"In utter loneliness a writer
tries to explain the inexplicable.... The writer must believe that
what he is doing is the most important thing in the world. And he
must hold to this illusion even when he knows it is not true."
~John Steinbeck
Updated 2/23/04
Buffy the Vampire Slayer &
Angel
Recommendations
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32
Short Fics About Xander Harris by nwhepcat
32 drabbles, each a snapshot of Xandery goodness, from Welcome to the Hellmouth
to Cleveland. (V, P)
All
Your Tomorrows by Jenny-O
Giles. Anya. The only way it could ever work, and how amazingly
inevitable this story makes it seem. (V)
Angel:
The Forgiven Arc by Perri Smith
A great story that starts with Lindsey making a slightly different
decision about the Scroll of Aberjian in "To Shanshu in LA." (Cordelia/Lindsey)
In Progress. (V)
Anywhere
But Here by Sarah T.
Post-Gift - Dawn takes an unauthorized field trip, with the most
interesting companion. The best Dawn-fic I've read. And Sarah writes
the best Ethan. (V)
Apocalypse: Sunnydale by Ducks
Archived at FanFiction.Net in the Buffy section. (J)
The
Art of Make Believe by Abaddon
Brilliant, subtle HP/BtVS crossover. Harry Potter is just an ordinary boy with a big imagination, until he gets sent to the guidance counselor. (V)
As
The Hellmouth Turns by Nikki
New Year's Eve on the Hellmouth. Hilarious hijinks ensue. (P)
The
Before Sunnydale Series by AliciaK
All of Alicia's stuff is great, but I especially like these stories
about Tara's life before Sunnydale. (P)
The
Bends by moonwhip
Lindsey, contemplating Angel. (PG, Mild Slashy themes) (V)
Blueberry
Syrup Is a Crime Against Nature and, by the way, Thanks for Saving the World
By Maddog
Xander and Giles chat, post-Grave. Very sweet and loving; just a wonderful little
fic.
Cabbages and Queens by Jennifer-Oksana
Okay, I finally got around to reading this and Oh. My. Fucking. God. Hilarious. With a side of snark. Lorne and Andrew and Must-See-TV. A quote:
Oh, Angel. So fond of styling products, yet so aimlessly style-free. It made Lorne want to cry, when he didn't want to shag him senseless, because if ever a straight man had more chemistry with every man in the room, it was the Gloomy Avenger. Angel had failed to have chemistry with Cordelia, who was, let's face it, sex on a stick if that's how you liked your sex. And sure, there was the crackly tension with Lilah, but like Wesley, Lilah made inanimate objects want to forget their gender, sexuality, and inanimate nature and jump on the legs.
Pity she was Satan herself and the walking dead, but that was Wesley's problem and he apparently solved it with kinky kinky sex. Lorne had Andrew camped on his couch eating Pirate Booty and getting jazzed for Will and Grace. That was his problem.
Must-Read-Fanfic, people. Must. Read. (V)
The Carnival's Spell by Laura Smith
Willow and Xander spend a magical night at the carnival. (P)
Carpentry
by nwhepcat
Seven drabbles about Xander and woodworking, beautifully realized. (V)
Christmas in Belize by Krissy
I'm not a big Riley fan, but this story hit me right in the gut.
It's dark and it hurts so good. (V)
Choices
by Liz Harris
Cordelia has a vision. It hits a little close to home. Short, but
packs a mean punch. (V)
Come
the Day by Kyra Cullinan.
Anya tries to readjust to being a demon, and it's not working out.
Poignant and pitch perfect. Spoilers for Beneath You. (V)
Cordelia
Chase: Porn Star by Kate Bolin et al.
Wonderful series about, well, Cordelia's career as a porn star.
Hilarious and so true to character. (V)
Creature
of Habit by Faithtastic
Beautiful Darla fic that gets right inside her head during her second
shot at being human. (V)
Decisions,
Revisions, Reversals by Amy
Dawn and Faith and The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock. Amy
gets the characters right -- Dawn's longing for a normal life, Faith's
longing to be forgiven (but still on her own terms) and includes
one of my favorite poems ever. And its sequel Spring
Cleaning: Faith and Dawn tackle cleaning out the attic at Chez Summers. There's
Barbie torture, which is one of my favorite things, as they sort
through old things, and their own feelings toward Buffy, and hers
toward them. Wonderful story. (V)
Deeply
Involved by Amy
Willow/Xander mushiness. (P)
Disco
Inferno by Amy
Excellent Dawn story. Excellent Dawn characterization. Dawn is pushing
the limits of what Buffy will allow, when Buffy bothers to notice.
