"The March to Recognition" by Aya (G)

[azarsuerte.livejournal.com]

Rec Category: Sam/Daniel
Pairing: Sam/Daniel
Category: alternate (quantum mirror) universe
Warning: het
Author on LJ:
Author's Website:
Link: The March to Recognition

Why This Must Be Read: This was written for me in a ficathon, so I must admit to a *small* degree of bias, but the story is well-loved enough by people other than me that I feel secure in saying it's not just that bias that makes me adore it. ;-) I don't want to say too much about the plot, but the gist of it is this--grief after "Meridian" drives Sam to desperate measures, and the result is a bittersweet love story that will rip your heart out, with an unconventional happy ending. Put that together with utterly believable characterization and Aya's use of language, which is breathtakingly beautiful without being florid, and you have one incredibly well-written story.

"Illumination" by ELG (NC-17)

[fhartman.livejournal.com]

Rec Category: Jack/Daniel
Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Category: First Time
Warning: Slash, Spoiler (FIAD)
Author on LJ: None that I know of
Author's Website: http://www.bunnyfic.com/ELG.htm
Link: http://www.bunnyfic.com/ELG/Illumination.htm


Why This Must Be Read: It's an interesting thing. I haven't visited this piece in some time, and when I went back and re-read this story, I realized that there's really not a whole lot of plot, and actually not a lot of dialogue. Why, then, would I have this on my "must-read" list? It took about thirty seconds for me to remember. This is one of the most unabashedly sensual things I've ever read. Not sexual, exactly, although that's here, too. The concept of the story is beautiful and deceptively simple, and I won't spoil that for you here, except to say that the "alien intervention" premise is a clever way to get us to the real point of the piece. Fantastic use of the language blends physical, emotional, visual, and tactile imagery to show these two men what's really in their hearts in the most surreal way possible…and yet, as unreal as it seems while it's happening, you believe it. The story is lovely, the slash is tasty, but over and above all of that, it's a damned good piece of writing.