rec: six ways barbara and/or ian might have died and one way they never did

[netgirl-y2k.livejournal.com]

Story: Six Ways Barbara and/or Ian Might Have Died and One Way They Never Did
Author: agapi42
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 1353
Author's Summary: Across the timelines, fates diverge. What could have been might be, somewhere.
Characters/Pairings: Barbara/Ian, Martha, First Doctor, Tenth Doctor
Warnings: Character Death

Recced because: I am sucker for AUs and this fic is a series of six really interesting ones looking at Barbara, Ian, their adventures and what night have been but thankfully wasn't. As you can probably tell from the title this fic isn't exactly a barrel of laughs all the way through but the ending still manages to be one of the sweetest and most uplifting things I've read in this fandom.

( Snippet )

Rec: Stories You Don't Tell

[samantha2074.livejournal.com]

Story: Stories You Don't Tell
Author: Amy Wolf
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 2,909
Author's Summary: She was simply the wrong mother for the wrong son.
Characters/Pairings: Original Character, the Doctor (pre-series)
Warnings: None

Recced because: Why I don't mind the half-human bit from the TV Movie: stories like this that take a throw-away line and give us a thoughtful, detailed backstory to go with it, along with an intriguing take on what might make the Doctor tick. And a story about the failures and frustrations of motherhood hits me in the gut in a really personal way. The story may be short, but the author packs such detail and emotion into it that I'm haunted by it long after I've read it.

REC: Huntsman

[biichan.livejournal.com]

Story: Huntsman
Author: LizBee
Rating: None (probably All Ages or Teen)
Word Count: 6217
Author's summary: "A passing huntsman heard Red Riding Hood's cries..." Martha knows where fairy tales come from. She just never expected to be part of one.
Characters/Pairings: Tenth Doctor, Martha, Rose, Romana I, Romana II, Seventh Doctor, Jamie, Susan, Ninth Doctor, The Bad Wolf, The TARDIS
Warnings: none, really, except some second person in the dream sequences

Recced because: This fic has it all: funny bits, serious bits, spooky bits, and poignant bits. It's about Martha and the TARDIS trying to get her to fix something that's gone wrong within it, but it's also about fairy tales. It's about the big bad wolf. It's about the ghosts in the machine.

It's wonderfully atmospheric and beautifully written. There's a real love for canon informing every word. Maybe the best way to express how good this fic is would be to let LizBee's words speak from themselves: ( Short excerpt. )