Guh. That's pretty much the only sound that can come out of my mouth after reading Amber's Was (Not Was). And if you haven't read it yet, really, go NOW. It's the best thing. Ever. And I really, really mean that. It's this... thing. It's ethereal and gorgeous and prosaic and a full story that I really wish that I had thought to write myself. But, it could never come from me, because I'm just. Not. Amber. Her sense of storytelling is this amazing thing that just eludes me. I want to climb inside her head and understand her process. I think it must be very different from mine. Not that I am comparing myself to her, or my writing to hers. They're completely different animals, and I'm glad for that. But this... it's just brilliant. So good. So good.
And Nemoinis' Distracted was just really fucking cool as well, even though it has the same title as one of mine, and can totally see how Joey just gets that way. He can't help himself when it comes to Lance. So yeah, titles like that make total sense for JoLa. And we KNOW how much I love the JoLa.
Fuck. Me. Skin by Ang is the best fucking story I have read in so long that I want to just curl up and die a happy happy woman. Yay with the perversity! Yay with the lack of self control! Yay with the absolutely beautiful fuckedupedness! Yay! Yay! Yay! God, I love this story. I cannot contain myself at. all. Makes me want to search out a nice boy and burn him with my cigarettes. Yum.
Sandy's The Wrong Band entertained me greatly. I'm usually absolutely ALLERGIC to AUs, but this one had such sweet Lamblove and really interesting characterizations, and well, it was cool. And I liked it. And I read it all the way through in one go even though my eyes felt like they were drying in the sockets in my head.
One of my favorite fics in a long time is Loki's Belied with False Compare. This is a beautiful and poetic little piece of yumminess from a female POV and directed at Maria. I haven't sent the long and gushing feedback yet, but I do mean to... I'm just bad. Loki, this thing is fan-fucking-tastic. Read my review of it and a story by Elizabeth on CityBeat, SlashCity's online zine.
And from Livia, there's Too Well. Told from Jim Valenti's POV, this is an angsty and soft-spoken tear-jearker that gave me goosebumps on first read... really, just wonderful. Her Kyle made me near-weepy.
Here's a couple of Roswell gen fic that I recently enjoyed the hell out of: Burning Out The Inside by Miri. Its intrinsic angstiness is enough to push you through the piece, her dead-on Isabel makes you want to stay. I look forward to hearing more about this story although it says it's a one-parter.
Mnemosyne's 10 Million B.C. or Something is one of the foofiest and funniest things I've read in ages! I laughed so hard I nearly peed myself. All the Roskids as cavepeople... what a great idea! Fun!
Blood Ties by Mere. Tess/Isabel is not really my favorite pairing, even though the canon UST is just awesome. I personally think Isabel would break poor Tess in half but, that not withstanding, Mere's fic is gorgeous and interesting and a wicked look at how it might be. Nice one.
Marianna's Kaddish is also one of my absolute favorite fics, maybe ever. It's more of a poem, really, but doesn't have any of that flowery shit that annoys me about some poetry. Maybe it's my tribe status that draws me so completely into this piece, maybe it's the dark necro quality of it, or maybe it's that every time I read it, I find something else to love about it, but it is just brilliant -- form concept to execution.
No Roswell recs would be complete without mention of Elizabeth. I could rec every one of her stories, and I can't *really* pic out a favorite, but I still remember the one that turned my head completely around for the first time. I think it was back in the RAC days, oh so long ago... But it made me look at Liz differently, and I have ever since. It's not even on her site anymore, but I have it on GP. Maybe it's not her *best* but it is still excellent and still reads as perfect Liz and perfect Michael. I go back and read it often. The Happily Ever After Bit is Usually a Lie.
For more roswell fic recs from myself and others, check out the recs page at Guilty Pleasures.
Jen is an Oz maven and I think everyone should read everything she's ever written and I am in a make me laugh and I love you kinda way at this very moment so I'm rec'ing The Vern Slash Game. Dirty, nasty, sexy sexy Scott Ross is back from the dead to host a game show all for Herr Vern Schillinger. The contestants, you ask? Tobias Beecher, James Robson and (oh yeah!) Jeremiah Cloutier (otherwise known as Rev. Dylan McKay!) You will laugh, and you will laugh again. And again.