Dawn's figured out how to slip under her radar. Sharp, insightful
and reveals Dawn's character. Good stuff. (V)
Doorway
to a Thousand Churches by Loki
An amazing look at Xander and Willow and the rest of the gang, ten
years down the road. Beautifully written, poignant and wonderful.
Unfinished. (V, P)
Ein
Sof (Endless) by Kate Bolin
Beautiful mythological explanation for Dawn. Too bad the season
didn't play out this way. . . (V, J)
Emotional Scar by Laura Smith
A heartbreaking and hot Remus/Giles fic set soon after Sirius is
sent to Azkaban (why yes, I did sort of poke her into it, but I
didn't have to push too hard. She was completely willing, because
Remus/Giles? Is The Hotness.) (V)
The
End of the Beginning by Mariner
Giles and Ethan run into some magical folks in the summer of 1981,
and get caught up in their struggle against a deadly enemy. Yes,
a BtVS/HP crossover that actually takes into account the differences
in metaphysics and tackles the question of how MWPP could have become
so fractured, plus Ethan and Snape snark, Giles being Research Guy
and a lovely version of James and Lily that made my heart ache all
over again for their deaths. (V)
Equation
by Elizabeth
Stunning Lindsey fic. (V)
Even
If It Kills Me by Tracy
Xander puts Willow's happiness ahead of his own, but he ends up
happy too. (P)
Exploring
the Universe by Dolimir
Xander! Willow! The broken yellow crayon! Woo! Ahem. A story that takes us from
that broken yellow crayon all the way to Cleveland in a few short snapshots
of Xander and Willow. Lovely. (V)
Faculties
Intact by James Hsiao
Xander questions his place on the bus, and thinks about striking out on his own. Post-Chosen, sniffly good X/W fic, written especially for me! (V)
Femme
Fatale by Bitch Willow
There's just not enough good Devon fic out there, ya know? And this
nails him. (V)
First
Night by Melissa Flores
The Angel Investigations crew meets the X-Men. It's the end of the
world as we know it. <g> (Angel/X-Men crossover) (V)
Forgotten
Girl by Mary Borsellino
What if the monks' spell had an expiration date? Delicate story of what Dawn
does after The Gift and an unexpected crossover that made me happy. (V)
Free
Will (The Happy Birthday Remix) by LJC
Great look inside Cordelia's head set during/around the time of
"Birthday", on choices she made, or didn't make, and the Doyleness
of it all makes me a little sniffly.(V)
The
Gang of Four by Jim Loats
Wherein we find out exactly why Cordelia never got along with Xander,
Willow or Jesse. (P, V)
Gonna
Make Some Changes by Rebecca Carefoot
Willow's got a plan to get Xander's attention. (P)
Half
a League Onward by mikelesq
Halfrek comes to Xander for help in destroying a demon. Fun, fast-paced,
good dialogue. I wouldn't mind seeing a plot like this on the show.
(V)
Hiding
From Cupid by Tracy
It's Valentine's Day, and Willow has to choose between the men she
loves. (P)
Holiday
at the Hyperion by Shanna
A great Christmas fic (what?) giving an old story a new twist. (V,
J)
Human
by insomnitic
Beautiful Xander dead letter fic. How to be human, from someone
who knows. (V)
Into
Pitch by Sarah T.
Seven Virtues, seven drabbles - amazing. Love the Giles one, especially.
(V)
Jezebel in Hell by Jennifer-Oksana
Dark, dark look at how Angel helps Cordelia deal with the pain of
her visions. (V)
Jimmy
Olsen by s.a.
Xander's life, via pastry. Oh-so-heartbreaking and perfect summation
of Xander. (V)
Joss
Whedon's Pride and Prejudice by Crystal and Karen
Yes, the Jane Austen classic redone, with Buffy as Darcy and Spike
as Elizabeth. More fun than should probably be legal. (D, V)
Just
As Foxy As Can Be by Te
Abso-friggin'-lutely one of the funniest, coolest, bestest Buffyfics
I've ever read. I'd pay a dollar to see this on TV. (V)
Lacerated
Sky by Jennifer-Oksana
An amazing Fred POV fic that gets her voice just right.
