Top Ten A.I.s (portraits clones and ghosts-- oh my!)

Ah, apparently I'm the last and the latest of the guest reccers? The theme of the the day is the human condition-- particularly relating to humanity's integration with its own technology and transhumanism. At least, as expressed by the the android, the portrait, the AI in fan fiction. They all ask the same basic questions: what is it to be human? what is it to not be human? I limited my search to the fandoms I'm most familiar with (Sorry, no classic Marvel or Trek) and chose fics that I enjoyed-- most of them are relationship-centric and slash-- but also attempted to favor those that better explored the thematic concepts in some way.

Fandoms: 50% Harry Potter 40% Stargate 10% Iron Man
Main Pairings: 100% m/m-ish 10% f/m 0% f/f

( on to the recs )

My journal where I will post the above + EVEN MORE (always more AI fic) at some point soon. They will also all be added to the rest of my tagged recs.

A few things: first of all, thank you so much to the people that contributed to the Top Ten lists this year. They continue to be a great success, and I love them every year. Second, I'll be adding specific warnings on my recs to guide anyone who needs that kind of thing. Generally speaking, I don't read most darkfic or rape fic, but I do read stories where there is a mention of those issues, mostly in the past.

Thirdly, if you're not watching Leverage (Wednesday nights, TNT, 9PM EST/8PM CST), then I don't know what's stopping you. It's fun, clever and often really nifty. There's gadgets, explosions, good guys defeating bad guys, sexual tension, friendship and humor.

A brief overview, so that you can enjoy the recs (and then watch the show and then write more fic): ( We provide...leverage. )

( Leverage Recs: various combinations of Hardison, Parker and Eliot )

People! I have made a dreadful mistake (and if this isn't allowed mods, let me know and I'll delete), I left off my Top 10 Bandom Kidfics a very important and worthy rec. It's long and hurty and really gorgeous so please read this if you liked any that I recced before.

Thereafter You Have It (And Tango Makes Three) [Panic at the Disco, Brendon/Spencer]

Brendon gets a girl pregnant then decides to raise the baby himself. "Hey, baby girl," Brendon says, softly. He thinks he should have thought of something more profound to welcome his daughter in to the world.

Crossovers and fusions have always had a special place in my fannish heart. They can be a gateway to the marvels of new fandoms or a welcome reminder of an old beloved one, or simply an intriguing way to show the characters we love in a new light.

As usual I've had problems deciding on which ten to include in this list but these are ( Ten Really Cool Bandom Crossover/Fusion Stories That I Like A Lot... )

My favorite character in Doctor Who, hands down, is the Master. He's an acquired taste, not as nice or as funny as the Doctor, not as easy an entry character as any of the companions, and if you're writing him correctly, scary as hell. With the Master, you can go for slightly, hauntingly creepy, or outright population-killing genocidal horror. He's rather brutally poetic and fond of abusing his large vocabulary, no matter the era, but with each era, you get different foibles, different quirks. I'm a Classic Who fangirl who came by way of NuWho, so this is a mix of eras and incarnations of the Master.

So here you go: The Top Ten Stories that Make Me Love the Master Despite His Magnificent Bastardry

(  . . . and you will obey me. )

If you happen to like, go and feedback the authors.

Ack, sorry about this being a tiny bit late -- my obsessive nature can be problematic sometimes.

There are so many fantastic stories out there, it's kind of overwhelming. I know I've left off some that I really adore, and there are probably some that I haven't read that would deserve a place on this list. I tried for more variety rather than less -- in types of non-monogamy, in bands involved, in specific groupings of characters, in authors, and in type and tone. My biases do show through, though, mostly in that there's lots of MCR, and also in that all of these fics are relatively supportive of the types of non-monogamy they feature.

