21 recs in rare-ish fandoms! Seriously, I need to do smaller sets....
For my policy on things such as spoilers, warning, and ratings, please see [ my policy post].
A rash of new shows have shown up on my flist and Yuletide has begun. So how about some recs for small fandoms? And some for fandoms which aren't small but that I don't read much in. I had intended to put links to canon for the rarer ones, and to sort the recs somewhat (like keeping the fairy tale fandoms together), but this is kind of an insanely long set as is, so I decided to go see what desert was in the kitchen instead. ETA: If you saw the version before I ran spell-check, can you just pretend that you didn't see it?
Story: Moving Apart
Author: Elvenpiratelady
Fandom: I'm not quite sure what to put this under-- geography? geology? original fiction?
etc.: PG-13, 486 words, Australia/Antarctica, Australia/Antarctica/India, Australia/New Zealand, Australia/Tasmania, Australia/Indonesia
Contains: not recommended for geologists or anyone really patriotic [to Australia].
Author's Notes: Not so much a relationship fic as a detailing of Australia's various conquests. My country is a right bastard when it comes to love. This is being posted in honour of the geology exam I had earlier today, and is dedicated to my lecturer, whose description of Antarctica 'nestled in the Great Australian Bight' was what inspired this in the first place.
First line: Australia sat disconsolately in the middle of the Indian Ocean. [no author summary given.]
My Notes: I love this, it's awesome.
Why it fits: Geography fic! Yay! Sadly, not a large fandom by any means :(
Story: Wandering
Author: HZ (hetrez)
Fandom: Geology or maybe Planetary Science. Or Space Science? Also, original fic. Also could be called Real Planetary Bodies Fic (but RPBF just looks weird).
etc.: Gen, Earth + comet friendship, G, 1000 words.
Author's Summary: The comet swerved around her, as if they were dancing, and in a moment it was gone.
My Notes: It's anthropomorphic fic of a comet and the Earth! How is this not awesome! This is incredibly sweet and a poignant.
Why it fits: Sadly, solar system fanfic is not a large fandom :( :(
Story: Appetite
Author: [resonant] // resonant8 //
resonant
Fandom, etc.: Harry Potter/Ratatouille, Snape (sort of-- it's complicated-- aka Anton Ergo)/Horst, NC-17, 2,700 words
Author's Summary: Snape's happy ending requires him to start again in another story.
My Notes: A fun fic that I read solely on the basis of being intrigued by the crossover that Resonant had chosen. It really works surprisingly well, too! Interestingly enough, though food plays a role in this fic, I don't consider it as central a theme as other fics I have recced as food!fics. I'm guessing it's because here food stands for food (generally), not home or love or something. ([Story Notes], which you might want to give a look over before reading the story if it's been a while since you saw Ratatouille.)
Why it fits: This is far more a Ratatouille fic than an HP fic, the only element of HP is Snape himself. And I assume Ratatouille is a small fandom.
Story: Frog Prince
Author: MK mklutz
Fandom, etc.: Ella Enchanted (the book version), gen, G, short
Podfic: [mp3], read by the author, 6:54
First line: Sugar and spice and all things nice were what little girls were supposed to be made of, but Ella had chewed thoroughly on her arm for an entire afternoon when she was four and had come to disagree. [no author summary given.]
My Notes (story): A nice bit of child!Ella and Mandy interacting.
My Notes (podfic): The reading is fine, but do note that if you are listening to it, the first bit isn't story, it's a quote. (That has confused me so many times *shakes head* you think I'd learn, wouldn't you?)
Why it fits: This book is great fun but this is the only fanfic for it I've ever read.
Story: Nine Six
Author: sam-storyteller//copperbadge
Fandom, etc.: Studio 60, gen, PG-13, 1 LJ post long
Contains: Natural disaster (severe earthquake), but most of the immediate effects are off-screen. (Author notes: This is, I hope, a happy story, but not one I ever hope will come true.)
Author's Summary: The worst happens. But you have to laugh. You have to.
My Notes: A very large earthquake hits LA. The Studio 60 team deals. And they do a show, because they can. No canon knowledge is necessary (what I know of this is: there's banter because it's a Sorkin show (so I pretend it's Sports Night, but with different people), it's about making a TV show of some sort, or so I infer from the title of the show). This fic will resonate with anyone who's been in a natural disaster, or been outside the affected area but had a loved one inside, or even simply watched one unfold on the TV. The very end, plus the final author's note, made me tear up. Actually, scratch that, I start tearing up mid-way through, when they decide to put on a show the evening of the day that started with a 9.6 earthquake. Because this is part of what it means to be human, to me. You laugh because otherwise you'd cry. And when pick up and carry on in the face of everything else that's being a hero and being human at the same time. I'm not sure if I'm expressing myself right here. Point being, lovely story.
