![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kaytaylorreaOkay, friends. I'm going to be trying something new for the next month or two. Instead of lists by theme or fandom I'm going to do recs of my favorite works by specific fic writers.
We're starting with one of my perpetual faves, Mr. BNF himself:copperbadge. copperbadge (also sam_storyteller, or Sam Starbuck) writes fanfic and original fiction. Sam's professional writing site is populated with really interesting thoughts on fanworks and the writing process (and free ebooks!) and all sorts of cool stuff. His Tumblr is home to some amazing features, like job hunting advice and the hilarious RDJ advises Chris Evans (and others) on their life choices. I recommend just moseying over to Sam's Tumblr, because it's always entertaining and their are tons of fun and helpful links.
Sam also runs a weekly Radio Free Monday post, where fannish types can spread the word about causes, fundraising, cool projects, etc. It's a long-running project done simply for the love of the community and I think that says a lot about how awesomecopperbadge is as both a fan and a person.
Also? A very, very gifted writer. I'm sharing 20 of my favorite copperbadge fics. (Keep in mind these are just my favorites. Sam also writes fic for fandoms I don't read often, like: Torchwood, Discworld, White Collar, House, etc.)
Doctor Who
Vita Longa
Amy Pond/Rory Williams, Eleventh Doctor/Amy Pond/Rory Williams, Ancient History, False Memories, Boxer Briefs
Summary: Rory's life is a romance, but definitely not the one he expected.
Rec Notes: I can never get enough Eleven/Amy/Rory fics, and this one is a particular treat. It's a stellar Rory character study and also a story about growing up, falling in love, and discovering the universe. That last bit's more literal for Rory than it is for most people.
Harry Potter
I just want to note that, yes,copperbadge wrote the Stealing Harry-verse that so many people love. I'm admitting, to my everlasting shame, that I haven't read it. It's just that it's 440k+ and it's incomplete. I've been told the existing fics are well worth reading, but I think I'd probably be too heartbroken about not getting years 4 and up when I was done. (And seriously, not judging Sam for not finishing this because OHMYGOD IT'S ALREADY OVER 400K WHAT DO YOU PEOPLE WANT, BLOOD?)
Cartographer's Craft
Remus Lupin/Nymphadora Tonks, Sirius Black/Harry Potter, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Alternate Universe, Age Regression/De-Aging, Character Death Fix, post-HBP, year seven alternate universe
Summary: In the summer after Harry's sixth year, Harry and Remus uncover a section of the Marauder's Map which has been hidden for the past twenty years, releasing a carbon copy of sixteen-year-old Sirius Black from its depths. As they prepare for the impending war, Sirius must find a place for himself in this new world, Harry must find a way to destroy Voldemort, and Remus must face his own past while trying to build a tenuous future with Tonks.
Rec Notes: This 200k story with a highly original premise had me sighing, wailing, and laughing by turns. I love alternate takes post-HBP and this is one of my favorites. Despite the length it never, ever drags.
Registration
Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, Minerva McGonagall, Humor, Marauders-era
Summary: James roped Remus and Sirius into holding his place in line for registering Harry; when he defaults at the last minute, his friends are forced to pick Harry's name for him.
Rec Notes: This lighthearted story about witches and wizards waiting in line at Hogwarts to register their soon-to-be born children (or children of their friends -- poor Remus and Sirius and SIRIUS I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT'S HARRY'S FULL NAME, YOU ARE A TERRIBLE GODFATHER) is quietly devastating. You know, because basically everyone who appears in it is now mad, locked up, or dead. *weeps forever about the fates of various Harry Potter characters*
Kings
The Season of Singing
Jack Benjamin/David Shepherd, Silas Benjamin, Thomasina, Michelle Benjamin, Friendship, Secret Relationship, Jack Benjamin's unhealthy existence, Crying, Character of Faith
Summary: David desperately wants to be Jack's friend and ally. Jack doesn't know what he wants. There's probably a preordained plan for both of them, but they're going to have to work out the details on their own.
Rec Notes: Ugh, this show you guys. My kingdom for six seasons and a movie of this show. Marvel fans may know this as 'the first show where SebStan plays the tortured gay son of a world leader,' as opposed to Political Animals (the second show where SebStan plays the tortured gay son of a world leader). This is an amazing spin on what might have happened if Jack played his hand a little differently.
