Fandom: BLAKE'S 7
Pairing: Ensemble, with Avon/Cally, Blake/Jenna
Length: 8476w
Author on LJ: entropy_house
Author Website: b7fanfic_etc, on AO3 and on Hermit
Why this must be read: On the one hand, this fic (written in 1996) is not exactly the sort of fic Willa Shakespeare is best known for (see, Divide and Conquer, recced back in 2004, for a more typical example - and an excellent fic). It's het, there's no sex, and it's a historical AU. But on the other - it is. Willa is very good at ensemble fics where everyone gets something important and interesting and probably amusing to do, but these fics are still primarily based around the romance arc. Willa believes you can have an exciting plot and a romance (and often sex) in the same fic - which is a combination I love, particularly when it's done this well. She's great at awkward people romances (now she writes Tony Stark, rather than Avon) and plausible mega-happy endings. The term 'HEX' was apparently of her coinage. coined to describe her work.

I would also say that one of her primary motifs as a writer is the re-use and re-purposing of existing material to provide structure and create comedic and narrative tension. In some cases this takes the form of a fusion (the plot 'Much Ado About Nothing' used for B/A) or a crossover. In this case (unusually) it takes the form of a historical setting, specifically 1930s 'Guys and Dolls' America. It's a somewhat an unusual choice for a historical!AU in general, but I think a clever one for these characters and their concerns. And it's fun. Willa fic is almost always lots of fun.

( Excerpt )

Link: Depression is more than a state of Mind

Fandom: Fairy Tales: Cinderella
Pairing/Characters: Cinderella, Stepsister, Stepmother, Prince, Queen
Length: 2500 words
Author Website: at AO3

Why this must be read: It's a nice change of pace from the more commonplace versions of the story.

Cendrillon and her stepsister Noemie keep up a ruse that they don't get along to prevent Noemie's mother from separating them, but in reality they are sisters at heart. When the Prince's Ball is announced, the girls conspire so Cendrillon can go. But when they get there, they stumble across a royal secret.

The Puppet Prince

If you like this, take a moment to tell the author. You will absolutely make her day!

Fandom: SUITS
Pairing: Harvey Specter/Travis Tanner
Length: 2375
Author on LJ: sandrine (but she doesn't house her fic on LJ)
Author Website: AO3 profile

Why this must be read: Another rare pair! This time, Harvey and Travis agree to a boxing rematch at Harvey's gym. The boxing rematch eventually becomes much more than that. For Porn Battle XIV.


"I hear congratulations are in order. Apparently you kicked Hardman's ass out on the streets. Of course, you probably couldn't have done it without me."

"Oh come off it," Harvey scoffs. "It's not like you told me anything I didn't know, you just made me realize that contrary to what I thought, you hadn't been in on it with Hardman. And even then, I had to physically beat it out of you."

"Like you didn't enjoy that."

Harvey smirks at him. Truth be told, punching Tanner in the face, both in the office and then later in the boxing ring, is a rather fond memory. "Now that you mention it... yeah, I did."


Rematch: in the Porn Battle XIV post on Dreamwidth, AO3

Fandom: Fairy Tales: Sleeping Beauty
Characters: Fairy Godmothers, Sleeping Beauty
Length: 1088 words
Author Website: at AO3

Why this must be read: It's a nicely eerie story that addresses the question: When you're trying to avoid an evil Fairy's curse, who should you trust?

come away, o human child

If you like this, take a moment to tell the author. You will absolutely make her day!

Fandom: THE X-FILES
Pairing: Fox Mulder/Dana Scully
Length: short story
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: unknown
Why this must be read:

Because it's a beautifully written, romantic (but not sappy) story about two very different people, who work long hours together in a demanding profession, start a sexual relationship in response to one of them developing a terminal illness, and fall in love. Sound predictable? Well, Love Story Redux, it's not. It's also not melodramatic, or ridiculously long, or overly explicit. Everyone stays in character, and no one has to see a therapist. The dialogue is wonderful, and Scully is just as intelligent as she is on the show. Smarter, even. This story was recced on Bright Shiny Objects back in the day, but the link was broken. Though I certainly tried, I never did track it down; a friend had it saved to her hard drive. It was worth the wait.

Read Relativistic Gravitation and Celestial Mechanics.

Fandom: RÓMEÓ ÉS JÚLIA
Pairing/Characters: Mercutio, Benvolio, Romeo (more or less bring your own subtext)
Length: 1240 words
Author on Tumblr: pantalaimons
Author Website: fic on AO3
Why this must be read:

One of the most interesting things about the Hungarian production of this musical is the relationships between Mercutio, Benvolio, and Romeo, which take on different flavors according to the actors. The scene this story takes as its starting point is set right after the Capulet ball, when Mercutio mockingly flirts with Romeo and Benvolio in turn—but how much is mockery and how much is flirtation is hard to say—and it's based on the younger second cast interactions.

Here Pantalaimons has written a layered story full of poor communication, ambiguity, the bitter ache of unrequited love, and under it all the sense of impending doom foreshadowed by the title. Pantalaimons has a great feel for blending Shakespearean language with references to the musical.

