MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. Brenda Antrim: 'The Plausible Deniability Affair', Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin are doused with a powder by THRUSH, causing them to speak their minds ... with interesting results. Slash. Kellie Matthews: 'Safe Harbor' by Kellie Matthews - after a disagreement, Illya disappears and Napoleon tracks him down, only to witness something he wasn't expecting with equally unexpected results for himself. Slash. Lee the T: 'Half Truths' is an excellent example of the first time story. It takes time to build, as good stories in this sub-genre should, and has an excellent take on both Illya and Napoleon as their fledgling relationship is put to a severe test because of Waverly's machinations and UNCLE. Slash. Meanwhile, in 'Small Distances', Illya has to re-learn who and what he is after a close encounter with a bullet. Slash. Lil: Napoleon sees a very familiar person in a very compromising position in the 'Behind Door Number Three Affair'. Slash. Nyssa: Napoleon goes out with an old military buddy. Illya gets drunk. Napoleon comes back to the hotel... 'Veritas'. Slash. What happens when someone finds out and everything begins to fall apart? The Safety of Distance. Slash. 'Complete Control' - it takes a lot for Illya to trust anyone the way he trusts Napoleon. Slash. P.R. Zed: P.R. Zed becomes the latest author to acquire the not-so-coveted 'just go read everything' award - she writes excellent Man from UNCLE fic (both gen and slash). I particularly recommend her slash series which starts with 'The Baltic Affair', moves on to 'The See Lubyanka and Die Affair' and concludes with 'The Virus Affair' - masterful portraits of Napoleon and Illya in the cold war Baltic states and the Soviet Union. RAC: I've been waiting for this one to come online just so I could rec it. Anyone who's read my recs pages knows I'm a sucker for 'how they met' stories, so this one was already on the road to success the moment I started reading it - 'The Better Gadget Affair'. Napoleon is with Section 2, Illya is in the lab making those nifty gadgets both he and UNCLE seem to like so much, and the rest is history! Slash. And another one I've been waiting for! 'The Dreams of Vampires Affair' is a follow-up to the episode The Batcave Affair, with Illya struggling to deal with his experiences as inexplicable things happen around him. Slash. Veronica: 'The Hong Kong Affair' is a classy first-time story which captures the mood of the series without turning Illya into a little boy who needs rescuing. Slash, but sadly still a WiP. While you're there, if you love AU stories, you might want to check out 'The Case of the Missing Spy Affair', co-written with Aithine - an AU where Illya is a down-on-his-luck private eye in 1940's Los Angeles, and Napoleon is a playboy who wants someone found. Slash, also a WiP. 'The Best is Yet to Come Affair' - nobody would be surprised that their first date went just as might be expected. Slash. Taliesin: To my mind, Taliesin is one of the best writers in UNCLE fandom at the moment. Her stories are always worth checking out and you can find them here; scroll down for Man from UNCLE. Picking favourites is tricky, but I highly recommend 'The Family Affair', 'The 'To Thine Own Self Be True' Affair' and 'Each Our Own Devil', but it's all good! BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER & ANGEL Te: I've never really known what Joss Whedon meant for Xander. I mean, Buffy's the slayer, Giles is the Watcher. Oz is a werewolf, Willow's a witch. Xander is .... aimless and not really given much to do on the show. So, Te takes him away from Sunnydale ... with Spike. In what turns out to be a love story ... 'Post Grad', the first in an AU series. Spike/Xander. Co-written with Sheila Perez, 'Amends the next time' deals with the whole sordid Wes-Fred-Gunn thing like the show never did but bloody well should have... Wesley/Gunn. James Walkswithwind: 'Sands of Time', co-written with Wolfling. A long series, this details Xander's escape from an abusive home, and his adoption by Giles ... and his love life with Spike. As might be expected, given the authors, this is a detailed, emotion-filled story. The accent is more on Xander's life and his attempts to adjust to not being beaten and abused, than on sex, although sex is certainly present. Spike/Xander. 