Fic recs for all...well not really unless of course you're a Smallville or Forever Knight fan
My tv viewing has been chopped in half now because DirecTV doesn't carry all the local channels. I no longer have NBC (bye bye Journeyman) and CW (adios Smallville, Supernatural, and Gossip Girl) so I'm drowning my sorrows by reading fic. I've tried watching on youtube and on the network video players but it's just not the same.
But now on to the recs and its theme day boys and girls:
Smallville (futurefic)
Smallville's latest outing "Action" featured a return of the in-show comic Warrior Angel in the form of a big budget feature film being filmed in Smallville. Superman anvils can at times be a bit clunky on the show but I've always appreciated the commentary on the battle between Warrior Angel and his arch nemesis Devilicious and how it will mirror Superman and Lex in the future.
"First Times, Upon Returning to Metropolis" by
huzzlewhat
The prose is wonderful, as is the imagery. I can't decide what snapshot is my favorite because they're all perfect but the last one breaks my heart. ::hugs Lex::
"First Against the Wall" by
extrasolar
extrasolar has a wonderful knack for sucking you into the story. This WIP story picks up two years after the events currently unfolding in season 7 just after Lois has broken the Belle Reve story. The level of antagonism that is present in the DP newsroom falls in line nicely with some of the comments that have been going around SV fandom concerning Lois and her entrance into the DP, namely that she's a no talent bimbo who was handed a job based on her looks. Not true says I but I like that the Lois naysayers in the story have to swallow their words in the face of her genuinely kickass work as a journalist.
"In Reverse" by
thedeadparrot
Lois, Clark, Superman, secret identities, and Clois flirting all wrapped up in this futurefic story. Kudos for the use of the Clark travels the world storyline from Superman:Birthright. If Smallville goes this route rather than the Clark trains in the Fortress of Solitude for years like in the Richard Donner films I will be one happy fan.
And for a rec withing a rec if you're a member of Divine Intervention do a search for "Logic Will Break Your Heart" in the serial fanfiction section. It's Clois futurefic with strong parallels to John Le Carre's The Constant Gardener. Only 5 parts to this WIP were ever posted and from what I can see only DI received it. It's in none of parrot's websites. It might have been abandoned but what was written set up what I'm sure would have been an exciting story.
"The Elevator Factor" by mykella.
Lois, Clark, and the privacy of an elevator ride. This one's hot and it leaves you wanting more.
"When First We Met" by Smallvillian.
I'm gonna cheat and break from the futurefic theme with this story which unfolds the past rather than the future.
I stumbled upon this story accidentally and boy am I glad I did. The love story between Jonathan and Martha has never been more real to me then in this story. It saddens me that this story has apparently been abandoned but 19 chapters does a wonderful job of exploring the obstacles that a small town guy from Smallville and a city girl from Metropolis face and eventually overcome.
Forever Knight (DarkNN or Nat as a vamp)
"Trio" by imajiru.
You know I'm not a slash person. It doesn't really interest me nor do I tend to see it where others claim it runs rampent. However, the LaCroix/Nick dynamic with its abusive, overbearing parent overtones and the dialogue that always highlights LaCroix's centuries long obsession with Nick does make me wonder at times. Nick is LaCroix's golden child and everyone else was simply an afterthought. Even with Nick fighting his vampiric nature and by extension LaCroix's gift of eternal life and power LaCroix is never far away from his wayward child. What then of Natalie? Nick's mortal love is now a member of the night and he no longer has to control all the animal urges that consumed him whenever she was near. Imajiru does a great job of exploring the new physicality between Nick and Natalie and what Natalie's new status means to his dreams of mortality. And finally the Unholy Trinity of Nick, Natalie and LaCroix has been enhanced. Before Natalie and LaCroix represented two dueling sides of Nick's nature--his desire to be human and the beast that demands blood. LaCroix as mentor to a fledgling Natalie is so appropriate in its practicality.
"...what's an arcsecond?" by imajiru.
A what if story that treats the fabricated meteor from "A More Permanent Hell" as the real deal. This one is a hard one to read. Whether it's the image of the world as we knowing ceasing to exist in the aftermath of a 1 in a billion galactic event, Nick and Natalie trying to survive underground as food and blood supplies start to diminish, vampires rounding up the remaining humans and caring for them so that they can become suitable prey in the future, or the image of portly and lovable Don Schanke as a hardened wildman who would kill anybody who harmed his daughter. This is not a pretty story but very well executed.
