Nashmaveric's Viral Recs Meme

[Updated through December 3rd 2004 by Mad Poetess] Note: And that's it for me, folks. I've spent 4.5 hours updating just today, after about three days of not catching up, and... I'm done. I can't keep up with it, especially since it's mutated from 3 to 6 recs on some threads. So if anyone wants to take it over, feel free to snatch my code and go for it. Just drop me a line here and let me know so I can point people to wherever you're keeping the list.

nashmaveric started it here, with: I'll rec three writers, pointing out two of their stories that I love. These three writers will copy/paste the list to their journal and add three more. Kinda like a pay-it-forward thing. Recs cannot be repeated so each new person must read the list and make sure they don't rec a writer that's on it. (Most of the early recs are Spike/Xander, but I don't think it's a stated rule, just a reflection of the viral transmission pattern.)

That depends on the recced writers knowing that they've been recced, of course, and on people seeing (and thus not duplicating) not only the recs up-thread from them, but the ones on different branches from them. In other words, due to (despite rumors to the contrary) everybody in Jossverse fandom not knowing everybody else in Jossverse fandom, and recs on different branches that are happening at the same time, there's going to be duplicates. There's already duplicates.

But maybe this can help at least a little, at least for as long as I manage to keep it updated? Here is the recs meme in tree form, so you can see just who recced what.

The recs are numbered in ordered-list form, which means lots of 1s and 2s and 3s instead of a consecutive numbering system as some people have been doing, but I think for this format, the indexed-numbers make it easier to keep track of whose rec is whose. ETA: Now with direct fic-links, where the reccer provided them.

(Just as an FYI to save people the trouble, it's not necessary to comment or e-mail to let me know when there's a new thread; I'm updating by going to each name on the list that doesn't have a thread under it, and checking their LJ to see if they've continued the meme -- so I'll catch 'em all, eventually. (At least until I finally give up, screaming, and admit that I can't keep up with it anymore.) It's just a matter of having time to do the updates.)

The Big List

nashmaveric, she say:

reremouse: Mainly for the newspaper!verse. I re-read every single story last weekend. A lot of the stories made me laugh, a couple made me cry, and a whoooole bunch made me need a cold shower! Also love the psychic!verse. The set up is wonderful and Xander's voice is very compelling.
1. spikedluv: whose recent Cowboys and Kilts killed me for the snark, the smut, Spike in chaps, and Xander in a kilt. Go. Read. Now. Also: Stay (part one and part two) had everything to make for a great Spander read. The snark, the smut, the angst, the banter, the way with words, and as advertised, the happy ending.
2. spikess: spikess has been writing a wonderful human AU called Gotta Get It where Xander works in the theater, and Spike/William is living a double life in spite of himself. Sweet, funny, steamy, and angsty by turns with lots of William poetry, and a Buffy/Faith side pairing that keeps cracking me up. Today, she posted the first of a new series Woo Me With Words that looks like it's going to be great. It's set in early season 7 and involves still more excellent William poetry.
3. willshenilshe: Because it's been a long time, and maybe there's someone on my friends list who wasn't around the first time it was posted, here's some Willa craziness at her finest with Itsy-Bitsy Teeny-Weeny Purple-Puppet Angel Penii. Yes, it is what it sounds like. Spike/Puppet Angel, in character and hilarious. And if you've been putting off reading the Pierced!verse, there is no time like the present to dive in! Human AU, mods, and a narrative voice like none other.
tabaqui: If you're not reading Changes then you're missing out on a hell of a great story! The simplest thing I can say about it is that it feels real. Like the series could actually have gone that way. The characters are beautifully portrayed, their voices are true and look! Derio! ::grin:: Second rec, I'm torn between Credence and Hero. I'll go for Hero. Cause it made me cry. It's a human AU in which Spike takes care of a kinda delusional Xander (that'd be putting it mildly). It's wonderful and like I said, it made me cry.
1. margarks: She's writing a lovely S/X Human AU called 'Tumbleweeds' and yes - cowboys!!! Pretty and angsty, not too many chapters just yet, but there's Sherrif Angel and his boyfriend/brother of Will Wes!! Whoot! You'll be glad you read it.
  
  camisha: just recently came across her lovely fic Survival Instincts. It's angsty, and funny, and wonderful. Absolutely wonderful dialogue. Spike and Xander are beautiful together, vulnerable and hurting and sweet. Even though I normally stay away from anything with the slightest bit of Xander/other, I had to read this one. I'd love to rec a second fic, but since I just discovered her the other day I haven't read any others. But if they're anywhere near the level of talent as Survival Instincts, I say, read them all!
  
  beetle_: Hopefully she's someone you've read already if you're reading this, since I rec'd her the other day. But in any case, her Spander (or pre-Spander, in some cases) is ROTFL funny and f*ing hot. She really made me sit up and take notice with Demon Magnet (up to part 7 now, I believe) before earning my undying devotion with The True Meaning of Family, which makes brother!kink just too good not to be read.
  
  vampirellabites: She's my beloved fiancee, or so I like to tell myself on an hourly basis. Read anything she chooses to post, be it entry or story becasue she's just. That. Fucking. Good.
  
  spikeswilngslav: She doesn't think she's written much, but read what's there and you won't be sorry, entry or story post. And comment. Comment a lot. Feed the author, yeah?
  
  violethamster: Read Clem/Snyder Drabble here and couple of her PoTC-flavored Spangel here - fuckin hilarious, oh dear god - rolling around on the floor, hiccuping - I even peed my pants a little. That funny. Read while wearing depends. As for the C/S drabble - did I not, less than one month ago, post that as my least favorite pairing, that I'd never EVER want to see? This woman changed my mind.
  
  stoney321: One of the funniest human beings in this and all other dimensions. Case in point: the Wee!Spike series, in which Spike shrinks to a size even much smaller than he normally is every time Angel calls him "Little One". Especially her parody of "Grease", Lubed! The Wee!Spike Musical!. And then she can turn around and rip your heart out. In a good way: Singular and A Letter to Wes from Faith. Or give you warmth and sweetness in a Little House slashfic (no, really. Trust me. Read the Little House slash. It's sweet and lovely).
  
  kuzibah: The After series starts during Season 5 of AtS and continues post-NFA. Lots of compelling plot, interesting, well-developed OCs, travels all over the world with great descriptiveness and local color. And has a lovely Angel/Spike relationship.
  
  dovil: She's been responsible for ruining more keyboards than anyone in the history of lj. Do not consume beverages of any kind while reading her journal. If only she wrote all the bad!fic in the world, so that it would actually be entertaining, like this wondrous tale of Xander and Spike's claiming ceremony, or Buffy, the Bitch who Forfeited Cheekbone Loving. Or just read any of her posts. And laugh as though you were having a spastic fit.
  
  secondverse: Is there any way you're in my journal without having been to hers? Doubtful. But still, isn't it time you went and reread 29 Linear Moves and 49 Circular Moves? Because they're just so damn beautiful.
  
  eliade, aka Anna S. If you haven't read her, you're just a crazy person. I highly recommend "Subtleties" for pure Guh-ness, and "Your Horoscope For Today" for silliness and fun and beautiful character voices. Anna is one of my major inspirations and influences.
  
