Read Any Good Fic Lately?

It's been a long road....but I have a fast car.

It's been a long road....but I have a fast car.

So, it's been, wow! Almost three years since I updated. Three years and three fandoms...

I'm still reading Mag 7, still writing it in a minor way, also The Fast and The Furious, and currently I'm hyped up and happy with the WB's Supernatural, so expect the recs to lean heavily among those at first, but I've got quite the backlog.

For those new to my rec style -- I don't rec things I don't like or am only meh about. Nor do I always rec, here, everything that blows me away. The recs you'll find here are for readers and while I'm pleased that writers may get something out of them, that's not really the point. I'm not reccing stories to help writers get better at writing. However, I will stand by my policy of removing recs or links if authors request it of me politely. I don't require an explanation. If you can't be polite in your request, don't expect me to be polite in my response. I probably will be but don't expect it.

That said, my recs generally follow a pattern: A little overview and brief summary, What I particularly liked about the story and then, if it applies, what I didn't like. The point of the last two is not (again) to critique the writer -- it's to give the reader a better overview of what works for me and doesn't. Things that bug me may be right up a reader's alley, or things I adore (I'm a sucker for well-done angst) may not be the reader's cup of tea...so I tell you why so that my recs can be of more use to you.

Clear? Oh, good!

Recs now:

I'm kind of working my way backwards through my LJ memories, but since Supernatural is my current fandom Love du jour, we'll start there

Fandom Overview: Dean and Sam Winchester are brothers whose mother was killed by supernatural forces 22 years earlier. Her death sent their father (and them) on a quest to find the thing that killed her and along the way they take out whatever supernatural or paranormal threats they can. John Winchester raised his sons to be warriors, with conventional weapons training, hand to hand, and a whole arsenal of supernatural weapons at their disposal. At the start of the series, John has gone missing, and Dean comes to his younger brother Sam for help in finding him. Sam left the "family business" four years earlier to pursue a college degree in pre-law and to try and lead a normal life. Dean remained and by all indication loves the life. They unsuccessfully hunt for their father over a long weekend, but on their return, Sam's girlfriend, Jessica, is killed by the same thing as their mother Mary was. And now the boys are back on the quest together?

Skin Deep by Philote (Gen)

One of the earlier episodes, "Skin" involved a shapeshifter -- and during the course of the ep, it took on Dean's form and much mayhem ensued, including Sam pretty much getting the shit kicked out of him (it happens a lot to Sam) but needless to say, it inspired a pretty wide array of stories.

Skin Deep by Philote is an excellent gen offering that follows up the episode. There's a lot of friction between the boys already, and it comes out in odd ways. But then again, so does the fairly obvious brotherly affection.

What I liked: Dialogue, dialogue, dialogue. One of the best things about the show itself is the verbal byplay between the brothers. Dean is a smart ass. Sam's a little more open about his feelings but not necessarily more mature. This story perfectly illustrates the communication barrier there as well as the awkwardness that exists between them that nonetheless reveals more than hides how very deeply the brothers love each other.

What was less than perfect: Even as early as this ep aired and as young as the fandom is, there are already some tropes and cliches popping up. There's not an excessive amount in this but the piece is short and so they were more noticeable to me.

Not in My House by Witch of the Dogs (Gen)

Not in My House by Witch of the Dogs, could very well be my favorite AU in this fandom and already there are several AU's popping up for a variety of reasons (mostly for the undeniable appeal of slashing the brothers which brings up some interesting obstacles for writers, since they are, you know, brothers). However, this WIP (yes, shut up.) takes a basic premise of the show and jerks it out as an underpinning and then plays what if.

What if Sam had gotten the life he wanted: his degree, a wife, a child, only to have whatever stalks their family strike anyway? The reunion between he and Dean would take place much later and they'd be very different people.

What I like: The attention to detail so that the parallels are well marked without being 100 foot billboards. The subtle and not so subtle changes we see in the two men as they come together in a tragic way.

What's less than perfect: Little with the story at all, but the chances are high that the author won't pursue past the reunion phase, which is an amazing story by itself, but it is one of those stories that you know you'll want more of.

The actual story is posted over several journal entries:

Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four

Getting Somewhere Fast by Shrift. (slash)

This is kind of an odd selection for my first rec in The Fast and the Furious but, I'll get to the more substantial pieces at some point. The fandom is not huge and the really good stuff is kind of thin on the ground as are lengthy stories. However, Shrift's short offers a great example of what makes the fandom work at all -- the undeniable attraction between the characters of Dominic Toretto and Brian O'Connor. She also perfectly nails the edge of competition that colors everything they do as well as making a not so subtle jab at the issues that make the pairing complex. There's really nothing not to like in this story. It's short, it's perfectly characterized, the voices ring true, and it's hot as hell.

posted by Maygra @ 4:16 PM