Fandom: SUPER JUNIOR
Pairing: Kyuhyun/Zhou Mi
Length: ~6,000w
Author on LJ: evaporate
Author Website: thedayafter
Why this must be read: Almost all of the fics found at thedayafter make me roll off my bed laughing, but this fic is particularly amazing. "Kick me" is one of the smartest fics I've ever read, even though it's wrapped in a romcom-candy coating and tied with a sparkly fluffy bow (seriously, who includes differential equations in a romcom, this fic is awesome). It's a modern AU that captures the intricacies and awkward hilarity of modern romance, and—much like Super Junior itself—it's impossible not to love every character in this fic. This is also a good way to get an idea of the more unique parts of this fandom, like language problems, culture shock, and Kyuhyun's love of StarCraft.

*Comprehension note: Please click here to understand the "Seasoning" joke.

I changed my mind—I'm going to give a rec every other day this month, so see you the day after tomorrow! :)

kick me, and other romantic overtures

Hi, all! I'm Cidi and I'll be reccing this month. When I first got into Life on Mars, I used this very comm for all my initial fic-searching, so now, I'll attempt to give back and highlight some of my very favorite fic I discovered during my lurking days, but was generally too shy to comment on. This will include the whole gamut of one-shots to longfic, from gen to het to slash. (I'll also desperately try not to repeat anything already posted!)

Fandom: LIFE ON MARS
Pairing: Gen, Sam Tyler/Annie Cartwright
Length: 6,500
Author on LJ: hmpf
Author Website: AO3 Profile
Why this must be read:

I'm so excited that I get to rec this one, guys. This is probably the newest of the fic I'll be linking this month and it's one of those that you know is going to be amazing from the first sentence alone. The author apparently spent six years on and off on writing it and the care put into it truly shows -- the attention to historical detail both real and fictional is incredible, as is the portrayal of all the characters and relationships.

There's an eerie quality to everything here that gets darker as the fic progresses and Sam's deep fears build toward some staggering consequences. And Sam himself is beautifully written, coming across as a man both entirely separate and intrinsically linked to the world around him, just like in the canon. The way that characters like Annie and Gene react to his behavior as their circumstances morph also deepens our empathy for everyone -- toward Sam because of everything he knows and toward the others because of everything they don't. The narrative takes you on an emotional journey through good and bad, better and worse, and by the end, you're left both completely satisfied and horribly gutted, with feelings that linger with you for a while even after closing the tab.

I could say more about this fic, but I think all the long, thought-out comments in response to it literally speak for themselves. It's magnificent. Read it.

( Excerpt )

The MAD Doctrine

Fandom: SHERLOCK 
Pairing: John/Sherlock, OFC/OFC
Length: 77397 Words
Author on LJ:http://brbsoulnomming.livejournal.com/
Author Website: http://archiveofourown.org/users/brbsoulnomming/pseuds/brbsoulnomming
Why this must be read:
Because Parallel is a fantastic, smartly written case fic with superb characterization.  Investigating a case at a University, John and Sherlock meet two students who mirror John and Sherlock and their relationship. Fiona and Sam (short for Samantha) are wonderful, parallel but still very much their own characters, while John and Sherlock are perfectly, adorably themselves. If you are in the mood for a long, incredibly satisfying read give Parallel a try. One of my all time favorites.


Parallel

Fandom: WWE
Pairing: John Cena/CM Punk
Length: 68,830 words; 251k including the two sequels, and there's a third in the works!
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: slaygirl190 on FF.net
Why this must be read: because it's a fun-filled, drama-filled, slashy take on the events that occurred during the summer of 2011.

The Summer of Punk officially began on June 27, 2011, after CM Punk put John Cena through a table, grabbed a microphone, and cut a promo that blew the roof off the WWE.
“John Cena, while you lay there, hopefully as uncomfortable as you possibly can be, I want you to listen to me... I don’t hate you, John. I don’t even dislike you. I like you a hell of a lot more than I like most people in the back. I hate… this idea… that you’re the best… because you’re not. I’m the best. I’m the best in the world.”

Another thing you need to know about CM Punk -- this promo was his face turn. Prior to the summer of 2011, Punk was the top heel in the WWE, and was very, very good at being very, very bad. Cena and Punk spent the better part of a year beating the sh!t out of each other.
No wonder CM Punk's opening salvo sounds more like a love letter than a character assassination.

( This way for CM Punk's epic promo, and the rest of the review... )


The Summer of Punk
And its two sequels:
Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground
A Hazy Shade of Winter

Title: The Electric Espresso Acid Test
Fandom: The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Pairing: none
Length: 1865 words
Author on LJ: kleenexwoman
Author webpage: on LJ
Why this must be read:

This is a delirious piece of writing, and Napoleon is the one having all the fun.  Is he in this satrapy on assignment, or as a test subject or merely through some serendipitous event that coincides with losing his partner?
You must read it to find out.  Kleenexwoman has a style that is uniquely her own, slightly irreverent and always a little mind bending.  
Join Napoleon in this little bit of mind altering fun, you'll be glad you did.

The Electric Espresso Acid Test

Fandom: HOCKEY RPF
Pairing: Sidney Crosby/Evgeni "Geno" Malkin
Length: 14,060
Author on LJ: missmollyetc
Author Website: on AO3

Why this must be read: Because it's adorable und funny and Russians are fantastic!

Reader, there are some things you should know about Sidney Crosby:

1. He's the hockey player. (YMMV, of course)
2. He's a robot (or he might be... It's at least a possibility)
3. Everything else you can find in missmollyetc's primer for Sid and Geno (pics and videos)

This story is one of my favorite ones to read on a dull and rainy day. It makes me grin every single time. You know that "Awww, they're in love and they don't know it" grin? This story delivers in spades. And the supporting cast is amazing, Sergei Gonchar being my absolute favorite.

No excerpt, because I'd have to c&p half the fic. 

Never Hard to Find