#sci fi recs

[doggomochi-talks-skam]

Just finished ancillary mercy... I'll collect my thoughts soon but in the meantime: does anybody have recommendations if one was a fan of the imperial radch series? I'm planning to read the two standalones by Ann leckie and the short story collection as well. Also planning on reading murderbot. Other than that, any recs? If it helps I'm also a massive locked tomb fan. Anything up that Gothic catholic guilt cosmic horror line is fantastic too.

[longearedhare]

I need a book to fill the void that The Murderbot Diaries left in my soul, does anyone have a recommendation?

[that-cute-stranger]

looking for sci-fi book recs with slow burn (the slowest of the burns) based off of these other forms of media

•Summer Frost by Blake Crouch

•Detroit: Become Human video game

•Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick / BladeRunner movies

•In the Bleak Midwinter webtoon by Ali & Kat

•A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine (i haven’t read RoseHouse yet bc i can’t figure out how to buy it but those vibes are valid too)

please and thank you

[else-creates]

So I know it's probably not what @xiranjayzhao intended, but in Heavenly Tyrant when Qin Zheng drops all airs and graces for the first time and uses his actual accent and dialect, calling a previous campaign "A fucking palaver"

.....Yeah I imagined him with the most exaggerated Cockney accent.

[flibbertygigget]

McCoy-Centric Fic Rec List

Long as hell and split into slightly nonsensical sections because I have too many bookmarks :/

Episode/Movie-Centric Codas/AUs

Lots of "Mirror, Mirror"/"The Empath"/Post-TSFS stuff in here for Obvious Reasons.

Fal-Tor-Pan or: How to Accidentally Get Married on Vulcan by mymetalphantom - 5.7k, Spones. Lighter than the usual Post-Fal-tor-pan fic, very silly premise and excellent execution.

Oh, sinners, let's go down by raven (singlecrow) - 4.7k, Gen. The best Post-Fal-tor-pan angst I've ever read, bar none. Angst with a bittersweet, ambiguously hopeful ending.

Seven Times by SwissArmyKnife - 2k, Gen. Seven times McCoy got telepathically violated and it's all canon 😭

For This Space Would Be Hollow If You Were Gone by releni - 4k, Pre-Slash Spones. FTWIH has SUCH great angst potential, and this fic takes full advantage of that.

The Cause is Sufficient by Cirth - 2.5k, Spones. They're talking about the whole katra deal! They're talking about the whole martyr complex! They're kissing!

bad luck and broken soul by Rev (apathetic_revenant) - 12k, Gen. There are SO MANY Post-"Mirror, Mirror" fics, but this one is hands down one of my favorites.

Memories Are Made of This by GenuineSnoof - 6.5k, Gen. Another post-"Mirror, Mirror" fic, I really like how creative the reveal part is in this one.

Evasive Action by kcscribbler - 2k, Gen. "Space Seed" episode coda with some wonderful hurt-and-kinda-grumpy-about-it McCoy.

Incubation by SwissArmyKnife - 9k, Gen. Post-"The City on the Edge of Forever", featuring McCoy working through illness and really going through it and Spock being worried and protective.

something bright, traveling fast by inkatesbush - 7.5k, Spones. Mostly a Spock character study post-Fal-tor-pan, but when McCoy gets there his parts are really, really good.

Plotty/Case Fic (mostly McCoy Getting Hurt And Being Awesome)

I won't say these genuinely resemble actual ST episode plots but they're plot-centric ig.

40 Miles From The Sun by slash4femme - 10k, Spones. Didn't know whether to put this here or in the shipfic section, but it's mostly the BEST rape recovery fic in the fandom and only very slowly Spones. Excellent fic.

The Dogs Days Are Most Certainly NOT Over by ThatSassyCaptain - 35k, Gen. Pure episode-style casefic and a great one. Get adopted, idiot 😆

Rate of Exchange by scioscribe - 9k, Gen. Bulletproof premise of "get captured by Mysterious Bad Guys, get forced to hurt each other, get out and have Feelings about it". Perfect.

all in by milostollbooth - 13.5k, Spones. Spock gets to be in charge of the Enterprise and things Get Complicated. Like 50% casefic and 50% developing Spones.