  witling, aka Wiseacress. Again, if you havent read her... crazy person. Witling is not large with the happy ending, but if you need the deep angst, she's your gal. She spins words like golden thread, and you just fall into her writing like you would into a big squishy chair. As in, you couldn't pull yourself out with a crane. She's one of the finest writers in fandom or anywhere. Read "Modus Vivendi" and its sorta-sequel "Ars Moriendi" and don't miss "Dark Horse".
  
  ladycat777 is both old-skool and new-skool, because she's very prolific. She writes stories that worm their way into your heart and squish the damn thing to death - in a good way. Ladycat puts words together like pearls on a string, and after you read her sentences, you realize that there just isn't a better way to say what she said. She also gives good smut. And that is a major, major understatement. My must-read recs for her would be "Lessons" (my personal fave) and a lovely short piece she wrote about Dawn called "Woman". Also "Pathways". And "King of Cats." OK, I'll stop now.
  
  rubywisp: You cannot go five minutes on this journal without knowing how much I adore her writing. She's got the touch that makes you see what she's creating, words painted in vibrant colors and deep, turbulent emotions. I won't rec her first story, since I know she dislikes it now, but do check out Breaking the Skin, a post-Chosen s/x story that will make you ache for both poor, broken, messed up boys. She makes you feel it. And if you read more than just s/x, she's got Xander with a lot of other boys as well - check 'em out.
  
  othercat: You aren't reading her? You ought to be. I'm still waiting for the conclusion of Intervention, a twisted tale of Xander going down to LA while Spike plays double-agent: cocky bastard for the Scoobies, and Xander's when he's with Xander. Angel is a twisted, messed up, beautiful mess of a character and her insights into his brain are amazing. Also? There's smut. Quite a lot of it, actually.
  
  kaygrr: Writer of the terrific Not Just Another Human, an A/X AU where Xander meets up with Angel in LA, and an angsty, wonderful A/S/Vamp! Xander fic known only as "Angst Monkey" which it is, very much so. Kay makes good use of fanon elements, and her characterization is generally wonderful.
  
  liz_marcs: As far as I know, Liz only writes het, with a primary pairing of Xander/Faith. Her Xander is spot on, and her Faith is tough, hard as nails, and intriguing (so saith she who generally dislikes Faith). Liz has a deft touch at evoking emotional reactions--laughter, tears, cries of outrage...usually within paragraphs of each other. I highly recommend Into the Desert which is an AU where Buffy is coping with the deaths of Xander and Willow, post-Chosen, and Whisper which is a Xander-centric story about a demon whose killing spree is awakening long supressed memories. Possibly one of the better portrayals of a dissociative personality disorder I've seen written in either fan-or-pro fic.
  
  viridian5: And, because I'm horribly, terribly lazy, I say go forth and read any or all of Angel fics. She writes primarily Angel/Doyle, and her characterization is incredible.
  
  willshenilshe: I admit, I was torn between her and someone else, but this list can't get much longer without the amazing Willa being on it. She writes everything. Any pairing, any type of fic from bawl-your-eyes-out to squirm-in-the-chair hot. Bed!Verse, Pierced!verse, cat!boys, domestic!boys, you name it, she's got it. If you haven't read her, check out her memories and slowly work your way through one of the most prolific and best writers out there. [Also recced here; her branch of the rec-thread would be there.]
  
  winterlive: Affected. It's the fic that made me say: "Human AU? Yes, please!" Is it finished? No. Does it matter? Not at all. Worth the read in any case. And Chiaroscuro. It is finished. It is painfully and deliciously rich in emotion and oh so sensual.
  
  shaenie: She writes in the LotRPS fandom, and oh. my. Goddess. If you have not read her yet, you are missing out. It's like Wilai's thai food - anything she makes, I will consume, regardless of if it involves tentacles or not. Her fic is archived on her site, and Convergence is her epic masterpiece, Dom/Billeh (the spelling of which she is also responsible for). This was the fic that hooked me into LotRPS, kids. Read it.
  
  willshenilshe: Do I even have to go there? The Slashed Sonnet Series started as a writing exercise and spawned many verses, all of which are beloved and sweet. The Bed!verse, an Angel/Wesley/Doyle/Spike/Xander that, inexplicably, makes sense. The pierced!verse, a smoking hot world of porn and piercings that will make you fucking cry with how totally hot. Burning hot. Searing. There are more words. Just... guh. [Also recced here; her branch of the rec-thread would be there.]
  
  ladycat777: I'm writing with her, I love everything she does, her touch is gold. She has so many good ones that it's hard to pick a favorite, so I'll tell you that I'm in love with Hazy Shades of Winter, and not because it has my name in it. It's S/X, but it's set in Pittsburgh, and there have been tantalizing glimpses of one Brian Kinney, and I am fucking salivating. Let's go. Bring it. Also, read Hunt Brother if you like hyena!Xander. Be warned, it's a WIP that might never be finished. But it's still good. Yum. [Also recced here; her branch of the rec-thread would be there.]
  
  lostgirlslair writes some of the best wes/giles fic ever! She's got their voices down pat and his very interesting plotty fic. Warmth and its sequel Heat are a great mix of h/c and tentative first time. Her Wesley insecurities and Giles steadfastness are so adorable. I love them both. She's also got a G/W series called Second Glances that is amazingly hot and achingly angsty all at once. Yummmm.
  
  janedavitt: She writes wonderful fic and I highly recommend anything by her, but I'd have to say that my favorites are Behind Closed Doors (Giles/Spike, D/s and so very yummy, strangley sweet, and moving!) and Act of Nature (Giles/Xander, just . . . wonderful. It's like a painting with words instead of brushstrokes. It's gorgeous and just . . .yeah. Love Act of Nature. Cowritten with wesleysgirl) [Also recced here; her branch of the rec-thread would be there.]
  
  trkkr47: Giles/Ethan (among others) that knocks my socks off! Very hot, very intresting and always with some bit of insight into the characters. My favorites would have to be Rhythm, which a short pieces, but . . . amazing, hot, and envy inducing! :-D And In Another Life. Scenes from Giles and Ethan's life had their relationship not fallen apart. Just, perfect. The Ethan voice is fantastic and it's wonderfully done!
  
  sadbhyl: You all know by now that I love Responsible Adults by her and mydiera (who is also incredibly rec-worthy, herself), but I also love her story, Impossibly Delightful Flesh, which is how I found her. Much gender-swapping amongst the Scoobies. Very funny. And she wrote a cute Giles/Jenny fic, Second Date.
  
  mydiera: Oh, well, here's a surprise. But not enough people have read Missed Opportunities, and it's such a brilliant concept, you don't know what you're missing. Yes, it's an OC, but so definitely worth taking the time for. And I will always, always encourage you to read Redneckin'. It's Cordy/Lyle Gorch, and you will come away feeling so dirty and so turned on you won't know if you're coming or . . . um, yeah.
  
  xionin: She has several beautiful series, but I'll pimp Don't Stop the Dance. But the series you definitely need to read are her Five by Five stories. So far there are three, Spike, Sunnydale and Slaying, and I adore them. They are a collection of interviews by Andrew taken after Chosen, but without attribution to who is speaking, which really engages you as a reader. And yes, I know technically that's 4 stories and not two, but the Five by Fives are a series and she doesn't have them linked through each other, so I'm linking them all. Sue me.
  
