Hi, I'm Allie and I'll be your BSG driver for the month of March. :)

Fandom: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (NEW)
Pairing: Jean Barolay, Leoben Connoy
Length: about 4,600 words
Author on LJ:rose_griffes
Author Website: other fic listed here
Why this must be read:

This story is set immediately after the near destruction of Caprica, and imagines a long encounter between future Resistance fighter Jean Barolay and a mysterious stranger who likes to talk about rivers and streams and has a particular skill with machines. It's not only a compelling fleshing-out of Jean Barolay and an appropriately chilling-but-compelling depiction of Leoben, Nemesis also delves into some deeper questions, such as what it takes to turn someone in to an instrument of vengeance, and if she can ever change back. I particularly love this fic because I'm fascinated by the mythological underpinnings of the show, and Rose weaves together mythology, colonial religion and symbolism to illustrate Jean's transformation. It's one of those stories you have to read more than once to fully appreciate. And although this was written before season four had begun, the end of the story takes on a new significance given more recent developments.

Excerpt:

He was bleeding from the shots to his stomach and shoulder. Fatal wounds for any human, though she didn't know about him. He watched her, eyes clear as she stepped towards him. "Nemesis," he said. "I was expecting you."

( One more under the cut )

Nemesis

Hey, there. I'm akamine_chan and I'm your due South crack_van driver for March. It's been ten months since the last time I took the Van around for a spin, and a lot of excellent new writers have popped up in the fandom. I'm going to use the same criteria I used last time to choose my recommendations: writers who've written something in the fandom in the last six months and who have never been recced on crack_van before. A lot of these writers are fairly new, so if you enjoy the story, please take a moment to leave the author a comment. It means a lot.

First up:

Fandom: DUE SOUTH
Pairing: Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski
Length: ~ 4,000 words
Author on LJ: mizface
Author Website: due South fic tag
Why this must be read: This is one of the wonderful stories that came out of due South Seekrit Santa this year and it's a treat to read. It's a future-fic, a glimpse of Ray and Fraser's relationship a few years down the line. They're settled, totally comfortable with each other, partners in the truest sense of the word.

This story is based on a magazine shoot that Paul Gross did back in September. mizface used that as her inspiration and turned the photo shoot into Fraser having his picture taken for a charity calender. He's uncomfortable under the lens until Ray shows up to tease him out of his shyness. As a bonus, wihluta made a manipulation to go with the story.

mizface has a deft touch with the characterization and the back-and-forth between Fraser and Ray is pitch-perfect. It's sweet, loving, and beautiful.

( Short excerpt... )

Photo Op

*waves* Hi! I'll be rec'ing fics from the manga series Eyeshield 21 this month. ES21 has a huge cast of characters, and unfortunately I'm not up to the task of doing them all justice. So instead of a fandom overview, I'll point you in the direction of ES21's wiki article; checking out the article on the Deimon Devil Bats would be especially helpful for anyone at a loss, or looking for more info.

Fandom: EYESHIELD 21

Pairing: Jyuumonji, Kuroki, Togano

Length: One-shot

Author on LJ: peroxide_fic

Author Website: FF.net account 

Why this must be read:

The Hah Brothers start off as thugs and bullies, blackmailed into playing for the Deimon Devil Bats. They grow up as the series goes along, and learn to love American football, and care for their teammates. There are a few bumps along the way, as this fic demonstrates with wonderful humour.

The Hah Brothers are tired of being viewed as respectable members of the community because of their time with the Devil Bats, and set out to prove that they're still badass thugs.

Of course, things don't go as smoothly as expected.

But as far as Jyuumonji and company are concerned, the whole thing is very detrimental to their carefully cultivated reputations as high school delinquents.

“A teacher smiled at me yesterday,” Kuroki grunts, and looks disgusted as he pokes at his first bento; it has a smiley face drawn in mayonnaise on it.

“My grades are average,” Togano adds sadly.

Jyuumonji mutters in complete understanding, “Yesterday some kid asked me to help her get her kitten out of a tree.”

A pause.

“Huh?”

“Huh?!”

Jyuumonji glares. “She said her brother goes to our school and takes her to all the games, okay?! Gimme a break.”

A pointed look.

Then, a sigh. “Yeah, I got the stupid cat out of the stupid tree.”

Kuroki and Togano make appropriately manly noises of sympathy when they hear this.