The Physics of Insomnia by brendon is a Sean Murphy/Tim McManus piece of angsty, introspective goodness. His Murph is so deep you can hardly find his bottom, sad thing, Tim has the same problem. Great piece.
My Wife and My Dead Wife by the truly enviable Gemma Files. This is a long one, so buckle down for a while. Fortunately the action moves quickly and the writing style carries a quick pace. Gemma is an unbelievable storyteller. Fucking excellent.
Angel by Juxian Tang. Warning: This is a non-con Oz fic... Adebisi/Peter Schibetta. I love Juxian's style, but she's certainly not for the faint of heart at. all. As romantic as hte story is at times and as beautiful as sitting inside Schibetta's mind can be, the end scene is really harsh. But, man, does this chick have a way with words and violsence. Wow.
I just haven't been keeping up with the DC fic like I used to... But for some femmy-slashy-yumyumyum serious smutness, I'm telling y'all to run, not walk, and read Laura's Instinct I re-read this and nearly had to go take a cold shower, thought about pulling out the vibrator instead. Yes, it is that hot. But it's also beyond NC-17 and definitely not for the kiddies. While you're there, read the rest of her fic. I love Laura.
This next one is really,
really old and probably one of the first femslash stories that I ever
read. In Jessie's Rites
of Passage Joey meets a new girl in town and it is one of the
sweetest things I've ever read... Even Pacey's okay with it all.
Pissing Contest by Kate Bolin --Kate is always brilliant and this one, set in the X-Men movieverse is an absolute killer. Like she says in her author's notes, "...there doesn't have to be any actual sex and you're still gasping for breath." And she's right. I felt this one in the pit of my stomach. It's a short, slashy little thing, Logan/Scott. yum. Angry and filled with beautiful tension. (X-Men Movieverse)
All of the Animals by Jane St. Clair. Oh. My. Fucking. God. I was left absolutely speechless by this amazing thing on first read, so without hesitating, I scrolled back to the top and read it again... then I wrote the longest and most gushy feedback I've ever written to a writer that I didn't already know and wouldn't get freaked by my gushiness... Wow. Just, wow. For background, it's a Scott/Logan story with a good bit of Jean in there for good measure and the author spins the most amazing and sexy and beautiful tale. Seduction, need and good good sex. So good. (X-Men Movieverse)
Futility by Wax Jism. This one is prisoner fic (I know, you people are all thinking: WTF is this bitch reading???) and it's an XF/Buffy crossover featuring Oz/Krycek and Krycek/Xander. Great writing, interesting crossover work, awesome blowjob written from Oz's persepective. (XF/Buffy Crossover) Also by Wax, I really loved her Hard Core Logo fic Bruise Pristine. It's an oft-written about part of the film, for obvious reasons, but her take is fucked up and beautiful. Not surprising from such a great and prolific author.
Not everything has to be so fucking serious all the time, you know? And while I don't read very much Buffy fic (but I do watch Buffy,) I read anything certain authors write no matter what fandom it is. Sure, I can't say a word about characterization or canon elements when it comes to *some* fandoms, but I still know a good story when I see it. Anyway, I'm *so* digressing, my point is that PWPs can be fun, and Call me a Car Lover, an old one from Kate, has always given me the giggles. Xander, a Citroen and some fucking. Good stuff. (BtVS)
I don't usually read Hercules or Xena fic, but The Eagle, the Bull... by Juxian Tang is more about Greek mythology than Hercules or Xena as far the TV shows go. And it's a disturbing, dark and fucked up piece that could easily hit every squick boundary everywhere. But I read it and as fucked as it might be, I loved it. Maybe I should be embarrassed, I don't know, it certainly made me really twitchy (it contains way underage rape,) but at no point does it ever feel gratuitous. But it is ugly, make no mistake. (Hercules/Xena)