When you read as much fanfiction as I do you invariably end up with a handful of stories in various fandoms that aren't just good stories but are truly remarkable creations. These are the stories you bookmarks and go back to and read time and time again. I don't just have these stories saved on my hard drive (which I do), some of them I've printed them up and put them in binders for perusal at any time. *blushes*
What you'll find here are stories in several fandoms that I feel transcend the barriers of fandom. These are truly outstanding narratives that I don't feel anyone should miss, regardless of their fanish tenancies.
I cannot, out of respect for the authors, provide direct links the to the stories without their express permission. So, in the cases where I don't have that permission I will provide you with links to the author's website or the site where their stories are archived.
Doctor Who Angel & BtVS Lord of the Rings Other Fandoms
Doctor Who
by Warinbabylon
Fifth Doctor's Era
[NC-17 (overall series)] [Five/Teagan] [AU, Romance, Adventure]
The Doctor has regenerated into his Fifth form and has entered his 'sexually active' incarnation.
Suddenly his relationships have changed and he... really... doesn't like it at all. A retelling of
the Fifth Doctor's years.
First off, this series really is what it says on the tin — a complete retelling of the Fifth Doctor era with one small difference. A VERY brief explanation of the premise is this... In this AU Time Lords have two sexually active phases, their fifth and ninth incarnations, and are otherwise entirely non-sexual. But in these two phases their desire is focused on a single female, a mate. When the Fourth incarnation dies in unexpected circumstances, far from Gallifrey, things get complicated. Especially, when the Doctor's instincts focus in on Teagan, who wants nothing more from him than a quick trip back to Heathrow and her own time.
See here for a slightly more complete explanation by the author if you want it.
While all this may sound like a bad excuse for smut, it isn't. Warinbabylon is a tremendous writer who takes the series and all the problems created by this situation head on. While it helps if you have some familiarity with the Peter Davidson era, it doesn't have to be much. The author really does take you back through the series, rewriting several episodes in their entirety and, I think, making several of them more interesting than the originals. And the filling out of Time Lord culture and norms is fascinating. I will warn you though, this series is both LONG and engrossing. *g*
by Doona Rose
Tenth Doctor's Era
[NC-17 (overall series)] [Ten/Rose] [AU, Romance, Science]
A perception of Ten with a good dose of chemistry in him and between him and Rose.
This series was actually begun before we really saw the tenth doctor and so is technically AU. Although, many (including myself) don't feel that Doona Rose's version of 10 is at all incompatible with the real TV version. Begun as a single story where the doctor tries to explain to Rose the subtle beauty of chemistry, this series is a lovely romance with enough real science to enchant the science nerds among us (like myself) but not so much as to discourage the average reader looking for a well told romance with well rounded characters, lots of humour, and a bit of smut thrown in for fun. The author's talent for the character's voices and enthralling descriptions of everything from chemical reactions to intimate emotions make her stories truly exceptional. I'm not a huge fan of the Tenth Doctor, but if Doona Rose had had control of his era, it would have been magnificent! *g*
This link is to Doona Rose's Master List of stories, beginning wit The Chemestry Series. I encourage everyone to keep reading past that series because her talent for story telling makes all her fic equally captivating.
by Tara O'Shea
Ninth Doctor's Era
[NC-17] [Nine/Rose] [PWP]
It's a sizzling Ninth Doctor/Rose Plot-What-Plot with plenty of humour and superb writing. What more do you need to know?
by LJC
Doctor Who (New Series)
[PG] [none] [Angst, Character Study]
There are things he doesn't tell her, even when she asks.
LJC is one of my favorite Doctor Who author's to begin with. But this one story is particularly poignant. I will warn readers that it is dosed with several references back to the old series, but not enough — I think — to make it unreadable to those not familiar with pre-2005 Doctor Who. It's not in what the Doctor tells Rose about himself and his life that matters, it's what he doesn't. The lyrical quality of the writing, along with the bittersweet nature of the story makes it one of my all-time favorite short stories for this fandom.
by Rabid Raeann
Ninth Doctor's Era
[NC-17] [Nine/Rose, Ten/Rose] [AU, Angst, PWP]
The Doctor meets Rose Tyler for the first time, but it’s long after she first met him.
