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Title: Bonnie And Clyde Didn't Work Alone Author: Maidenjedi Characters: Boba Fett, River Tam Length: ~1k words Author on LJ: maidenjediAuthor Website: AO3 and FFN Profile and LJ TagsWhy this must be read:Two scruffy 'verses are these, nice and dirty and plagued with everyday concerns from our galaxy: how to make a living, survive and even thrive. River and Boba are bruised and alone, and they connect tenuously. Their characters need someone, and they are there for each other. Life doesn't require much more than this. Bonnie And Clyde Didn't Work Alone | |
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Title: Out of Joint by HonorH Pairing: Gen? (Subtle Nine / Rose, Nine / Rose/ Jack, Jack flirting with absolutely everybody, some background Mal/Inara) Author on LJ: honorhAuthor Website: A Teaspoon and an Open Mind archiveWhy this must be read: A mysterious incident in the Time Vortex forces the TARDIS to set down on Serenity. Mal finds a few headaches, the Doctor finds a mystery, and River finds someone who speaks her language.Such a perfectly done crossover where Nine, Rose, and Jack crash land on Serenity and need a little time to fix the Tardis back up. There's fantastic characterization, interesting plot devices, some fantastic interaction between the characters, and Captain Jack flirting with absolutely everybody. Nine's interactions with Mal have the undercurrent of recognition between them- of haunted soldiers- and there's a great air of mutual respect between the characters that works so well for the world this story is taking place in. There is a lovely short sequel where Ten and Martha run into Mal and his crew some years later which is also worth reading. Out of Joint | |
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Fandom: FIREFLY Pairing: one-sided Kaylee/Inara Length: 2,997 words Author on LJ: N/A Author's website: only the AO3 pageWhy this must be read: What I like most about this story is the surprising take on this pairing. When I see Kaylee/Inara, if it's one-sided, it's poor Kaylee pining away. I love that this story flips that around to explore why the opposite might be true. Also, the detail-work and imagery is beautifully sensual and creates a palpable atmosphere of bittersweet, lush longing. ( read an excerpt )Long Yearning | |
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Fandom: FIREFLY Pairing: Mal/Inara, Simon/Kaylee Length: 5,563 words Author on LJ: jedibuttercupAuthor's website: Jedibuttercup.comWhy this must be read: If you have a found families button as I do, this is likely going to delightfully mash yours down as hard as it does mine. This story is the fictional equivalent of curling up in a warm bed on a cold, stormy night and listening to the icy wind howl from a place of smugly certain security. It's a short fic, but there's a lot of love packed into it. Added to that, the voices are strong and jedibuttercup has a deft hand with clear and vivid visuals. ( read an excerpt )Aboard, About, Above, Across | |
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Fandom: FIREFLY Pairing: Mal/Simon Length: 5,563 words Author on LJ: jackson_rayneAuthor's website: None Why this must be read: The thing I probably like best about this pairing in general is that it isn't easy; there's a goodly amount of emotional work to do to write it convincingly. What I like about this story is that you can find that work here. The occasional anger and violence that could boil up between these two is satisfyingly dealt with rather than simply elided here, for instance. On top of that, I like the surprising detail of telling the story from Kaylee's perspective. This works well, and gives a poignantly conflicted feeling to the whole thing. Also, the voices are wonderfully strong and clear. ( read an excerpt )Energy | |
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Fandom: FIREFLY Pairing: Gen Length: 5,158 words Author on LJ: inalasahlAuthor's website: Troublesome Little NookWhy this must be read: This is set in that fraught, little-documented time between the end of the series and the BDM when many important things happened that we never actually saw. Inara leaving must have quite an event, emotionally and narratively speaking, though canon didn't give it to us --- but inalasahl really does. And it's a thing of complication and pain and necessity, just as it should be. Inara is well-rendered here in all her ambivalence and strength and self-respect; I feel that I know and love her better for having read this story. Added to that, there's exciting plot, good 'verse-voices and dialogue, strong character moments for Simon and Mal, and nicely textured detail-work. ( read an excerpt )Least Said, Soonest Ended | |