'Wesley Rogue Demon', co-written with Mad Poetess - there's more to Wesley than meets the eye. Much, much more, as Angel and co. are about to discover. Wesley/Gunn. Brenda Antrim: 'Forfeit' - Giles makes a deal with a demon to save Buffy's life. Angel(us)/Giles Warning: rape story. 'Heart's Desire' - in payment for getting a demon off a murder rap, Lindsey is granted his heart's desire, but as with all demonic agreements the reality is not quite that straightforward. Angel/Lindsey. 'The One with the Power (Powerless)' - demonic complications from the removal of his hand leave Lindsey irrevocably changed. Angel/Lindsey. Jet: I love this story, though it has quite a nasty feel to it - 'Nummy Treat'. Spike/Xander, Angel/Xander. Sarah T.: 'Serves In A Whirlwind' - Giles is trying to survive Buffy leaving Sunnydale, with the dubious assistance of Ethan. 'Messengers of Grey' - Oz visits London and a certain former-librarian. Wonderful story with a great title. Giles/Oz Seana Renay: 'Find the River' - Oz is looking for something, while Wesley is dealing with the 'tall, dark and bipolar thing', can either of them find what they're looking for in L.A.? Oz/Wesley. Basingstoke: It's all about Andrew and the things that might have happened in the excellent and extremely long story, 'Big Rock Candy Mountain'. Andrew/OC, Andrew/Ripper. Jessica Harris: The title says it all: 'Wesley's Liberal Guilt' - I could just see early season Wesley tying himself in knots this way. Wesley/Gunn. Sheila Perez: And now for two excellent stories by the same author, because the whole Fred love triangle thing never happened for these guys. Got it? In 'Contrapuntal' Gunn gets hustled. Wesley/Gunn. Meanwhile, in 'Something Like', Gunn muses on the concept of messing Wesley up a little. Wesley/Gunn. Andraste: 'Living Dangerously' has Andrew Wells considering how his life has changed, mostly for the better, and discovering all sorts of things about himself. Priya: 'Everybody's Got A Secret, Sonny' - searching for a Slayer in the far off state of Maine, long after the Hellmouth opened once and for all, Giles comes across another refugee from Sunnydale. Giles/Oz. Branwyn: 'Boys Of Summer (In Their Ruin)' - they're both discovering things about themselves that they're not sure they can cope with. Giles/Oz. Glossing: 'Book of Daniel' - a series of stories set in 'the most boring summer ever' when Buffy is gone of her own accord. Giles/Oz, Oz/Devon. 'Les Hombres Roboticos' - while researching something esoteric, Wesley unexpectedly meets up with a former Sunnydale resident who's now operating well below the radar. Wesley/Oz. 'Nothing For the Tin Man' - Oz finds himself in LA, then discovers Wesley is the only one he can turn to. Now, if only Wesley had someone... Wesley/Oz. 'Lost in Chinatown' - their paths just keep on crossing, but what do they really know about one another? Giles/Oz. 'Satyriasis, A Self-Test' - Addicted to sex? That's hardly a term that can be used where Oz is concerned, can it? Oz/various. 'The Baleful, Ingenious, and Curious Memory-Theater of One Ethan Rayne' - when strange things start to happen, strange even for Sunnydale like an annual fair turning up in town when no-one can remember it ever happening before, for some reason it's Oz that Giles turns to for help... Giles/Oz. Doyle: 'The Wake' - a year on from the events of 'Chosen' and everyone is dealing with the anniversary in their own particular fashion. Giles/Xander pre-slash. 'Domination' - “And as we know,” Wesley said solemnly, “Officer Dibble is the cartoon personification of The Man.” Wes/Gunn Wesleysgirl: 'Open Season' - an AU story where Wesley manages to bring Doyle back from the dead, without realising just how big an impact that action will have on his life. Wesley/Doyle. 