Sherlock recs 5
Sorry if this posts twice; I'm having odd problems with LJ. Here goes:
More recs!
DRABBLES
Gen
"Distraction" by arianedevere is a drabble. Rated G. JUST READ IT.
The author's description for "Schadenfreude" by rabidsamfan simply reads "Because Stamford needs a ficlet too." I can't say more without saying too much. Rated G.
By the same author, "Three Drabbles for Lestrade" takes us through Lestrade's impressions of John in "Study in Pink." Be sure to read all three. Rated G.
HUMOR
Gen
"Bunny" by Ununpentium is exceptionally fluffy, but it makes me feel all warm inside. Sherlock is perhaps a little out of character, but just a little, and John is John.
1600 words, rated G
Excerpt: "Someone gave me a… gift. And it’s underneath the sofa. And I want it gone.”
"Holmes versus Harkness" by Coinin focuses primarily on the other Holmes, not Sherlock. (Sherlock and John appear only briefly, and I think their involvement is the weakest part of the story, even when they're gone; the author tried to do two prompts at once, and the major effort is far more successful than the minor.)
I almost skipped this, as I have read very little Torchwood fic since "Children of Earth" (which I hated). I'm glad I read it. If only Mycroft had really hauled Jack in for a meeting and then followed up, "Children of Earth" might have been largely averted.
Rated Teen. 4000 words.
Warnings: no eating or drinking while reading this one.
Excerpt:
“There are some - issues, shall we say, that I would like to discuss with you regarding your leadership skills and the Torchwood budget.”
“I didn't know we had a budget.”
Mycroft's smile is small and slightly pained. “Yes, that is one of the points that I wish to touch on.”
“Okay,” Jack says, because something is very weird here, and for once it's not him. “Last time I checked I didn't have any financial oversight.”
“That state of affairs has changed, Mister Harkness.”
Slash
"Bohemian Rapsody" by Speranza features a popular singer named Lady Dada, an actual mystery, and more laughs than I would ever have expected.
Rated Teen. 10,000 words.
Warnings: language, some sex (not graphic)
Excerpt:
"Christ, did you see that?" John asked, turning to Sherlock-who was texting. Sherlock glanced up at John, then at the stage, where various fur-clad dancers were still gyrating and scurrying about. The back of the set had split open to reveal a three-story waterfall. "There's fireworks and blaring pop music!" John yelled, feeling unaccountably outraged. "Not to mention that birds just flew out of her fucking head! How can you not be watching?"
DRAMA
Gen
"Whiskey Man (We Get On Just Fine)" by Sidney Sussex offers an extended scene of Lestrade, as John pushes past casual acquaintance and learns why Lestrade doesn't like to be around people drinking. This is not the Lestrade I had in my head, but one who came increasingly clearly into focus as I read. We also see John, and Sherlock, though he's not even present in the story.
Rated Teen. 4700 words.
Author's warning: implied past abuse.
Excerpt:
He makes it to the pub a little early, wants to talk to the bartenders before anyone else arrives. They're more than willing to agree to his request - he'll pay as if it's alcohol he's drinking, as long as they don't tell his team it's not - and he's able to relax at least a little, even if he more than suspects that they're laughing at him while his back is turned. He doesn't care. He isn't drinking.
In "Practical Handbook of Bee Culture" by theumbrellaseller, young Mycroft watches out for even younger Sherlock, but he also teaches him the things that no one else would teach him-sometimes because no one else would think to teach Sherlock such things about people.
Rated G. 4000 words.
Excerpt:
“Behavioural problems,” [Mycroft repeated] finally. “That was a bit of an understatement. Disregard for societal rules and norms. Persistent irritability. Low tolerance for frustration or boredom. Inability to form enduring attachments, I found that one particularly premature. A callous lack of concern for others. Lack of empathy. Violent tendencies.”
"A Ghost In The Machine" takes an idea from Arthur Conan Doyle's "Three Garridebs": a criminal wounds John, and Sherlock is at wits' end. scribble55178 weaves in memories that make coping even more difficult than Sherlock. Mycroft, Lestrade, Sally, and Harry put in appearances.
Rated R. 6100 words.
Author's warnings: depression, suicide, death of an OC
Excerpt:
For the span of three very long seconds Sherlock’s mind is a complete blank, a void. Under different circumstances the experience might be pleasant, peaceful, but there’s no comfort in it now. When it ends he decides that the sensation must be what it feels like to fall from a terrifying height, and for the briefest of moments he actually feels a pang of sympathy for James Moriarty.
