Fandom: INCEPTION
Title: The Stein Job
Pairing: Cobb/Mal, gen
Length: 18,425
Author on LJ: croik
Author Website: author's works on AO3
Why this must be read: I can't think of the last time I had this much fun reading a heistfic, let alone a genfic, that still gave me so much theory and paid so much homage to the film. (And no lie, you definitely get more mileage out of this one if you've seen the film first!) This is a fic told from Cobb's POV, set after Mal's death but before many of the basics of the job they perform on Fischer have been developed. The result is a complex, carefully detailed, perfect jigsaw puzzle of a story fitting into place around Cobb's burgeoning obsession with his dead wife's projection. The way this fic both extrapolates from canon and fills in the gaps it leaves us with is utterly fabulous. Meanwhile, Cobb's POV is actually entertaining while still being about as, well, Cobb-like as you can get; and there's a cameo appearance at the end that caps off the whole marvelous ride.

As a bonus, this is actually a sister fic to another fic by eustacia_vye, The Meier Job, that features a fabulous cast of characters and a star turn by Eames, and dovetails nicely into this fic. Definitely read both fics when you have a chance, because they are excellent!

( But this job is going to be a little different. )

The Stein Job

Fandom: COMMUNITY
Pairing: Britta/Troy, Ensemble
Length: 550 words
Author on LJ: dollsome
Author's Website: At LJ, At AO3
Why this must be read: This short little story features pitch-perfect character voices and humor as the study group watches Troy and Britta during their climatic dance scene together in the season one episode "Interpretive Dance".

"Sexy," Jeff says dully. "For some reason, this is--"

"Sexy," Pierce says, with a great deal more zest. And some pervy old man chuckles.

"I feel like I'm watching Twilight," Shirley marvels. From between her fingers, like watching the display head on will result in corneal damage.

El Tango de Sexual Tension

Back to the UK. *puts sun visor back up and replaces sunglasses in glove compartment*

Fandom: THE PROFESSIONALS
Pairing: Bodie/Doyle
Length: 46,377 words
Author on LJ not known
Author website/archives The Circuit Archive On the home page, search under ‘Authors’.
Why this must be read: This is a much longer fic - almost a novel - on one of my favourite Pros themes, where the lads go undercover as gay. The concept is amusing in the first place and then there’s the added pleasure of wondering how it will affect them once they’ve got used to the idea. The undercover roles here are explored in minute detail, and the setting up of these is what initially makes the story different and interesting. They are involved in a complex op set in a theatre among musical and theatrical people - and in their temporary flat. The theatre background is well-researched and fascinating, and the OCs are well-drawn. There is plenty of suspense, and UST and the humour is delightful, especially the way the practice piano is finally dealt with. In a sense there is a masquerade (undercover) within a world of masquerades (theatre) and then there are the masquerades where we try to deceive ourselves and our closest friends. An altogether intriguing fic and one that has the length and space to explore the implications properly.

Masquerade

Fandom: SHERLOCK
Pairing: John/Sherlock
Length: 82,790 words
Author on LJ: greywash
Author Website: on AO3
Why this must be read:
This story is post-Series 2 and thus FILLED WITH EMOTION. Sherlock relies on Molly to help him out, which is a good choice because she is awesome, though much over-looked. John is heartbroken and falling in love with a phantom that he thinks might be Sherlock even though he knows it must be Moriarty. There are badassitudes, gut-wrenching mistakes, misunderstandings aplenty, well-wrought characters, and a plot that keeps you on your toes. Do also check out the sequel.

the sensation of falling as you just hit sleep by greywash

Hello again,it me Nancys_soul driving the Crack_van. I'm sorry I'm starting late again, I didn't realize I was driving two months in a row, but that's ok, it's making me search for new Sh fic.

Fandom:STARSK AND HUTCH
Pairing:Starsky, Hutch, and Starsky's buddy
Length:long
Author on LJ:ashkevran
Author Website:http://www.starskyhutcharchive.net/index.php

Why this must be read:This is a very orginal Starsky and Hutch story. Starsky reluctantly reveals information to Hutch about a dark "game" he learned under the tutelage of his old Army buddy and mentor. He confides that the game still continues. Hutch convinces Starsky to let him participate. The game turns darker than the players ever imagined, and raises the specter of the past, while calling into question loyalties won and owed. The story begins in 1975. In this story universe, Starsky & Hutch became lovers during the first season of the show. There's beautiful illustrations by Moni K, and Nicky Gabriel's creative cover art.