( lots of wonderful stories under the cut )

Enjoy! I would love to hear what you think about these or about your other favorite non-monogamy fics in comments. :)

The original slash pairing has been rebooted with the 2009 movie - Star Trek XI, and the fic has been swamping the Internet, so I bring you (in no particular order) ten awesome Kirk/Spock fics, set in the Reboot universe. Summaries contain SPOILERS for the new movie. I've tried to rec stories I haven't seen recced much elsewhere. Took me forever! So, enjoy! :D


( Kirk/Spock this way! )

I’ve been reading and writing Marshall Mathers since around 2002. He’s an acquired taste but there is some damn fine writing around this small fandom. I’ve thought a lot about why I have always been so drawn to him and it could be how flawed he is, how human he can be, or my propensity for bad boys with a lining of vulnerability. But mostly it is just him: raw and pretty and crazy and real.

I have added ratings and summaries where there were none, or where I could not find them. Apologies to the authors.

Enjoy

( Top Ten Eminem Fics (AU and RPS) )

I'd a hard time chosing stories for this list and paring it down to only ten definitely wasn't easy! I've tried to include as wide a variety of pairings, kinks, and scenarios as possible (given my own personal preferences of course ;-) I wouldn't exactly call this a Top Ten list though, it's more a list of ( Ten Fabulously Hot MCR PWPs That I Happen To Like Right Now... )

So Pop!Slash was my gateway into slash and fandom. I have an intense love for this fandom and there are a ton of stories that I still love after all these years and I had a ton of stories I wanted on this list, but so many of them no longer exist online. This makes me sad. As a result I ended up doubling up on some of my favorite authors.


( Top Ten Old School Pop!slash Recs )

My top three are really a top three but the others are all pretty much even, all fics are well written (I can excuse typos and some grammar flaws if the story is worth it) and most are long and satisfying. This is a lovely little corner of bandom that's a favourite of mine. I hope you all enjoy them as much as I did.

10. Crayons, Ketchup and a Lap Dance Tester by boysinterrupted

Title says it all and it's adorable.

9. Talks Like A Gentleman by mintyfriend with So Put Me Where I Belong as a follow up

Bored, small-town schoolteacher Ryan Ross meets Jon Walker, a man with a secret. (and The Cab as his students)

8. baby!panic by foxxcub

Four fics where bandom is in pre-school (so cute!)

7. There's A Light On In Chicago by seimaisin

Patrick is a widower and young father. Pete is an advertising exec with a failing relationship. When Patrick's daughter makes a call to a radio shrink, lives intersect and shenanigans ensue.

6. Looking At You, I'm Home by hidingoutside

Ryan Ross never really expected to be a father, much less enjoy it, until he became the guardian of his young cousin. He doesn't even realize how well and truly happy he is until the boy asks if he can find his real father--a man he never met.

5. Once Upon A Time's Only Fiction Until Tomorrow Becomes Today by rossetti

The year Virginia Dale Wentz turns five her parents die in an accident aboard a chartered day-boat to Catalina. Pete had declared Spencer to be Ginny's guardian. A real tear jerker.

4. Shadows Of Echoes Of Memories Of Songs by softlyforgotten

Zack says, "I thought you guys couldn’t get any more irresponsible! And then one of you went and got tinified!"

3. Anywhere, Say Anywhere (As Long As I'm With You) by hidingoutside

As the head of guest services at Oakhart Ranch, Jon Walker's supposed to make sure everything's running as smoothly as possible, even when Spencer Smith, former rodeo champion, comes rolling into town to help his former mother-in-law keep the ranch from going under.

2. Something Better by lovelypoet

Frank Iero, first year out as a teacher, takes a job he doesn't really want.

1. Forever, Now and its sequel Star Shaped by passe_simple

Bachelor Brian Schecter finds two orphaned brothers who change his life.

Guest Reccer here! So I signed up to do this not knowing what to expect exactly. I figured I'd get to share some of my favorite Adam Lamber/Kris Allen fics (which I do), but I didn't count on it being so difficult to give intelligent commentary on why they were my favorites. That was a lot harder than I expected. I kept wanting to say "I liked this because it's awesome!" (which they all are, but I think when making a list like this one should at least attempt to be more coherent.) So I attempted more coherency. I'm not sure I succeeded.