MYSTERY
Gen
"The Poster Girl" by stardust-made offers a long, satisfying mystery with too many suspects and too many possible motives. The novel also follows John and Sherlock's developing friendship.
Rated R. About 65,000 words.
Excerpt:
They looked at each other, minds working. Sherlock suddenly clasped his hands.
“I’ll go get my scarf-“
John let out a quick outburst of sardonic laughter. “Don’t even think about it!”
“Come on, John!”
“No way am I strangling you in the middle of our sitting room-and no! No, no!” John waved both of his hands for emphasis. “We are not going to the forest. I’m not strangling you anywhere.”
“I wasn’t going to suggest we go to the forest,” Sherlock muttered, looking crestfallen.
“Yes, you were. Moving on.”
You must read "The Green Blade", the first long foray into gen fic by slash writer Verity Burns, and leave comments encouraging her to write more!
The novel starts with Sherlock having been banned from crime scenes due to some disagreement with Donovan; we know it must be serious, but we don't find out right away what it is. A new serial killer forces Lestrade to call Sherlock despite the ban. We get wonderful character development for Sherlock, John, and Sally Donovan. We also get an intriguing mystery that I ought to have solved but didn't, and plenty of action and suspense.
Rated Teen. 73,000 words.
Warning: a drawing that some of you might not want to pull up at work or in front of a small child is the header for the LJ of verityburns. I was quite surprised by the header the first time I saw it, so I didn't want to spring it on you unwarned. This link goes to first installment; her fic index shows all the links, but you have to go down the page to find it by title.
Excerpt:
"You're not bored, you're frustrated," John replied, still focused on the screen of his laptop and trying to remember what he had been about to write.
Sherlock said nothing, but he said it in such a way that John found it impossible to concentrate. Sighing, he gave up on his blog for now and turned to meet that inquisitive gaze.
"If you were truly bored, you wouldn't have got dressed," he pointed out, enjoying the slight rise of Sherlock's eyebrows at his deduction. "You're perched on the edge of that seat, waiting for Lestrade to relent and call you in over this 'Week-Ender' case, and ready to leap into action if he does." He smiled at the resultant indignant look. "After the obligatory show of indifference, of course," he added.
Sherlock was torn between pride and petulance, not that he would have admitted to either. He turned back around and deliberately settled more comfortably into his chair, forcing his restless limbs to be still.
That lasted for two and a half minutes.
"One more body should do it," he announced, fingers now drumming against the armrests. "The media are already in a frenzy after three and the police are fobbing them off. One more should tip the scales." He leaned forward again, resting his elbows on his knees. "Is that too much to ask?"
John was uncomfortably aware that this sentiment would once have shocked him. Sometimes he worried that instead of raising Sherlock's understanding of acceptable behaviour, their prolonged association was merely diminishing his own.
"So, we're actually hoping for someone to be stabbed to death now, are we?" he asked, feeling that a token protest should be made.
This novel also has one of my all-time favorite single lines in a Sherlock fanfic, but I fear I can't quote it lest it give something away. (I might quote it in the comments! Be warned!)
Gen-focused (some het)
I can't call this fic "gen," yet to call it "het" would be to distort the focus of the story.
"Tear Up Your List" by innie_darling is darker than I usually like. Yet the mystery and drama are very well done, the writing is excellent, and the characterization is compelling.
Rated R. About 30,000 words.
Highlight for spoilery warnings that are, I hope, invisible if you're not highlighting.
Warnings: death of secondary canon character; violence
Excerpt:
. . . Moriarty had decided to move their tête-à-tête forward by means of handwritten notes delivered by post. Not even Mycroft could have traced all of them, delivered as they were by a number of carriers, their times of receipt varying by as much as six hours and hindered by shift changes, unpredictable weather, and holiday schedules. And not even Mycroft's bloody assistant, so very up to the minute with all her gadgetry, could reverse the flow of her abilities in order to get an advance look at any of the notes; her BlackBerry gave her access to all of MI6's most secret surveillance files, but the simplicity of pen and paper defeated her.
Sherlock loved it, seeing the top-shelf, cloth-like stationery overlaid with the rather decorative script of Jim's hand rendered in a particularly opaque black ink. There was a definite satisfaction in holding something that the man he would destroy had held only hours before. Each of them started the same way - My Dear - and there the satisfaction ceased; Sherlock could not help remembering Moriarty's grating voice uttering those syllables, smiling as he contemplated the destruction of John Watson, the first domino to knock flat if he wanted to defeat Sherlock Holmes.
