Straight? So is spaghetti until you heat it up.

So, my H/D mojo is still in the doldrums. Then again, when you've read over 2000 fics - give or take 100 - over 4 years it's to be expected, I suppose. But I have discovered new, shiny authors of original slash.

No, no. Don't skim on by because I mentioned to two words ORIGINAL SLASH. Think about it: characters as hot as Harry and Draco; new plots and scenarios; whole new worlds to be discovered; no tricksy canon to get around. My Christmas gift to you is a rec list of some of the best I've come across so far:

Gay Historical Fiction

Check out erastes (used to be underlucius in the HP fandom) she has written the wonderful Standish: set in the Georgian period when homosexuality was punishable by hanging, Frost Fair and many short stories. Books can be ordered from Amazon and other smaller publishers and excerpts can be read here on her web site. Also available in e-book format from here.

Through erastes, I discovered alex_beecroft who has crafted a variety of superb historical fiction. Her website is here and, for those of us counting the pennies/cents, some of her work is available in e-book format from here.

Another gem of an author is lee_rowan. I adore her age of sail - think Master and Commander here - books. Her website is here and her work is also available in e-book format from here.

My favourite of hers so far has to be Ransom. This book hit all my buttons and then some: accurate period detail, believable characters, interesting plot and an element of non-con that is essential to the plot. Here's the blurb:

It's 1799, and love between men is one of society's greatest taboos. Lt. David Archer is an officer in His Majesty's Navy and a gentleman of Regency Society. He is also hopelessly in love with his shipmate, Lt. William Marshall. David is certain that his feelings, if expressed, would be met with revulsion. Afraid of losing the strong friendship that he has forged with William, he is determined to take the secret to his grave.

Although William is young, his innate talent has allowed him to quickly rise above his humble background as a parson's son, and gain a reputation as a promising officer. The Royal Navy is his world, and in that world there is no room for anything as frivolous as romance, much less anything that contravenes the Articles of War... particularly Article XXIX, which demands death as the punishment for "the unnatural and detestable sin of sodomy."

When the two young men are abducted by a ruthless pirate who finds pleasure in toying with his captives, they're thrown together in close quarters and faced with some difficult choices. William struggles with his growing feelings for David and, try as he might to dismiss them, he can't. When David makes a painful sacrifice to protect the man he loves, the reason for it is clear and the passion that they have denied for so long is realized for the first time. But before the lovers can have any sort of life together, they must first escape. After that, they face an even greater challenge-is their love strong enough to survive a clandestine life under the ever-present threat of the Navy's implacable Articles of War? *drools*


Slightly Futuristic (and deliciously dark) Fiction


What a treasure trove of novels, novellas and one-shots I uncovered when I stumbled across manna francis' Administration Series. If you liked frayach's Good Guys, you'll love these fics.

There are no bad guys. There are no good guys. There are only better guys, and worse guys.

One of the worse guys is Val Toreth. In a world where torture is a legitimate part of the investigative process, he works for the Investigation and Interrogation Division. One of the better guys is Keir Warrick, a corporate director. His small corporation, SimTech, is developing a 'sim' system which places users in a fully-immersive virtual reality.

Their world is the dark future dystopia of New London, where Europe is controlled by a totalitarian bureaucracy, which shares political power with powerful corporations. The oppressive government uses torture, violence and the various Divisions of the feared Department of Internal Security to maintain power. The corporations fight amongst themselves, using lethal force under the euphemism of 'corporate sabotage', uniting only to resist attempts by the Administration to extend its control over them.

Her web site is here and most of her work is online. Now get reading!

Happy reading!