  sallyanne: I adore this woman's stuff, but the best of all of it is her Lilah/Wesley fic. She gives them both such humanity without ever straying from characterization. Check out And Flames are Never Completely Doused and ohmigod A Good Flirtation. Drool! They are soooo of the hot!
  
  loneraven: I love her Giles/Ethan, especially her young Giles/Ethan, such as those in Like Dead Flowers and Safe, who I find to be very human and believable. Also, she's a relatively new author, so she is to be particularly cuddled and coddled and enticed to write more. ;)
  
  wisdomeagle: She writes wonderful Giles/Willow fic, among other pairings. Definitely check out For Hometown Girls, (This is Not) The Ballad of John and Yoko and A Teeny Tiny Temporal Fold.
  
  beadtific: New to slash, though you'd never know it. A wonderful writer, great with all the characters and so. very. funny. I recommend most (*gasp*) her Giles/Buffy epic The Bond: Reconstruction and its sequel, The Bond: Recommital. Plotty, sweet, warm and did I mention funny? It's worth saying twice!
  
  spikedluv - course if we're reccing people, I had to rec one of my all time fav authors, one of the people who actually got me into the slash fandom. Let's see, which fics to rec? Hmmm - how about Reaping the Reward is a look at xander and spike(william) after S7. It's an interesting take, and still full of tons of mystery (since it's still a WIP). Xander/William are extremely hot in there innocence of m/m fun coupled with their wild passionate need for each other! Woot! She's got tons of other fics were mentioning but if you want some hard, hot, spander fucking then read her Three R's trilogy (Revenge,Retribution, Reconciliation) - oh, yeah, there's also spanking! :) [Also recced here; her branch of the rec-thread would be there.]
2. kimberly_fan is writing part two of 'It's Just a Jump to the Left', entitled 'Late Night Double Feature'. Look in her memories or mine. Absolutely lovely, slightly dark, angsty, sexy Spander with all kinds of kinks and twists.
  
  wesleysgirl doesn't often write Spander, but when she does I'm in heaven. I love love love Hold Me Down and Seeing Distant Things As If They Were Close.
  
  mpoetess, who I'm sure has been mentioned in other branches but who I just couldn't leave out of mine. Chocolatey Goodness was one of the very first S/X stories I ever read, and A Long Time just rips my heart out and stomps on it, which I mean in the best of all possible ways. P is an incredible writer in any pairing, and I can't imagine there's anyone who doesn't already know that, so shutting up now.
  
  janedavitt is probably most famous in S/X-land for Predatory Acts and its sequel, Preying On My Mind --- and justifibly so -- but my favorites of her Spike/Xander stories are these two linked short fics: Bringing It Home and Hand to Hand. Because they don't just hit my kinks -- they hit the why of them, touch things are lodged almost too close to my spinal cord for me to have words for them.
  
  iyalode: This is my "Hey you kids, get off my lawn!" rec. I will beat you with my cane if you have not read Kaz' Viking Series and do not immediately hie thee hence to do so. And it will not be the fun spanky kind of caning; it will be on your head. Xander really is a Viking in the sack, Spike finds out -- and, so they both discover, out of it. Hil-fucking-larious, in both narrative and dialogue, and boobytrapped with painfully touching moments just when you thought you were safe. In contrast, Water Rituals is a dark, almost hallucinatory turning story. It's just on the edge of too dark for a deathfic-shy gal like me, but there's something I can't quite put my finger on that keeps 'dark' from being 'grim' here.
  
  minim_calibre has written Angelus/TheBeast songfic. I really think that's enough of a rec for you to go read everything she's ever put in pixels, but since I've been going with the S/X theme: The Benefits Series manages to make Spike and Xander's Season 7 living situation -- complete with soul-guilt, Anya-guilt, and the messy joys of bachelor living -- funny and hot. Of Incubi and Inversion takes the same surface situation, and squeezes it until every available drop of pain, mutual discomfort, and dirtybadwrongness has been wrung out into the carpet that Xander doesn't remotely manage to sweep this encounter under.
  
  flaming_muse is a lovely, lovely writer. I'd suggest reading everything on her website, but start out with her WIP Nothing is Forever and maybe the series Conjunctions. Or maybe Charity Begins at Home.
  
  shadowscast, I only discovered recently. I highly recommend both London Calling and the new Human Frailty, as well as Unintended Consequences.
  
  saussy writes great Spander, but you probably already know that. I'm trying to come up with names that not everyone knows, but everyone knows saussy, right? I writhe with joy every time she writes even a snippet of new fic. I keep hoping that she and witling will write more Basement of Debasement one of these days. Oh, and you must read Pantomime, saussy's contribution to The Spander Inquisition.
  
  juliatheyounger: Who can forget the hilarious banter and groin-melting sexiness of We're Not Gay. We're Just Friends. Who Have Sex? This is maybe the second Spander fic I read, after Anna S.'s Sidelines (still the gold standard, IMO) and it's one I revisited many, many times when I needed a dose of heartfelt smut, usually after getting strung out and heartbroken over Witling/Wiseacress's darker stuff: Modus Vivendi, Ars Moriendi, etc. Julia also wrote the wonderful and angsty Escape. You can find them both here.
  
  beamer242: Beamer is my old pal from the days of the s/x fic club on BoB. She hasn't written nearly enough fic for my liking, but she did write a wonderful post-Gift almost-kiss s/x story called Male Bondage that had me bumping into walls for days. You can check it out at her website: Must Be Tuesday.
  
  fitofpique: I first got to know Pique as her beta on Keeper, the first in a series of s/x stories set in S7. I was completely blown away by her Xander voice, which was intimate, funny, understated and real. She followed that up with First Aid, Reprieve and Everything Fades, always staying in bounds of canon but with the happy-making twist of Xander and Spike's burgeoning lust and maybeyesplease love. I wish like hell she'd write another part.
  
  jackson_rayne doesn't post fic often, but when she does it's worth celebrating. Her Sweet Revenge is one of my favorite S/X fics ever, and she's been continuing her wonderful Divided/Two's Company/Male Bonding series with snippets in her journal. Yeah, it's been months since she posted anything, but I still think she's worth a look.
3. tesla321 is writing an Xover with the X-files in which MULDER is a vamp. 'Vamp!Mulder' or - 'There is no Seven' is fun, funny, sexy, has Spikey goodness and snarky Lindsey and... Go! Read!
  
  keelywolfe's Strawberry Fields -- Angel/Doyle. I wasn't sure about this pairing, before I read it, but the premise grabbed me. And now, after reading, I'm sold, and look forward to the promised sequel. Such is my turn-around.
  
  apetslife: Then there was the gender-reversal, always fun stuff: Pet's Girl, where Chipped!Spike wakes up...female. I loved this, because I'm a sucker for Spander of any kind.
  
  keswindhover: And, finally, the Buffybot as seen by Keswindhover. Poor Botty! So perky!
  
