things you should read
I was fortunate enough to win longsufferingly's fic auction for help_japan. I suggested a few prompts, including J2 AU inspired by Asimov's Caves of Steel series. She took that one and ran with it and did her usual phenomenal job, despite never actually having read Asimov. Look What They Made has a fantastic Jensen POV, good plot, and exploration of some classic sci-fi ideas. I love it. :)
madame_meretrix is clever. (She's also kind and funny and makes a great tour guide, but that's not quite as relevant right now.) Her fics often have a reality to them that set them apart. You may not be able to put your finger on exactly what gives them that ring of truth, because she doesn't beat you over the head with gender theory or identity issues or what have you; rather, she tells a compelling story and lets the characters unfold themselves naturally. (You may realize, later on, that you learned something, but it will be a pleasant surprise.)
She does self-discovery particularly well. If you missed Take the Hit last year, in which Jared learns that everyone has some kind of baggage, it's just a matter of how you learn to let it go, you should remedy that. And this year, her spn_j2_bigbang story Don't Hide Your Light gives us a Jensen who's known Jared all his life, but doesn't really know himself. It is a lovely read and has it all: good characterization, moments of hilarity and delight, enough angst to be real and interesting, enough schmoop to satisfy [me, anyway], hot sex, and a fun supporting cast (which, naturally, includes JDM since this is Meretrix we're talking about. ;)
madame_meretrix is clever. (She's also kind and funny and makes a great tour guide, but that's not quite as relevant right now.) Her fics often have a reality to them that set them apart. You may not be able to put your finger on exactly what gives them that ring of truth, because she doesn't beat you over the head with gender theory or identity issues or what have you; rather, she tells a compelling story and lets the characters unfold themselves naturally. (You may realize, later on, that you learned something, but it will be a pleasant surprise.)
She does self-discovery particularly well. If you missed Take the Hit last year, in which Jared learns that everyone has some kind of baggage, it's just a matter of how you learn to let it go, you should remedy that. And this year, her spn_j2_bigbang story Don't Hide Your Light gives us a Jensen who's known Jared all his life, but doesn't really know himself. It is a lovely read and has it all: good characterization, moments of hilarity and delight, enough angst to be real and interesting, enough schmoop to satisfy [me, anyway], hot sex, and a fun supporting cast (which, naturally, includes JDM since this is Meretrix we're talking about. ;)