Fanfic Recs, Part 2
Huh. So it seems that I don't have a lot of fandoms in common with ya'll. That's cool; I like being different. And besides, we'll always have Scrubs!
Have you ever noticed that when you go back looking for old fics, that the stuff you thought was so great two or three (or sometimes six or seven...) years ago really doesn't hold up to the tests of time? Combing through some of that stuff makes me very glad to have moved on.
House, MD
Paladin of Empathy", by perspi - I don't really like Cameron, but this fic fleshes her out in a way I wish the show would. She's still not a great character, but the author makes her psychology make sense. A good character piece for a not-so-good character.
Tracking Time, by Namaste - A long and incredibly in-character story about the history of the House/Wilson friendship. House and Wilson actually sound like House and Wilson. The emotions are real, and this completely feels like all the history between the two that never gets talked about onscreen.
Eight Simple Rules for Dating Greg House, by Ijemanja - Okay, so shipping House with anybody is just generally a really bad idea, but when I do, I totally go for House/Cuddy. This is a great little fic, completely fun and funny, with very snappy writing that sounds like it could have been lifted from the show.
Enigmatic Absurdities, by Eponine - A House/Angel crossover in which Xander and House are snarky at the same time, Faith and House are snarky at the same time, and Angel accidentally gets put on life support. One of the funniest fics I've read in a long time.
***
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Quietly, by netherfield - Many try, but not a lot of people really capture Eames's character. Even fewer keep her sounding real in a Goren/Eames romance fic. This story manages that and even raises the bar; it is a long fic that delves far deeper into her psyche than most stories do, and it takes the reader along for an amazing ride.
Absalom, by piaffe417 - Another great Eames-centric piece, though this one barely touches on the romantic possibilities with Goren; rather, it follows Eames as she confronts the notions of predestination and free will, and whether the two are really even different things. Excellent writing as well.
With a Vengeance, by piaffe417 - A fun, light piece about the Goren/Eames partnership, as told from their captain's POV. Deakin's voice rings as true as if the story were being read by Jamey Sheridan himself. Just lots of fun to read.
Gun Hand Throat, B. Cavis - Completely intense, and yet another exploration of Eames's psyche (are you noticing a pattern here?). The author doesn't hold anything back in this depiction of grief, rage, and what the chance for vengeance previously believed denied can do to a person.
***
Ten Ways Daniel Could Crush Walter-the-Worm, by snarky_kat and comeon_eileen - Crack!fic. Total and complete crack!fic. That doesn't make it any less fun, of course, especially for those of us who hated Walter. Even though it's about Daniel's actions, it's really not shippy. Really.
A Better Man, by samirant - This one might make you sniffle. It's also shippy, but it's shipping turned sideways, and pays respects to both Betty/Henry and the eventual Betty/Daniel. Both pairings are treated beautifully by the author, and her handling of Daniel, as well as the Daniel/Alexis relationship, make this a keeper.
The Fishbowl Series, by samirant - Betty/Daniel shipping. The progression of their relationship, with most of the stories being firmly planted in the realm of friendship-only. If you don't like this pairing, you can still read the series without cringing too badly.
Last Beautiful Girl (in the World), by mardia - Not shippy! It's a great portrayal of Daniel's thoughts on the evolution of his friendship with Betty, and offers some great insights into the completeness of his love for her and how, ultiamtely, he truly does need her.
***
Miscellaneous Fandoms
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Howzat?, by sangaa - Dude, it's Spike and Giles bonding over televised cricket. Need I say more?
Dragonball Z: The Red Dragon Tetralogy, by Lisalu - I wasn't sure about including this, lest none of you take me seriously again, ever. But every so often -- very rarely, to be sure -- an author comes along with a story that so completely transcends the source material that they no longer seem to be part of the same universe. As much as this world is built entirely on DBZ canon, you don't even have to have seen the show or read the manga to get sucked into Red Dragon. I've never read angst like this anywhere else, and it generally has some of the most beautiful and heartbreaking prose and plotting ever. Even seven years after the first book was written, I'd stack it against the best any other fandom has to offer.