More recs!
DRABBLES
Gen
"Distraction" by arianedevere is a drabble. Rated G. JUST READ IT.
The author's description for "Schadenfreude" by rabidsamfan simply reads "Because Stamford needs a ficlet too." I can't say more without saying too much. Rated G.
By the same author, "Three Drabbles for Lestrade" takes us through Lestrade's impressions of John in "Study in Pink." Be sure to read all three. Rated G.
HUMOR
Gen
"Bunny" by Ununpentium is exceptionally fluffy, but it makes me feel all warm inside. Sherlock is perhaps a little out of character, but just a little, and John is John.
1600 words, rated G
Excerpt: "Someone gave me a… gift. And it’s underneath the sofa. And I want it gone.”
"Holmes versus Harkness" by Coinin focuses primarily on the other Holmes, not Sherlock. (Sherlock and John appear only briefly, and I think their involvement is the weakest part of the story, even when they're gone; the author tried to do two prompts at once, and the major effort is far more successful than the minor.)
I almost skipped this, as I have read very little Torchwood fic since "Children of Earth" (which I hated). I'm glad I read it. If only Mycroft had really hauled Jack in for a meeting and then followed up, "Children of Earth" might have been largely averted.
Rated Teen. 4000 words.
Warnings: no eating or drinking while reading this one.
Excerpt:
“There are some - issues, shall we say, that I would like to discuss with you regarding your leadership skills and the Torchwood budget.”
“I didn't know we had a budget.”
Mycroft's smile is small and slightly pained. “Yes, that is one of the points that I wish to touch on.”
“Okay,” Jack says, because something is very weird here, and for once it's not him. “Last time I checked I didn't have any financial oversight.”
“That state of affairs has changed, Mister Harkness.”
Slash
"Bohemian Rapsody" by Speranza features a popular singer named Lady Dada, an actual mystery, and more laughs than I would ever have expected.
Rated Teen. 10,000 words.
Warnings: language, some sex (not graphic)
Excerpt:
"Christ, did you see that?" John asked, turning to Sherlock-who was texting. Sherlock glanced up at John, then at the stage, where various fur-clad dancers were still gyrating and scurrying about. The back of the set had split open to reveal a three-story waterfall. "There's fireworks and blaring pop music!" John yelled, feeling unaccountably outraged. "Not to mention that birds just flew out of her fucking head! How can you not be watching?"
DRAMA
Gen
"Whiskey Man (We Get On Just Fine)" by Sidney Sussex offers an extended scene of Lestrade, as John pushes past casual acquaintance and learns why Lestrade doesn't like to be around people drinking. This is not the Lestrade I had in my head, but one who came increasingly clearly into focus as I read. We also see John, and Sherlock, though he's not even present in the story.
Rated Teen. 4700 words.
Author's warning: implied past abuse.
Excerpt:
He makes it to the pub a little early, wants to talk to the bartenders before anyone else arrives. They're more than willing to agree to his request - he'll pay as if it's alcohol he's drinking, as long as they don't tell his team it's not - and he's able to relax at least a little, even if he more than suspects that they're laughing at him while his back is turned. He doesn't care. He isn't drinking.
In "Practical Handbook of Bee Culture" by theumbrellaseller, young Mycroft watches out for even younger Sherlock, but he also teaches him the things that no one else would teach him-sometimes because no one else would think to teach Sherlock such things about people.
Rated G. 4000 words.
Excerpt:
“Behavioural problems,” [Mycroft repeated] finally. “That was a bit of an understatement. Disregard for societal rules and norms. Persistent irritability. Low tolerance for frustration or boredom. Inability to form enduring attachments, I found that one particularly premature. A callous lack of concern for others. Lack of empathy. Violent tendencies.”
"A Ghost In The Machine" takes an idea from Arthur Conan Doyle's "Three Garridebs": a criminal wounds John, and Sherlock is at wits' end. scribble55178 weaves in memories that make coping even more difficult than Sherlock. Mycroft, Lestrade, Sally, and Harry put in appearances.
Rated R. 6100 words.
Author's warnings: depression, suicide, death of an OC
Excerpt:
For the span of three very long seconds Sherlock’s mind is a complete blank, a void. Under different circumstances the experience might be pleasant, peaceful, but there’s no comfort in it now. When it ends he decides that the sensation must be what it feels like to fall from a terrifying height, and for the briefest of moments he actually feels a pang of sympathy for James Moriarty.