'Point You Home' - Xander is worried. Giles/Xander pre-slash. Fleur: 'One Twist Too Far' - after the events of 'Chosen', Xander is trying to evade who he used to be. Giles/Xander pre-slash. Trekker: 'Not So Bad' - yes, they really are stranded on a desert island together... Giles/Xander. Eloise: 'Out Of Dreams' - "And when you sleep you remind me of the dead." The quotation slips out unexpectedly; he's not sure why. Angel/Wesley. Kindkit: 'Unaccommodated Man' - in dog years, Oz is 126. Giles/Oz. 'What It Feels Like' - what does it feel like, being shot? Wesley/Gunn. Jane St. Clair: 'Restaurant Dogs' - a series of seven stories, starting with 'Chapparal', set in a universe where magic is a significant source of trouble and Wesley is more powerful than most. Wesley/Gunn, some Giles/Ethan. Jane Davitt: 'Ships That Cross' -Wes heads back to London and the Watcher's Council, only to find he doesn't really fit in there or anywhere... Wes/Xander. Hth: 'Gonzo Sunset' - "Thanks." His eyes flicked up, and a tendril of a smile played around his lips. "Gotta stop rattling my cage." Giles/Oz 'Moonlight and Van Helsing' - He was tired of this lump in his throat, of the way that he never seemed to be able to say anything during those moments when he had the brunt of their intimacy filling up his rib cage. Giles/Oz k: 'As Feet Grow Out Like Fruit on Legs' - in his second retirement, Giles thought he was going to get a nice relaxing sinecure somewhere, but he hadn't counted on Andrew. Gen. REAL GHOSTBUSTERS Lethe: 'Spontaneous Combustion' by Lethe. Peter Venkman and Egon Spengler meet at Columbia University. Peter/Egon. Then go read the rest of the series here. Mara: Ack. Just what I needed, another fandom. After being reluctantly sucked in, by reading Lethe's story I recced above, I'm finding Real Ghostbusters to be one of the best hurt/comfort fandoms going. Go read Mara's stuff if you don't believe me - there's both gen and slash available on the site... Aeridahl: Meanwhile, if you're like me and angst-ridden slash is your thing, try 'Fifteen Years'. Secrets abound in this Real Ghostbusters slash story - Peter/Egon. James Walkswithwind: And for more, try this one: 'Have You Never Been Lonely, Have You Never Been Lied To?'. Peter has been denying his feelings for Egon. What happens when he can't any longer? Peter/Egon. James Walkswithwind seems to have a thing about people not being quite what they seem (see her 'Wesley, Rogue Demon' Angel story which I've also recced for another example of this theme) - this time it's Peter who isn't quite what the others always thought him to be in 'What Are Friends For?'. Gen, with a Peter/Egon sequel in 'What Else Are Friends For?'. Dean Warner: I've always been a sucker for 'how they got together' stories and these stories both fulfill that need and then some - chronicling that all-important first meeting, way back when they were both students at Columbia, 'The First Five Weeks Of The Rest Of My Life' and 'Misgivings' are some of the best stories I've read in this unfortunately not very active slash fandom. Peter/Egon. Therienne: 'Pure Evil' - there's not enough people writing in certain fandoms at present, probably not helped by the fact said fandom isn't out on dvd, but that's where things like Yuletide are so great! Peter and Egon find themselves trapped together and hijinks eventually ensue... Peter/Egon. Mary Crawford: 'Into Still Water Like a Star' - As soon as a grateful populace made Peter king of the world, he decided, clowns would be first against the wall. Peter/Egon. INVISIBLE MAN Lucy Hale: Lucy Hale has written some great IM slash - though it's a show I really like (even to the extent of making me forget how much Vincent Ventresca annoyed me in Prey), I still can't quite see it as being all that slashy, but Lucy convinces me. I'm fond of all of them, but especially recommend 'Hu Roi va Trong', 'Paranoia' and the five stories that make up the 'Loyalties' series: 'Loyalties', 'Addictions', 'Choices', 'Betrayals' and 'Renewals' . Hobbes/Fawkes. Matthew Haldeman-Time: 'Sharing the Madness' - Hobbes gets a new partner, and the idea of what they might be doing together drives Fawkes crazy with jealousy - when he decides to do something about it, he discovers exactly what Bobby