we will, we will rec you

[damalurbackup]

STXI recs! I don't write very good reviews, really, because it's always I LOVE THIS SO MUCH or /*INARTICULATE FLAILING*/, so this is more a list of stories I would rec in great detail if I had the interest or the ability. There are easily twenty other stories that I love equally but didn't include, mostly because they're still in progress.

* FYI - I'm also still updating this masterlist of STXI Spock/McCoy fic. If you have something to add, let me know!

[10] Gen (not even all McCoy-centric!)
[05] Het (McCoy/Chapel, Kirk/Uhura, Spock/Uhura, Scotty/Uhura)
[10] Slash (Kirk/Spock, Kirk/McCoy, Spock/McCoy)
[03] IDEK (mixed, genderswap)
[03] Bonus (TOS Spock/Uhura & Spock/McCoy, TNG Data/Yar)


★ GEN (Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura, ensemble)

- The Things He Sees by suzanne78 - McCoy. Bones has already lived his life... and now, it's about to begin again. If only he could figure out that blasted Vulcan! The first adventure of the starship Enterprise through the eyes of Doctor Leonard McCoy in a series of drabbles. I think this was the first gen piece I read after the movie - because, of course, I was immediately on the lookout for good Bones fic - and I'm pretty sure it spoiled me for everything after. Oneshot, ~5000 words.

- Happy Families Are All the Same by ayalesca - McCoy. How Leonard McCoy was brought up to be such a fucking piece of work. I absolutely adore this story; the author's use of second-person adds to the narrative instead of distracting from it, and the blending of the new timeline with the old one is exactly the kind of thing that makes me flail inarticulately. Heartbreaking, but I still can't stop reading it. Oneshot.

- Lunch and Other Obscenities by rheanna27 - Uhura, Gaila, some Spock/Uhura. Nyota liked her roommate just fine until she met her. Another one that's too good to pass up! One of the things I've loved most about the reboot fandom is how Gaila has emerged as such a respected, well-written character. Her characterization here is probably my favorite yet, as is the author's treatment of Uhura. irrel drew fanart for the story, too, which never hurts! Oneshot, ~10000 words.

- Cut and Fucking Paste by crimsonclad - Kirk, implied Spock/Uhura, Kirk/Spock, Kirk Prime/Spock Prime, Kirk/Spock Prime...basically I want this to be K/S, and it isn't. Mostly. The genre is "ack the mindmeld gave me feeeeeeelings"; so. This story depresses me SO HARD every time I read it, but it's also funny and poignant and just on the right side of crack. Oneshot; the sequel is Edit.

- How to Avoid Kicking Puppies and Other Valuable Lessons in Leadership by sparky77 - Kirk, ensemble. Kirk slouches in his chair and sighs. McCoy will give him this; the man is a champion at slouching. There’s something about the way he slouches that seems to be saying, ‘I could be sitting straight, but the universe just couldn’t handle the awesomeness of me being fully upright in this chair.’ It’s a lot to say in just the way he sits. It’s impressive. This story just might be the most frequently recced fic in the fandom, and there's good reason why. Kirk cracks me up every time I read this. Oneshot, rated R.

- It Takes a Village by chaletian - McCoy, Kirk, ensemble. There are times (when being attacked by Klingons, for example) when life on the Enterprise is a million miles away from McCoy’s country practice. There are other times when it’s exactly the same. WALK, DON'T RUN TO READ THIS. It starts out with a fantastic McCoy piece (AND WHAT ELSE DOES A GOOD STORY NEED), but every crew member gets their turn in the spotlight. Funny and perfect and just good, quality writing, y'know? Oneshot; the sequels can be found under this tag.

- A Formal Dance in the Bowling Alley by loneraven - Kirk, ensemble. Here are some things that James Tiberius Kirk, Captain, does not understand about the Enterprise and her crew. Quiet and funny and it makes me love the Enterprise and her crew and her captain even more than I already did. Oneshot.

- How to Win Friends and Influence Vulcans by green - Kirk, Spock. Having a best friend who didn't know he was your best friend was frustrating. That did not, however, deter Kirk. Obviously I get a kick out of any slightly cracky story featuring Kirk, and this is the best of that lot. The potential for humor in Kirk and Spock's mismatched friendship is mined to the fullest here. Oneshot.

- Earth Kids Are Assholes by vampychick - Kirk, Spock. Spock and Kirk make friends while bleeding. So exactly what happened, except they're in grade school. Intriguing; I don't think the Trek universe has a lot of stories that tweak canon in such a subtle way and explore the consequences, and, you know, it's Kirk and Spock *as kids* so it doesn't even have to be particularly well-written to catch my interest, but it is. Oneshot; the sequel is When They Have to Take You In.

- Murphy's Laws of Jim Kirk Diplomacy by _seven_crows - Kirk, Spock, McCoy. "Great," Kirk says. "In the end, it's not going to be punching someone in the face, or shooting something, or even in some barfight – it's going to be a goddamned diplomatic mission gone wrong that does me in." If you are even passingly acquainted with me, you know that I love the Kirk-Spock-McCoy troika; there's a dearth of good troika fic in the good reboot fandom, but this story has everything I could want. Oneshot.

