gensplosion | Entries tagged with plotty plots with extra plot

FANDOM: Red Dwarf
FIC LINK: A Different Kind of Ace
AUTHOR LINK:

RowenaZahnrei
RATING/WARNING(S): G | mild body horror
WIP?/WORD COUNT: WIP (just updated) | 42000+
MAIN CHARACTERS: Arnold Rimmer, Dave Lister, the Cat, Kryten, Kristine Kochanski, Frank Rimmer

FIC SUMMARY: Rimmer left Starbug to become someone he liked, but he always hated Ace. Now he feels he's trapped playing a part, a failure in a shiny costume. To become a hero in his own right, Rimmer must face up to his old crew, his family, and his self-loathing...

RECCER'S NOTES: One of my favourite genres of RD fanfiction is the one that addresses the Rimmer-as-Ace issue, because it seems sad somehow that our Rimmer, the neurotic arsewipe we know and love, could simply be subsumed into Generic Space Hero #1598719 (what a guy!) with no trace of the original remaining; and over the years there's been many stories written with different versions of What Happened Next. This one, as the title implies, aims to unite the two personas; its depiction of Rimmer's struggle with / acceptance of the role is excellent, it has a good ear for character voice and the plot moves at a good lick. But beyond all that, it's just... fun. To be read slowly - take a break between chapter and chapter, savour the twists in the road. If you've not read it before you're in for a treat, and if you have you're in for another, because it's just updated and the end is in sight. Go!

Current Mood: bouncy

longlivehumour

M*A*S*H leans heavily towards the slashy side, for obvious reasons, but there's some excellent genfic in the fandom too. Here's some of my favourites:

FANDOM: M*A*S*H
FIC LINK: Sanity Will Be Graded on a Curve
AUTHOR LINK:

OldToadWoman
RATING/WARNING(S): Teen | vague references to wartime violence and gore
WIP?/WORD COUNT: Complete | 5,000
MAIN CHARACTERS: Main cast (Season 1)

FIC SUMMARY: They're all this crazy because it's the only way to stay sane. The 4077th as seen through the eyes of a terrified new recruit.

RECCER'S NOTES: I read this as a newbie with barely any knowledge of the story; I loved it anyway. The story takes place during the Korean War in a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital where all the personnel, from the army-obsessed surgeon to his fishing-obsessed CO to the crossdressing corporal, are a little bit mad. No further canon knowledge is required.

He hadn't even noticed the gunfire until then. Funny not noticing gunfire. Maybe it was the background music. You never missed the important parts of the picture, because the background music always let you know when the good bits were coming. The music reel was broken today. They should ask for free popcorn. It was only fair.

( Four more beyond the tent flap. )

sixbeforelunch

FANDOM: Star Trek: TNG/Firefly
FIC LINK: Lost In The Woods
AUTHOR LINK:

Ardwolf
RATING/WARNING(S): Rated M by the author. There's very little that might be objectionable here, IMO, but it really doesn't pull punches when it comes to how creepy and dangerous the Reavers are.
WIP?/WORD COUNT: 39,901, complete
MAIN CHARACTERS: Jean Luc Picard, Mal Reynolds, Q.

FIC SUMMARY: Captain Picard’s bad day just got a lot worse, courtesy of Q. Which is nothing compared to the day Malcolm Reynolds is about to have when River starts babbling about the kindly t’ien lung and his curious bunny rabbit... ST:TNG/Firefly crossover.

RECCER'S NOTES: This is an amazing story. I'm a pretty hard sell when it comes to crossovers between two space-based fandoms, but this works astonishingly well. It's a brilliant exploration of the Reavers, the Firefly universe, the Prime Directive (and the limits thereof), Q, and moral dilemmas. I loved every bit of it. It's mostly a Mal and Picard story (with bonus Q), but nearly all of the characters from both 'verses get a good showing in.

thisbluespirit

FANDOM: Doctor Who
FIC LINK: The Spartans
AUTHOR LINK: JJPOR
RATING/WARNING(S): Teen | Violence, Slavery
WIP?/WORD COUNT: 69,883
MAIN CHARACTERS: Second Doctor, Polly Wright, Jamie McCrimmon, Ben Jackson

FIC SUMMARY: Greece, 480 BC: As the vast armies of the King of Kings prepare to battle the outnumbered defenders of the Hot Gates, the Doctor and his friends find themselves where they often find themselves at times like this – caught in the middle.

