Fandom: GENERATION KILL
Pairing: Nate Fick/Brad Colbert, Brad Colbert/Ray Person, Ray Person/OMCs
Length: 46720
Author on LJ: dsudis
Author Website: dsudis, AO3, WordsWordsWords
Why this fic must be read:

Some AUs create a world for a story; some AUs create a series; some AUs create and inspire and pull people into new fandoms and gain a life of their own. This AU has done that. It has inspired fanfic of its own, and helped create the Lupercalia Fic Fest. This is, quite unashamedly, my favourite GK AU.

Whilst technically a fusion with A Companion to Wolves (by Elizabeth Bear and Sarah Monette), this AU has extended the concept to its fullest extent, and you don't need to know the book to read this series. In this universe, warriors are telepathically soul-bonded to psychic wolves, so the understanding of warriors, war and the military is very, very different. The Marines are particularly proud of their heritage, with 'Every Marine A Wolfbrother'. This is worldbuilding at its finest, with even the most insignificant details making perfect sense, and everything well-thought-out and having total internal consistency.

The writing is of a similar quality. The characterisation is stellar - not only in the dialogue and actions, but in the thoughts and interactions in the pack-sense. All of the OCs - by which I mean the wolves, largely - are beautifully formed and make perfect sense with their brothers. What other wolf would name her cub Corona with lime than Ray's? The description is excellent, and you can see the scenes so clearly in your head. The lyricality of it is beautiful, not only in the good parts (yes, the sex is absolutely scorching), but in the painful and difficult parts.

It's beautifully put together, and every piece (there are four currently; there are to be more) is well worth reading more than once. I had so much trouble picking an excerpt, so here's the first part of the first fic.

( Excerpt... )

Every Marine A Wolfbrother Series

This is my last rec before handing over my keys to the next DW driver. Hope you guys have enjoyed my recs and found something you liked!

Fandom: DOCTOR WHO
Pairing: River Song/Eleventh Doctor, River Song/OC
Length: 80K+
Author on LJ: alwaysagus
Author Website: Fiction index on A03
Why this must be read: This is a WIP, but it's close to the end. The author has a wonderful grasp on Eleven and River, and puts them into a situation that is downright domestic, but somehow still very whovian. Sometime after "A Good Man Goes to War," while searching for little!Melody on his own, the Doctor stumbles upon River Song in Delaware (of all places) with a house full of orphans, one of which is little Melody herself. And River is not too receptive to the Doctor's visitation. The author has captured River and the Doctor so beautifully outside their normal parameters of alien madness, and oh, the sexual tension between them is wonderful and enticing. Plus, there's secrets that River is holding in, which adds a level to her story that makes the reader so eager to find out the truth - almost as much as the Doctor.

Wonderful, long read.

What Child is This?

( Snippet )

*sighs as she leaves the keys for the van in the bowl, next to the door* That's me done for another month. I had a blast and hopefully you all found some new HP fic to enjoy.

Fandom: HARRY POTTER
Pairings: This is mostly a Trio + Draco adventure fic but with distinct Ron/Hermione and background Harry/Ginny
Author: sand_dollar (not on lj)
Length/Word Count: ~340k and ~252k respectively
Author's Website: Their profile on hpff.com
Why this must be read: This is definitely a diamond in the rough pair of stories. Please don't let the word count scare you off. These stories are amazing. Set post-DH, sand_dollar creates a world that is very authentic. Things aren't quite right with the wizarding world and just because Voldemort is gone, doesn't mean that trouble isn't still around the corner.

The characterisation of the trio is perfect and sand_dollar paints an amazing picture of Draco in this world where Voldemort has been defeated but the action never stops, particularly for Harry and Ron who always seem to attract trouble .I particularly loved Hermione, who has never been the type to sit out on the action and she is perfectly in character in the second story, in particular. Sand_dollar also uses first person effectively and switches POV seamlessly. Set aside a weekend each and run, don't walk.

The Onset of Autumn
If Spring Ever Comes

Fandom: BANDOM
Pairing: Frank/Gerard, Mikey/Ray, Gerard/Gerard, Frank/Frank, Frank/Frank/Gerard
Length: 4 stories with a total of 79,690 words
Author on LJ: ladyfoxxx
Author on AO3: ladyfoxxx

Why this must be read: This is a totally fabulous story that started as a short doppelganger PWP and grew into a fascinating time travel adventure involving both the current band and their future Killjoys selves from a post-apocalyptic California that may or may not be on an alternative timeline.

The first story tells about the suprise visit a young pre-band Gerard gets from a redhaired future version of himself. In the second story Frank in 2005 gets seduced by his future self and manages to be the one dragged back to the future into a world where he does not belong. It's such a brilliant premise to bring someone from the past into the Killjoys future. It really brings home the enormity and tragedy of what has happened to the world. The third story tells us Ray and Mikey's story and shows us what happened that fateful day the world changed and how the Fabulous Killjoys came into being. In the fourth it's been five years since Frank returned from the future and he's been doing his best to make sure the terrible future he saw doesn't happen.