A Hippocratic Proof by stillwaters01 - 5k, Gen. Less plotty, more of a friendship fic. McCoy doubts his abilities and Spock goes about reassuring him in the most logical way possible 🥰

it ends or it doesn't by Muir_Wolf - 28.5k, McSpirk. Bones being a martyr! Time loop shenanigans! The complicated process of getting together when you're also under an insane amount of pressure! I love them your honor.

Mudd in Your Eye by Avirra - 61k, Gen. Ok, it's an alternate take on "Space Seed", but it does its own thing so effectively that i'm putting it under plotty fic. Really big fan of how competent Bones is and his relationships with the various OCs in this one.

Shipping-Centric (mostly Spones)

Some McSpirk as well ig. There's some overlap with the previous two categories, but these are more shipping than plot.

Surgeon's Mate by belmanoir - 4.5k, Spones. It's the most-kudos'd Spones fic for a reason, and that reason is an EXCELLENT Spock POV with impeccable characterization.

Holocene by greenbloodedcomputer - 4.5k, Spones. Old Married Spones on Vulcan dealing with the in-laws :)

Traditions of Intimacy by swimmingwolf59 - 8.5k, Spones. Spock and McCoy sharing meals and slowly getting closer to each other. Just fantastic.

First Impressions by swimmingwolf59 - 16.5k, Spones. Y'all KNOW I love Sarek and McCoy being awkward buddies, and this fic has an emphasis on the AWKWARD. Love it!

Two Thirds of a Whole by sleepymccoy - 18.5k, Spones. Alternate universe Spock is such a sweetie and Prime Universe Spock is UNHINGED near the end, this whole premise is excellent and the Spones is immaculate.

Courtship Rituals by fangirlandiknowit - 30k, McSpirk. I love love love fake relationship shenanigans that become way too real partway through.

wish i was a better liar by Muir_Wolf - 17.5k, McSpirk with an emphasis on the McKirk. Uhhh, "The Enemy Within" dubcon threesome. Also Spock's there and being protective. Also it's HOT.

Symbiosis by weekend_conspiracy_theorist - 6.5k, Spones. Diplomatic function fake relationship! That very, very quickly becomes less fake lol, Spock's kind of a mess emotionally in this one.

i've seen time tell tales by Rusoe - 1.5k, Spones. Old Married Spones my beloved. Domestic fluff with a hint of angst.

Off-Beat/Stuff I Can't Fit Anywhere Else

For all your confused-by-how-the-author-got-there fanfic needs.

Bones - A Biography by Spock Grayson by AlyssiaInWonderland - 4k, McKirk and Spones. Early First Contact AU where Vulcan first interacts with Earth during WWI. The premise is excellent and the whole vibe of it is heartbreaking, I honestly wish this were longer because I want to live in this universe for like 100k words.

Nothing Unreal Exists by eigenvectrix - 16k, Gen. EXCELLENT fic. Transfem Spock, lots of examination of Vulcan culture, McCoy being both competent as a doctor and generally trying his best during difficult conversations as a friend. 10/10, it made me give up on the trans Spock fic I was kicking around in my head because tbh I could never live up to this.

AOS

I don't even like the characterization in the AOS movies, but these fics are great :)

Lessons by madwriter223 - 1.5k, Spones. Honestly, I always forget this is an AOS fic. Love Spock being so methodical in his romantic intentions/techniques.

Honorable Enemies by Zauzat - 24k, Spones. McCoy being sad, war being hell, Spock being surprisingly emotionally astute in his own way. Gets plotty in the last third. What more do you need from a fic?

Now the Sons Look For Their Fathers/ But Their Fathers Are All Gone by Straight_Outta_Hobbiton - 30.5k, Gen. McCoy taking care of Vulcan kids post-Star Trek (2009). Has great versions of Sybok and T'Pring for the Kelvinverse.

Fortunate Son by mardia - 50.7k, McKirk. I'm usually not a fan of putting anyone except Kirk on Tarsus, but it sometimes works with AOS since we don't get anything on that whatsoever. This is easily the best "McCoy on Tarsus" fic out there!

The Tribunal of Lieutenant Commander Leonard H. McCoy, MD PhD by stealthestars - 3.5k, slight McSpirk. I love fics where everyone's being all official while internally freaking out ♥️

This Must Be The Place by therev - 38k, Spones. A really sweet, existential look at the absolute mindfuck of finding out just what alternate universe you was getting up to and slowly realizing you want something somewhat like that as well.

