February 22nd, 2007 
05:51 am Post Modern Romance, in Four Variations by Lucy Gillam and Elyn Ross (NC-17)
Fandom: DC COMICS
Pairing: Batman/Nightwing (Bruce Wayne/Dick Grayson)
Authors on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] cereta and [livejournal.com profile] elynross
Author Websites: Cereta's Web and Principality of Whimsy

Why this must be read:
I danced a happy dance in my office chair when I saw that a new Bruce/Dick series had been posted. It was with even more glee that I read them and decided to choose the series as one of my belated recs this month.

The premise in the authors' words: "Once upon a time, there was an issue of Nightwing titled "Modern Romance," in which Selina Kyle (Catwoman) married Batman...and then she woke up, and subsequently tried to use Nightwing to make Batman jealous."

From that starting point, Elyn and Lucy play with the possible outcomes of Bruce discovering what Catwoman did to Nightwing. The curiosity about what happened next/offscreen is the basis for fanfiction, and this series is the result of two wonderful DC authors riffing playfully on a theme. It's hard to chose a favorite, but while I think the first one is the most fun to read, the final one has the most truth for me, showing some of the vulnerability and the angst that these two characters exhibit in canon.

(If you want to read the original comic first, it's available here.)

Variation I by [livejournal.com profile] cereta
Variation II by [livejournal.com profile] elynross
Variation III by [livejournal.com profile] cereta
Variation IV [livejournal.com profile] elynross
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06:26 am Until the End of the World by Sister Wolf (PG-13)
Fandom: DC COMICS
Pairing: Tim/Kon (in this universe, they are Batman/Superman)
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] sister_wolf
Author Website: Fanfiction by Sister Wolf

Why this must be read:
This one is about the "Titans of Tomorrow" Tim and Kon (the future with them as evil Batman and Superman, Teen Titans v.3, issues 17-19).

Tim/Kon is my pairing of happiness in the DCverse, but in this particular DC universe, things turn out very badly for my favorite guys. An ending this tragic brings the angst, but it's beautiful, too. This is a shining gem of a story, with sharp edges, and it's one of my "must-read" stories.

Until the End of the World
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07:26 am The Sound of Pop Music by ducks (PG-13)
Fandom: POPSLASH
Pairing: Chris/Justin
Author on LJ: [profile] _ducks 
Author's website:
Why this must be read: Popslash has a well-deserved reputation for fabulous crack-fic, and this is a prime example. It's also something I just recently discovered, and it's one of the funniest things I've ever read. It's the sparkly-cast version of The Sound of Music, starring Justin TImberlake as Maria and Chris Kirkpatrick as the Captain. Of course. And Joey as the best Mother Superior you're ever going to meet. So join with both NSYNC and Backstreet as they sing their way to freedom from the Nazis.

excerpt )




excerpt )The Sound of Pop Music
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11:34 am Intellectual Pursuit by KatyBlue (R)
Fandom: THE X FILES
Pairing: Mulder/Scully
Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: Shades of Blue
Why this must be read:

Ah, Mulder and Scully at rest. No tempests, no flesh eating plagues, no shadowy conspiracies. A lot of work went into this piece, but it doesn't read that way. It's so light it's almost fluffy and then you realise that it isn't. It's actually an in-depth look at this complicated relationship and how it works when they're not working. There's love and sex, but the solid foundation is a partnership based on respect and trust. There are also some fantastic lines, such as:

He hands her a plate with a mile-high turkey sandwich on it and she peers at it dubiously. "What the hell did you put in here, Mulder?"

"A little bit of everything, Scully. I love your refrigerator. It needs to mate with mine and bestow nuptial gifts of food like those damselflies do."


Read Intellectual Pursuit.
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11:38 am The Seer by Gena (G)
Fandom: HOUSE
Pairing: None
Author Website: Story found at The House Fanfiction Archive
Why this must be read:

As laughter is the best medicine, I thought I'd end the month with a couple of short, funny recs. House is missing, and the ducklings find that Wilson is seemingly even better at deduction than House...

"If you go through the kitchens you'll see a door marked ELECTRICAL METERS just passed the cold storage locker. Go through it and down the hallway until you come to a door with a sign that says 'Mr. Reynolds' Office'. I think it's some kind of a joke. There's a small patio behind that door, not an office," he said. "There's a shade tree and a plastic chair and the staff goes out there for smoke breaks."

Three jaws went slack, and three pairs of eyes widened in surprise. "You," Chase flailed for words, "you - know where he is from - from my telling you about the patient?" They'd seen House diagnose a patient from merely looking at their shoes but to have Wilson instantly know House's whereabouts from learning the particulars of their newest case seemed to short-circuit their abilities to function.


