Big Bang rec time!
Starting with my top three favorites:
1. The Outlaw Dean Winchester by runedgirl
(nc17, wincest, minor other OC pairings, 36,900 words)
Samuel Colt rides into Lawrence on May 2, 1887, long legs nearly wrapping around the belly of his bay mare, black duster caked with the reddish silt of the trail. He's the Pinkerton Agency's best, determined to take down the gang of outlaws and their notorious leader...When Sam and Dean’s loyalty to each other keeps them saying no to Michael and Lucifer, Zachariah sets out to prove that it’s only out of a twisted sense of obligation. That if they weren’t brothers, what would be between the Winchesters would be nothing like love.
Finished this one last night and asl;jdf so awesome. Sam and Dean on horses is like the one thing I always request people to write for me, and added with the fact that they're honest to god cowboys, this wa right up my alley. And it's scorching hot all the way through, even though the actual porn isn't until closer to the end. I loved runedgirl's two demon!dean fics and this one doesn't disappoint either.
2. The Vernacular Process by rei_c
(r, wincest, 27k)
On summer vacation, Sam and a college friend head down to the Atlantic South. What happens in South Carolina stays in South Carolina -- and, as Sam finds out, has happened over and over and over again. Will this turn out to be a curse or a blessing in disguise, and how will Dean feel about it -- once he finds out?
I'm not sure I've ever really advertised how much I love South Carolina. It's been ten years since the last time I was there but I still think about it all the time. Such a beautiful place with history that I can just roll around in. And this fic works that history right in. Love the idea of Sam and Dean being destined together no matter what time period they're in.
3. Apocalypse Z by baylorsr
(pg-13, Gen!, ZOMBIES, ~21k)
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.
This is that zombie fic you've been waiting for. Hilarious and fast-paced, it's totally worth reading.
4. [I don't wnt to] set the world on fire by ebcdic
(nc17, jared/jensen, ~20k)
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?
FALLOUT 3 AU FUCK YEAH. As a gamer, this fic calls back to pretty much ALL the cool parts of that game. As someone with no clue about any of the game, it also does a good job of building the atmosphere well enough that you understand the gritty reality of it.
5. The Theory of Relativity by wutendeskind
(nc17, wincest, sam/jess, 20k)
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.
Yeah, this is that author!Sam fic. I think it's best summed up in the line Sam says near the end: “I wrote you a fucking three hundred and fifty page love letter, Dean.”
6. One Thing I Don't Believe In by essenceofmeanin
(nc17, light dean/castiel)
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.
This was the first big bang I read for some strange reason, and the first saved. The way Dean has this completely different life but is still so utterly DEAN is perfect, and when he starts to remember these pieces of his other life and Castiel, it all fits together quite nicely.
7. Waiting for the Hint of a Spark by edenbound
(link is to dreamwidth, pg13, Gen!)
When Lucifer rises, Dean gets blinded. Of course, that doesn't stop people from thinking he's still meant to save the world. Oh, and God's an asshole.
blind!Dean. Do I need to elaborate? I thought this one did a good job with how helpless Dean would feel at being blind.
8. The Minor Fall and the Major Lift by withdiamonds
(r, wincest, 26k, character death)
When Sam dies bloody in the mud at Cold Oak, he faces a choice. His soul can move on to wherever it is souls go, or he can stay and try to help his brother deal. Sam refuses to leave Dean alone with his grief and so he stays, hoping his presence will ease Dean's pain. There's really nothing that can do that, though, and Sam's unseen presence only makes things worse. Then Dean goes and finds himself a crossroads demon.
Basically a retelling of All Hell Breaks Loose part 2, from both perspectives. Took me a bit to get into this story, the writing is choppy to fit the sense of the scene, but it packs the punch just as hard as that episode does, with just the little twist.
Aaaand I saved a few more but I think this is plenty. Right now my to-read list is at 17. We'll see. I haven't saved hardly any of the J2 fic since it's not usually my thing, but I'll probably come back to it later.