Shameless Self-Recs

Just a couple of my fics that I'm personally very fond of. Because I'm shameless lmao.

some people crash to earth three times (and then learn from their mistakes) - 8k, Gen. Dropping TOS characters into a shortly post-First Contact scenario for shits and giggles. I loved writing street medic McCoy and his teenage bullshit.

the wind counts lost goodbyes - 2.8k, Gen. Look, give me an opportunity to write some Vulcan culture and angst and I'm bound to go all in. MCD warning.

sing for the damage we've done (and the worse things that we'll do) (2k, Gen) and i speak in smoke signals (and you answer in code) (6k, Gen) - Uhhh, the inherent limitations of the Prime Directive, Federation politics, McCoy being ride or die for his patients, Spock being ride or die for his friends.

strike another match (let's start anew) (3k, Spones) and hearing a voice i'd known (a couple of lightyears ago) (4.7k, Gen) - These are both post-Fal-tor-pan AUs where it, like, Goes Wrong in different ways. I love doing a little fal-tor-pan AU, mostly because I don't think it was given nearly enough focus in canon.

[hedwig221b]

do u have any au fic recs of like sci fi or fantasy worlds ? even better if they r merged with an already existing universe/story. thank u !

Hi! Maybe you'll like these ones? Don't know about the merging, tho

you're the only north star (dear god)

"I will go to the ends of the known universe, I will dive through a fucking black hole, I will walk unarmed with my hands tied into the Nemeton if it means getting him back," Derek says lowly. "But I can't do that if I haven't slept for eight days, and I can't sleep without Stiles."

alone in this crowded room by Spikedluv

After Stiles has lost too many people, for which he blames himself, he closes his heart off, determined to remain alone until he meets the one person he can’t keep out.

The Space Within by hitorimaron

Derek used his forged identity to secure a spot at the Beacon - a flagship of the Intergalactic Alliance patrolling the edges of the known universe. That should be enough to escape his past, right?

The Decay of a Cosmos by Dexterous_Sinistrous

The memory of Derek confessing to him in the quiet of their shared resignation sparked from her words–“A child is leverage to my mother.” Derek knew what Talia wanted. And he refused to give it to her. Stiles’ hands tightened into fists. This was a gift, but not one Derek had given him willingly. He would live with that knowledge each time he held their son close. ~*~ A tale as old as arranged marriage, with a space opera twist.

Almost Human by Winchesterek

Synthetics are part of everyday life, with Hale Robotics leading the industry in synthetics for everyday living, companions, and police force standard MX combat models. Stiles is a DRN; his programming is built around Synthetic Souls. The aim of synthetic souls was to mimic the soul of a human being, allowing a synthetic android to experience feelings & emotions and to form emotional attachments or empathetic bonds. DRNs have been out of use for decades because they were too lifelike for their human counterparts. Derek Hale, heir to Hale Robotics, finds Stiles in his junkyard, where he's been a mechanic for the last 24 years. The last thing he expected was the android to be functional, much less it being a Hale DRN, which is the last project his mother had been working on before the fire. And Stiles was unlike any other DRN that Derek had ever seen before… he was so human and lifelike that Derek hated him for it.

Left at the Astroid Belt by rlnerdgirl

It's just Stiles' luck that when he finally manages to wear down Captain Finstock and land an engineering gig on his very first spaceship the whole thing to go tits up almost immediately. So, Stiles gets juice for life-support. It’s the absolute most minimal juice, but juice nonetheless. The oxygen scrubbers are old, congested with buildup, and even an acid-wash only makes them 15% more productive, but it’s 15% he didn’t have before. Besides, he doesn’t need the entire ship supporting life. He focuses oxygen where he wants it, seals everything else off, and carries his helmet around when he explores in case he wants to access non-supported areas. Water comes with life support. It’s in even worse condition but he’s only one person, he makes it work. Food is a problem.

Triton's Folly by Kaye_Fraser, S3anchaidh

As an officer in the United Earth Alliance, Major Derek Hale understands the order of things and his place in the world. Yet, a decade of war and a lifetime of dedicated service have taken its toll. The only thing that has kept him sane all these years is the video logs of a scientist he’d found years ago, buried in the rubble of a research station on Callisto. He knows that the man in the videos – Stiles – is long gone, lost to the vastness of space, but to Derek, he’s alive. In fact, he thinks he has fallen half in love with the boundless energy and bright-eyed optimism of the image he sees on his screen. Then, everything changes when a fateful mission strands him on the surface of a desolate moon … and brings him face-to-face with a man he had only ever dreamed of meeting.