  mrmonkeybottoms: I am amazed mrmonkeybottoms isn't on the list already. She's funny! She's sweet! She's amazingly popular! And she writes the best disclaimers and chapter notes evah. I quote, "Disclaimer: So, I�m spying on Joss, you know, just kinda peering into his windows and stuff, when the next thing I know this cop is tapping me on my shoulder. He�s all, �Please come with me, Miss.� I tried to explain to him that Joss and I had a love that couldn�t be denied, a love that spanned the ages, but he cuffed me and off I went to the big house for the night. I met up with Faith inside, and tried to talk her into springing me free by using her slayer strength to bend the bars at the window, but she was playing it cool, all pretending like she didn�t know what I was talking about. She was really good at it too, screaming, �My name is Gen you freak! Get away from me!!� Wow, those slayers sure are crafty! Joss didn�t come bail me out, I guess he was busy planning that weekend away together at the bed and breakfast. I�m still waiting for my royalty checks from the last fic I wrote...sigh, we are so much in love!" What could be better? I refer you with no further ado to The Wacky Adventures of Spike and Buffybot.
  
  visitorfic: Second up is visitorfic, better known as The Visitor. He not only has an entire season and a half of Buffybot stories on his site, he also has mock spoilers, artwork, promos and much much more. The stories themselves are funny, touching and follow a long and satisfying story arc. Best place to start is Episode One of Series One.
  
  jonesiexxx: Third up is jonesiexxx. Now Jonesie hasn't written much fic - just three short stories. But read them and you'll wish she'd written more. Sexy, funny, and excellently written. There's a Spuffy theme, and a mysterious cat and an extended coffee metaphor. I quote: �Buffy, Spike,� Anya asked. �What are you doing?��Nothing,� said Spike. Quick as a flash, Spike straightened his leg. Buffy slid down him like a lonely Amazon on a greased Mahogany tree." Here the three stories be.
4. abundantlyqueer has written so MANY good things, but for a change of pace try 'Mardi Gras', a LOTRips set in New Orleans. VoodooPriest Viggo! Hustler!Elijah! Dom the Gambler and Orlando the movie star with a COMPLETE 'other' cast of a 'MardiGras!Verse' LOTR that never happened. It's dark and skeery and hot and angsty and weird and GOOD, so good.
crazydiamondsue: Sunday Morning Coming Down. Read it. No really, read it. Set post-Glory. The scoobs are dealing with Buffy's death. Spike and Xander get close and I don't know what happens next cause she hasn't posted it! ::pouts:: And also Rodeo. She wrote that for me ::proud grin:: It's a cowboy AU, set in a gay rodeo (did you know they had those? Cause I didn't!) Xander's the new guy and Angel's the old champion guy. It's hot and lovely and I'm still hoping for a sequel. ::optimistic smile::
1. ficbitcabear: I started reading Bear's Universally Speaking on and friended her. It's a Season 3 - 4 Spander that is a sequel to her "Superheroes" story. (You don't have to read "Superheroes" to get "Universally Speaking," but you won't regret it if you do.) It's amazing - great interaction between S/X and wonderful dialogue. Then she answered spikeswilngslav's request for brother!kink on and started Catamite. It's Human AU, and Spike and Xander are brothers. This story has nothing to do with kink - it's all about the emotion.
  
  _beetle_ Yes, I know _beetle_ is mentioned just above, but this is a proper rec, so I think I'm allowed. Don't like it? Sue me. Loving her new brother!kink, but my favourites so far are the keeping me on my toes Demon Magnet and the results of that first line meme Domestic Bliss. [Also recced here; her branch of the rec-thread would be there.]
  
  hammiepoo: Okay, she's my friend, but she writes wicked fic. Skates on the edge of just a bit too much sometimes, but never quite goes too far for me. Squirm, read the warning please. Then read the fic. Kitten, coz it's about more than the sex. Please read her, and comment. She agonises over every word before posting, honest, and she deserves it.
  
  germaine_pet: Vicarious Redux. Hands down the bestest Spangel one-off ever. Cannot stress how good this fic is.
  
  germaine_pet sez: We're supposed to rec 2 stories each from three different writers. I cheated. I listed one story each from six different writers. There are too many great writers on LJ for me to list them all. These are just the ones with whom I'm most familiar.
  
  nihilistbear: Under the Bridge. This story is Spike/Angel 75 years in the future. It's a sad, touching, and ultimately hopeful look at how they deal with the deaths of everyone they love, while they are doomed to go on. Alice's writing keeps getting better with every outing.
  
  speakr2customrs: I Was Made For Loving You, Baby is the best. Buffybot. Fic. Ever. I love it sooo much.
  
  enigmaticblues for the "Alive" saga and "Cast Me Not Away". Simply exquisite; wonderful explorations of Spike's emotions and examinations of what makes a sentient being truly a person.
  
  missmurchison for "Quick and Bitter, Slow and Sweet" and "A Glorious Morning Have I Seen". QAB,S&S is delectable Spike/Tara, sweet and funny and tender and sometimes heart-wrenching, with wonderful Spike/Dawn friendship. AGMHIS (and its sequels "Present Tense" and "Snippet") is the hottest, funniest, most heart-warming Spike/Joyce.
  
  elinora's amazing talent shows that slash can be both erotic and creepy in Perfection Awaits, a Wes/Angel story set during S4, when they were in Jasmine's grip--and each other's. I always get the shivers when I think of her scary Family, a Chosen-gone-wrong vision that everyone should read, but perhaps not right before bedtime.
  
  appomattoxco: If you need something to settle you down and make you smile after Elinora's "Family," I recommend the fic I bought in the Writercon auction, appomattoxco's Aren't You Grateful It's Not A Bunny, which is filled with humor, Ganya, Spuffy, and Cary Grant movie recs. For dessert after that luscious meal, I recommend her Stardust, a look at Spike's past with a bit of Spuffy bonding.
  
  ljs: Lori gave me my OTP Deepest Deep is Ripper/Anya dark and sexy without being depressing or too angsty. Just read it you'll thank me. Also Investigations and Acquisitions [on the same site] Giles/Anya set up a detective agency in London spies, demons and classic mystery ala Nick and Nora.
  
  nwhepcat's Lilac City: Xander/Faith, post-"Chosen," R - After the fall of Sunnydale, Xander resigned as the heart of the Scoobies, creating a solitary life away from the supernatural wars. He manages a supermarket in Spokane, stays sober, keeps to himself. I'm not a huge Xander fan but I fell for hepcat's all grown up Xander faster than Faith did. This is really at least three fics but read everything she got posted. She really is that good.
  
  spikewriter: Last but not least spikewriter's Life in Sunnydale Another series so I'm really reccing to much but I'm greedy Decidedly AU, this series takes off after Hell's Bells with one important distinction: instead of leaving the Magic Box locked and closed after Xander leaves her at the altar, Anya asks Tara and Spike to watch the store for her. Series rated PG. I gave a hard copy of a Summer's Family Christmas to friend after she described her dream BtVS Christmas episode. This fit it very well. Here.
  
  ahedonia: I was reccd for Spara, and that made me think of ahedonia's Done to Death, the long, satifying fic that first sold me on this pairing. And don't miss "Funnybutt," found under the same link.
  
  rahirah for "Necessary Evils" and "Follow the Yellow Brick Road". Barb's universe diverged from BtVS after The Gift and became something far greater than the show itself. NE is an alternate Season 6 that makes far more sense than did the real thing, and it is funnier and sweeter and also more tragic and scary. FTYBR is an amazing take on Spike/Dawn friendship that had me laughing until my pancreas shot out of my nose.
  
  neverneverfic: Four Kisses. An absolutely amazing, well done Spike/Dawn fic. I love it.
  
  theantijoss: The Minute She Died. Most people know Ducks for her B/A. That is valid. But this piece, a Gunn/Faith piece, is damned brilliant.
  
  dennydc: The Prince. Denny wrote this for the Vampire Monologues. It was really, really hard picking my fave fic by Denny, and I eventually went with this one, my fave fic by Denny that's short.
  
  indiana_jane: Overexposure. This little Spike/Dawn ficlet is amazing. All of Lyssa's stuff is amazing, but being as I love me some Spike/Dawn, this is my fave.
  
  leni_ba: Five Moments Lost In The Summer. Oh look! Another Spike/Dawn fic! Obsessed? NO!
  
  trixiefirecra is mostly known for her B/A work. And she damn well should. But she also wrote the stories which directed me to Dawn/Spike. A tad dark, a lot 'it could have...' and heartbreaking: Sunday, Bloody Sunday. eta: okay, it's madness to try to find the other Dawn/S Trixie story: From The Rain.
  