"This End Will Serve" by calliope monsoon
What happens when a fledgling vampires awakens to find themselves alone? What happens when that fledgling is Natalie Lambert and Nick is nowhere to be found? And what happens when Natalie ventures out into the city against her better judgment? This is at times a hard story to read but it's riveting as things snowball from bad to worse. The tension is thick and the consequences very real. This is a worthwhile read for any FK fan. A sequel was apparently planned but it never materialized. Bummed.
"Reconstructing Family" by
ljs_lj
Crossover fic with Angel which I never saw but previous knowledge wasn't necessary. I like the visual of Nick and Nat happy and in love even if they're both vampires. Yay that Natalie is apparently letting her feminine and sexy side out with Nick. Also 3rd POV fics are a guilty pleasure of mine so that's another thing this fic has going for it. The differences in vampires in Whedonverse and Forever Knight was also nicely handled.
"For I Have Sinned/Love You to Death" by imajiru
Another solid story by imajiru. I'm sure you can tell I'm a fan. This story gives Nick his mortality and then jerks it away in one of the cruelest ways possible--Natalie. What follows takes the reader down a path that requires Nick and Natalie to come to terms with the decisions they make and their consequences. Natalie will feel Nick's wrath and she will suffer because of it. The new existence they find each other in over the years is marked with detachment, bouts of comfort, and eventual emotional distance. Nick's love of all things mortal manifests once more and it's a bitter pill to swallow that Natalie can no longer be on the receiving end of that reverence. LaCroix figures prominently in the second story as a concerned father figure who only wants the best for his "children".
"Further to Fall" by
wiliqueen
For an early season 1 story the characterizations are spot on. That's a testament to both the quality of the writer and the writers on the show. Paul makes an interesting foil from Nick's past and the flashback scene with LaCroix choosing to punish Janette because of Nick's disobedience is nicely done. And although not a romantic relationship the Nick/Nat factor was high and firmly based on their friendship and need for each other.
"Last Minutes" by Amy R.
This one is hot off the presses. It recently popped up in the my inbox compliments of FKFIC-L and Amy as usual doesn't disappoint. With this story she asks the question what kind of existence would Natalie have if she was forced to face eternity alone without Nick, knowing that she can't follow him. This fic has a really great ironic twist in that the one thing that made it possible for Natalie to be allowed into Nick's vampire world as a spectator is the one thing that traps her in it forever. Over a decade since FK went off the air and wonderful fic is still being produced. Kudos!
But now on to the recs and its theme day boys and girls:
Smallville (futurefic)
Smallville's latest outing "Action" featured a return of the in-show comic Warrior Angel in the form of a big budget feature film being filmed in Smallville. Superman anvils can at times be a bit clunky on the show but I've always appreciated the commentary on the battle between Warrior Angel and his arch nemesis Devilicious and how it will mirror Superman and Lex in the future.
"First Times, Upon Returning to Metropolis" by
huzzlewhat
The prose is wonderful, as is the imagery. I can't decide what snapshot is my favorite because they're all perfect but the last one breaks my heart. ::hugs Lex::
"First Against the Wall" by
extrasolar
extrasolar has a wonderful knack for sucking you into the story. This WIP story picks up two years after the events currently unfolding in season 7 just after Lois has broken the Belle Reve story. The level of antagonism that is present in the DP newsroom falls in line nicely with some of the comments that have been going around SV fandom concerning Lois and her entrance into the DP, namely that she's a no talent bimbo who was handed a job based on her looks. Not true says I but I like that the Lois naysayers in the story have to swallow their words in the face of her genuinely kickass work as a journalist.
"In Reverse" by
thedeadparrot
Lois, Clark, Superman, secret identities, and Clois flirting all wrapped up in this futurefic story. Kudos for the use of the Clark travels the world storyline from Superman:Birthright. If Smallville goes this route rather than the Clark trains in the Fortress of Solitude for years like in the Richard Donner films I will be one happy fan.
And for a rec withing a rec if you're a member of Divine Intervention do a search for "Logic Will Break Your Heart" in the serial fanfiction section. It's Clois futurefic with strong parallels to John Le Carre's The Constant Gardener. Only 5 parts to this WIP were ever posted and from what I can see only DI received it. It's in none of parrot's websites. It might have been abandoned but what was written set up what I'm sure would have been an exciting story.
"The Elevator Factor" by mykella.
Lois, Clark, and the privacy of an elevator ride. This one's hot and it leaves you wanting more.
"When First We Met" by Smallvillian.
