2010 BIG BANG Recs
So, I've been meaning to do this for quite some time now, but, apparently, a day comes with 24 hours no manner how much you beg and threaten it for more.
Is easy to lose track of all the wonderful stories that are coming out this year from the spn_j2_bigbang event. I know I have *g*
I haven’t yet read every single one that, for one reason or another, has called my attention, so there will probably be another more posts like this further ahead.
The genre of each one is pointed out, but not something I give much importance too. If its well written and has a compelling plot-line, I’ll read just about anything.
Here are some of the stories that, in no particular order, I’ve read so far and think you really, really shouldn’t miss:
Title: One thing I don’t believe in
Author: essenceofmeanin
Genre: Slash, Dean/Castiel pairing, but really, not the nucleus of the story
Author’s summary: Dean Winchester and Castiel don't manage to stop the apocalypse, but they do find God. In reward, God gives Dean a new beginning, a new life. He is reborn in 1979 into a normal life with his parents, John and Mary Winchester and later, his brother Sammy. Life isn't perfect - Dean is plagued by nightmares, panic attacks and memories he doesn't know are his own.
Why: Dreams, illusions and reality mingle seaming merge and intertwine each other all the way through this wonderful story, as it slowly takes you alongside with Dean into a journey of rediscovery. The writing is top notch and the characters voices are so good that you find yourself lost in that story-tale world just as much as Dean.
Title: Supercross
Author: lazy_daze
Genre: Slash, Sam/Dean
Author’s summary: Set in a world where competitive team stunt biking shows - explosive entertainment performances full of tricks, talent, fireworks and music - dominate the world of freestyle motocross biking, this story follows Sam and Dean Winchester as they deal with their lives, bikes, flips, tricks - and love.
Orphaned as kids when their father crash-lands a double backflip attempt, Sam and Dean grow up as part of his stunt team Winchester's Hunters; adopted by the group as family and rising to be the best two riders on the team, they grow up in this isolated world, where there is nothing more important in the boys' lives than biking and each other.
Two things loom on the horizon to threaten Dean's perfect little world: the new stunt team rising on the scene threatening his team's chances at the ultimate competition; and the strange new crippling tension between him and his brother that threatens to change - or even ruin - everything he holds dear.
Why: What first called my attention to this story was the art, some of the best we’ve seen this year. Seriously, even if the wincest part of the story squeaks you out, go and check the art anyway!
As for the story... it’s a perfect marriage between a talented artist and a very good storyteller.
The characters that are in this story are not the characters from the show; and yet, they are exactly the same. The author managed to perfectly transplant the lives and afflictions of the Winchesters and the people they know from a world where supernatural beings exist, to our world. Well, more exactly, to the world of team motocross exhibitions.
It takes you right to the smack middle of the competition, the back stage of shows, the drama and family union of the Hunters’ team.
Title: The only people for me are the mad ones
Author: who_favor_fire
Genre: Het
Author’s summary: AU preseries wherein Dean goes to Stanford to spy on Sam and meets Jess. She might be crazy and he might be in the C.I.A. and Dean knows it's probably not going to end well.
Why: I loved this author’s take on Jessica. She’s an independent woman, who knows what she wants and is not afraid of doing what her heart (and sometimes her ovaries) want. The premise of the story grabbed my attention, because this is truly something that could’ve happened in the show, something that you come to realize as you read through the story. By the end of it, you wish it did happen on the show.
Title: The theory of relativity
Author: wutendeskindfic
Genre: Slash, Sam/Dean (barely)
Author’s summary: The Apocalypse is over. Sam writes it all down, and the result tops the New York Times bestseller list for an entire year. Dean loves that Sam's found something to do with his life, but doesn't know how he fits in. And when Dean reads Sam’s second novel, things get even more confusing for him.
Why: Pos-apocaliptic stories always fascinate me, and this one did not disappoint. It’s a joy to see Sam and Dean settling down, enjoying the normal life. And Sam’s a writer! A famous one, as we, alongside with Dean, come to realize.
This story is sweet in many, many aspects and the wincest portion of it is mainly concentrated in the excerpts from Sam’s book that we’re given throughout the story.