RECCER'S NOTES: As I’ve said, I have a weakness for Doctor Who historicals, and this is one of the very best. The author is amazing (consider this also an author rec: JJ is an incredible fanfic writer and pretty much never puts out a duff fic) and also has a clear love of history, which shines through. It’s an all-out action-adventure piece at novel length, although that’s not to say there’s not some great characterisation, with the TARDIS team being split up (as ever) but into two lesser-explored combinations, which allows for some lovely development between the still-new group, as Polly and the Doctor have to work together while Ben and Jamie find themselves in some surprising situations, not always easy for a 20th century English seaman and an 18th C Scottish Jacobite.

(There’s a tiny bit of canon-typical Ben/Polly at the end, and a little bit of slightly more unexpected Ben/Jamie along the way because of plot, but nothing to render it non-gen.)

Anyway, it’s long, fabulous, enthralling, and novel-style (and length) enough to be read on its own strengths if you’re not all that familiar with this TARDIS team (who have after all been especially unfairly hit by burnination).

thisbluespirit

FANDOM: Sapphire and Steel
FIC LINK: Daisy Bell
AUTHOR LINK:

usernamegoeshere
RATING/WARNING(S): Teen | Canon-typical horror, ghosts, death
WIP?/WORD COUNT: 32,278 words
MAIN CHARACTERS: Sapphire, Steel, Silver, Diamond, Radium, Original Characters

FIC SUMMARY: In 1979, Sapphire and Steel arrive at the Howard Street Hospital to investigate a time break. They have a chance encounter with the receptionist, Daisy. In 1999, Diamond, Radium, and Silver arrive at the Howard Street Hospital to investigate a time break. They have a chance encounter with the receptionist, Daisy.

RECCER'S NOTES: Sapphire and Steel is the most beautifully weird TV show I have ever encountered (as one TV guidebook described it: “There are many ways of holding a TV audience... Total lack of explanation is not supposed to be one of them.”) and also one of the most interesting fandoms for fic, as authors each try in their own way to interpret those mysteries and transpose that sense of otherness in the mundane to their writing, and nobody does it quite the same way, so I’m hoping to rec some more S&S before I’m done here.

Anyway, this fic one of the best examples - it’s marvellous, long, plotty, completely true to canon-weirdness (if you can say such a thing) and sharply characterised, with every bit of Sapphire-Steel-Silver interaction a delight. Plus – always a huge bonus for me – not only does it include Silver but it brings in some additional ‘operators’ from the opening credits, and explores just how strange they might be. And if you don’t know the series, but you like exploring the weirdness of time or enjoy ghost stories, why not give it a try? It’s a glorious fic and you really won’t know any less than those of us who have watched the canon, honest…

thisbluespirit

FANDOM: Doctor Who
FIC LINK: With A Little Illumination
AUTHOR LINK:

st_aurafina
RATING/WARNING(S): PG | Mild canon-type violence
WIP?/WORD COUNT: 6244
MAIN CHARACTERS: Jo Grant, Third Doctor, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart

FIC SUMMARY: When an opera critic is torn limb from limb, the Brigadier suspects that more than just bruised egos are at play.

RECCER'S NOTES: It’s like the UNIT-era squared, and it’s utterly wonderful. The Brigadier has crossword experts looking for the Master! The Doctor has blown up the lab (again)! Jo’s on an undercover mission (with an unexpected ‘date’), the Master has an improbable villainous plan, and it all goes a little bit Phantom of the Opera. Fabulous missing adventure fic.

dirty_diana

FANDOM: Star Trek TOS
FIC LINK: Equilibrium
AUTHOR LINK:

PSW
RATING/WARNING(S): Teen / adult themes (prison camps, riots, etc)
WIP?/WORD COUNT: complete / 158 700 words
MAIN CHARACTERS: Leonard McCoy, Spock, James T Kirk, OCs

FIC SUMMARY: McCoy's transport is destroyed in what is thought to be an accidental containment field explosion. No major character deaths.