( Excerpt )

Brontide

If you enjoy this story, please take a moment to tell the author. Tiny fandom writers always appreciate encouragement!

Fandom: White Collar
Pairing: Neal Caffrey/Peter Burke
Length: ~15k total for the series
Author on LJ: hoosierbitch
Author Website: On LJ
Why this must be read:

This is, basically, a must-read for all Neal/Peter shippers, because it is one of the few stories that confronts the consent issues inherent in their relationship head-on. The set-up is from a kink meme prompt: what if Peter thought he and Neal were in a relationship, when all that Neal was doing was giving Peter what he thought he needed to in order to keep from being sent back to prison? What follows is emotionally raw and devastating, as we see first-hand the toll this strategy takes on Neal, followed by Peter coming to the sick realization that he’s not so much Neal’s lover as he is his rapist.

Though it features some very heavy sex scenes (read the author’s warnings, seriously), the story also shows the hard path to healing and forgiveness (as well as a few setbacks), the devastation low self-worth can have on a person, and the redeeming nature of true friendship (seriously, Moz is a total mensch here). Written during the first season – when much of the characters’ backgrounds were unknown – this story also presents a backstory for Neal and Moz’s friendship that is touching and, I have to say, 100% better than what we got on the show.

I can’t recommend this story (or literally anything else written by hoosierbitch) enough.

The Broken Road Series

Fandom: THE OFFICE
Pairing: Pam Beesley/Jim Halpert
Length: 1,547 words
Authors on LJ: chibi_care (journal has since been purged, but the link below is active)
Author Website: Unknown
Why this must be read: Another happy epilogue to “Casino Night,” but rather than an immediate follow-up, this fic is a lovely and poetic survey of the giddy bits of Pam and Jim’s early relationship. Though this was written in 2006, “Interlude” actually reads as canon-compliant somewhere around Season 4, which is wonderfully nifty. Dwight and Michael make spot-on cameos, too.

( He's learning things about her when he thought that he knew everything. That was a stupid assumption; he knows now. How can he know everything about her? She surprises him, she delights him, and he loves her. ).

Interlude: A Study in Love

Fandom: THE OFFICE
Pairing: Pam Beesley/Jim Halpert
Length: 8,585 words
Authors on LJ: kieyra
Author Website: FFN
Why this must be read: In the first of two parts, kieyra closes the spaces between the two that had been well-established in early Season 3, when this was written, getting them speaking again and in the same place, removing Roy, showing Pam with her newfound backbone that won’t take Jim’s emo-ness for an answer. In the second part, the author gives them time, breaking down by minutes a night of conversation, cold pizza, and, well, the kinds of things that make a fic rated NC-17. The tone overall is just right, and the speed is, too.

( Press 1 for I Just Need Some Space. Press 2 for It's Not About Jim. )

Time and Space

Fandom: PUSHING DAISIES
Pairing: gen (ensemble)
Length: 3679
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: AO3
Why this must be read:

As the author warns: "This is not the usual sort of Pushing Daisies fic. It is not a lemon chiffon pie with strawberry slices and a dusting of powdered sugar on top. It is closer to the sort of pie Sweeney Todd might bake."

This story is an exploration of Ned's deepest fear (you know the one), set in a universe where it came true. Despite its darkness, it does an amazing job of maintaining the feel of canon--which, for all its sappiness and ridiculous conceits, always was a bit dark at the edges. It avoids the usual melodrama associated with fics like this, relying instead on small details and the power of well-placed implications. On top of that, all the characters are exactly themselves, including Aunt Vivian, for all that she only has one line. Really, you could say the heart of the story is the same. Unhappy people saving each other, and themselves, all at the same time.

( Excerpt )

It ends in a small white room

Fandom: Hamlet/Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
Pairing/Characters: Hamlet/Horatio, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern
Length: 4615 words
Author on AO3: norah
Why this must be read: This is a cross between Hamlet and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead in iambic pentameter, which would be awesome enough to merit a rec. It also nails both the Shakespearean and the Stoppard voice so it reads like a missing scene from R&GAD, complete with stage directions. It's also got a lot of humour - Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are hysterical in it, and Hamlet and Horatio are extremely sweet. It's very clever in what it does and how it does it and deserves to be read more widely.

Wittenberg Days

Fandoms: UNCHARTED
Characters/Pairings: Nathan Drake/Elena Fisher
Length: 722 words
Author on LJ: unruhe_
Author Website: on FanFiction.net
Why this must be read:

Most Nate/Elena fics are full of banter and danger, or maybe banter and angst, or just the angst. Sweet is a hard find for this pairing so this is a nice change, especially since it isn't too fluffy either and manages to frame the situation (pregnancy test) in terms of another possible adventure.

Not Quite There Yet

Fandoms: UNCHARTED
Characters/Pairings: Nathan Drake, Harry Flynn, Harry Flynn/Chloe Frazer, Nathan Drake/Chloe Frazer
Length: ~2200 words
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: on FanFiction.net
Why this must be read:

There's scant fics for either pairing, let alone one that explores the tension between both going on without all people knowing it is so, making this an interesting piece with Nate's unease underlying most of it. I also liked that it tackled showing the guys relaxing pre-heist as their sort of friendship isn't something most care to write.

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