1. The Outlaw Dean Winchester by runedgirl
(nc17, wincest, minor other OC pairings, 36,900 words)
Samuel Colt rides into Lawrence on May 2, 1887, long legs nearly wrapping around the belly of his bay mare, black duster caked with the reddish silt of the trail. He's the Pinkerton Agency's best, determined to take down the gang of outlaws and their notorious leader...When Sam and Dean’s loyalty to each other keeps them saying no to Michael and Lucifer, Zachariah sets out to prove that it’s only out of a twisted sense of obligation. That if they weren’t brothers, what would be between the Winchesters would be nothing like love.
Finished this one last night and asl;jdf so awesome. Sam and Dean on horses is like the one thing I always request people to write for me, and added with the fact that they're honest to god cowboys, this wa right up my alley. And it's scorching hot all the way through, even though the actual porn isn't until closer to the end. I loved runedgirl's two demon!dean fics and this one doesn't disappoint either.
2. The Vernacular Process by rei_c
(r, wincest, 27k)
On summer vacation, Sam and a college friend head down to the Atlantic South. What happens in South Carolina stays in South Carolina -- and, as Sam finds out, has happened over and over and over again. Will this turn out to be a curse or a blessing in disguise, and how will Dean feel about it -- once he finds out?
I'm not sure I've ever really advertised how much I love South Carolina. It's been ten years since the last time I was there but I still think about it all the time. Such a beautiful place with history that I can just roll around in. And this fic works that history right in. Love the idea of Sam and Dean being destined together no matter what time period they're in.
3. Apocalypse Z by baylorsr
(pg-13, Gen!, ZOMBIES, ~21k)
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.
This is that zombie fic you've been waiting for. Hilarious and fast-paced, it's totally worth reading.
4. [I don't wnt to] set the world on fire by ebcdic
(nc17, jared/jensen, ~20k)
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?
FALLOUT 3 AU FUCK YEAH. As a gamer, this fic calls back to pretty much ALL the cool parts of that game. As someone with no clue about any of the game, it also does a good job of building the atmosphere well enough that you understand the gritty reality of it.
5. The Theory of Relativity by wutendeskind
(nc17, wincest, sam/jess, 20k)
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.
Yeah, this is that author!Sam fic. I think it's best summed up in the line Sam says near the end: “I wrote you a fucking three hundred and fifty page love letter, Dean.”
6. One Thing I Don't Believe In by essenceofmeanin
(nc17, light dean/castiel)
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.
This was the first big bang I read for some strange reason, and the first saved. The way Dean has this completely different life but is still so utterly DEAN is perfect, and when he starts to remember these pieces of his other life and Castiel, it all fits together quite nicely.
7. Waiting for the Hint of a Spark by edenbound
(link is to dreamwidth, pg13, Gen!)
When Lucifer rises, Dean gets blinded. Of course, that doesn't stop people from thinking he's still meant to save the world. Oh, and God's an asshole.
blind!Dean. Do I need to elaborate? I thought this one did a good job with how helpless Dean would feel at being blind.
8. The Minor Fall and the Major Lift by withdiamonds
(r, wincest, 26k, character death)
When Sam dies bloody in the mud at Cold Oak, he faces a choice. His soul can move on to wherever it is souls go, or he can stay and try to help his brother deal. Sam refuses to leave Dean alone with his grief and so he stays, hoping his presence will ease Dean's pain. There's really nothing that can do that, though, and Sam's unseen presence only makes things worse. Then Dean goes and finds himself a crossroads demon.
Basically a retelling of All Hell Breaks Loose part 2, from both perspectives. Took me a bit to get into this story, the writing is choppy to fit the sense of the scene, but it packs the punch just as hard as that episode does, with just the little twist.
Aaaand I saved a few more but I think this is plenty. Right now my to-read list is at 17. We'll see. I haven't saved hardly any of the J2 fic since it's not usually my thing, but I'll probably come back to it later.