Why it fits: This is not a fandom I ever seek out (I wander across it occasionally), so it's rare to me, and judging from it's Yuletide eligibility this year, it's rare to other people too.
Story: Butter Side Up
Author:
toft //toft-froggy
Fandom, etc.: Mythbusters RPF, Jamie/Adam, 800 words, rated um, PG for hot toast-on-jam action?
Author's Summary: Jamie is toast; Adam is jam. This is a crack AU. For reals.
My Notes: Heee! Simply deliciously delightful. And it's great fun to look at how toft adapts the characterisation of the guys into this new setting. So it's crack with great characterisation and reflection upon canon. And for those of you who get sad when your anthropomorphic main characters are a specific loaf of bread (and thus will be entirely consumed and thus it's sort of like character death!), have no fears! It seems that Jamie is all loaves of one sort of bread (and Adam likewise)!
Why it fits: While I'm hoping Mythbusters fandom grows, right now it's really small.
Story: Straight Man
Author:
toft //toft-froggy
Fandom, etc.: Mythbusters RPF, PG for language, 4,555 words. This is, I guess, pre-slash, or maybe pre-pre-slash, or queer gen, depending on what you think happens!
Author's Summary: Jamie tells Adam something about himself. Adam perhaps doesn't react too well.
My Notes: This is a more serious fic than the above. In it Jamie comes out to Adam and the fic is about Adam processing that in fine Adam-fashion. Very well-done
Why it fits: See above.
Story: Picspam for showing G. Callen/Sam Hanna in NCIS:LA
Author: gabriellemb
Fandom, etc.: NCIS:LA, G. Callen/Sam Hanna, lots of screen caps, some words, rated TV show
Author's Summary: The show is really, really, ridiculously slashy. I'm not kidding.
My Notes: Is it weird to be reccing a 'this is why you should ship these guys' for a show I'm not even watching? Whatever, I enjoyed it. Good times! And the poster makes a good case for these two guys caring deeply about each other. And gives you various bits of background,
Why it fits: New fandom, small (even if it's growing), and I'll be poking around the edges of it but not hanging out enough to build up many recs.
Story: Semi-Permanent Markers
Author:
lynnmonster
Fandom, etc.: NCIS:LA, G/Sam, PG, 1,947 words
Contains: Very brief mention of past physical abuse
Author's Summary: another NCIS:LA story that is all about tattoos, wardrobe, and housing issues.
My Notes: This story flows really well and shows the boys' relationship off well, I think.
Why it fits: See above.
Story: The Most Unlikely Creature Imaginable
Author: mahaliem
Fandom, etc.: Smallville/LOTR fusion/xover thing, Clark/Lex, PG, 1 LJ post long
Author's Summary: aka - How to Make a Really Long Story Short
My Notes: Wherein Frodo is out when Gandalf comes calling and so his adopted cousin Clark goes questing instead. This story is full of funny. :)
Why it fits: I don't read in LOTR fandom and while I've read a lot of Smallville and intend to do some recs some day, SV isn't on any of my in-progress lists. So I'll classify both these fandoms as rare-to-my-recs.
Story: Five Times Fernando Sucre Pretended to Have Sex With Michael Scofield
Author:
thingswithwings // thingswithwings
Fandom, etc.: Prison Break, Sucre/Scofield, S for the sexing, ~4600 words
Contains: It's set vaguely in season one, in Fox River, but doesn't really spoil you for anything except maybe "they're trying to break out of prison."
First lines: "Just hang a sheet, Sucre. I'll be back in twenty minutes." // Fernando doesn't even bother to protest, just lets down the sheet that Michael taped to the wall last week ("It's simpler this way, Sucre") and helps him pull the toilet out ("I need to find the southern tier electrical control, Sucre") and watches as Michael disappears into the wall, leaving him with nothing but a sheet between him and discovery. It's the middle of the day; the guards could come by anytime, and he doesn't have the first clue in hell why Michael needs to get to that electrical control box ("It's better for you if you don't know, Sucre"). [no author summary given.]
My Notes: There is a surprising amount of character work in such a short piece. I love the contrast of the pretend!sex with the actual!sex. One is very clearly performance art and the other is a personal act. The kink_bingo prompt 'silence' is very well used. Zero fandom knowledge is needed.
Why it fits: This is a fandom that counts as rare for me to rec since I have approximately zero desire to see the canon of this show or to read the fic. But Fish! you might say, You've clearly read this, since you are reccing it? To which I would respond: I was enticed by the lure of pretend-sexing and thingswithwings. And it was good :)
Story: Barefoot Girl
Author: kalquessa
Fandom, etc.: Supernatural/The Time Traveler's Wife, PG, Gen, angst, self-indulgent cuteness, 11,547 words, Dean Winchester, Alba DeTamble (Sam shows up a few times and gets talked about quite a bit)
Contains: Starts pre-series and goes through S2's "Houses of the Holy." Spoils a few things about the book, but I don't think reading this would by any means ruin you if you were planning to read the novel at some point in the future. mentions of canonical character death (for both fandoms)
First line: The first time Dean meets Alba, she sees him first. [no author summary given.]
