Where No Fangirl Has Gone Before....
CROSS-POSTED TO THE FANGIRL TOUR
As harmony_bites, I wrote primarily Snape/Hermione and rec Harry Potter fanfic for Know It Alls. If you want to know what I rec in that fandom and get a sense of my tastes and judgment, my recs can be found here.
For the fangirl_tour though, I thought I'd return to my fandom roots in Trek, where I was known as Rabble Rouser, and give you a couple of recs for each of the old series and 3 for the newest incarnation. Except for the Reboot recs, these are mostly very old stories that precede my time in HP fandom, back before Live Journal when FanficNet was new-but I'd match the stories below against the best in any fandom. All the non-reboot authors below except one have won in a Best Author Category in the major Trek fanfiction awards, the ASCEM "Golden Os" and The ASC Awards. About half of the authors listed below, that I know of, have published professionally. I tried to make this a real tour of the old Trek I knew-which with the film is new again-and give recs for a range of pairings and characters below.
I have to thank wonderfulwrites for scouting Reboot!Trek for me and sending me links of good reads that resulted in three of the recs below.
Fandom: Star Trek (Original Series)
Title: Bitter Glass
Author: killabeez (Killasandra)
Link: http://ksarchive.com/viewstory.php?sid=18&warning=2
Rating: (PG-13) Spock/f, Kirk, Saavik, others
Status: Complete in 7 chapters (95,803 words)
Summary: A story about regrets and second chances. Faced with the news of Kirk's death in Generations, Spock tells the story of a thirty-year friendship that defied all categorization.
Why I fangirl this: One, of the rare, rare stories that have made me cry. The author labels this as Kirk/Spock, but it's not slash, and can be read as a friendship story. So if you like Kirk and Spock at all, even if you're slash-phobic, I highly, highly recommend this. And if slash is your thing, Killa has wonderful Kirk/Spock and other slash in various fandoms for you to discover on her site. She also has Links and Recs for stories in multiple fandoms, including Trek, well worth checking out and maintains The Kirk/Spock Fanfiction Archive. Kirk/Spock used to dominate Original Series fic; imho, Killa is the best there is in that pairing. If I were to list my favorite fanfic stories of all time, Bitter Glass would come in second. What's first? Look below under the Voyager entries.
Fandom: Star Trek (Original Series)
Title: The Occupations Series
Author: djinn_fic (Djinn)
Link: consists of Nurse, Doctor, Scientist, Commander and Revenant.
Rating: (R) Kirk/Chapel
Status: Complete in Five Stories (92,405 words)
Summary: Chapel through her various occupations (This one tracks canon.)
Why I fangirl this: Djinn has 254 stories on FFN, 64 of which are Trek. She's made Christine Chapel something of a specialty, fleshing her out in various incarnations and pairing her in different stories with Spock (try Frostbite), Kirk (See, above, among others), Both (such as Man and Man and Wife, a hoot.), McCoy (First, Do No Harm), Sulu (The Party's Over) and an OMC (in The Carter Series), even Spike (in a Buffy Crossover, The Slayer Series). Spock/Chapel is certainly the most popular Original Series Het pairing (at least was until the recent film made Spock/Uhura popular), but I love Djinn's Kirk/Chapel stories the most. I chose "The Occupation Series" out of all her stories as an introduction because it's a moving story that masterfully weaves canon into her tale while giving Chapel a great arc. Djinn's stories can be easily browsed on her site.
Fandom: Star Trek (The Next Generation)
Title: With Me In Your Mind
Author: Ariana
Link: http://astele.co.uk/trek/stories/ariana/withme.txt
Rating: (R) Picard/Troi
Status: Complete, One Shot (14,181 words)
Summary: On her last night of duty, Counsellor Troi comes to visit Captain Picard in his ready-room for a final counselling session that extends far into the night. Takes place a couple of months after the events in First Contact.
Why I fangirl this: This is a rare pair in TNG (Picard/Crusher and Riker/Troi being the popular Het pairings) but stands out as my favorite story in TNG among the ones I've read. I think it's that both characters' reflections on each other are so funny at times and so spot on, very much as I myself see each. Not a pairing I usually see, and I'm no fan of Troi's character ordinarily, but Ariana more than makes them work in this story. You can find more of Ariana's stories, primarily in DS9 and TNG (and some Harry Potter-Drarry, Snupin), on her site.