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Hey there, sorry to be kicking things off a little later than I'd hoped. This is Lyr, whom you may remember as a frequent driver of the Jossverse vans up until a year or so back. For those who do not, let me recap: I read across the gen, slash, femslash, and het spectrum, and I like to include a little of each in my recs so that there's something for everyone. I'll be driving for Firefly this month, and I'd like to kick things off with a little femslash. All aboard! Fandom: FIREFLY Pairing: Inara/Zoe Length: 1,790 words Author on LJ: little_missmimiAuthor Website: just her lj Why this must be read: I think character is the strongest point of this story. I like the way little_missmimi shows Zoe in the aftermath of losing Wash. The sense of frustrated loss and loneliness is rooted in little physical details that convey Zoe's roil of painfully confused emotion well. By contrast, Inara is portrayed with such soothing, serene imagery and detail that it seems beautifully natural when Zoe finds her comfort there. Other strengths include a good 'verse voice, and a very real, human sense of awkwardness in Zoe. Some things should not be too easy, and we would not believe them if they were. ( read an excerpt )Love Affair | |
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Title: And then it went all f***ing Stargate by indyhat Pairing: None, gen Length: ~3300 Author on LJ: indyhatAuthor Website: indyhatWhy this must be read:For today's Crack Van Collision...Bravo 2-1 Alpha somehow winds up on the Serenity. Hilarity ensues. It's told from Ray's POV, which is brilliant and profane and nine kinds of priceless. Not only does indyhat master Ray's voice and Brad's deadpan, but she also gives the Firefly characters their due. Generation Kill and Firefly have very specific linguistic palettes and this story manages to paint with both of them, effortlessly, while also being laugh-out-loud funny. An impressive feat. It's the kind of read that made me want another ten thousand words. What planet? Ray hopes the captain is just being metaphorical. He starts wondering about the quantities of Ripped Fuel he's ingested over the last forty-eight hours. Fuck, maybe this was the really good shit and he should have strung it out a bit longer, or at least cut it with Nescafé.
Also, Reynolds seems to have some fucked-up Chinese version of Tourettes. Like, what's up with that.
"Earth," Brad says, with such a straight face that Ray sort of hopes one of the hatches will open and Klingons will come out and declare war or some shit like that. And then it went all f***ing Stargate | |
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Fandom: FIREFLY Pairing: Simon/Kaylee, with some other very minor background implictions Length: ~2500 words Author on LJ: amilynAuthor Website: AO3Why this must be read: In my final rec for the fandom this month, I give you a short (but not lacking) fic in which Kaylee experiences and considers life on Serenity post- Serenity and her interactions with the other characters, including the ship. There's humor and pathos, strong characterization and quietude--"Patchwork Mending" doesn't go far in terms of plot of new experiences, but it's got just about everything you need. ( I keep thinking of Zoe today, of how she's alone. Do you think we're hurting her more by being together? )Patchwork Mending - Mood: busy
 - Music: "The Music and the Mirror" from A Chorus Line
- Tags: fanfic, firefly
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Fandom: FIREFLY Pairing: Simon/Kaylee Length: ~700 words Author on LJ: thistleroseAuthor Website: AO3Why this must be read: Because fluff is fun! Because there's a snowball fight and a relaxed and kind of suggestive Simon! Because Kaylee learns not to always get so offended! Because it's Halloween and this is the sugar you request! (And the snow you didn't for all you fellow East Coasters!) ( I’ll be happy to feel your anything once we get inside. )Very Civilized - Mood: sore
 - Music: "At The Ballet" from A Chorus Line
- Tags: fanfic, firefly