It's a wonderful, thoughtprovoking series with excellent characterisations. The interactions between all the guys and the growth and change of the various relationships are incredibly well written, and the sex is scorchingly hot throughout. Definitely a must-read.

( Excerpt from the story... )

Time Travel 'verse: Reaching Through The Mirror & James Cameron Got It Wrong & Tell Me Something True & Timestamp (masterlist on AO3 or masterlist on LJ)


This was my last rec for this time. I hope you've managed to find something worth reading among the things I've recced.


PS The van is in urgent need of more more bandom reccers. It's neither particularly difficult nor burdensome: you have a whole month and you have to do at least four but no more than twelve recs and there's even a template to use. All recs are tagged so you can easily check what's been recced recently for bandom. So sign up! It's fun! You get to tell everyone exactly why they should read your favourite story.

Even with an extra day in the year I didn't have enough time to rec all I wanted but if future drivers need a list of all Mag7 fic that's been listed to this point, PM me and I'll provide one, sorted alphabetically by title.

Fandom: The Magnificent Seven
Pairing: Surprise Pairing per the fic (though I'll spoil it in the comments)
Length: 5090
Author on LJ: randi2204, mendax
Author Website: randi2204 on AO3, mendax on AO3
Why this must be read: I've recommended these authors separately and now I need to rec something they wrote together. In this OW fic, Vin notices something for the first time and sets out observing his friends. His detective skills are awesome, of course, but his deductive reasoning leads to a lot of hilarious moments, amusing conjecture, and some quality time spent watching Ezra and Chris, like this moment where they're playing billiards:

It was right nice to watch them. Chris quiet in his dark, subdued shirtsleeves, and Ezra snide and flashy in white and gold; Chris’s lean grace against Ezra’s compact sharpness; but both with the same surety of motion, the same narrow-eyed intensity as they studied the table.

Titania waked... on AO3

It's been great driving the Humvee for you guys over the month - thanks for riding along! Don't forget to give feedback after-actions to the authors! Oorah!

Fandom: GENERATION KILL
Pairing: Nate Fick/Brad Colbert
Length: 6107
Author on LJ: alethialia
Author Website: alethialia
Why this fic must be read:

I discovered (yesterday morning) that I had an extra day to rec something for. Hm, says I, what to rec? I decided tp go for something that would end the month on a good note - and of course alethialia's fic came immediately to mind - humourous, hot, and very well-written.

This fic's premise is hilariously meta. It's about what might happen if Brad and Nate discovered that people on the internet are writing porn about them. It's hilarious fun - not just situational, but because of how the guys react. The characterisation is excellent, and the voices are just perfectly done. The tension and anticipation are absolutely excellent - and of course, porn ensues. It's hot, and real, and full of feeling.

( Excerpt... )

Pleasure Over Propriety

It's MF Luder, again, here with a very late SGA ride in the final hours of the leap month. Sorry, the month just got away from me!

Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Pairing: John Sheppard/Ronon Dex
Length: ~2600
Author on LJ: mahoni
Author Website: AO3

My OTP is John/Rodney, but give me a really good story or a great author and I'm willing to branch out. I love the things that aren't said in this fic; the author has a lovely way of making them know, despite being unspoken. Seeing John struggle both with military code and his own inability to articulate his emotions is fitting and well done. And the kissing and the sex are incredibly hot.

( Mini-Teaser )

Elements of Language

Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Pairing: John Sheppard/Vala Mal Doran
Length: 6931
Author on LJ: auburnnothenna
Author Website: Allusions

Another non McShep, but a) a fantastic author, and b) John and Vala make just about the hottest-looking couple ever.

Also, can you imagine the antics those two would get up to? One word: circus. And then there's a mix up with the ambassador escorted back by SG-69, John is caught in some...revealing clothing, and McKay is in snarky, fine form.

( Mini-Teaser )

Intercostal Clavicle

Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Pairing: John Sheppard/Rodney McKay
Length: ~1700
Author on LJ: aesc and art by newkidfan
Author Website: aesc's Master Fic List and newkidfan's Art Tag

Years later, I'm still blown away by the power of this short story and the absolutely stunning way the author and artist created the beautiful and unique presentation of it. My words won't do it justice; simply go stare and read in awe.

( Mini-Teaser )

Nevermind

Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Pairing: John Sheppard/Rodney McKay (established), John/Rodney/Evan Lorne
Length: ~20,000
Author on LJ: shetiger
Author Website: tigerrrific

I developed an immediate attachment to Lorne in SGA because he was perfectly willing to snark back at McKay...not unlike Sheppard. And so the three of them together? Gorgeous.

I particularly like the set up of this, from the plot, to how John makes sure it's known that McKay is part and parcel of John. The buildup of sexual tension is ridiculously well-written. The end is sweet and promising. A great read!

( Mini-Teaser )

The Hottest Blood Of All

Fandom: STARSKY & HUTCH
Pairing: none
Length: 10.000+
Author on LJ: hutchynstarsk
Author Website: HERE
Why this must be read: Because it’s AU, because Starsky & Hutch look for each other until they find the other one and because I like the idea of Starsky as a cab driver. And most of all, because Allie wrote it!