My Notes: I think I fell in love with this story from the title and it only continued the longer I read. But there's Alba, popping in and out of Dean's life with her sass and matter-of-fact-ness and it's really quite wonderful. I love how Dean is confused and then learns to roll with it and how Sam is 'WTF? Appearing girl!' and Dean and Alba are all 'oh hai wazzup'. And I really, really love Alba. This story is sweet but not sappy.
Why it fits: Time Traveler's Wife is evidently a romance book :( (and here I'd been hoping for scifi based on the crossovers I'd read). And whilst I rec quite a lot of SPN, I somehow have forgotten to rec this one. So I figured, my recs list, my rules! :P
ETA: 'Verse: There's a snippet which takes place later on [ And Sings the Tune Without the Word]
Story: Knight of the Living Dead [ on LJ ] or [ on DW ]
Author: the-antichris //
the-antichris
Fandom, etc.: Tortall, gen, 690 words, rated PG? Z for zombies?
Contains: zombies!
Author's Summary: Exactly what it says on the tin.
My Notes: I don't like zombies and I haven't read much (any?) Tortall fanfic, but when I saw this show up as a 'today I completed this!' link at wrisomifu I clicked. And hey, not so bad! I firmly believe that the good guys (here defined by the very crazy criterion of 'not dead or otherwise undead') can prevail against the zombies and also there's not overmuch description of animated decaying corpses, so that's two of my big 'reasons I dislike reading zombies' that are taken care of. And then the story manages to have be about Kel having courage and determination and learning to be a knight. So I'm reccing it even though there's Zombies.
Why it fits: Tortall is a fandom I'm unlikely to revisit with any frequency.
Story: Once Upon A Time
Author: winkingstar (fic journal: star-language)
Fandom: Technically, pre-series to [Riese], but I'm also listing it under 'folktales etc' and 'Little Red Riding Hood'
etc.: G, gen, ~500 words
Author's Summary: A dark forest, a wolf, and a girl in a red cloak.
My Notes: A lovely spin on one possible might-have-been for Red Riding Hood had the wolf been good. But what really makes this fic is the last part, where the narrator steps back and reflects upon how the tales have changed (or not) through time. Simply lovely. (You might have noticed that oral traditions and the power of stories ranks right up there with stories about food in terms of things which I love. And this is such a well-done example!)
Why it fits: This fandom is so brand new that the first episode aired just a few days (or maybe a week, depending on how prompt I am) ago. Bitty little fandom, yeah? I'm hoping that reccing it about will cause more interest.
Canon links: [ Riese, official website.] And [trailer for the series, on YouTube, 1:19] and [first episode available on YouTube (9:04)], next episode comes out 16 Nov.
Story: There's No Such Thing As Daniel Jackson [single-page version] or [ at LJ]
Author: eleveninches
Fandom, etc.: SG1&SGA 'verse, McKay/Sheppard, looooong
Contains: Spoilers for SG-1-- 5x21 Meridian, 6x01/02 Redemption, 6x21 Prophecy, 6x22 Full Circle, 7x01 Fallen, 7x21/22 Lost City, 8x19/20 Moebius, 9x01 Avalon; SGA-- 1x01/02 Rising, 1x08 Home, and 3x09 Phantoms. (Note that I did not have time to reread this before putting it on this rec set)
Author's Summary: Six months after a devastating attack against Earth, Sheppard gets a promotion and a reassignment to Russia, where he encounters evil aliens, Rodney McKay, SG-1, a possible plot against him -- and a series of unexplained visions. Alternate Universe.
My Notes: I love the sweeping plot of this, that there are lots characters (not in a confusing way! in a 'this story takes many people to tell' sort of way!) and they are well-characterised, and the changes that have undergone on Earth as a result of Apophis's attack. I've found myself chortling at remembered passages of Teal'c & Sheppard interactions (her Teal'c characterisation is awesome) months later (yeah, and you try explaining that to your friends when you're re-watching the SG1 episode in question).
Why it fits: Even though I love SG1 (even with all it's problems), I've never really enjoyed the fanfic-- most of what I've found in it has been epically angsty-- so I'm unlikely to rec it with any frequency.
Story: they care, so I don't have to
Author: oxoniensis
Fandom, etc.: Better Off Ted, Ted, Veronica, Lem, Phil, Linda, PG, 2,820 words
Contains: spoilers up to 1x03
First line: There's a new sculpture in the parking lot when Ted pulls in. It's very large, very shiny, and very phallic. [no author summary given.]
My Notes: Do you want to know what an episode of 'Better Off Ted' is like? It's like this, exactly like this. :) This captures very well the sense of ... insanity? irreverence? complete crack? ... that the show has.
