Fandom: HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
Pairing: Chad/Ryan (Ryan/OCs)
Length: 1,180 words
Author on LJ: hinshack
Author Website: Livejournal
Why this must be read:

This fic is sparse and kind of beautiful, and it strips some of the polish off of High School Musical and its characters without making them unsympathetic or unrecognizable. 'Senior year, figuring things out' fics are a staple of this pairing, but hinshack makes it prickly-new.

( Excerpt )

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six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver

Vidder: phoebenpiper
Musical artist: Lady Gaga
Pairing: various (Sharpay/Boys, Ryan/Boys)
Vidder on LJ: bobsmith4
Vidder's website: On YouTube
Why this vid kicks ass:

For whatever reason, there are not a lot of fanvids in HSM. This means I had to search long and hard to find a vid worthy of being recced for this fandom, but I was thrilled when I found phoebenpiper's vid, titled "With Hairspray and Denim." This bright, fun vid gives us a fabulous Sharpay and Ryan, and a wide array of hot guys for them to crush on. The thing that I love is that there's absolutely nothing mean-spirited about it. This vid is not mocking the Evans twins; it's celebrating them.

With Hairspay and Denim

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Fandom: HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
Pairing: Troy/Gabriella, Chad/Taylor
Length: about 47,000 words
Author on LJ: queenitsy or temira (writing journal)
Author Website: Fic Masterlist
Why this must be read:

I really do attempt not to rec the same author twice, but I'm making an exception in this case. For one thing, non-shippy fic doesn't seem to get as wide a readership, and this brilliant superhero AU deserves as much attention as it can get. For another thing, this is genius. This fic covers the neatly interwoven beginnings of a whole cast of superheroes, taking us through Troy's fumblings (and orangeness), Zeke's determination to take up the mantle of a previous superhero, Gabriella's efforts to fit in, the tragedy and hope of Taylor and Chad, and the style and sibling awesomeness of Sharpay and Ryan. It starts out funny and light, which makes the emotional blows, character complexity, and downright excitement even more of a treat as they develop.

This fic is full of little nods to canon and fanon, but it's such a solid world that it would also be a fantastic story for those of you who like to dabble in random fandoms. The main pairings are the canon het pairings, but there's a nice mix of UST (het, slash, femslash) and action/adventure to provide something for everyone. I kind of want a million sequels. Seriously, go read it now!

( Excerpt )

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Wildcats: Beginnings

Fandom: HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
Pairing: Troy/Ryan
Length: about 20,000 words
Author on LJ: that_1_incident
Author Website: Fic Masterlist
Why this must be read:

This fic is based on a 'what if' - What if Gabriella never came to East High? - and really follows through. In canon, Gabriella's arrival was the catalyst for a rearrangement of the school's social structure, breaking the students out of the status quo. In this AU, none of that happened. The story follows the development of Troy and Ryan's relationship with all the the clique-barriers still in place.

Some of the characterization in this story is surprising, but it works pretty well in context. Without Gabriella making allowances for him, for example, it is possible that Troy would be more thoughtful in a relationship. And since Troy's interest in musical theater was spurred by Gabriella in canon, it makes sense that the author had to create some other common ground for the boys in the fic. It's an interesting and attractive take on this pairing.

( Excerpt )

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Start of Something New

Fandom: HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL/LITTLE SHOP OF HORROR
Pairing: Chad/Ryan
Length: 10 comic pages
Author on LJ: skitty_kat
Author Website: Use the tags on her LJ
Why this must be read:

I've never recced a comic before, but this is goofy and ridiculous and fun, so I thought I'd share. It came out of the easthighstory challenge, which took musicals as inspiration. skitty_kat's comic reads as a parody as well as a crossover, and despite the silliness and the winking employment of fic cliches (at least, things that are cliche for this pairing), there are also some clever details.

( Excerpt )

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Little High School of Horror

Crossover day! Wheeee!

Title: A Potentially Dangerous Impression
Pairing: Sam Winchester/Ryan Evans
Length: Long. 35 chapters.
Author on LJ: sally_simpson76
Author Website: purelyfic
Why this must be read:

For all that the premise is slightly crack (Sam pulling a 21 Jump Street at East High), this story pulled me in. The character voices are fantastic, both for Sam and Dean and for the HSM characters, and the actual plot is not far off of what one might see in an episode of Supernatural. This is one of those crossovers that I never expected to work, but that I enjoyed immensely. Depending on your take on Sam, you might have to suspend your disbelief a smidge to see him slashed with Ryan, but the characterizations are drawn well enough that I don't think most readers will have a problem.

