hope | Super-recs (Reply)

In alphabetical order and organised into categories because I RULE like that. Slash mixed in with gen, but marked accordingly.

Quite possibly I’ll add more as I get to them (will *asterisk new ones or something, and put a note at the top). BUT GO NOW, FROLIC JOYOUSLY AMONGST THE AWESOME FIC THAT IS THE SUPERNATURAL FANDOM!

* 174 recs as of February 18, 2007

Author recs

These authors are well represented in the recs below, but for good measure, if you want a guaranteed awesome read, go for anything by these guys.

b stearns (

eighth_horizon/

gekizetsu)
(gen, some Sam/Dean)
I'm not sure where to start with this author... She goes above and beyond the usual quality I'd identify as "really, really good fanfiction" and goes onto another plane entirely. These stories can hurt me to read, both with the angst crafted such that it's a bit difficult to categorise it under that keyword, and with the accuracy in her crafting of their dynamic, and again, the humanity. ~~(OH, THE HUMANITY!)~~ It really is a visceral reaction.

Drusilla (

drvsilla)
(Sam/Dean)
I am in love with Dru's style of writing. She really hits my language buttons with her word-play, and rhythm-play, and just the general way she constructs her stories - the narrative/plot is more often than not subordinated by the construction of atmosphere and tone (and mis-en-scene), and it works, really well.

esorlehcar (

esorlehcar)
(Sam/Dean)

esorlehcar, at the time of writing this, only writes stories in this one 'verse for the Supernatural fandom. And fuck, what an awesome 'verse it is. The angst is astoundedly crafted and bitter and sharp and it works like whoa because her characters are so freaking awesome, gritty and solid and sharp themselves. And fierce. I like them fierce. Go read all these stories, now.

Maygra (

maygra)
(Sam/Dean and gen)
I am in awe of Maygra's brain. AWE, I TELL YOU. Her novel-length AUs in particular seem to have a habit of taking over my brain and zap my neurons. Frequently dark and violent (make sure you pay attention to the warnings on the headers, yo'), always mind-staggering in their conception and painfully accurate in their emotion.

minkmix (

minkmix)
(gen)
This author is so very, very prolific that I can't keep up, but everything I read I invariably enjoy. Great for relatively short (but definitely complete) one-shots for hijinks and hunts, or just plain 'ole domesticity (or what equates to domesticity, for the Winchesters). Fabulously comfortable, cheerful writing style that effortlessly plays with dialogue and dynamics, humorous and touching.

Olivia (

appletarts) * updated links
(Wincest and gen)
Olivia's style is just... wow. Something close to my heart. Bypassing romance and heading straight for the primal, sliding the knife in with just as much accuracy and more surprise than your usual heart-jerker. Sometimes scary, the way it can push your buttons. Sadly few lengthy pieces, but enough snippets or snapshots that cut just as well; I'll take whatever I'm given.

onelittlesleep (

onelittlesleep)
(mainly gen, some slash)
Her pre-series stuff especially just slays me. The breathless accuracy in just the most mundane of occurences, or rather - non-drama, essential truths of being young, being in a family, trying to grow up - it's lovely and heart-clenching and choke-worthy all at once. Oh, and her crack and OMC slash is pretty damn awesome, too.

poisontaster (

poisontaster)
(Sam/Dean and gen)

poisontaster has a beautiful grasp on the characters and their dynamic, her stories can fill me with so much love for them that I'm just about to choke on it.

* Shalott (

astolat)
(Sam/Dean)
Oh, AWESOME. Know what I love? When awesome writers suddenly discover your fandom and start outpouring masses and masses of awesome fic. Shalott is incredibly skilled, all her pieces are polished and solid and entertaining and engaging, and her characterisation is a glorious thing to behold. Also, the Sam/Dean relationships she explores are wonderful, not so much doing things that have never been done before in fandom, but characterising them so convincingly that they're not just a cliche. Also, LONG STORIES. FTW.

trollprincess (

trollprincess)
(Sam/Dean and gen)
Is there anything

trollprincess attempts that doesn't turn out awesome? The answer, of course, is no. Slash, gen, AU, humour, angst... It's all there with that glorious essence of the truth of humanity that stitches through each of the stories, and gets me every time.