In Other Words, Baby, Kiss Me by primroseshows

Stiles has simple goals in life. To successfully complete his secret radar project without getting fired, to get a cottage on the Moon, and to untangle his mess of feelings for Moon Station 3 deputy, Derek Hale. Heck, he'll even settle for two of the three.

The Circus at the End of the World by mikkimouse

Three hundred years ago, the world ended not with a bang or a whimper, but with magic. Since then, magic has been outlawed, and the world has clawed its way back to some kind of stability, with people and shifters alike divided between living within the walled safety of the Havens, or the small, less protected outposts dotting the frontier. Derek Hale and his sisters, Laura and Cora, are the proprietors of Hale's Circus of Magic, Monsters, and Mystical Wonders, known colloquially as the Circus at the End of the World. They and their ragtag pack ride the rails between the outposts and the Havens, performing for those who can pay (and some who can't). Their circus is a small haven in and of itself, a place of safety for those who have nowhere else to go. It's a quiet life…until Stiles Stilinski joins the crew. The circus has something Stiles needs—a ticket into the Haven of Santa Francesca. His father has been abducted, and Stiles is determined to get him back no matter what he has to do. But Stiles has another secret, one that puts him and every member of the circus in danger. And if he's not careful, it could get them all killed.

A Ship Without a Mate Sinks by sarcasmandirony

Stiles persuades Scott into checking out the old ship anchored by the docks, of which Derek is captain.

Space Pirate Samba by Wrenegade

That awkward moment when your fiance comes back from the dead as a space pirate trying to rob you and your sister's ship.

[masterlist link]

[augustyearroundprod]

(UN)LIKEMINDED presents “POTHEAD”

To some people, Louise is too much. She feels too much. She thinks too much. She loves too much. And when her heart is broken, she will do way too much to get back the man who left her.

Written By: Katie Rose Rogers

Narrated By: Katie McGrath

The dream team has done it again! @katierosietoesrogers and Katie McGrath always come together to create such beautiful works of art, and we’re beyond lucky to have them in the (Un)Likeminded family! I continue to be blown away by everything Katie Rogers writes— truly don’t know how so much talent can live in one human. And Katie McGrath’s voice is so soothing and powerful, bringing it all to life in such an incredible way! I’m so excited for you all to listen!! Links in comments!

[paintedpigeon1]

Asexuality in science fiction

A resource guide

Hello! So a while ago, I mentioned a resource guide for asexuality in science fiction. It includes resources for information about asexuality, asexual creators, non-fiction, fiction databases, fiction, writing asexuality, and writing sci-fi. There's a decent amount of aromantic resources included too bc a lot of resources included both. Also, there's a wide variety of types of resources:

Come and check it out! Both high and lower quality versions included:

(Tagging a couple of people who said they were interested, sorry if you didn't want to be tagged: @snowshinobi @studyofwhump)

[lakecountylibrary]

It's Pride Month, which means it's time for my annual post of the 5 best books with queer rep I read since the last time I made this post!

These books weren't necessarily published in the last year; they're just what I happened to pick up and enjoy. I hope you like them too!

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera (bi, gay rep)

I avoided reading this one for ages because, I mean, look at the title. I thought it would break my heart. It did. This is a world much like ours, except the DeathCast service means everyone knows if they are going to die today. The intersecting narrative structure is done very well.

The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer (bi rep)

Two young spacefarers from feuding nations back on Earth are tasked with a rescue mission. I recommend this one for fans of Project Hail Mary. Do yourself a favor and go in unspoiled. It'll be fun.

What Moves the Dead by @tkingfisher (nonbinary rep)

Content warnings for animal death and some gore. A retelling of Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher. It's creepy and atmospheric and an altogether enjoyable read.

Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell (bi, gay rep)

The Iskat Empire is on the brink of disaster and hastily marries one of its minor princes to a count from a vassal planet - a count whose last husband suffered an extremely untimely death far too recently. This one's sci-fi with interesting world-building and two very likable leads.

