fajrdrako | Torchwood and Doctor Who fic recs... (Reply)

I've had a pile of fic that I've been wanting to mention; the list is growing exponentially. So: here you are... fanfic I have particularly enjoyed over the last while.

Most of these are Captain Jack stories, or Torchwood, one way or another. A lot of these are chosen for mention because they are different - quirky and original. The minimum requirement was good grammar and spelling - but I particularly chose things written with loving care, and things that don't retread the ground other fan writers have already followed. Most of these are slash and many of them contain sex, so check the individual stories for their ratings. You'll see that many involve my favourite pairing, Jack and the Doctor. I'll put them alphabetically, except for the one in a different fandom, which I'll put at the end.

If you should read this list, and think, "Why did she rec those stories? Why did she leave out this one?" tell me what you think I should have included - I'm sure I've missed all sorts of good stories.

The Beautiful Simplicity of Motion by nostalgia_lj. A Jack/Doctor story, this time with more of an edge than usual. Best line, from the Doctor: "Gallows humour's the only thing I've got left."

Bigger on the Inside by laurab1. A significant moment in Jack's life that not many fan writers have touched on. Why not?

Boys Will Be Boys, Even When They're Time Lords by scarlettgirl. Because I like swords.

Brilliant by voicelikehoney. A post-series three Doctor Who resolution fic, this time dealing with Martha's relationship with the Doctor, among others, and it made me smile.

Change by becky_h. More Jack/Doctor post-Doctor Who series three resolution fic. Nicely written, with interesting references to events in series one.

Cyberwoman as Oedipus Rex by crabby_lioness. Not a fic, but a very different examination and analysis of the Torchwood wpisode of "Cyberwoman". I've been trying to judge whether other Torchwood episodes have these echoes of classical tragedy, but my eye isn't good enough to catch them.

Everyman by basingstoke. An overview of Jack's history, past and future, with a nice Jack/Doctor/Martha threesome interlude.

Five Moments of Clarity: Jack Harkness by misspamela. Miss Pamela takes exactly the approach to Jack's story that I don't like, and she makes me like it. For the space of this story, anyway.

Five Times the Doctor Licked Things While Jack Harkness Was Watching (and One Time He Did It Because Jack Was Watching) by researchgrrrl. Even though I don't approve of stories whose titles begin "Five Times", I can't help loving this title. The story has a delightful sexy, light tone.

Five Times the Doctor Went Back for Jack: Not a Double Entendre by smithy161. This story has one of the best opening lines I've read. I loved the whole series (though the second story was subpar); the characterization, the tone, and the sexiness are great.

Green by wired_lizard. Chosen because I love the pairing (Jack/Swanson) and want to see more of it. I wouldn't have thought of putting Swanson and Jack in a BDSM story together, but wired_lizard made it work.

I'm Awake (and You're Breathing) by chicafrom3. A Jack/Martha ficlet. I love the way this fandom has got me into reading, enjoying and even reccing het ficlets.

I really can't stay by fromthesabrary. A story - yes, another story - about Jack and the hand, showing something of its point of view. This fits rather nicely into canon.

Let's Spend the Night Together by pokerkitten. A drabble; Jack/Ianto. Beautifully written.

a little death by nostalgia_lj. A lovely ficlet about sex between Jack and the Doctor.

Mendelian Inheritance by mercurial_wit. Did I say I didn't like stories about the Master? Well, this is an exception.

My Words on Your Skin by time_wraith. A Jack/Ianto calligraphy story.

Need (Illegitimate) by wired_lizard. A study of Gwen this time, in the absence of Jack. I haven't read a lot of Gwen stories, but I liked the way this one dealt with her viewpoint.

Part of Life's Fascination by marag. I like the notion of Captain Jack Harkness meeting Bruce Wayne.

The Secret of the Mysterious Coat (in 5 Parts) by scarlettgirl. Then there's Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Conclusion. Crossover drabbles that I found delightful, and so beautifully in character.

Now, once you've read that series, it has a beautiful tie-in crossover epilogue: The Secret of the Mysterious Coat: The Coat Strikes Again.

Soap by babel. I liked this angle on the Jack/Ianto relationship; not the way I'd have approached it, but delightfully convincing.

Something New by nym777. Jack and the Doctor and the TARDIS.

Think of Something by lightgetsin. A nice timeline-cross story, but it isn't really the action here that enchants me, it's the study of the Doctor, and the writing style.

Triad by amberwind. Another take on the Jack/Doctor/Rose relationship after Doctor Who series three. Sad, but beautifully written, and in a way that rings true even if it's not the truth I prefer.

Vertigo by so_wildish. Yet another story about the Jack/Doctor love after Doctor Who series three. I love the way fans find different ways of approaching the same twists and turns of psychology in different ways.

Voodoo Child by Penemuel. I'm not (as you can see by this list) into stories about The Master, but I liked the way this one tied Jack into the time vortex, making him a part of the supernatural events.

Wrong by wendymr. The Jack/Doctor pairing interpreted the way I like it.

You Can Always Come Home by pokerkitten. A Jack/Ianto drabble; set after Torchwood series 1, with Jack still missing.

You Too by altogetherisi. Another overview of relationships, from Martha's point of view, and Jack's, too. Nicely interwoven. I liked the approach to the Doctor here.

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A Veronica Mars story: In The Cards by Kass. A nice take on a Veronica/Weevil/Logan threesome. I thought the pancakes were a particularly good touch.