Marvel
After The End
Bruce Banner/Betty Ross, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Post-Film, Disasters, Reunions, Happy Ending, mention of 9/11
Summary: "You looking for someone?"
"A friend. My friend Bruce. I came here to find him."
Rec Notes: This Betty Ross-centric fic set in the immediate aftermath of the first Avengers film is lovely. And also makes me bitter that Betty Ross has yet to make an MCU appearance. Because BETTY.
Arms and the Man
Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Pepper Potts, Jarvis, Mildly Dubious Consent, First Time, Coming Out
Summary: His best friend keeps cockblocking him, his relationship guru is a computer, and he might be gay. The future is very complicated.
Rec Notes: Damn, Sam writes such great Steve. Some MCU writers fall into this weird idea that Steve is The Straight Man (in the comedy sense, not the uh, other one); a man out of touch and so out of time that he's old-fashioned; an archetypal, uber-patriotic killjoy. He's really, really not, and Arms and the Man shows a Steve that's adjusting to a new age without being squashed by it. It also features secretly sweet!Tony, which is one of my favorite things.
Better to Reign in Hell
Thor, Loki, Jane Foster, Darcy Lewis, Erik Selvig, Phil Coulson, Clint Barton, AU
Summary: Loki has known since childhood that he was Jotun. He's been told all his life that he was a fosterling sent to Asgard to cement the bonds between their realms. He's been led to believe one day he would ascend the throne of Jotunheim. Loki has been lied to.
Rec Notes: Goddamn. I'm not a Loki fangirl, because canon Loki is a sociopath and a mass murderer (I mean, you do you, but for real), but this alternate canon gave me ALL THE LOKI FEELS. Plus, MCU can always use more well-written gen.
Hard Rock Swing
Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Pepper Potts, Alternate Universe, Age Difference, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Hurt/Comfort
Summary: It turns out, in the 21st century, Steve's best friend is an eighteen-year-old genius named Tony Stark. This might be trouble.
Rec Notes: *screams into the night* Right. Okay. So I'm not usually big on age difference fics, but WOW. Really poignant portrayals of PTSD, thoughtful and careful relationship development, and amazing worldbuilding. LOVE.
Ironsides
Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Peggy Carter/Howard Stark, Clint Barton/Phil Coulson, Bruce Banner, Natasha Romanov, Thor, Pepper Potts, Genderswap
Summary: Antonia Carter Stark takes no shit and no prisoners.
Rec Notes: Considered by a lot of Marvel fans to be the Rule 63!Tony fic, Ironsides maintains a sense of humor without pulling any punches. It's plotty and dense and flawlessly in-character. A female Tony gets to be the unrepentant, snarky, badass lady character I've wanted in the MCU since forever.
Mint In Box
Clint Barton/Phil Coulson, Family, Board Games, Kid Fic, sort of
Summary: Phil no longer owns a Captain America board game, but the trade-off is acceptable.
Rec Notes: Ah, back in the halcyon days when I was still really invested in Clint/Coulson (forever bitter about AoS and Jeremy Renner, who continues to be The Worst), this fic was basically everything I wanted. Coulson's badass older sister. Clint Barton's awesome arms. Phil Coulson being a great uncle (as in he's good at it, now he's -- you know what I meant). The Captain America boardgame. Steve Rogers holding a baby (and possibly kidnapping said baby to be his new sidekick). Domestic fluff. Tony Stark secretly being v invested in Coulson's happiness. You know. Just cute stuff.
The Immortal Hawkeye
James "Bucky" Barnes/Clint Barton, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark (background), Natasha Romanov, Bruce Banner, Sam Wilson, Phil Coulson, Super Soldier Serum, Surprise Fatherhood, Parent-Child Relationship, Clint Barton-centric, Science, terrible nazi science experiments, Kidnapping sort of
Summary: Clint's a little older than he looks, and his DNA has a few surprises in store, too.
Rec Notes: *crying forever because this is the funniest fic in the world*
"You don't think it's....unnatural?"
"Not really," Clint said. "I mean, it could have been something I ate."
Bucky looked thoughtful. "That actually might explain it."
"How does something I ate explain this?" Tony asked, looking increasingly upset.
