484: Carry On My Wayward Son / There'll Be Peace When You Are Done
The founders and staff here at sawedoff-recs have made the decision to close up shop. While we are all incredibly sad to have to close our doors, we are also happy and proud with what we've been able to do as a community.
Two and a half years ago a group of us came together with a mission to showcase the diversity of interests and epic talent that exists in the SPN fandom, forming a multi-genre Supernatural FPF and RPF reccing community shining a light on fanworks that may have been missed by fandom at large. We want to thank you all for being a part of this journey with us -- as reccers, as readers, as commenters, as cheerleaders, and generally as supportive voices. We've loved being able to share with you an array of fanwork that has touched us, moved us, made us cry, sing, dance, laugh, and smile. We hope that those fics and artwork also inspired those kinds of emotions in you. We've tried to capture just about every pairing, every genre, every kink, and every flavor of fandom, and in doing so we realized just how far-ranging this fandom is -- how there is something for everyone. It is our hope that we were able to reflect as wide an array of SPN fandom interests as possible.
We won't be deleting the community. We'll be leaving it as an archive available for anyone to search any time they are looking for recs. There are more than 3,000 recs here ranging from almost every genre to every pairing this fandom has to offer.
So THANK YOU! Thank you for helping us to make this community a success. Continue rockin' on fandom -- you've got work to do!
Wishing you all the best and an amazing S7,
Your sawedoff_recs staff,
nyoka, maerhys, dotfic, smilla02, enablelove, locknkey, roque_clasique, twoskeletons, ambrosia4all, and geckoholic
dedicated in loving memory of elanurel
***
As a going out of business firesale, I asked my staff to gather some of their favorite fics so we could rec them for this final post. We're here to say goodbye with 30 fics we love! These are not our absolute favorites or anything like that -- just a small sampling of fics that we've loved and enjoyed over the years. If we were to truly rec our favorites, the list would be long and extensive and number in the thousands. Please comment to this post sharing some of your own favorite fics from your time in fandom!
title. The Somersault Verse
author. glassyskies
characters. Sam/Dean, John, Missouri, OFC, OMC
rating. R
words. ~ 80,000
summary. How can Dean and John hold it together when Sam suffers from brain damage after a hunt gone wrong? AU after "The Benders."
read this. maerhys said: Aside for the lyrical quality of each chapter and the complex relationships between the Winchesters, this story is all hurt!Sam but through Dean's eyes. Possibly one of the best Dean characterizations ever and a unique and amazing Sam at his side. This story was written many years ago but it still remains fresh and entertaining.
title. I Cleanse The Mirror
author. takadainmate
characters. Sam, Dean, and Castiel (pre-Dean/Castiel)
rating. R
words. 20,333
summary. Mid-summer in Colorado and it's been snowing for three weeks. Dean and Sam's investigation turns to survival as they are hunted by an ancient, malevolent creature who seeks nothing other than to take their lives. Especially Cas's.
read this. nyoka said: To me this is the essential Team Free Will fic. With its spot-on character voices and characterizations, thrilling casefile, and wonderful and insightful exploration of the friendship and brotherhood between Sam, Dean, and Castiel, this fic is not to be missed. It's everything I love about the found-family dynamic of this trio, layered throughout with comfort, insight, and understanding, while believably laying down the groundwork for Dean/Castiel as something more.
title. The Language Of This Foreign Country
author. ignipes
characters. Sam and Dean
rating. PG-13
words. 2,809
summary. Sam has a list in his head. It's a dictionary or a phrasebook, something you can keep in your pocket and pull out whenever necessary: Translation Guide For People Who Spend Every Waking Hour With People Who Never Say What They Mean.
read this. dotfic said: The way this fic captures both a few of the intricacies of Sam and Dean's relationship in S1, and each of them as individuals, will draw you right in. If you haven't read this fic, yet, don't wait. The setting and mood is spot-on, and I love the author's Sam-voice.
title. Into His Hand
author. drvsilla
characters. Jared/Jensen
rating. R
words. 50,500
summary. JR Ackles is a professional bullrider at the top of his game. He's got one thing on his mind: winning the championship belt buckle and the right to call himself the best in the world. His unwavering dedication and focus is finally put to the test in the form of JT Padalecki, an up-and-coming rider new to the professional ranks, who has his sights set on winning the PBR finals - and Jensen. Cowboys ride and get by on grit and tough determination - the question facing Jensen is if they have to do it alone.
