Fandom: LIFE ON MARS/THE PROFESSIONALS
Pairing: Sam/Gene
Length: approx 33500 words
Author on LJ: halotolerant
Author Website: Fic List at Lifein1973
Why this must be read: Many people have written stories that have diverged with Life on Mars canon (after all the writers gave us so many options to play with) and this is one of the best. In fact it is just one of the best stories you will ever read. It begins with Gene waking up to find Sam has gone, to find that Sam has in fact transferred back to Hyde, and moves into a wonderfully layered and compelling tale where we follow Gene as he tries to find out who Sam really is.

This story is deeply involving and had me addicted right from the start. Halo really gets into Gene’s head, his voice here is perfect and the characterisation is sustained throughout. She also sustains the pacing and there are twists, surprises, and lots of suspense and shocking developments to keep you reading. Hell there is even a surprise guest star from The Professionals! Halo has a masterful grasp of language and uses it very evocatively throughout. And, of course, it is wonderfully erotic in places as well. Please read it, it is a stunning piece of writing.

( Excerpt 1 )

( Excerpt 2 )


How We Smashed Johari’s Window - Index Post (all 8 parts linked)

Fandom: WEISS KREUZ
Pairing: Yohji x Ken x Aya, Aya x OC
Length: Novel-length
Author on LJ: Unknown
Author Website: Story found at Boys Next Door


This is my all time favorite Weiss Kreuz fic which is why I've saved it until almost last. It's basically a romance, Weiss style, complete with kitchen table banter, tattoos and a few missions thrown in for good measure. I was skeptical at first because it is written from Ken's point of view, and I have to admit, he's not my favorite. Also the name is a little on the odd side. But Koumori makes me forget all that as her writing creates wonderfully vivid images with tiny details that really bring the story to life.

Ken, straight as an arrow all his life, suddenly finds himself drawn into a growing relationship with Yohji and Aya. The aftermath of a disastrous mission makes Ken realize just how uncertain their lives are and that they could all die tomorrow with no one to know or care.

And the sex is smokin' hot too.

With his eyes closed, tingling with the feathery heat of Yohji's lips grazing the shell of his ear, he almost didn't even notice the soft lips brushing his, kissing him in a way he might have called sweet under other circumstances; it almost seemed natural. Certainly it was natural for him to lift his face and part his lips to the tonguetip that teased at them, answering the slow sensuality of those kisses. He was kissing Aya; Ken knew it even before he felt the telltale feather of the swordsman's hair against his face. The lightness, the coaxing of Aya's mouth on his was unexpected, and soothed him in a strange way as much as it aroused him. And arouse him it did.

The Pat Benatar Arc: Shadows of the Night

Fandom: WEISS KREUZ
Pairing: Yohji X 2 OMCs
Length: Approx 4K
Author on LJ: fyredancer But it appears to be flocked
Author Website: Firedancer's Universe of Chaos

If you're in the mood for something kinky and of a public sex nature, this is your fic. A Ride on the Subway is the first of three in the series and it's just the hottest thing I've ever read. Yes, it has two original male characters, but that's ok. It makes it all the better when Yohji finds himself in a very compromising position after being forced to take the hated subway. It's a tad on the non-con side but we're talking Yohji and sex here, so no trauma is had.

The second installment, The Subway Revisited, includes some good old fashioned bdsm with the same two characters. This time after another chance meeting on the same subway, Yohji agrees to come home with the two and is shown a few new things about sex that even he didn't know.

In Riding Beyond the Subway, Omi and Ken meet up with our two salarymen. Ken gets jealous, much sex is had by all and feelings are shared. Good stuff all around.

A Ride On The Subway

The Subway Revisited

Riding Beyond The Subway

Fandom: HIGHLANDER
Pairing: Amanda, Rebecca/John Horne
Length: 3200
Author on LJ: raine_wynd
Author Website: RaineWynd.com
Why this must be read: Another of the HLH_Shortcuts 08 stories, this one is poignant (because it is Rebecca) and fun and told from Amanda's point of view.

A Tasteful Memory

*looks a bit worried* Well I hope I have read the guidelines right and am posting this vid rec on the right day. Anyway this will be my last Life on Mars recommendation for the month, hope you all have enjoyed the stories. I know I have enjoyed the chance to reread them while making my choices.

Vidder: charmax
Musical artist: Kasabian
Pairing: Hints at Sam/Gene
Vidder on LJ: charmax
Vidder's website: Bronze Ambition
Why this vid kicks ass: It focuses on Sam and Gene in Series 1 and manages to capture and highlight the important parts of the show and gets the tone spot on. The creator has chosen a brilliant song, picked perfect clips and put them together just right. The timing is spot on, it is action packed and full of energy and I adore it. And like one of the commenters at the vidder’s LJ I now permanently associate this song with Life on Mars because of this vid.

