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Perchance To by PurpleRhino
In the incredible slush pile of Jareth/Sarah shipper fic that is Labyrinth fanfic, I found one or two gems. The author takes the Labyrinth's arrogant, obnoxious, control-freak Goblin King and places him in the larger context of the Sidhe and the entire Fae world. Drop Sarah into the mix, add a kick-ass kitsune and a Sidhe lord that makes Jareth look restrained and well-adjusted, and you've got an intricately plotted story with incredible characterization. This, I buy. It'll probably never be finished, but I'll still read it.
Dark Labyrinth by Helen Fayle
Helen's story returns to the Labyrinth, but this time, Jareth is on the wrong side of the game. Deposed from his throne, his only help comes from an old friend (the hugely entertaining OC Devin) and an old enemy -- Sarah Williams. Oh, and a bunch of really funny little goblins. The Goblin King is nicely characterized, arrogant and irritating, but more mature and infinitely cooler; the villains are real and threatening, and the writing is top notch, with dialogue you can hear the actors delivering.
A Forfeit of Dreams by K.L. Morgan
The nicest thing anyone can do for a fic reccer is rec a fic they've somehow missed. J Savoy pointed me towards this incredible Labyrinth sequel, and I'm very grateful. Sarah returns to the Labyrinth to save a friend, but as Sarah has changed, so has the Labyrinth, and the price for failure may be too high to pay. The compelling plot owes much to the movie, but only in homage -- the elements are original and intricate. Familiar characters are solid and strong, new characters take on life the moment they're introduced, and Jareth is as enigmatic, intricate, arrogant, and seductive as ever.
The Mushrooms by Baylor
I'm not much for LotR fic, Baylor's work is too sweet and entertaining to resist. A Word of Caution Regarding Hobbits got me started, with it's wonderful Legolas voice, but everything she's written is worth a few minutes of your time. Such a relief from all of the angst!
The Owner's Guide Series by Theresa Green
Just got a new Legolas? Worried how to keep your Aragorn at the peak of his performance? Not sure how to get the most mileage out of your hobbits? Theresa is here to help, in this series of hilarious manuals that will let you get the best out of your fictional men! (Heavy slash references, but don't let that worry you -- you'll be laughing too hard to care.)
Snowdrops and Bluebells by Regina L
Lots of good stuff got left on the cutting room floor, including most of Faramir and Eowyn's story. Regina supplies it to us, in a convincing and gorgeous journey through Eowyn's heart, along with a touching look at Merry and Eowyn's relationship after the battles. One of my favorite fics ever. (For an outside POV, try the companion story A Spring Faire in Minas Tirith.)
Return on the King: LOTR: Breadbox Edition by Evadne
The short and hilarious version of the movie, with all of the snide comments you know you wanted to make when you were watching it, no matter how much you loved it! Read in public at your own risk -- there's a real danger of falling off your chair laughing. Many other Breadboxes also available.
DM of the Rings by Shamus Young
Okay, this also doesn't actually count as fic, but it must be read! Picture the Lord of the Rings trilogy as a D&D campaign, run by a cranky Dungeon Master, in charge of players only in it for the treasure, and illustrated using screamingly appropriate screencaps from the movie. Shamus pokes fun at every single hole in the movie, mocks the hell of every D&D player ever, and adds notes from a long-suffering DM that are often the funniest part. Originally run as a semi-daily web comic, but now finished, and words cannot express how deeply necessary it is that you read this if you have ever even had incidental contact with a gaming geek. Warning: It's long, and you will not want to stop once you've started. Make time for this one.
The African Star by ErinRua
When Elizabeth is kidnapped (again) by a vicious slade trader, Will must go against his instincts (and better judgment), and turn pirate to find help from an old friend.
Good, long novella, with excellent characterization all around, note-perfect dialogue, poetic language, all the main characters getting time in sun, good, believable plot and villain -- and it's period. ErinRua totally did her homework, and my god, it shows. Everyone I've recced this to has loved it as much as I do.
Crossing Paths by hereswith
A lovely post-series meeting between Elizabeth and Jack.
Fortune and Favor by firesignwriter
Jack and Anamaria are picked up after being shipwrecked, but their savior is the last person they want to see. One of those priceless pieces of fic that does justice to Jack, Anamaria and Norrington, without sacrificing character in the name of plot. Although it's got that, too, and it's a good one.
