gensplosion | Entries tagged with drama

FANDOM: HARRY POTTER
FIC LINK: The Daring Win.
AUTHOR LINK:

lomonaaeren
RATING/WARNING(S): R | ( content notes )
WIP?/WORD COUNT: novel | ~ 106,000 words
MAIN CHARACTERS: Dolores Umbridge, Harry Potter, Albus Dumbledore, Sirius Black, assorted others

FIC SUMMARY: The year: 1987. The place: Muggle London. The situation: The Boy-Who-Lived is being treated horribly by his Muggle relatives. A young witch must take him in for the Ministry’s good and his.
The witch’s name: Dolores Umbridge.

RECCER'S NOTES: Please don't let the summary and the warnings deter you. It's much better than I expected.
While Dolores begins as despicable as we know her in the books, she learns to grow here in this story. I love her character development. While she starts out with manipulating Harry, she develops so much that I was surprised.
It's not always an easy story to read, but I was always eagerly anticipating another chapter.

longlivehumour

FANDOM: The X-Files
FIC LINK: Things Intangible
AUTHOR LINK: mimic117
RATING/WARNING(S): PG | very minor spoilers for season 6
WIP?/WORD COUNT: Complete | 4,900
MAIN CHARACTERS: Fox Mulder

FIC SUMMARY: The public is wonderfully tolerant. It forgives everything except genius. ~ Oscar Wilde

RECCER'S NOTES: A profiler!Mulder story told from the point of view of one of the detectives assigned on the same case as he observes his colleagues' reactions to the famous Spooky Mulder. An enjoyable little one-shot with fine narrative voice and some memorable lines. (Detective Carr shows up in a sequel story, Mileage, featuring Scully as the Coolest Lecturer Ever.)

merryghoul

FANDOM: The Americans (TV)
FIC LINK: One day in the life
AUTHOR LINK:

gorseflower
RATING/WARNING(S): Not Rated/Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
WIP?/WORD COUNT: No/2630
MAIN CHARACTERS: Elizabeth Jennings, Elizabeth's Mother

FIC SUMMARY: Nadya's mother is sick, her classmates lack revolutionary commitment and the Communist future is still far from being built. But she struggles on.

RECCER'S NOTES: A glimpse at Elizabeth's life before she was a spy back in Russia, and how crapsack her life could have been at that time with an ailing mother, an awful neighbor, and no time to spend time as a child. (Although the fic is a pre-season fic, there is information revealed from the latest season of the show.)

merryghoul

FANDOM: Duel after a Masquerade Ball - Jean-Léon Gérôme (painting)
FIC LINK: L'Abécédaire d'un duel
AUTHOR LINK:

MmeBahorel
RATING/WARNING(S): Teen
WIP?/WORD COUNT: No/7002
MAIN CHARACTERS: Original characters inspired by the painting named above.

FIC SUMMARY:

Critic Edmond About suggested, "At forty years old, before one steps on the dueling ground, one might forget to make his will, to write to his wife, or to provide for his son's future, but one doesn't forget to put on real pants."

But About forgets the history that takes an affair from a general insult to blighted honour. Each participant, from beginning to end, lends his past to the careering force of history.

RECCER'S NOTES:

MmeBahorel did an amazing job for this Yuletide fic; it's filled with meticulous research that tells the story of what lead up to the duel in the painting.

circular_time

FANDOM: Doctor Who
FIC LINK: And Then There Was One
AUTHOR LINK:

spacetimeconundrum
RATING/WARNING(S): T
WIP?/WORD COUNT: 36K
MAIN CHARACTERS: Fifth Doctor, Romana II, Master, OFC

FIC SUMMARY: The end and aftermath of the Last Great Time War in the Pete's World Universe. Gallifrey falls, the Doctor is lost, and a killer is lurking among the residents of a town on the edge of the Canadian wilderness. Alt!Five's story.

RECCER'S NOTES: What if the Fifth Doctor was roped into the Time War? It's a fascinating premise. Fobwatched!Five is a plausible and sympathetic extrapolation: he's still the Doctor, even with one foot in the classic era and one in the new. The murder mystery is a little draggy, but I really came to care for "Dr. John Foreman," his wife, his father-in-law, and the life he's carved out for himself. His nightmares of the Time War are compelling and terrifying; it's worth a read just for them. I found myself wishing he'd never remember who he really was.

thady

FANDOM: Stargate: Atlantis
FIC LINK: 5 ways to go crazy without trying.
AUTHOR LINK:

bratfarrar
RATING/WARNING(S): PG-13 | dark
WIP?/WORD COUNT: ficlet | ~ 590 words
MAIN CHARACTERS: team

FIC SUMMARY: see title.