read this. smilla02 said: In the world of RPS AUs, this story stands out for me for many reasons. The author made the world of bullriding vibrant and alive, encasing in it hopes and dreams and personal stories of various interesting characters. With a gorgeous style and a sparse prose, this fanfiction gives us one of the most beautiful and honest portraits of a character I've had the pleasure to read.
title. Something Borrowed, Something Blue
author. belyste
characters. Jared/Jensen
rating. NC-17
words. 38,000
summary. When Jared desperately needs a date for his brother's wedding, he hires an escort. Jensen's the perfect fake boyfriend, except pretty soon things get a little too real. Based on The Wedding Date.
read this. enablelove said: An all-time favorite because it's such a fun trope -- fake boyfriends. I love the idea of acting until it's true. belyste is one of my favorite writers period and she writes these boys effortlessly -- the love, sex, banter, intimacy, awkwardness -- all of it.
title. Outside By the Blue, Blue Moon
author. ninhursag
characters. Sam/OCs, Sam/Jess, and Sam/Dean
rating. R
words. 24,000
summary. Sam makes a sacrifice to save his family.
read this. locknkey said: Gripping, this story reaches into your heart and takes every emotion you have for a ride. Beautifully balanced between angst and hope, this Sam-centric fic presents a Sam that is willing to sacrifice himself, but never gives in, showing courage and strength in the face of pain that he has little hope of ever alleviating. Dean is protective and also shows a willingness to do anything for Sam. The characterizations ring very true to me and I feel so deeply for both boys, and find myself desperate for them to find a little happiness. Not only do I find this story compelling with its elements of horror and violence and utter creepiness, but it is a fic that stays with me, brings me back often, and always leaves me with that breathlessness that comes from a story that has left its mark.
title. Red
author. big-pink
characters. Dean, Sam, John
rating. PG-13
words. 65,000
summary. Something evil is killing treeplanters in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, possibly the same predator that Dean narrowly escaped years before. How Grimm will things get before the brothers figure it out?
read this. roque-clasique said: I had never heard of fanfiction before I read this story. I stumbled across fandom by pure accident: I had seen SPN a few times and decided to google photos of Dean Winchester, but I neglected to clear my browser window first, which held the words "Nevada mining" as part of research for an essay I was writing at the time. So what resulted was a google search for "Dean Winchester" "Nevada mining," and in spring of 2008 the first hit that came up was this story. I clicked. I read. My life was changed. This fic is very near perfect. The Northwest setting is beautifully-researched, the casefic is horrifically enthralling, the characterizations of Dean and Sam (as both adults and children) is illuminating and moving, and the prose is clean, lush, detailed, straightforward, complex, disturbing, and magical. It's one of the best stories I've read, both in fandom and in the "real" world -- and let me tell you, I've read a lot of stories. But this one is special. This one is pure gold: valuable and impossible to tarnish.
title. Angels We Have Heard
author. unoshot
characters. Castiel, Dean, Sam, Bobby
rating. PG-13
words. 7,284
summary. Castiel looks for God. It is a tiresome and thankless task, and he is running out of time.
read this. twoskeletons said: I love stories about Castiel's search for God because of how they take us around the world. This is a fic that captures how Castiel is caught not just between worlds, but between alliances. The character interactions are layered and satisfying, and Cas's tangle of emotion/duty/loyalty/interest for Dean is especially pitch-perfect.
title. I Think I Know Where You Belong
author.
twentysomething
characters. Dean/Castiel
rating. R
words. 7,000
summary. Castiel wishes he wasn't this excited, but it's the best part of his night when Dean Winchester gets home from baseball practice.
read this. ambrosia4all said: This is one of those stories I got hooked on and just kept reading over and over again. It balances the crack with seriousness perfectly and leaves you wanting more.
title. With Apples
author. regala-electra
characters. Dean/OFC
rating. NC-17
words. 1,900
summary. There's water beading down the soft round of her belly. He could read it all across her skin, seeking comfort he knows he doesn't really deserve.
read this. geckoholic said: Well, for one, it's scorchingly HOT. But like with all the best porn, there's so much more: it unfolds the bag of issues that is Dean Winchester, packing a punch that will leave you aching.