I think the reason I'm so drawn to this pairing is the friendship that is so evident in every interview and appearance they've done for American Idol. I love that it's not about being gay or straight or christian or not christian; it's about being friends. It also helps that they're smokin' hot (what? like you weren't thinking it too!)

Something else to note about these recs, almost everyone I've recced here has written other stories with this pairing. I highly recommend reading those too.

And if you're not sure who Kris Allen and Adam Lambert are, go here (very media heavy).

( Onward to the Top Ten Kris Allen/Adam Lambert (AI8) Fics That Rock! )

First off, I’m not a fan of the TOS (I’m a Next Generation gal). Friends dragged me to see Star Trek Reboot opening weekend and I’m immediately fell into the fandom, particularly Spock/Uhura. Then, out of curiosity, I started looking for rare pairs and clicked on a Chekov/McCoy ficlet…and instantly found my Star Trek OTP.

Why? I’m not sure. Maybe I see a little too much of myself in the bitter, grumpy, workaholic, thinks-he’s-over-the-hill Leonard “Bones” McCoy. Maybe it’s the slightly uncomfortable crush I have on Pavel Chekov after the second (and third!) viewing of the movie. Whatever it is, the pairing just works. Read any of the stories below and tell me you don’t agree.

( Top Ten “Dammit, I’m a doctor, not an almost-pedophile” fics )

I have been meaning to do this for six months, and it just got more and more daunting a task. So here is my attempt at it. I still have a batch of Star Trek and Bandom Big Bang stories to put up, but this is my biggest concern right now. I'll see about the other stuff after. I do it mostly for storydivagirl, to whom I promised Merlin recs a few days ago.

Merlin Recs
( Merlin/Arthur and pre-slash gen- 51 Recs )

“Five Things” fic is one of my favourite formats for several reasons. One, because it’s versatile; two, because it produces some amazing, really focused fic; three, because I love it when you get to the ‘and one time the opposite’ part at the end, where the build-up of the previous parts pays off.

It’s been used in loads of fandoms for different challenges, and has become a fandom staple. So here are my top ten ‘five things’ fics.

( Ten sets of five things... that makes fifty things! )

Those of you who were around at this time last year or the year before will probably remember our summer reccing challenges. May's challenge is to make a Top Ten list. For instance: "Top Ten Aliens Made Them Do It Stargate Atlantis Fics," "Top Ten Due South AU Fics," "Top Ten Buffy Gen Fics," "Top Ten Bandom College AUs" etc. To get a feeling for how it works, click here to read previous lists.

If you're interested in making one, respond here with your desired list (the more specific the better. So "Top Ten Firefly Fics" and "Top Ten McKay/Sheppard Fics" will work, but aren't encouraged, whereas "Top Ten Firefly Crossover Fics" and "Top Ten Jealous!John Fics" are perfect). For each fic you should give the link, title, author and why it deserves to be on the list. Try to remember lesser known fics and authors! Fandoms are NOT limited to the ones we rec on this site.

In order to gain posting access, you have to join this community. You can't just watch it, you have to join it too. Now, you can join just for the day you post and then go back to watching, if you'd like. Alternately, you can link me to your top ten list and I can post it on your behalf.

This top ten listing fun will be going on from June 21 - July 21. Usually I do it for all of May, but certain circumstances have led to me backing it up a bit. But anyway! Pick a day that you'd like to have posting access so that I can give it to you. If you can, pick a day that no one else has picked. If that is impossible then I'm a flexible gal. We can get you in whenever.

( Sign Ups for Top 10 Lists )

I know I can't be the only person looking for a good post-Journey's End fix-it fic. I went on an epic search for some over the last few days and actually got some good ones. A lot of gen and Donna being awesome.

( 25 Doctor Who Recs )