Title: (I don’t want to) Set the world on fire
Author: ebcdic
Genre: RPS, Jensen/Jared
Author’s summary: Two hundred years after the Great War that ended abruptly in 2077 when nuclear weapons were launched all over the world, Jensen Ackles emerges from an underground vault in search of his father. Along the way, he picks up two tag-a-longs: a Raider named Jared with a secret to hide and a Cyborg named Murray who may or may not be pre-war material. No matter how hard Jensen insists that he has to do this alone, Jared and Murray won't leave his side. Together, they wander what used to be Washington DC looking for clues to Jensen's father's whereabouts. But the Capital Wasteland is full of secrets, some more deadly than others, and Jensen's father is hiding one which may be humanity's biggest advancement since the atomic bomb. In the right hands, a secret like that could save the world, but in the wrong ones it may just be the final bow for humanity. It's up to Jensen; will he be a hero, even if it means giving up his own life?
Why: Really? Have you read that summary? It totally delivers what it promises, a destroyed world where jungle-law rules, the survival of the strongest is the only way to go and Jensen is like the second coming. The style of writing grips you from the very first line and after that... you’re just done in.
Title: Hover through the fog and filthy air
Author: chiiyo86
Genre: Gen
Author’s summary: AU after “Lucifer Rising.” 2013 - The demon war ended three years ago with Lucifer’s death. Sam and Dean, now living in Portland, Oregon, are learning how to live after a violent war that destroyed part of the country and left both of them weary and broken. As they decide to start hunting again, a friend tells them about a potential case - strange human-shaped shadows are attacking people in the night. In the small town of Government Camp, lost in the mountains, they find out this hunt is the consequence of something darker and uglier than they could imagine…
Why: Another post-apocalyptic story, this time more focused on the effects that winning the battle for the end of the world has caused the two brothers. I have only two words for you: PTSD Dean.
The case the brothers go to investigate isn’t so much interesting as it is the small glimpses that you keep getting of what went through, of what they suffered to defeat Lucifer.
Title: The life and times of Lois Lane
Author: vorpalblades
Genre: RPS, Jensen/Jared
Author’s summary: It’s not easy being married to a superhero. In fact, as Jensen’s learning, it’s nearly impossible.
Why: Okay... this one... is so out there that you can’t help but read it with a smirk in your face the entire length of it. And I mean that in the most awesomest of ways. It’s not exactly crack, but the tongue-in-cheek way it’s written lures you into believing the premise, into feeling for this man who is married with a super-human hero and that, surprisingly, finds himself facing the same problems that any married couple would encounter. And some others that... well, are pretty super-hero specific *g*
Title: Safe haven
Author: morning_sunlite
Genre: Gen, pre-series
Author’s summary: Eighteen year old Dean knew in his head that it was his choice to leave after that last fight with John, but in his heart he never expected his father to take Sam and move on without him. Not knowing where else to turn after life on his own proves more than he can handle, a desperate Dean turns to the only safe haven he can think of…Pastor Jim. Jim tries hard to heal the damage caused by Dean’s split with his family, but some things aren’t so easy to fix.
Why: This story had some of my favorite elements, a glimpse into the early lives of Sam and Dean and a chance to ‘meet’ the intriguing character that Pastor Jim always was to me. The author does not disappoint! I found myself feeling deeply for her version of Dean (which really, is very close to what we might imagine a 18 years old Dean could’ve been) and so, so very angry when I finished reading...
What was that line from the movie with Brad Pit and Harrison Ford, ‘The devil’s own’? ‘This is not a happy story... it’s an Irish one’. Well, this tale is exactly the same. It’s not a happy story... it’s a Winchester one.
Title: Sherwood
Author: crackedfic
Genre: RPS, Jensen/Jared
Author’s summary: Jensen is not spontaneous. He does not break the rules. He is the perfect example of a good son and well behaving royalty. His cousin, however, is not. When she declared she’s running away because of an unexpected engagement, Jensen followed her to keep her safe. On their journey to find her true love and their joint freedom, they’re kidnapped by the renowned Sherwood Gang of Robin Hood fame. After Robin’s death, the torch was passed onto Jared, the son of Little John. Jensen expected to find a brute criminal in the leader of the Gang, instead of he discovered a hopeless romantic who agreed to aid the royal pair in their quest. Though their relationship begins as tumultuous, Jared and Jensen formed a tentative relationship that blossomed in the Sherwood Forest.