The Seer
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11:43 am The Mysterious Tube of Lube by Cryptictac (NC-17)
Fandom: HOUSE
Pairing: House/Wilson
Author Website: Story found at The House Fanfiction Archive
Why this must be read:

Because every fandom needs to be able to laugh at itself and the liberties it takes with canon. )

The Mysterious Tube of Lube
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01:53 pm Solidad by J Brooks (PG-13)
Fandom: THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN
Pairing: None
Author on LJ: Unknown
Author Website: Unknown
Why this must be read:


This fic is well-deserving of the award it received. It’s a solid OW story, and rather predictably for me is centered on Ezra. At certain times in the show, Ezra develops a conscience and tends to try to do what he thinks is right, that usually involves him trying to work something out on his own. This fic reflects on that. Set sometime after the end of the series it brings out some of the canon points that Mag7 writers tend to play on, hitting the mark spot on. The author also wonderfully left an opening for a sequel, and one day I hope it’ll be written, in the meantime I shall re-read this one.


Solidad
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07:35 pm Fall to Grace by E. Kelly (R)
Fandom: DC COMICS
Pairing: Gen overall, although there is brief, nongraphic Batman/OFC
Author on LJ: Unknown
Author Website: E Kelly's page on fanfiction.net

Why this must be read:
This is a long story with the feel of Batman Begins and Batman: Year One, and it's an absorbing look at Batman's earlier adventures, pre-Robin era. Although there are romance elements near the end, this isn't a romance, and the story is more about the development of Batman's emotional strength and will to survive with the ability to feel.
The author calls this storyverse "Gotham Noir," and I'd be glad to read many more stories in this fictional universe.

Fall to Grace
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07:40 pm New Year's Kiss by David Hines (G)
Fandom: DC COMICS
Pairing: None
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] hradzka
Author Website: Author's Page on Fanfiction.net

Why this must be read:
Cassie story!! With Alfred! That equals love to me, and David Hines hits just the right tone in this scene to sate my longing for stories with these two characters. It's an entirely satisfying character piece.

New Year's Kiss
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10:05 pm Forfeit by Genie Este (PG-13)
Fandom: STARGATE SG-1
Pairing: Sam/Jack, Team
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] geneeste
Author Website: Unknown
Why this must be read:

While an undercurrent of Sam/Jack ship runs through this story, it is more a heartbreaking look at how SG-1 would handle the loss of one of its own. Genie paints a compelling picture with the details of the characters' grief and the way they stumble through it and struggle to communicate with each other. Unlike a lot of character death stories, this one does not play the death for melodrama or easy emotion. It is there, a fact, and there is nothing easy or romanticized about the aftermath. Genie gives the characters very human responses to the situation, and does not tie it up in a neat package.

Forfeit
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10:16 pm The Vampire Affair by David McDaniel (G)
Fandom: MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.
Pairing: Gen
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: none

When I was a teen and Man From U.N.C.L.E. was originally broadcast, I bought the "tie-in" paperback books at the grocery store. I read the books so many times that I memorized them. The paperback stories were very innocent, but exciting to a young teenage girl like me.

When my daughters grew old enough they also read all the paperbacks and watched the rebroadcasts of the series. Now one of my daughters tapes the show on Amerilife Cable for me. Lately I've been walking down memory lane as my "baby" is turning 21 and my eldest is getting married. So I thought I'd do something a little different in this recommendation and point people to a website that has copied some of the paperbacks so that you can read the stories on-line. (And save the 50 cents a book it cost me.[grin])

One of my favorite stories was "The Vampire Affair" because of its humor and adventure. Here is the blurb from the book. )


The story:
The Vampire Affair

The website for all the stories:
Pulp Fiction
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10:19 pm Stranger Than by Dex Webster (NC-17)
Fandom: QUEER AS FOLK UK
Pairing: Stuart/Vince
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] dexwebster
Author Website: Dex Webster's memories
Why this must be read:

This story explores the legend of Stuart and Vince on Canal Street. What the people back in Manchester are speculating about them versus what's actually happening. Lovely. It's another Yuletide story. And how much do I love Yuletide, really?

Excerpt )

Stranger Than
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10:25 pm Nowhere to Run by Em (R)
There was no rating available for this story, so I ballparked one myself.

Fandom: QUEER AS FOLK UK
Pairing: Stuart/Vince
Author on LJ: Unknown
Author Website: idicEm's stories @ Across the Pond
Why this must be read:

My favorite scene in QaFUK is the one at the end of the fourth episode. Stuart has just fucked up royally, and he trails after Vince in his car, begging Vince to get in. Vince doesn't acknowledge him at all and eventually takes off running down the street to end the episode. This story is a great follow up to that scene, because of course Stuart would show up at Vince's flat expecting to be instantly forgiven. It's great because Em's Vince doesn't give an inch, even though he wants to, and it's a lovely post-ep that fits well into canon.

Excerpt )

Nowhere to Run
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11:27 pm Catch and Release by torch (R)
Fandom: POPSLASH
Pairing: Justin/JC
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] flambeau
Author Website: The Flambeau Factory
Why this must be read: This is one of those stories that seems understated until you all of a sudden you find yourself thinking, whoa, this is hot. It's torch, so of course it's fabulous, and it's sweet and the dynamic between Justin and JC gets me every time. Also, it's an NSYNC barbeque, and how can you resist that?


Catch and Release
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