★ HET (McCoy/Chapel, Kirk/Uhura, Spock/Uhura, Scotty/Uhura)

- The Rough and Tumble Series by half_penny_drop - McCoy/Chapel. Doctor Leonard McCoy is neither collected nor serene. He is brilliant and tidy, but about as far away from calm as you can get. He shouts and swears right in front of his staff and doesn’t seem to care that the captain spends more time being treated for sexual diseases than the entirety of Engineering put together. He is her superior officer and her attending physician and not her type at all. He’s too old for her and clearly doesn’t bother shaving every day and—and sometimes, when he’s barking orders at the other nurses, something in Christine’s stomach twists. Hard. I...have to admit that I'm not a huge Chapel fan - I love Majel Barrett and Number One, but Chapel was always just sort of there, right? And then this popped up on the Kink Meme and I went YAY BONES HET, but I had no idea just how good or how hot it would be. Series, rated NC-17.

- Matched Set by jain - Kirk/Uhura. All of the members of Starfleet were issued five tunics, three pairs of trousers, and five dresses. Awesome. I don't even have the words, except to say that Jain made me not only accept Kirk/Uhura but actively ship it. Oneshot, rated NC-17.

- Candle by igrockspock - Spock/Uhura. For this plan, Spock will need a candle. Funny and oh-so-Spock and hey, it mentions AMANDA. Flash fic, ~500 words.

- A Mutual Feeling by jncar - Spock/Uhura. The evolution of a harmless crush into one of the most important relationships of Uhura's life. A series of Uhura-centric scenes during her final 18 months at Starfleet Academy. This is, I believe, one of the earliest reboot S/U fics written, and it remains one of my favorites, because I love Uhura and because sometimes I just want to indulge my inner schmoop. Complete in four parts.

- She Deciphers Him Like Language by deludedvision - Spock/Uhura, Scotty/Uhura. I think I'm probably not the only person that, while pleased with the development of Spock/Uhura, felt a brief pang for the passing of Scotty/Uhura. THIS FIC FIXES THAT PANG. BY RIPPING MY HEART OUT no, really, it's just a gorgeous story, and every line is so perfectly lyrical. Oneshot (...with sequel? *g*).

★ SLASH (Kirk/Spock, Kirk/McCoy, Spock/McCoy)

- and they won't believe you when you write home about it by raphaela667 - Kirk/Spock, Sulu, ensemble. Hikaru Sulu knows everything, but he didn't know this. This hits my outside!POV kink in all the right ways. Oneshot.

- Our Emotional History Is in the Kitchen by raphaela667 - Kirk/Spock, Winona. “I know your son very well. I know that he is most likely to do what he is told not to do,” Spock says, and she sees a flash of humor in his face, but maybe she imagined that, too. “I wondered if it might be in my interest should you hate me on sight.” And *this* one makes me want to cry and grin and hug everyone in it. Oneshot.

- Stars Apart, Shine the Same by sineala - Kirk/Spock. It is the third mission of his command, and Captain James T. Kirk suspects he is going insane. I think an iron-clad kink in the fandom is probably mind-meld fic, and the idea of Spock Prime's thoughts sort of leaking into Kirk's brain is a fairly common one, but this has probably the best execution of any so far. Oneshot, rated NC-17.

- Native Species' Territory Calls, Which When Anthropomorphized Resemble The Sound of Music by gogollescent and possibly_thrice - Kirk/Spock, ensemble. Captain James T. von Kirk needs a governess for his seven children. Plz note: will only be funny if you have seen the Sound of Music and remember it well. Actually it might not be funny even then. But anyway. Yeah, basically, Star Trek meets the Sound of Music. I AM NOT EVEN JOKING. THERE ARE LYRICS. Crackity crack crack crack of the freshest variety. WIP (but does it really matter?).

- Body of Evidence by the_dala - Kirk/McCoy, ensemble. “As we currently have no proof, it would be necessary to produce conclusive evidence of…clandestine involvement, to settle such a bet.” Outside!POV fic. Betting amongst the crew. Spock as an impartial observer. Jim and Bones playing along. Foolproof! Oneshot.

- Don't accept a ride from James T. Kirk. Walk. by ehtrosdemon - Kirk/McCoy. "Sweetheart, he just broke up with you. You just don't know it yet." I have (somewhat reluctantly, it must be said) been won over to the Kirk/McCoy bandwagon, in large part because of stories like this that are set at the Academy. (WHERE ELSE AM I GOING TO GET MY McCOY MAN-LOVIN', SHE WAILS.) Oneshot; the sequels can be found under this tag. Probably adult.