Why: Well... men in tights... need I say more? Okay, I’ll share: Imagine that Jensen and Jared did a Robin Hood movie; imagine that Jensen played the part of royalty member who finds himself forced to survive in the woods, in a time when, if you didn’t come form a cradle made of jewels and gold, you were pretty much screwed. Now... stop imagining it and go read what this author wrote!
Title: Apocalypse Z
Author: baylorsr
Genre: Gen
Author’s summary: Brian Williams was gravely saying, “Remember, once a person has been bitten, they must be shot in the head before they die and reanimate.” Of all the ways he’d imagined the world ending, this one had never entered Sam’s mind. It’s the zombie apocalypse, and Sam, Dean and Castiel are just trying to get to Bobby’s in one piece. And not undead.
Why: I think everyone has already heard about this story, which is, in my opinion, one of the best that was posted this year. Everything is superb. The writing is compelling and with a peculiar voice that’s snarky and funny; the storyline is incredibly awesome and the characters behave exactly as you’d expect them to when faced with something like this. It’s SPN’s Zombieland, and if you know what I’m talking about, you’ll love this story.
Title: Damaged goods
Author: insane_songbird
Genre: RPS
Author’s summary: J2AU. For three years a serial killer has been hunting young men in the area of Dallas. The police have no valid leads until the latest victim makes a spectacular escape. After Jensen Ackles finally manages to turn the tables on his captor, the authorities are hard pressed to close the case sooner rather than later. Detective Jared Padalecki is the only one to believe something might be wrong with that when Jensen claims that there is more to this case than meets the eye…
Why: Very dark, very compelling and gripping thriller. And I love a good thriller. The author’s summary pretty much says it all: serial killers, Jensen as a targeted victim and Jared as the detective that tries his best to protect him. I have just one warning about this story: allow time for your nails to grow to a disgusting size; it will come in handy when you need something to bite.
Title: And the clouds wept once more
Author: putu2sleep
Genre: Real people, but not slash
Author’s summary: When Jensen wakes up one morning, he has no idea what is in store for him. He finds himself in the peculiar position of helping the show’s creative staff track down and entice an urban legend. Only it turns out not to be a hoax, and sends Jensen on a journey that might last an eternity. Through two weeks of exploration and unbelievable adventures, he learns about a whole “World of Colors” that he never knew existed. He struggles with the concepts of destiny and fate, but convinced that the choices are his to make, he sets out on a course he hopes will end the vicious cycle…forever.This is a tale told through the journal of the young actor who acknowledges his mistakes, and wants desperately to fix them in the future.
Why: This story reads like a very, very good book, the kind of book that you go back to over and over again in the course of your life. The fact that the main characters look like Jensen and Jared is just the cherry on top. This is not the story that you can keep open in your computer and try to skim through as you do something else. No. Sit, relax, find your center and savor it. I admit that, because of it’s exoteric and Zen aspects, this story touched me personally, but boy! what a great read!
Title: The sky’s gonna break
Author: efflorescencia
Genre: Slash, Sam/Dean
Author’s summary: The end is near and things are bad. Monsters roam the streets like wild dogs, awaiting the call of their master. The Winchesters do what they can to help those struggling to survive, but when something powerful starts screwing with Dean, breaking him down piece by piece, the boys are forced into isolation. While Dean suffers, Sam searches for answers, desperate to keep his brother fighting as Dean has always done for him.
The morning Dean wakes up with a pair of huge, beautiful wings attached to his back, everything changes. With Castiel missing, their only ally is an archangel they can't trust; their only hope is their faith in each other. It might be just enough to beat the devil.
Why: Well... wings, people! What’s not to like about a story that brings you a Dean with feathery appendages? Also, a very interesting take on the apocalypse, particularly the ‘cult’ that develops around the Winchesters and the pulling of the veil for the majority of population, as they realize what is happening.