“‘Llo?” he asked, turning it around until he could hear from the right side.

“Hutch?”

He didn’t recognize the voice; it had a New York accent, and a pained quality to it, as if somebody on the other end of the line was hurting. He blinked, trying to wake up. “Who is this?”

“Just me. I know this is a bad time, but I didn’t know who else to call. I need some help.”

“Who’s ‘me?’”

The voice sounded hesitant now. “Dave Starsky.”

“Starsky?” He sat up and ran a hand back through his hair, blinking. “Man, where were you?” he hissed, keeping his voice down. “I tried to find you, hired a detective and everything...”

Rainy Days or Ballplayer and Cabbie by Allie

Hello again! This time around I'll be driving the crack van for House M.D., one of this month's featured fandoms. Having been relegated to small fandom status, House hasn't come up in the rotation since May 2010. So I'm making it my mission to highlight some of the best new works (and in many cases new authors) that have appeared in the meantime. I'll mostly be focusing on House and Wilson fics, but you can expect gen, slash, and other pairings too.

And without any further ado...

Fandom: HOUSE M.D.
Pairing: Gen
Length: one-shot
Author on LJ: jezziejay
Author Website: Fic Page on LJ

Why this must be read:

The scene in which House jumped from his hotel balcony into the pool in the Season 7 episode "Out of the Chute " inspired a veritable flood of post-ep fics from the House/Wilson community, many of which have been collected here. But I'm highlighting a story from one of the hottest authors to hit House fandom in recent years, jezziejay. Known best for her frank and hilarious take on the House/Wilson relationship, jezziejay is actually an amazingly versatile author, capable of producing the fluffy and sweet or the stunningly sad with equal aplomb.

Full disclosure: We are mutual betas. But I was as shocked and awed when she posted this gut-wrenching fic to house_wilson as anybody.

Falling Slowly

Fandom: STARSKY & HUTCH
Pairing: none
Length: short
Author on LJ: not known
Author Website: HERE
Why this must be read: In this story Starsky and Hutch – separately discover that it’s never a good idea to suffer alone :)
After I Love You, Rosey Malone Starsky is still trying to figure out how to live without Rosey and in the meantime Hutch is dealing with his ex-wife’s cruel revenge. Only Huggy seems to see that they are doing it the wrong way, because they always heal better together.

He’d been thinking about asking Hutch if he wanted to take a trip somewhere, but now wasn’t the time for that. Hutch looked like the last thing he wanted was company; he hadn’t even met Starsky’s eyes that day. Probably embarrassed for getting drunk after the lecture he’d given a few days before. As if Starsky hadn’t already won the prize that week for making an ass of himself.

It was a struggle, but as he pulled up in front of Venice Place, longing won out over altruism. “Hey, uh, there’s a good movie on TV tonight.” There surely was, although Starsky had no idea what it was.

Hutch barely turned toward him. “Maybe another night.”

Starsky tried not to feel disappointed. Hutch probably wasn’t feeling that great, either. The little he’d seen of his partner’s face that day had been haggard, and his voice was heavy with exhaustion and what sounded like a killer headache. Besides, who wanted to hang out with the sad sack he’d been lately? “Yeah, okay,” he said.

Hutch hesitated, turning a little more to face him. “Starsk, I…I’d love to, I’m just…”

“’S okay,” he said, meaning it more.

Never a Bad Time by K Hanna Korossy

Hello! I'll be driving the anime/manga crack van for March, for the Death Note fandom. My first rec is below, but I'm also working on a fandom overview and hope to post that soon as well.

My plan is to try to show you a mix of different styles, authors and types of stories, with all of the recs being some of the best fanfics the Death Note fandom has to offer. I'm going to try to divide my recs into roughly half being gen-fics (with no significant sexual/romantic overtones) and the rest being a variety of pairings, but with some concentration on the more popular pairings.

I'm also trying to divide my attention between authors who have loads of high-quality Death Note fanfics and authors who have little or nothing other than what I've recced. Some of these authors have produced so much good material for the fandom that it is a real struggle to only rec one of their fics, but I'm committed to that. You won't see any author recced twice this month. Some other authors have produced so little that what they have produced is not as easy for fans to find, since these authors don't have a following. By reccing them here, I hope to give their fics more of the attention that they truly deserve.

Fandom: DEATH NOTE
Pairing: none
Length: ~1000
Author on LJ: sub_divided
Author Website: Fanfiction.net (fics 2005 to 2007, appears abandoned) | Dreamwidth (updated currently) | Blog (updated currently) | Skyehawke (fics 2005 to 2007)
Why this must be read:

This fanfic is old, but it's never been recced before and it is one of the best Death Note gen-fics I have ever read.

It's short enough that I can't say much about it without ruining the full experience of reading it, but I can say that it's a character study, a look into L's mind and, to a lesser extent, it is also a look into Light's mind and Matsuda's mind. It is also one of those rare fanfics that is completely and utterly compatible with canon. There is an event mentioned in canon that is never shown, and this fanfic is a short but sweet elaboration of that event. It's also a bit on the cute side, but not overly cutesy.

Link to the fic:

Good vs Evil