( Excerpt )

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A Potentially Dangerous Impression

Fandom: HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
Pairing: Troy/Ryan
Length: 443 words
Author on LJ: amory_vain
Author Website: Use the tags on her LJ
Why this must be read:

This is short for fic, but not for amory_vain, who creates awesomeness with drabbles. Her experience with drabbles serves her well here, as she paints a clear scene and characterization in only a few words. The Ryan she creates here is fascinatingly not a 'nice guy' (which may be why this is one of the very few times a second person POV has not sent me clicking the back button).

( Excerpt )

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Best Laid Plans

Fandom: HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
Pairing: Chad/Ryan, Kelsi/Martha
Length: about 6,000 words
Author on LJ: bribitribbit
Author Website: Fic Tag on LJ
Why this must be read:

Despite its enormous plotholes, High School Musical 3 did give us some good things, and one of the best, in my opinion, is the friendship between Ryan and Kelsi. Since the film, Ryan and Kelsi's BFF-ness has popped up in several fics, and this is one of the most charming examples. Kelsi isn't present in this fic just to observe and support Chad and Ryan's relationship (although she does that); she's a character in her own right, with her own crush and worries. This is a warm, fun fic full of engaging little details.

( Excerpt )

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The Mandy Thing

Hello! I'm allyndra, and I'm ridiculously excited to be back reccing High School Musical again. These recs will be Chad/Ryan-heavy (because I OTP them hardcore), but I've made an effort to find good fics in some other pairings, as well. If you haven't read any HSM before, I hope you'll give it a try; it's a fun fandom.

Fandom: HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
Pairing: Chad/Ryan
Length: about 45,000 words
Author on LJ: queenitsy or temira (writing journal)
Author Website: Fic Masterlist
Why this must be read:

One of my favorite things about this fic is something that a few readers have had a problem with: both Chad and Ryan spend considerable time acting like jerks. Personally, I think this makes them more interesting and more like real teenage boys. I also appreciate that it addresses the homophobia, both subtle and overt, that a gay high school student could be expected to face. In the hands of a less skilled writer, these things could combine to make a preachy story about unlikeable characters, but queenitsy handles them with humor and sympathy to make a fic that is sometimes hilarious and sometimes heartbreaking, but always entertaining.

( Excerpt )

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Ryan's Three Rules

Fandom: HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL/VORKOSIGAN UNIVERSE
Pairing: Chad/Ryan
Length: about 9,500 words
Author on LJ: few
Author Website: just lj
Why this must be read:

I've been in some fandoms that are bursting at the seams with well written crossovers and fusions, but HSM is not one of those. So it makes them all the more precious when they do crop up. As part of the swingathon fest, few wrote this fascinating, rich fusion that brings the characters from High School Musical into the Vorkosigan universe of Lois McMaster Bujold. When I first read this fic, I had no prior experience with this 'verse, and I still got swept up in the story and the detailed world. Since my first read, I have delved into these books, and the fic holds up beautifully.

( Excerpt )

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Gratuitous Joys

Fandom: HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
Pairing: Chad/Ryan
Length: 2,140 words
Author on LJ: th_esaurus
Author Website: Fic Masterlist (It's also worth checking out her adorable Chad/Ryan art.)
Why this must be read:

In the High School Musical movies, I don't especially care for Troy Bolton. I do, however, love finding fic that makes me like him. The Troy in this fic is so earnest that he totally won me over. Also, as a person who is often overwhelmed by the super-mushy romance in fic, I really enjoyed the sweet non-romance of Chad and Ryan's relationship here. As a bonus, this is one funny little story.

I will warn that even though the author rated it R, it starts with a sex scene. Just in case you're sensitive to such things.

( Excerpt )

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Homemade Gifts (Nearly Always Suck)

Title: A Time and Place by skoosiepants
Pairing: Brendon Urie/Chad Danforth, Chad Danforth/Ryan Evans, Brendon Urie/Jon Walker
Author on LJ: skoosiepants
Author Website: Pants To Match
Why this must be read:

I don't know if anyone can make me giggle through a fic like skoosiepants. She takes such a short fic here and makes it shine with silly humor, warm friendship, and fail-boat boys. The meeting between Ryan Ross and Ryan Evans is a scene I will treasure for a very long time.

( Excerpt )

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A Time and Place

Fandom: HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
Pairing: Chad/Ryan
Length: 5,254 words
Author on LJ: alethialia
Author Website: LiveJournal
Why this must be read:

I grin the whole way through this fic every time I read it. The premise (that between them, Chad and Ryan have what it takes to rule East High in a benevolent, joint dictatorship) fills me with joy, and it is fleshed out by slice-of-life details of how Chad and Ryan interact with each other and their fellow students. This is fun, fun, fun, and the ending is lovely and hot.

