My name is calliopes_pen, and I’ll be driving the Ghostbusters crack_van for the month of April, and Pandora’s Box is my first pick. Expect stories from both Real Ghostbusters, as well as the movies to be recommended.

Fandom: GHOSTBUSTERS
Pairing: A hint of Egon/Janine
Length: Unknown; 30 pages in a PDF file.
Author on LJ: N/A, as best as I can find out.
Author Website: Shadowstar
Why this must be read:

It’s an extremely well-written story that shows what could happen if Egon were possessed by something else from Gozer’s dimension. How would his intellect be used against the team? This story was written by Mary Jean Holmes in 1986, and originally published in fanzine form in 1988, so it takes place before the second movie was made, but manages to include a bit of Real Ghostbusters canon as well. The author has a wonderful handle on all of the characters’ personalities. I highly recommend her Ghostbusters stories. Here is the summary of this story, straight from the author’s site:

"When the GB's inherit an antique puzzlebox, Egon's persistence in solving the puzzle pays off -- unfortunately."

( An excerpt, as Egon is possessed after solving the puzzle box. )

Pandora’s Box

Fandom: REAL GHOSTBUSTERS
Pairing: none (gen)
Author on LJ: xparrot
Author Website: Fan Fiction
Why this must be read:

As I mentioned in my previous rec, in late 2000 I returned to the world of fandom after a nearly-four-year absence, and in Real Ghostbusters, immediately found something immensely soul-fulfilling. The deep bonds of friendship so frequently portrayed in the fan fiction served to counterbalance the themes of pain and angst, creating an emotional whole.

"Descent" was the first zine (yes, Virginia, there was/is fan fiction in print, for sale!) I purchased when I returned to fandom; and, honestly, I bought it because from its description it sounded like a walloping hurt/comfort romp. ( (From the zine-shop synopsis: ) But when I read it, I saw that there was so much more.

In all her fandoms, XmagicalX (also known as xparrot) has the gift for telling a truly emotionally-resonant story in which plot and characterization are always well-balanced; and this story is no exception.

Descent

************************

And now, it's time to pull the Ecto-crack_van back into the firehouse, stow away the PKE meters, throw our slimed jumpsuits into the laundry, and empty the full traps into the Containment Unit. It's been a fun ride this month, and I hope you've enjoyed it. (And, er, after you've read all the fic and gone through everyone else's amazing websites, I wouldn't mind at all if you'd check out my own RGB fic - I'm especially proud of Tap.)

And remember, when something goes bump in the night, who ya gonna call? - (REAL) GHOSTBUSTERS!

Fandom: REAL GHOSTBUSTERS
Pairing: none (gen)
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: unknown (other stories by Brenda are available via the Real Ghostbusters Fan Page)
Why this must be read:

I'm going to end my stint behind the wheel of the Ecto-crack_van with two stories that have the deepest emotional resonance for me - which is as good a reason as any for recommending something, don't you think?

Journey's End is the first RGB story I read when I returned to fandom in general after a four-year moratorium on any fanac. In it I first encountered the concept of "smarm" - that soul-deep buddy-bonding - and found that I liked it very much. Almost all of Brenda's stories have that same emotional satisfaction for me.

Hypothermia stories are virtually a cliche of smarm-fic, but that does not mean that they can't be done beautifully. And Brenda does it very well here, weaving a very nearly tragic, wonderfully introspective tale emphasizing the Peter and Egon bond.

Journey's End

Fandom: REAL GHOSTBUSTERS
Pairing: none (gen)
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: Fan Fiction
Why this must be read:

Take the classic Starsky & Hutch episode, "The Fix", adapt it for Real Ghostbusters, with Peter being deliberately hooked on heroin by the bad guys, throw in a ghost to complicate matters, and you've got this marvelous nail-biter of a long, plotty friendship-fic by Mara. I love her stories for the elegant completeness of her writing style. Make sure you check out her other fic (gen and slash both) on her main fic page.

A Simple Class Four

Fandom: REAL GHOSTBUSTERS
Pairing: none (gen)
Author on LJ: gilascave (fic journel) and zortified
Author Website: Gila's Cave
Why this must be read:
There are, surprisingly, not too very many AUs in RGB fan fiction; off the top of my head, I can only think of a couple (one of which is, to my deep regret, unfinished after several years. I would have loved to rec it otherwise). But James Walkswithwind comes through for us with this marvelous story, in which we find out Peter's been keeping a BIG secret from the guys.

What Are Friends For?

