Hi, I'm RabidChild, and I'll be driving the van for Star Trek AOS for May. I'm primarily a Kirk/Spock gal, but I hope to offer a few other pairings for your enjoyment.

Fandom: STAR TREK REBOOT
Pairing: Kirk/Spock
Length: 93k
Author on LJ: aldora89
Author Website: Master List
Why this must be read:

From the Author’s Summary: Stranded on the planet Sigma Nox while searching for a missing away team, Spock and Kirk find themselves pitted against a disturbing native life form.

What sticks with me most about this fic is the slow yet satisfying and believable build up to a Jim/Spock relationship, all buried in one of the best mission fics I have ever read. The two are stranded on a planet that may ultimately be lethal to them both, and to Jim especially, but they wind up saving each other (as well as one of the most well-wrought and imaginative OCs I have yet to see) while solving a deep mystery about the very planet that has captured them. Along the way, they fall in love.

The fic deals with issues of addiction and loyalty and friendship that matures into devotion and, eventually, love. Also: exceptional action and adventure scenes with very memorable native creatures. It is a masterpiece.

The Lotus Eaters on AO3
The Lotus Eaters on LJ

Hello! I am B and I'm driving the crack_van for Teen Wolf this month. If you are looking for all Sterek all the time, you will be sadly disappointed with my recs. If on the other hand you're eager for something to read other than the main ship I have some items for you! That's not to say there won't be *any* Sterek, it's just not my primary focus.


Fandom: TEEN WOLF
Pairing: gen. Sheriff Stilinski, Chris Argent
Length: 15k
Author on LJ: peroxidepest17
Author Website: At Ao3
Why this must be read:

Any fic that focuses on the Sheriff and doesn't give him a made up name, but keeps him fully in character and only refers to him as Sheriff or Stilinski is in my book an automatic winner. Add in my favorite Argent and empty nest syndrome and you've got a winner. It is funny, engaging, and charming. A must read.

They come to a wordless conclusion approximately two beats later. The Sheriff steps forward to raise his hand. “It’s okay, Barb,” he says amiably, but with a note of the authority in his voice that the town pays him to intimidate people with. “Mr. Argent and I are perfectly fine with sitting tonight out. You know, to keep the numbers even.”

Barb looks like she’s going to protest. Some of the other women in the crowd look like they’re going to protest too, and when the Sheriff uses his incredible crime-solving mind to put the puzzle together as to why that might be, he suddenly remembers Stiles’s ridiculous comment about the PTA bake sales earlier and realizes that both he and Chris Argent are what one might consider eligible bachelors. They work out, after all. It’s a necessity of both their careers.

Stiles told him he’s a catch, and maybe he is. On the other hand, maybe he doesn’t want to be caught exactly, either.

From the way Argent tenses minutely at the sight of all those eyes suddenly looking at him so hopefully, the Sheriff would bet good money on Argent feeling the exact same way as he does about it. It makes sense. Argent also has a business empire on top of all of his muscles, which, objectively speaking, probably makes him more desirable prey (and more constantly hunted) than the Sheriff. Argent is Bruce Wayne to the Sheriff’s Clark Kent, or something. Maybe not Clark Kent, maybe Wally West.

“But Sheriff,” Barb begins, hastily, “It would be unfair for you and Mr. Argent to just leave. I mean, after you’ve taken the time out of your busy schedules to be here and to end up not having a single date at all?” She laughs like the idea is absurd.

“I’m sure we’ll be okay with it,” the Sheriff says again, reasonably.


Men of a Certain Age

Hi, I'm Hans and I'm excited to be driving the crack_van for Fringe this month. I hope I can point out some great fics for you that are deserving of a little more attention.

Fandom: FRINGE
Pairing: Olivia Dunham/Peter Bishop
Length: 2617 words
Author on LJ: sugangel7
Author Website: on Ao3
Why this must be read:

Because even as someone who is not really an Olivia/Peter shipper this fic caught my interest and pulled me in. I liked the pairing well enough in Season 1-3 canon but understand I don't go looking for fics with it, yet every now and again I come across a gem for the pairing that even I can't resist. This is one of those.