( Excerpt )

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Unholy Alliance

Fandom: HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
Pairing: Chad/Ryan
Length: 4,075 words
Author on LJ: rageprufrock
Author Website: glitterati
Why this must be read:

This is one of the few Chad/Ryan stories that was begun before HSM2 aired. This means that it got seriously jossed by the second and third movies, but it also means we get a completely different Ryan than is seen in most other stories. This Ryan is a hot, hilarious bitch. He and Sharpay together make an incredible duo. This isn't a deep and moving story, but it is a fun story. If you know Pru from other fandoms, you know she can pull off sharp, absurd humor like no one else. She does that here, making this a fic that should be part of your personal HSM library.

( Excerpt )

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Waltz

Fandom: HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
Pairing: Chad/Ryan
Length: 72,269 words
Author on LJ: elvensorceress
Author Website: Writing Journal
Why this must be read:

elvensorceress is well known in Chad/Ryan circles. She mods idontdance, the largest Chad/Ryan comm, and this story, Boy Disease, had most of the fandom following it as it was posted. I'd call it a must read for anyone entering the fandom for that reason alone. But it's also a great story. Though Chad/Ryan is the major focus, it deals with Taylor and Chad's relationship, instead of just sweeping it aside, and a major plot point hinges on Chad and Troy's friendship. It also does an excellent job with a side-pairing I enjoy, Zeke/Sharpay. In a different fandom, I might consider the characters a little melodramatic, but it works for me here. After all, they are high schoolers. This story is kind of epic, but I know for a fact that I'm not the only one who's read it through more than once.

( Excerpt )

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Boy Disease

As you may have guessed by now, this month's recs will be heavily Chad/Ryan, both because they're my OTP and because we have some amazing writers in this fandom. The first round of the swingathon Chad/Ryan fic exchange took place this summer, and it generated a month's worth of pretty great fic, including today's rec.

Fandom: HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
Pairing: Chad/Ryan
Length: 10,288 words
Author on LJ: fools_game
Author Website: Fic List
Why this must be read:

fools_game has written a grand total of two HSM fics, and both of them are incredible. I'm reccing this one today because it's a wonderfully honest look at high school dynamics, even at a high school as Disneyfied as East High. There are underaged drinking, random hooking up, and shenanigans in this story - just like in high school - but the characters still feel like the ones we know from the films. There's a Ryan who is likable and vulnerable, a Chad who is coming to terms with himself, and a cast of Wildcats who (while not getting that much page-time) feel more fully realized than they have in three whole movies. The ending doesn't tie up with a neat bow, but I was completely satisfied with it.

This is a excellent story that stands on its own, without relying on our usual fandom cliches (though the cliches can be great when done well). And because it's been posted only in the swingathon comm, it may have been overlooked by some fans. Whether you're wise in the ways of Chad/Ryan or brand new, I highly recommend this story.

( Excerpt )

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Tipping the Kinsey Scale

Fandom: HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
Pairing: Chad/Ryan
Length: about 43,000 words
Author on LJ: paperclipbitch
Author Website: Fic Masterlist
Why this must be read:

This is the rare Chad/Ryan story that takes place after the first High School Musical movie, rather than the second. It doesn't whitewash Ryan into a paragon, it keeps Chad in character, and it has one of my recent favorite things, Ryan & Kelsi friendship. If you've been around fic in any fandom, you know how easy it is to find over-the-top angst on the flimsiest of pretexts; this story steers clear of those dangers while still allowing the characters to act like teenagers. There's plausible conflict and reasonable emotional reactions, sweet romance and funny dialogue. It's awesome.

This was the very first HSM fic I ever encountered - how lucky was I? Many of us feared it would hang in WIP limbo forever, so there was much rejoicing when paperclipbitch posted the final part. So now you, dear readers, can run off and read the story in its entirety.

( Excerpt )

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The Other Side of You (this goes to the final part, which has links to previous chapters)

Fandom Overview: High School Musical

If you ask your friends about High School Musical, chances are you won't hear many rave reviews. But the thing is, millions and millions of people have watched these movies. And a lot of them, even self-respecting fangirls (and fanboys, we don't discriminate here) like them. Like them enough to stop channel surfing when they chance across High School Musical 1 or 2 rerunning on Disney Channel. Like them enough to sing along if they're certain no one can hear them. Like them enough to sneak off to the theater and see High School Musical 3. And they certainly like these movies enough to create some good fandom around them.

I'm here today to tell you it's okay to like these fluffy, plot-holey Disney movies, and it's more than okay to enjoy the fandom. So sit back and relax, and let me share with you the joy that is High School Musical.

( High School Musical Overview )