Title: After Hours by J.A. Chapman
Pairing: too many to count, both het and slash
Length: 13k
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: unknown

Why this must be read:

Because it's unadulterated, smutty crack that pokes fun at canon, fanon, meta fiction and itself. Plus, After Hours ensures that everyone on DS9 finally enjoys a hedonistic break from all the war, suffering and betrayal of season seven. . . well, with one hilarious exception.

( Have a taste: )
Go ahead and indulge yourself (I'll never tell).

After Hours

ETA: Links updated to AO3

Fandom: STAR TREK: VOYAGER
Pairing: Chakotay, Janeway, the whole crew
Length: series of stories and novellas
Author on LJ: none known
Author Website: Macedon's Taberna. I can't find a website for Peg, but she has written two stories published in the New Worlds anthologies, and one for New Frontier: No Limits
Why this must be read:

A remarkable "braided novel" of 8 stories and novellas which Macedon wrote in tandem with the equally remarkable Peg Robinson. Too sprawling (in the grand sense) in scale and reach to reduce to a mere synopsis; let us just say that this is Voyager unfettered and red in tooth and claw, such as Paramount with its nice tidy pander-to-the-demographics mentality could only dream of producing.

This is what the show could have been if they had allowed the characters to be real, flawed, but still courageous people. This is what the show could have been if they had allowed it to actually deal seriously with issues instead of platitudes. The writing is awesome, the characters and plot will grip you, and if it doesn't make you think, you have no brain. There are not words to describe the awesomeness of this series. When I read it, I stayed up all night to read the whole thing despite having to work in the morning because it was just that incredible.

Among the many issues that the TV series ignored or glossed over that this series does not:
1) the fact that Chakotay is an Indian from a tribe that has somehow managed to keep its identity as a tribe despite the fact that the Federation has screwed it over almost as much as the US did back in the white settlement of the West.
2) the fact that Janeway and most of the Starfleet officers, enlightened and culturally sensitive as they may be, still carry the backpack of privilege, still look at the world through that lens.
3) the fact that the Maquis are not Starfleet, and have their own identity and pride, and that is very different from Starfleet identity and pride.\
4) the fact that religion isn't just a nice bit of local color for the Indian character, but a true and deep faith.



Talking Stick  [Macedon]
Circle  [Peg]
A Cherished Alienation  [Macedon]
The Red Queen's Repose  [Peg]
Walking Across Egypt [Macedon]
Raisins and Almonds  [Peg]
Otterskin  [Macedon and Peg]
The Rose and the Yew Tree [Peg and Macedon]

Fandom: STAR TREK: VOYAGER
Pairing: Tuvok, Seven of Nine
Length: 2,065 words
Author on LJ: none known
Author Website: FF.Net
Why this must be read:

Tuvok has a visitor, and he gives advice. He's quite wise.

Seven of Nine carved herself a place on Voyager, a small ship where everyone knew her and she knew everyone and she had a defined place, just like a collective. What happens to her after they all reach Earth and go their separate ways?

Forging Humanity.

Fandom: STAR TREK: Voyager
Pairing: Kes, Q
Length: short
Author on LJ: alara_r
Author Website: Alara's Happy-Happy Text-Only Page
Why this must be read:

The problem I had with a lot of Voyager episodes is that they would raise moral issues and then address them only in platitudes.

This fic doesn't do that. This deals with Kes after "The Gift," in which she evolved into a powerful energy being and left the show. She has power, but no experience in how to use that power, and no one to guide her. When the Borg threaten Earth and the people she loves, she wipes them out.

All of them. Every single one. Along with everyone who any connection whatsoever to them. The Q put her on trial for genocide.

Most stories about trials are boring, moralistic, and formulaic. This story is how to do a trial right. Everyone has something to say, everyone is in character, and no punches are pulled. There is no easy answer to the questions raised, no happy ending possible. Neither side is entirely right, and neither is entirely wrong. This fic is about learning to deal with consequences and ambiguities. I thought about trying to give an excerpt, but it's a short piece and no part can be excised from the whole. You just have to go read it.

Power Corrupts (The Absolute Absolution Remix)

Fandom: STAR TREK: VOYAGER
Pairing: none
Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: m.c. moose's Voyager Stories
Why this must be read:

This is a wonderful short story exploring the relationship between Janeway and Tuvok. The characterizations are fantastic.--the Doctor, especially, is spot on--but what I like most is the way the author builds the relationship between Tuvok and Janeway. m.c. moose shows both the beginnings of a fledgling friendship and the fully realized friendship and both perspectives are lovely. The feelings are subtle, there are no long expository narratives of how much Tuvok means to Janeway. Rather, the relationship is shown and allowed to unfold. A very nice read that had me grinning by the end.