The first time Rose met the Doctor was on earth, but the first time the Doctor met Rose when she saved his life and soul on another planet. This story was originally supposed to be part of a larger 10/Rose series but is now off on it's own as a short story. While in many ways this story should be categorized as a Plot-What-Plot it isn't. It has a plot, just a heavily sensual one with plenty of angst, some humour, and romance.
Angel & BtVS
Blinded by Science
In The Comapany of Wolves
Somewhere in Between
by Jonquil
[R] [Willow/Spike] [Angst, Adventure] [Season 4]
"I always thought, wolves should be wolves. Maybe they do eat Bambi... but they don't
belong in cages." Willow, ever high-minded, decides to do something about Spike's
chip. Now she must deal with entirely unexpected consequences.
Before you run screaming at the idea of Willow and Spike together and before you dismiss a 'Buffy' fic as not capable of producing realistic characters, trying giving this a go. I rather like the W/S ship, but I honestly think that this might be the only realistic take on it I've ever seen. Willow's motives are fascinating when she 'unlocks the cage' in Blinded by Science, but things don't really become riveting until she has to face the completely unexpected nature of the consequences in In the Company of Wolves. Those two stories form a complete story and if you want to avoid WIPs you can quite happily stop with Wolves. Somewhere In Between is an as yet incomplete sequel.
One of the best things about this story are the way in which the characters struggle with the boundaries between human and demon, living and dead. And the take on Vampire society is both well thought out and wonderfully compelling.
by Misty Flores
[NC-17 (overall series)] [Angel/Cordelia, Cordelia/Xander, Angel/Buffy] [Angst, Romance, Adventure]
They left their loves in search of redemption, and found each other instead. But Angel
and Cordelia are about to realize, you can never truly leave your past behind.
Originally started before the first season of Angel even aired, Misty Flores takes the idea of Angel and Cordelia moving on with their lives in L.A. only to find that Xander and Buffy have not been able to do the same. First off — I am NOT a A/B shipper, quite the opposite, in fact. As it happens, I loath the ship. So, when I recommend a story that includes A/B content, you know there has to be something special about it. While the original trilogy that forms the center piece of the series was written before the series started, the prequals and sequels were all written after the series got under way and so have the flavour of the series as well as including the wonderful Doyle of beloved memory. The series has angst, romance, humour, adventure, and everything else you could hope for all wrapped up in Misty's witty style.
by Anastasia
[NC-17 (overall series)] [Willow/Spike] [Romance, Angst, Comedy, etc.]
A trip to L.A. to pick up a laptop from Angel begins a roller-coaster of an affair.
This series covers the entire spectrum of story types from PWP, to serious romance, to truly hilarious misadventure and features the entire cast of both shows. At the center of it though, is Willow and Spike wrapped up in a liaison that's part ‘what were they thinking?' and part serious romance. All the while, they're doing their best to keep it a secret since, though chipped and more or less part of the gang, Spike's ass would be dust if the rest of the gang found out. This series is something I keep a fun reading when I need a break from the world and will always hold a place in my heart as such.
Lord of the Rings
by Elenya
[NC-17] [Frodo/Sam, Sam/Rosie] [Angst, Romance]
Why did Sam end up marrying Rosie, and what was it like for Frodo to realize that he
could no longer live in the home he had struggled so hard to save?
Here is one version of the story of that year back in the Shire, after the War of the Ring is over and the rebuilding begins and before Frodo takes that final journey over the seas and into the West. This story is a particularly poignant and is a favorite of mine for many reasons. Besides the beautiful writing, the perfect character voices, the author's detailed understanding of the Shire and it's people... The author also writes seriously and candidly about the Mental Illness that comes with trauma and loss. Frodo's melancholy — a combination of clinical depression and post-traumatic stress disorder in modern parlance — is dealt with with wonderful understanding and care.