"He eats...everything," Natasha said.
"What could you have eaten that would explain it?" Bruce asked.
"Floor pizza," Bucky said, face solemn.
"That was one time -- "
"One time that Bucky saw," Natasha said. "I've seen you do it. I've seen you eat floor pizza in Bulgaria."
"I've seen him eat floor pizza in space," Tony said. "Floor pizza doesn't explain Bram Stoker's Hawkeye over there."
The Most Amazing Things (Some Terrible Lie)
Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Natasha Romanov, Clint Barton, Bruce Banner, Thor, Pepper Potts, Identity Issues, Secret Identity, Identity Porn, Alternate Universe, Publicity, unmasking
Summary: Tony's decision not to reveal his identity as Iron Man to the world was shrewd and calculated. Too bad it's about to backfire on him like a Jericho missile.
Rec Notes: Takes the idea from 616 that Tony's identity as Iron Man was initially a secret from the world and his teammates, and Iron Man was known primarily as Tony's bodyguard. SO GOOD.
The Soldier And The Hurricane
Howard Stark/Maria Stark, James "Bucky" Barnes & Tony Stark, Anna Jarvis/Edwin Jarvis, Peggy Carter, Arnim Zola, Alternate Universe - 1960s, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes, Parent-Child Relationship
Summary: When the Winter Soldier fails to kill Howard and Maria Stark and is taken prisoner in the summer of 1967, his salvation comes in the unlikely form of a Russian-speaking, father-disobeying, endlessly-tinkering seventeen-year-old: Tony Stark.
Rec Notes: This has Tony/Bucky shippy sequels, but The Soldier And The Hurricane can stand, quite beautifully, alone. Featuring teen!Tony, my beloved Jarvises, and badass Peggy.
The Son of Man
Pepper Potts/Tony Stark(Background only), Jarvis, Thor, Jane Foster, Natasha Romanov, Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson, Clint Barton, Bruce Banner, Amora, Artificial Intelligence, Magic, Body Dysmorphic Disorder, Infinity Gems, Parenthood
Summary: JARVIS did not want to be a real boy. He was quite happy being a building.
Rec Notes: MY HEART. So I'm basically made of Robot Feels and this story about Jarvis being forced into a human body for Magical Shenanigan Reasons is so bittersweet and lovely. I've never liked Tony so much as I do in this fic.
Toy Soldiers
Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, James "Bucky" Barnes/Sam Wilson, Pepper Potts, Obadiah Stane, Peggy Carter, Natasha Romanov, Clint Barton, Alternate Universe, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, SHIELD, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Identity Porn, Hydra, Bisexual Steve Rogers
Summary: When Steve Rogers, five foot four and a hundred and ten pounds, met Tony Stark in a bar, he didn't expect it to lead to a relationship. Or that Tony would find out he's not an art student during a SHIELD rescue mission in Afghanistan.
Rec Notes: This highly original AU features the whole crew as natives of the present day, with Tiny!Steve (who's secretly a superspy, not an art student) catching the eye of Tony Stark pre-Iron Man kidnapping. It's funny, and sad, and incredibly hot.
Sherlock (BBC)
Lab Book
Sherlock Holmes/John Watson, Greg Lestrade, Harry Watson, Mrs. Hudson, Deduction, Christmas, Anthropology, The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle
Summary: "The likelihood of finding a cab on Christmas Eve is fast approaching nil."
"So was the likelihood of you kissing me in the middle of the pavement, and yet."
Rec Notes: I don't really know how to describe this story. It's a slowly unfurling character study. It's a relationship story. It's brilliant worldbuilding. It's case fic. It's perfectly pitched dialogue. It's post series one Sherlock distilled into it's most charming form.
Stargate: Atlantis
Angles Thus And So
Rodney McKay/Elizabeth Weir, Rodney McKay/John Sheppard, Radek Zelenka, Carson Beckett, Teyla Emmagan, Canonical Character Death, Light Bondage
Summary: The city belongs to Sheppard and McKay, and the boys belong to Elizabeth -- especially Rodney.