RECCER'S NOTES: I try to always be honest about who a rec is meant for, so I will admit that if you feel like there is never a reason for a story to be over 100 000 words? This is not the fic that is going to change your mind. If, on the other hand, you love a good rollicking space adventure? Vulcans, Romulans, intergalactic politics, daring escapes, and the crew of the Enterprise being good at what they're good at? Then this is the fic for you. Fascinating examination of some of the Big Themes that come with Roddenberry's take on space exploration, and lovely characterisation of the classic triumvirate.

dirty_diana

FANDOM: Star Trek TOS
FIC LINK: Expanding the Oecumene
AUTHOR LINK:

AAmuse
RATING/WARNING(S): none / K+
WIP?/WORD COUNT: complete / 48 500 words
MAIN CHARACTERS: Spock, Pike, Number One, OCs

FIC SUMMARY: The events taking place during Spock’s final year at Starfleet Academy continue to shape him into the person and officer he will become. A tale about friendship and adventure.

RECCER'S NOTES: A tale of Spock's first, dangerous trip on the Enterprise with mentor-to-be Captain Pike. Plotty character explorations are always great. However it is easy for an author who loves a character (as we all do) to fall into the trap of only exploring the positives, or of doing a little fannish revisionist history. This story of what Spock's Academy days might have looked like never loses sight of the fact that Spock of Vulcan, later saviour of the known world, could also be a bit of a rebellious brat.

thady

FANDOM: Harry Potter
FIC LINK: Dudley Dursley and the New Normal (at DW) | Dudley Dursley and the New Normal (at FFN)
AUTHOR LINK:

straydog733 |

alikat522
RATING/WARNING(S): R
WIP?/WORD COUNT: novel | ~ 51,000 words
MAIN CHARACTERS: Dudley Dursley; appearence of canon characters and 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 was posted at

dudley_redeemed, and it is still one of my favorite stories posted at this fest.

I love the plot, and how it unfolded. Both plot and characterization work together and are interwoven. I love how wizarding Britain is depicted, and how Dudley fits himself into it. I love watching him grow and make himself a new life.

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: Torchwood
FIC LINK: The Thing with Feathers That Perches in the Soul
AUTHOR LINK:

blue_fjords
RATING/WARNING(S): PG-13 | mentions of canon pairings
WIP?/WORD COUNT: novelette | ~ 20,000 words
MAIN CHARACTERS: Toshiko Sato, Team; mentions of canon pairings

FIC SUMMARY: Torchwood has to deal with threats from an alien species and Myfanwy has gone missing. Plus, it is time for Tosh's five-year review by UNIT, and things do not go well. Takes place a few days before Season 2's 'Fragments'.

RECCER'S NOTES:

This story might be best described as a Tosh-centric team fic. It actually reads like an episode. It's extremely well written, fast paced with wonderful character moments not only for Tosh, but for all the characters. A wonderful entertaining read.

isabelquinn

FANDOM: The Hunger Games
FIC LINK: The End of the World
AUTHOR LINK:

FernWithy
RATING/WARNING(S): Violence, T+
WORD COUNT: 116, 395 (just for part 1)
MAIN CHARACTERS: Haymitch Abernathy, Maysilee Donner, Mr. Mellark, Mrs. Everdeen, Haymitch's Girl

FIC SUMMARY: Sixteen-year-old Haymitch Abernathy has plenty to worry about - a sick mother, a decrepit house, an empty larder. The last thing he's worried about is the Capitol's choice to double the number of Games tributes in a Quell year...

RECCER'S NOTES: This is the opposite of the fic I recced earlier today (it is neither short nor sweet: it's long and dark), but I love, love, love this fic. I'm not often keen for multichapter epics, I'm usually more inclined towards oneshots, but this one is absolutely an exception. The world building is incredible, the characters (both canon ones and OCs) feel completely real, and I can't quite put my finger on what it is about the writing, but it's just perfect.

thady

FANDOM: Stargate: Atlantis
FIC LINK: The Killing Frost
AUTHOR LINK:

sholio
RATING/WARNING(S): PG-13
WIP?/WORD COUNT: novel | ~ 100,000 words
MAIN CHARACTERS: team, with emphasis on McKay, Sheppard, Caldwell

FIC SUMMARY: A scientific mission gone wrong leaves the Daedalus stranded on an ice planet with Atlantis's top scientists and a ruthless saboteur. Will rescue come before injuries and the elements take their toll? General (mostly vague) spoilers for Season 2 plus one mild one for "McKay & Mrs. Miller".