RECCER'S NOTES:

Creepy and realistic, perhaps even more because it's easily imaginable. I could easily see this happening were SGA a darker show.

starwatcher

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FANDOM: NCIS
FIC LINK: Cape Fear
AUTHOR LINK:

Emerald1
RATING/WARNING(S): Teen and Up / No warnings
WIP?/WORD COUNT: Complete / approx. 55,000 words
MAIN CHARACTERS: McGee, Gibbs, Hetty

FIC SUMMARY: Humans fear what they do not understand. A member of Team Gibbs faces that fear when he discovers the truth about himself. Angst and humor in equal parts in this study of what it means to be human, and what it means when others question your humanity.

RECCER'S NOTES: The summary doesn't do this story justice; I was blown away with the story and the world-building behind it. Because of a past incident (explained in the story; I won't spoil it), Superheros are tightly controlled and restricted by the government. When one of the team -- who never knew his heritage -- develops powers, the changes not only affect him, but also affect his team, the LA team, and eventually the government and the world.

The author makes note that the story developed from a plot-bunny because of a resemblance between Hetty (NCIS:LA) and Edna (The Incredibles). I have never seen The Incredibles, or any superhero film; I have no idea if the other Superheros who make appearances are characters original to the author, or based on some other source. It doesn't matter; the story is well-thought-out and engaging without any background knowledge. I particularly enjoyed how the whole NCIS teams rallies round to support their newly-"superfied" friend, both physically and emotionally, as he develops his new abilities. The addition of a mystery to solve -- how did Superheros go from "admired" to "despised and feared"? -- and finding the answers makes this a thoroughly good read. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Mods: My apologies. I tried 3 times to make the name-link properly in HTML, and it's just not working.

Edited to fix username link. Thanks to Espresso_Addict for the help.
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thady

FANDOM: The Hobbit/The Lord of the Rings
FIC LINK: Revision.
AUTHOR LINK:

lydiabennet
RATING/WARNING(S): PG
WIP?/WORD COUNT: one-shot | ~ 1,450 words
MAIN CHARACTERS: Bilbo Baggins

FIC SUMMARY: Bilbo can't write the Red Book the way that he'd like.

RECCER'S NOTES:

This is a well-thought out, well-written story. It's believable, very much in character and slightly creepy. Love Bilbo here, and his thoughts, and how he tries to be true.

thady

FANDOM: Harry Potter
FIC LINK: Kitten Claws and Mudblood Wars [at LJ] | Kitten Claws and Mudblood Wars [at AO3]
AUTHOR LINK:

catsintheattic |

Catsintheattic
RATING/WARNING(S): R | ( content notes/warnings )
WIP?/WORD COUNT: one-shot | ~ 7,600 words
MAIN CHARACTERS: Dolores Umbridge

FIC SUMMARY: Every crusade exacts a human cost, and Dolores is willing to see it paid in full.

RECCER'S NOTES:

This story features one of the most loathed characters from the Harry Potter books - Dolores Umbridge. It was originally written for the

hp_darkfest and it shows.

It's an intriguing view into Umbridge's head and how she became who she is.

catsintheattic strikes here a difficult balance - creating understanding (and a sense of sympathy) without excusing Umbridge's behavior. A truly fascinating character piece.

What impressed me the most though is the fact how seamlessly the story is incorporated into canon. Looking back at the books it fits perfectly in.

It's not an easy read (please heed the warnings!), but very well worth it.

thady

FANDOM: Stargate SG-1
FIC LINK: We're All Mad Here.
AUTHOR LINK:

staranise (story) |

tsukinobara (pod-fic)
RATING/WARNING(S): PG | clinical documentation
WIP?/WORD COUNT: one-shot | ~ 1,040 words
MAIN CHARACTERS: Original Characters

FIC SUMMARY: Not all the SGC's psychologists are stupid.

RECCER'S NOTES:

This is wonderful outsider!pov. Love the OC here, and I can believe in the problems they face.

thady

FANDOM: Stargate: Atlantis
FIC LINK: Staring at the Sun
AUTHOR LINK:

sholio |

sholio
RATING/WARNING(S): PG-13 | ( warnings )
WIP?/WORD COUNT: one-shot | ~ 4,700 words
MAIN CHARACTERS: Rodney McKay; John Sheppard

FIC SUMMARY: Rodney used to believe that death was the worst thing that could happen on a mission. He was wrong.

RECCER'S NOTES:

This one had me sobbing. I hardly ever cry reading fiction, but this felt very real and grounded. Some time in the future McKay visits a brain injured Sheppard. Dealing with what's left of his friend is hard, and McKay's reaction and his feelings are very believable portrayed. This could happen, and it does happen to soldiers all too often. If you like realistic fanfiction, this is as close as it gets.

thady

FANDOM: Harry Potter
FIC LINK: Dudley Dursley and the New Normal (fanfiction.net) | Dudley Dursley and the New Normal (dreamwidth)
AUTHOR LINK:

alikat522 |

straydog733
RATING/WARNING(S): PG-13/R ( warnings under this cut )
WIP?/WORD COUNT: novel | ~ 53,200 words
MAIN CHARACTERS: Dudley Dursley; canon character, OCs

FIC SUMMARY: Bad things happen. Life gets strange. Dudley tries to carve out a little bit of normality in a world that has gone mad around him.