thinks of him (that one descriptive line alone would make this fic worth reading, even if the rest of it wasn't so good). Hobbes/Fawkes. Miriam Heddy: In 'Typology', Miriam Heddy does a great job of channelling Bobby Hobbes as he considers just who and what might be Darien's 'type'. Hobbes/Fawkes. Tiriel: 'Fish and Game' - who else could possibly be calling Darien at 3.28am? Hobbes/Fawkes. Kim: 'Thanks For All the Fish' - when Fawkes almost gets shot, Bobby Hobbes does not react well. Hobbes/Fawkes DUE SOUTH Crysothemis: 'Excuses' - Inspector Thatcher attempts to write up her personnel reports. This is a humourous piece which makes reference to m/f, but it's not intrusive, and it's canon… I'm a RayK fan, through and through, and there's nothing I like more than a bucketful of RayK angst, so, when I came across this story, I was in hog heaven. 'True North' gave me everything I could want in a story and then some - set after Call of the Wild, Fraser's sister unwittingly tells Ray something that makes him head back to Chicago alone, but in the end he and Fraser can't stay apart. In 'Damaged Goods', there are plenty of good reasons why it's a bad idea for Ray to be lusting after his new partner. And Ray himself is one of them. Fraser/Ray K 'Northwest Passage' - Well, he'd got himself into a pickle, and it wasn't the sort of thing a person could ask a father about, anyway. He'd managed to do the one thing, the one foolish, selfish thing, that could drive Ray away. After Ray had chosen him, had asked him to share this adventure.. Fraser/RayK. Kellie Matthews: 'Somewhere Else to Be' - a long, romantic AU story about Professor Benton Fraser and his mechanic, Mr. Kowalski … Slash. Kellie Matthews has also written another lovely lengthy story about two men who love each other and are each afraid the other doesn't reciprocate ... 'When the Ice Goes Out'. Fraser/Ray K 'Knowing the Place' - another RayK/Fraser post-Call of the Wild story, formerly in the zine 'Serge Protector'. The usual quality story-telling, well leavened with angst and soul-searching. What more could a girl want? 'Playing Wolf' - another Mountie brings unexpected discoveries that affect Ray and Fraser's relationship. Fraser/Ray K 'True Colors' - Ray overhears something that starts him thinking about Fraser in a whole new way. Fraser/RayK Ethan Nelson: Snow, more snow, Monopoly and a Mountie … Det. Vecchio gets a surprise in 'Free Parking'. Humour. Bone & Aristide: 'The Better Angels' is one of those 'must-read' stories. Fraser and Ray find themselves in a small town in the middle of nowhere, just as Ray is starting to have some doubts about what he's let himself in for by agreeing to accompany the Mountie. Fraser/Ray K. Matthew Haldeman-Time: I'm not even going to waste your time making you decide between them. Go read Matthew Haldeman-Time's Due South stories. All of them. Even the ones with Turnbull and Vecchio and Stella in them (though most of them are Fraser/RayK). And no, you don't need to thank me. Sheesh. You want specific recs? Okay, read 'Gratitude'. "You say a lot, Fraser, and a lot of that lot doesn't mean a whole lot." Oh yeah. 'List, List, O List', wherein RayK says nasty things about Turnbull's 'obnoxious weirdness', discovers even more odd things about The Other Mountie, and then picks up the pieces afterwards. RayV/Fraser & RayK/Turnbull. Speranza: Normally I run a mile from fics with kids in them, mostly because the kids are usually the angelic child that no-one in RL actually has - I like Speranza's take on almost instant parenthood for Ray K and Fraser 'With Six You Get Eggroll' though, go figure. The kids feel like real kids, which helps immensely, and the sugar factor isn't too high. In 'Flying Blind, Speranza has Ray learning to understand how Fraser's Canadian brain works and discovering that his instinct for survival isn't as strong as he'd formerly thought, among other things. Fraser/Ray K. Rhi Marzano: 'beguiled' - as I've said before, I'm not a big fan of kid fic but this one manages to keep Ray K.'s voice right even as he and Fraser deal with the sudden appearance of Fraser's three year old son. Fraser/Ray K. Resonant: In 'Teeth of the Hydra', Resonant runs two storylines parallel - Ray and Fraser are tracking an assailant who tattoos their victims while Ray experiences his life with Stella and gets to where he is now. Fraser/Ray K. 