Why it fits: I rather dislike fandoms that have more than one word in their name, it makes trolling for fics on delicious more difficult. *sigh* Anyway, near as I can tell, these three fics are the only fanfic for 'Better Off Ted'. I like the show and wouldn't mind if there was more of a fandom for it (it's just finished it's first year), but I'm predicting (with my mad predicting powers) that this will remain a minor-to-intermediate fandom, rather like Psych in size. I'm just waiting for the OTT Lem/Phil fic. It's so very textual that one of my non-fannishly inclined friend sees it and has asked me if there's slash fic about them yet.
Story: all very pc, of course
Author: oxoniensis
Fandom, etc.: Better Off Ted, Ted, Veronica, Lem, Phil, Linda, Rose, PG, 1,011 words.
First line: "We want to put Phil into orbit," Veronica announces. Ted has been at work for three minutes; he hasn't even made it as far as his office. [no author summary given.]
My Notes: Crack like the show is crack.
Why it fits: see above
Story: honesty: the very best policy
Author: falseeeyelashes
Fandom, etc.: Better Off Ted, ted/veronica (I read it as gen). rated pg. 1180 words.
Contains: vague spoilers through 1.06. Some kissing (that would have have become more, if not interrupted) under the influence of random-lab-chemical.
Author's Summary: at veridian, we pride ourselves on being truthful - as well as using said truthfulness against our enemies.
My Notes: Silly and amusing. Given the irreverent tone of the canon it's hard to take anything seriously, ever.
Why it fits: see above.
Story: On The Run From The Lunar Mafia
Author: sam-storyteller//copperbadge
Fandom: Some combination of Torchwood (RPF), Doctor Who (RPF), Captain Jack Harkness (RPF).
etc.: gen, PG-13 (language), 1 LJ post long.
Author's Summary: Gareth David-Lloyd's quiet evening is interrupted by time travel. And robots.
My Notes: Between the title and the summary there should be enough detail to explain why I like this fic :) Also, it should be readable even by those who mind RPF as there's enough crack running around to make it noticeably not our reality.
Why it fits: Another fandom which is so rare to me that I have no idea how big the fandom proper is. I only read this one because it was Sam and because the summary looked like there might be crack and because in the maybe week between when it was posted and when I read it I ran across two or three recs for it. So I decided to give it a whirl. Yay, crack!
Story: There's No Backing Up Now
Author: themadlurker
Fandom, etc.: Computer program fic, Google Desktop/Norton AntiVirus, PG-13 for anthropomorphic innuendo, 1,450 words
Author's Summary: Maybe if it had known, from the start, what a bad influence Google Desktop was going to be on it, the Norton AntiVirus program wouldn't have gotten involved in the first place. But now Norton is in too deep, and it's going to have to take the consequences of their forbidden love.
My Notes: Awesome! Also, I knew Google Desktop wasn't to be trusted, ha!
Why it fits: Rare fandom.
Story: Chicago's Most Wanted
Author: Speranza
Fandom, etc.: dueSouth, Fraser/Ray Kowalski, rated adult, 44k words
Podfic: [mp3] and [m4b] read by zabira, 5:11:12
Author's Summary: Before you read the story, I'd like you to ask yourself: "So, if it ends up being a little bit like "The Usual Suspects" meets "The Fugitive" meets "The Sound of Music"-well, is that really a *bad* thing?"
My Notes (story): I'm fairly certain everyone has already read this story, it's that awesome. But hey, in case there's someone who hasn't (And you don't need to know any dS!), I may as well rec it also. To understand my love for this, you must understand two things: (a) I love it when there are characters in a relationship (romantic or not) who are on opposite sides and (b) I love it when a character goes undercover/assumes a new identity and no-one recognises him. And this story has both! Fraser goes undercover at a prison to get close to a mob guy who's in there, but he gets a knock on his head and can't remember hardly anything. So when presented with his rap sheet he decides to bust out, along with his cell mate. And then the join back up with the cell mate's gang and then Fraser takes over and is just as awesome and methodical at that as you'd expect your favourite Mountie to be. Aaaaand he remembers Ray sort-of, but decides that they're partners not partners and, oh, it's great. My one big complaint with the story is that Part 1 (of 4 parts + epilogue) chronologically takes place between parts 2&3 and it's really damn confusing as-is, since that's the *only* time jump in the entire story, so I'd recommending reading in this order: 2/1/3/4/ep.
My Notes (podfic): I somehow haven't managed to listen to this podfic yet! :( I shall have to fix that! But I have heard good things about it.
Why it fits: Due South is not a fandom I'm much interested in, for whatever reason. I may have read a decent amount of dS, but most of it hasn't really gripped me. I think this might be one of those times that I need to know the canon to really care about the characters.