Shorefall by Robert Jackson Bennett (lesbian rep)

Oh, I'm sorry, did you think you were getting away without a fantasy entry on this year's list? Shorefall is book 2 in the Foundryside trilogy (start with Foundryside). Our main characters - a thief, a very upstanding captain of the guard, and some scientists - are fighting a capitalist meat-grinder fueled by a magic system that works a little like programming. It's high stakes with a lot of tension and great world-building.

--

And that's the list! Happy Pride and happy reading!

Looking for more? Here's our LGBTQ Reads tag. Enjoy!

See more of Robin's recs

[sapphic-b00ks]

Sapphic book recs (for pride month) - Sci-Fi

The Last Bookstore on Earth by Lily Braun-Arnold

a girl seeks shelter in a bookstore where another girl has been hiding out since the Storm destroyed everything

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

the (queer) crew of a spaceship welcomes their newest member

Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee

mc comes from a family of superheros, but has no powers herself

hero teaming up with villain

The Stars Too Fondly by Emily Hamilton

space travel

mystery - vanished crew

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone

story told through letters

time travel

Aether by Molly J. Bragg

queer superhero team

[dandelion-jester]

Seeing as I apparently seeded the Forgetmenauts fandom on tumblr, I'm gonna test my luck and try again.

Mechanisms people! Wolf 359 people! Go read Becky Chambers 'Wayfarer' series, I am begging you. Especially Wolf 359 people, that shit is gonna blow your little brains out!!

[chthonic-cassandra]

For recs: could you list favourite fantasy novels published more than 15 years ago?

Was curious to see what happened if I limited this to stand-alone novels, so here's that list first:

Peter S. Beagle, The Last Unicorn

Susanna Clarke, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

Pamela Dean, Tam Lin

Jane Candas Dorsey, Black Wine

Greer Gilman, Cloud & Ashes

Angélica Gorodischer, Kalpa Imperial

Ellen Kushner, Thomas the Rhymer

Tanith Lee, Vivia

Tanith Lee, Volkhavaar

Vonda McIntyre, Dreamsnake

Patricia A. McKillip, The Tower at Stony Wood (a different McKillip might actually better belong here, but give me some time to reread some more of them. Her quality is really quite consistent, though)

Michael Swanwick, Stations of the Tide

Then series with all existing volumes published more than 15 years ago:

Lloyd Alexander, The Chronicles of Prydain

Octavia Butler, Patternmaster

Samuel R. Delaney, Return to Nevérÿon

Rosemary Kirstein, The Steerswoman

Tanith Lee, Tales from the Flat Earth

Tamora Pierce, The Circle of Magic

J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

[beforeviolets]

locked tomb fans:

why are yall not reading the empire without end series?

queer cast. snarky sarcastic unreliable narrator. sci-fi space opera. bisexual julius caesar and cleopatra. mark antony if he was a butch sapphic. weird convoluted info that builds up to an amazing payoff. narrative framework and storytelling style changes per book. many moments where you go: wait WHAT the fuck is going on? alexander the great is a dead gay god who lives inside a computer. brutus is nonbinary.

tumblr needs to be all over this. it’s for the locked tomb nerds AND the gay ancient rome/egypt nerds!!

[drawinglinestoconstellations]

Had the pleasure of doing the portraits of the four main characters of Meg Smitherman’s upcoming cyberpunk sci-fi horror mance novella “Entity”!

Pre-orders are open and the book will be out on June 24th!

Commissions (OPEN) | Patreon | Ko-fi | VGen Commissions

[fictionadventurer]

Having recently read The Blue Castle for the first time, I'm fascinated by your idea of a dystopian retelling! Would you be willing to share more about it?

I shared the plot summary as an Imaginary Book Rec, but since I'm not going to give in to the impulse of writing this story at the moment, I may as well jot down the other details I have.

Valancy lives in a society that's completely ruled by AI (or, at least, AI overseen by humans who totally buy in to this program). There's large-scale AI that controls wider societal functions, but every household is also ruled by a Motherboard that watches every move they make and micromanages their schedule down to the minute.

It's believed that strict adherence to these rules will keep society efficient and safe. Any deviance is strictly punished.

This society views itself as the last bastion of civilization in a post-apocalyptic world. After the disasters that destroyed civilization, this society arose to provide perfect safety and security. Its citizens believe that the world outside the city walls is a dangerous, toxic wasteland, full of beasts and bandits and disease, and that banishment from the city is a death sentence.