(V)
Last
Call by Queen Mab
Anya and Spike have a drink before the war. Spare and to the point
and just right. (V)
The
Last Summer by Annie Sewell-Jennings
A recasting of the story "On the Beach" with Buffy and Spike. (J)
Le
Lwa by Kate Bolin
Lush, hypnotic writing. Oz and Angel down in the Bayou. Absolutely
fabulous series. You can feel the temperature rising and the humidity
on your skin as you read. Kate is a goddess of fic. (Slash) (J,
V)
Lean
on Me by Seersha
Lovely Cordy/Angel friendship fic. (V)
Long
Forgotten by Amy
Xander angst leads to Willow/Xander mushiness. (P)
Loose
Lips, Sinking 'Ships by HonorH
The Angel crew meets the Internet. Find out what they REALLY think about all
the porn. Great story -- hey, it funnied my ticklebone! (M)
Lost
and Delirious by Jennifer-Oksana -
Amazingly well-written fic in which Lindsey tries to get lost, and
finds someone he never expected. (Slash) (V)
Matchmaker
by Lesley-Ann Colgan.
It's a cool story, and funny as hell. Xander and Dawn enlist a matchmaker
to set Buffy up with a suitable guy, but somehow all the guys are
found wanting. Until Xander himself steps up, at least... (P)
Minst'ring
Angel Thou by Sarah T.
Angel visits Lindsey in the hospital the night of "To Shanshu in
LA" (Slash) (V)
A
Mission From God by Gileswench
The Buffy and Angel gangs join forces to quest for the Holy Grail.
Odd. Very odd. (P, V)
More
Than It Doesn't by Danii
In Danii's words, "Let's just say that this fic explains more
than it doesn't about Xander..." (P, V)
No
Oceans Left (Feels Like a Kiss Remix) by Melymbrosia
Fab Justine fic that works for me. Could be because I haven't read
the original story, but it was jittery and broken and right in a
lot of ways. Plus, I really, really love the title. (V)
The
Only Boy in the World by Polly Burns
Willow and Vamp!Willow go on the prowl, and they decide to have Giles as a snack.
This is hot and creepy and nails the characters. (V)
A quote:
Once, he used to wish for intrigue, adventure- once, some of this would have
passed for intrigue and adventure. But, really, it's sloppy and chaotic, it's
not smooth and rich, not sleek with the promise of glory, like what he used
to dream of, in what he calls his youth. Wesley Wyndham Pryce reminds him so
much of himself that it aches. This is something else he'll never admit. Because,
under the leather and the put-on of decadence, he was that bright, once, that
irritatingly filled with hope.
Perspective by Kate Bolin
Killer fic - Rashomon-like exploration of an event that changes
the Scoobies' lives forever. (V)
A
Possible Fairytale by Jennifer-Oksana
Wesley and Gunn meet up a few years down the road, and try to make
a go of it. Great banter, bitter yet sweet yet realistic futurefic.
Sigh. I miss Wes/Gunn, and JennyO brings it but good. (V)
Rise
(Flesh of My Flesh Remix) by s.a.
This story takes a fascinating idea about Dawn's origins and makes
it hella creepy in a really satisfying way. And I didn't hate the
second person POV! (V)
Sex
With Vampires (Don't Do It) by Jennifer-Oksana
Hilarious Anya meditations on the possibilities of Spuffy and Cordy/Angel.
(V)
Spin, Spinning, Spun Out: A Tale of Love, Lust, Hormones and Empty
Coke Bottles by Pink Rabbit.
I love this fic. I'm not a big femslash fan, but I love this fic,
even though Cordelia, well, they do a hatchet job on my Cordy. (B/W
slash) (V, P)
Splinter
by Rheanna and Yahtzee
Action-packed fic detailing what might have happened after the AI
crew left Pylea but before they made it back to LA. (V)
Splinters
by Annie
Anya helps Xander deal with grief. (M, V)
Stages
Series by Nicolette Marquis McFadgen
Buffy and Xander grow closer in an alternate take on Season
Four. (P)
Still
Life in Glass by Annie Sewell-Jennings
Still the best of the Buffy-comes-back fics, and closest, I think,
to how she actually did. Clear, diamond-sharp prose. (V)
Strength
and Honour by Don Bentley
I never really thought of Gunn and Xander together, until I read this
amazing fic by Don. Hot, sexy, true to character -- let the real
men of the Buffyverse show you how it's done. (V)
Stone,
Grass by Twi
Sad, but not maudlin. Dawn contemplates erosion. (V)
Summertime
by s.a.