As usual, if I have any inaccuracies, broken links, or missing info (especially podfics, DVD commentaries, and sequels/prequels), please let me know.
A rash of new shows have shown up on my flist and Yuletide has begun. So how about some recs for small fandoms? And some for fandoms which aren't small but that I don't read much in. I had intended to put links to canon for the rarer ones, and to sort the recs somewhat (like keeping the fairy tale fandoms together), but this is kind of an insanely long set as is, so I decided to go see what desert was in the kitchen instead. ETA: If you saw the version before I ran spell-check, can you just pretend that you didn't see it?
Story: Moving Apart
Author: Elvenpiratelady
Fandom: I'm not quite sure what to put this under-- geography? geology? original fiction?
etc.: PG-13, 486 words, Australia/Antarctica, Australia/Antarctica/India, Australia/New Zealand, Australia/Tasmania, Australia/Indonesia
Contains: not recommended for geologists or anyone really patriotic [to Australia].
Author's Notes: Not so much a relationship fic as a detailing of Australia's various conquests. My country is a right bastard when it comes to love. This is being posted in honour of the geology exam I had earlier today, and is dedicated to my lecturer, whose description of Antarctica 'nestled in the Great Australian Bight' was what inspired this in the first place.
First line: Australia sat disconsolately in the middle of the Indian Ocean. [no author summary given.]
My Notes: I love this, it's awesome.
Why it fits: Geography fic! Yay! Sadly, not a large fandom by any means :(
Story: Wandering
Author: HZ (hetrez)
Fandom: Geology or maybe Planetary Science. Or Space Science? Also, original fic. Also could be called Real Planetary Bodies Fic (but RPBF just looks weird).
etc.: Gen, Earth + comet friendship, G, 1000 words.
Author's Summary: The comet swerved around her, as if they were dancing, and in a moment it was gone.
My Notes: It's anthropomorphic fic of a comet and the Earth! How is this not awesome! This is incredibly sweet and a poignant.
Why it fits: Sadly, solar system fanfic is not a large fandom :( :(
Story: Appetite
Author: [resonant] // resonant8 //
resonant
Fandom, etc.: Harry Potter/Ratatouille, Snape (sort of-- it's complicated-- aka Anton Ergo)/Horst, NC-17, 2,700 words
Author's Summary: Snape's happy ending requires him to start again in another story.
My Notes: A fun fic that I read solely on the basis of being intrigued by the crossover that Resonant had chosen. It really works surprisingly well, too! Interestingly enough, though food plays a role in this fic, I don't consider it as central a theme as other fics I have recced as food!fics. I'm guessing it's because here food stands for food (generally), not home or love or something. ([Story Notes], which you might want to give a look over before reading the story if it's been a while since you saw Ratatouille.)
Why it fits: This is far more a Ratatouille fic than an HP fic, the only element of HP is Snape himself. And I assume Ratatouille is a small fandom.
Story: Frog Prince
Author: MK mklutz
Fandom, etc.: Ella Enchanted (the book version), gen, G, short
Podfic: [mp3], read by the author, 6:54
First line: Sugar and spice and all things nice were what little girls were supposed to be made of, but Ella had chewed thoroughly on her arm for an entire afternoon when she was four and had come to disagree. [no author summary given.]
My Notes (story): A nice bit of child!Ella and Mandy interacting.
My Notes (podfic): The reading is fine, but do note that if you are listening to it, the first bit isn't story, it's a quote. (That has confused me so many times *shakes head* you think I'd learn, wouldn't you?)
Why it fits: This book is great fun but this is the only fanfic for it I've ever read.
Story: Nine Six
Author: sam-storyteller//copperbadge
Fandom, etc.: Studio 60, gen, PG-13, 1 LJ post long
Contains: Natural disaster (severe earthquake), but most of the immediate effects are off-screen. (Author notes: This is, I hope, a happy story, but not one I ever hope will come true.)
Author's Summary: The worst happens. But you have to laugh. You have to.
My Notes: A very large earthquake hits LA. The Studio 60 team deals. And they do a show, because they can. No canon knowledge is necessary (what I know of this is: there's banter because it's a Sorkin show (so I pretend it's Sports Night, but with different people), it's about making a TV show of some sort, or so I infer from the title of the show). This fic will resonate with anyone who's been in a natural disaster, or been outside the affected area but had a loved one inside, or even simply watched one unfold on the TV. The very end, plus the final author's note, made me tear up. Actually, scratch that, I start tearing up mid-way through, when they decide to put on a show the evening of the day that started with a 9.6 earthquake. Because this is part of what it means to be human, to me. You laugh because otherwise you'd cry. And when pick up and carry on in the face of everything else that's being a hero and being human at the same time. I'm not sure if I'm expressing myself right here. Point being, lovely story.
Why it fits: This is not a fandom I ever seek out (I wander across it occasionally), so it's rare to me, and judging from it's Yuletide eligibility this year, it's rare to other people too.