  Felicity: I'm sure half my Flist remembers Felicity. One quarter is too new, and the other quarter never was into B/A. *winks* But yeah, Felicity is one of my picks. With Undertow and it's sequel/companion Wreckage. Find them at LoD. Brownie points if you know what LoD stands for.
  
  Fic Reader: On the other side of the spectrum is Fic Reader. Boy, I must have spent the last two years trying to get people to read Coming Together, one of my favourite AR-S3 ever. Why didn't it get a wider audience? I have absolutely no idea. (Aw damn, I simply cannot rec CT without mentioning the other two Ar-S3 which rock my world: yseultdb's L� et Ailleurs and philister's Excedo Inferno. Really, if you haven't read them, do it now!)
  
  coppersinger has some beautiful ficlets, but the one I always remember when I think of her is Names. It's sweet, it's even kind of cute. One of my musts when I need to read something happy. I'm seriousy considering bribing her into writing more.
  
  cerisaye: I would have never attempted to write Drusilla were it not for cerisaye. It was too difficult to find a favourite, her Dru is just too real for words. So I went with her longest piece: Daddy's Girl.
  
  Ragna: Last, but never least, we find Ragna. She has written about every character in the series, both conventional and unconventional pairings and I have not read even half her work, yet I'm madly in love with it. My favourite? My ever-present 'Willow&Xander&Jesse, The Early Years' rec. I think I've directed at least ten of you to this story. It's just so awesome. Gotta love MiniScoobies. Willow, Why Is The Grass Green? Jesse? Anybody?.
  
  tinpanalley: Make Me Forget. Faith/Connor, for the Stoner Ficathon. Good, good story.
  
  astridaria's No Exit (Wes/Faith) is a wonderfully dark story that provides some really fascinating insights into the characters.
  
  elenorlaura: This author has made it terribly difficult to choose just one story to rec, but I will go with Beggars Banquet (Spike/Willow). This story is beautiful, sad, and incredibly sexy.
  
  lovesbitca: What can I say about this author? She's amazing and has set a standard in which all future fics will be based. It was difficult to choose only one story for her as well, especially since she has switched pairings dramatically. But, my absolute favorite story that she has written is a continuation of three series entitled To See a Friend in Tears, The Big Hurt, and Love and Other Crimes. This is a Spike/Willow epic of sorts that is messy and real, but also lovely and poignant. And, although her Wes/Faith stories are also brilliant, I had to go back to an old favorite. It can be found at her website, Bugger This.
  
  paratti is another favorite author of mine and her Spike/Illyria fic, Samson and the Broken Dolls, will break your heart and then put it back together piece by piece.
  
  redwolfoz: I love redwolfoz! She's a fellow Spike/Dawn shipper and always writes entertaining stories that are versatile and well-written. I particularly love Fantasia which is incredibly hot and introduces a really creative angle for Dawn.
  
  thenyxie completely hooked me when she wrote Mortal Ground. It is an absolutely captivating epic that could be a TV show on its own. I was engaged from start to finish as I followed the adventure of Faith, Angel, Spike, and the Scoobies. It is an exceptional series!
  
  chrisleeoctaves: Old Ghosts. Angel/Buffy/Spike. Angst/love/sex. Beautifully written.
  
  glossing: Mystery Play which is an NC17 B/A story that is, like all of Gloss's work- stunning. Bath and A Story, which may not be to everyone's taste as it's Angel/Connor incest...but, again, so, so amazing.
  
  marginalia is Empress of the Drabble and Other Short Forms. All the beauty of haiku, brief and muscular and devastating, is in her work. I'd like to recommend *everything*, but for a start, there is Knaves and Thieves, which finally helped me see the appeal of Dom, and this has, in addition, two of my favorite things -- Oz and Verona Beach. Her i no longer look for heaven is probably the best drabble I've ever read - Tara/Oz, Oz/Remus, Remus/Sirius in *100* stunning words. *waves hands* Go, read it all.
  
  transtempts writes wonderful Faith, Oz, Angel, and other characters on the periphery (through choice or, as for Faith, *not*). I wish more authors worked on developing their own style as Scy has done. See the Forest is Faith/Oz, and the *colors* in this get me every time, while Footing Changes is Dawn/Faith and sexy and slippery.
  
  kindkit writes Giles/Oz that sweeps me away. But I thought I'd highlight two fics featuring *other* pairings, because the woman can write anything. Especially with Giles in it. Missing is Giles/Devon, s4, and accomplishes so much in so few words it hurts. Oz is absent-but-not in every line. Hurt [and] Comfort is/are Giles/Xander, a pairing that can, in hands not belonging to Kit or stoptocheer, turn insanely bad, but has potential for ephemeral, passing beauty.
  
  mimesere (Sheila) writes with grace, economy, and a scalpel-like precision--meaning that you bleed before you realize those words have cut you open. Optimistic is Oz leaving Sunnydale and coming back, but he's forgotten a few crucial things along the way. And Consider (Wesley/Gunn) gives us Wesley's surreal and compelling account of predators and love.
  
  3jane (Jane St. Clair) has a gift for the strange and wonderful, and she can really, really, really write about magic. Cell Block Tango tells us six things that never happened to Ethan Rayne, but should have. And Restaurant Dogs is a classic Gunn/Wes series that everyone should read. After you click on the link, go to the bottom of the page for the links to the stories.
  
  stakebait: Somebody already recommended stakebait (Mer), but I'm cheating and listing her again, because I have different stories to mention. Mer's writing gets to the heart of things, and you can really see that in Up to Zero (Oz/Giles). Read this even if the pairing isn't your thing, because it's an amazing look at how Giles goes on after being tortured. And North Perimeter Road (Oz/Spike) has two lonely monsters holding on to their humanity. [Also recced here; her branch of the rec-thread would be there.]
  
  redbrickrose: All That's Best of Dark and Bright. Just a wonderful post "Not Fade Away" story that I lovelovelove. [Also recced here; her branch of the rec-thread would be there.]
  
  scribesds: Love Lies Bleeding another B/A story which I adore.
  
  evil_little_dog and Icarus.
  