title. The Spell & Wish Series
author. locknkey
characters. Sam and Dean; Sam/Dean
rating. G to NC-17
words. 100,000 total
summary. Sam casts a binding spell and Dean makes a wish.
read this. maerhys said: A incredibly twisting tale of weechesters making decisions in their childhood that set a new course for their entire lives. This is full of small, intimate moments, personal and familial milestones, and a soul-mate saturation that presents problems even as Sam and Dean wouldn't change anything. These stories are better than chicken soup and tastier than chocolate.
title. Highway Survivalists' Roadmap Series
author. drvsilla
characters. Sam/Dean
rating. NC-17
words. 10,579 total
summary. Dean reeks--sweat and dirt and too many days since their last shower--and Sam's nose is buried in it.
read this. nyoka: You ever read something that completely changes your idea about what writing can be? This was the fic that did it for me. The premise for this story is simple: Sam and Dean on the road. But the execution is stunning, offering up a gorgeous set of snapshots of everyday life for the boys. This author never fails to make me fall in love with Sam/Dean. And this story -- poetic, lush, and vivid -- captures everything we love about their relationship and a love so powerful it rocked the world.
title. Threading the Needle
author. embroiderama
characters. Sam, Dean, John
rating. PG
words. 3,900
summary. Sam had never thought of sewing as women's work.
read this. dotfic said: Set pre-series, this is a beautifully-woven look at the Winchesters that explores in particular Sam's pov on the dangers of what they do. The cadence of the writing, and the exploration of Sam in the role of family protector, will linger with you.
title. Dummy With the Rapture
author. hansbekhart
characters. Dean/Castiel
rating. NC-17
words. 8,000
summary. "There's a room," Castiel says, pressing his hand against his own chest, "in a house, in a town, where this man used to pray. Where he'd tell God every secret, unworthy thought he'd ever had and be forgiven for them. It matters, Dean. It matters to me that we are alone."
read this. smilla02 said: Because this story captures the dynamic between Dean and Castiel in such a beautiful, heartbreaking way, it reads like it could be canon, even after Season 6. It also benefits from the skill of the author as far as descriptions are concerned, going from beautiful to brutal and back again.
title. No Sleep Till Bedtime
author. veronamay
characters. Jared/Jensen
rating. R
words. 9,500
summary. I saw this interview from the Paley Festival. The boys looked really tired, and Jensen mentioned they'd only had three hours' sleep. My head went ka-boom, and the only thing left in the wreckage was, "sleepyboysficomg." And here we are.
read this. enablelove said: This fic never fails to make me smile and grin, especially at the end of a long day when I'm exhausted just like the boys are in this. They're sleep deprived and adorable. veronamay has this gift with words that pulls you into the story and makes you smile this dopey grin at the screen. Happens to me every time.
title. One Uncontrollable Hunger Away From Ruin
author. maerhys
characters. Sam/Dean
rating. NC-17
words. 44,317
summary. Sam learns that what he wanted isn't exactly what he needs, and that anywhere he goes, anyone he becomes, he takes it all with him.
read this. locknkey said: I can't count the number of times I've read this fic -- I lost track after five. maerhys has mastered beautiful prose and balanced it with a fantastic romantic plot. Who doesn't love a 'do-over' story? But rather than the lighthearted romp one might expect from this cliche, the reader receives instead a serious look at the consequences of a life lived being less than true to yourself, full of angst, sorrow and pain. Change is never easy, even when you want it and the author never glosses over the very real consequences of choosing another path. The course of true love never runs easy, but this story makes it easy to be in love with a love story that is full of visceral details and images, a Sam and Dean that are passionate in their devotion to each other and romance that calls to mind the giddy feelings of falling for the first time.
title. A Good Man is Hard to Find
author. kimonkey7
characters. Sam and Dean
rating. R
words. 100,000+
summary. Dean keeps his word, and ramifications scatter like salt shot. Secrets, liquor, and bad things. Whump, angst, and banter.