Story: Butter Side Up
Author:
toft //toft-froggy
Fandom, etc.: Mythbusters RPF, Jamie/Adam, 800 words, rated um, PG for hot toast-on-jam action?
Author's Summary: Jamie is toast; Adam is jam. This is a crack AU. For reals.
My Notes: Heee! Simply deliciously delightful. And it's great fun to look at how toft adapts the characterisation of the guys into this new setting. So it's crack with great characterisation and reflection upon canon. And for those of you who get sad when your anthropomorphic main characters are a specific loaf of bread (and thus will be entirely consumed and thus it's sort of like character death!), have no fears! It seems that Jamie is all loaves of one sort of bread (and Adam likewise)!
Why it fits: While I'm hoping Mythbusters fandom grows, right now it's really small.
Story: Straight Man
Author:
toft //toft-froggy
Fandom, etc.: Mythbusters RPF, PG for language, 4,555 words. This is, I guess, pre-slash, or maybe pre-pre-slash, or queer gen, depending on what you think happens!
Author's Summary: Jamie tells Adam something about himself. Adam perhaps doesn't react too well.
My Notes: This is a more serious fic than the above. In it Jamie comes out to Adam and the fic is about Adam processing that in fine Adam-fashion. Very well-done
Why it fits: See above.
Story: Picspam for showing G. Callen/Sam Hanna in NCIS:LA
Author: gabriellemb
Fandom, etc.: NCIS:LA, G. Callen/Sam Hanna, lots of screen caps, some words, rated TV show
Author's Summary: The show is really, really, ridiculously slashy. I'm not kidding.
My Notes: Is it weird to be reccing a 'this is why you should ship these guys' for a show I'm not even watching? Whatever, I enjoyed it. Good times! And the poster makes a good case for these two guys caring deeply about each other. And gives you various bits of background,
Why it fits: New fandom, small (even if it's growing), and I'll be poking around the edges of it but not hanging out enough to build up many recs.
Story: Semi-Permanent Markers
Author:
lynnmonster
Fandom, etc.: NCIS:LA, G/Sam, PG, 1,947 words
Contains: Very brief mention of past physical abuse
Author's Summary: another NCIS:LA story that is all about tattoos, wardrobe, and housing issues.
My Notes: This story flows really well and shows the boys' relationship off well, I think.
Why it fits: See above.
Story: The Most Unlikely Creature Imaginable
Author: mahaliem
Fandom, etc.: Smallville/LOTR fusion/xover thing, Clark/Lex, PG, 1 LJ post long
Author's Summary: aka - How to Make a Really Long Story Short
My Notes: Wherein Frodo is out when Gandalf comes calling and so his adopted cousin Clark goes questing instead. This story is full of funny. :)
Why it fits: I don't read in LOTR fandom and while I've read a lot of Smallville and intend to do some recs some day, SV isn't on any of my in-progress lists. So I'll classify both these fandoms as rare-to-my-recs.
Story: Five Times Fernando Sucre Pretended to Have Sex With Michael Scofield
Author:
thingswithwings // thingswithwings
Fandom, etc.: Prison Break, Sucre/Scofield, S for the sexing, ~4600 words
Contains: It's set vaguely in season one, in Fox River, but doesn't really spoil you for anything except maybe "they're trying to break out of prison."
First lines: "Just hang a sheet, Sucre. I'll be back in twenty minutes." // Fernando doesn't even bother to protest, just lets down the sheet that Michael taped to the wall last week ("It's simpler this way, Sucre") and helps him pull the toilet out ("I need to find the southern tier electrical control, Sucre") and watches as Michael disappears into the wall, leaving him with nothing but a sheet between him and discovery. It's the middle of the day; the guards could come by anytime, and he doesn't have the first clue in hell why Michael needs to get to that electrical control box ("It's better for you if you don't know, Sucre"). [no author summary given.]
My Notes: There is a surprising amount of character work in such a short piece. I love the contrast of the pretend!sex with the actual!sex. One is very clearly performance art and the other is a personal act. The kink_bingo prompt 'silence' is very well used. Zero fandom knowledge is needed.
Why it fits: This is a fandom that counts as rare for me to rec since I have approximately zero desire to see the canon of this show or to read the fic. But Fish! you might say, You've clearly read this, since you are reccing it? To which I would respond: I was enticed by the lure of pretend-sexing and thingswithwings. And it was good :)
Story: Barefoot Girl
Author: kalquessa
Fandom, etc.: Supernatural/The Time Traveler's Wife, PG, Gen, angst, self-indulgent cuteness, 11,547 words, Dean Winchester, Alba DeTamble (Sam shows up a few times and gets talked about quite a bit)
Contains: Starts pre-series and goes through S2's "Houses of the Holy." Spoils a few things about the book, but I don't think reading this would by any means ruin you if you were planning to read the novel at some point in the future. mentions of canonical character death (for both fandoms)
First line: The first time Dean meets Alba, she sees him first. [no author summary given.]
