Fandom: WATCHMEN
Pairing: none
Length: ~1400 words
Author on LJ: brown_mousers
Author Website: Fic list
Why this must be read:
Because kitties! Yeah, it is adorable cat-related fluff. It’s Dan-centric, and a huge appeal for me is the way it focuses on him primarily as an engineer and a crimefighter; planning out maintenance on his airship, scouting out a mechanical problem, and worrying about getting to patrol on time on top of it all. Then Hollis shows up and reminds us all of his own mechanical prowess and general awesomeness. Add some (mostly) friendly teasing between Dan and Rorschach and you’ve got a fic that’s cute, funny, and engaging.

He hears a rattling sound coming from somewhere beneath the dashboard console—it’s likely a loose wire or something—but he doesn’t want to worry about it right now, not when what he really needs is to get going and meet up with his partner. The last thing Dan needs is a grumpy Rorschach because he just had to go and tear his ship apart. He's not too concerned about the noise, he has a systems check planned for Tuesday night. Whatever it is, he'll find it then.

Birds and Cats

Fandom: BANDOM
Pairing: Gerard Way/Bob Bryar eventually, first story is gen
Length: 10,469 words
Authors on LJ: ignipes and mahoni
Author Website: Mahoni's Master list of Fic and Tagged fiction by Ignipes
Why this must be read:
This series is funny! The setting is whimsical enough to fit these individuals, and the humor is a welcome change from the preponderence of more serious stories in the fandom.

Magician AU on AO3
The Flaming Box of Fiery Doom by ignipes and mahoni (PG), Gen (Gerard/Bob slashy vibes/preslash)
The Knife-Throwing Trick by mahoni (R), Gerard/Bob

Fandom: HARRY POTTER
Pairing: Severus Snape/Harry Potter
Length: ~ 47,000
Author on LJ: girl_tarte
Author Website: Tarte's list of fics on LJ
Why this must be read:
Well, I'm a Snape/Harry shipper and have been since I landed in HP fandom, and "Death Row" is far and away one of my favorite fics in the pairing. It showcases Tarte's droll, inimitable, unfailingly perceptive and off-kilter take on life, the characters, and everything. She has a knack for nailing down the unexpected, disarming details or absurd bits of behavior people are prone to. Her oblique approach undercuts melodrama and explodes stereotypes by never losing sight of the essential human comedy—even when events are deadly serious. It gives the fic a quirky, deprecating, amused atmosphere shot through with moments of sweetness and dread, and frequent hilarity. Which is quite a feat, considering her viewpoint character here is a deeply unimpressed Snape fully cognizant of the incompetence and moral bankruptcy of everyone around him. He is himself willfully ambiguous and emotionally huffy, by turns blasé and breathless, scornful and susceptible, sharp-witted and bungling. His self-distaste transmutes into sarcasm, his jadedness implies that he doesn't care how the war turns out, and yet there he is, risking his life. He is a joy to accompany as he takes matters into his own hands and muddles his way through the impossible job of saving Harry.

( More reasons to read this fic, plus a longish excerpt )

Death Row

Fandom: THE VAMPIRE DIARIES
Pairing: Elena/Stefan/Damon OT3
Length: 10k
Author on LJ: ghostrunner7
Author Website: Fic tag on their lj
Why this must be read:
Thank goodness for fandom Big Bangs! This fic was written for vampirebigbang, a challenge for lengthy vampire fic (at least 10k) from any fandom (including ones without vampires).

"Across Unhallowed Ground" takes the time to seriously build a triad among characters that share a complex history and relationship. There's a real depth to the characterization, with various levels of conflicted emotions. The author is particularly brilliant in having Damon be an author - one with consistently repeated themes.

In 1994, when Stefan left him for the last time, Damon wrote a book of short stories. Alternative fairytales were big that year and in every one of Damon’s stories the maiden was the monster and the thorns around the castle cut Prince Charming to pieces.

Across Unhallowed Ground

Friday Night Drive In!

Vidder: papayaninja69
Musical Artist: Includes the songs United States of Whatever by Liam Lynch and Hot Mess by Cobra Starship.
Length: 2:22
Vidder on LJ: unknown to me
Vidder Website: you can find more videos on YouTube
Why this must be seen: What I love the most about this video is that the clips are excellent and seamlessly stitched together to match the music nicely and the music is quirky and interesting, also, fits my mood, so yeah, personal bias on that. Go and watch this video (and note the lovely quality and clarity of the clips of our favourite spies, also a treat) and THEN go look at more videos by papayaninja69, I promise that you will not be sad you did.

Now Playing: Whatever

And please remember, if you enjoy this story video, a comment to the artist is all the payment they get! Show them some love!

Fandom: BANDOM
Pairings: kind of starts as Bob Bryar/Frank Iero, then becomes Bob Bryar/Ray Toro, Frank Iero/Gerard Way
Length: 40,300 words
Author on LJ: bellheim
Author Website: Fiction Masterlist
Why this must be read:
AU in which MCR broke up, post-band the guys are still in Jersey, still friends. Frank and Bob have been Internet dating, and Bob comes to Jersey for work and a visit. At times, the dialog in this made me giggle like a loon. I loved the way the guys ragged on each other like friends do. And Ray is completely adorable in this, and the Frank characterization really works for me--he's so hyper and clueless but so much himself.

Better

Vidder: cherryice
Musical artist: Handsome Furs
Pairing: Jack/Doctor, Martha/Doctor, Mickey/Rose, Doctor/Rose, Doctor/Master
Vidder on LJ: cherryice
Vidder's website: Cherry Bombs or LJ vid tag
Why this vid kicks ass:

Brilliantly cut, gorgeous to look at, and scathing in its commentary, "What We Had" was done for a "Fuck You" challenge, and it's one of the most effective of that genre, as well as one of the most complexly constructed arguments in vid form I've ever seen. Every time I watch it I'm blown away by its cleverness.

Basically, what cherryice presents here is a takedown of the shipping idea that one character must be more beloved than another because they're more inherently worthy. Love, as presented in this vid, is essentially unfair. And yet it's not hopeless, really: Jack, Martha, and Mickey as presented here get to go on with their lives as stronger people. It's a fabulous critique and a great story.

What We Had

Fandom: LOST
Characters: Penny, Daniel
Length: 3,100 words
Author on LJ: elliotsmelliot
Author Website: Fic Masterlist
Why this must be read:

In my opinion, Penny Widmore was woefully underutilized, mostly in her role as a Widmore. She had the potential to play a large role in the fate of the island and all of the castaways that was never fully developed. elliotsmelliot seems to recognize what an intriguing character Penny was/could have been, and writes her well; her Daniel is also spot-on. Simply, as close to perfect as I consider LOST to be, there were many missed opportunities, and elliotsmelliot writes of one of these opportunities in a completely believable and intriguing manner that may just find a way into your personal canon as it has mine.

Chain Reaction

Fandom: THE VAMPIRE DIARIES
Pairing: Alaric/Damon
Length: ~9000 words
Author on LJ: lacrimadraconis and gehirnstuerm
Author Website: hallelujah_goat
Why this must be read:
Alaric and Damon drinking alcohol and teaming up and not being over their vampire exes was one of my favourite parts of the first season, and the authors capture that nicely. Alaric's wry voice and disconcertion over the current state of his life is pretty perfect.

A No Good, Very Bad Idea