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Fandom: PUSHING DAISIES Pairing(s): Ned/Chuck, The Narrator Length: 5527 Author on LJ: kanekoAuthor Website: AO3Why this must be read: This is my last rec, and I have very intentionally saved the best for last. This fic is sweet, and sad, and delightfully odd, all without ever seeming to try too hard. It's a bit meta and bit timey-wimey, and does an excellent job of turning the Narrator into a great character in his own right, one who's just as invested in his story as we are. Also, it manages to give the saga of Chuck and Ned not only one but two happy, satisfying endings. If you only ever read one thing in this fandom, please make it this. ( Excerpt )Twice Upon a Time | |
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Fandom: PUSHING DAISIES Pairing(s): Ned/Chuck (Chuck-centric) Length: 1108 Author on LJ: sexycerealAuthor Website: fic tag at LJWhy this must be read: Set some time after the finale, this quiet-yet-vivid fic shows Chuck trying bravely to make the most of her second life, despite the difficulties it poses. Her particular brand of strength shines through here, giving perfect illustration to why I love her character so much. ( Excerpt )The Facts Are These | |
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Title: We Seek Only to Answer Pairing: Ned/Chuck, but basically gen Length: 5600 Author on LJ: black_eyedgirlAuthor Website: fic tag at LJWhy this must be read: I know we're only supposed to rec one crossover per month, but considering that neither I nor anyone else will ever get another chance at it, I simply couldn't resist sharing this gem. (Also, I only discovered it in the past week.) The scientists in Eureka attempt to explain Ned's ability. This fic clashes the fairy tale logic of Ned's magic finger with a colder reality, and raises some interesting questions in the process. On top of that, we get great character voices all around, and an excellent blending of the two shows' tones. ( Excerpt )We Seek Only to Answer | |
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Fandom: PUSHING DAISIES Pairing: gen (Vivian & Lily, background Vivian/Charles Charles) Length: 852 Author on LJ: noblealiceAuthor Website: lilies_padWhy this must be read: There's not a lot of fic about the Charles sisters, but this character study of Vivian goes a ways toward filling the void. It does a great job exploring a life which has quietly imploded on itself, but also a woman with the strength necessary to keep going and, eventually, rebuild. ( Excerpt )I may crack, but I'll never shatter | |
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Fandom: PUSHING DAISIES Pairing(s): gen (Ned & Olive) Length: 1014 Author on LJ: amazingly_meAuthor Website: fic master listWhy this must be read: This is a hilarious take on Olive's interview at the Pie Hole, featuring Ned as his nervous, socially phobic, pre-character development self, and Olive plowing right through him. It's easy to see their later relationship starting to take shape. Also, this is one of the few fics that really captures the speed and, well, quantity of the show's dialogue without getting lost in it. ( Excerpt )Strong, Silent Types And Their Interviewing Technique | |
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Fandom: PUSHING DAISIES Pairing: Ned/Chuck Length: 306 Author on LJ: fireworkfiascoAuthor Website: fireworkficsWhy this must be read: This is a lovely, heartachey glance into Ned's dreams. It's so short it's hard to say much more than that about it, except that it's beautifully written and very painful in a quiet way. Also, definitely check out the author's other fics in this fandom--they're one of the few with more than just one or two, and they're all gorgeous. ( Excerpt )Dreamland | |
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Fandom: PUSHING DAISIES Pairing: gen (ensemble) Length: 3679 Author on LJ: unknown Author Website: AO3Why 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 | |
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Title: dust and pies by margottenenbaum Pairing: gen (Ned-centric, with background Xander/Cordelia and Willow/Oz) Length: 2733 Author on LJ: margottenenbaumAuthor Website: her fic tag at LJWhy this must be read: Fresh out on his own for the first time, Ned sets up shop in Sunnydale (he chooses it for its low real estate prices), and proves himself to be at once the person best and worst suited for life there. The tone of this story is absolutely perfect for both shows, with rock-solid characterization for all involved. Ned is the only Pushing Daisies character to appear, but he's the main focus of the story, and the author makes excellent use of him. ( Excerpt )dust and pies | |
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Fandom: PUSHING DAISIES Pairing: Olive/Ned (unrequited), Ned/Chuck Length: 4853 Author on LJ: emilystarr1Author Website: AO3Why this must be read: Olive, let's face it, should've found out about Ned. And if she was going to, it should've gone like this. This story captures her perfectly, in all her tenacity, chronic nosiness, and desire not to be left out in the cold. It draws a subtle but important connection between her neglectful childhood and her issues with Ned, presents a plausible explanation for Ned's absolute refusal to tell her (apart from his vaguely pathological paranoia, anyway), and gives several nice insights into her relationship with the gang, all under a healthy layer of canon-style wackiness. ( Excerpt )Mumbly | |
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Fandom: PUSHING DAISIES Pairing: Ned/Chuck, OMC Length: 2514 Author on LJ: velocityofsoundAuthor Website: N/A Why this must be read:Let's start with a fic that deals with one of the core conflicts of the show--the fact that the two main characters can never touch each other--in a particularly interesting way. It slots in neatly with the show's peculiar take on life, death, and the difficulties which arise when the two are mixed. The original character serves to hold up a mirror to Ned, as the author shows us an encounter between two men who've detached themselves from the world for very similar and yet essentially different reasons. Chuck has a large role here, too, and her usual fearlessness is on full display. The whole thing has a lovely, quiet, melancholy flavor. ( Excerpt )The Tin Can and Jug Band Plays Songs of Life and Death | |
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 Hi, I’m Jupi, and I’ll be your guide to wonderful world of Pushing Daisies this month. Despite its brevity (it ran for only 22 episodes) and its relatively simple premise (guy wakes the dead, solves zany murders), this is a difficult series to sum up. Though a lot of what makes it so unique arises out of its idiosyncratic tone, highly stylized dialogue, and vibrant, retro-inspired sets and costumes, there’s much more to it than its gimmicks. It’s also about love and loss and loneliness, choosing to live life to the fullest or spend it trapped in fear, and being different and making connections regardless. Let’s see if I can do it justice. ( The facts are these... ) | |
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Title: Pepperwood's a Snappy Dresser by innie Pairing: gen Length: ~1k Author on LJ: innie_darlingAuthor Website: AO3, LJWhy this must be read:This is a short, fun, funny little story, where Emerson Cod meets up with Nick Miller and the two have much more in common than you might think. "Yeah, exactly, but there's a twist." Nick dropped the towel with which he'd been buffing the bar to a higher gloss to spread his hands dramatically. "All of his clients are dead."Pepperwood's a Snappy Dresser ( AO3, LJ) Emerson Cod (of Pushing Daisies) walks into a bar and meets Nick Miller (of New Girl). They have much to discuss.. | |
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Title: Baking for the Dead by Trollogicfics Pairing: None for Supernatural, but Pushing Daisies has, as always, Chuck/Ned Author on LJ: trolllogicfics Author Website: LJ MemoriesWhy this must be read: Because it's WONDERFUL. The narration style and the way the characters talk is both perfectly in character for both Supernatural and Pushing Daisies. Because I've been waiting for this crossover ever since I first saw Pushing Daisies. Because this would be the perfect way for Dean to get out of the deal. Dean and Sam in this are exactly as we see them in the show, Dean's scared but accepting, and Sam will try anything to save his big brother. Anyone who doesn't know pushing daisies, click ( this for a quick explanation. )( An Excerpt )Baking for The DeadGo read! | |
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