My Notes: I think I fell in love with this story from the title and it only continued the longer I read. But there's Alba, popping in and out of Dean's life with her sass and matter-of-fact-ness and it's really quite wonderful. I love how Dean is confused and then learns to roll with it and how Sam is 'WTF? Appearing girl!' and Dean and Alba are all 'oh hai wazzup'. And I really, really love Alba. This story is sweet but not sappy.
Why it fits: Time Traveler's Wife is evidently a romance book :( (and here I'd been hoping for scifi based on the crossovers I'd read). And whilst I rec quite a lot of SPN, I somehow have forgotten to rec this one. So I figured, my recs list, my rules! :P
ETA: 'Verse: There's a snippet which takes place later on [ And Sings the Tune Without the Word]
Story: Knight of the Living Dead [ on LJ ] or [ on DW ]
Author: the-antichris //
the-antichris
Fandom, etc.: Tortall, gen, 690 words, rated PG? Z for zombies?
Contains: zombies!
Author's Summary: Exactly what it says on the tin.
My Notes: I don't like zombies and I haven't read much (any?) Tortall fanfic, but when I saw this show up as a 'today I completed this!' link at wrisomifu I clicked. And hey, not so bad! I firmly believe that the good guys (here defined by the very crazy criterion of 'not dead or otherwise undead') can prevail against the zombies and also there's not overmuch description of animated decaying corpses, so that's two of my big 'reasons I dislike reading zombies' that are taken care of. And then the story manages to have be about Kel having courage and determination and learning to be a knight. So I'm reccing it even though there's Zombies.
Why it fits: Tortall is a fandom I'm unlikely to revisit with any frequency.
Story: Once Upon A Time
Author: winkingstar (fic journal: star-language)
Fandom: Technically, pre-series to [Riese], but I'm also listing it under 'folktales etc' and 'Little Red Riding Hood'
etc.: G, gen, ~500 words
Author's Summary: A dark forest, a wolf, and a girl in a red cloak.
My Notes: A lovely spin on one possible might-have-been for Red Riding Hood had the wolf been good. But what really makes this fic is the last part, where the narrator steps back and reflects upon how the tales have changed (or not) through time. Simply lovely. (You might have noticed that oral traditions and the power of stories ranks right up there with stories about food in terms of things which I love. And this is such a well-done example!)
Why it fits: This fandom is so brand new that the first episode aired just a few days (or maybe a week, depending on how prompt I am) ago. Bitty little fandom, yeah? I'm hoping that reccing it about will cause more interest.
Canon links: [ Riese, official website.] And [trailer for the series, on YouTube, 1:19] and [first episode available on YouTube (9:04)], next episode comes out 16 Nov.
Story: There's No Such Thing As Daniel Jackson [single-page version] or [ at LJ]
Author: eleveninches
Fandom, etc.: SG1&SGA 'verse, McKay/Sheppard, looooong
Contains: Spoilers for SG-1-- 5x21 Meridian, 6x01/02 Redemption, 6x21 Prophecy, 6x22 Full Circle, 7x01 Fallen, 7x21/22 Lost City, 8x19/20 Moebius, 9x01 Avalon; SGA-- 1x01/02 Rising, 1x08 Home, and 3x09 Phantoms. (Note that I did not have time to reread this before putting it on this rec set)
Author's Summary: Six months after a devastating attack against Earth, Sheppard gets a promotion and a reassignment to Russia, where he encounters evil aliens, Rodney McKay, SG-1, a possible plot against him -- and a series of unexplained visions. Alternate Universe.
My Notes: I love the sweeping plot of this, that there are lots characters (not in a confusing way! in a 'this story takes many people to tell' sort of way!) and they are well-characterised, and the changes that have undergone on Earth as a result of Apophis's attack. I've found myself chortling at remembered passages of Teal'c & Sheppard interactions (her Teal'c characterisation is awesome) months later (yeah, and you try explaining that to your friends when you're re-watching the SG1 episode in question).
Why it fits: Even though I love SG1 (even with all it's problems), I've never really enjoyed the fanfic-- most of what I've found in it has been epically angsty-- so I'm unlikely to rec it with any frequency.
Story: they care, so I don't have to
Author: oxoniensis
Fandom, etc.: Better Off Ted, Ted, Veronica, Lem, Phil, Linda, PG, 2,820 words
Contains: spoilers up to 1x03
First line: There's a new sculpture in the parking lot when Ted pulls in. It's very large, very shiny, and very phallic. [no author summary given.]
My Notes: Do you want to know what an episode of 'Better Off Ted' is like? It's like this, exactly like this. :) This captures very well the sense of ... insanity? irreverence? complete crack? ... that the show has.