Fandom: Star Trek (The Next Generation)
Title: Dance of Chamelion and Mirror
Author: alara_r (Alara Rogers)
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/334226/1/Dance_of_Chameleon_and_Mirror
Rating: (PG) Guinan and Q
Status: Complete, One-shot (5,663 words)
Summary: In Q Who?, Guinan said that she and Q had had dealings. What were some of those dealings?
Why I fangirl this: Alara is known as a Q writer, and particularly for her Picard/Q (the most popular TNG slash pairing). I think this Gen story makes a good introduction to her work and her take on Q, and as a bonus, features one of my favorite TNG characters, Guinan, as well. More goodies can be found on her site.
Fandom: Star Trek (Deep Space Nine)
Title: Scorched Earth
Author: altariel (Una McCormick)
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/781804/1/Scorched_Earth
Alt Link: http://www.q-research.connectfree.co.uk/personal/earthfront.htm
Rating: (PG-13) Garak
Status: Complete in 5 parts (43,225 words)
Summary: Garak returns to Cardassia. AU
Why I fangirl this: I hadn't even seen more than a handful of DS9 episodes when I read this story in order to be an informed voter in the The ASC Awards. Ordinarily, that would greatly handicap a reader, since fanfic uses a great deal of compression and relies on the reader having the context. Yet I found this novel moving and involving from the start, pulling me right into Garak's world-a character which Una makes something of a specialty and who she writes with uncommon insight. You can find 7 more DS9 fics by her on her FFN page.
Fandom: Star Trek (Deep Space Nine)
Title: All Things
Author: seemag (Seema)
Link: http://seema.org/myfanfic/ds9/allthings.html
Rating: (PG-13) Jake Sisko
Status: Complete, one-shot (6,981 words)
Summary: In the aftermath of "What You Leave Behind," Jake attempts to write a story detailing the end of the Dominion War.
Why I fangirl this: In a short space Seema created a moving tale of a son's love for his father, of loss and grief, and an indelible portrait of father and son both. Seema is known for stories in all the Trek fandoms, but particularly DS9, where she shipped Worf/Jadzia. You can find more stories on her site, Seema Unbound.
Fandom: Star Trek (Voyager)
Title: Talking Stick/Circle
Author: Macedon and Peg Robinson
Link: consists of Talking Stick (Macedon), Circle (Peg Robinson), A Cherished Alienation (Macedon), The Red Queen's Repose (Peg Robinson), Walking Across Egypt (Macedon), Raisins and Almonds (Peg Robinson), Otterskin and The Rose and the Yew Tree (both)
Rating: (R) Janeway/Chakotay, Tuvok
Status: Complete in 8 parts (350,998 words)
Summary: A "braided novel" of 8 stories and novellas, Voyager unfettered and red in tooth and claw.
Why I fangirl this: The first story was written by Macedon, a male Native American who wanted to flesh out Chakotay and make him more than the usual "Hollywood Indian" and Peg Robinson, a Yank female, then "answered" with her own story in Janeway's voice and the rest flowed from there. I first read this epic without having seen much Voyager, and it's an early classic started before the show's second season, so you don't need much background. The first story, "Talking Stick," is short (7,851 words) and can stand alone, so you can give it a try without investing in the rest. I think I'd still name this epic as my favorite fanfic in any fandom, and this story made me a hardcore J/C shipper. I read this over again when preparing the rec. I didn't mean to, but I glanced down on the screen and the story sucked me in all over again. Macedon was known for his essay on The Craft of Writing which is quoted across fandoms and Peg for her essay The Mannerly Art of Critique. They both made an indelible contribution to online fandom, Voyager fanfic, and J/C. You can find more of Macedon's stories here and more of Peg Robinson's here.