Clubfoot at the Vidder’s LJ page

This is probably my last rec for this month; I hope you had as much fun as I did, and, hopefully, I've rec-ed a few stories you didn't know or haven't read in a very long time.
Thanks!

Fandom: Due South
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski
Length: 2100 words
Author on LJ: joandarck
Author Website: Fan Fiction
Why this must be read:

It's hilarious. The whole scenario ... And everybody, like everybody makes a cameo. Turnbull, Thatcher, Huey and Dewey, and BOB.

( Excerpt )

Due West

Fandom: POPSLASH
Pairing: AJ/Howie
Author on LJ: ravenbat/ravenfic
Author Website: http://ravenfic.livejournal.com
Why this must be read:

The story opens at the Crystal Grand Music Theatre, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, in 2013. JC and AJ are taking their solo acts on tour together, alternating as headliners—and may I say, I think this is a brilliant notion and they should do this at once—and as AJ comes off the stage, JC mentions that there's a hot guy in his room.

Turns out, it's Howie, who stays for a few days.

JC theorises that Howie's there for a booty call. This leads to unnerving (to AJ) revelations about Justin, which make me giggle. But Howie leaves unexpectedly, and it's awkward, and AJ doesn't believe it, and... well. Read on.

I like the feel of this story very much. The down-to-earth bits of being on tour, the routine things like soundcheck and timetabling. AJ's slightly downbeat characterisation.

And I really think we should have a Letterboys tour. Lettermen?


( Read more... )

Scenes From A Tour or here.

Vidder: xandra_ptv
Musical artist: Damien Rice
Pairing: Captain Jack Harkness/PC Gwen Cooper
Vidder on LJ: xandra_ptv
Vidder's website: I DARE SAY
Why this vid kicks ass: I'm completely apathetic to the Jack/Gwen relationship, but this vid about said ship is lovely. I particularly liked it when the man began singing (I'm guessing he's Damien Rice?), and the vid switched to Jack's POV.

Nine Crimes

Vidder:  bistokidsfan
Musical artist: Bobby Darrin and Johnny Mercer
Pairing: Starsky/Hutch
Vidder on LJ: hisluvpet 
Vidder's website: A Mobile Ghetto, Swissroll & Thou
Why this vid kicks ass: This is a fun, bouncy vid - the boys are very much Two of a Kind. You can't help but laugh at their antics and sing along.

YouTube or download at her site above.

Fandom: JANE AUSTEN (PRIDE AND PREJUDICE)
Pairing: Elizabeth Bennet/Fitzwilliam Darcy
Length: 530 words
Author on LJ: elizabeth_hoot
Author Website: Peradan at ff.net.
Why this must be read:

With this one I wanted to include two things; one, a modern, because my omission there made me feel guilty (there are lots of good moderns out there!) and two, a genderswap, because not only the genre is a personal weakness of mine, but I think that in this fandom that type of fic can lend an insight into canon that other fics can't, for the simple reason of dealing with the personalities without the added burden of the sex. These two (The Bycicle is a sequel to the other) very well written fics are glimpses into a completely changed universe, which nevertheless make a surprising amount of canon sense.

If your tastes run more towards the regency side of the fandom, this same author has lots of very good, long fics, both canon compliant and AUs.

Perfect and The Bicycle

Attn. Drivers: Today is the last Friday of the month, which means it's time for Friday Night Drive-In, a.k.a. Fan Vid Recs! Reccers may post 1 vid rec for their fandom, formatted as follows:

Subject Line: VID REC: Fandom - Song Title

Vidder:
Musical artist:
Pairing:
Vidder on LJ:
Vidder's website:
Why this vid kicks ass:

Tags: fanvid, fandom

Because the vidder community has some unique ownership issues, it’s important that reccers be extra careful when making vid recs. Depending on the vidder’s preferences regarding public access to their work, please link your rec in the appropriate manner:

1. If the video is publicly accessible, direct link to the web page the vid is linked on, or if it’s the vidder’s request, to the HTML splash page of their site. or…

2. Link to the site with instructions on acquiring the password, if the site is protected – do not reveal the password yourselves. or…

3. Provide contact info for the vidder if their vids are only available privately (tapes, dvd-R’s, collections, etc.).

Do not:

Hotlink, i.e. link directly to the video file rather than the webpage.

Re-upload videos that a vidder has removed from the web.

Delay in removing a vid rec if requested to do so by the vidder.

Thank you!

Pairing: gen-ish (Tony Stark)
Author on LJ: likeadeuce
Length: approx. 2000 words
Author Website: fix index
Why this must be read:

For all that Demon in a Bottle is pretty much the most defining arc of Iron Man comicsverse, there are not a lot of stories about it. But this is a great one. Tony gets drunk, then Tony gets sober (the first time). And his friends are there. Even if he takes a whle to realise that. This story is awesome for being somehow masterfully subtle and heartwrenching at the same time.