I think the attraction of this fic, set around the end of S2, is in the fact that Olivia's thoughts about why Peter should come back are not in isolation, they are not only about how his leaving effects her. That gives this fic a feeling close to canon, a well roundedness that is exceedingly good to read.

A Hundred Reasons

I fell headfirst into Doctor Who last summer and am psyched to be at the wheel (console?) for this month. Get ready for lots of recently-written Pond!feels, with a smattering of RTD-era angst mixed in. But let's start with the frothy goodness that only light crack can bring...allons-y!

Fandom: Doctor Who
Pairing: Gen (background canonical pairings)
Length: 3550 words
Author on LJ: paperclipbitch
Author Website: Master list
Why this must be read: You know how sometimes you'll see a rec that says "THIS IS THE BEST THING EVAR!!!1!!1!" and you sort of roll your eyes? Well, check your skepticism at the door, because this gem is quite possibly actually the best thing ever. It's a coffee shop AU wherein Oswin Oswald (AotD version) hangs out with Sally and Larry (from "Blink"), totally ships RPF Amy/Rory, and fangirls hard about the Avengers, the "Phonebox Angels," and Wincest vs. Destiel.

Like I said, pretty much the best thing ever.

( Has anyone ever mentioned to you how much you look like Carey Mulligan? )

Do You Wanna Date My Avatar

Hello! I'll be running the Stargate puddlejumper warship van this month. Some of you may have seen me around last month- I'll be driving 1 fandom this time instead of 3 so it feels a little more manageable this time around. :)
I want to say on the outset that it is unlikely that I will be rec-ing any McShep this month- partly because I doubt I could bring much originality to the recs, and partly because while I do read it, it is not my premier ship. I hope I can bring up a few things that some of you can enjoy.

Fandom: SG-1 (& SGA)
Pairing: Gen
Length: 1k+
Author on LJ: tsuki_no_bara
Author Website: staranise’s Ao3, tsukinobara’s Ao3
Why this must be read:
Not all the SGC's psychologists are stupid.

If the Stargate program is throwing everything the sciences know about the work on its head, why should psychology be any different? For one psychologist working under Cheyenne Mountain, her days involve dealing with patients run into issues of “DID” (goa'uld infestation), exposure to mind altering substances (sex pollen) and breakdowns in public by servicemen. Her shopping list really says it all.

This fic is made up of mostly OC’s (with a brief mention of a Dr. Keller), and manages to work a lot of world building into so little space- mainly emails, letters, and session notes. Plus, it’s pretty hilarious.

There is also a fantastically deadpan podfic version of the fic at the top of the link that works just as well if not better than the text version. It's mostly because of the inflections.

We're All Mad Here

Hello again, my fellow fans! I am back for a second stint behind the wheel of the crack van! This time, I am driving for the second largest fandom at FF.net, and one of the largest fandoms in the entire world! As of this post, its canon consists of over 12,000 printed pages, 530 tv episodes, 9 movies, more video and card games than I can keep straight, and still going strong!

All that canon has generated a lot of fic. And like any huge fandom, some of it is really really good, some of it is really really bad, and most falls somewhere in the middle. I am pleased to act again as your personal good!fic filter and bring you the best fics I have found for Foxy Boy, Angst Muffin, and the rest of the huge cast in--you guessed it--Naruto!!

I have a wide range of fics to rec, and you can expect the full gamut of genres and lengths! I also read a variety of pairings, and have more than the standard set of fandom OTPs coming your way. And plenty of gen, too! Mustn't forget the gen. ^^ For all my fellow Naruto fans--and maybe even those looking for something new--I hope you find at least one fic to try!

To start things off, I shall begin by sharing with you a fic in the classic Naruto vein: a hilarious comedy. Shall we??