Rec Notes: One of the most difficult parts of getting an SGA fic right is capturing the very distinctive patter between Rodney and John. Angles Thus and So is a stunning example of their dialogue done right. It never occurred to me to ship Rodney/Elizabeth, but the way it's written here (especially the canonical character death -- mind the tags, folks) is perfectly in character and perfectly heartbreaking. Also features one of my absolute favorite versions of John.
My Home And Native Land
Ronon Dex, Rodney McKay, John Sheppard, Teyla Emmagan, Chuck, Elizabeth Weir, Canada, So Much Canada, Cultural Differences, Don't touch Ronon's Blaster, Shakespeare, POV Character of Color
Summary: Ronon's friendship with Chuck, the head Gate Tech of the Atlantis mission, leads him to discover the strange and alien ways of Canadians and helps him lay his past to rest.
Rec Notes: This fic encapsulates so much of what I love about SGA fic. It takes a small, simple idea and expands it into an insightful character piece full of charming hints at the greater world canon doesn't touch on. Also: CANADA. SATEDAN AND TERRAN LITERATURE. RONON AS A SMART, RESOURCEFUL CHARACTER. POLITICAL MANEUVERING. WELL WRITTEN GEN. POETRY!
The Difference Engine
Rodney McKay/John Sheppard, Jack O'Neill, Elizabeth Weir, Carson Beckett, Radek Zelenka, Teyla Emmagan, Ronon Dex, Cyborgs, Artificial Intelligence, Alternate Universe, Robots, Robot Feels, Programming
Summary: Sheppard remembered dying in Afghanistan, but since he was still walking around he didn't pay that memory too much mind.
Rec Notes: I'll just be here, crying, forever. I was born with an overabundance of Robot Feels and SGA is the fandom of my heart, so I was doomed before I even started reading this. Also: Rodney, you are one fucked-up mad scientist.
Suits
Homicide Love
Mike Ross/Harvey Specter, Alternate Universe - Serial Killers, Murder, Gore, Cannibalism, Dysfunctional Relationships Mentions of Rape
Summary: Mike has been waiting all his life for someone who understands -- but Harvey might care too much to survive.
Rec Notes: Not for the faint of heart (seriously, friends, mind the tags), this Suits fic is remarkable. It's the idea of Mike and/or Harvey being murderers is bizarre, and yet the story is written in a way that makes perfect, in-universe sense. *shivers* Creepy.
We're starting with one of my perpetual faves, Mr. BNF himself:
copperbadge. copperbadge (also sam_storyteller, or Sam Starbuck) writes fanfic and original fiction. Sam's professional writing site is populated with really interesting thoughts on fanworks and the writing process (and free ebooks!) and all sorts of cool stuff. His Tumblr is home to some amazing features, like job hunting advice and the hilarious RDJ advises Chris Evans (and others) on their life choices. I recommend just moseying over to Sam's Tumblr, because it's always entertaining and their are tons of fun and helpful links.Sam also runs a weekly Radio Free Monday post, where fannish types can spread the word about causes, fundraising, cool projects, etc. It's a long-running project done simply for the love of the community and I think that says a lot about how awesome
copperbadge is as both a fan and a person.Also? A very, very gifted writer. I'm sharing 20 of my favorite copperbadge fics. (Keep in mind these are just my favorites. Sam also writes fic for fandoms I don't read often, like: Torchwood, Discworld, White Collar, House, etc.)
Doctor Who
Vita Longa
Amy Pond/Rory Williams, Eleventh Doctor/Amy Pond/Rory Williams, Ancient History, False Memories, Boxer Briefs
Summary: Rory's life is a romance, but definitely not the one he expected.
Rec Notes: I can never get enough Eleven/Amy/Rory fics, and this one is a particular treat. It's a stellar Rory character study and also a story about growing up, falling in love, and discovering the universe. That last bit's more literal for Rory than it is for most people.