"How drunk are you?" Maya asked.

"How drunk do you want me to be?" he shot back, then, "What are you wearing?"

It has been a long goddamn time since Tony called Maya in the middle of the night to talk about science. Much less to ask what she was wearing.

The 3 AM Phone Call

Fandom: STARSKY AND HUTCH
Pairing: Starsky/Hutch (Slash)
Length: (160k)
Author on LJ: NA
Author Website: CCWriter
Why this must be read:

My final rec for the month; I hope to see you again further up the calendar.

A while back, a challenge to put the boys in the author's hometown was issues, and CC stepped up to it. Memphis, Tennessee - The Big Muddy, Beale Street, Graceland, and St. Jude's.

( Excerpt below )


Give Me Memphis

Pairing: gen (Hank McCoy)
Author on LJ: neotoma
Length: approx. 6000 words
Author Website: fix index
Why this must be read:

So I don't usually read this much gen, let alone *rec* this much gen, but I seem to be in the mood so I hope you are too. This is another one worth reading. (This was written for the lgbtfest last year, which is gearing up for another round if anyone is interested.) The prompt: Hank McCoy once told the world he was gay in a publicity stunt gets turned around in lovely, sweet ways as Hank deals with being gay, blue, fuzzy, his best friend Bobby, and X-Men science gone awry. As it does. Lovely, patient Hank voice.

Scott turned to look at Bobby, as if he hadn't realized that Bobby was right there. Which wasn't fair; yeah, the blue furry guy drew immediately attention, but Bobby wasn't invisible, or even iced-up and translucent at the moment.

"Hank put gay porn on the system."

Bobby turned to look at Hank. "Gay porn?"

"Yes, Bobby," Hank said, his ears pinned back and his ruff of fur beginning to bristle out. Bobby felt the sudden need to be elsewhere.

Chemistry, Romance, and the Alchemy Thereof

Vidder: Saturnging
Musical artist: Dolly Parton
Pairing:None just Buck
Vidder on LJ:unknown
Vidder's website:unknown found this on Youtube
Why this vid kicks ass:It's all Buck and there is dancing Buck!

Romeo

Vidder: Dr. Worm
Musical artist: They Might Be Giants
Pairing: none
Vidder on LJ: drworm
Vidder's website: His YouTube vids are here and more Dr. Worm fun can be found at thrushies.

Why this vid kicks ass:

As always, Dr. Worm merges a song you haven't heard before in this fandom with clips you rarely see from the show, and creates a vid that is as unique as it is entertaining.

What's more, there's a fascinating ambiguity that pervades The Shadow Government. It's a dead-on portrayal of the shadowy world of U.N.C.L.E. agents, snatching Innocents off the street and lurking behind filing cabinets. However, the often thoroughly pummeled agents (especially poor Illya) could easily be seen as the victims of a shadowy government. Or they could even be in need of a Big Brother to protect them from all of the shady characters out to get them.

Regardless, there's no ambiguity about how much fun this vid is to watch, and it always leaves me with warm feelings of affection for the the insanity of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. universe.

The Shadow Government

This is to be my last rec for February (sorry, no vid rec this time!) and what timing -- a day before my birthday. Can't think of a better early gift for myself than to wrap up a motnh of Dr Who fic recommendations with one of my personal favorites. I'm glad I was able to share my love of Whofic with the denizens of crack_van and eagerly await the picks of the next driver of the Who van. Ta!

Fandom: DOCTOR WHO
Pairing: None (Gen: Six, Peri)
Length: approx 884
Author on LJ: scarfman
Author Website: Fanfiction tag on LJ
Why this must be read:

This story, at under 1k, is a gem. It'll make you laugh and break your heart (but in a good way). It's the Sixth Doctor and Peri in Disneyland during an alien invasion, which is humorous all by itself, but it also has a layer of melancholy as it brings back memories of Peri's past that are less than sunny. The exchanges between Six and Peri are spot-on and in perfect pitch, the storytelling succinct but superb, and if the last scene doesn't put a smile on your face, nothing will.

For my last rec, I give to you a poignant loveable Six&Peri fic, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. I've re-read very few fics over the years, and I'm proud to say this one of Scarman's collection is one of them.

The Truth About Cats and Dogs

I don't seem to have done my usual share of recs this month, so here's another one.

Fandom: POPSLASH
Pairing: Chris/JC
Author on LJ:phaballa
Author Website: http://phaballa.livejournal.com/tag/popslash
Why this must be read:

I love reunion stories. I especially love reunion stories where someone is balking at getting the group back together, and it's not Justin.