Model Athletes

Hiya, I’m taltos_ and I’ll be your driver for March. I’m mostly a Clark/Lex girl, so you’re gonna get a lot of that. I’ve spent a few weeks looking through all the previously rec’d fic trying to make sure I don’t rec something that’s already been to pass. Most of the stuff you’ll see from me is old. There will be some that is pre-rift and some that just refuses to acknowledge the rift all together. There might even be a few AU’s. Maybe I’ll even be able to introduce you to an author or story you haven’t read. So today I’m starting with, at least for me, a classic author in Smallville.

Fandom: SMALLVILLE
Pairing: Clark/Lex
Length: 3600 words
Author on LJ: seperis
Author Website: http://seperis.illuminatedtext.com
Why this must be read:

Jenn is probably one of the best writers in Smallville if not the best in fandom period. She’s a must read for every new and old Smallville fan and if you check her site, you might find other fandoms you like as well. She manages to capture a side of Lex that’s vulnerable, a side of him that’s funny. She makes him human, she sometimes takes the Luthor out of the equation and all you’re left with is a guy that has just barely dipped his foot into adulthood, a guy who is still partly a kid, and who just wants to be liked and loved but doesn’t think he deserves any better than the sneers he gets. This is one of those stories. There is humor and Clark being just a wee bit aggressive and Lex being as passive as Lex will ever get. Plus scorching hot sex, which is another of Jenn’s specialties.

( Excerpt )


Fetish

Hello! I'm luthien82 and I'll be driving the NCIS van this month after it was at the repair shop for a month. I'm a Gibbs/DiNozzo fangirl so my story recs will tend to be on that side of the fandom fence though I read Gen fics on occasion too. I hope you'll see something here you haven't read yet. And to kick off this month, I'll start with a very recent fic:

Fandom: NCIS
Pairing: gen, team fic
Length: ~ 2.100 words
Author on LJ: mrwubbles
Author Website: http://www.stargatefan.com/
Why this must be read:

This is one of the few post-Bounce fics that popped up (yet). It's a beautiful continuation of the episode, including some redemption for both Ziva and McGee. I don't want to reveal too much in case someone hasn't seen the episode yet, just let me say that I would've loved it for this to be on the show as well. Alas, it wasn't, but thank God for fanfiction!

The Boat, the Bourbon and the Basement

Hi, I'm dakfinv  and I'll be your driver for Life on Mars this month. I am quite the angst and h/c junkie, so most of the fics I'll be reccing will fall into those categories, though I do have at least one humorous fic planned. LoM is full of wonderful writers who can write amazing angst and I'm looking forward to sharing these great fics with you all.

Fandom: LIFE ON MARS
Pairings: none
Length: short, approx. 400 words
Author on LJ: fawsley 
Author Website: fawsley's LoM fics at The Collator's Den
Why this must be read: I can read this fic over and over and over again. And, since it's only about 400 words, a reread never takes me that long. Fawsley manages to pack a true, emotional punch in just a few paragraphs. The way she gets you into Sam's head, feeling his despair, will make your own hands shake. Of course, there is a perfectly characterized Gene Hunt there to help Sam make it through this crisis. And why shouldn't Gene help? He's been throughout it himself before.

The author warns for angst and darkness, and I'll have to agree. But it is beautiful angst and darkness nonetheless.

A soldier, and afeard

Hello there children, I'm boosette and I'll be your driver for Tamora Pierce fandom again this month!


Fandom: TAMORA PIERCE (TORTALL)
Pairing: Alan(na)/Jon, Alanna/George, Alan(na) & Gary, Gary & Raoul
Length: ≈7,000 words
Author on LJ: ineptshieldmaid
Author Website: n/a
Why this must be read:

Oh, where to start!

This is one of those stories you didn't need know you needed to read until you've read it. It takes the gender issues and the queer issues and the "these books need more Gary" issues present in Song of the Lioness and addresses them in a truly lovely, thoughtful way.

The story's plot really is emotional rather than action, with the events of the SotL quartet threading through the background in a subtle, quiet way that makes you wonder how ineptshieldmaid makes it look so easy, especially with how it grows outward into the time between Alanna's books and Daine's - that neglected part of Tortallan history all of us want to read about and yet that so few fics delve into successfully.

This story is so much more than merely "successful".

A Squire with Prospects (lj, light format)

Hey, palmaceae here, third time at the XF wheel. I'll be reccing mostly MSR, maybe a bit of gen and Doggett/Reyes. Here we go!