The Final Fate of Bootstrap Bill: Jack Sparrow Remix by CL Kamnikar
Jack's hysterically funny version of what really happened to Will's father. Go. Read. Take rum. Tip your bartender. (There are two other versions of Bill's Final Fate available as well.)
Letter of Marque by Dee
Jack shows up in Port Royal all legal and proper -- obviously, this is Norrington's worst nightmare. A fun caper told with a dry and hilarious Norrington POV.
Gamine @ Fanfiction.net
Wait for No Man is well-written PotC fic, with excellent characterization, fun dialogue, and a fast-paced plot. Gamine's bias for a character or two really shows (as does her indifference to another), but it contributes effectively to the plot, and one original character is an utter delight. Run, don't walk, to read this one (and the sequels).
A Taste of Misery by EstelWolfe
If you're looking for Pirates fic that swashes and buckles, I assure you, this ain't it. Angst-o-rama is the word you're looking for. But it's also an excellent, absorbing and largely unflinching look at friendship, betrayal, torture, true madness, and redemption. Lovely characterization on everyone involved, when Jack Sparrow is set to hang for something he truly, honestly didn't do -- and as he must deal with things he has actually done. (There are two sequels (one still in progress), equally as solid and equally as angsty, but with considerably more buckling of swashes, and some solid original characters.)
By the Grace of Lady Vader and The Ascension of the Queen by Alderaan21, ami-padme, and FernWithy
Wow. Just... wow. There's a lot of "Amidala never died" AU fic out there, and some of it is even readable. But no one's ever taken it to this extent -- created a whole, detailed, unflinching alternate universe around what could have happened had Amidala survived. (The first story is "The Empire Strikes Back" rewritten for the AU, with parts of the movie brilliantly integrated, twisted, echoed and reflected in a million different ways). It's not pretty, or easy, and happy endings come with a price -- in fact, it's damned dark in places, and I guarantee you'll scream in horror and race for the second story the moment you finish the first. But the duology is beautifully written, completely logical, and utterly absorbing; these stories will stay with you for a long time after you finish. (Mainly Anakin/Amidala and Han/Leia; many other familiar faces appear (although not always in the ways you'd expect, and I'm going to hell for that understatement), along with a few well-executed OCs.)
Estimated Time of Departure by Yahtzee
"It was suicide... We just didn't die." A lot must have happened between the destruction of the first Death Star and the award ceremony; Yahtzee not only fills in the holes, she patches together some of the plot while she's at it. A very cool look at the early bonding of Han, Luke and Leia -- in particular, the Han POV is rock solid, and Leia is handled really well as she copes with the destruction of Alderaan. Plus, Chewie is hilarious.
A Father's Heart by FernWithy
There's a lot of backstory we never got on both Leia and Vader -- what happened in the years between Anakin's transformation and the attack on Leia's ship? What interactions did a Senator and the Emperor's right hand have? And how did a girl that young get to be a Senator anyway? This story cycle takes a swing at those questions and hits a home run. Leia's story rings absolutely true, and her take on Vader -- and what remains of Anakin Skywalker -- is gorgeously executed.
Trying Again by Martha Wells
Another of those awesome stories set between Star Wars and Empire--someone tries to kill Han and steals the Millennium Falcon; Han, Luke and Leia have to find out who did it and why. Really nice details add verisimilitude, and Martha captures Han and Leia in particular perfectly.
Far Across the Stars by Lizzen
[Aliens]
A far, far, far better sequel for Ripley, Hicks and Newt than the creators saw fit to give us.
Q&A by Medie
[Batman Begins]
Vicky Vale doesn't believe Bruce burned down Wayne Manor. Actually, there's a lot Vicki doesn't believe.... Really nice -- someone with a brain picking apart the holes in Batman's cover.
Public Interest by Apathy
[The Fifth Element]
A reporter really wants an interview with Leeloo and Korben, but they won't make it easy. (Special guest appearance by Ruby Rhod, eeeee!)
Shadows Taller Than Our Souls by Troll Princess
[Frequency]
Gods bless the Yuletide ficathon, for inciting the writing of excellent fic in obscure fandoms. John Sullivan still has trouble keeping track of what happened then, and what happened in the other Then. A wonderful continuation of the movie, filling in little missing pieces, and leaving you wistful for more, but happy with what you've got.
A Watcher's Duty by jedibuttercup
[Live Free or Die Hard/Buffy]
What life would be like if Lucy McClane was a Slayer. I am ded from squee.
