Big Bang (And Big Bang-Length) Fics
IT'S MIDNIGHT AND THAT MAKES IT SUNDAY, SO THERE. (Okay, so maybe I lied about not posting until I woke up. TOO EXCITED, MUST SHARE. These all look amazing and I am cursing my life for not letting me just read fanfic twenty-four-seven. Why, life? Why do you hate me?)
A thousand thanks to this week's rec contributors: mimblexwimble, izhilzha,ophite68, davincis_girl, elerimc, dotfic, rinkle, ballisticliz, spuffylvr3, adrenalineshots, chiiyo86, ariadnes_string, kjfri, sunshineclouds, july_july_july, starrylizard, ficwriter1966, sen1955, harrigan, caffienekitty, mymuseandi, fish_echo, and maychorian.
Title: Dead Soldiers: An Oral History of the End Times
Author: fryadvocate
Rating: R for language
Length/Word Count: 43,400
Warnings/Spoilers: Religion, miracles, angels, demons, and the end times.
Summary: Although much has been written about the sociological and theological importance of the "End Times War", there has been much less written about the individuals directly involved. Using interviews with primary sources, this paper seeks to examine how Dean and Sam Winchester, two criminals with a history of violence and petty theft, became commonly known as a prophet of the Lord and the Anti-Christ.
Reccer's Comments: It's one of those few but awesome big bang gen fics this year. Why I love it? Because the show will never go there and this is too amazing to lose. The way it is written is simply brilliant, unveiling the plot-line in short, very in character and completely gripping interviews of the various people who had a part to play in the end of the world. Like the summary states, Dean became known as 'the prophet' and Sam as 'the anti-Christ'. But things aren't as simple as that, because (and this is the brilliant part) everyone that tells a tale adds a tail, and everyone in this story has its own agenda and things aren't always as they seem.
Title: Blood Ties
Author: tahirire
Rating: R
Length/Word Count: 29,148
Warnings/Spoilers: Language, gore, violence, dark themes. Spoilers up to "On the Head of a Pin".
Summary: Still reeling from Alistair's arrival and the return of Anna's grace, Sam and Dean are on the run, only taking standard cases. But when they decide to investigate a peculiar nest of vampires, they find there is no hiding from the choices they've made.
Reccer's Comments: One of my favorite Big Bang fics so far. In my own humble opinion, tahirire has nailed the characterization of season 4 boys. And as it is a Big Bang fic, it has amazing art from kj_svala to go with it.
Title: And Hell Followed With Him
Author: legoline
Rating: R
Length/Word Count: 45,700
Warnings/Spoilers: Language, violence, dark themes. Spoilers up to the end of season 3.
Summary: Dean has gone to Hell, and Hell has come on Earth. Sam is the leader of the few surviving people struggling against the demons. When Dean returns from Hell unexpectedly, can the brothers trust each other?
Reccer's Comments: It has the dark atmosphere of good apocafics. The emotions of the boys struggling to reconnect are described so well it brought tears to my eyes more than once. Again, it is a Big Bang fic, and the art by animotus is wonderful.
Title: Fire or Fire
Author: lemmealone
Rating: R
Length/Word Count: 21,190
Warnings/Spoilers: Spoilers through to the end of season three. Some religious themes.
Summary: It took less than an hour in Hell to send Dean mad. Sam doesn't remember what he did to bring his brother back, and in Oklahoma six months later people are burning alive.
Reccer's Comments: This wasn't AU when it was written but it is now. This is a heartbreaking look at how season 4 might have gone and feels even more poignant to me now than it did when I first read it. Note: bigbang art, too. Also available as a podfic.
Reccer's Caveats: Dean is damaged, and not just physically. To the point that if you're looking for a fic to wallow in the canon Dean we know and love, this might not be what you're in the mood for. Protective Sam out the wazoo though.