Fandom: Star Trek (Voyager)
Title: Boadicea and kellychamblis (Kelly)
Author: Baby Demon
Link: http://www.trekiverse.org/archive/2000/adult/voy/BabyDemon
Rating: (R) Janeway/Seven, AU
Status: Complete, One-shot (3,304 words)
Summary: At the end of "Relativity," the officers on the 29th-century Starfleet timeship send Janeway and Seven back to 24th-century Voyager. But what if they didn't make it?
Why I fangirl this: Kelly and Boadicea are two of the best fic writers Voyager has produced and are known for their Janeway stories, pairing her with various characters (particularly Kashyk). However, unlike many who ship Janeway, they are known for sympathetic and insightful depictions of Seven. Even though m/m slash is common, even dominant in most fandoms, femmeslash is rare. If any femmeslash pairing in Trek could be called popular, it's Janeway/Seven, and Boadicea and Kelly have written some of the most celebrated stories in that ship. I feel "Baby Demon" has a melancholy and lyricism that makes it unforgettable and a good introduction to both authors. More stories by Boadicea can be found here. For more of Kelly's Voyager, go to her site. She's also begun to write Harry Potter fic, and those can be found on her FFN Page.
Fandom: Star Trek (Enterprise)
Title: Enseignant l'Ensign
Author: hesychasm (Jintian)
Link: http://fiction.entstcommunity.org/viewstory.php?sid=1165
Rating: (PG) Hoshi Sato
Status: Complete One-shot (1,340 words)
Summary: Hoshi after 1.03 "Fight Or Flight." Language and fear.
Why I fangirl this: In a very compact space, Jintian gives us an indelible character portrait of Hoshi Sato and a meditation on language. Piercingly beautiful story. Jintian also writes in Harry Potter in several pairings including Harry/Draco, Snupin, and Harry/Ron. You can find those works in her Live Journal memories.
Fandom: Star Trek (Enterprise)
Title: For a Minute There
Author: Monkee
Link: http://members.tripod.com/jetcmonkee/for_a_minute_there.htm
Rating: (PG) Tucker
Status: Complete, One-shot (1,253 words)
Summary: Tucker's thoughts as he holds T'Pol hostage in 'Strange New World.' Lyrics from 'Karma Police,' by Radiohead.
Why I fangirl this: For the most part, if you ask me about the series Enterprise, I'd answer, "What series?" But before the show lost me, I read in the fandom, and this was one of the most intense and insightful stories I read in it. Otherwise, Monkee is known for her Voyager stories, particularly Janeway/Chakotay, and I'd recommend checking out those stories on her site. As a writer, she's wise and warm and often funny.
Fandom: Star Trek (Reboot)
Title: Lunch and Other Obscenities
Author: rheanna27
Link: http://www.goldenmaze.com/lunch.htm
Rating: (PG-13) Uhura & Gaila friendship, with a side order of Spock/Uhura.
Status: Complete, one-shot (9,786 words)
Summary: Nyota liked her roommate just fine until she met her.
Why I fangirl this: I liked how this wasn't just a friendship story, an effecting one, but a real science-fiction story that fleshes out Gaila and her background. Standout story-if you are going to try just one Reboot!Trek, make it this one. You can find more Trek on her site.
Fandom: Star Trek (Reboot)
Title: CMO Confidential
Author: shoreleave
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5077358/1/CMO_Confidential
Rating: (PG-13) McCoy, Kirk
Status: Complete in 19 parts (47,322 words)
Summary: This story started out with an Author's Note with the dreaded words, "My first fan fic." Don't let that put you off, the story is amazing in its psychological insight and skillfully written. In fact, it's exactly the kind of story I read fanfic for. One of my main problems with the new film was Kirk-how he, an inexperienced cadet, was promoted to captain-especially since so many of his actions in the film seemed questionable to me. The author takes this hole in the film and runs with it, building a character story of Kirk and McCoy around it I won't soon forget.
Fandom: Star Trek (Reboot)
Title: Parts of a Whole
Author: schweinsty
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5088605/1/Parts_of_a_Whole
Rating: (PG-13) Kirk, crew
Status: Complete, one-shot (4,114 words)
Summary: Some families are born; others are chosen and tested and trusted to watch your back.
Why I fangirl this: Because it invokes in a short space a lot of what made me fall in love with Classic Trek-the sense of the crew as family.