The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship by m.c. moose

Hi my name is Emily and I'll be your Star Trek pusher rec'er for May. I'll try to hit each of the series at least once, but there will probably be an emphasis on TOS, DS9 and anything with Vulcans. *g*

Fandom: STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE 9/STAR TREK: VOYAGER
Pairing: Tuvok/T'Pel
Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: Meandering with Jamelia through the Delta Quadrant
Why this must be read:

In this story, Jamelia looks at one of those left behind in the wake of Voyager's journey to the Delta Quadrent, Tuvok's wife T'Pel. T'Pel, not believing her husband is dead, goes to Deep Space 9 to examine the place where Voyager was last seen. There, she encounters Sisko who agrees to help her in her searching for...something, though even she doesn't know what it is. The story is from Sisko's POV as he interacts with T'Pel, and it's a great look at a character who was never really seen on Voyager as well as the bond between T'Pel and Tuvok. It's also got some excellent characterization of Sisko and even hints about his time spent on Saratoga.

Pilgrimage by Jamelia.

Fandom: STAR TREK: VOYAGER
Pairing: Janeway, Seven, Torres
Author on LJ: ?
Author Website: The Voyager Odyssey
Why this must be read:

This fic is set during the Voyager episode Imperfection. The episode focused on Seven's reaction to her impending death from the failure of her borg systems, the fic shows those around Seven dealing with her condition and trying to find a solution. It's told from B'Elanna's POV and has excellent characterisation. But my very favourite thing about this fic is that it's very ambiguous about the nature of Janeway and Seven's relationship.


There have been rumours, of course; they started almost as soon as Seven came on board. Shipboard gossip is fast and often wildly imaginative. Personally, I take most of it with a pinch of Talaxian spice powder. It's just the over-active imaginations of a lot of people confined together in unnatural circumstances. When real life becomes too routine, they start to invent some wild ideas, based on the vaguest suspicions. It's not surprising that some of the more persistent rumours have concerned the Captain and her pet Borg.

I thought the whole idea was ludicrous. To be honest, I've never understood what the Captain saw in Seven of Nine in the first place. Why she kept trying to instil basic humanity into that cybernetic ice queen, I don't know. But she must have seen something that the rest of us had missed, because I have to admit that Seven has become a useful addition to the crew. She's not quite so insufferably arrogant these days, but she's still a pretty cold fish in my book, and the absolute antithesis of the Captain. It's ironic that she's suddenly becoming a lot more human now that she's about to die.


Resonance

On a different note this is my last rec of the month, it's been fun and I hope everybody found at least something worth reading. Remember, feed the authors.

Fandom: STAR TREK: VOYAGER
Pairing: gen
Author on LJ: iamsab
Author Website: You guys are just fucked
Why this must be read:

This fic is set during the episode Year of Hell (before that pesky deus ex machina erased the year) and looks at the senior staff, Janeway and Torres in particular, as they struggle to survive on a ship that's crumbling around them, with no crew and very little in the way of hope. The Janeway characterisation in particular is great.

Janeway stared at him. "Lieutenant, we are six people and a
hologram, 65 thousand light-years from home, trapped in the middle
of a nebula in the middle of a war with an enemy that would like
nothing better than to erase us from history. This ship is the only
thing that's keeping us alive, and the bridge is her nerve center. We
owe it to Voyager to keep her alive as well."

The Year of Hell Logs

Fandom: STAR TREK: VOYAGER
Pairing: Paris/Torres
Author on LJ: seperis
Author Website: Indulgence
Why this must be read:

While Jenn has many Voyager fics I'd like to have recced this one won out becuase it is a lovely little bit of smut with a truly excellent Tom Paris voice.


It would be bad tactics to announce my presence--that would give her time to wonder why on earth I was dithering down here when I could be doing something useful like--oh, recalibrating the new relays or, if she got creative, she'd put me on engineering duty and send me down to clean something out--maybe some secondary power nodes or gel packs--don't get me started on the nightmare that is cleaning gel packs.

Her staff, luckily, saw me and saw living hope. This could mean that there was light at the end of their shift.

I got up to the second level undetected and crept behind a console to check out what I'd be competing against in terms of attention. It wasn't promising.


Not Normally...