Title: weathercock snowfall (starlight cockcrow)
Author: kroki-refur
Rating: PG13
Length/Word Count: 27,000
Warnings/Spoilers: spoilers to 3x06
Summary: Dean's got three weeks to live, and Sam's acting like a freakin asshole. And hey, it's not like that's never happened before, but this is a little too much like history repeating for Dean's liking.
Reccer's Comments: I *love* refur's Dean voice. And this story nails one of my bulletproof kinks (regarding sacrifice) but saying any more would spoil it. Big bang art, too!
Reccer's Caveats: obscure titles *g*!
Title: Children of Man
Author: Tajjas
Rating: K+/PG
Length/Word Count: 51,415
Warnings/Spoilers: season 4, anything before “I Know What You Did Last Summer”
Summary: Castiel was an angel. He was…unaccustomed…to dealing with mortal limitations. Unfortunately, the demons who bound him for sacrifice didn’t particularly care. And the Winchester boys weren't helping a great deal either. Set between episodes 4.08 and 4.09.
Reccer's Comments: This was an unexpected treat to find. All in Castiel's perspective, this is a wonderful look at the boys during the early part of season 4 and their growing relationship to Castiel. Insightful, amusing, clever and satisfying.
Reccer's Comments 2 (this one was double-recced): I loved this story's plotting and pacing. I find too many stories that are Cas/Dean centric don't use Sam enough, and Sam is definitely a main character. The beginning is slow-paced, not much plot, and a bit fluff funny with Castiel being down-powered, but the second half is very fast paced with tons of action, surprise characters, and suspense. I also love the longer fics!
Reccer's Caveats: Have absolutely no liquid anywhere in the vicinity of your computer when reading Chapter 13. It will end up on your screen. :) Seriously.
Title: Steps Behind
Author: Mirrordance
Rating: T/PG13
Length/Word Count: 54,400
Warnings/Spoilers: Pretty much the whole of season 4
Summary: 56 seals down, 10 left to open. It's 2009, and Lucifer's standing on the welcome mat. At the eve of the final battle in a losing war, the Winchesters make their last goodbyes, and at this end of days, Dean is finally learning to let Sam go.
Reccer's Comments: I love the way this writer drags you inside the story and the heads of the characters. This one is not, by all means, a happy story, but its a very good story about love, heroes, choices and the things people do to protect the things that really matter to them.
Title: Underworld
Author: Mirrordance
Rating: T/PG13
Length/Word Count: 67,000
Warnings/Spoilers: Set between 4.08 and 4.09, so spoilers for those episodes
Summary: The Winchesters stumble into the work of a serial killer running loose in New York, as if Dean's post-traumatic stress syndrome, the police, and two Subway ghosts weren't enough to deal with.
Reccer's Comments: This is a writer who pulls you right inside the characters minds and inside the action in such a way that you can almost 'smell' it. Wonderful case, wonderful brothers' interactions and awesome, awesome story telling!
Title: Questhaven
Author: SpuffyLvr3
Rating: T/PG13
Length/Word Count: ~30,000
Warnings/Spoilers: Spoilers through No Rest for the Wicked. Goes pre-series at times.
Summary: After a hunt gone wrong, Sam isn't getting better. Will a job from Dean's past have the answer?
Reccer's Comments: I like this fic a lot.
Title: Colour of Trust
Author: Castiel's drycleaner
Rating: T/PG13
Length/Word Count: 32,239
Warnings/Spoilers: Violence, language, but if you watch the show, nothing new.
Summary: Dean is having strange dreams of Castiel, Ruby has reported demonic activity in Nevada and Uriel, not Castiel, is sending the brothers after a Seal. Dean doesn't know where to start, but he begins to suspect his problems all have the same solution.
Reccer's Comments: This is a great Castiel-torture fic early season 4. I highly recommend it due to well-rounded story and graphic details. It's pretty much a "Dean and Sam need to save Cas" story, but so gripping you never know until the end if he does get saved.