(This society calls itself Sterling because they're aiming for perfection after the mistakes of the past).

Imagination and art are deemed useless. Every minute must be spent in some useful activity.

Valancy is a cog in the machine. The AI has labeled her as having no special potential, so she works at repetitive manual labor--I'm thinking janitorial work--and has not been allowed to be paired for reproduction. (I'm thinking the society allows arranged pairs to meet and reproduce, but all children are taken from families and raised in groups, possibly by robots)

Valancy is outwardly a perfect citizen, but internally, she has a rich inner life, and survives by imagining a more romantic world.

The works of John Foster are a major inspiration. The Motherboard deems them acceptable reading, since they're scientific texts about the state of the natural world before the apocalypse, but the AI analysis can't see the human emotion that goes into these works, and how Foster subtly inspires his readers to want more than their perfectly organized society.

(I envision an early scene where Valancy wants to read. The Motherboard protests that this is unacceptable, because she wasted 17.24 minutes in idleness yesterday, but relents when Valancy points out it's a useful scientific text.)

When Valancy starts having heart trouble, she gets analyzed by the infallible medical software, which coldly informs her that she has a year to live and is not worth saving. This is Valancy's breaking point--she's not going to live her last year under the Sterling restrictions.

She starts doing shocking things like expressing emotion, making jokes, and deviating from her schedule. The family dinner scene is replaced by an incident where she displays some of these rebellious behaviors at dinnertime in front of her fellow assigned house-mates, who all think she's gone crazy.

She meets Cissy, who has been cast aside by the Sterling society. She committed the crime of engaging in sex outside of AI-approved encounters, so she's no longer part of proper society. She's not banished to the Wilderness, but she's not allowed medical care, no one's supposed to interact with her, she has no job/food/housing and has to scrounge where she can. Valancy decides to help her out.

Valancy meets Barney Snaith a couple of times. He was banished to the Wilderness but gets to come to the gate sometimes for reasons (maybe Sterling City gets some resources from outside its walls?). There are tons of rumors about the crimes he committed that got him banished.

Eventually, Valancy's work with Cissy gets her (maybe both of them?) banished to the Wilderness. Barney helps Valancy to give Cissy a proper burial in the woods. He then recognizes that Valancy won't be able to survive on her own, and offers her shelter at his place. (I don't think they necessarily need to marry in this scenario. But of course they fall in love over the course of the story).

Valancy learns that the Wilderness, while dangerous, is also full of wild beauty. Barney helps her learn to survive in it and to love it.

Barney's got some major secrets--he'll go off sometimes for mysterious purposes and he refuses to let Valancy come with.

Valancy eventually learns that Barney's part of a rebellion to take down the Sterling society. His father leads the rebellion (he accidentally invented some technology that can take down the AI). Barney used to be a bigger part of it until he was betrayed by a woman he loved and banished to the Wilderness. After nursing his wounds for a while, Barney decided to help the rebellion in a different way, with his writings as John Foster.

But by the end of the story, Barney's father comes back in the picture, and Valancy learns she's not actually dying so she doesn't need to be protected from the stress of the rebellion, and she and Barney join the rebellion in a more active way, helping to take down the Sterling society and put the new government in power.

Making this AU helped me to realize that The Blue Castle already is a dystopian story--all about rebelling against an oppressive society--so putting it in this genre is a really natural fit.

[sapphicflower-ao3]

what are ur personal favorite fics? i can be a bit picky and have a hard time finding fics but i love ur writing and i feel like we might have similar tastes based on that :3

i'm sorry it took me like a week to get to this!! i wanted to compile my faves and write notes for each of them... and i went overboard LOL. but thanks so much omg, i'm flattered that you would trust my taste based on my writing!

these are all bkdk obviously :)

i. 'In Case of Fire' - passengerside

post-canon // complete // 11K // E

an absolute MASTERPIECE!!! this author has become a recent favourite of mine, i love the way they incorporate little details into their work and make the mundane so beautiful.