MYSTERY
Gen
"The Poster Girl" by stardust-made offers a long, satisfying mystery with too many suspects and too many possible motives. The novel also follows John and Sherlock's developing friendship.
Rated R. About 65,000 words.
Excerpt:
They looked at each other, minds working. Sherlock suddenly clasped his hands.
“I’ll go get my scarf-“
John let out a quick outburst of sardonic laughter. “Don’t even think about it!”
“Come on, John!”
“No way am I strangling you in the middle of our sitting room-and no! No, no!” John waved both of his hands for emphasis. “We are not going to the forest. I’m not strangling you anywhere.”
“I wasn’t going to suggest we go to the forest,” Sherlock muttered, looking crestfallen.
“Yes, you were. Moving on.”
You must read "The Green Blade", the first long foray into gen fic by slash writer Verity Burns, and leave comments encouraging her to write more!
The novel starts with Sherlock having been banned from crime scenes due to some disagreement with Donovan; we know it must be serious, but we don't find out right away what it is. A new serial killer forces Lestrade to call Sherlock despite the ban. We get wonderful character development for Sherlock, John, and Sally Donovan. We also get an intriguing mystery that I ought to have solved but didn't, and plenty of action and suspense.
Rated Teen. 73,000 words.
Warning: a drawing that some of you might not want to pull up at work or in front of a small child is the header for the LJ of verityburns. I was quite surprised by the header the first time I saw it, so I didn't want to spring it on you unwarned. This link goes to first installment; her fic index shows all the links, but you have to go down the page to find it by title.
Excerpt:
"You're not bored, you're frustrated," John replied, still focused on the screen of his laptop and trying to remember what he had been about to write.
Sherlock said nothing, but he said it in such a way that John found it impossible to concentrate. Sighing, he gave up on his blog for now and turned to meet that inquisitive gaze.
"If you were truly bored, you wouldn't have got dressed," he pointed out, enjoying the slight rise of Sherlock's eyebrows at his deduction. "You're perched on the edge of that seat, waiting for Lestrade to relent and call you in over this 'Week-Ender' case, and ready to leap into action if he does." He smiled at the resultant indignant look. "After the obligatory show of indifference, of course," he added.
Sherlock was torn between pride and petulance, not that he would have admitted to either. He turned back around and deliberately settled more comfortably into his chair, forcing his restless limbs to be still.
That lasted for two and a half minutes.
"One more body should do it," he announced, fingers now drumming against the armrests. "The media are already in a frenzy after three and the police are fobbing them off. One more should tip the scales." He leaned forward again, resting his elbows on his knees. "Is that too much to ask?"
John was uncomfortably aware that this sentiment would once have shocked him. Sometimes he worried that instead of raising Sherlock's understanding of acceptable behaviour, their prolonged association was merely diminishing his own.
"So, we're actually hoping for someone to be stabbed to death now, are we?" he asked, feeling that a token protest should be made.
This novel also has one of my all-time favorite single lines in a Sherlock fanfic, but I fear I can't quote it lest it give something away. (I might quote it in the comments! Be warned!)
Gen-focused (some het)
I can't call this fic "gen," yet to call it "het" would be to distort the focus of the story.
"Tear Up Your List" by innie_darling is darker than I usually like. Yet the mystery and drama are very well done, the writing is excellent, and the characterization is compelling.
Rated R. About 30,000 words.
Highlight for spoilery warnings that are, I hope, invisible if you're not highlighting.
Warnings: death of secondary canon character; violence
Excerpt:
. . . Moriarty had decided to move their tête-à-tête forward by means of handwritten notes delivered by post. Not even Mycroft could have traced all of them, delivered as they were by a number of carriers, their times of receipt varying by as much as six hours and hindered by shift changes, unpredictable weather, and holiday schedules. And not even Mycroft's bloody assistant, so very up to the minute with all her gadgetry, could reverse the flow of her abilities in order to get an advance look at any of the notes; her BlackBerry gave her access to all of MI6's most secret surveillance files, but the simplicity of pen and paper defeated her.
Sherlock loved it, seeing the top-shelf, cloth-like stationery overlaid with the rather decorative script of Jim's hand rendered in a particularly opaque black ink. There was a definite satisfaction in holding something that the man he would destroy had held only hours before. Each of them started the same way - My Dear - and there the satisfaction ceased; Sherlock could not help remembering Moriarty's grating voice uttering those syllables, smiling as he contemplated the destruction of John Watson, the first domino to knock flat if he wanted to defeat Sherlock Holmes.