  Chris GDM, who writes incredible stories; usually centered around Spike. They�re dark and dirty and scarily realistic. Her William series; Spike, post-Shanshu; mad as a hatter, starting with Blurred Reflections is wonderful. And then there�s Wendy, which she admittedly wrote for my challenge to her to write a story of Peter Pan, from a vampire�s point of view. Oh, and did I mention her Queer Eye for the Straight Demon? Imagine Cordy/Spike. And Cordy wanting a new look for her boyfriend. No, really. Go read it.
  
  dknightshade wrote a gorgeous B/Aus fic, He Couldn�t for Leni�s B/A ficathon. Since Shady�s new to the BtVS fanfic world, I have to encourage her to write more. Everyone should go read it, preferably two or three times. And for those of you Old Skool fans � she writes wonderful Knightrider fanfic, too.
  
  tomywca: My first is tomywca. Her fic Burning Crosses is beautiful, if unfinished. *nudges tomy* Very well written with spot on descriptions and some lovely B/A moments. It's also hard to find a believeable situation where Buffy's out of her element physically, but she's done a great job of it.
  
  moonbeamsfanfic: My second is moonbeamsfanfic. Her story for Leni's IWRY ficathon, Most Wanted is a great early Buffy piece. She's written excellent banter between Buff and her vampire foe and a lovely scene between Buffy and Angel.
  
  And you'll have to forgive me on the third one. I typed this up last night and was going to look for someone who hasn't already been recced, but since my first two recs have been recced, I throw in the towel.
  
  leni_ba: She�s one of my first BtVS fandom buddies and I�ve watched her work improve and mature since we �met�. My current favorite of hers is �Fortune Teller� because the idea of the Scoobies � with Angel � at a fair is just too cute for words. And �Bound� � okay, it�s my birthday prezzie � but it�s sweet and a little silly and got me teary-eyed. (Check those out under Leni�s stories and mini-fics, respectively.) And then she goes and writes me stories like Spring Time. *sigh* [Also recced here; her branch of the rec-thread would be there.]
  
  cornerofmadness and The Common Good of Life.
  
  bh_4_draco and Never.
  
  gatwickthecat and A Sense of Balance.
  
  maquisleader and The Last of the Spirits. I hope this is the right link, since my ISP won't let me access it anymore!
  
  gia6seconds and A convenient Marriage.
  
  librarian2003: And for some really amazing B/A/Aus fic (and I mean well-written and complex and lovely) check out librarian2003's site The Angel Texts. She's new to LJ, too. So go say hi!
  
  germaine_pet: I'm also going to cheat again and rec germaine_pet's fics Menage and Vicarious because if you haven't read them you're missing two of the finest pieces of prose I've read in weeks and weeks. [Also recced here; her branch of the rec-thread would be there.]
  
  redbrickrose: All That's Best of Dark and Bright. Angel and Spike go to visit Buffy post-NFA. The way this triangle plays out rings absolutely true with me. I adore it.
  
  flurblewig: Long Live the Game and Better Stay Awhile. The first is post-NFA Spike/Dru/Illyria. The world really needs more post-NFA Spike/Dru, but beyond that it's well thought out and a clever look at a post-NFA world. The second is Cordy "Birthday" fic. It's different and fun and a play on fandom itself. I've told you guys to read it before. You should go do that now.
  
  fer1213: Fer writes gorgeous, comforting Spuffy. Her Fill In The Blanks ficlets are beautiful 'what could have been' glimpses into the S7 relationship. I look forward to these like a hot bath and a large bar of Dairy Milk :-) At the other end of the scale, Cold is an end-of-the-world fic that's sweet and sad and beautifully desolate.
  
  nikitangel: Ravages of Spirit is a dark, atmospheric Faith-in-prison fic that stayed with me for a long time after I'd read it. It's about love and loss and responsibility, and is both lushly emotive and grittily realistic. My second rec is an against-type Spuffy: Lips of Spike is a Something Blue smut-fest that is just gloriously hot. I know she had a heart attack at being assigned 'fluffy NC17 Spuffy' but she sure as hell made a good job of it :-)
  
  poshcat: If you want scorching smut and hilarious dialogue, look no further than Posh. My first rec is the incomparable Just Another Saturday Night In Sunnydale, aka The Story That Made Me Want To Write Fanfic. Spike in a tuxedo, need I say more? Second is Brothers In Arms, a wonderfully hot and funny Spike/Xander. And it's Christmassy, to boot :-)
  
  velvetandlace: Sometimes she Thinks and They Flee From Me. Because nobody writes Willow like Cassie does.
  
  sweptawaybayou: Orion and Illusions. The second is Angel/Wes with an excellent Wesley voice. The first is Angel/Spike post-NFA. Again, her characterization is excellent, and if you guys thought you were getting out of my list without an A/S rec you clearly don't know me well.
  
  knotted_rose: The SugarVerse Series ~ RPS with DB/CK/JM. It's painful to read. Hurts to visualize. And tastes so good. Abbie draws us a picture of reality mixed with fantasy that at each point can make you cry, then pant. It's so well~crafted, it's hard to beleive that she doesn't know these boys personally. That Clear Space ~ cracktrailer rps. CK again, but completely different. So rich with emotions and textures, it should be in an art gallery.
  
  entrenous88: Expecting ~ Spike/Xander. mpreg. Never thought I would read one of these. Never wanted to. Only my absolute love and trust in Jess made me *click* on the first chapter. Then? I was immediately hooked. Besides the incredibly hot sex between S/X? The dialogue is spot~on and hilarious. The rest of the gang are there, and perfectly drawn and the story is actually, well, plausible. For Jossverse, at least. The Pitch ~ RPS James Marsters/Charlie DeMars. Lyrical, perfect story about the beginning of GotR. And it's not funny at all. Just raw and real and very touching. Leaves you wanting more.
  
  stir_of_echoes: The Mirror Has Two Faces ~ Angel/Spike, Valentine's Day Fic. omg!! The hottest vamp~on~vamp Viper Sex you will ever, ever read. Jules' descriptions of the boys are so well~drawn you can feel them with your own hands. Essay on Angel's Journey ~ Okay. I cheated with this one. It's not fic. But it is required reading. And I can't even begin to describe how complete this is, or how much more you will be in love with Angel by the time you finish it. If there is ever a handbook for Ats Fandom done up? This essay should be the prologue.
  
  romanyg is one of my favourite authors. She writes the best Spike voice I have ever read. Her latest effort, Don't Tell Me, is just perfect. I don't have words to describe this one. Just go, read it, and love her.
  
  _dellamore: I'm so surprised that _dellamore hasn't been mentioned yet. She writes dark, gorgeous fic. Red Apple Falls is just chilling S/X. And I adore Lions which is Spike s2 AU. I covet her exact use of metaphor, precise and to the bone.
  
  The Webrain: The last thing they need is another rec, but the Webrain (thete1, debchan, spike21) and its individual lobes have defined my ideals for writing. Their prose is inclement weather, choppy and relentless, enough to make you motion sick or sick with envy. Witness the kaleidoscopic activity of their Improv Slash, which goes everywhere all at once. And Xanderslut, in which Xander does everyone almost all at once. And Nightwatch, the fic that fucks you back. * I cheat a little to add Daughter of David by Debchan, which is a taste of Caleb's becoming.
  