RECCER'S NOTES: This is a great suspense/mystery/action/adventure team story. I love the characters here, and how they interact, and the plot is intriguing and tense. At times I could feel the cold and was glad I was warm and safe.

thady

FANDOM: Harry Potter
FIC LINK: A Heart Bright and True
AUTHOR LINK:

lyras
RATING/WARNING(S): R
WORD COUNT: ~ 15,800
MAIN CHARACTERS: Ron Weasley; ensemble, including Cho Chang, Harry Potter, George Weasley, Angelina Johnson; mentions of canon pairings

FIC SUMMARY: Ron is struggling with his identity after leaving the Aurors and setting up a detective agency. A woman needs his help but seems reluctant for him to learn the truth. To complicate matters, Fenrir Greyback is on the loose, and Ron must face the Forbidden Forest and his own fears if he is to unravel the mystery.

RECCER'S NOTES: This is a really great case!fic and character study. The mystery was well thought out and the case engaging. I loved all the little details, how they make the characters and their world rich and real. Ron's struggle felt very true to canon, at the same time we can see him growing up.

ozqueen

FANDOM: Doctor Who, Firefly
FIC LINK: The Man With No Name (ffn) | The Man With No Name (whofic.com)
AUTHOR LINK:

frostfyre7 | frostfyre
RATING/WARNING(S): Teen | Canon level violence, spoilers for both canons up to and including Serenity and The Runaway Bride.
WIP?/WORD COUNT: Complete | 106,000 words
MAIN CHARACTERS: Tenth Doctor, Malcolm Reynolds, River Tam, Kaylee Frye, Jayne Cobb, Zoe Washburne, Simon Tam, Inara Serra

FIC SUMMARY: He hadn't really counted on getting into a pub brawl over the color of his coat on some speck of a planet, or signing up with a crew of petty criminals. Still, he'd always wondered what really happened to those Lost Colonists from Earth...

RECCER'S NOTES:

I will admit it took me some time to agree with the Doctor's voice in this one, but the further I read, the more right it became, and the more I realised just how very broken he is in canon at this point. He is also Rude and Not Ginger.

The Serenity crew are also broken after the events of The Big Damn Movie, and together they and the Doctor begin to rebuild themselves, putting together the pieces of their existence, fighting common enemies and forging wonderful bonds.

This is a great, lengthy fic that hits my 'found family' buttons in all the right ways. I especially love the way Mal reacts to the Doctor, and the slow, steady build of trust and respect between them (after a bit of a rocky start).

ozqueen

FANDOM: Supernatural
FIC LINK: Red
AUTHOR LINK:

BigPink
RATING/WARNING(S): T | There are strong implications of noncon/underage sexual activity, but nothing explicit. Also, as someone who is easily squicked, injuries and gore had me squirming a few times...
WIP?/WORD COUNT: Complete | 82,000
MAIN CHARACTERS: Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester

FIC SUMMARY: Something evil is killing treeplanters in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, possibly the same predator that Dean narrowly escaped years before. How Grimm will things get before the brothers figure it out?

RECCER'S NOTES:

A mutated/dark take on Little Red Riding Hood and OH MAN so amazing. One of the best examples of 'did the research' ever, this fic just transports you to places and times and occupations in the best/worst ways. There are times where it's not an easy read - there's angst, and injuries, and dark content, but it's the boys hunting down a horrible creature and having to go through the daily, awful suffering that comes with Hunting sometimes.

It's long and it's plotty and it's a great/dark/disturbing/wonderful read.

ozqueen

FANDOM: Harry Potter
FIC LINK: The Changeling
AUTHOR LINK:

annerb
RATING/WARNING(S): Teen | background/non-explicit references to non con
WIP?/WORD COUNT: 53,509 | work in progress, 4/7 chapters posted
MAIN CHARACTERS: Ginnny Weasley, Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, Ron Weasley, George Weasley, Hermione Granger, Luna Lovegood, Tom Riddle, Bill Weasley, Arthur Weasley, Molly Weasley, Severus Snape

FIC SUMMARY: Ginny is sorted into Slytherin. It takes her seven years to figure out why.