read this. roque-clasique said: HELLO H/C. I consider myself a complete and total hurt/comfort junkie (I could give Sam and demon blood a run for their money), and this is the story that started my obsession with the genre. Well, okay, maybe I've always been hardwired to snap to attention at the sight of hot boys getting beat-up, but this fic showed me what good h/c could really be. It's emotional, and complicated, and vulnerable, and tough, and gritty, and honest -- all traits I've come to think of as the hallmarks of quality h/c. It deals with themes like death, and guilt, and drug addiction, and injury, yet despite the drama of the storyline it never drifts into melodrama. It is always firm-jawed and direct, like the Winchesters themselves. Everything I love about Sam and Dean, I love about this story.
title. We Who Stumble
author. lexhibition
characters. Dean/Castiel, Castiel/Balthazar
rating. PG-13
words. 3,800
summary. Profound bonds in wartime.
read this. twoskeletons said: 'Profound' doesn't mean happy or easy, and on that front, the writer pulls no punches. The story's payoff is satisfying even as it kicks you in the teeth and stomps on your heart.
title. A Haven In A Heartless World
author. xela-fic
characters. Sam/Dean
rating. Nc-17
words. 72,000
summary. [Alternate season 1] A lot can happen in four years. People grow and change and life goes on. Sam sees Dean for the first time in four years at his graduation from Stanford. This sets of a chain of events that make them acknowledge past mistakes, present desires, and future plans. They both have secrets-some big, some small; some tiny and fragile and the biggest secret of them all-not to mention a wealth of history between them. But family is the only haven in a heartless world, and no one knows this better than the Winchesters.
read this. ambrosia4all said: A fabulous, gripping story that parallels canon in that fabulous way where you can see the nods to it, while marveling at the ingenuity of the author and the new world they've created.
title. Forever Ain't That Long
author. wave-obscura
characters. 2014!Dean/2009!Dean, Castiel
rating. R
words. 4,600
summary. He can justify it however he wants. The world is coming down around them, Sam is gone forever, the future is uncertain except for a long and endless trail of pain-- all that. Instead he leans down and catches Dean's bottom lip between his own.
read this. geckoholic said: I'm a huge fan of the End!verse, and this is the best thing that came out of it, in my opinion: well-written, evocative, and ultimately hopeful. The author somehow manages to make both Deans two entirely different characters without making either of them OOC, and the pairing just WORKS.
title. Upon Black Earth
author. whereupon
characters. Sam/Dean
rating. PG-13
words. 960
summary. Of the sea and jealousy.
read this. maerhys said: An oft-looked over ficlet that I adore beyond words. The story is less about words taking the reader from the beginning to the end and more about painting a vignette that crackles and echoes with want, need, pain, and acceptance. The beauty and placement of each word is masterful and creates an unforgettable story.
title. The Jared Padalecki Untitled Project
author. sometimesophie
characters. Jared/Jensen
rating. R
words. 45,543
summary. After Supernatural, Jensen and Jared aren't talking. But a film's a film and Jensen could really use the money.
read this. nyoka said: It's hard for me to choose amongst my favorite RPS stories because it's the genre that made me fall in love with SPN fanfic. But this is *the* fic that brought me to the RPS darkside, and I've never looked back. I remember staying up all night sometime in 2006 and reading this story from cover to cover, not being able to put it down because it was just that enthralling. The fic unfolds with stellar pacing, navigated by a Jensen POV that is everything you love about a well-crafted unreliable narrator voice. Gorgeous, heartbreaking, and memorable, this fandom classic stands the test of time.
title. A Geometry For Spirits
author. aesc
characters. Dean/Castiel, Anna
rating. PG-13
words. 1,700
summary. "I... do not do this lightly." He steps closer, Dean backs up; another step, Dean's next step takes him almost back against the wall.
read this. dotfic said: Gorgeous prose and a deft, sympathetic, and believable Castiel voice, this fic establishes one of my favorite bits of fanon backstory for the character, as well as giving a sharp look at Dean. The author plays wonderfully with the undercurrents and dynamics that make this such a compelling pairing.
title. Be With Me When The Horses Run Until They Forget They Are Horses
author. maerhys
characters. Dean/OMC, Sam/Dean
rating. R
words. 4,060
summary. Dean will do anything to make sure that Sam has what he need.
read this. smilla02 said: The gorgeous descriptions act as a counterbalance to the gritty and hard reality of the boys in this pre-series story. The story has a strong, spot-on dynamic between Dean and Sam, with a fabulous Dean that will break your heart and a sweet Sam that will mend it partially.
