Slashy Nominations 4: Pushing My Limits

You know, really, I shouldn't be reading fan fiction at all. I have a weak stomach for nearly everything that fan fiction is about. But FF's all about trying something new from time to time, right? So these are the stories that have pushed my boundaries the most recently.

Best Embarrassing FF: Major Crimes, Part One, by Merry. Sentinel, Jim/Blair. I think I've mentioned before that the Sentinel slashers like to put their guys in embarrassing situations; right here's your proof. This one – this is right at my limit for embarrassment, which, granted, is notoriously weak. Actually, this story is slightly over the line; I lost my ability to proofread for about three pages because of sympathetic blushing. Fortunately, Sentinel slashers being what they are, the situation is resolved without eighteen Victorian novels' worth of anguish and silent weeping.

Best Sad FF: These Things Do Not Remember You, by Gwyneth Rhys. The Professionals, Doyle/Bodie. Bodie and Doyle went everywhere together, but now Bodie's left Doyle behind. This is not silent weeping-type angst; it's loss and sadness, and I have a shockingly low tolerance for that. Maybe it's 'cause angst is something you to do yourself, but sadness is something that happens to you. Something no one can avoid. Anyway, this one's at my limit and a little beyond.

Best Sweet FF: Spider-Bite, by Your Cruise Director and Ashinae. Master & Commander, Aubrey/Maturin. Sugar is built in to the Master & Commander canon, particularly the book canon, and particularly the Aubrey/Maturin relationship (and I'm talking about the canon relationship, here). So every story comes with a built-in sweetness, and then the author adds another heaping teaspoon, and I do love it – it's nice to see Jack and Stephen finally getting what they deserve – but I can only take so much of it. This hits my limit perfectly, with no room to spare.

Best FF That Could, Frankly, Use a Proofread or Two: Skinsgame, by Barb G. Sentinel, and I don't even know why I bother stating the pairing for this fandom, but it's Jim/Blair. There's plot here! I mean, you know, a story that's more than just an excuse for getting the characters into bed! That's fairly unusual for this fandom, which is why I read it all the way to the end even though my fingers itched to fix the spellchecker errors, typos, and occasional grammatical weirdness.

Slashy Nominations 5: Below the NC-17 Event Horizon

Stories certified free of licking, thrusting, and groaning, although I make no promises about naughty language and other MPAA-unapproved activities.

Best FF That Made Me Hug My Dog Very Tightly and Turn on All the Lights: I Thee Wed, by Kate Bolin. Lord of the Rings, A/U. Sam gives the One Ring to Rosie as a wedding ring. Frankly, the concept alone gives me chills; I had the dog right by me when I read this, because I knew from the summary I'd need her. (She didn't think much of it, for what it's worth. She wants fan fiction with kibble in it.)

Best FF That Made Me Nostalgic for Church, Even Though I've Never Actually Been to Church: Let It Snow, by Louise Lux, who is rapidly undermining my determination to steer clear of the Good Omens fandom. It's hard for me even to type these words, but this is a sweet, G-rated Christmas story involving Crowley doing a good deed. And I still liked it. The moment I get some spare time, I'm going to find Louise Lux and demand an explanation for this.

Best FF That Is Worth Reading for Just One Footnote (Although the Rest of the Story's Good, Too): The Galactic Miscellany, by Rheanna. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. What can I say? It made me laugh, and so I must worship the story and the author.

Best FF That the Canon Author Might Actually Have Liked: On Gorgoroth Plain, by Teasel. Lord of the Rings. This, my friends, is impressive: a story that is hopeful without being sugary, a story that is totally true to canon without being redundant, a story that is just - just - look, it's good. There's nothing else to say. Except that this is the story that made me remember why I read everything I can, just because occasionally I find something so unexpected that it makes all the tripe worthwhile.