If you liked that...

[jadesfire]

This is something I've been meaning to do for a while, and fallen_arazil's post this morning has nudged me into action.

I'm generally hopeless at commenting, which is embarrassing considering how addicted I am to comments myself. It's going to get worse over the next few weeks, as I'm swamped at work and cracking down to get "The Wandering Years" finished for the end of April – 20,000 words down, 60,000 to go - so things may go a bit quiet over here for a while.

To keep you going in the meantime, I've done something I rarely do (okay, I've done it more often lately. So sue me :P) and put a rec list together. I already have a Criminal Minds list so these are my 'ten of the best' for Torchwood and House. In many ways it's a "if you liked this, try this" kind of list – if you like my stuff, you'll probably like these. You might know them already, you might not. If you know them and haven't commented, go feed the author! If you don't know them, go enjoy!

I'm an incredibly picky reader and set high standards for what I want out of a story – they're the ones I set for myself when I write, so I don't think I'm being too unfair. I decided to limit myself to one story by each writer but these are people who I'll read anything by, just because it's got their name on it. I think I should also entitle this list "how to lose a day of your life to LJ without really trying"



1. crystalshard. I'm completely biased when it comes to her writing, but beta readers are allowed to be, so there. Constant as the Changing Weather is a wonderful Ianto-centric, pre-Torchwood story, that I've recced before and will keep on reccing, because it deserves the re-reading. Take your time, sink into it and enjoy.

2. miss_zedem. Not the Answer is a delicate, sensitive piece on a very difficult subject, that manages to stay the right side of angsty, and never tips over into melodrama while still hitting all the right buttons. Please observe the warnings, but don't let them put you off. If you have an acquaintance with the subject, it will ring true.

3. seti_drd A Long Time Ago. If you want to see how to 'show' emotion without 'telling', this is how it's done.

4. xwingace Stuck in Traffic on the Magic Roundabout. This, for me, is all that's best about gen-fic. Tight writing, wonderful characterisation and a plot that should be canon. This was the first story I read in the Torchwood fandom and, for me, it's still one of the best.

5. entangled_now No-one writes Torchwood comedy like Corona. It was a tough choice, but I decided the first in the Torchwood vs the Shopping Channel series should get the rec. Utterly, utterly mad idea, done skilfully and believably.

6. clarity_lore Jack is Back. Just when you think this idea's been done to death, Clarity comes up with 7 totally original takes on the scenario. From the disturbing to the hilarious to the passionate, all life is here...

7. aeshna_uk Oh good grief this was a hard one, but I eventually chose Scymnus. I'm not a poetry writer unless inspiration strikes, but I've always maintained that the same rules apply to prose – rhythm, structure, choice of words. This is my evidence.

8. fajrdrako Carnevale. This is just a drabble, but catches the characters so well.

9. szm Welcome to the TARDIS. I only found this story the other day but I'm hooked. This is how character studies with a plot should be.

10. lower_case_me. Some of the stuff in this journal is a bit...racy...for me, but Loyalty, with Extra Anchovies is the most wonderful Ianto character piece. Extra points for intelligent use of the pterodactyl.





Guys, you have no idea how hard it was to choose just one story…

1. perspi No Little Charity. Well, what else was I going to choose? This is a story to wallow in. Allow yourself enough time and read it all in one go, just to enjoy the characterisation, the plot, the dialogue (Perspi writes just about the best in the fandom, I'd say) and the sheer skill of it.

2. pwcorgigirl A Map of the Body. I just love this piece, for its quietness, for the originality and the gentle sigh I always get when I read it.

3. nightdog_barks Oh good grief, where do you start? Scrolling through Nightdog's journal is like a masterclass in writing, let alone Housefic. I've gone for Letters of Transit. Communication as a theme comes up a lot in Nightdog's writing, and this, for me, shows what she does best. Controlling the story, keeping the pacing right, making an AU utterly believable while giving us House and Wilson as we love to see them.

4. rivers_bend During the "rec five of my fics" meme that went round recently, I pulled out this as one of the ones I thought should represent River's writing. Grey Matter is an unusual piece, but the things I associate with River's work are there – a trueness of tone, emotion and plot. And for a H/W girl, this is a great Cameron character study.

