Recs: 1 Harry Potter, 4 Sherlock, 1 Star Trek, 2 X-Men
Harry Potter
A Lifetime and a Half by thinlizzy2 - Never mind what parts he has; George Weasley was born a girl. Transfic is hard to find, and this is an outstanding example. I loved the way this story followed George's life so that you can see how she identifies as a girl even from her earliest memories. Equally vivid and realistic are her family's reactions, which shift between support and disbelief as George grows up. The coda after Fred's death is especially well-done.
Sherlock
It's Time For a Few Small Repairs, She Said by fialleril - A short, sharp, lovely, and plausible portrait of Molly confronting her past and regaining her confidence.
Declarations of Mutual Devotion (2007 words) by
waketosleep - John and Sherlock get married so that they can be each other's next of kin. It sounds a bit like crack, but it struck me as completely true to the characters and the not-quite-romantic relationship they developed on the show. Although this story is part of a series, it stands alone quite well.
A Thousand Threads of What Might Have Been by wordsonstrings - This fic came to me with alarmingly strong recommendations, the sort that made me think I was bound to be disappointed because I was clicking on it with such high expectations. The thing is, those expectations are wholly deserved. Sherlock in this story is twisted and unhealthy, yet the relationship with John is so utterly right that you root for them to succeed. I cannot imagine a more outstanding rendering of Sherlock's thoughts than this one. You probably ought to read the disclaimer in the story header though.
Alone on the Water by madlorific - Sherlock Holmes has an inoperable brain tumor, and he's going to die. With a premise like that, I'm surprised I clicked on the story at all; once I discovered it was narrated in first person from John's POV, I'm surprised I didn't close the window immediately. Yet, this story was so well-written that I was hooked almost from the first word. It was beautifully unique to Sherlock and John's friendship, yet also achingly true to what anyone would feel if faced with their best friend's imminent death. Give it a try even if it's not your usual cup of tea, but bring the tissues -- this story wrung quite a few tears out of me, and I never cry when I read.
Star Trek
A History of Handcrafts (Because a Sweater Equals Love) (3235 words) by
Elizabeth Culmer - I love stories that take a potentially cracky premise and weave it into something emotional and real. This story does just that. Amanda knits a sweater for Spock, Gaila knits to kill time without having sex, even Kirk knits little gifts for his friends. But this isn't just a cracktastic story about unlikely characters making sweaters; instead, following all these small knitted presents shows how the crew of the Enterprise are interlinked.
X-Men
Lose a Winning Match by rubynye - There is no bigger turn-on than porn with great characterization, and this little Hank/Raven story is a beautiful example of that. This story is so sexy, yet Raven's carefully-concealed clumsiness remind you how young she is. Her fears about her identity and her true physical form are also wonderfully done.
The Emperor's New Clothes by ignipes - The Brotherhood of Mutants takes on Erik's ludicrous wardrobe choices. This story is absolutely hilarious, which would be reason enough to read it, but I also loved the sharp, cunning character it created for Emma Frost, who was terribly shortchanged in the movie.
A Lifetime and a Half by thinlizzy2 - Never mind what parts he has; George Weasley was born a girl. Transfic is hard to find, and this is an outstanding example. I loved the way this story followed George's life so that you can see how she identifies as a girl even from her earliest memories. Equally vivid and realistic are her family's reactions, which shift between support and disbelief as George grows up. The coda after Fred's death is especially well-done.
Sherlock
It's Time For a Few Small Repairs, She Said by fialleril - A short, sharp, lovely, and plausible portrait of Molly confronting her past and regaining her confidence.
Declarations of Mutual Devotion (2007 words) by
waketosleep - John and Sherlock get married so that they can be each other's next of kin. It sounds a bit like crack, but it struck me as completely true to the characters and the not-quite-romantic relationship they developed on the show. Although this story is part of a series, it stands alone quite well.
A Thousand Threads of What Might Have Been by wordsonstrings - This fic came to me with alarmingly strong recommendations, the sort that made me think I was bound to be disappointed because I was clicking on it with such high expectations. The thing is, those expectations are wholly deserved. Sherlock in this story is twisted and unhealthy, yet the relationship with John is so utterly right that you root for them to succeed. I cannot imagine a more outstanding rendering of Sherlock's thoughts than this one. You probably ought to read the disclaimer in the story header though.
Alone on the Water by madlorific - Sherlock Holmes has an inoperable brain tumor, and he's going to die. With a premise like that, I'm surprised I clicked on the story at all; once I discovered it was narrated in first person from John's POV, I'm surprised I didn't close the window immediately. Yet, this story was so well-written that I was hooked almost from the first word. It was beautifully unique to Sherlock and John's friendship, yet also achingly true to what anyone would feel if faced with their best friend's imminent death. Give it a try even if it's not your usual cup of tea, but bring the tissues -- this story wrung quite a few tears out of me, and I never cry when I read.
Star Trek
A History of Handcrafts (Because a Sweater Equals Love) (3235 words) by
Elizabeth Culmer - I love stories that take a potentially cracky premise and weave it into something emotional and real. This story does just that. Amanda knits a sweater for Spock, Gaila knits to kill time without having sex, even Kirk knits little gifts for his friends. But this isn't just a cracktastic story about unlikely characters making sweaters; instead, following all these small knitted presents shows how the crew of the Enterprise are interlinked.
X-Men
Lose a Winning Match by rubynye - There is no bigger turn-on than porn with great characterization, and this little Hank/Raven story is a beautiful example of that. This story is so sexy, yet Raven's carefully-concealed clumsiness remind you how young she is. Her fears about her identity and her true physical form are also wonderfully done.
The Emperor's New Clothes by ignipes - The Brotherhood of Mutants takes on Erik's ludicrous wardrobe choices. This story is absolutely hilarious, which would be reason enough to read it, but I also loved the sharp, cunning character it created for Emma Frost, who was terribly shortchanged in the movie.