RECCER'S NOTES:

This is a wonderful character and plot driven story. Both character development and plot and finely balanced and complement each other. Love all the supporting characters too.

thady

FANDOM: Harry Potter
FIC LINK: A Tale Of Seasons
AUTHOR LINK:

lordhellebore
RATING/WARNING(S): R | ( content )
WIP?/WORD COUNT: one-shot | ~ 7,200 words
MAIN CHARACTERS: Bellatrix Lestrange, Neville Longbottom, Kreacher

FIC SUMMARY: Her master’s victory is nothing like Bellatrix hoped for. She lost everything, and even the Dark Lord has no more use for her. The only thing that is left to her is one prisoner, who gets to know a completely different side to the woman who destroyed his parents, a side he wishes he had never seen.

RECCER'S NOTES:

I've always been fascinated by the relationship between Bellatrix and Neville since we've found out that she tortured his parents to death. So what if Voldemort had won and Neville was Bellatrix' prisoner?

This story was posted at is dark and sharp and haunting. I love this Neville here, still so very much himself but so broken. And Bellatrix is just as I imagine her to be, insane and crazy and utterly devoid of hope and joy.

This story isn't an easy read, but the tension builds and builds until in the end there's no way but to fall down.

thady

FANDOM: Iron Man (Movies)
FIC LINK: They Don't Know Where We Come From
AUTHOR LINK:

ladyflowdi
RATING/WARNING(S): R
WIP?/WORD COUNT: one-shot | ~ 4,700 words
MAIN CHARACTERS: Tony Stark, James "Rhodey" Rhodes

FIC SUMMARY: "Shrapnel," Tony says, and alarms go off around his ears and he can’t breathe and the pain is going to eat him up from the head down. "In my heart. I made it. Not the shrapnel. ...Well. The shrapnel too."

RECCER'S NOTES: This is a great, heartbreaking missing scene from the first movie. It makes so much sense for there to be such a scene. Great characterization, and I love Tony and Rhodey's frienship.

thady

FANDOM: Harry Potter
FIC LINK: After the earth
AUTHOR LINK:

flambeau /

torch
RATING/WARNING(S): PG
WIP?/WORD COUNT: one-shot | ~ 470 words
MAIN CHARACTERS: Mrs. Pettigrew, Remus Lupin, OC

FIC SUMMARY: She knew well in advance that they were coming. She'd already cleaned everything off the mantelpiece - the photographs, the display case, the flowers. The dust.

RECCER'S NOTES: This snippet isn't long, but it packs such a punch. I always wondered about Mrs. Pettigrew and who she was and how she felt. In this short snippet she really comes to life.

thady

FANDOM: Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Firefly
FIC LINK: Rough Heals
AUTHOR LINK:

voleuse
RATING/WARNING(S): PG-13
WIP?/WORD COUNT: one-shot | ~ 620 words
MAIN CHARACTERS: Dawn Summers

FIC SUMMARY: I peeled away when you weren't looking.

RECCER'S NOTES: Beautiful and sad and melancholy. Wonderful characterization of Dawn, and how she survives. For such a snippet it packs such a punch.

thady

FANDOM: Harry Potter
FIC LINK: Fortuna
AUTHOR LINK:

cuban_sombrero
RATING/WARNING(S): PG-13
WIP?/WORD COUNT: one-shot | ~ 1,200 words
MAIN CHARACTERS: Sirius Black, some Marauders, Regulus Black

FIC SUMMARY: Death, it has already changed them.

RECCER'S NOTES: This may be short but it sure packs a punch. I love the writing, poignant and vivid. Like the structure, and how it is built. I can see this Sirius here, and I love his view on the others.

The Espresso Addict

Diary & multifandom recs

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Entries tagged with drama

Harry Potter: The Daring Win, by Lomonaaeren.

X-Files: Things Intangible, by mimic117

One day in the life by gorseflower

L'Abécédaire d'un duel by MmeBahorel

Doctor Who: And Then There Was One by Spacetimeconundrum

SGA: 5 ways to go crazy without trying, by bratfarrar.

NCIS / NCIS:LA / Incredibles(?): Cape Fear, by Emerald1

LotR: Revision, by teasel.

HP: Kitten Claws and Mudblood Wars, by catsintheattic.

SG-1: We're All Mad Here, by staranise & tsukinobara.

SGA: Staring at the Sun, by Sholio.

HP: Dudley Dursley and the New Normal , by alikat522.

HP: A Tale Of Seasons, by lordhellebore.

Iron Man-Movies: They Don't Know Where We Come From, by ladyflowdi.

HP: After the earth, by flambeau (torch).

BtVS/Firefly: Rough Heals, by voleuse.

HP: Fortuna, by cuban_sombrero.

The Espresso Addict