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Fandom: FIREFLY Pairing: Simon/Kaylee (barely) Length: ~1K words Author on LJ: hopeful_fictionAuthor Website: (or a link to where more of their fic is archived) AO3Why this must be read: In this, well, simple character study, Kaylee meditates on what she wants in life and on Simon. Hope paints a clear picture of Kaylee as a whole person, not just the endlessly cheery manic pixie dream girl fandom (and, to an extent, canon) often depicts her as. ( The recollection, in her mind, always starts in the same way. )Simple - Mood: full
 - Music: "Put It Out For Good" by Amy Ryan
- Tags: fanfic, firefly
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Fandom: Firefly Pairing: Simon/Kaylee Length: Five things, ~600 words Author on LJ: find_rightbrainAuthor Website: (or a link to where more of their fic is archived) Author at AO3Why this must be read: Kaylee has her flaws, too, you know. Simon adjusts, and moves forward. It's nice to see a fic--especially one so succinct--that realizes that it's not just his lacking social grace that keeps them apart. ( Five things about Kaylee that drive Simon crazy. )One Foot Wrong - Mood: busy
 - Music: "One Song Glory" from Rent
- Tags: fanfic, firefly
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Fandom: FIREFLY Pairing: Simon/OFC Length: 545 words Author on LJ: aliaspiralAuthor Website: (or a link to where more of their fic is archived) Author on AO3Why this must be read: Going AU after the episode "Safe," this fic is a short study on what life might have been like if the Tams had found a place on Jiangyin. You can of course see the appeal in staying on Serenity versus in a backwater village that burns witches at the stake, but it was never clear to me that being on the move would ultimately be safer than staying in that kind of village. This fic takes that and sprints with it. Short but effective. ( It's a different life. )Safe in the Difference - Mood: productive
 - Music: "I Know Him So Well" from Chess
- Tags: fanfic, firefly
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Fandom: FIREFLY Pairing: None Length: ~6K words Author on LJ: musesfoolAuthor Website: (or a link to where more of their fic is archived) Author on AO3Why this must be read: Please. Like you'd find out there's a fic in which Sirius Black falls through the veil and ends up on Serenity, and not read it? Seriously (or siriusly), though, this is a lovely fic with a fun premise. River's voice is so true, and, yes, I sort of really hope this was what happened to Padfoot post-OotP. Enjoy! I know I do every time I reread this. ( "Sirius Black, you're a long, long way from home," she says, uncurling the captain's fingers and smoothing Sirius's shirt, "but you're a good dog." )A Million Light Years From Home | |
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Fandom: FIREFLY Pairing: None (some background Simon/Kaylee, but it's not a shippy fic) Length: ~9K words Author on LJ: vialetheAuthor Website: (or a link to where more of their fic is archived) Fic Master ListWhy this must be read: This fic was only posted a couple of days ago, but it was too good not to share around. Post- Serenity, Mal and Jayne get themselves kidnapped, leaving the ladies of Firefly (plus Simon) to come to the rescue. vialethe spins a fun, engrossing tale that feels just like a missing episode of the series, from character interactions that crackle with life to a job that (as ever) does not go smooth. If the movie was the lost Season 2 finale of Firefly, this will be your favorite one-off episode from Season 3! ( Her space is on the ship; always on the ship now, always ready to fly at whatever notice Mal can manage to give her. )A Girl Needs a Gun These Days - Mood: content
 - Music: "Black and Gold" by Sam Sparro
- Tags: fanfic, firefly
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Fandom: FIREFLY Pairing: None Length: ~19K words Author on LJ: edenboundAuthor Website: edenbound at AO3Why this must be read: Firefly gave us so little canon with so many possibilities. And given the specific chain of events that lead to one thing or another in the series, the possibilities for AUs are wide-ranging and full of potential. With "Brought to the Edge," edenbound fleshes out an obvious jump-off point-- what if Simon couldn't rescue River?--into a tense, can't-put-it-down narrative of Simon's relationship with the resistance before and after his failed attempts. And of course, he ends up on Serenity anyway, but a different entrance with a different Simon ultimately generates different outcomes. This story is fascinating and haunting, and I'd highly recommend it. ( "I was a sniper for the resistance for two years. Draw your own conclusions." )Brought to the Edge and Always Crossing the Lines - Mood: recumbent