I'm gonna cheat and break from the futurefic theme with this story which unfolds the past rather than the future.
I stumbled upon this story accidentally and boy am I glad I did. The love story between Jonathan and Martha has never been more real to me then in this story. It saddens me that this story has apparently been abandoned but 19 chapters does a wonderful job of exploring the obstacles that a small town guy from Smallville and a city girl from Metropolis face and eventually overcome.
Forever Knight (DarkNN or Nat as a vamp)
"Trio" by imajiru.
You know I'm not a slash person. It doesn't really interest me nor do I tend to see it where others claim it runs rampent. However, the LaCroix/Nick dynamic with its abusive, overbearing parent overtones and the dialogue that always highlights LaCroix's centuries long obsession with Nick does make me wonder at times. Nick is LaCroix's golden child and everyone else was simply an afterthought. Even with Nick fighting his vampiric nature and by extension LaCroix's gift of eternal life and power LaCroix is never far away from his wayward child. What then of Natalie? Nick's mortal love is now a member of the night and he no longer has to control all the animal urges that consumed him whenever she was near. Imajiru does a great job of exploring the new physicality between Nick and Natalie and what Natalie's new status means to his dreams of mortality. And finally the Unholy Trinity of Nick, Natalie and LaCroix has been enhanced. Before Natalie and LaCroix represented two dueling sides of Nick's nature--his desire to be human and the beast that demands blood. LaCroix as mentor to a fledgling Natalie is so appropriate in its practicality.
"...what's an arcsecond?" by imajiru.
A what if story that treats the fabricated meteor from "A More Permanent Hell" as the real deal. This one is a hard one to read. Whether it's the image of the world as we knowing ceasing to exist in the aftermath of a 1 in a billion galactic event, Nick and Natalie trying to survive underground as food and blood supplies start to diminish, vampires rounding up the remaining humans and caring for them so that they can become suitable prey in the future, or the image of portly and lovable Don Schanke as a hardened wildman who would kill anybody who harmed his daughter. This is not a pretty story but very well executed.
"This End Will Serve" by calliope monsoon
What happens when a fledgling vampires awakens to find themselves alone? What happens when that fledgling is Natalie Lambert and Nick is nowhere to be found? And what happens when Natalie ventures out into the city against her better judgment? This is at times a hard story to read but it's riveting as things snowball from bad to worse. The tension is thick and the consequences very real. This is a worthwhile read for any FK fan. A sequel was apparently planned but it never materialized. Bummed.
"Reconstructing Family" by
ljs_lj
Crossover fic with Angel which I never saw but previous knowledge wasn't necessary. I like the visual of Nick and Nat happy and in love even if they're both vampires. Yay that Natalie is apparently letting her feminine and sexy side out with Nick. Also 3rd POV fics are a guilty pleasure of mine so that's another thing this fic has going for it. The differences in vampires in Whedonverse and Forever Knight was also nicely handled.
"For I Have Sinned/Love You to Death" by imajiru
Another solid story by imajiru. I'm sure you can tell I'm a fan. This story gives Nick his mortality and then jerks it away in one of the cruelest ways possible--Natalie. What follows takes the reader down a path that requires Nick and Natalie to come to terms with the decisions they make and their consequences. Natalie will feel Nick's wrath and she will suffer because of it. The new existence they find each other in over the years is marked with detachment, bouts of comfort, and eventual emotional distance. Nick's love of all things mortal manifests once more and it's a bitter pill to swallow that Natalie can no longer be on the receiving end of that reverence. LaCroix figures prominently in the second story as a concerned father figure who only wants the best for his "children".
"Further to Fall" by
wiliqueen
For an early season 1 story the characterizations are spot on. That's a testament to both the quality of the writer and the writers on the show. Paul makes an interesting foil from Nick's past and the flashback scene with LaCroix choosing to punish Janette because of Nick's disobedience is nicely done. And although not a romantic relationship the Nick/Nat factor was high and firmly based on their friendship and need for each other.
"Last Minutes" by Amy R.
This one is hot off the presses. It recently popped up in the my inbox compliments of FKFIC-L and Amy as usual doesn't disappoint. With this story she asks the question what kind of existence would Natalie have if she was forced to face eternity alone without Nick, knowing that she can't follow him. This fic has a really great ironic twist in that the one thing that made it possible for Natalie to be allowed into Nick's vampire world as a spectator is the one thing that traps her in it forever. Over a decade since FK went off the air and wonderful fic is still being produced. Kudos!