Fandom: REAL GHOSTBUSTERS
Pairing: none (gen)
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: P.K.E. Readings Online
Why this must be read:

Judy Breuer, Sandy Schreiber, Pam Spurlock and B.J. Tandarich are among the "founding mothers" of Real Ghostbusters fandom, all of them integral parts of the team that produced the first zine devoted to RGB, "P.K.E. Readings". This story, featured in the first issue, finds the Ghostbusters at a parapsychologists' convention in Lansing, Michigan (not coincidentally, home of the venerable fan convention, MediaWest) dealing both with the personalities one finds at any genre convention, as well as an unexpected and malevolent manifestion. This story is in turn extremely funny, and extremely creepy. Plus it offers a wonderful taste of what RGB fanfiction was like back in its nascent days.... and it still works today (as do the majority of the other marvelous vintage fic linked from the main page - check 'em out!).

Enjoy... but watch out for possessed piano-playing mannequins!

Play Us a Song, Dead Piano Guy

Fandom: REAL GHOSTBUSTERS
Pairing: none
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: Real Ghostbusters Fanfic Library
Why this must be read:
P. Morrigan, writing under the pseudonym Johanna Swift (yes, it's meant to call Jonathan Swift to mind), takes a few smart pokes-and-jabs at some of the more common tropes in RGB fandom, and it's nothing short of a hoot.

"You want to write a RGB story about your favorite busters, or perhaps about your favorite buster, but you’re not sure how to get started. This RGB primer provides a comprehensive understanding of the major characters as well as a guide to the most popular plots in RGB fandom. Simply select a plot and use the characterization guide to assist you in your character descriptions and dialogue. It’s that simple."

How to Write an RGB Fanfic Story - A Primer

Fandom: REAL GHOSTBUSTERS
Pairing: none (gen)
Author on LJ: jeff_morris
Author Website: Jeff's Wide World of Fanfic!
Why this must be read:

Wow, we feature some pretty heavy themes here in RGB-land, don't we? So maybe it's time to lighten things up a bit, take a little break from all the angst and pain and tears.

Or, if not quite a BREAK... a satire.

( Excerpt )

Boo Hoo

Fandom: REAL GHOSTBUSTERS
Pairing: Egon/Janine
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: unknown
Why this must be read:

Because Egon and Janine are PRACTICALLY CANON *g*, and their bedroom play isn't nearly as staid as one might think of a reserved physicist like Egon. This is quite a nice bit of het smut, simultaneously romance-novel and raunchy, as Janine discovers a BETTER use for a "stimulator" Egon's bought to spice up their sex life.

Spengs in Toyland

Fandom: REAL GHOSTBUSTERS
Pairing: Peter/Ray/Winston/Egon
Author on LJ: nugatorytm
Author Website: RGB Slash Archive - Tammey's Page
Why this must be read:
So you're probably thinking by now, "Gee, RGB Robbie sure hasn't recommended enough smut in Real Ghostbusters fandom." And no, I haven't. Not that there isn't RGB smut out there, but compared to some other fandoms, there's not nearly as much as you'd think. (I'd chalk it up to the source material being animated/for kids, but considering the amount and variety of anime PWPs out there... um, no.)

So... let's fix that with my next rec. And what can I say about it other than this is probably the PWP-iest PWP in all of RGB fandom, and practically guaranteed to get you hot AND make you laugh at the same time.

One for the Road

(And do check out an entire RGB Slash archive here!)

Fandom: REAL GHOSTBUSTERS
Pairing: none (gen)
Author on LJ: xparrot
Author Website: Fanfiction
Why this must be read:


I have been looking forward to reccing this story since the day I signed up to drive the crack_van for Real Ghostbusters. It is probably my favorite story from one of my favorite RGB writers; and possibly my favorite story in all of RGB fandom. There is so much to recommend it (in addition to its overall brilliance): its unconventional epistolary style which effectively captures the personality of each character; its complex, almost experimental plot; and the depth and intensity of its emotion. I find this fic - as I do much of xparrot's fiction - immensely cathartic; I cried genuine tears while reading it and at more than one point, had to put down the zine it originally appeared in ("Ghostwriters") to compose myself before continuing.

A caution: while the first line is certainly jarring, do not be frightened away by it. KEEP READING. Trust me. The dark ride is worth it and the resolution, perfect.

Pieces

Fandom: REAL GHOSTBUSTERS
Pairing: none (gen)
Author on LJ: drharper
Author Website: Epona Harper
Why this must be read:

A practicing physician, Doc Epona is known for her medical accuracy (helpful for writing in a fandom with the potential for so many owwies). She's also intrigued by what she refers to as "durable consequences", in which the status quo is rocked and things do not reset to normal (even by the Ghostbusters' lax definition of that word) at the end of the story. And Peter Venkman is very changed by the end of this story....