In this one, life has changed quite a bit for JC. For one thing, he's with Chris. For another, they're married, and have two kids. (No, not MPREG, there's a much more plausible explanation.) JC has achieved an entirely new balance in his life, and he's happy, and then the whole idea of getting back together as Nsync comes up, and he's... he's not at all sure why he should do that. And there are lingering resentments to be dealt with.

It's beautifully done. I like this JC, who's settled and enjoying his life. And it all seems very in-character for the JC we know, cos I'm not at all sure he'd want Nsync to get back together...

( Read more... )

Papa Was A Rodeo

Fandom THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN
Pairing: Chris/Buck
Length: 1,058 words approx.
Author on LJ: http://wolfandboarfics.livejournal.com/
Author Website: http://www.freewebs.com/darkm7au/
Why this must be read:
This is from one of my favorite writers in any fandom she happens to write in WolfandBoar. Her excellent Dark Salvation AU, which I love to death (pun intended), is a dark look at how the boys might be in a modern setting. Although this part doesn't have a particularly dark feel to it, it is the prelude to much saddness. I love the bittersweetness of Chris and Buck's relationship in this AU, to my mind no one does this better than WB. Besides she wrote this one for me and I love it. *Happy sigh*

Baby, Please Come Home

Fandom: X-FILES
Pairing: Scully/Other, Scully/Mulder
Length: 50,000 - 55,000 words
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: home of the slug slayer
Why this must be read:

As my final recommendation for this community (for now?) I'm going to recommend an author that has been recommend here before. But this story is kinda special. If you have the time and inclination though, I recommend you read EVERYTHING by this author.

Don't let the Scully/Other designation fool you, this is a story about Mulder and Scully, the good, the bad, and the ugly. The "other" in this story is Ethan, whom some die-hard X-Philes will remember as the reporter boyfriend of Scully's from the pilot episode that ended up on the cutting room floor (thank you DVD extras!).

This story picks up in the first few episodes of season one and follows the first and second season's case files religiously, going so far as to quote from and describe the occasional scene directly. I can't decide whether to declare this story "alternate universe" or not. Here's why I could: 1) Scully/Ethan, which is decidedly non-canon, but was originally part of the vision of The X-Files. 2) Mulder and Scully's relationship which simmers beyond just sexual tension in one crucial moment. While technically non-canon, Syntax6 manages to weave this moment so well within the context of of the very beginning of season 2, it's easy to just simply accept it's part of canon.

Here is why those of you who like stories that fit well within canon should read it despite the two reasons above. Syntax6's treatment of the first two seasons is meticulous. They provide the framework for the entire plot-line. They ARE the plot-line. We get an incredible story, woven in with the episodes, that makes you feel as if you are actually re-watching the entire first two seasons. What she did here was masterful.

If you have not recently re-watched these episodes, be prepared to occasionally scratch your head as you remember what happened on screen. But, only occasionally, the story stands well on its own. If you are only a casual fan and remember the show from Friday nights in the '90s, you should enjoy this story, but since the real meat of it lies in what was shown on screen, you'll miss a lot of Synatx6's subtlety. Read it anyway.

DO NOT forget the sequel, which picks up at the beginning of season 5, Laws of Motion.

Universal Invariants

Vidder: Fabella
Musical artist: Staind
Pairing: Jared/Jensen, Jared/Chad
Vidder on LJ: wistful_fever
Vidder's website: Fabella's Live journal
Why this vid kicks ass: I love all of Fabella's work, but this vid still kicks ass and floors me everytime. It's innovative and voyeuristic, filled with angst and love. I've watched this a zillion times and it still gets to me; enough that I can no longer hear the song without thinking, seeing this vid playing in my head.

RPS Documentary

Fandom: MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.
Pairing: gen or pre-slash Napoleon Solo/Illya Kuryakin
Length: 5,500 words
Author on LJ: laceymcbain
Author Website: Lacey McBain's Fan Fiction Library

Why this must be read:

Due to numerous U.N.C.L.E. missions not going according to plan, Napoleon and Illya end up sharing a haystack, a hospital bed, several hotel beds, and one particularly challenging resting place that I dare not spoil in advance. Told from Illya's point of view, this series of vignettes provides a compelling chronicle of his friendship with Napoleon, tracing its evolution from a civil working relationship to a caring partnership. By turns funny and dramatic, The Two Men in a Bed Affair reveals much about both men through their reactions to the dangerous and, at times, bizarre life of an U.N.C.L.E. field agent.

Napoleon and Illya's voices are so convincing and their banter is so entertaining that it's hard to believe that this is Lacey's first foray into this fandom. Hopefully, this will be far from her last Man from U.N.C.L.E. story.


The Two Men in a Bed Affair