Fandom: SGA
Pairing: Rodney/everybody
Author on LJ: z_rayne
Author Website: Vapor Traces
Why this must be read:

Parody isn't to everyone's taste, I know, but this one is note perfect. Created for svmadelyn's 2006 badfic summary mini-ficathon, the goal was to create a story or excerpt from a story based around a summary that could have been found on ff.net. Zoe took that concept and ran with it, creating a non-functional index for the epic story her summary implied, with 19 chapters of a fictitious WIP entitled Everybody's Fool. (So if you try to click on the chapter links, they won't work.)

The summary she was given (written by delicate_sass):

While on an apparently uninhabited planet, Rodney is bit by a bug of unknown origins. No one thinks much of his panic...until they return to Atlantis, and Rodney becomes a sex magnet! Hit on by everyone, can someone find a cure without giving in?

Everybody's Fool

I said I would mix it up a little, and lo and behold, I am. I bring you Chris and Lance fic, probably my second favorite pairing in this fandom.

Fandom: POPSLASH
Pairing: Chris/Lance
Author on LJ: ukcalico
Author Website: Temporary Insanity
Why this must be read: I love this fic because it perfetly showcases the odd way Chris' brain works. Only he would come up with the idea that he does, and only Lance would go along with it. I like how she shows how the media works and how willing they are to believe anything if it's scandal worthy enough. And Lance's confusion throughout the fic is just perfect. Of course, this plan of Chris' is two-fold, as is just about anything he does, and in the end he gets what he wants, and who can blame Lance? I don't think I could refuse Chris anything he wanted, either.

Rumour

Call this my “OFR” (Obligatory Francesca Rec), but it’s nearly impossible to talk about stellar “Sentinel” stories without mentioning Francesca. She, along with a few others, have elevated the art, and helped evolve the way guys are written in fanfic. While many delight in how good her serials are, I think she achieves better impact in her shorter, one-shot stories. Maybe it’s because of the economy of language used, or her ability to write guys as “guys,” either way, I think this one is character study at its best. And the sex is scorching without being prettied-up in any way.

Fandom: THE SENTINEL
Pairing: Jim/Blair
Author on LJ: cesperanza
Author Website: Francesca’s Sentinel Fiction – Like Men, Only Better
Why this must be read:

In spite of the canonical fact that Jim is a detective with heightened senses, it’s surprisingly rare to read a story where those two defined traits are seamlessly integrated into a story. And Blair… That obfuscator, that girl-crazy, neo-hippie witchdoctor punk? The guy who plays to labels, and against them…? Can you capture all of that in a brief story, make it get under your skin, and still make it hot? You can if you’re Francesca. Here, she does it effortlessly...

Blair is a magnet for trouble. No wonder he’s gotten into a minor fistfight on a night out on the town, and walked away with a shiner and a few cuts and bruises. No big deal; life in the big city, right? Then why does his story about how it happened smell a bit fishy to Jim?


( ...he couldn't fall asleep; he kept thinking about the details of Sandburg's story... )

No Lothario

Fandom: SMALLVILLE
Pairing: Clark/Lex
Author on LJ: ruby101
Author Website: Ruby's Writings
Why this must be read: The first story in this sequence, "Promise," has already been recced, but the sequel, "Not Yet," is also wonderful. It's longer, plottier, more science-fictional, and fills me with glee. I think this series is possibly my favourite friendship fic in this fandom, which is saying something; and as an added bonus, "Not Yet" is also a beautiful first time story. I often think about Ruby's take on Clark and Lex, about the wonderful accumulation of detail that makes the friendship feel real, about some of the lovely ironies that the she weaves into the mix, and yes, about the great sf plot. I just like this story a lot, okay. I think you will too.

Not Yet

Fandom: THE WEST WING
Pairing: Donna/Carol
Author on LJ: krazykitkat
Author Website: Krazy Kat's Korner
Why this must be read:

I'm a great fan of fics that explore the relationships between the assistants and I adore this story of Donna and Carol's relationship. The fic itself has a lovely bittersweet quality with the relationship unfolding under the shadow of its inevitable end.


It will end the way it began.

***

"It's unbelievable. She can't be dead. What's the President going to do?"

Margaret, Bonnie and Ginger left ten minutes ago. Donna's still babbling on the couch and she doesn't know how to ask her to leave so she can break down in peace. Subtle hints fail to make any impression and her head is about to explode, but she doesn't have the energy, or the heart, to tell her to shut up.

So she kisses her instead.

***

In the midst of loss.


Happy, Never, After