'Broadway Hotel' has Ray coming back to Chicago alone and finding it hard to adjust. Fraser/Ray K 'American Way' - Fraser has to pretend to be American and turns out to be the fulfillment of a significant number of Ray's fantasies when he does so. Fraser/Ray K Basingstoke: In 'Rabbit Jumps Out the Window', Maggie and Fraser have a telephone heart to heart, or at least that's how it ends up. Fraser/Ray K Lyra Sena: 'Four Ways Benton Fraser and Ray Kowalski Never Met, and One Way They Did' - the title says it all. Fraser/Ray K. 'A Reverse Country Song, in D Minor' - There were times when Ray wished everything between him and Fraser was the way it used to be.. Fraser/Ray K. Penelope Whistle: 'What We Talk About When We Talk About Wolves' - Ray and Fraser talk about basic human needs. Fraser/Ray K. Purna: 'Palimpsest' - another one of the AUs that this fandom seems so fond of, and I can understand just why that is since I love many of them as well. Ray is an ex-cop turned pilot, taking up a new job in the middle of nowhere and encountering someone who will change his life forever. Fraser/Ray K. Theodosia: 'Being Benton Fraser' - one morning both Fraser and Ray wake up and the world is unexpectedly and completely different. Fraser/Ray K. Denise Raymond: 'All the Comforts of Home' - the real Ray Vecchio visits his former partner in the Northwest Territories and discovers something he hadn't expected to find. Fraser/Ray K. china_shop: In 'The Vecchio Problem', Ray Kowalski finds that being Ray Vecchio is much more difficult than it would first appear, and Fraser doesn't really seem to be helping a great deal with that particular issue. Fraser/Ray K. In 'Speculation', Ray discovers that once he starts looking at Fraser that way, he just can't stop. Fraser/Ray K. 'Leaving Normal' - So Ray isn’t sure if Fraser’s a real guy who’s undercover as a superhero, or if he’s a cartoon superhero guy who sometimes fakes being real. Either way, he’s pretty much a freak. Fraser/Ray K. 'Crazy' - Fraser is, as he would say, several forks short of a cutlery set, but he still has a confession to make. And so does Ray. Fraser/Ray K. 'Hanging' - Fraser returns unexpectedly to Chicago and, as usual, his timing is immaculate. Fraser/Ray K. 'The Sweet Hereafter' - Fraser and Ray get involved with sabotage on a building site and Fraser finds himself gaining a much better understanding of his father. Fraser/Ray K. Estrella: 'Dearly Beloved' - Ray is just getting used to being back in Chicago, to being alone again, when Fraser comes back and turns his nice quiet life upside down. Fraser/Ray K. 'The Good Detectives' - Fraser seems to be acting even odder than usual, if that were possible. Fraser/Ray K. 'Timeline' - by the time he realised he was in love with Fraser, Ray was already back in Chicago. Fraser/Ray K. 'Figure of Speech' - Ray is more than a little distracted by what happened the night before, but that's nothing compared to the effect on Fraser... Fraser/Ray K. 'Just Like Steve McQueen' - "You never think things through and you always just - oh! Hey! Ray! Let's go be idiots today! And me?" Ray grabbed the pickles and screwed off the cap. "I just - I do it! So who's crazier?" Fraser/RayK KindKit: 'An Incident Along a Poorly Guarded Border' - stuck in a tent together, Ray finds out that there's more to the universe than he previously thought. Fraser/Ray K. 'Perfection in the Work' - what Ray gets up to when he and Fraser move to Inuvik together and settle down. Fraser/Ray K. lalejandra: 'In Which Ray Tries To Find A Job And Also There Is Sex' - once he's decided to stay in Canada with Fraser, Ray tries to find some purpose to his existence there that doesn't revolve around sex with the Mountie. Fraser/RayK. 