Buffy spends a summer in Sunnydale for the first time. Sweet, wistful,
quiet Buffyfic that sticks with you. Set after Grave. (V)
Sunnydale Calling, Five
Conversations and Three Fights by nwhepcat
AU with Xander breaking Faith out of jail to help with the First.
*Great* Xander characterization, good plot, lovely Willow/Xander
friendship moments, beautifully broken but trying to heal Faith...
It's all good here, and with the sequels, the one problem I had
with the first story (i.e., the Buffy-Xander conflict) is solved.
And how can you go wrong with a story where Xander listens to The
Clash? There is no bad here. (I understand there's another story
in the series in the works, so watch this space! *g*) (V)
Surge
by Sarah T.
What if that revivification spell in "To Shanshu in LA"
had done something to Lindsey, as well? (V)
Teach
Me to Hear the Mermaids Singing by carleton97
One of Vic's favorite fics, in which the Angel Investigations crew
comes to Sunnydale, and Cordelia shows everyone just how much she's
grown. Beautiful evocation of Angel-Cordy friendship. (V)
Ten
Minutes Up (The I Can Feel You Remix) by Zara Hemla
Riley, Riley, Riley... desperation and desire and always coming
up second-best... (V)
Test
Subject by Kate Bolin
A great post-Gift Dawnfic - plausible and angsty and so true
to character and the Buffyverse. (V)
Through
Your Eyes by Tracy
Willow and Xander do the body-switch thing, and wacky hijinks ensue.
(P, V)
Time
Means Nothing by Nicolette Marquis McFadgen
Epic story that takes Xander through hell in a second Vietnam War,
but eventually gives him a chance at making things right with Cordelia.
This is a damned intense story. (P)
Tomb of the Unknowns by Sophia Prester
Xander still visits Buffy's grave. Beautiful elegy for the endless
succession of nameless (and minor character) dead on the show. (P,
V)
Touchstone by LadyCat
Post-Dirty Girls Xander fic. ::sniffle:: They hurted my Xander!
But LadyCat gets to the heart of him, and what he means to Buffy,
Willow and "The Mission." (V)
The Unicorn and the Slayer by M. Scott Eiland
BtVS/Amber Chronicles crossover, archived at FanFiction.Net, in
the Buffy section. (J)
Unsung
Hero by Bri
Willow lets Xander know how much he means to her. (P)
Volcanoes Melt You Down by winter baby
Giles/Willow the way it might really work out - hard and cold and sharp, with a good Willow voice and some lovely prose. I don't quite buy Giles's characterization - he seems harder here than in canon - but for the fic, it works. (V)
The
Waiting Room by Nestra
Death's not what Buffy expected. Excellent BtVS/Sandman crossover,
that nails both first season Buffy and Death. It made me a little
sniffly and still put a smile on my face, which is the essence of
both BtVS and Sandman, don't you think? (V)
Warmth
by Te
Willow and Xander in the aftermath of "Two to Go/Grave." It's Xander
and Willow as we know and love them best. Just a little... sadder
and more mature. (V)
Willpower
by Flywoman
Post-Gone Willow-fic that's so much better than what the
show's given us. (V)
Wishing to Be Snow by Jenny-O
So sad and so true, a perfect Cordelia voice. Cordelia tries to figure out how to fix what's been
broken, and how she let romance get in the way of love. (V)
Woman
of Steel (Black and Blue Remix) by Benaresq
This remix takes what was a fairly light story and makes it ouchy,
and god, after "Dirty Girls," I was *so* feeling Xander's pain.
::huggles her Xander:: (V)
Would
You
Comfort
Me?
by Laura Smith
A four part series (each word links to a separate story). Willow
and Xander grow closer after she turns to him for help. (V, P)
Xanderslut
by the Webrain
What do you think it's about? Xander gets his mojo working
and has a fun-filled day. (NC-17, Slash) (V)
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