Reccer's Caveats: Sam/Ruby if you squint. Not a major plot factor.
Help us keep the gen love going! Rec, rec away at this week's rec sub post. Current progress: 0/50
A thousand thanks to this week's rec contributors: mimblexwimble, izhilzha,ophite68, davincis_girl, elerimc, dotfic, rinkle, ballisticliz, spuffylvr3, adrenalineshots, chiiyo86, ariadnes_string, kjfri, sunshineclouds, july_july_july, starrylizard, ficwriter1966, sen1955, harrigan, caffienekitty, mymuseandi, fish_echo, and maychorian.
Title: Dead Soldiers: An Oral History of the End Times
Author: fryadvocate
Rating: R for language
Length/Word Count: 43,400
Warnings/Spoilers: Religion, miracles, angels, demons, and the end times.
Summary: Although much has been written about the sociological and theological importance of the "End Times War", there has been much less written about the individuals directly involved. Using interviews with primary sources, this paper seeks to examine how Dean and Sam Winchester, two criminals with a history of violence and petty theft, became commonly known as a prophet of the Lord and the Anti-Christ.
Reccer's Comments: It's one of those few but awesome big bang gen fics this year. Why I love it? Because the show will never go there and this is too amazing to lose. The way it is written is simply brilliant, unveiling the plot-line in short, very in character and completely gripping interviews of the various people who had a part to play in the end of the world. Like the summary states, Dean became known as 'the prophet' and Sam as 'the anti-Christ'. But things aren't as simple as that, because (and this is the brilliant part) everyone that tells a tale adds a tail, and everyone in this story has its own agenda and things aren't always as they seem.
Title: Blood Ties
Author: tahirire
Rating: R
Length/Word Count: 29,148
Warnings/Spoilers: Language, gore, violence, dark themes. Spoilers up to "On the Head of a Pin".
Summary: Still reeling from Alistair's arrival and the return of Anna's grace, Sam and Dean are on the run, only taking standard cases. But when they decide to investigate a peculiar nest of vampires, they find there is no hiding from the choices they've made.
Reccer's Comments: One of my favorite Big Bang fics so far. In my own humble opinion, tahirire has nailed the characterization of season 4 boys. And as it is a Big Bang fic, it has amazing art from kj_svala to go with it.
Title: And Hell Followed With Him
Author: legoline
Rating: R
Length/Word Count: 45,700
Warnings/Spoilers: Language, violence, dark themes. Spoilers up to the end of season 3.
Summary: Dean has gone to Hell, and Hell has come on Earth. Sam is the leader of the few surviving people struggling against the demons. When Dean returns from Hell unexpectedly, can the brothers trust each other?
Reccer's Comments: It has the dark atmosphere of good apocafics. The emotions of the boys struggling to reconnect are described so well it brought tears to my eyes more than once. Again, it is a Big Bang fic, and the art by animotus is wonderful.
Title: Fire or Fire
Author: lemmealone
Rating: R
Length/Word Count: 21,190
Warnings/Spoilers: Spoilers through to the end of season three. Some religious themes.
Summary: It took less than an hour in Hell to send Dean mad. Sam doesn't remember what he did to bring his brother back, and in Oklahoma six months later people are burning alive.
Reccer's Comments: This wasn't AU when it was written but it is now. This is a heartbreaking look at how season 4 might have gone and feels even more poignant to me now than it did when I first read it. Note: bigbang art, too. Also available as a podfic.
Reccer's Caveats: Dean is damaged, and not just physically. To the point that if you're looking for a fic to wallow in the canon Dean we know and love, this might not be what you're in the mood for. Protective Sam out the wazoo though.
Title: weathercock snowfall (starlight cockcrow)
Author: kroki-refur
Rating: PG13
Length/Word Count: 27,000
Warnings/Spoilers: spoilers to 3x06
Summary: Dean's got three weeks to live, and Sam's acting like a freakin asshole. And hey, it's not like that's never happened before, but this is a little too much like history repeating for Dean's liking.