'Third (time is the charm, or so someone told Ray once) ' - now he's back in Chicago, everything is going to be normal again. Really. Nobody else believes it either, so Ray has to take some action. Fraser/Ray K 'Surviving' - "You don't want the Mountie. I don't want the Mountie. No one wants the Mountie coming back down here. I'd bet even the Mountie doesn't want that.". Fraser/RayK. Miss Pamela: 'Down East' - on their return from the wilderness, both Fraser and Ray are struggling to adjust. A series of suspicious deaths in diners leads them to all sorts of unexpected revelations. Fraser/Ray K. 'Momentous' - because it's all but impossible for Fraser to take something as dramatic as this completely in his stride... Fraser/Ray K. The Hoyden: 'The Telephone' - Fraser and Kowalski are living together but it's not all sunshine and kittens. Fraser/Ray K. 'Academic Punk' - an AU with Fraser and Kowalski as professors in a university English department... just go with it, okay? Fraser/Ray K. Punk: 'Verse Chorus Verse' - He should have stayed in the sled. He should have smiled at Fraser's rocks and stayed in the sled. Maybe then he'd be able to feel his legs. Fraser/Ray K. 'Gun, with Occasional Kangaroo: A Love Story' - it all started with Frannie's romance novel, featuring the adventures of Constable Luc Laberteaux of the RCMP... Fraser/Ray K. Beth H.: 'More Than You Know' - Ray really has no idea of what he's letting himself in for. Or does he? Fraser/Ray K. 'Like a House on Fire' - co-written with Kellie Matthews, this story finds Ray visiting Fraser after two years apart and the two of them find themselves plunged into the middle of investigating a series of arson attacks. Fraser/Ray K. glossing: 'How to Prioritize Without Falling on Your Ass' - Fraser's always telling him to calm down. Fraser/Ray K. Laura Jacquez Valentine: 'Un-American' - "You do not *grow* *out* of stupidity," Ray said. "I should know; I been stupid my whole life." Fraser/Ray K. Starfish: 'Rain Down on Me' - Fraser. Ray. Fraser's cabin. Fraser/Ray K. Isis: '(Not) Being Ray Vecchio' - Now he's not Ray Vecchio, who exactly is he? Fraser/Ray K. BrooklineGirl: 'They Eat Pizza, Don't They?' - for some reason Due South seems to generate more AUs that actually work than any other fandom I've come across, and this is one of them. Fraser is still a Mountie but Ray is in another line of work entirely... Fraser/Ray K. 'Ex Libris' - short and sweet. He thinks that if there is a clue he has missed, it's not for lack of trying. If this were a mystery story, things would be easier. Fraser/RayK 'Love is Just Like Breathing' - Ray tried not to over-think things, because it wasn't any different, this was how they were. (Gay.) No one in the station even turned their head at all the touching (gay), the ducking into the supply closet (gay), the going to the bathroom together (gay, gay, gay). Fraser/Ray K Joandarck: 'You Can't Take That Away From Me' - there's nothing like an amnesia story, is there? Ray is a little confused over who he is and who Fraser is, having gone undercover in a hospital. Fraser/Ray K Hth: 'Ghosti' - in this story, Fraser left Chicago around midway through his partnership with Kowalski, but the return of the real Ray Vecchio starts the ball rolling again as the two Rays head for Canada and some kind of closure. Fraser/Ray K 'Sibylla ti theleis' - Living out his new life in Florida, but for more reasons than anyone else is aware of, Ray Vecchio gets some unexpected visitors. Fraser/RayK Lamardeuse: 'Inertia' - it all starts with Ray trying to explain himself, which is never going to be a good idea. Fraser/Ray K 'Point A to Point B' - Fraser and Ray, on holiday in San Francisco, where Ray's brought them for a reason. Fraser/RayK Nifra Idril: 'Watershed' by Nifra Idril - The next morning, Ray decides the working hypothesis is that Fraser was just happy he didn't die, and that Canadian weirdness coupled with panic made Fraser a little too intimate, that's all. Fraser/RayK Littera Abbactor & Makesmewannadie: I'm not a big fan of what is generally known as crackfic, but for a story this good I'll make an exception: 'The Cetacean Situation' - a bizarre crossover story with Spiderman 2 where Ray finds himself turning up at the Canadian Consulate not quite in control of what's going on. Fraser/RayK. Cherry Ice: 'Chrysalis' - Somewhere, at this moment, Fraser is licking things. He knows it. Fraser/RayK. 