- Joanna by ethrosdemon - Kirk/McCoy, ensemble. "We'll figure it out? It's a kid, Bones! A kid!" This is UTTER CRACK, but at the same time, I kind of really want it to be canon. Also, it manages to neatly sidestep the sticky mpreg issue, which is not my kink, although it may be yours. Oneshot.

- Two Men and a Motorbike by inell - Kirk/McCoy. EPIC. Thirty-two parts and still going strong, this picks up after the Enterprise defeats Nero but before Kirk is officially assigned captaincy, and it is hot hot HOT and the characterization is brilliant and there's a MOTORCYCLE named JESSICA, okay? Rated NC-17.

- 5 Times Kirk Wanted to Smack-a-Bitch and One Time Bitch Got Served by briecheesie - Kirk/McCoy. The five times Jim Kirk met Bones' ex-wife, and the one time he finally told her what's what. I should not enjoy this nearly as much as I do, but even though I have maybe a slightly more balanced view of Jocelyn (it's pretty much canon that she cheated on Bones with another man, okay?), it is *so* nice to see her get her comeuppance. Oneshot, rated R.

- Straightforwardly by anonymous - Spock/McCoy. It's not a secret because they keep it a secret, precisely. It's simply that no one questions the nature of their relationship. DO YOU BELIEVE ME NOW WHEN I SAY THERE IS NOT ENOUGH SPOCK/McCOY??? Hooboy. Anyway. Oneshot.

★ IDEK (mixed, genderswap)

- and you take me the way i am by londondrowning - Kirk/girl!McCoy. "Aw, hell, Jim. I'm as emotionally constipated as you are." This story? Is awesome. It has awesome believable-as-a-woman Bones, and awesome Kirk/Bones friendship, and awesome Kirk/Bones bromance-turned-something-more. Oneshot, ~3000 words.

- Second Impressions by Jain - Spock/Uhura, Kirk/Uhura, Spock/McCoy. Four perspectives on three relationships. The dissolution of Spock and Uhura's relationship is beautifully done, and the way the author builds both Kirk/Uhura and Spock/McCoy while still respecting the characters' previous relationships is gradual and lovely. Oneshot, rated NC-17.

- Sore by tinpantithesis - Spock/girl!McCoy. I suppose, really, this came from the fact that I'm a Next Gen girl and so am not used to seeing my lady Starfleet officers wearing miniskirts. Clearly I have a thing for girl!McCoy, and this is Spock/McCoy, and are we seeing why I like it? Also deals fabulously with the miniskirt issue. Oneshot.

★ BONUS (TOS & TNG)

- Wildcat's S/U Series - TOS, Spock/Uhura, Saavik, ensemble. EPIC. YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW. I'm talking well over a million words, and still the single best Spock/Uhura piece I've read to date. I don't think you have to be intimately familiar with TOS canon to read this, although it would probably help if you had Memory Alpha open in another tab. (EPIC!)

- Surgeon's Mate by belmanoir - TOS, Spock/McCoy, Kirk. Spock likes McCoy. McCoy won't take a hint. For all that I flail about Spock/McCoy, there isn't a ton of great fic out there for the pairing. Imagine my delight when this showed up on my flist a few weeks ago. (Here, let me help: A;LSKDFJAS;DLFK!!!!!!) Oneshot, ~5000 words.

- Virus by Orangeblossom - TNG, Data/Yar. While stranded planetside, Data’s programming goes awry and Yar reevaluates her feelings for him as she tries to keep him safe. Data/Yar is my sekrit Trek OTP; I think I must enjoy the contrast between his innocence and her worldliness (or world weariness), because this is among my most favoritest of Trek fic. Oneshot.

Comments

[fujiidom.livejournal.com]

[SALIVATES]. OMFG. There goes my week.

[damalur]

STOP HAVING AWESOME ICONS. FOR REAL. Because then I want to steal them and I only have six spaces and I actually like all my current icons *and* having only six spaces because then I don't get confused, except for when you KEEP MAKING AND HAVING AWESOME ICONS.

[fujiidom.livejournal.com]

I live to tease! :P

[flax.livejournal.com]

I'm at work, but now I have serious bedtime reading to look forward to. Thank you!

[damalur]

No problem! :)

[irrel.livejournal.com]

Isn't "Lunch and Other Obscenities" just amazing? :D I love it so much.

I came for recs but I want to rec you something :3 The Best Thing is about Amanda and Spock's relationship (and a bit of S/U at the end).

Thanks for the recs!

[damalur]

It is! I think it's my favorite portrayal of either Uhura or Gaila so far, and that's saying something. ;)

And eeeeek, Amanda fic! Thank you!

[latenightcuppa.livejournal.com]

YOU ROCK FOR POSTING GEN FIC. I've been wondering where I could find some of that, and your recs were awesome. Is there a gen fic community, by any chance?

[damalur]

Glad you liked! :) The only gen comm I know of is reboot_genfic, although I'm sure there are others out there.

[deludedvision.livejournal.com]

Late to this list, but seeing something I wrote on anyone's recs list makes my heart all warm and happy. :)