title. It Would Break This Heart of Mine
author. cjmarlowe
characters. Sam/Dean
rating. NC-17
words. 4,900
summary. When Sam and Dean weren't touching, it was like the other didn't even exist.
read this. locknkey said: An atmospheric story that sucks the reader into the moment and builds suspense with every word. Bursting with details and palpable emotions that are so real, I always feel as if I'm right there experiencing everything right along with the characters. The sexual tension is gripping, but is only a shadow to the intensity of emotion. Sam and Dean come together in a natural and organic way that feeds from their dependence and trust and partnership, while still maintaining all the elements of their brotherly relationship. A story I come back to because every piece falls into place and never for a second am I anywhere but right in the story.
title. The Break Loose Ranch 'Verse
author. technosage
characters. Jared/Jensen, David Boreanaz/Christian Kane, Christian Kane/Steve Carlson, Tom Welling/Michael Rosenbaum, Chad Michael Murray, others
rating. NC-17
words. 44,000+
summary. Jared's a dude ranch owner-operator, Jensen was on Supernatural but it washed out in a year, so he's singin' back-up for Chris and Steve and finding his way. Chad drags Jared to Kane concert. the music's not bad, better than he thought, but he finds something he likes much better.
read this. enablelove said: SMOKING. This 'verse is everything I love about J2 fic rolled into one amazing AU: hot sex, funny banter, underlying issues, and a whole lotta love. Though the love might not glare you in the face, it's there in the touches and words. A classic J2 AU 'verse that I've read countless times.
title. We Were Twenty
author. elohvee
characters. Sam/Dean
rating. NC-17
words. 30,348
summary. It's sunny the day he buries his brother.
read this. roque-clasique said: I have wept over this story so many times. In fact, when I'm looking for catharsis, or just want to cry, I read this story. That's not to say, however, that it's purely sad: it's also funny, and sweet, and gorgeous, and heady with love. Before I read this fic I actively avoided slash fic and wincest -- after I read this, I began to actively seek it out. It's curtain!fic at its best; Sam is a lawyer, Dean a third grade teacher, yet the hunting life is never far behind them, always skulking in the dark corners ready to pounce. The writing here is vivid and stunning, and each detail seems absolutely necessary, not a word out of place. It is heartbreaking but also heartwarming, and it makes happiness feel like sadness in the best, most painful way.
title. Offspring of Silence
author. fossarian
characters. Castiel/Jimmy
rating. PG-13
words. 5,600
summary. Jimmy can't be blamed if he's more willing than most.
read this. twoskeletons said: There's a recklessness to Jimmy here that makes so much sense. In this story, Castiel has been talking to Jimmy since he was a boy, and Jimmy's resultant emotional state is heartbreaking. Of course this guy said yes.
title. Your Brains Are No Match For My Tractorbeam
author. poor_choices
characters. Jared/Jensen
rating. NC-17
words. 17,000
summary. AU, based on The Big Bang Theory. Jensen is a socially awkward but happy theoretical physicist, Jared is an aspiring actor, and everyone sucks at relationships pretty damn hard.
read this. ambrosia4all said: This story combines all the things I love in feel-good fic: dorkiness, crack, and a liberal amount of adorable. Even if you've read it, I urge many rereads! This is one that doesn't get old no matter how often you revisit it.
title. So Remember Then
author. mimblexwimble
characters. Sam and Dean
rating. PG
words. 1,900
summary. One day Dad put Sam in charge, said he needed to talk to a few people, that maybe he had a lead on how to turn Dean back into a twenty-year-old. Then he left. And he didn't come back.
read this. geckoholic said: This is by far the saddest thing I ever read in the SPN fandom, and 'sad' isn't exactly on short supply in our fandom. But the impossible choice Sam has to make, combined with the insight into his character and his relationship with Dean, just brings tears to my eyes.
For more epic rec lists, check out:
Our 100 Episodes Celebration: Celebrating the Big 100 with 30 of our Favorite Fics!
Our One-Genre A Week December Event: 2010 Holiday Recapalooza
Our "Everyone Recs Themselves" Event: 2009 Holiday Self-Rec Celebration
We love you fandom! Keep the fanworks coming! ♥