Fandom: STAR TREK: VOYAGER
Pairing: Janeway/Seven, Janeway/Chakotay
Author on LJ: mazily
Author Website: Circlegirl
Why this must be read:

Why yes, I do have a thing for Janeway, Seven and Chakotay love triangle fics, why do you ask? Not Jenny's graceful and lyrical fic writing style makes her a personal favourite of mine and this gorgeous post-Endgame fic is an excellent example of her work.


You will never again rule the world. The quadrant, whatever.

["we're being hailed."]

You will never again control the fates of a hundred and fifty-one (a hundred and forty-one, thirty-one, twenty-one) crewmembers. Never. But a desk, yes, that you'll commandeer, that you'll glare at and bully and boss around.


All this is Window Dressing

Fandom: STAR TREK: VOYAGER
Pairing: Janeway/Seven, Chakotay/Seven, Janeway/Chakotay
Author on LJ: thatfangirl
Author Website: a girl and her fandoms
Why this must be read:

One of the difficulties in writing short fics is that you have to cram more information into fewer words. This fic does that wonderfully, managing to tell not one, but two stories in 267 words. This fic deals with the fact that Janeway effectively changed the future in Endgame, it looks at all the ways in which her life changed and the ways it stayed the same.

Also, the last paragraph never fails to crack me up.

Or

Title: Touch
Fandom: Star Trek: The Next Generation/Star Trek Voyager
Pairing: Picard/Janeway
Author on LJ: seemag
Author Website: Unbound
Why this must be read:

Early on in Voyager I was very much a fan of Janeway/Chakotay but after Resolutions it felt to me like the show would only regress if it went in that direction so for a very long time after that I didn't have read a lot of romantic Janeway fiction then I watched Nemesis and saw a spark between the newly-promoted Admiral and Picard. Intrigued, I went looking for Janeway/Picard and then found seemag's. It's a *treat* and the dynamic between them is just...it's got a rarified quality to it that is unparalleled and Seema's is among the best.

Touch

Title: Questions by Loligo
Pairing: Inara/B'Elanna
Author on LJ: loligo
Author Website: none

Why this must be read:
I have been unable to find any badness so far in the Multiverse ficathon fics. I really could have recced any of them, but this is the one that stood out for me today.

This is a short fic, just two scenes, but it draws a credible picture of a flailing Inara, a little slow to realize that all the things she's learned in her life aren't that useful in this new place she's found herself. It also makes sense, as written, that she would end up making a connection with B'Elanna, her personality opposite. In my opinion that's a hard thing to do, and the author did it just right.

Questions

Fandom: STAR TREK VOY
Pairing: Janeway/Chakotay, Janeway/Mark
Author on LJ: none
Author Website: m.c. moose's voyager stories (Note: this page contains a number of broken links, but all stories can be accessed via Trekiverse)

Why this must be read:

Another lovely Janeway tale from the master, this story has its roots in an event from TNG. Written long before "Equinox" was a demonic twinkle in TPTB's eye, "The Road Not Taken" explores the premise of Voyager encountering another Starfleet vessel in the DQ, and Janeway being forced to reevaluate some of her decisions as a result. As always, m.c. combines great characterization complete with an interesting and well-developed plot.

This ends my Trek recs for the month. I hope you've enjoyed them as much as I have.

The Road Not Taken

Fandom: STAR TREK VOY
Pairing: Janeway/Chakotay
Author on LJ: none
Author Website: EJ's Voyager Stories
Why this must be read:

I can't believe this story hasn't been recc'd here before, because it's widely viewed as *the* best VOY fic of all time, narrowly edging out the "Talking Stick/Circle" series by Macedon and Peg Robinson. There was a period when everyone and her sister were writing "Voyager Returns Home" stories; this fic left them all in the dust and was hailed as an instant classic. This story has got everything: romance, intrigue, plot twists, guest appearances from practically everyone you've ever heard of in the Trek universe. Long and satisfying, it will make you wish the Voyager series had indeed wrapped up this way.

Revisionist History

Fandom: STAR TREK VOY
Pairing: Janeway/Chakotay
Author on LJ: none
Author Website: Michele Masterson's Stories
Why this must be read:

This is one of my all-time favorite J/C stories. Set early in the voyage and told from B'Elanna's POV, Janeway and the crew must deal with the aftermath of a transporter accident. The imagery and description are beautiful and moving, and the subtle character observations are spot-on. Even though J/C is the focus, the evolving friendship between Janeway and B'Elanna is wonderfully depicted as well. This story is a keeper; if you've never read it before, know that this is one you will keep coming back to time and again because it's just that good.