As harmony_bites, I wrote primarily Snape/Hermione and rec Harry Potter fanfic for Know It Alls. If you want to know what I rec in that fandom and get a sense of my tastes and judgment, my recs can be found here.
For the fangirl_tour though, I thought I'd return to my fandom roots in Trek, where I was known as Rabble Rouser, and give you a couple of recs for each of the old series and 3 for the newest incarnation. Except for the Reboot recs, these are mostly very old stories that precede my time in HP fandom, back before Live Journal when FanficNet was new-but I'd match the stories below against the best in any fandom. All the non-reboot authors below except one have won in a Best Author Category in the major Trek fanfiction awards, the ASCEM "Golden Os" and The ASC Awards. About half of the authors listed below, that I know of, have published professionally. I tried to make this a real tour of the old Trek I knew-which with the film is new again-and give recs for a range of pairings and characters below.
I have to thank wonderfulwrites for scouting Reboot!Trek for me and sending me links of good reads that resulted in three of the recs below.
Fandom: Star Trek (Original Series)
Title: Bitter Glass
Author: killabeez (Killasandra)
Link: http://ksarchive.com/viewstory.php?sid=18&warning=2
Rating: (PG-13) Spock/f, Kirk, Saavik, others
Status: Complete in 7 chapters (95,803 words)
Summary: A story about regrets and second chances. Faced with the news of Kirk's death in Generations, Spock tells the story of a thirty-year friendship that defied all categorization.
Why I fangirl this: One, of the rare, rare stories that have made me cry. The author labels this as Kirk/Spock, but it's not slash, and can be read as a friendship story. So if you like Kirk and Spock at all, even if you're slash-phobic, I highly, highly recommend this. And if slash is your thing, Killa has wonderful Kirk/Spock and other slash in various fandoms for you to discover on her site. She also has Links and Recs for stories in multiple fandoms, including Trek, well worth checking out and maintains The Kirk/Spock Fanfiction Archive. Kirk/Spock used to dominate Original Series fic; imho, Killa is the best there is in that pairing. If I were to list my favorite fanfic stories of all time, Bitter Glass would come in second. What's first? Look below under the Voyager entries.
Fandom: Star Trek (Original Series)
Title: The Occupations Series
Author: djinn_fic (Djinn)
Link: consists of Nurse, Doctor, Scientist, Commander and Revenant.
Rating: (R) Kirk/Chapel
Status: Complete in Five Stories (92,405 words)
Summary: Chapel through her various occupations (This one tracks canon.)
Why I fangirl this: Djinn has 254 stories on FFN, 64 of which are Trek. She's made Christine Chapel something of a specialty, fleshing her out in various incarnations and pairing her in different stories with Spock (try Frostbite), Kirk (See, above, among others), Both (such as Man and Man and Wife, a hoot.), McCoy (First, Do No Harm), Sulu (The Party's Over) and an OMC (in The Carter Series), even Spike (in a Buffy Crossover, The Slayer Series). Spock/Chapel is certainly the most popular Original Series Het pairing (at least was until the recent film made Spock/Uhura popular), but I love Djinn's Kirk/Chapel stories the most. I chose "The Occupation Series" out of all her stories as an introduction because it's a moving story that masterfully weaves canon into her tale while giving Chapel a great arc. Djinn's stories can be easily browsed on her site.
Fandom: Star Trek (The Next Generation)
Title: With Me In Your Mind
Author: Ariana
Link: http://astele.co.uk/trek/stories/ariana/withme.txt
Rating: (R) Picard/Troi
Status: Complete, One Shot (14,181 words)
Summary: On her last night of duty, Counsellor Troi comes to visit Captain Picard in his ready-room for a final counselling session that extends far into the night. Takes place a couple of months after the events in First Contact.
Why I fangirl this: This is a rare pair in TNG (Picard/Crusher and Riker/Troi being the popular Het pairings) but stands out as my favorite story in TNG among the ones I've read. I think it's that both characters' reflections on each other are so funny at times and so spot on, very much as I myself see each. Not a pairing I usually see, and I'm no fan of Troi's character ordinarily, but Ariana more than makes them work in this story. You can find more of Ariana's stories, primarily in DS9 and TNG (and some Harry Potter-Drarry, Snupin), on her site.
