cygnus [Final Fantasy VII, Reno x Elena]

[darklight90.livejournal.com]

Fandom Category: Final Fantasy VII
Pairing: Reno x Elena
Fic Title: cygnus
Author: SenbonzaMitsuki27
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6028531/1/cygnus
Rating/Warning(s): PG-15
Genre: Romance, Drama
WIP?: Complete

Why This Must Be Read: I admit I'm neither a huge Relena fan or very fond of Elena herself. This fic makes me forget all that.

Pokemon - Unaired Episodes by Zelda

[bowserbabe.livejournal.com]

Fandom: Pokemon
Pairing: Jesse/James
Fic Title: Unaired Episodes
Author: Zelda
Link: Start Here. More Here.
Rating/Warning(s): PG-13/R, um... implied sexual situations, implied pokesex, implied slash, crossdressing, lots of mallet and fan violence, misuse of rare candy...
Genre: Humor/Crack
WIP?: No

Why This Must Be Read: I was just going to rec the first one in the series but really, that's not my favorite. I don't know which one would be. They all kind of blend together in my head. Anyway.

It's kind of just a long string of insanity. Lots of references to the show and the games, so if you haven't seen/played, some stuff may not make sense, but Google can probably help you out. The focus is usually Team Rocket, but there's lots of Ash and Co as well.

Basically, I absolutely love this stuff. I've read these fics probably a bazillion times, even long after I stopped reading Team Rocket/Pokemon fic (which was ages ago). There's a wet t-shirt contest, a Scooby-Doo episode, Jesse and James get all their gym badges in a single day, a fictional Pokemon ripoff, and probably a lot more I can't think of off the top of my head.

( From Episode 3 )

The early ones are kind of tame, but they get more insane as they go.

Of Two Worlds by yahtzee63

[theworldsforgot.livejournal.com]

Fandom: Star Trek XI
Pairing: Spock/Uhura
Fic Title: Of Two Worlds
Author: yahtzee63
Link: Part 1 - Part 2
Rating/Warning(s): PG
Genre: Sci-Fi, Adventure, Romance

Why This Must Be Read:

Spock has the opportunity to choose between the Prime universe and his own. This is without a doubt my favorite post-film Star Trek story. Spock/Uhura is the main pairing but it features the entire ensemble. The plot is very clever and well-executed, that's a nice nod to long-time Star Trek fans but still makes sense if you're a newbie (like myself). The dynamics of the whole crew is fantastic and it explores the differences between the two universes in a smart and poignant way.

A Distraction of Planetary Proportions by Tristesses (NC-17)

[anodyna.livejournal.com]

Fandom Category: Star Trek
Pairing: Earth/Vulcan
Fic Title: A Distraction of Planetary Proportions
Author: tristesses
Link: http://tristesses.livejournal.com/27586.html
Rating/Warning(s): NC-17, no warnings
Genre: Anthropomorphic planet crack
WIP?: No

Why This Must Be Read: You don't have to be a fan of Star Trek--this story stands on its own as creative, smart, hilarious and hot. The protagonists are planets, Earth (Terra) and Vulcan, who've assumed humanoid forms in order to attend the first diplomatic contact between Vulcans and humans. Terra and Vulcan meet, misunderstand each other, flirt and fight, until their conflict threatens to derail the talks. How they ultimately resolve their differences and, um, come to an accord makes for a sharp, witty and ultimately scorching read.

I can't say enough about how well-done this story is. Terra and Vulcan are great original characters, and tristesses does a beautiful job setting up the premise of planets as conscious beings with their own moods, social relationships, habits and personalities. The little astronomical jokes sprinkled throughout are charming in their own right. This is my favorite fic of 2009, and I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I have!