5. bironic If this had been pitched to me as an idea, I never would have thought it possible. Take a highly structured form of poetry and use it to write House fic. It just shouldn't work. And yet it does. Completely. There are 4 of these, and I love them all, but A Typical Day in Diagnostics is definitely the most fun.

6. fallen_arazil Okay, so I mostly stay in the safe waters of Gen-fic for my reading, which does limit my reading list, but when the characters are true, I'll read anything. So No Mystery has to be my choice. The story and the characters work so well in this, and the tone and style is unusual and engrossing.

7. deelaundry After much thought, I decided that My Father's Son had to be the choice here. What struck me about it wasn't so much the overall story line (although it's so well structured and paced), it was the way the child's perception changes and grows throughout the story without the reader really noticing. It's a tricky thing to do and Dee absolutely pulls it off.

8. mer_duff In the Big House remains one of my favourite stories, for the characterisation as much as anything. Mer puts them in a situation that lets us see the affection, snark and exasperation that runs between House, Wilson and Cuddy, and the dialogue is just perfect.

9. genagirl Not Another Date was one of the first Housefics I ever read and I still go back to it today. Yes, there's a higher level of introspection than I normally go for, but I like the way the three of them interact, with House as the pivot point between them, and the way that being taken inside the relationship makes Cameron feel even more like an outsider.
[the link is off-LJ, as I couldn't find it anywhere else...]

10. namasteyoga I know that, for many people, "Tracking Time" is more or less canon, but my favourite Namaste story is actually Declarations of Independence. It tackles the limitations that House's disability puts on him without getting sentimental or gushing, and the characters feel exactly like the ones I see on the screen.


Here endeth the lists! Go forth and read!

Comments

[pwcorgigirl.livejournal.com]

Ooh, lovely stuff! (And thanks for the rec of "A Map of the Body.") You are, you know, seducing me over to the Torchwood world with these lovely offerings, which is sort of strange since I've never seen it, but reading fic is how I got hooked on "Supernatural" so it can happen again. :)

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

I promised myself that I wouldn't take on any more fandoms, so have deliberately stayed away from Supernatural fic...for now...

It was really weird trying to put the list together - I kept wanting to say "oh, and then you must try..." and "then, if you want something a bit different, try..." But in the end I decided to stick with one each as 'representative' and hope that people would explore further on their own :)

You're more than welcome - thanks for the great stories and welcome to Torchwood! *evil grin*

[rivers-bend.livejournal.com]

I can not tell you how honoured I feel to be amongst such big names in the House fandom! *grins hugely* Thank you!!!

And I do love that you love that fic. it was such an odd fic for me. Low on smut and a songfic and Cam-centric, but I do love it.

*is very happy*

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

I think one of the things I love about the fandoms I'm in is that there doesn't seem to be a concept of the 'BNF'. The people you think of (most of them on the list above, and I'm including you among them, btw) are the ones who are serious about the writing more than anything. And who keep their senses of humour ;)

And I wouldn't have recced it if I didn't love it - when I started my CM list, I decided I would only rec things that made me go "oh!" and I have stuck to that policy. :)

*is happy too*

[szm.livejournal.com]

thank you very much! *grin*

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

You're more than welcome! I love that story :)

[nightdog-barks.livejournal.com]

Oh, jades ... thank you for such nice words. I'm extremely flattered to be in such great company.

*hugs*

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*grin* well, you guys have given me hours of pleasure, so the least I can do is give something back.

Keep up the good work! :D

[miss-zedem.livejournal.com]

You have no idea how happy you made me by reccing that fic *bounces*. And such illustrious company on the list! *is deeply honoured*

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

It wouldn't be up there if I didn't think it deserved it! Seriously, that's just such good story, that it absolutely belongs there. And everyone seems to think they're in illustrious company, so you're all far too modest! ;)

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for the recommendation. After the discussion at housefic_meta, I was feeling a bit forlorn about response to MFS. It's quite the treat to see it show up on your list. And in such distinguished company too.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

You know, I quite like the fact that everyone feels they're in distinguished company. A humble lot, my f-list ;) And you're more than welcome - every rec on this list was thoroughly deserved.