Is easy to lose track of all the wonderful stories that are coming out this year from the spn_j2_bigbang event. I know I have *g*
I haven’t yet read every single one that, for one reason or another, has called my attention, so there will probably be another more posts like this further ahead.
The genre of each one is pointed out, but not something I give much importance too. If its well written and has a compelling plot-line, I’ll read just about anything.
Here are some of the stories that, in no particular order, I’ve read so far and think you really, really shouldn’t miss:
Title: One thing I don’t believe in
Author: essenceofmeanin
Genre: Slash, Dean/Castiel pairing, but really, not the nucleus of the story
Author’s summary: Dean Winchester and Castiel don't manage to stop the apocalypse, but they do find God. In reward, God gives Dean a new beginning, a new life. He is reborn in 1979 into a normal life with his parents, John and Mary Winchester and later, his brother Sammy. Life isn't perfect - Dean is plagued by nightmares, panic attacks and memories he doesn't know are his own.
Why: Dreams, illusions and reality mingle seaming merge and intertwine each other all the way through this wonderful story, as it slowly takes you alongside with Dean into a journey of rediscovery. The writing is top notch and the characters voices are so good that you find yourself lost in that story-tale world just as much as Dean.
Title: Supercross
Author: lazy_daze
Genre: Slash, Sam/Dean
Author’s summary: Set in a world where competitive team stunt biking shows - explosive entertainment performances full of tricks, talent, fireworks and music - dominate the world of freestyle motocross biking, this story follows Sam and Dean Winchester as they deal with their lives, bikes, flips, tricks - and love.
Orphaned as kids when their father crash-lands a double backflip attempt, Sam and Dean grow up as part of his stunt team Winchester's Hunters; adopted by the group as family and rising to be the best two riders on the team, they grow up in this isolated world, where there is nothing more important in the boys' lives than biking and each other.
Two things loom on the horizon to threaten Dean's perfect little world: the new stunt team rising on the scene threatening his team's chances at the ultimate competition; and the strange new crippling tension between him and his brother that threatens to change - or even ruin - everything he holds dear.
Why: What first called my attention to this story was the art, some of the best we’ve seen this year. Seriously, even if the wincest part of the story squeaks you out, go and check the art anyway!
As for the story... it’s a perfect marriage between a talented artist and a very good storyteller.
The characters that are in this story are not the characters from the show; and yet, they are exactly the same. The author managed to perfectly transplant the lives and afflictions of the Winchesters and the people they know from a world where supernatural beings exist, to our world. Well, more exactly, to the world of team motocross exhibitions.
It takes you right to the smack middle of the competition, the back stage of shows, the drama and family union of the Hunters’ team.
Title: The only people for me are the mad ones
Author: who_favor_fire
Genre: Het
Author’s summary: AU preseries wherein Dean goes to Stanford to spy on Sam and meets Jess. She might be crazy and he might be in the C.I.A. and Dean knows it's probably not going to end well.
Why: I loved this author’s take on Jessica. She’s an independent woman, who knows what she wants and is not afraid of doing what her heart (and sometimes her ovaries) want. The premise of the story grabbed my attention, because this is truly something that could’ve happened in the show, something that you come to realize as you read through the story. By the end of it, you wish it did happen on the show.
Title: The theory of relativity
Author: wutendeskindfic
Genre: Slash, Sam/Dean (barely)
Author’s summary: The Apocalypse is over. Sam writes it all down, and the result tops the New York Times bestseller list for an entire year. Dean loves that Sam's found something to do with his life, but doesn't know how he fits in. And when Dean reads Sam’s second novel, things get even more confusing for him.
Why: Pos-apocaliptic stories always fascinate me, and this one did not disappoint. It’s a joy to see Sam and Dean settling down, enjoying the normal life. And Sam’s a writer! A famous one, as we, alongside with Dean, come to realize.
This story is sweet in many, many aspects and the wincest portion of it is mainly concentrated in the excerpts from Sam’s book that we’re given throughout the story.