Why it fits: I rather dislike fandoms that have more than one word in their name, it makes trolling for fics on delicious more difficult. *sigh* Anyway, near as I can tell, these three fics are the only fanfic for 'Better Off Ted'. I like the show and wouldn't mind if there was more of a fandom for it (it's just finished it's first year), but I'm predicting (with my mad predicting powers) that this will remain a minor-to-intermediate fandom, rather like Psych in size. I'm just waiting for the OTT Lem/Phil fic. It's so very textual that one of my non-fannishly inclined friend sees it and has asked me if there's slash fic about them yet.
Story: all very pc, of course
Author: oxoniensis
Fandom, etc.: Better Off Ted, Ted, Veronica, Lem, Phil, Linda, Rose, PG, 1,011 words.
First line: "We want to put Phil into orbit," Veronica announces. Ted has been at work for three minutes; he hasn't even made it as far as his office. [no author summary given.]
My Notes: Crack like the show is crack.
Why it fits: see above
Story: honesty: the very best policy
Author: falseeeyelashes
Fandom, etc.: Better Off Ted, ted/veronica (I read it as gen). rated pg. 1180 words.
Contains: vague spoilers through 1.06. Some kissing (that would have have become more, if not interrupted) under the influence of random-lab-chemical.
Author's Summary: at veridian, we pride ourselves on being truthful - as well as using said truthfulness against our enemies.
My Notes: Silly and amusing. Given the irreverent tone of the canon it's hard to take anything seriously, ever.
Why it fits: see above.
Story: On The Run From The Lunar Mafia
Author: sam-storyteller//copperbadge
Fandom: Some combination of Torchwood (RPF), Doctor Who (RPF), Captain Jack Harkness (RPF).
etc.: gen, PG-13 (language), 1 LJ post long.
Author's Summary: Gareth David-Lloyd's quiet evening is interrupted by time travel. And robots.
My Notes: Between the title and the summary there should be enough detail to explain why I like this fic :) Also, it should be readable even by those who mind RPF as there's enough crack running around to make it noticeably not our reality.
Why it fits: Another fandom which is so rare to me that I have no idea how big the fandom proper is. I only read this one because it was Sam and because the summary looked like there might be crack and because in the maybe week between when it was posted and when I read it I ran across two or three recs for it. So I decided to give it a whirl. Yay, crack!
Story: There's No Backing Up Now
Author: themadlurker
Fandom, etc.: Computer program fic, Google Desktop/Norton AntiVirus, PG-13 for anthropomorphic innuendo, 1,450 words
Author's Summary: Maybe if it had known, from the start, what a bad influence Google Desktop was going to be on it, the Norton AntiVirus program wouldn't have gotten involved in the first place. But now Norton is in too deep, and it's going to have to take the consequences of their forbidden love.
My Notes: Awesome! Also, I knew Google Desktop wasn't to be trusted, ha!
Why it fits: Rare fandom.
Story: Chicago's Most Wanted
Author: Speranza
Fandom, etc.: dueSouth, Fraser/Ray Kowalski, rated adult, 44k words
Podfic: [mp3] and [m4b] read by zabira, 5:11:12
Author's Summary: Before you read the story, I'd like you to ask yourself: "So, if it ends up being a little bit like "The Usual Suspects" meets "The Fugitive" meets "The Sound of Music"-well, is that really a *bad* thing?"
My Notes (story): I'm fairly certain everyone has already read this story, it's that awesome. But hey, in case there's someone who hasn't (And you don't need to know any dS!), I may as well rec it also. To understand my love for this, you must understand two things: (a) I love it when there are characters in a relationship (romantic or not) who are on opposite sides and (b) I love it when a character goes undercover/assumes a new identity and no-one recognises him. And this story has both! Fraser goes undercover at a prison to get close to a mob guy who's in there, but he gets a knock on his head and can't remember hardly anything. So when presented with his rap sheet he decides to bust out, along with his cell mate. And then the join back up with the cell mate's gang and then Fraser takes over and is just as awesome and methodical at that as you'd expect your favourite Mountie to be. Aaaaand he remembers Ray sort-of, but decides that they're partners not partners and, oh, it's great. My one big complaint with the story is that Part 1 (of 4 parts + epilogue) chronologically takes place between parts 2&3 and it's really damn confusing as-is, since that's the *only* time jump in the entire story, so I'd recommending reading in this order: 2/1/3/4/ep.
My Notes (podfic): I somehow haven't managed to listen to this podfic yet! :( I shall have to fix that! But I have heard good things about it.
Why it fits: Due South is not a fandom I'm much interested in, for whatever reason. I may have read a decent amount of dS, but most of it hasn't really gripped me. I think this might be one of those times that I need to know the canon to really care about the characters.
As usual, if I have any inaccuracies, broken links, or missing info (especially podfics, DVD commentaries, and sequels/prequels), please let me know.