Cori Lannam's Mild-Mannered
Recommendations Page

2001 Recs

6/11/01

It's not that nothing good has come out in two three six months, it's just I haven't had time to read it....

I'm obsessing over Horatio Hornblower in a big bad way right now (and if you think I ever thought I'd be saying those words....)   Sinfully gorgeous men in uniform... swashbuckling adventure... a blue-eyed, blond-haired, epileptic young man with a canonical history of abuse and panic attacks... what more could a girl ask for, especially when you add in the fact that it's slashy as hell?  Well, good stories, obviously, which can be distressingly hard to find given the quality of the source product.  But when they're good, they're good, and here are some of the best:

Ransom, by Calypso, sees Horatio, Archie and Captain Pellew kidnapped by a Very Bad Man, who of course has nefarious designs on Archie (the blue-eyed, blond-haired... see above).   Who can blame him?  This is a long, meaty tale with plenty of h/c, romance and action, so start it when you've got some time free.  I had to cancel a lunch date to finish it.

Red Sky at Morning, by Sarah B., is an even longer, meatier story, which I had to cancel a rather large amount of sleep to finish.  Archie commits murder and is on trial for his life--but why?  Horatio has to find out in time to save Archie's life, with the help (and hindrance) of a host of beautifully drawn original characters.  No romance (it's gen), but plenty of h/c and intrigue to keep you busy for quite a while.

Salus, by Victoria Bitter, is a missing scene from "Retribution," the latest Hornblower movie. I wouldn't read it if you haven't already seen "Retribution," but if you have and it pained you as much as it did me, this lovely little piece might be just the thing.  I give it two hankies.

1/22/01

I've been meaning to rec some Jane St Clair for a while, since she has a gauzy but rich style that makes me forget that I'm reading fanfic.  Three Days Down is her first Highlander story, one of the more vivid and authentic looks at what being Immortal would really feel like that you're likely to find in HL fic.  D/M, short and shivery. Oh, and the sex is pretty hot, too.  Fragile Bodies of Touch and Taste is X-Men (mostly movie), and Xavier/Magneto, a pairing I don't see enough of, but which lends itself to good fic.  Loving, intense, and tragic.

Some more West Wing, 'cause I've been in the mood:  Retaliation by Scott Fenstermaker reads like an episode script--at one point I actually forgot I wasn't reading an actual episode script.  Tense, Sorkinese plot and dialogue, good for reducing that mid-week West Wing craving.  --note: this link seems to be broken.  I'll fix it if I ever find out where the story went.  Sorry.

The oblig TS recs from some of the usual suspects, which you'll probably seeing a lot of: Stands for Comfort by Francesca actually got me excited about thinking about Sentinel again.  Her unique and compelling characterizations, especially of Blair and Naomi, make this one of the rare post-TSbyBS stories that hits hard and stays with you, despite the sweet ending.  And her style is gorgeous, as always, too.  Also, don't miss Epiphaneia by Lanning Cook, for another TSbyBS treat.   I'll be giggling about Mr. Squiggles for a while yet....

Because it's just bizarre enough to work:  An Iron Chef/XF crossover of sorts. Battle Rat by The Spike had me choking on my less-than-gourmet lunch with some imagery that's weird and possibly a little ill, but if you're like me with a yen for Iron Chef and a taste for the Ratboy, this is just the thing to tease the palate.

1/05/01

If you like The West Wing (and if you don't, what the hell is wrong with you?), then speed yourself over to The West Wing Fanfiction of Jo March and Ryo Sen. These ladies are Josh/Donna 'shippers, but don't worry if you're not.   You will be by the time they get done with you.  They are, by far, the class of the field, and the only TWW writers I've seen that get the voices down almost better than Sorkin does.

Feeling morose, but not quite suicidal?  Then head over to The Dead Padawan Society. It's TPM AU fic, but not the kind you're used to.  As the name indicates, every story contains a dead or dying Jedi apprentice, and they pretty much cover the whole spectrum of padawan perishing possibilities.  My personal favorite was a heartbreaking Obi-Wan/Anakin tale that stayed with me for days after I read it: Small Sacrifices by Smitty.  Other beautifully bizarre favorites:  Problem Solved by Clarence (what really happens in the Agri-Corp), Coruscant Gothic by Mystique (creepy, creepy, creepy), An Affirming Flame by Mac (another heart-breaker, this time Q/O), and Worthy by Kristi (who is simply an evil bitch).  Even if death isn't your thing, go by the main page and check out the kick-ass (and highly amusing) graphics.

Queer As Folk: hot guys, steamy sex, unrequited love.  What more could a slash fan want?   Well, that's obvious: stories like I Like It Like That by Mallory Klohn.  If you're a TS fan, you're probably already familiar with Mallory's skewering wit and almost surprisingly deft characterization underneath the humor.  I've lost count of the number of Stuart/Vince stories I've read, but it doesn't matter--this is the one that gets it right.

And if you're following the American version of QAF on Showtime, do yourself a favor and check out Alive by Nicole D'Annais, who tells us what the hell Brian was thinking in that fourth episode.

The obligatory Sentinel section, 'cause I think my fic rec'ing card gets taken away if I don't hit some of these:  It's long, it's hot, it's smart, it's sweet, and yes, it's Nuance, by Livia and Resonant.  If you haven't read it by now, do yourself another favor and click on the link.  The past couple months has also seen a number of short, sweet and laugh-out-loud-until-you-choke-on-your-Dr.-Pepper-and-start-quoting-lines-to-your-coworkers TS stories.  My personal favorites that made me want to be a real Sentinel fan again: Everything You Need In One Convenient Location by Julad (brilliant and vivid characterization, funny and sexy and set entirely in a grocery store), Like Oil for Latkes by Brighid (a sweet and funny Chanukah story) and People Like You by Merry Lynne (nothing groundbreaking, but the way Merry writes, it feels like it is. I still haven't stopped laughing.)

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