Fandom: YOUNG WIZARDS
Pairing: Tom/Carl
Author on LJ: cyphomandra
Author Website: None, as far as I know.
Why this must be read: It's a long, plotty, Tom/Carl first-time fic set in NYC in the 1970's. While we get a bit of present-day, domestic T/C, first-time stuff of this calibre is rare and a real delight, and this particular fic is imersed in wizardry and in DD's world; loving attention has also been paid to the time period as well.

An Unwilling Heart

Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Pairing: [Hyotei] Shishido Ryo/ Choutarou Ohtari (Genfic), implied Mukahi/Oshitari and Kikamaru/Oishi.
Author: tiamatv
Author Website: sinsofwill
Rating: PG

Why this must be read:

In a voice credible to an intelligent, proud 14-year-old boy, tiamatv crafts this reflection on progress from selfishness to egolessness, particularly with regards to partners. Shishido Ryo's fall from tennis royalty when he was cut from the Hyotei's Regular line-up and his dramatic re-entry onto the competitive team in an unbeatable doubles partnership with Choutarou Ohtari is one of the more interesting story-lines in the Prince of Tennis. Going Somewhere transcends its characters and universe to achieve status as a reflection on partnership in general. Shishido doesn't become "nice" as a result of his reflections, but there is a more profound and fundamental change in him which is so much more rewarding than "nice."

Excerpt: "If he hadn't had to go through the training that still made him sit up in bed sometimes, sweating, aching in places that had already healed, and sometimes not quite remembering how to breathe, he'd never have known what it was like to be conscious of the person outside the game--not just Ohtori, but... well, tasting the blood in his mouth, seeing it stain the courts like it was someone else's, and knowing, suddenly, that he could do this, or he'd die trying... and he couldn't do it alone. It mattered, because he'd never played doubles, really played, before he'd lost--no-one had ever given him any kind of reason to think that he'd have to lean on somebody."

Going Somewhere.

Criminal Minds is ostensibly a procedural drama about a team of FBI profilers and their weekly quests to catch serial killers or rapists or other baddies. But under the surface, it's all about the mental and psychological toll the exposure to violence takes on our dedicated Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) agents. They face the worst of humanity, and witness the harm that maladjusted psyches can cause every day on the job. Their personal lives and peace of mind become a casualty of their dedication, and occasionally office politics makes everything that much more difficult.

The show is in its third season on CBS (Wednesdays at nine p.m. EST), and is a consistent ratings winner, so if you decide to get involved, you should have material for quite a while. The first two seasons are out on DVD in the U.S. and I believe elsewhere in the world. In light of the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike, I'm waiting to purchase the second season in hopes that those who put pen to paper will get more than four cents from me for the entire season.

One warning: the show deals with graphic violence, and although it's often more implied than explicitly shown, and prone to subverting clichés, it can still be difficult to watch. They consistently address disturbing themes and behaviors, the type of things that cause nightmares. I'm very glad I have a TiVo and caught up on DVD, because it meant I could skip scenes that would otherwise have stopped my viewing cold.

In this primer, I'm going to focus mainly on the characters rather than specific episodes, and more on the first two seasons and the very first episodes of the third seasons. It's too early to tell how things might play out; although episodes are mostly self-contained, there are ongoing character and background arcs that allow meaning to shift and deepen over time.


( Terminology )

( Characters )

( Online Resources )

( Other )

Vidder: Frivolity
Musical artist: Deee Lite
Pairing: None
Vidder on LJ: frivolity65
Vidder's website: Frivolity
Why this vid kicks ass: This rec is entirely self-indulgent. Danger Mouse and Penfold have a special place in my heart because their antics made me laugh out loud every weekday for years. I'd get home from a long, grim day at school just in time for 5 minutes of pure animated joy. If you've never seen the show, you won't understand what I mean, but this songvid is a perfect encapsulation of the silliness that was typical of DM's adventures. I love everything about it, from the throbbing animated love-hearts, to the snapping pincers of death, not to mention Penfold's complete nuttiness and Baron Greenback's villainous frustration. *happy sigh* I suspect this won't translate if you don't already know the show, but if you do, this is a delight.

Groove is in the Heart

Hi hi. I'm victoria p. and I'll be driving the getaway car for this month of Ocean's 11 recs. I am pretty hardcore OTP about Danny/Rusty, so that's pretty much what all my recs will be, possibly with some gen sprinkled in.

I'm starting with a fandom classic.

Fandom: Ocean's Eleven
Pairing: Danny Ocean/Rusty Ryan
Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website: Dorinda's Bare Bones Page
why this must be read:

Confidence Men is the granddaddy of O11 fanfic. Written for the first yuletide challenge, it's the kind of story that launches a fandom into the bigtime, with sharply observed characterization, snappy dialogue, deftly understated emotion both past and present, and a believable back story for Danny and Rusty. It's a classic for a reason.

( an excerpt )

Confidence Men by Dorinda

If you enjoy the story, please let the author know.

~*~

Fandom: LIFE ON MARS
Pairing: Phyllis Dobbs/Annie Cartwright
Author on LJ: jantalaimon
Author Website: n/a
Why this must be read:

There are, as far as I'm aware, only two pieces of femmeslash in the fandom so far. This is one of them. It's hot and believable and rather lovely at the same time.

This is an episode tag to Series two, episode four, when Sam and Annie go undercover at a swinger's party. Annie is seen later on wielding a whip at the suspect in sexual play. In this fic, Phyllis decides to give Annie an education. I should warn here for BDSM, but it's fairly light.

( Excerpt )

One Better