  _jolielaide: Yay, I get to rec _jolielaide, the former Miss Flaming June. She of the eloquence and the violence. If you want gorgeous fic that'll leave you tasting blood, well. Her Wes/Angel fic Aftershocks is a lasting knife-wound. And her S/X demonstrates the macabre absurdity of the pairing, something the world needs reminding of more often.
  
  ros_fod, sweet Zeus, ros_fod. Her writing is paper-crisp, flawless in word choice, but always lush. Like an impromptu burst of calculated genius. No, really -- just check out her down-South RPS AU feat. Jimmy Marsters and Vinnie K (and sometimes Orlando Bloom), Never Been This Far, and supporting pieces here and here.
  
  automatedalice_: People have accused me of having an adequate Spike-voice. I strongly suspect that they have not read anything by automatedalice_. Her entry for summer_of_spike, Charmed Life is one of the best historical Spike stories that I've ever read. This will transport you to 1990 L.A. Truly. She's also known for her series, Half-Gifts, which is stunning S/B.
  
  netweight: For some reason, very few people know about netweight. She has a glorious S/B/A series of which A Little Love and Playing by the Rules are my favorites. And, just to cheat a little, I adore this ficlet, Angel's Drawings. She has a deceptively simple, lyrical style that just makes my heart do the pit-a-pat.
  
  poisoninjest: How no one has recced Jessica Walker yet is beyond me. Jess is the original, the classic, *quintessential* Spike writer. The one who gave us history when there was none, all wrapped up in stunning prose and mind-blowing characterizations. There is no way I can list only two fics - double or nothing, my pretties. Gifu, Dea� Bi� Sella, Indulgence, Six Foot Deep (co-written with kita0610).
  
  anniesj: again, colour me stunned. It's ANNIE! Do I even have to explain *why*? Sweet and tender gut-wrenching angst, a contradiction that shouldn't but is. Exquisite. The Ballad of Randy and Joan, Honey, Don't Think, Hard Candy (co-written with wisteria_), When In Rome.
  
  regala_electra: I wanna say � "Read it all! Read it now!". Reg has the most amazing command of language I have ever seen and her ability to tap into different characters' voices leaves dreams of otherworlds, Beyond Ragnarok, Just Passing Through (Yellow Brick Roads), 5 Double Shot Drabbles.
  
  dodyskin: Shape and Space. Stunning. Gorgeous. Dody's brain is brilliant. Her use of language is fantastic, in the literal sense of that word. She's a major talent, and everyone should read her.
  
  glossing: The Book of Daniel (Giles/Oz) and Pricking the Scars (Faith/Wes, Lilah/Wes). Oh, you want me to wax reckical about her? Gloss can leap tall buildings in a single bound! When she's not healing the sick or completing the cryptic crossword in four minutes flat, she lights the world with her shining behind prose. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. The things she does with her fingers, well. It's just not proper for a lady to repeat. [Also recced here; her branch of the rec-thread would be there.]
  
  doylesb4: A Girl Made From Sky (Dawn/Cheeseman) and Silent Upon A Peak in Darien (Ethan). Doyle can move mountains! And kill you with her brain! This Irish astrophysicist believes in pom-poms and wants to work with werewolves. She's going places. Like, to the shops! And maybe even the pub. Can you resist her hypnotic eyes? Probably. Because we're all online.
  
  fox1013: When I think of Amy, two things spring to mind: Dawn and muppets. As far as I know she hasn't yet combined the two in a fic, but if she did: oh, baby. In the meantime, I love Things to Know While Living in Sunnydale (An Annotated List by Dawn Summers) (season 7 Dawn/Amanda/Faith) and Disco Inferno (Dawn/Wesley). The characterization, the writing, it's all beautiful. Even without muppets.
  
  voleuse: Oh, man. I'm reading through her archive and she writes so many characters and pairings and they're all so good. I'll rec Queen of Swords, a gorgeous S1 Tara/Jenny that doesn't have any feedback comments, and the Pirates of the Caribbean crossover Sometimes Blessings, because I wouldn't have believed anybody could pull off Illyria/Jack Sparrow.
  
  kattahj has another crossover I love, An Encounter With Death, with Doyle getting another chance after he meets the Discworld's Death. Then there's her Birthdayverse series: Wes/Gunn, a season 1 rewrite, and what sucked me into this was the involvement of Alonna and Anne. Alonna is wonderfully written, this smart and strong and brave little sister for Gunn, and it makes me wish we could have seen more of her in canon.
  
  eloise_bright: Present Imperfect by eloise_bright, and here I'll prove myself wrong by saying that you can read pretty much everything on that site and enjoy it. She has a fascination for the Connor kidnapping theme and plays with it in different ways. This story is one of those ways, and my personal favourite - AU of course, but one that makes a great deal of sense.
  minim_calibre: Absolution by minim_calibre. Read it today, actually, and really liked it. It may not be everyone's cup of tea - the pairing is Buffy/Wesley, an OFC plays a major part, and it's got an intricate alternate future - but personally, I thought it worked very well. [Also recced here; her branch of the rec-thread would be there.]
  
  glossing: Nothing for the Tin Man by glossing. Oz/Wesley. Not a pairing I would have ever thought of, but it's a truly lovely story. Great style, and with a sense of characterisation that makes me all tingly. [Also recced here; her branch of the rec-thread would be there.]
  
  toysdream: Resolution (AtS ensemble) and the other is a cowritten thing that's already been recced but Toys gets no love! Damn you all. This hoopy frood really knows where his towel is. I live in Plotless Hell and Conflict Limbo, surrounded by unbaptised scene-babies wailing soundlessly in the darkness. He's got plot coming out of his ears. I want to be his ear-muffs but he's too cool to have any. A picture's worth a thousand words? That's why his illustrated stories are so DAMN LONG!
  
  kita0610: And finally, anything by kita0610. Not because she's my beta, or because everyone knows her, but because she's simply the best Angel author on the Net. My favorite of her stories, Manus, is one of the finest pieces of fiction I've ever read, anywhere. Find this and more at Slashing the Angel.
  
  witling, whose S/X fic must be on the original list, but I don't read S/X so I'm gonna rec something else. :P Beggars Would Ride, one of the original soul/soul vampire slash with all the rapturous prose and bone crunching angst one expects from the Mistress of Such. [Also recced here; her branch of the rec-thread would be there.]
  
  sophia_helix, fellow townie and geek, who writes the following original fic as an epilogue to Beauty and the Beast, Passing of A Winter Love. Lush classical story telling and brash popular culture all at once. Read her and ride her to get it published.
  
  smashsc: Four Quartets and Angel Mash Up - It's poetry, it's prose, it's linguistic masturbation/optical illusion that you yourself can take part in! It's fucking gorgeous is what it is. Read all Four.
  
  earthmagik_fic writes my new interest that I am fighting hard- Viggo/Orli RPS. She also ensures I will never attempt to write it, because why the hell BOTHER with breathtakingly lyrical fic like this: here?
  
  stakebait: And last, but certainly not least, stakebait and her ability to not just hit my buttons, but punch them in the face and roll them for drug money. Incest du jour, Spike/Connor here and Angel/Connor here. I am a sick, sick fangirl. God love you, Mer.
  
  thebratqueen: I recommend thebratqueen, whose Epiphany Series first made me like Wesley. Plus there's Trust Me, a Wes/Angel human AU that worked for me even though I don't usually like the genre. Apt title, all I'm saying.
  
  thete1: I also recommend thete1. I know she's left the Jossverse for pastures toony of late, but her old stuff is still there and just as spot on as ever. Plus she wrote one of the most lovely Giles/Angel pieces there ever was, Saber, and since I'm one of three people in the world with this pairing, it just makes me ache in all the right places. And Dru/Ethan, In Flight. You just don't *do* that. Unless you're Te, and then it works. Lord knows how.
  