Gundam Wing: Manifestations, and concurrent sequels Revelations and Realizations, by Iris cw - Erm, okay, so a few months ago, back when I was experiencing a(nother) bout of writers block for CT, I went off deep-sea diving through some of my old fandoms, and found this. You could have knocked me over with a feather, I was so stunned by how amazing this fic and it's sequels were. This is as close to how I'd imagined the post-series GW world was as I've ever seen, and it hits every note perfectly. It's as realistic as fanfic ever gets, and even though I'm no longer active in the fandom, I'll pimp this universe until the cows come home.
Gundam Wing: Sainen no Kekka, by Quicksilver and Gerald Tarrant - Set aside a few weeks for this one. I've only seen one other fanfiction project of this enormity, and SnK certainly lives up to the expectations its size sets. This is another highly plausible post-series scenario, and although some character developments were heavily debated in the fandom, the authors make everything work.
Inuyasha: This Can't Be Good, by Ithilwen K-Bane - Can crack!fic have a plot? And good characterization? And fun dialogue? Yes? Good, because this one does. A fun summer read that's really, really crack!tastic.
Inuyasha: Philosophy By Starlight, by Seifergrrl - A very sweet fic that focuses on the relationship between Inuyasha and Miroku (...yeah. That means nothing if you've never seen/read the series) that manages to be fluffy and serious at the same time. This one always stuck out to me, even years after I stopped reading IY fanfic.
Sailormoon: The Sailor Moon Millennia Trilogy, by Janelle - Massive doesn't begin to describe this fanfiction project. It's been on the internet since 1995, which right away should alert you how huge and complex it is. The author started rewriting one of the stories a few years back, but the original version (which, comparative to fanfic in general, is still pretty good) is still up. The third and final book is unfinished, but that doesn't in any way diminish the beauty, scope, and amazing-ness of the first two books.
Have you ever noticed that when you go back looking for old fics, that the stuff you thought was so great two or three (or sometimes six or seven...) years ago really doesn't hold up to the tests of time? Combing through some of that stuff makes me very glad to have moved on.
House, MD
Paladin of Empathy", by perspi - I don't really like Cameron, but this fic fleshes her out in a way I wish the show would. She's still not a great character, but the author makes her psychology make sense. A good character piece for a not-so-good character.
Tracking Time, by Namaste - A long and incredibly in-character story about the history of the House/Wilson friendship. House and Wilson actually sound like House and Wilson. The emotions are real, and this completely feels like all the history between the two that never gets talked about onscreen.
Eight Simple Rules for Dating Greg House, by Ijemanja - Okay, so shipping House with anybody is just generally a really bad idea, but when I do, I totally go for House/Cuddy. This is a great little fic, completely fun and funny, with very snappy writing that sounds like it could have been lifted from the show.
Enigmatic Absurdities, by Eponine - A House/Angel crossover in which Xander and House are snarky at the same time, Faith and House are snarky at the same time, and Angel accidentally gets put on life support. One of the funniest fics I've read in a long time.
***
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Quietly, by netherfield - Many try, but not a lot of people really capture Eames's character. Even fewer keep her sounding real in a Goren/Eames romance fic. This story manages that and even raises the bar; it is a long fic that delves far deeper into her psyche than most stories do, and it takes the reader along for an amazing ride.
Absalom, by piaffe417 - Another great Eames-centric piece, though this one barely touches on the romantic possibilities with Goren; rather, it follows Eames as she confronts the notions of predestination and free will, and whether the two are really even different things. Excellent writing as well.
With a Vengeance, by piaffe417 - A fun, light piece about the Goren/Eames partnership, as told from their captain's POV. Deakin's voice rings as true as if the story were being read by Jamey Sheridan himself. Just lots of fun to read.