Epona's vision of the RGB's New York is imbued with a fine sense of the "everyday" paranormal, which many authors in this fandom don't manage to capture. Throw in interdimensional intrigue that just might end life as we know it, and tell this complex story not only through our canon characters but through vibrant OCs, and you've got a must-read adventure.

Cruel Necessity

Fandom: REAL GHOSTBUSTERS
Pairing: Peter/Egon
Author on LJ: darktrent182
Author Website: Jheran's Chamber
Why this must be read:

The twisty cleverness and adult themes of this story really drew me in when I read it a few years ago in the ONLY (to date) RGB slash zine to ever have been published, "Ghostly Affairs." "Repeater" brings you possession, consecration of same-sex marriage, and a time-loop of a deadly scenario which the Ghostbusters must break to put several souls to rest.

Repeater

Fandom: REAL GHOSTBUSTERS
Pairing: ?/? (If I told you, it would spoil the surprise)
Author on LJ: deannie
Author Website: Dean's Nook
Why this must be read:

Let's spice things up a bit, the day after Christmas, with some of the best slash recs in "Real Ghostbusters."

I don't read (much) slash. Yet this brief, hot, mildly (yet still slightly unsettling) BDSM story has stuck with me since the first day it was posted. Mystery, bedroom powerplays, the feel of silk and twill, all make for a memorable tale!

The eyes closed, and all he felt was the bed beneath him. That, and the delicious pressure of tightly knotted ropes. His lover had done his job well tonight--he doubted he'd even be able to writhe when the time came.

And the time, if fate was kind and his lover willing, would be a very long time coming.

Control

Fandom: REAL GHOSTBUSTERS
Pairing: none (gen)
Author on LJ: jeff_morris
Author Website: Jeff's Wide World of Fanfic!
Why this must be read:

Jeff is one of the rarest of all beasts - a MAN WHO WRITES FANFIC. And write it well (and in abundance) he does. His depictions of the "Real Ghostbusters" universe are among those most true to canon. This particularly story is especially worthy both for its well-reseached, historically accurate details, as well as giving play to probably the least served of the four RGBs, Winston Zeddemore.

This wonderful story was nominated for a Fan-Q award (honoring excellence in printed fanzines) when it first appeared in "We Got One #1" in the mid-90's.

The Last of the Black Phantoms

Fandom: REAL GHOSTBUSTERS
Pairing: (faint hints of) Egon/Janine
Author on LJ: singeaddams
Author Website: Singe's Bonfire
Why this must be read:

Real Ghostbusters fandom allows a skilled author to play with many themes. And in this fast-paced story, play with themes Singe certainly does. She somehow manages to mix religion, faith, superstition, the team bond (including Janine), romance, horror, and humor all into one incredible adventure.

Singe's own warning states: "This fic contains violent religious imagery but nothing gratuitous. PG-13 for violence, language, and some sexuality." Do pay attention if you are likely to be squicked and/or offended by "violent religious imagery" as she's not kidding.

( Excerpt )
In the interest of fair disclosure, I beta'ed this story, way-back-when, and still find it one of the best in the fandom. Is it any surprise that Singe is now attempting a professional writing career?

Go. Now. Read. Enjoy. And don't forget to feed the author!

Regina

Fandom: REAL GHOSTBUSTERS
Pairing: none (gen)
Author on LJ: excellency
Author Website: The Temple of Smarm
Why this must be read: It's only fitting to begin this month of recommendations with a story which I know is responsible for luring several people into "Real Ghostbusters" fandom. Kitty's "Highway to Hell" has been called "the gold standard of smarm" (as it should be, written by the person most known for not only popularizing the intense-buddy-bonding genre, but for providing the definitive explanation on what smarm really is). On their way home after a week-long road trip busting small-town entities, the four Ghostbusters stumble into a trap laid by Set, the Egyptian lord of darkness, which requires the sacrifice of one of their fellows to save the others. But of course, in this paranormal world, the sacrifice is not the end, but rather the start, of a journey that crosses worlds into the dream plane, and beyond.

In this intense and painful story, Kitty paints brilliant word pictures with her evocative use of language, and the transcendent bonds of the team's friendship always shine through.

( Excerpt )

Highway to Hell

What’s that "No Ghosts" logo doing on the side of the crack_van this month, girls and boys? And where did all that dripping green slime come from? I think WE GOT ONE!!!!!

( Who ya gonna call? )