Sojourn

Fandom: HOMESTUCK
Pairing: (Dave / Terezi)
Length: 5k
Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: On A03 / On Tumblr .
Why this must be read: Cephied Variable writes a fantastic Dave, a fantastic Terezi, and really, really charming Dave/Terezi. This fic is sweet, believable, and wickedly funny.

It's a dumb idea like most of Terezi's ideas. For one, they don't tell anyone they're going.

For another, they've got no destination.


Five Weeks In May

Fandom: THE LORD OF THE RINGS
Pairing: Peregrin Took/Diamond of Long Cleeve, Peregrin/OC
Length: 102,000ish words
Author on LJ: no clue
Author Website: on FF.net, on Hennuth-Annun
Why this must be read:
This story is simply fantastic. I cannot recommend it highly enough. It had drama, adventure, romance, and pathos. The characters we know from the stories are drawn with love and faithfulness to Tolkien's vision and the original characters are well-fleshed out with believable motivations. The plot is unique and well put-together, touching on the history of Middle-Earth. Really, this story is brilliant -- I highly recommend it.

Author's Summary: His father named him wanderer, but everyone called him Pippin. A cheerful and thoughtless hobbit of the Shire, Peregrin Took followed his friend and cousin Frodo Baggins on what would become the Quest of Mount Doom and the War of the Ring, as one of the Fellowship of the Ring, the heroes of the Third Age.

But the Third Age is over. Now, Pippin will travel beyond the edge of the known world, over the Sea and into the depths of Far Harad, coming upon secrets and mysteries known to him only in his dreams. His goal? "The names of all the stars, and of all living things, and the whole histories of Middle-earth and Over-heaven and of the Sundering Seas, of course! What else?" And, maybe, while he's at it, find a way back home.

The Falcon: The Adventures of Peregrin Took by Chip of Dale/Shanghai Jim
(Alternate links to the story can be found on FF.net and Hennuth-Annun.)

Fandom: NCIS
Pairing: Gibbs/Tony (though it's pre- and post-slash, so this can be mostly read as a gen fic)
Length: epic
Author on LJ: marzipan77
Author website/archives: unknown
Why this must be read: There are about a gazillion tags to the episode "Boxed In" and, in my very humble opinion, most of them are pretty bad. "Box Out", however, is much more than a mere episode tag, and it puts a spin on the whole episode that makes you stop and wonder if maybe, just maybe, this could have happened in another lifetime. marzipan77 created an epic of a story that is Tony-centric and looks at the team during Ziva's early years...and none of the characters really look good in it. Which makes them all the more believable and three-dimensional. They're full of flaws and get caught in a tangled web of lies and obfuscation that may seem far-fetched at first but sucks you in just the same until you get so paranoid that you're convinced that this is what really happened on the show (they just didn't want to let us viewers know about it). This story is powerfully written and blends past and present seamlessly, making us feel for Tony and wanting us to headslap Gibbs repeatedly.

Do yourself a favor, get comfortable and really take the time to enjoy this epic.

(Box Out)

Fandom: INCEPTION
Title: Every Atom of My Blood
Pairing: Arthur/Eames
Length: 4,266
Author on LJ: tomato_greens
Author Website: fic listing on author's journal
Why this must be read:

So far I've recced several fics that deal with the mindfuck of Inception--with the possibility that the world of Inception is a dream and that those caught in it exist in various states of awareness that they are either not awake or not real at all. But reading the film literally, taking the events that happen at face value, still unearths endless possibilities for character backstories and dynamics--nearly all of which have the potential to be shattered by Mal's actions during the film. When Mal is well-written, fics that read the film literally can tap into how powerful her absence is and the way it changes the people she leaves behind.

Typically in Inception fic, Arthur is assumed to have known the Cobbs for a long time and to be an old family friend. In this fic, that trope is reversed, and it's actually Eames who's known the two of them longest, though he and Arthur meet years before canon. tomato_greens draws fabulous characterizations in this fic, told from Eames' pov in non-linear fragments and stretching from several years before canon through to its conclusion. She lets you feel how much Eames loves Mal and her whole family, and his relationship with Arthur is full of hesitation and fascination and love.

( He whirls around, and yes, there Arthur is, all seventy lean inches of him. )

Every Atom of My Blood