Gun Hand Throat, B. Cavis - Completely intense, and yet another exploration of Eames's psyche (are you noticing a pattern here?). The author doesn't hold anything back in this depiction of grief, rage, and what the chance for vengeance previously believed denied can do to a person.
***
Ten Ways Daniel Could Crush Walter-the-Worm, by snarky_kat and comeon_eileen - Crack!fic. Total and complete crack!fic. That doesn't make it any less fun, of course, especially for those of us who hated Walter. Even though it's about Daniel's actions, it's really not shippy. Really.
A Better Man, by samirant - This one might make you sniffle. It's also shippy, but it's shipping turned sideways, and pays respects to both Betty/Henry and the eventual Betty/Daniel. Both pairings are treated beautifully by the author, and her handling of Daniel, as well as the Daniel/Alexis relationship, make this a keeper.
The Fishbowl Series, by samirant - Betty/Daniel shipping. The progression of their relationship, with most of the stories being firmly planted in the realm of friendship-only. If you don't like this pairing, you can still read the series without cringing too badly.
Last Beautiful Girl (in the World), by mardia - Not shippy! It's a great portrayal of Daniel's thoughts on the evolution of his friendship with Betty, and offers some great insights into the completeness of his love for her and how, ultiamtely, he truly does need her.
***
Miscellaneous Fandoms
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Howzat?, by sangaa - Dude, it's Spike and Giles bonding over televised cricket. Need I say more?
Dragonball Z: The Red Dragon Tetralogy, by Lisalu - I wasn't sure about including this, lest none of you take me seriously again, ever. But every so often -- very rarely, to be sure -- an author comes along with a story that so completely transcends the source material that they no longer seem to be part of the same universe. As much as this world is built entirely on DBZ canon, you don't even have to have seen the show or read the manga to get sucked into Red Dragon. I've never read angst like this anywhere else, and it generally has some of the most beautiful and heartbreaking prose and plotting ever. Even seven years after the first book was written, I'd stack it against the best any other fandom has to offer.
Gundam Wing: Manifestations, and concurrent sequels Revelations and Realizations, by Iris cw - Erm, okay, so a few months ago, back when I was experiencing a(nother) bout of writers block for CT, I went off deep-sea diving through some of my old fandoms, and found this. You could have knocked me over with a feather, I was so stunned by how amazing this fic and it's sequels were. This is as close to how I'd imagined the post-series GW world was as I've ever seen, and it hits every note perfectly. It's as realistic as fanfic ever gets, and even though I'm no longer active in the fandom, I'll pimp this universe until the cows come home.
Gundam Wing: Sainen no Kekka, by Quicksilver and Gerald Tarrant - Set aside a few weeks for this one. I've only seen one other fanfiction project of this enormity, and SnK certainly lives up to the expectations its size sets. This is another highly plausible post-series scenario, and although some character developments were heavily debated in the fandom, the authors make everything work.
Inuyasha: This Can't Be Good, by Ithilwen K-Bane - Can crack!fic have a plot? And good characterization? And fun dialogue? Yes? Good, because this one does. A fun summer read that's really, really crack!tastic.
Inuyasha: Philosophy By Starlight, by Seifergrrl - A very sweet fic that focuses on the relationship between Inuyasha and Miroku (...yeah. That means nothing if you've never seen/read the series) that manages to be fluffy and serious at the same time. This one always stuck out to me, even years after I stopped reading IY fanfic.
Sailormoon: The Sailor Moon Millennia Trilogy, by Janelle - Massive doesn't begin to describe this fanfiction project. It's been on the internet since 1995, which right away should alert you how huge and complex it is. The author started rewriting one of the stories a few years back, but the original version (which, comparative to fanfic in general, is still pretty good) is still up. The third and final book is unfinished, but that doesn't in any way diminish the beauty, scope, and amazing-ness of the first two books.