  hth_the_first: And as long as I'm on the page of oldies but goodies, there's Hth and her Gonzo Sunset and the other three stories in the Lux Vivens series, even if my brain does insist on tackying it up by reading the title as Luv Vixens. It's Giles/Oz, and she writes sex scenes like nobody's business, perfect, embodied, physical moments. I'm almost never jealous as a writer when I read good stuff, just happy as a reader, but I was jealous of these.
  
  amerella: Her Heartbreak Even, S/X, set post-Chosen, makes my belly do jerky little flip-flops, and the last line is possibly the best S/X last line in the history of the universe.
  
  violethamster: Because Squeal is the cutest pairing ever. And her RPS ficlet Convention Ficlet is nasty and hot. Really, it has absolutely nothing to do with her adorable icon. ;) [Also recced here; her branch of the rec-thread would be there.]
  
  missmandypants is back, so more Teascapes! Hurrah!
  
  jstabe: I can't remember how I started reading Jenn's Playing Games, a role playing series with a partnered Spike and Xander and very willing Angel. She writes the role playing in character (i.e. if Spike is the "professor" and Xander is the "student" you see them in that moment in the scene.) It's fantastic and lets me have Spander, Spangel and Xangel at the same time. She's also started a new S/X WIP, "The Crush" (Season 4 Spander) Part One and Part Two. Lovely "Oh, crap - Spike is hot!" moments from Xander.
  
  falcons319 is working on two stories I love. 'Setting Things Straight' is a rewrite of season 7 with a Spangel twist. Excellent. The second is 'Blaze of Glory' and it's sequel. The gang goes to Angel for help when they are on the run from Glory. Angel and Spike rediscover one another. Parts of this have made me cry. WIP's except for 'Blaze of Glory' part 1.
  
  incasink is writing Phoenix and if you haven't read it yet go and read it it's great, Angel is a mental patient and Will is his therapist so far there are 13 parts written. Also go read Streetwalker. Will is a prostitute who hires Angel a private detective to look into some beatings that happen, again a fab read.
  
  evilmaniclaugh: Alone Again Or, is a wonderful story about forbidden love , A/S , Angel is Spike's step father and well that's all I'm going to tell you as it will spoil the read if I tell you more except it is one heart breaking story with lots of angst. The second one I'm going to rec is Torn, this was one of the first fics I ever read Spike is in heaven and comes back to earth, Angel is with Buffy, Spike finds out Wolfram and Heart are up to something and tries to tell Angel but of cause he doesn't' listen. Anyway go read it, its another great read.
  
  angeldust666: Angel dust is currently working on another part of You want us? A beautiful mpreg story, S/A, Basically Spike gets pregnant but things don't go as planned, and he runs away, Angel follows, full of Angst and love. The sequels are You got us and You What?. She also wrote Hide the Scars, Angel/Angelus/Spike/Lindsey. Angel and Angelus have finally stopped battling one another and are working together. Angel and Lindsey gwt together after being thrown together on a case. And basically Angelus wants Spike and Angel wants Lindsey. You will have to read the rest if you want to know more lol.
  
  morrigushout is writing a lovely Spander WIP called 'Heart and Head'. Xander and Spike are both ill. They end up comforting each other while trying to come to terms with impending death. *sob*
  
  strickens_girl has a WIP titled 'Model Angel verse'. Human AU with Angel as a model and Spike as his new boy. Angel is very nasty in this one and I just love him! I also love 'Rock n Roll Lifestyle' which is also a WIP. Spike is in a band and Angel is a fan. Also has mentions of Xander/Oz.
  
  adis723: Everybody's entitled one wanky rec, right? Yes, she's my beta and one of my best LJ friends. She's also a fantastic writer and she's working on an amazing post "Not Fade Away" WIP: Pay No Mind to the Rabble Spike/Xander/Other. Fantastic Dru voice, fantastic Illyria voice. Dru and Illyria in the same fic? Oh, hell yeah. And if you missed her Beatles Song Titles ficlet call, it's here: Beatles Ficlets. My favorites are "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" and "Why Don't We Do It In the Road?"
  
  twilightsfic: Theories which starts out as Xander/Forrest but is ultimately Spander, ultimately long (good to sit down for a spell with) and ulimately hot. Also, The Poet and the Carpenter, a human AU in which William is poet and a professor and Xander works at Home Depot. They meet, hotness ensues.
  
  evilmaniclaugh Alone Again Or...: Don't blow it off as just Spangel Human AU Daddy!kink, yeah it's there but, damn this is so much more than that. Epic; it rips my heart out, puts me together for moments and slices me open again. I crave this fic. Hot and painful and so fucking real! Also, on a funny note, 'cause she can bring the funny/silly in what she calls the Stupidverse: An Unfortunate Series of Accidents. Completely OOC Spangel sex high jinx set in AtS season 5. Fun-ny. [Also recced here; her branch of the rec-thread would be there.]
  
  tgray: Discoveries: The first Human AU Spander I ever stumbled across. Set in college, it starts off mildy Spuffy, but it's really not. Hell, y'all know, your reading it right? And Dream of You which begins a few years post-Chosen, Xander fills out an application for an escort service and gets exactly what he wants: Spike. Only Spike doesn't know who Xander is. I'm hoping this will nudge her to not abandon this fic forever.
  
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  (Apparent) seedling tree --
  jwaneeta, she say:
  
  treacle_a: All That's Left To You. Found this the other night. Real hanky stuff -- I generally have heart of stone when it comes to fic, but this got me right teary. Perhaps it was my mood. Anyway, if you want sweet and SAD, this is yer baby.
  
  gwyn_r: The Measure of a Man, Gwynneth Rhys. WIP. Human!Spike doesn't do anything for me under most circs, but Gyn can make anything good. Complications abound after Spike's cave request backfires and the resultant mess is angsty, dolorous and funny by turns.
  
  thedeadlyhook: The Dead Walk is a tasty, hurt-filled romp with Spike, Illyria and Connor. Of course I'm all over the deadlyhook's current sequel to Dirty Back Road, but you probably know about that one.
  
  lordshiva: Kalima, aka lordshiva's Time Travel For Pedestrians is an alternative Season 6 story that fascinates me in every way I can be fascinated by a fic - all the interesting questions, all the behind-the-scenes character development, and plenty we didn't get on Willow and Tara and magic and morality that I'm sucking up like melted ice cream. Fabulous WIP. Probably everyone's already reading this, but if they're not...
  
  irfikos: I've recc'ed irfikos's story "Chain" before, but now there's a WIP sequel called That Other Road which has just started, but looks to be shaping up into quite the wonderful thing. Chapter 1 on Willow, Chapter 2 on Xander, Chapter 3 on Faith. I'm practically drooling for the next part. Like a Big. Sloppy. Drooling. Dog.
  
  germaine_pet's Menage. Short William/Angelus/Drusilla. I'm convinced this happened. It happened just like this. I'm calling it canon, okay? Beautiful character portraits of all three at a very certain point in time, and it takes a certain talent to write a good Drusilla, so this rec doesn't come lightly. Adult in the best way. Enjoy. [Also recced here; her branch of the rec-thread would be there.]
  
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