Fandom: Star Trek (The Next Generation)
Title: Dance of Chamelion and Mirror
Author: alara_r (Alara Rogers)
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/334226/1/Dance_of_Chameleon_and_Mirror
Rating: (PG) Guinan and Q
Status: Complete, One-shot (5,663 words)
Summary: In Q Who?, Guinan said that she and Q had had dealings. What were some of those dealings?
Why I fangirl this: Alara is known as a Q writer, and particularly for her Picard/Q (the most popular TNG slash pairing). I think this Gen story makes a good introduction to her work and her take on Q, and as a bonus, features one of my favorite TNG characters, Guinan, as well. More goodies can be found on her site.
Fandom: Star Trek (Deep Space Nine)
Title: Scorched Earth
Author: altariel (Una McCormick)
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/781804/1/Scorched_Earth
Alt Link: http://www.q-research.connectfree.co.uk/personal/earthfront.htm
Rating: (PG-13) Garak
Status: Complete in 5 parts (43,225 words)
Summary: Garak returns to Cardassia. AU
Why I fangirl this: I hadn't even seen more than a handful of DS9 episodes when I read this story in order to be an informed voter in the The ASC Awards. Ordinarily, that would greatly handicap a reader, since fanfic uses a great deal of compression and relies on the reader having the context. Yet I found this novel moving and involving from the start, pulling me right into Garak's world-a character which Una makes something of a specialty and who she writes with uncommon insight. You can find 7 more DS9 fics by her on her FFN page.
Fandom: Star Trek (Deep Space Nine)
Title: All Things
Author: seemag (Seema)
Link: http://seema.org/myfanfic/ds9/allthings.html
Rating: (PG-13) Jake Sisko
Status: Complete, one-shot (6,981 words)
Summary: In the aftermath of "What You Leave Behind," Jake attempts to write a story detailing the end of the Dominion War.
Why I fangirl this: In a short space Seema created a moving tale of a son's love for his father, of loss and grief, and an indelible portrait of father and son both. Seema is known for stories in all the Trek fandoms, but particularly DS9, where she shipped Worf/Jadzia. You can find more stories on her site, Seema Unbound.
Fandom: Star Trek (Voyager)
Title: Talking Stick/Circle
Author: Macedon and Peg Robinson
Link: consists of Talking Stick (Macedon), Circle (Peg Robinson), A Cherished Alienation (Macedon), The Red Queen's Repose (Peg Robinson), Walking Across Egypt (Macedon), Raisins and Almonds (Peg Robinson), Otterskin and The Rose and the Yew Tree (both)
Rating: (R) Janeway/Chakotay, Tuvok
Status: Complete in 8 parts (350,998 words)
Summary: A "braided novel" of 8 stories and novellas, Voyager unfettered and red in tooth and claw.
Why I fangirl this: The first story was written by Macedon, a male Native American who wanted to flesh out Chakotay and make him more than the usual "Hollywood Indian" and Peg Robinson, a Yank female, then "answered" with her own story in Janeway's voice and the rest flowed from there. I first read this epic without having seen much Voyager, and it's an early classic started before the show's second season, so you don't need much background. The first story, "Talking Stick," is short (7,851 words) and can stand alone, so you can give it a try without investing in the rest. I think I'd still name this epic as my favorite fanfic in any fandom, and this story made me a hardcore J/C shipper. I read this over again when preparing the rec. I didn't mean to, but I glanced down on the screen and the story sucked me in all over again. Macedon was known for his essay on The Craft of Writing which is quoted across fandoms and Peg for her essay The Mannerly Art of Critique. They both made an indelible contribution to online fandom, Voyager fanfic, and J/C. You can find more of Macedon's stories here and more of Peg Robinson's here.