Fandom: THE X-FILES
Pairing: Mulder/Scully
Length: 1,200 words
Author on LJ: trolliepop
Author Website: exerciseunknown
Why this must be read: Five brief character sketches of Scully through Season 8. Each one is perfect and totally in character and even the happy part is tinged with a sadness that is not overwhelmingly dripping with angst, but a more subtle anguish. Beautiful fic!

She's no longer the sane, rational one. She listens to the ideas and speculations as they tumble from her lips and can hardly believe she's the one saying them. She sometimes finds her brain automatically forming arguments to her own theories.

If Mulder could see her, she knows he would be laughing. Go with it, Scully, he would always say.

Now she has no choice.

Now She Has No Choice

Fandom: THE X-FILES
Pairing: Mulder/Scully
Length: 9,300 words
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: Suzanne Schramm's gossamer page (Allison Kinney is another name she uses)
Why this must be read: As the author freely admits, Mulder and Scully are slightly out of character, but I think that flaw is redeemed by the sheer hotness of this fic. Mulder goes undercover as a construction worker, and Scully, worried about him, has to go undercover herself to find him. Check the rating for three guesses as to what ensues. I laugh my head off every time I imagine the sound of Scully's fake Southern accent and her outfit. I wish Mulder and Scully had gone undercover more often in the show, even without the smut lol.

Never

Hi! I’m Rispa, and I have the pleasure of introducing people to Psych this month. That’s right, introducing. I’ve looked, but unless I’m totally blind (possible) I don’t see a Psych overview page so I get to write that up too. (You can’t see it, but there is dancing involved here). I’m a slasher, but even if you don’t plan on watching the show through a slashy lens, you should know it’s still one of the funniest shows out there.

Though of course, it will still be pretty slashy. And fabulous.

*ahem*

Psych



Follow the fake cut...

( I'm not inclined to resign to maturity )

Back for some recs later.

My name is Creed and I feel very privileged this month to be recommending Tour of Duty (ToD) stories to you.

Tour of Duty is a small fandom with a big heart. I have written and read in many slash fandoms, but I consider this fandom to be home. It has the some of the most talented and friendly authors I have met anywhere, many of which I am pleased to call personal friends. The quality of the fiction in this fandom blows me away, showcasing everything from the inhumanity of war, the personal relationships built during this difficult time, and the enduring power of love. Yes, that does sound clichéd, but it works and there is also an awesome sense of humour in this fandom (just ask anyone about the whole freakin’ platoon being gay…)

For a great introduction to Tour of Duty, please review the fandom overview.

Fandom: TOUR OF DUTY
Pairing: Myron Goldman/Carl Brewster, Myron Goldman/Zeke Anderson
Author on LJ: dawnchsr 
Author website: Notes From the Underground
Why this must be read:

The first story I would like to feature this month is written by the talented and ever humble DC. She is the only author who I make a point of reading her gen fic in any fandom. This story (so not get in its hotness) also features one of the rarer slash pairings Carl Brewster/anyone. DC fleshes out Brewster and drew me, and I hope you, into this story. For myself, I could not buy Brewster slashed with anyone until I read this story. It’s that good. Also, it features my personal ToD “one true pairing” of Zeke/Myron. Great angst.


( Excerpt )


PRELUDE

Hi, I'm arsenicjade, and I will be driving the crack_van for Bandom for the month. This is my first time driving, and I'm excited, like, have-been-planning-and-thinking-and-getting-all-revved-up-for-it-for-months excited!

Fandom: BANDOM
Pairing: Brendon/Spencer (background Ryan/Keltie, Jon/Cassie)
Length: 40k
Author on LJ: harriet_vane/passe_simple
Author Website: Story Index
Why this must be read: Spencer/Brendon is a pretty hot pairing right now in bandom, so that meant I had a lot of stories to pick from if I wanted to represent the pairing here. I chose this one because it's one of the most honest stories I feel like I've ever read. The story is essentially about that point in your mid-to-late-twenties where you have to figure out exactly what you want out of life and how to get that. And it acknowledges that most of the time, it isn't a pretty process and we aren't pretty people while going through it. The story is also an example of extremely strong characterization, particularly in the dynamics between each of the band members. This is the kind of story that's so completely human and fleshed out, that even if you've never been in a band, never been in love, never been in any of the situations these characters are in, there's something you'll recognize, and that will call to you.

( Excerpt )

Don't Cut Your Hair (Do You Think It's Gonna Make Him Change?)