'Like Some Strange Shadow' - He's waiting for Fraser to say ‘Whatever do you mean, Ray?' or ‘That's preposterous, Ray,' or ‘Surely you're being melodramatic, Ray,' but Fraser's not saying anything at all.. Fraser/RayK. Nevvererdovit: 'Gunpowder Plot' - Ray Kowalski is on trial for a murder he didn't commit, and Fraser is the only one prepared to try and discover the truth, in this story with shades of Dorothy L Sayers. Pre-slash. MISCELLANEOUS FANDOMS Lord Peter Wimsey 'The First Year After' by Nineveh-uk. There's some excellent Lord Peter Wimsey fic out there, with suitable interest paid to getting the voices right, and this one has to join them. How do the main characters get past the events of Strong Poison, and in particular Harriet Vane and Charles Parker, destined to be in-laws? Gen. Entourage 'Top Billing' by astolat - Eric looked at the bill and the neat little line of coke lying on the polished desk. This was clearly the beginning of the end, doing coke with Ari Gold on a Friday night, just so he could get i's dotted and t's crossed.. E/Vince. Peacemakers - another teeny tiny fandom gets the nod! 'The Winter Trail' by Keiko Kirin - Marshal Stone and Detective Finch find themselves investigating the death of a farmer and discovering more than they might have suspected behind the sleepiness of their surroundings. Finch/Stone preslash. 'An Honest Man' by Michelle Christian, and it's so nice to see people writing in this teeny-tiny fandom - "The future is exciting, full of possibility and wonder. There are so many new and fascinating discoveries happening every day, and so many more just around the corner. A whole new undiscovered country, just waiting for us." Stone gave him a wry look. "The 'undiscovered country' is death. Most people aren't too eager for it.". Stone/Finch. ReGenesis - I never thought I'd be reccing this fandom and especially not this pairing, but here goes, because the story is really good and really Bob... 'Let's Not Talk About It and Say We Did' by Miriam Heddy. He thought about food, and a little about death, instead of the things he just didn't need or want to think about right now, most of them, not coincidentally, revolving around the problem of Bob. Bob/David. Wonderfalls - I wouldn't say Wonderfalls is the easiest fandom to write in, because the voices are so distinct, but k manages it perfectly in 'Hiatus Machines' - for once, Jaye isn't hearing voices and now she doesn't know what to do with herself. Gen. Chrestomanci - It was only relatively recently that I became a fan of Diana Wynne Jones' books, and was pleased recently to come across fic using her characters (in particular Howl and Chrestomanci) by Eildon Rhymer, here. I particularly recommend 'A Boy Less Ordinary', where the young Chrestomanci finds himself having an unexpected adventure. Gen. Rome - 'The First Prayers of Man' by Destina - a poignant look at how Lucius Vorenus copes with everything that happens to him in season 1. Vorenus/Pullo. 'semper hic erro' by Bastet - Vorenus is near ready to sleep when Pullo comes back into the dark room, swagger in his step and an indecent smile on his face. Vorenus/Pullo. Pirates of the Caribbean - 'The African Star' by Erin Rua - Elizabeth manages to get herself kidnapped again and so Will Turner must take up piracy in order to save her. How convenient that he knows someone who'll happily sign him on... Gen. Supernatural - 'And Fools Shine On' by b stearns - scroll down to the bottom of part 1 for links to the rest of this story, where Dean has been taken over by something bad and it's up to Sam to get him back, while all the time the 'something bad' is messing with his head. Gen. Sherlock Holmes - Two stories by Penumbra: in 'Instrument of Choice', a quiet night in, punctuated by a musical performance from Holmes, leads to something more intimate. Meanwhile, in 'The Adventure of the Buttoned Glove, Holmes investigates a high society kidnapping. Both Holmes/Watson. Wild Wild West - I took the original rec down because the site in question was gone, but now it's back! 