Fandom: Star Trek (Voyager)
Title: Boadicea and kellychamblis (Kelly)
Author: Baby Demon
Link: http://www.trekiverse.org/archive/2000/adult/voy/BabyDemon
Rating: (R) Janeway/Seven, AU
Status: Complete, One-shot (3,304 words)
Summary: At the end of "Relativity," the officers on the 29th-century Starfleet timeship send Janeway and Seven back to 24th-century Voyager. But what if they didn't make it?
Why I fangirl this: Kelly and Boadicea are two of the best fic writers Voyager has produced and are known for their Janeway stories, pairing her with various characters (particularly Kashyk). However, unlike many who ship Janeway, they are known for sympathetic and insightful depictions of Seven. Even though m/m slash is common, even dominant in most fandoms, femmeslash is rare. If any femmeslash pairing in Trek could be called popular, it's Janeway/Seven, and Boadicea and Kelly have written some of the most celebrated stories in that ship. I feel "Baby Demon" has a melancholy and lyricism that makes it unforgettable and a good introduction to both authors. More stories by Boadicea can be found here. For more of Kelly's Voyager, go to her site. She's also begun to write Harry Potter fic, and those can be found on her FFN Page.
Fandom: Star Trek (Enterprise)
Title: Enseignant l'Ensign
Author: hesychasm (Jintian)
Link: http://fiction.entstcommunity.org/viewstory.php?sid=1165
Rating: (PG) Hoshi Sato
Status: Complete One-shot (1,340 words)
Summary: Hoshi after 1.03 "Fight Or Flight." Language and fear.
Why I fangirl this: In a very compact space, Jintian gives us an indelible character portrait of Hoshi Sato and a meditation on language. Piercingly beautiful story. Jintian also writes in Harry Potter in several pairings including Harry/Draco, Snupin, and Harry/Ron. You can find those works in her Live Journal memories.
Fandom: Star Trek (Enterprise)
Title: For a Minute There
Author: Monkee
Link: http://members.tripod.com/jetcmonkee/for_a_minute_there.htm
Rating: (PG) Tucker
Status: Complete, One-shot (1,253 words)
Summary: Tucker's thoughts as he holds T'Pol hostage in 'Strange New World.' Lyrics from 'Karma Police,' by Radiohead.
Why I fangirl this: For the most part, if you ask me about the series Enterprise, I'd answer, "What series?" But before the show lost me, I read in the fandom, and this was one of the most intense and insightful stories I read in it. Otherwise, Monkee is known for her Voyager stories, particularly Janeway/Chakotay, and I'd recommend checking out those stories on her site. As a writer, she's wise and warm and often funny.
Fandom: Star Trek (Reboot)
Title: Lunch and Other Obscenities
Author: rheanna27
Link: http://www.goldenmaze.com/lunch.htm
Rating: (PG-13) Uhura & Gaila friendship, with a side order of Spock/Uhura.
Status: Complete, one-shot (9,786 words)
Summary: Nyota liked her roommate just fine until she met her.
Why I fangirl this: I liked how this wasn't just a friendship story, an effecting one, but a real science-fiction story that fleshes out Gaila and her background. Standout story-if you are going to try just one Reboot!Trek, make it this one. You can find more Trek on her site.
Fandom: Star Trek (Reboot)
Title: CMO Confidential
Author: shoreleave
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5077358/1/CMO_Confidential
Rating: (PG-13) McCoy, Kirk
Status: Complete in 19 parts (47,322 words)
Summary: This story started out with an Author's Note with the dreaded words, "My first fan fic." Don't let that put you off, the story is amazing in its psychological insight and skillfully written. In fact, it's exactly the kind of story I read fanfic for. One of my main problems with the new film was Kirk-how he, an inexperienced cadet, was promoted to captain-especially since so many of his actions in the film seemed questionable to me. The author takes this hole in the film and runs with it, building a character story of Kirk and McCoy around it I won't soon forget.
Fandom: Star Trek (Reboot)
Title: Parts of a Whole
Author: schweinsty
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5088605/1/Parts_of_a_Whole
Rating: (PG-13) Kirk, crew
Status: Complete, one-shot (4,114 words)
Summary: Some families are born; others are chosen and tested and trusted to watch your back.
Why I fangirl this: Because it invokes in a short space a lot of what made me fall in love with Classic Trek-the sense of the crew as family.