Contrition

Title: Exeunt/Enter
Pairing: Janet Fraiser/Seven of Nine
Author on LJ: leyenn
Author's Wesbite: Leyenn.net
Why this must be read:

I wouldn't never have believed this pairing could ever work. Seriously. Janet/Seven, are you kidding me?! But in this fic, it really does work. I believe it. Janet is just perfectly out of time, and confused, and still recognisable. Amazing.

( excerpt )

Exeunt/Enter

Title The Other Side of the Gate by Jemima (PG)
Pairing: none really (hint of Jack/Sam and Janeway/Chakotay)
Author on LJ: jemimap
Author Website: Jemima's Chevron
Why this must be read:

Whether you're a fan of Voyager or Stargate or both, this story is for you. Unlike many crossovers, neither fandom or its characters are slighted, and the story can be appreciated on many levels. There's plot, intriguing technobabble (that nonetheless doesn't get carried away), snark, humor, action and great characterization and character interactions. The image of O'Neill et al mocking the Voyager 'redshirts' is one that will linger for a long time.

The Other Side Of The Gate

Fandom: STAR TREK VOY
Pairing: Janeway/Chakotay
Author on LJ: none
Author Website: Ragpants' Stories
Why this must be read:

This is a gorgeous story in every sense of the word. The romance (this belongs in the 'one time/first time' genre), the character interactions and most of all, the setting. The descriptions will absolutely take your breath away. This story is truly a feast for the senses.

A Place Of Abundance

Fandom: STAR TREK VOYAGER
Pairing: Janeway/Chakotay
Author on LJ: cruisedirector
Author Website: Your Cruise Director's Voyager Stories
Why this must be read:

There are so many 'Janeway finally gives in to her feelings for Chakotay' stories, but this one is special. It's romantic and playful and realistic, all at the same time, and the characters remain sharply in character throughout. As the title implies, this is a one time only deal--or so it's meant to be. This story makes me nostalgic for the early seasons' J/C, and more than a little wistful that it never played out like this.

Once

Fandom: STAR TREK VOYAGER
Pairing: Janeway/Paris
Author on LJ: kellychambliss
Author Website: Kelly's Janeway Fiction
Why this must be read:

Like swing music itself, this story is hot, it's cool and above all very, very sexy. There's no plot to speak of really, just a rhythm and tone that's electric in nature. As evident from the opening lines, Kelly is a master at creating imagery and mood from carefully selected details. This story can make even the most devout skeptic (or devotee to a different pairing) a believer in J/P.

Swing Time

Fandom: STAR TREK VOYAGER
Pairing: Janeway/Chakotay
Author on LJ: none
Author Website: monkee's place
Why this must be read:

The concept is irresistible: the evolving relationship between the captain and her first officer as played out against the backdrop of Janeway's various hair styles. In the hands of a less capable author this would quickly devolve to parody ( or worse), but with monkee at the helm, it works beautifully as a sweet and tender love story. If you love J/C, Janeway, her hair or any or all of the above, this fic is not to be missed.

Command Styles

Fandom: STAR TREK VOYAGER
Pairing: none
Author on LJ: none
Author Website: m.c. moose's voyager stories (Note: this page contains a number of broken links, but all stories can be accessed via Trekiverse)
Why this must be read:

This is one of the greatest Janeway stories ever written, by *the* premier Janeway author. Nobody gets into her head as well as m.c. moose, or brings her to life so well. "A Single Act Of Compassion", the first of the phenomenal "Tapestry" trilogy, deals with a young Lieutenant Janeway fresh out of command school. The main plot is based on an incident that occurred during the Cardassian border skirmishes of 2359, which Janeway briefly related to Seven in the episode "Prey". By turns humorous, poignant, suspenseful and absolutely breathtaking, this story will keep you enthralled from start to finish, and then you'll be eager to go on to the sequels, "Lower Decks" and "Breaking Free".

A Single Act Of Compassion

Title: Trust No Glass
Fandom: Star Trek: Voyager
Pairing: Torres/Paris, Meghan Delaney/Gerron (trust me)
Author On LJ: taraljc
Author Website: my little corner
Why This Story Must Be Read:

Secondary character development on Voyager was very slim. We were lucky we got all the ensembles well developed much less the secondaries...fortunately for us there was a TNG episode called Lower Decks and from that was spawned an archive of the same name. Lower Decks and to this archive (run by tara herself I should add) she added this incredible story. It's AU but in a great way and it breathes life into secondary characters like the Delaney sisters and Gerron who were, largely, nothing more than charicatures on the show. It's a Voyager that makes sense and is real and is absolutely....tangible. It's a ship and community described in such a way you can almost feel the deck underneath your feet and hear the chatter of the crew around you.

