Fandom: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
Pairing: Gen
Length: 2,530 words
Author on LJ: lillianmorgan
Author Website: her fic lj, lm_fabella
Why this must be read: In this fic, Faith comes to visit Buffy in Rome. As always with them, things are more complicated than they sound. I really love the way Lillian writes Faith here, and the way she shows the relationship between them to be fraught with friction of all kinds; Buffy and Faith simply seem to wake up around each other. The dialogue and subtly layered emotional dynamics are simply exquisite, and I can easily see this as a natural continuation of canon.

( read an excerpt )

A More Excellent Sacrifice

Sorry for the delay, folks. Been dealing with some pretty heavy health issues, and this just sorta fell by the wayside! I'll be bringing in some pretty awesome fics shortly to make up for it!

Fandom: BANDOM
Pairing: Bob Bryar/Gerard Way (some Gerard/Brian, past Bob/Frank)
Length: approx 7k
Author on LJ: Jen, aka mwestbelle
Author Website: Jen's masterlist
Why this must be read: There's some pretty hardcore issues going on in this one. Gerard is Brian's pet, but Brian must go out on tour, so he gets Bob to take over (this happens in the first three paragraphs of the story; i don't feel I'm spoiling it for you). Bob's got his own issues with taking care of a pet to the level of Gerard, so he tries to let Gerard be his own pereson.

This is not a pretty story in the sense that it's sweet and fluffy version of D/S. It's a shorter story, but it touches on some pretty serious issues for Gerard, and how Bob deals with the whole situation.

Plus, the sex is hot. ;)

( An Exerpt )

Framed to Bend

Fandom: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
Pairing: gen, though there's hints of Felix/Eight, Felix/Louis, Dee/Billy and Boomer/Cavil
Length: three mid-sized parts
Author on LJ: falafel_musings
Author Website: her LJ has a sidebar with fic listings (bsg fic tag)
Why this must be read: Three minor characters (Dee, Felix and Boomer) are each given a moment to explain their actions while in conversations with the dead. What a fitting way for this to happen for a show that has canon head!characters. It's tightly-written and painful.

Where Bullets Can No Longer Wound Us

Fandom: HIGHLANDER
Pairing: Duncan/Methos
Length: about 12,000 words
Author on LJ: jimpage363, none for Piper
Author Website: A Sharp Left - Fanfiction by JiM

Why this must be read:I was well and truly shocked to see this hadn't been recommended on crack_van before. This was written for the "Swords at Sunset" challenge, which produced a whole crop of my favorite type of AU. :D Whenever I'm in the mood for a pick-me-up or just sometimes when I'm in a D/M sort of mood, I return to this story. It manages to have a bit of action, some power play between Duncan and Methos, and still be very romantic all at the same time. A delightful story.

( An excerpt )

Brought to Heel

Fandom: STARGATE: ATLANTIS
Pairing: none
Length: <2000 words
Author on LJ: kiku65
Author Website: kiku65 @ ff.net
Why this must be read:

Sheppard has been hurt – damaged is probably a better word, actually – and found by Todd. The focus of the story is on Todd caring for Sheppard and how Todd feels about Sheppard. Todd's characterization is quite lovely. And the way it's written, alternating between past and present, heightens the mystery of what the heck happened to Sheppard.

( There is a difference between rescuing someone and freeing them. )

What Is Lost and its sequel What Is Looked For (Read the header info on this one)

Fandom: HEROES
Pairing: Mohinder/Sylar
Length:
Author on LJ: strangesicksad
Author Website: Her Journal
Why this must be read: Because these stories have the most pitch-perfect and in-character dialogue I’ve ever read. In a break from this month's 'fun' theme of recs, these stories are really tense and suspenseful and dark (the first much more than the second), but there’s a wonderful undercurrent of dry humour running underneath that is super engaging. The first one reimagines the lab scene in Powerless, and the second takes place during Mohinder’s time working for Arthur.

Excerpt:

Mohinder exhaled. “I should leave this place. Destroy the formula and run.”

“No. Stay. Find out what his plan is. Get the formula right and heal yourself,” Sylar said. “I’ll protect you from my father.”

“I don’t want your help.”

“I wasn’t offering. I was telling you what I’m going to do.”

There was Sylar the faceless boogeyman, and there was the man he’d known for a few giddy days as Zane Taylor, and somewhere between the two was the figure who sat next to him, staring at him as though he was fighting the urge to lop off the top of his head, or possibly the urge to bury his nose in his hair. Both thoughts were equally unsettling.

Ten Minutes
Mismanagement and Grief

Fandom: STAR WARS [OT]
Pairing: -
Length: 3,468
Author on LJ: blank_101
Author Website: blank101 @ ffn
Why this must be read: Okay, so I said that I would be reccing genfic because there is a chronic shortage of it in my fandom. I did not lie. Like, take the OT. For example, you would think that the Han/Leia/Luke relationship dynamic would be so easy to explore as a friendship -- you know, as a kind of Three Musketeers thing, or like the trio in Harry Potter or something -- and yet, there is precious few fic that actually does so. (Trust me, I've seen more threesome fic than I have gen, and that's saying something considering the nature of Luke and Leia's relationship.)

In Number One, the premise is simple: after finding out the identity of the mysterious pilot who destroyed the Death Star, the Empire, for once, does the sensible thing, and promptly puts Luke on the Empire's Most Wanted list (the title sort of gives you a clue about exactly how wanted young Skywalker is). The potential for lulz here is epic, and blank_101 has Luke, Han and Leia's voices down perfectly, creating a believable scene that could have happened in one of the films. And it's the characterisation that makes this fic so enjoyable to read: Luke still has a touch of his farmboy naivety, Leia and Han are engaged in their usual battle of snark, Chewbacca actually exists in this fic (you know, there are actually four musketeers) and Carlist Rieekan is ... involved. It's got the vibe of the OT, the brilliance of the OT and it itself is brilliant. End of.

And of course, it's bloody funny.

Number One! @ ffn