 - Music: "Dance Like David" by De Novo Dahl
- Tags: fanfic, firefly
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Fandom: FIREFLY Pairing: Simon/Kaylee, Mal/Inara, Zoe/Wash Length: ~2K words Author on LJ: Presumably keysmashAuthor Website: keysmash at AO3Why this must be read: Firefly is very much an ensemble show, and while I love me some good shipping, many of the best fics tend to be closer to gen, and even really shippy ones recognize the need for the group to be involved (at least peripherally). It's logical--Serenity is only so big a ship--as well as characteristic--the show is among many things about building a chosen family. In "Mommes," we see a series of quiet moments on board. Some have romantic elements, some are laden with emotions, others are more functional. But smaller scenes like this build a world worth inhabiting, one that is honest and poetical and maybe even a bit optimistic. The crew finds a box of fabric, and several uses for it. She tore a strip, just the right length. Simon nodded approvingly as she pressed it over the gauze, then took her hands away. Kaylee toyed with the cloth of his trousers where it folded around his knees. The wide weave had softened and faded with wear and age. Precise stitches bound a patch of luxurious and shiningly new fabric over his thigh.
Simon waved his hand through the air a few times, and the tape stayed in place. He nodded again. Kaylee stayed silent, following his arm with her eyes. He turned his hand, watching how the bandage moved with his wrist, and then covered her hands with his own. He took care with his right hand. Though Kaylee smiled, she didn't move her fingers beneath his.
"You know, I've seen you working on Serenity," he said, looking at their hands on his leg. He stroked her wrist with his good thumb, and then glanced up at her face. "You have good, steady hands. There's none I'd rather have."Mommes - Mood: optimistic
 - Music: "Edge of Seventeen" by Stevie Nicks
- Tags: fanfic, firefly
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Hello, hello--I'll be flying the Firefly/Serenity boat for the month of October. I tend towards gen, canon pairings, and well-crafted AUs, so that's what you'll be getting. Shiny! Fandom: FIREFLY Pairing: None Length: One-shot, 840 words Author on LJ: Unknown Author Website: Snow at AO3Why this must be read: "Ambitions" is a fic that grabs you--there's nothing else like it in the fandom that I've seen. It's an all-too-brief oneshot, the result of a “racebending” challenge wherein the Tam siblings are actually Chinese, and thus relative outcasts in the 1960s American town their family has immigrated to. Mal is the hometown hero, but perhaps there's more to him. Snow doesn’t waste a word and executes the period setting perfectly. My disappointment every time I read this fic is that it’s not longer, that there’s not more of this brilliantly sketched little alternate universe. ( Simon would have turned around and told River to find another spot, but she was below him and refused to go anywhere but up. )Ambitions Like Ribbons, Worn Bright on My Sleeve- Mood: bouncy
 - Music: "Hopeless" by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young
- Tags: fanfic, firefly
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Title: Leave The Confusion And All Disillusion by misachan Pairing: Gen; Neal Caffrey, Shepherd Book Length: 3,872 Author on LJ: misachanAuthor Website: Profile at AO3Why this must be read:Because the thought of Book helping lost souls find their way just makes me smile, and lets be honest Neal needs a nudge in the right direction every once and a while. The author does an excellent job blending these canons and has created a wonderful (and believable) crossover. Neal didn’t know what it said about him that he was more afraid of that than he’d been of being dead. “Why did you help me? If you hadn’t called me over, if we hadn’t talked I wouldn’t have remembered. You don’t even know me.”
Book’s eyes shadowed. “I know the look of a soul with unfinished business.”Leave The Confusion And All Disillusion | |
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