Harry Potter
I just want to note that, yes,
copperbadge wrote the Stealing Harry-verse that so many people love. I'm admitting, to my everlasting shame, that I haven't read it. It's just that it's 440k+ and it's incomplete. I've been told the existing fics are well worth reading, but I think I'd probably be too heartbroken about not getting years 4 and up when I was done. (And seriously, not judging Sam for not finishing this because OHMYGOD IT'S ALREADY OVER 400K WHAT DO YOU PEOPLE WANT, BLOOD?)Cartographer's Craft
Remus Lupin/Nymphadora Tonks, Sirius Black/Harry Potter, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Alternate Universe, Age Regression/De-Aging, Character Death Fix, post-HBP, year seven alternate universe
Summary: In the summer after Harry's sixth year, Harry and Remus uncover a section of the Marauder's Map which has been hidden for the past twenty years, releasing a carbon copy of sixteen-year-old Sirius Black from its depths. As they prepare for the impending war, Sirius must find a place for himself in this new world, Harry must find a way to destroy Voldemort, and Remus must face his own past while trying to build a tenuous future with Tonks.
Rec Notes: This 200k story with a highly original premise had me sighing, wailing, and laughing by turns. I love alternate takes post-HBP and this is one of my favorites. Despite the length it never, ever drags.
Registration
Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, Minerva McGonagall, Humor, Marauders-era
Summary: James roped Remus and Sirius into holding his place in line for registering Harry; when he defaults at the last minute, his friends are forced to pick Harry's name for him.
Rec Notes: This lighthearted story about witches and wizards waiting in line at Hogwarts to register their soon-to-be born children (or children of their friends -- poor Remus and Sirius and SIRIUS I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT'S HARRY'S FULL NAME, YOU ARE A TERRIBLE GODFATHER) is quietly devastating. You know, because basically everyone who appears in it is now mad, locked up, or dead. *weeps forever about the fates of various Harry Potter characters*
Kings
The Season of Singing
Jack Benjamin/David Shepherd, Silas Benjamin, Thomasina, Michelle Benjamin, Friendship, Secret Relationship, Jack Benjamin's unhealthy existence, Crying, Character of Faith
Summary: David desperately wants to be Jack's friend and ally. Jack doesn't know what he wants. There's probably a preordained plan for both of them, but they're going to have to work out the details on their own.
Rec Notes: Ugh, this show you guys. My kingdom for six seasons and a movie of this show. Marvel fans may know this as 'the first show where SebStan plays the tortured gay son of a world leader,' as opposed to Political Animals (the second show where SebStan plays the tortured gay son of a world leader). This is an amazing spin on what might have happened if Jack played his hand a little differently.
Marvel
After The End
Bruce Banner/Betty Ross, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Post-Film, Disasters, Reunions, Happy Ending, mention of 9/11
Summary: "You looking for someone?"
"A friend. My friend Bruce. I came here to find him."
Rec Notes: This Betty Ross-centric fic set in the immediate aftermath of the first Avengers film is lovely. And also makes me bitter that Betty Ross has yet to make an MCU appearance. Because BETTY.
Arms and the Man
Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Pepper Potts, Jarvis, Mildly Dubious Consent, First Time, Coming Out
Summary: His best friend keeps cockblocking him, his relationship guru is a computer, and he might be gay. The future is very complicated.
Rec Notes: Damn, Sam writes such great Steve. Some MCU writers fall into this weird idea that Steve is The Straight Man (in the comedy sense, not the uh, other one); a man out of touch and so out of time that he's old-fashioned; an archetypal, uber-patriotic killjoy. He's really, really not, and Arms and the Man shows a Steve that's adjusting to a new age without being squashed by it. It also features secretly sweet!Tony, which is one of my favorite things.
Better to Reign in Hell
Thor, Loki, Jane Foster, Darcy Lewis, Erik Selvig, Phil Coulson, Clint Barton, AU
Summary: Loki has known since childhood that he was Jotun. He's been told all his life that he was a fosterling sent to Asgard to cement the bonds between their realms. He's been led to believe one day he would ascend the throne of Jotunheim. Loki has been lied to.
Rec Notes: Goddamn. I'm not a Loki fangirl, because canon Loki is a sociopath and a mass murderer (I mean, you do you, but for real), but this alternate canon gave me ALL THE LOKI FEELS. Plus, MCU can always use more well-written gen.
Hard Rock Swing
Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Pepper Potts, Alternate Universe, Age Difference, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Hurt/Comfort
Summary: It turns out, in the 21st century, Steve's best friend is an eighteen-year-old genius named Tony Stark. This might be trouble.
Rec Notes: *screams into the night* Right. Okay. So I'm not usually big on age difference fics, but WOW. Really poignant portrayals of PTSD, thoughtful and careful relationship development, and amazing worldbuilding. LOVE.