Fandom: NARUTO
Pairing: none
Length: 8 chapters, 8,935 words
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: FF.net profile page (405 fics by this author so far! Wow.)
Why this must be read: This fic had me in stitches! The repercussions of Naruto's true identity and Sasuke's determination to prove it impossible are hilarious to watch as they wreak havoc upon canon events. I only wish the fic were longer! [Starts very early in the series, but contains spoilers for the identity of Naruto's parents.]

No Way in Hell by Lucillia

Avengers fans assemble! I’m ellex42, and I have the helm of the Crack Helicarrier for the merry month of May.

laceymcbain did a great job of giving us lots of lovely Clint Barton and Phil Coulson recs last month (thanks for some wonderful reads, Lacey!), so I only have a couple of stories focusing on them, and with Iron Man 3 coming out on May 3 (in the US), you’ll probably see quite a few stories about Tony Stark. But I'll also try for some variety in characters, pairings, and ratings, including some forays into Avengers comics!verse and even some artwork. There are so many incredibly talented people in this fandom, it's hard to decide which fics to choose!

But looking through my list of rec ideas, it was easy to figure out where to start: with a story that will put a smile on your face.

Fandom: Avengers movie!verse
Pairing: None (gen)
Length: 3,230
Author on LJ: gdgdbaby
Author Website: on AO3
Why this must be read: This story is set, according to gdgdbaby, about 6 months after the events of the Avengers film, done in snippets of mockumentary style. Frankly, it reads a lot like something you’d see in a DVD extra if Joss Whedon had his way. It’s so very easy to visualize the characters in this, and I dare you not to laugh out loud.

The Helicarrier on AO3
The Helicarrier on LJ
Available as a podfic by greedy_dancer
And an alternate podfic by huntsmonsters

Hi! I'll be driving the van for the Hockey RPF this month. While I've been a hockey fan for a long time, the lockout made me miss the game so much that I dove into the fandom and the fic as a way of coping. Since December, I've been poking into all corners of this fandom and discovering some delightful things. It's been almost a year since hockey has been rec'd here, so while we watch the Stanley Cup Playoffs (because it's the Cup), let's delve into some awesome stories!

Fandom: HOCKEY RPF
Pairing: Evgeni Malkin/Sidney Crosby
Length: 40K
Author on LJ thefourthvine
Author Website: on AO3
Why this must be read:

This story is rich in details of hockey history and traditions. It includes an appearance by the tragic Valeri Kharlmalov, in who's honor Geno Malkin wears the #71. Some of the history touched upon includes the US victory in Lake Placid in 1980, the Summit Series in 1972, and the Lokomotiv disaster in 2011. Living in Dallas as we do, Lokomotiv hit us close to home. All the Stars programs that season included a memorial page for Karlis Skrastins and the boys wore his number on their helmets. I was a little wary of this element of the story with the loss so fresh, but the Lokomotiv part was handled with tact.

And then it has Sidney Crosby and his utter love of hockey - how he'll do anything or endure anything to be able to play. This story is full of Sid feels, and especially poignant given Crosby's current status. Right there along with Sid is Geno in his full-on caring, protective, and tolerant-of-Sid's-idiosyncracies best.

If you have a love of hockey as a sport with a long and proud history, and a love of Sid and Geno getting together, this story should be just the thing.

The Work of Wings

Rose here, driving for Person of Interest. I've been reading (and bookmarking) fic in this fandom since shortly after the show started, so I'll be reccing stories in both seasons one and two.

Fandom: PERSON OF INTEREST
Pairing: none; Joss Carter and Bill Szymanski
Length: under 1500
Author on LJ: lizardbeth_j
Author Website: here
Why this must be read: After 1.18 "Baby Blue" we had just one episode showing Carter dealing with the repercussions of Elias's move. This fic fills in some of the blanks, clarifying her guilt and anger over what happened to a fellow officer.

With the Dogs: on LJ or AO3.