(no subject)

So the nominations for The Lawrence Awards are now up. There are a huge number of nominees in each category which inevitably means that the quality varies wildly. I confess to not being as excited about the project as I first was. I can't help but feel that no matter who wins the winners list won't be entirely representative of the best fanfiction that the Supernatural fandom has to offer. This is for two reasons. Firstly, a large number of authors have declined participaton because they dislike the concept of declaring one story to be the "best" and also because they want to avoid the fallout that will inevitably occur when the winners list is released. There are some brilliant stories up for nomination but there are also some extraordinarily weak ones. If one of the weaker stories wins - well madness will surely ensue. Secondly, an author can only have one work nominated per category- which has resulted in a number of superb stories being ruled ineligible including the insanity of maygra's False Comforts series being ineligible for best overall slash story

I like the idea of having one central list of recs though so am thinking of compiling a Season 1 master recs list using the same categories as The Lawrence Awards (with one extra one - I think there needs to be a best body swap category!)

Onto the recs:

Rodeo by kittyfisher

Sam/Dean

I remember kittyfisher well from the Smallville fandom where she wrote some very dark, nasty and utterly compelling Clark/Lex. This piece has Dean and a role playing cowboy Sam getting friendly in a sex club. The image of Sam naked in nothing but cowboy boots and spurs.......yeah that's definitely going to stay with me. I love the suggestion that Sam might be quite keen on the concept of putting Dean in a dress - now if she writes that fic I will definitely love her forever!

Books of the Living, Books of the Dead by poisontaster

Gen

Beautiful, sweet Dean character study based around the very clever idea that the dead talk to Dean in his dreams. Never been a fan of Jess but I love her voice in this.

And here we are as on a darkling plain by lyra_wing

Sam/Dean

Sam and Dean are accidentally hit by a satanists curse which leaves Dean with angelic powers and Sam the powers of a demon for a month. Love the visual image of a reptilian eyed, fork tongues Sammy (complete with horns) and Dean with angel's wings. Adorable. I so want a sequel where John finds them like that!

Stigmata by nixa_jane

Gen

This is a Lawrence Award nominee which I managed to miss when first published in which Dean develops the power to heal. It's sweet and a nice Dean character study.

Law of Diminishing Returns by witchofthedogs

Gen

Another Lawrence Awards nominee and a truly brilliant one that I can't believe I hadn't read before. The story is a series of 12 vignettes representing the 12 months of the year. It's a series of snapshots of the Winchester boys past and present. The story has a real palpable sense of melancholy about it as Dean remembers his family and what he has lost. The fragility of his relationship with Sam, frayed to breaking point after a 4 year absence from each other is beautifully depicted. And the drabble for January with a grieving John sitting alone at the window watching the snow fall because Mary loved the snow? Broke my heart into a thousand tiny pieces. Bittersweet.