of heat glowing at its centre.

There are a thousand reasons why two sailors might find themselves crawling down each other's breeches, but perhaps, in the end it comes down to this: you get damned cold at sea.

The Navy, Jack's mother had often said, made the finest men ...

Fandom: FIREFLY
Pairing: Wash/Zoe/Mal
Author on LJ: liviapenn
Author Website: Livia's Library
Why this must be read:
Livia's first venture into Firefly is a stunner - Wash/Zoe/Mal is one of those threesomes that made me cringe a little at the thought, in the beginning - Wash and Zoe's marriage is just one of those things that sticks in your head like peanut butter sweet, lingering, and earthy, yay!, and the concept of even one half of the pair seeking out a third party, is a hard sell to many a fan indeed. ("They're just so Wash/Zoe, you know?") Livia may have done the seemingly-impossible, and made it work startlingly well. Nothing so abrupt and carefree as a "hey, let's screw!" jaunt, rather, it comes about as something slow, thoughtful, mutual and meaningful.

The story takes sweet little moments in-between a long and stressful series of months around the 'backstage', after the events of War Stories and continuing on to The Message, from Zoe's perspective. Character voices are dead-on, Wash, Zoe, and Mal get some beautiful moments, funny and sad, both apart, and together (the "square inch" exchange, in particular, sticks in my mind as so potently in-character, I still laugh on the re-reading). There's generally a whole lot of Big Damn Love Plus One, heavy post-war introspection, sweetness, and the offering of comfort - you don't just leave somebody behind, you carry 'em - to be read and cherished.

( Excerpt )

Where Circles Begin

Fandom: LORD OF THE RINGS
Pairing: Elrond/Celebrian
Author on LJ:
Author Website: Dweller in the underground. Other fic here
Why this must be read:

Because Orcs don't have to kill you to take your life. Because there doesn't need to be a war for there to be tragedy and the worst shocks come out of nowhere without a chance of changing them. This is a slow, winding look at the result of an Orc attack on Celebrian, wife of Elrond. Her illness, madness and slow descent watched by husband and children. The author depicts an Elrond whose outward restraint is only barely holding in his grief.

Read it because the more life you have, the more powerful you are; the more you have to lose.

( Excerpt )

Go not from me!

Fandom: LOTRIPS
Pairing: Elijah Wood/Orlando Bloom
Author on LJ: cloudlessclimes
Author Website:
Why this must be read: A well-done drabble is a thing of beauty, and this is a very well-done drabble, full of regret and longing.

Whitewash

Fandom: STARGATE: ATLANTIS
Pairing: Sheppard/Weir
Author on LJ: mandysbitch
Author Website: Mind Games
Why this must by read:

mandysbitch is primarily a Sheppard/McKay writer, so I jumped with joy when she turned her hand to Sheppard/Weir. This piece gives us a little backstory for Elizabeth, tells us a little about how she became who she is, as well as an insight into who she is right now. It's not a 'happily ever after' fic, because that's not what mandysbitch tends to do, but it's not entirely bleak. Watch out for a great line from, of course, McKay. Enjoy!

War Zones

You know, I keep saying I'm going to rec some slash. Next time, I guess. :)

Fandom: X-FILES
Pairing: Mulder/Scully
Author on LJ: None that I know of.
Author Website: Nope.
Why this must be read:

This a beautiful story. So few X-files fanfic deal with religion, even though it's a large part of Scully's life. This is a great look at both Scully and Mulder's character and beliefs, with an excellent plot. The romance is subtle and underlying, but it's more UST than anything else. Set during the early seasons.

No Greater Love

Fandom: X-MEN MOVIEVERSE
Pairing: Mostly Gen. A smidgen (and most of it is a very smidgeny smidgen) of Logan/Jubilee, Bobby/Rogue, Scott/Jean, St.John/Kitty and Remy/Every Girl in the Entire World
Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website: N/A
Why this must be read:

There are a lot of reasons to like this fic. For one thing, it's narrated by a Movieverse (post-X1) Jubilee that I really buy. I like that Movieverse characters don't have all of the history that the Comicverse characters do. So, you have a Jubilee who hasn't been through crucifixions and kidnappings and mind-fuckings a-go-go. It's kind of a What If Life At Xavier's Was Kinda Normal.

And that's nice.

So, quite simply, it’s cute. And it's fun. Funfic! What a concept. No dark. Very little angst. Just goofiness and fluff and amusing one-liners. Mama like.

( Excerpt )

A Day in the Life

Fandom: STARSKY AND HUTCH
Pairing: none
Author on LJ: Unknown
Author Website: Unknown

Why this must be read:

Because it's got just about everything. Humor, angst, hurt/comfort, a cracking good case for the guys to solve, terrific characterizations...

Shoot, it's just one of the best damn pre-series S&H stories out there!

( Excerpt )

1975: The Rain

Go, read, send feedback to the writer! Because we really, really want her to come back and write more in this fandom!