highly recommend all of their other works, especially 'Pacemaker'! so freaking beautiful and fun and the lead up to the confession was a genuine holding-my-breath moment

ii. 'Sun Hands' - yesthisisnarumi

snowboarding AU // complete // 5K // T

i've re-read this one so many times it's SOOOOO good! so fun and so classically bkdk it's insane. everybody say thank you OP for giving us the rival olympic champions to lovers story we needed

iii. 'all that you ever wanted from me was sweet nothing' - maxisnotokay

UA compliant // complete // 11K // T

i dont usually read a lot of whump but this was brilliant, im a sucker for this specific trope and for LOVE CONFESSIONS YEASS!!! obvi it has a happy ending bc i wouldnt have it any other way. a good length too :)

iv. 'Spinnin' On Our Feet' - sage_and_cinnamon

High School AU // ongoing // 47K // M

UNDERRATED AS FUCK and my favourite ongoing fic right now. i usually dont read jock x nerd AUs but this fic is so brilliantly funny and charming and heartwarming and it blew all my expectations out of the water and then some. i've been following it for ages and it's been on hiatus for a good while, but it updated recently and when i tell you it was the best day of my freaking life...

v. 'In Perfect Rhythm' - chalk

Band AU // complete // 50K // E

yes how surprising, a band AU fic in my faves list. anyway shut up, chalk is literally godlike in their writing and this fic was SO FUN and scratched all the itches. nothing gets me going more than awkwardly endearing izuku n rockstar katsuki

vi. 'Last Days of War' - antisora

Pacific Rim AU // complete // 44K // M

GENUINELY ONE OF HUMANITY'S BEST PIECES OF LITERATURE???? fuck. i never have the proper words for this fic, but it is SO gripping and the worldbuilding is so tight and their relationship development is so good and the CLIMAX OF THIS HAS BEEN MORE EPIC THAN HALF THE BLOCKBUSTERS I'VE SEEN. i beg you to read this even if you have never watched Pacific Rim. or maybe go watch the movie and get EDUCATED and then read this! i'm begging you, dear reader!!

vii. 'Ingenium' - crandberrycrush

Astronauts AU // complete // 85K // E

guys i love sci-fi sorry lol. this one is another brilliant fic. OP put so much blood, sweat and tears into research and it shows, it is just very intelligent and the plot itself is HEART RACING and GUTTING and THRILLING. there's a lot of POVs and it really fleshes it out, tho ofc bkdk is the main thing. happy ending obvi! it is the space/astronaut drama that i love and adore, just BKDKified now!

viii. 'The Magic in a Mirror' - totallyrottentomatoes

Magic/Circus AU // complete // 80K // E

oh how surprising, a totallyrottentomaoes fic in my faves list. anyone who knows me knows that i rec this fic all the time. it's one of my all time favourites, if not my favourite of all time lol, and it's really because of the writing and the imagery and the characterisation and the relationships b/w all the characters. it's all just so well done and MAGICAL. no joke, if i could print and bind a fic into a book, it would be this one. no notes. perfection. caters to my tastes so specifically. i could go on about this fic forever but i'll shut up for now

also highly recommend 'The Distance Between Suns' by this author - it's a high fantasy epic with TIGHT AS FUCK worldbuilding, brilliantly written, the romance is BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN, the payoffs are amazing, etc... this deserves to be published and revered

ix. 'Battle of the Bands' - roadtripwithlucifer

Band AU // complete // 168K // E

look i know i always rec this fic, i just can't help that it's like my favourite thing ever. roadtripwithlucifer and totallyrottentomatoes my BELOVEDS. the humour in this fic is so fucking yummy and brilliant, the writing is gorgeous in typical roadtrip fashion, the stakes are gripping, the climax is thrilling, the romance n yearning is INTENSE, the sex is hot as hell, the ending is so satisfying, just..... the whole package.

and while you're here, read other roadtripwithlucifer works like 'Nothing Else Fills' if you feel like destroying your heart :) an angsty and beautifully written time-travel-to-save-my-kacchan-gone-wrong war AU fic. i love OP's works but her more recent fics (eg. after battle of the bands) have had some of her best writing. i adore it when you can feel how an author has poured their soul into their work, you can always feel it in a roadtripwithlucifer work and it's just the cherry on top

x. 'Scar Tissue' - Loriqod

canon-compliant // complete // 18K // E

loriqod is another author with a characterisation that i fuck with so hard... this one was so full of that Yearning and Tension that i so vibe with. bonus points to the plots focus on bkdk's scars like yes pls more of that <3

anyway i might make a part 2 some other time, these are just the ones i grabbed from my public bookmarks. i have a lot of private ones and some of them i forgot to make public oops

hope u find smth u enjoy!