To someone like myself, who has struggled with clinical depression and associated disorders this story touches a place deep inside with it's resonance. The author has both suffered from and deeply researched the subject to give a true to life story of hope and recovery in the midst of the acceptance of all that can not be regained.
by Cara J. Loup
[PG - NC-17] [Frodo/Sam, Merry/Pippin] [Angst, Romance]
Being young and in love is no easy feat when one's uncle, cousins, cooking, and a family
legend manage to get in the way.
by Daisy Gamgee
[G - NC-17] [Merry/Sam, Frodo/Sam] [Romance]
The story of the lives of Merry and Pippin, and how everything changes with time.
by Lobelia Sackville-Baggins
[PG - NC-17] [Frodo/Sam, Merry/Sam] [Adventure, Angst, Romance]
Between Weathertop and Rivendell, Sam and Merry discover that they have much in common.
Other Fandoms
by Fenris
Forever Knight
[NC-17] [Nicholas/LaCroix] [Angst, Romance]
"They took us as we slept. Said we were in league with the Devil."
Technically, this is an expansion of the flashbacks in the episode 'Sons of Belial', but just because you may or may not remember what that flashback was, don't worry. It's an entirely self-contained story which might start as pure fun, but leads into a simple fight for survival in the face of Nick's growing uncertainty about his nature. The characters are beautifully portrayed as both friends and lovers, without minimizing the differences of ideologies and opinions that drive the two apart later. For once, Nick asks LaCroix about some of the parts of their nature that disturb him and LaCroix's attempt to give him the answers he needs is particularly poignant.
by Dawson E. Rambo
X-Files
[NC-17] [Mulder/Scully] [Angst, Romance, Case, Adventure]
Transferred in disgrace. Returned to a place he once escaped. Does Mulder
have was it takes to survive?
This is not an X-Files story in the normal way of things. Having screwed up one too many time, Mulder gets sent back to the profiling unit with Scully along for the ride. But while they struggle with adjusting to the new circumstances and to changes happening between them, a new serial killer is starting his spree. Interspirsted with the main story, the details of a string of murders begins to trickle into the New York City police departments. More than a great story, it's also a fascinating look at how the slow escalation of killings is recognized for what it is by the authorities. This is an author who knows something about law enforcement, about weaponry, and about murder. His gritty realism pulls you in and doesn't let go. One warning though, this story does contain some graphically violent scenes.
by Kirby Crow & Analise
Star Wars
[NC-17] [Obi Wan/Qui Gon] [AU, Angst, Romance, Mystery]
Young Obi Wan Kenobi is forced to relive a horrific experience when someone begins
killing Padawans in the Jedi Temple, and not even his Master can save him.
Star Wars and Serial Killers in the same story? Sounds nuts, right? It's not as crazy as it may at first appear. This story takes place before Episode 1 and frankly, I don't think you even need to have seen any of the movies to read and understand follow and enjoy it. It's a bit AU in some senses but the authors really try to make a believable, coherent, and beautiful picture of life in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant during the Republic. More than that, their story shows that even the most powerful are lost in the face of systematic and apparently motiveless murders. The Temple grounds are supposed to be safe and impregnable. But the idea that a Jedi Knight could be the killer is somehow even worse.
by Mad Fangirl
Pirates of the Caribbean
[NC-17] [Jack/Will, Elizabeth/Norrington] [AU, Slash, Romance, Adventure]
Jack Byrd, IRS, and Will Smith, ("no relation,") a manufacturing manager at the firm
he's auditing... If anything, things may have gotten weirder this time around.
I don't like reincarnation stories. Generally, they're cheesy and pathetic shadows of the stories and characters they are based on. But there always has to be the exception that proves the rule. And Taxes and it's sequels are sheer brilliance. It doesn't matter if you're a hardcore 'Pirates' fan or not. As long as you once saw the first movie and basically remember what it was about, you'll be fine. This is just a great series, beautifully told and with a truly wonderful wit and humour. The author really has the voices and feel of the characters down along with an amazing capacity for the unexpected. This series is one of the few things I've ever read that can literally make me laugh out loud even on a re-read. *g*
Through a Shattered Mirror
Walking The Mirror's Edge
by Rushlight
Harry Potter
[NC-17] [Harry/Snape/Draco] [AU, Angst, ]
When Harry falls into the hands of the Death Eaters, he learns that life isn't as
black-and-white as he'd once thought it to be.
by Rushlight
Harry Potter
[NC-17] [Harry/Snape/Draco] [AU, Angst, ]
When Harry falls into the hands of the Death Eaters, he learns that life isn't as
black-and-white as he'd once thought it to be.