'The Night of the Silver Baron' by Mara is an excellent 'how they first met' story. Gen. Meanwhile, if you're looking for the best WWW slash online, then check out Taliesin's Jim/Artie fic here (scroll down to the bottom of the page). Numb3rs - at last good Numb3rs slash, all Charlie/Larry for those of us who aren't interested in incest, thank you kindly. Miriam Heddy has written a number of excellent and intriguing character pieces, capturing Larry Fleinhardt's circuitous thought patterns with deceptive ease. I particularly liked 'Dinner for Four' and 'Late Victorians', but it's all good. 'Gleam' by Dira Sudis - determined to figure out what the hell it is Charlie Eppes is going on about, Colby Granger finds himself unexpectedly becoming something of a maths geek. Or at least a geek for maths geeks. I'm not sure I quite buy the author's idea of Charlie, but I'm willing to be convinced! Charlie/Colby. Eagle of the Ninth - I've always loved the book, by Rosemary Sutcliff, ever since I read it when I was about 10 years old. And now, with the help of Jay Tryfanstone, I think I know why. In 'The Centurion's Hound' we meet Marcus and Esca again, older and wiser, when the hidden Eagle they strove so hard to recover comes back to haunt them again just as Marcus is starting to put the pieces of a larger puzzle together. This story is followed by Northland's 'Fox and Hound', then Jay Tryfanstone takes us back to Roman Britain again in 'Summer of the Wolf' when both Marcus and Esca are older - all stories are Marcus/Esca. Queer as Folk (US) - in Love of His Life, Julad takes a fic cliché (amnesia) and uses it to great effect. The last thing Brian Kinney remembers is being 19 years old with a paper due in two days. Whatever happened to all his plans? Maybe he needs a new one... Brian/Justin Sports Night - there's been a raft of 'five things' stories in a number of fandoms, but this one I really liked. Five Things That Never Happened (to Dan Rydell), by Shrift. Sweet but not saccharine, the author manages to capture the qualities of her protagonists and still has room to play the changes. Dan/Casey. Nero Wolfe - it might seem unlikely, but there's some excellent fic in this tiny slash fandom. You can find most of the stories here at the main archive. First, there's 'The Warm Room' by Coelogyne and Parhelion, which has Wolfe and Archie in Egypt with all kinds of shenanigans going on. And then I'm quite fond of 'Hunger' by Parhelion, which is an interesting take on Wolfe's last encounter with Zeck (which will only mean something to fellow book addicts!). Both Wolfe/Archie. Queer as Folk (UK) - 'I Like it Like That' by Mallory Klohn. Funny, sexy … what more could you ask for? Stuart/Vince (and others). 'World's Biggest World 1 - Two Sleepy People' and 'World's Biggest World 2 - I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper' are both equally fine and dandy. Dr. Who - yes, I'm strange, I know. Slashing Dr. Who? Well, I thought I was the only one who saw something going on between the Doctor (in his whatever-number incarnation as played by Peter Davison) and Turlough, but apparently not. To date, Viridian5 has written five Doctor/Turlough stories and I urge you to go read them now... you can find them here. Magnificent Seven - there's a lot of Mag7 slash, but some of it is pretty poor and most of the rest seems to be Chris/Vin, which does nothing for me. I like Ezra best of all the characters, so anything with him in is fine, but the pairing I really like is a rare one - Ezra/Nathan. One of the few people writing E/N is De Orakle (now calling herself Delphi), and the best examples of it I can find are 'All Too Common' and 'All Too Familiar'. Andromeda - 'Shame' by Cassiopeia. Andromeda's never likely to be a fandom I read loads in, but I liked this one. Dylan/Harper. Homicide: Life on the Street - 'Adena 1950' by Scott, transposing the characters and events of the Adena Watson murder case back to 1950, with things as they were in those days changing how people relate to one another, even if the characters are much the same.

More recs on Page 4...