Ironsides
Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Peggy Carter/Howard Stark, Clint Barton/Phil Coulson, Bruce Banner, Natasha Romanov, Thor, Pepper Potts, Genderswap
Summary: Antonia Carter Stark takes no shit and no prisoners.
Rec Notes: Considered by a lot of Marvel fans to be the Rule 63!Tony fic, Ironsides maintains a sense of humor without pulling any punches. It's plotty and dense and flawlessly in-character. A female Tony gets to be the unrepentant, snarky, badass lady character I've wanted in the MCU since forever.
Mint In Box
Clint Barton/Phil Coulson, Family, Board Games, Kid Fic, sort of
Summary: Phil no longer owns a Captain America board game, but the trade-off is acceptable.
Rec Notes: Ah, back in the halcyon days when I was still really invested in Clint/Coulson (forever bitter about AoS and Jeremy Renner, who continues to be The Worst), this fic was basically everything I wanted. Coulson's badass older sister. Clint Barton's awesome arms. Phil Coulson being a great uncle (as in he's good at it, now he's -- you know what I meant). The Captain America boardgame. Steve Rogers holding a baby (and possibly kidnapping said baby to be his new sidekick). Domestic fluff. Tony Stark secretly being v invested in Coulson's happiness. You know. Just cute stuff.
The Immortal Hawkeye
James "Bucky" Barnes/Clint Barton, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark (background), Natasha Romanov, Bruce Banner, Sam Wilson, Phil Coulson, Super Soldier Serum, Surprise Fatherhood, Parent-Child Relationship, Clint Barton-centric, Science, terrible nazi science experiments, Kidnapping sort of
Summary: Clint's a little older than he looks, and his DNA has a few surprises in store, too.
Rec Notes: *crying forever because this is the funniest fic in the world*
"You don't think it's....unnatural?"
"Not really," Clint said. "I mean, it could have been something I ate."
Bucky looked thoughtful. "That actually might explain it."
"How does something I ate explain this?" Tony asked, looking increasingly upset.
"He eats...everything," Natasha said.
"What could you have eaten that would explain it?" Bruce asked.
"Floor pizza," Bucky said, face solemn.
"That was one time -- "
"One time that Bucky saw," Natasha said. "I've seen you do it. I've seen you eat floor pizza in Bulgaria."
"I've seen him eat floor pizza in space," Tony said. "Floor pizza doesn't explain Bram Stoker's Hawkeye over there."
The Most Amazing Things (Some Terrible Lie)
Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Natasha Romanov, Clint Barton, Bruce Banner, Thor, Pepper Potts, Identity Issues, Secret Identity, Identity Porn, Alternate Universe, Publicity, unmasking
Summary: Tony's decision not to reveal his identity as Iron Man to the world was shrewd and calculated. Too bad it's about to backfire on him like a Jericho missile.
Rec Notes: Takes the idea from 616 that Tony's identity as Iron Man was initially a secret from the world and his teammates, and Iron Man was known primarily as Tony's bodyguard. SO GOOD.
The Soldier And The Hurricane
Howard Stark/Maria Stark, James "Bucky" Barnes & Tony Stark, Anna Jarvis/Edwin Jarvis, Peggy Carter, Arnim Zola, Alternate Universe - 1960s, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes, Parent-Child Relationship
Summary: When the Winter Soldier fails to kill Howard and Maria Stark and is taken prisoner in the summer of 1967, his salvation comes in the unlikely form of a Russian-speaking, father-disobeying, endlessly-tinkering seventeen-year-old: Tony Stark.
Rec Notes: This has Tony/Bucky shippy sequels, but The Soldier And The Hurricane can stand, quite beautifully, alone. Featuring teen!Tony, my beloved Jarvises, and badass Peggy.
The Son of Man
Pepper Potts/Tony Stark(Background only), Jarvis, Thor, Jane Foster, Natasha Romanov, Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson, Clint Barton, Bruce Banner, Amora, Artificial Intelligence, Magic, Body Dysmorphic Disorder, Infinity Gems, Parenthood
Summary: JARVIS did not want to be a real boy. He was quite happy being a building.