RECCER'S NOTES:

I can't even with this AU. It's so wonderfully, amazingly crafted. It's written around Ginny Weasley being Sorted into Slytherin, and it explores how she views herself, how her family views her, and how Hogwarts views her. There are so many wonderful details and obstacles; so many things explored. The fic is tagged Harry/Ginny but, while they do share a bare handful of scenes together at this point, nothing shippy is jumping out at me. This is a story of perception and self-awareness, and Ginny's struggle to reestablish herself in a world where she's always had a place.
The first chapter was posted way back in 2011 and the latest chapter (ch4) was posted in Jan 2014, so I'm not really expecting hasty updates, but what's there already is breath taking and you should go and read it right now.

sixbeforelunch

FANDOM: NCIS, Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG1
FIC LINK: Prodigal by Domenika Marzione
AUTHOR LINK: AO3, website
RATING/WARNING(S): Not rated. There's violence, but I'd call it canon-typical for both shows.
WIP?/WORD COUNT: Complete. 44,763 words.
MAIN CHARACTERS: Colonel Mann, Evan Lorne, most of the cast of NCIS and a good chunk of the Stagate cast

FIC SUMMARY: Hollis Mann comes to NCIS for help with a case that quickly spirals from well-planned break-in to serial murder. When their chief suspect ends up being an Air Force officer with a shady job history, Hollis and Team Gibbs have their hands full trying to figure out what's happening before the body count gets any higher.

RECCER'S NOTES:

The other day, I opened up Prodigal by Domenika Marzione. I saved it to my Nook months ago, on the theory that it was almost certain to be good, and because I knew that I would eventually get around to wanting to read Stargate again. And, yes, it was as good as I was anticipating.

It's a NCUS/Stargate crossover, told entirely from the POV of Colonel Mann, which means that it's basically a double whammy of outsider POV, although obviously Mann is much less of an outsider when it comes to the NCIS team than the Stargate team. I love outsider POV. There are great observations about the Stargate characters, made all the more interesting for the way that they come in only quick glimpses, and through the eyes of someone who doesn't know the history of these people.

The great thing about this story is the way that she captures the world that the characters live in. The military lingo, the rivalries between the Marines and the Army and the Air Force. The story feels very grounded in reality for all that it's got space aliens and science fiction weapons. The author is also amazing at world building, and has a host of original characters that really flesh out the universe.

A note, I've watched more than a few episodes of NCIS, have a working knowledge of Atlantis, and have seen every single episode of SG1 at least once. I suspect that this story will work for someone that doesn't know NCIS at all, but if you don't have at least a sketchy knowledge of the Stargate universe, you will probably be pretty lost.

ozqueen

FANDOM: The Avengers/Marvel
FIC LINK: Chance
AUTHOR LINK:

SallyExactly
RATING/WARNING(S): Mature: graphic depictions of violence. (Each chapter has additional notes and warnings added by the author.)
WIP?/WORD COUNT: Complete, 170,600 words.
MAIN CHARACTERS: Natalia Romanova, Clint Barton, Phil Coulson

FIC SUMMARY: Clint Barton's snap decision to re-interpret his mission orders means a new life for Natalia Romanova. She's only got the one shot at it, though, and "how to live and remake yourself in three easy steps" was never included in her assassin training.

RECCER'S NOTES:

OH ♥ OH MY.

This is, hands down, one of the best things I have ever read. Ever. The characterisation is mind blowing. The plot is fantastic as well - fast-paced and full of excellent action-y S.H.I.E.L.D. missions. Coulson, when he appears (which is frequently, yay!) is perfect, but this is a fic about Natasha and Clint. How they build and rebuild themselves as people, as spies, as assassins, as colleagues. This is a long fic, but I drank in every word of it. There is a sequel coming, but so far, this is the only segment which has been posted.

The Espresso Addict

Diary & multifandom recs

gensplosion!

Entries tagged with plotty plots with extra plot

Red Dwarf: A Different Kind of Ace, by Rowena Zahnrei

mas*h: Five fics

firefly/tng: Lost In The Woods

Doctor Who: The Spartans by JJPOR

Sapphire & Steel: Daisy Bell by nemo_the_everbeing

Doctor Who: With A Little Illumination by st_aurafina

Star Trek TOS: Equilibrium, by PSW

Star Trek TOS: Expanding the Oecumene, by AAmuse

HP: Dudley Dursley and the New Normal, by straydog733.

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

TW: The Thing with Feathers That Perches in the Soul, by blue_fjords.

The Hunger Games: The End of the World

SGA: The Killing Frost, by Frienshipper (Sholio).

HP: A Heart Bright and True, by lyras.

firefly/doctor who: the man with no name, by frostfyre7

supernatural: red, by bigpink

harry potter: the changeling, by annerb

NCIS/Stargate: Prodigal by Domenika Marzione

The Avengers/Marvel: Chance, by SallyExactly

The Espresso Addict