Title: (I don’t want to) Set the world on fire
Author: ebcdic
Genre: RPS, Jensen/Jared
Author’s summary: Two hundred years after the Great War that ended abruptly in 2077 when nuclear weapons were launched all over the world, Jensen Ackles emerges from an underground vault in search of his father. Along the way, he picks up two tag-a-longs: a Raider named Jared with a secret to hide and a Cyborg named Murray who may or may not be pre-war material. No matter how hard Jensen insists that he has to do this alone, Jared and Murray won't leave his side. Together, they wander what used to be Washington DC looking for clues to Jensen's father's whereabouts. But the Capital Wasteland is full of secrets, some more deadly than others, and Jensen's father is hiding one which may be humanity's biggest advancement since the atomic bomb. In the right hands, a secret like that could save the world, but in the wrong ones it may just be the final bow for humanity. It's up to Jensen; will he be a hero, even if it means giving up his own life?
Why: Really? Have you read that summary? It totally delivers what it promises, a destroyed world where jungle-law rules, the survival of the strongest is the only way to go and Jensen is like the second coming. The style of writing grips you from the very first line and after that... you’re just done in.
Title: Hover through the fog and filthy air
Author: chiiyo86
Genre: Gen
Author’s summary: AU after “Lucifer Rising.” 2013 - The demon war ended three years ago with Lucifer’s death. Sam and Dean, now living in Portland, Oregon, are learning how to live after a violent war that destroyed part of the country and left both of them weary and broken. As they decide to start hunting again, a friend tells them about a potential case - strange human-shaped shadows are attacking people in the night. In the small town of Government Camp, lost in the mountains, they find out this hunt is the consequence of something darker and uglier than they could imagine…
Why: Another post-apocalyptic story, this time more focused on the effects that winning the battle for the end of the world has caused the two brothers. I have only two words for you: PTSD Dean.
The case the brothers go to investigate isn’t so much interesting as it is the small glimpses that you keep getting of what went through, of what they suffered to defeat Lucifer.
Title: The life and times of Lois Lane
Author: vorpalblades
Genre: RPS, Jensen/Jared
Author’s summary: It’s not easy being married to a superhero. In fact, as Jensen’s learning, it’s nearly impossible.
Why: Okay... this one... is so out there that you can’t help but read it with a smirk in your face the entire length of it. And I mean that in the most awesomest of ways. It’s not exactly crack, but the tongue-in-cheek way it’s written lures you into believing the premise, into feeling for this man who is married with a super-human hero and that, surprisingly, finds himself facing the same problems that any married couple would encounter. And some others that... well, are pretty super-hero specific *g*
Title: Safe haven
Author: morning_sunlite
Genre: Gen, pre-series
Author’s summary: Eighteen year old Dean knew in his head that it was his choice to leave after that last fight with John, but in his heart he never expected his father to take Sam and move on without him. Not knowing where else to turn after life on his own proves more than he can handle, a desperate Dean turns to the only safe haven he can think of…Pastor Jim. Jim tries hard to heal the damage caused by Dean’s split with his family, but some things aren’t so easy to fix.
Why: This story had some of my favorite elements, a glimpse into the early lives of Sam and Dean and a chance to ‘meet’ the intriguing character that Pastor Jim always was to me. The author does not disappoint! I found myself feeling deeply for her version of Dean (which really, is very close to what we might imagine a 18 years old Dean could’ve been) and so, so very angry when I finished reading...
What was that line from the movie with Brad Pit and Harrison Ford, ‘The devil’s own’? ‘This is not a happy story... it’s an Irish one’. Well, this tale is exactly the same. It’s not a happy story... it’s a Winchester one.
Title: Sherwood
Author: crackedfic
Genre: RPS, Jensen/Jared
Author’s summary: Jensen is not spontaneous. He does not break the rules. He is the perfect example of a good son and well behaving royalty. His cousin, however, is not. When she declared she’s running away because of an unexpected engagement, Jensen followed her to keep her safe. On their journey to find her true love and their joint freedom, they’re kidnapped by the renowned Sherwood Gang of Robin Hood fame. After Robin’s death, the torch was passed onto Jared, the son of Little John. Jensen expected to find a brute criminal in the leader of the Gang, instead of he discovered a hopeless romantic who agreed to aid the royal pair in their quest. Though their relationship begins as tumultuous, Jared and Jensen formed a tentative relationship that blossomed in the Sherwood Forest.