Never Spellbound by a Starry Sky by Eve
[The Mummy]
Exceptionally good fic sent shortly after the first movie; the trio is still in Cairo and have once again found some trouble to get into, which is severely interfering with the activities Rick would prefer to be getting into. Written in alternating first-person POV, which I normally hate, but Eve captures the voices and dialogue so perfectly that it all flows together seamlessly. A fun semblance of a plot, and some wonderful shippy (and reasonably period) scenes for the soon-to-be-married Rick and Evie. (also try A Long Night's Journey Into Cairo for the marriage proposal the way you know it happened.)
All in Splinters by hereswith
[Peter Pan]
No one ever believes me about Captain Hook being totally hot until they see the movie for themselves. Then they understand, and some of them write fic. hereswith gifts all of us more interested in Hook than Pan with this gorgeous series of vignettes; they actually start with By Moonlight and The Darkened Night, but the bulk are in All In Splinters, as a grown-up Wendy is drawn back to Neverland in dreams, by someone entirely different this time around. Both Wendy and Hook are beautifully written, in a way that is very true to the movie, but with a different kind of ending that fits it all together perfectly. Kikirec
Secret Lives of the Cast of Galaxy Quest by Fox
[Qalaxy Quest]
Really, really neat little snapshots from inside the heads of the 'cast' of Galaxy Quest. A very nice job making real people out of parodies, quite up to the standards of the movie itself.
The Biggest Fool by Tiffany Rawlins
[Say Anything]
"Lloyd's manifesto was a masterpiece, an ironic confrontation of the self-deception required to triumph in the marketplace of relationships at the end of the twentieth century, or anyway that's what the money guys said. They didn't care that it was an e-mail he'd written at three a.m. after his twelfth girlfriend in four years had (predictably) broken up with him." A fabulous what-happened-later completely in keeping with the movie.
Walk the Wire by anr
[Speed]
Jack and Annie and the days after all hell broke loose.
Just a Face on a Train by katheryne
[Spiderman]
Months after an unmasked Spiderman saves a train of people from Doc Ock, one of the saved recognizes a face in her diner. A beautiful fic that proves that original character doesn't equal Mary Sue, but can equal a sweet, wonderfully portrayed narrator.
Origin Story by jjonahjameson
[Spiderman/The Incredibles]
Sometimes a superhero has wardrobe problems, and it's up to an expert to fix things.... A silly, hilarious, perfect crossover. (Also try Learning Curve, a fun adventure with dead-on Peter characterization, taking place shortly after the first movie. The dialogue is excellent, the writing clean and fast-paced, and the characterization rocks my world.)
Bridge Across the Maybe Sea by Zara Hemla
[Spirited Away]
The world of Spirited Away begs to be revisited, if only in small, beautiful moments like this. Lin thinks about the train that only goes one way, and the girl who left the bath house. A very nice study of Lin and of her world.
The Hours Between by darkdanc3r
[Transformers]
Mikaela rebuilds after the battle.
Mojo Mayhem by Phoenix13
[Transformers]
"Do you think that if poor Optimus knew he'd be looking after Mojo for a week, back when he was beating the crap out of Megatron, he may have let Megatron kill him?" Fluffy, but amusing as hell.
Pieces of the Dead by David Hines
[Transformers]
A buddy roadtrip with Sam and Optimus Prime on the surface, but with deeper, poignant themes running underneath. Perfect voices on all of the characters, and a lot of relationships are addressed very nicely.
The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down by Merlin Missy
[Who Framed Roger Rabbit/Miscellaneous]
This is sick, twisted and utterly brilliant. Words cannot express.... Jessica Rabbit is accused of the murder of 'digi' Lara Croft, and Roger, with the help of young Freddie Valiant, swings into action to clear her name and catch the killer. A fabulous update of the movie, incorporating modern characters and animation and twisting it all together. A must-read. (References to all kinds of adult material, but seriously, they go by so fast you'll just snicker, throw popcorn and move on.)
The Day After Tomorrow Challenge
[Various]
Annie Sewell-Jennings started it, some really great authors jumped in, and a fairly lame movie gave birth to some excellent fic before it even opened. The challenge was to take any fandom, however unlikely, and set it in the end-of-the-world situation presented by "The Day After Tomorrow". The result: some damn good fic. The link is to the master list on ASJ's LiveJournal; I particularly recommend Give Me Liberty by cavalaxis (gorgeous and poetic Labyrinth), and Eye of the Storm by Rheanna and Shock by Troll Princess (lovely and powerful X-Men movieverse).
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