Reccer's Comments: I *love* refur's Dean voice. And this story nails one of my bulletproof kinks (regarding sacrifice) but saying any more would spoil it. Big bang art, too!
Reccer's Caveats: obscure titles *g*!
Title: Children of Man
Author: Tajjas
Rating: K+/PG
Length/Word Count: 51,415
Warnings/Spoilers: season 4, anything before “I Know What You Did Last Summer”
Summary: Castiel was an angel. He was…unaccustomed…to dealing with mortal limitations. Unfortunately, the demons who bound him for sacrifice didn’t particularly care. And the Winchester boys weren't helping a great deal either. Set between episodes 4.08 and 4.09.
Reccer's Comments: This was an unexpected treat to find. All in Castiel's perspective, this is a wonderful look at the boys during the early part of season 4 and their growing relationship to Castiel. Insightful, amusing, clever and satisfying.
Reccer's Comments 2 (this one was double-recced): I loved this story's plotting and pacing. I find too many stories that are Cas/Dean centric don't use Sam enough, and Sam is definitely a main character. The beginning is slow-paced, not much plot, and a bit fluff funny with Castiel being down-powered, but the second half is very fast paced with tons of action, surprise characters, and suspense. I also love the longer fics!
Reccer's Caveats: Have absolutely no liquid anywhere in the vicinity of your computer when reading Chapter 13. It will end up on your screen. :) Seriously.
Title: Steps Behind
Author: Mirrordance
Rating: T/PG13
Length/Word Count: 54,400
Warnings/Spoilers: Pretty much the whole of season 4
Summary: 56 seals down, 10 left to open. It's 2009, and Lucifer's standing on the welcome mat. At the eve of the final battle in a losing war, the Winchesters make their last goodbyes, and at this end of days, Dean is finally learning to let Sam go.
Reccer's Comments: I love the way this writer drags you inside the story and the heads of the characters. This one is not, by all means, a happy story, but its a very good story about love, heroes, choices and the things people do to protect the things that really matter to them.
Title: Underworld
Author: Mirrordance
Rating: T/PG13
Length/Word Count: 67,000
Warnings/Spoilers: Set between 4.08 and 4.09, so spoilers for those episodes
Summary: The Winchesters stumble into the work of a serial killer running loose in New York, as if Dean's post-traumatic stress syndrome, the police, and two Subway ghosts weren't enough to deal with.
Reccer's Comments: This is a writer who pulls you right inside the characters minds and inside the action in such a way that you can almost 'smell' it. Wonderful case, wonderful brothers' interactions and awesome, awesome story telling!
Title: Questhaven
Author: SpuffyLvr3
Rating: T/PG13
Length/Word Count: ~30,000
Warnings/Spoilers: Spoilers through No Rest for the Wicked. Goes pre-series at times.
Summary: After a hunt gone wrong, Sam isn't getting better. Will a job from Dean's past have the answer?
Reccer's Comments: I like this fic a lot.
Title: Colour of Trust
Author: Castiel's drycleaner
Rating: T/PG13
Length/Word Count: 32,239
Warnings/Spoilers: Violence, language, but if you watch the show, nothing new.
Summary: Dean is having strange dreams of Castiel, Ruby has reported demonic activity in Nevada and Uriel, not Castiel, is sending the brothers after a Seal. Dean doesn't know where to start, but he begins to suspect his problems all have the same solution.
Reccer's Comments: This is a great Castiel-torture fic early season 4. I highly recommend it due to well-rounded story and graphic details. It's pretty much a "Dean and Sam need to save Cas" story, but so gripping you never know until the end if he does get saved.
Reccer's Caveats: Sam/Ruby if you squint. Not a major plot factor.
Help us keep the gen love going! Rec, rec away at this week's rec sub post. Current progress: 0/50