Trust No Glass

Title: Star Voyager by Iejasu and Miklinar
Pairing: Gen, with hints of Vader/OC
Length: 42,000 words
Author on LJ: miklinar
Author Website: Bast Castle

Why this must be read:

Unlike many other fandoms, it is very difficult to find a good crossover for Star Wars. There are excellent crossovers for Highlander, Buffy, and Stargate aplenty, but not so with Star Wars. Indeed, such fandoms practically invite and create opportunities for crossovers. The very fact that Star Wars occurred "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. . ." impedes crossover potential. Of those that exist, I have found but two or three good ones.

The one fandom Star Wars is consistently crossed with is Star Trek, but the stories are rarely any good. Such crossovers have been done to death, mostly with the idea of pitting the two types of technology (and the two fandoms) against each other. This is not one of those stories.

The crossover story I am recommending this month stars Darth Vader, naturally. In this story, Vader survives the second Death Star, but ends up on a different shuttle from his son. The blast of the Death Star exploding creates a wormhole, sending him far into a different galaxy and possibly into the future or even an alternate universe. Who finds the severely injured Vader but the Federation Starship Voyager, which is stranded and alone in the Delta Quadrant of the Milky Way Galaxy?

On Voyager, Vader finds himself mostly among other humans, but he thinks, acts, and reacts very differently from them. Janeway and crew do not know what to do with him. Vader is stuck with them, and they with him. He must learn to work with people again, not just order them around. What is more, there may be a force on board the ship seeking his destruction.

I find the portrayal of Vader in the story to be very interesting. The authors seem to think that his deathbed return to the light at the end of Return of the Jedi was not all that it purported to be, and so Vader is not as changed as we may think. He gradually changes over the course of the story, and the reader gets a sense that this is just the beginning of his journey.

* * *

( Excerpt )

Star Voyager

Fandom: STARTREK VOYAGER
Pairing: Chakotay/Paris
Author on LJ: Unknown
Warning: Major Character Angst
Author Website: Mort’s Lair
Why this must be read: This time I’m pimping one of Mort’s terrific stories, I Voyager. Mort does a fantastic job of getting inside Tom’s mind or what’s left of it. You see the EMH has gone mad and integrated Tom and himself with Voyager. How do you escape a mad hologram that is part of the ship and can watch your every move? This one was a real page turner for me; I read it in no time flat and could hardly step away from the screen.


I Voyager

Fandom: STARTREK VOYAGER
Pairing: Chakotay/Paris
Author on LJ: sapphiresmuse
Warning: Major Character Deaths
Author Website: Sapphire’s Book of Musings
Why this must be read: I had a difficult time choosing which one of Sapphire’s wonderful stories to rec, because they’re all so damn good. After much consideration, I chose Uncaged. Sapphire fully explores the emotions felt by Chakotay and Tom over their loss. This is an exceptionally well written story that breaks my heart during the beginning but slowly repairs it as it moves along.

Here is Sapphires own summary: This story follows the tale of what might take place should Kathryn Janeway and B'Elanna Torres both be killed during an attack on the ship and Chakotay and Tom both lose the women they care about. Will they find solace in one another or will it drive yet another wedge between them?

Author's Notes: My first serious attempt at a lengthy m/m story.


Uncaged

Fandom: STARTREK VOYAGER
Pairing: Chakotay/Paris
Author on LJ: jj6604
Author Website: JJ’s Ramblings
Why this must be read: This is a beautifully written love story that takes its sweet time to develop; however it does not drag on unnecessarily. The story starts out with Janeway and Chakotay in a relationship and then changes to Chakotay/Paris. I appreciate JJ’s clever use of canon to break J/C up.

Changes

Fandom: STARTREK VOYAGER
Pairing: Chakotay/Paris
Author on LJ: britta54
Author Website: Britta’s Slash Page
Why this must be read:This is one of the first Chakotay/Paris stories I ever read. It remains high on my list of favourites. It’s like Freaky Friday meets Voyager. Tom and Chakotay have their spirits switched in order to teach them a lesson. The question is, will they learn it?

Bait and Switch

Fandom: STARTREK VOYAGER
Pairing: Chakotay/Paris
Author on LJ: http://www.livejournal.com/users/maisierita/
Author Website: http://home.comcast.net/~maisierita/index.html
Why this must be read:This story is an oldie, but a goodie. I re-read this one constantly. It’s a cheerful and humourous romance. I find the dialogue between all the characters witty and real. Here’s a small teaser.

( Teaser )


Sweet Dreams