Rec Notes: MY HEART. So I'm basically made of Robot Feels and this story about Jarvis being forced into a human body for Magical Shenanigan Reasons is so bittersweet and lovely. I've never liked Tony so much as I do in this fic.
Toy Soldiers
Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, James "Bucky" Barnes/Sam Wilson, Pepper Potts, Obadiah Stane, Peggy Carter, Natasha Romanov, Clint Barton, Alternate Universe, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, SHIELD, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Identity Porn, Hydra, Bisexual Steve Rogers
Summary: When Steve Rogers, five foot four and a hundred and ten pounds, met Tony Stark in a bar, he didn't expect it to lead to a relationship. Or that Tony would find out he's not an art student during a SHIELD rescue mission in Afghanistan.
Rec Notes: This highly original AU features the whole crew as natives of the present day, with Tiny!Steve (who's secretly a superspy, not an art student) catching the eye of Tony Stark pre-Iron Man kidnapping. It's funny, and sad, and incredibly hot.
Sherlock (BBC)
Lab Book
Sherlock Holmes/John Watson, Greg Lestrade, Harry Watson, Mrs. Hudson, Deduction, Christmas, Anthropology, The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle
Summary: "The likelihood of finding a cab on Christmas Eve is fast approaching nil."
"So was the likelihood of you kissing me in the middle of the pavement, and yet."
Rec Notes: I don't really know how to describe this story. It's a slowly unfurling character study. It's a relationship story. It's brilliant worldbuilding. It's case fic. It's perfectly pitched dialogue. It's post series one Sherlock distilled into it's most charming form.
Stargate: Atlantis
Angles Thus And So
Rodney McKay/Elizabeth Weir, Rodney McKay/John Sheppard, Radek Zelenka, Carson Beckett, Teyla Emmagan, Canonical Character Death, Light Bondage
Summary: The city belongs to Sheppard and McKay, and the boys belong to Elizabeth -- especially Rodney.
Rec Notes: One of the most difficult parts of getting an SGA fic right is capturing the very distinctive patter between Rodney and John. Angles Thus and So is a stunning example of their dialogue done right. It never occurred to me to ship Rodney/Elizabeth, but the way it's written here (especially the canonical character death -- mind the tags, folks) is perfectly in character and perfectly heartbreaking. Also features one of my absolute favorite versions of John.
My Home And Native Land
Ronon Dex, Rodney McKay, John Sheppard, Teyla Emmagan, Chuck, Elizabeth Weir, Canada, So Much Canada, Cultural Differences, Don't touch Ronon's Blaster, Shakespeare, POV Character of Color
Summary: Ronon's friendship with Chuck, the head Gate Tech of the Atlantis mission, leads him to discover the strange and alien ways of Canadians and helps him lay his past to rest.
Rec Notes: This fic encapsulates so much of what I love about SGA fic. It takes a small, simple idea and expands it into an insightful character piece full of charming hints at the greater world canon doesn't touch on. Also: CANADA. SATEDAN AND TERRAN LITERATURE. RONON AS A SMART, RESOURCEFUL CHARACTER. POLITICAL MANEUVERING. WELL WRITTEN GEN. POETRY!
The Difference Engine
Rodney McKay/John Sheppard, Jack O'Neill, Elizabeth Weir, Carson Beckett, Radek Zelenka, Teyla Emmagan, Ronon Dex, Cyborgs, Artificial Intelligence, Alternate Universe, Robots, Robot Feels, Programming
Summary: Sheppard remembered dying in Afghanistan, but since he was still walking around he didn't pay that memory too much mind.
Rec Notes: I'll just be here, crying, forever. I was born with an overabundance of Robot Feels and SGA is the fandom of my heart, so I was doomed before I even started reading this. Also: Rodney, you are one fucked-up mad scientist.
Suits
Homicide Love
Mike Ross/Harvey Specter, Alternate Universe - Serial Killers, Murder, Gore, Cannibalism, Dysfunctional Relationships Mentions of Rape
Summary: Mike has been waiting all his life for someone who understands -- but Harvey might care too much to survive.
Rec Notes: Not for the faint of heart (seriously, friends, mind the tags), this Suits fic is remarkable. It's the idea of Mike and/or Harvey being murderers is bizarre, and yet the story is written in a way that makes perfect, in-universe sense. *shivers* Creepy.