Hi, I'm isilweth and I'll be driving the DC Comics crackvan for the month of March. I love the entire DCU and have diverse tastes, so expect our trip to run the gamut of DC characters, from the Justice Society of America, to the Supers, the Bats, the Titans, the 5th Generation of Heroes, and the Green Lanterns. Expect older fics, recent fics; established authors and newer authors. Recs will be gen, het, slash, femslash, rated "G" to "NC-17", short and long. I'll also have a vid rec for "Friday Night Drive-In". In other words, something for everyone. I hope you all enjoy the ride! :D

We start with the Justice Society of America - DC's Golden Age superhero team, now in action because, in the words of Superman, "The world needs better heroes." The JSA is the quintessential DC superhero team, with some of the universe's oldest and youngest heroes and many more in between. A society, it is about legacy and family. You can read more about the current roster (with pics) in this post at jsa_allstars.

Fandom: DC COMICS
Pairing: Maxine Hunkle (Cyclone)/Courtney Whitmore (Stargirl)
Length: 465 words
Author on LJ: pervyficgirl
Author Website: Merely An Illusion
Why this must be read:
Maxine and Courtney have an organic, touching and very slash-able canon friendship. As far as I know, this is the first fic to explore that possibility. It captures their individual personalities in an economy of words, and includes pervyficgirl's usual aplomb with form. It's also delightful and a perfect introduction to the 'little moments' that make JSA awesome.

( Excerpt )

Expressive

Hi I’m Callisto and I shall be putting pedal to the metal for The Sentinel this month. I’m relatively new in TS, but I’ve been reading Jim and Blair as if the world were ending since I washed up on the shores of Cascade about 18 months ago, so hopefully I'll manage okay.

Fandom: THE SENTINEL
Pairing: Jim/Blair
Length: 12k
Author on LJ: lanning
Author Website: http://www.852prospect.org/archive/ (the link to her own website appears to be broken)
Why this must be read: Because I thought I’d start off with a short, feel-good favourite of mine. It’s a posh police dinner and, unfortunately for Jim, Blair is drunk, up a tree, slowly stripping, and quoting Whitman to all and sundry at the top of his lungs.

It doesn’t get much funnier or more adorable than this for one of the first fics I ever read in this fandom.

"I am communing with the intricate web of life that is the upper canopy." Another object struck the ground. "Behold! I am the mighty harpy eagle of Amazonia! RAWK! RAWK!"

"Christ in a cathouse," Jim sighed as his gaze was drawn, finally, upward.

Blair sat straddled on a tree limb, his back to the trunk, about twenty feet off the ground. His curls had pulled free of their restraining tie and floated wildly around his face as he flapped his arms in a vigorous, if inaccurate, imitation of a large bird of prey. Jim tripped over something in the leaves, and glancing down, realized that the mighty harpy eagle had disposed of its shoes.

Fear of Flying

Hello I'm bookaddict43 and I'm driving the van for Magnificent Seven this month. I love gen, het and slash so hopefully I'll be able to provide you with a good mixture over the month.

Fandom: Magnificent Seven
Pairings: None. Gen fic, main characters Ezra, JD
Length: 12 parts
Author: Bernadette
Author on LJ: egorstandish

Why this must be read:

This a wonderful continuation of the author's AU story A murder mystery. Set in the present time Ezra and JD are detectives in the small Four Corners police force chasing an escaped killer. The other members of the seven are present throughout the story and the interaction between them is spot on. The use of one of the seven as the escaped killer is a wonderful twist; and the author succeeds in creating from a well loved character, a very creepy bad guy.

Why not check out A murder spree?

*waves* Hellooooooo! Erika here for another turn in the driver's seat of the popslash van sparkle bus! :D Woo! Like last time, I'm focusing on intra-Backstreet pairings, cause they so deserve the love. :D I'm going to try (can't make any promises), to rec every single intra-Street pairing there is (that's only 10!)

Fandom: POPSLASH
Pairing: AJ/Nick
Length: 20,269
Author on LJ: inahurricane
Author Website: saveyourvoice
Why this must be read: As always, I must start with a fic I have a leetle tiny bit of bias towards. This fic is another one that came out of the bittybang challenge, and as you can see, I did the artwork for it, so I got to read it first second! And, as she says in her author's notes, she wrote most of the story, like, days before it was due, so she was constantly emailing me with updates. And everytime I hit the end of what she'd sent me I was sitting here going, "WHAT? YOU STOPPED THERE?! NOOOOO I MUST KNOW WHAT HAPPENED!" It really is one of those "can't put down" fics.

( Excerpt... there are a couple F-bombs in this. Sorry! )

Don't Worry About It