Why: Well... men in tights... need I say more? Okay, I’ll share: Imagine that Jensen and Jared did a Robin Hood movie; imagine that Jensen played the part of royalty member who finds himself forced to survive in the woods, in a time when, if you didn’t come form a cradle made of jewels and gold, you were pretty much screwed. Now... stop imagining it and go read what this author wrote!
Title: Apocalypse Z
Author: baylorsr
Genre: Gen
Author’s summary: Brian Williams was gravely saying, “Remember, once a person has been bitten, they must be shot in the head before they die and reanimate.” Of all the ways he’d imagined the world ending, this one had never entered Sam’s mind. It’s the zombie apocalypse, and Sam, Dean and Castiel are just trying to get to Bobby’s in one piece. And not undead.
Why: I think everyone has already heard about this story, which is, in my opinion, one of the best that was posted this year. Everything is superb. The writing is compelling and with a peculiar voice that’s snarky and funny; the storyline is incredibly awesome and the characters behave exactly as you’d expect them to when faced with something like this. It’s SPN’s Zombieland, and if you know what I’m talking about, you’ll love this story.
Title: Damaged goods
Author: insane_songbird
Genre: RPS
Author’s summary: J2AU. For three years a serial killer has been hunting young men in the area of Dallas. The police have no valid leads until the latest victim makes a spectacular escape. After Jensen Ackles finally manages to turn the tables on his captor, the authorities are hard pressed to close the case sooner rather than later. Detective Jared Padalecki is the only one to believe something might be wrong with that when Jensen claims that there is more to this case than meets the eye…
Why: Very dark, very compelling and gripping thriller. And I love a good thriller. The author’s summary pretty much says it all: serial killers, Jensen as a targeted victim and Jared as the detective that tries his best to protect him. I have just one warning about this story: allow time for your nails to grow to a disgusting size; it will come in handy when you need something to bite.
Title: And the clouds wept once more
Author: putu2sleep
Genre: Real people, but not slash
Author’s summary: When Jensen wakes up one morning, he has no idea what is in store for him. He finds himself in the peculiar position of helping the show’s creative staff track down and entice an urban legend. Only it turns out not to be a hoax, and sends Jensen on a journey that might last an eternity. Through two weeks of exploration and unbelievable adventures, he learns about a whole “World of Colors” that he never knew existed. He struggles with the concepts of destiny and fate, but convinced that the choices are his to make, he sets out on a course he hopes will end the vicious cycle…forever.This is a tale told through the journal of the young actor who acknowledges his mistakes, and wants desperately to fix them in the future.
Why: This story reads like a very, very good book, the kind of book that you go back to over and over again in the course of your life. The fact that the main characters look like Jensen and Jared is just the cherry on top. This is not the story that you can keep open in your computer and try to skim through as you do something else. No. Sit, relax, find your center and savor it. I admit that, because of it’s exoteric and Zen aspects, this story touched me personally, but boy! what a great read!
Title: The sky’s gonna break
Author: efflorescencia
Genre: Slash, Sam/Dean
Author’s summary: The end is near and things are bad. Monsters roam the streets like wild dogs, awaiting the call of their master. The Winchesters do what they can to help those struggling to survive, but when something powerful starts screwing with Dean, breaking him down piece by piece, the boys are forced into isolation. While Dean suffers, Sam searches for answers, desperate to keep his brother fighting as Dean has always done for him.
The morning Dean wakes up with a pair of huge, beautiful wings attached to his back, everything changes. With Castiel missing, their only ally is an archangel they can't trust; their only hope is their faith in each other. It might be just enough to beat the devil.
Why: Well... wings, people! What’s not to like about a story that brings you a Dean with feathery appendages? Also, a very interesting take on the apocalypse, particularly the ‘cult’ that develops around the Winchesters and the pulling of the veil for the majority of population, as they realize what is happening.