Pre- and During-Stanford (also known as "Pre-series")

a journey of a thousand miles by

killabeez
(Sam/Dean UST, PG-13)
This is such a wonderful, poignant look at Sammy in his adolescence - realising the world around him's kinda fucked-up, and he's kinda fucked-up too, and needing to grieve for that. Oh, Sammy.

Baby Steps by

jediprincessdsv
(gen, G)
Oh god, I can't resist reccing this one, as it makes me emit a high-pitched whine and then explode in a cloud of butterflies and jelly beans. Ahem. From baby!Sam's POV. And when I say baby, I mean baby.

But I Never Could Sharpen No Blade, Quite the Way He Say by

onelittlesleep
(gen, PG-13)
Oh, boys. Just so spot on with the characterisation here; all their loves and fears and ordinariness and extraordinariness thrown in there to make these perfect studies. Love it.

Five Times Sam was Hot for Teacher by

pheebs1
(Sam/OMC, Sam/OFC, R)
Oh, I love slut!Sam so much. Sam should have as much sex with as many different people as possible. At the same time, even. Each section of this one is telling all in its own, reflecting the specific stage in Sam's life as well as the wider picture of his character. It's great, and hot, with pretty good original characters, for what it is. Yay.

Ghost Busted by

eloise_bright
(gen, PG-13)
A lovely and also heartbreaking story from the point of view of a very wee!Sammy. Very believable narration, managing to bring in so much more with the dramatic irony. Oh, heart.

Halo (In Reverse) by

poisontaster
(gen, but with m/m (Dean/other), NC-17)
This just... wow. The author takes this wink-wink nudge-nudge potentially gratuitous/cheesy/over-the-top concept (and believe me, I've seen it done that badly, several times) and makes it just... yeah. Perfect, painful Dean characterisation, leaving you feeling broken but more complete than before you read it.

How To Save A Life by

trollprincess
(gen, PG-13)
What is it with my favourite authors being able to read my mind? Here are a number of ways Sam's still Sam at Stanford. Heart.

I've Seen Tonight by

poisontaster
(gen, G)
OH GOD THIS KILLED ME. Because it's all so adorable and beautiful and right and in 6 months it'll be utterly destroyed. OW, MY HEART.

Incarnations by

drvsilla
(Sam/Dean, NC-17)
This is the third story in Dru's Fixation series, my favourite of that bunch (you can find previous parts linked in the header). Mainly because it tore my poor little heart out and stomped all over it. Oh. Oh boys.

It's Got Bells On by

lyra_wing
(gen, R)
This had to be written after the antics in Hell House, and oh, it was broughten. Hilarious, siblings at each other's throats the way only siblings can be. They're Very Special Boys.

Latitude and Longitude by

minkmix
(Winchesters, gen, PG)
This story gives me so much glee. John dealing with two young boys. And young boys? Are brats. No, seriously. Screw all those giant, damp eyes and solemn, wise questions. They are violent and obnoxious little shits. This story captures that so incredibly perfectly and playfully. The reality of childhood, and family, and love and annoyance. So great!

Music is My Radar by

natfudge
(Winchesters, gen, PG-13)
I was surprised how well this story worked - it documents the evolving musical tastes of the Winchesters, growing up. I laughed delightedly countless times whilst reading :)

Push Me Over The Side by

onelittlesleep
(gen, R)
Beautiful portrait of the Winchester family (with Sam at age 15). The mundanity of the every day when you're transient demon-hunters, and also an adolescent. So sharp and just spot-on, without being a transcendental lecture on their emotional states.

Red Beans and Rice by

janissa11
(gen, PG-13)
Such a touching, grass-roots story. Dean, holding his family together, told through such a beautiful metaphor (and not so much metaphor), no purple prose and pretty damn simple, when it comes down to it. Just like Dean. This is beautifully constructed and executed.

Sacred Not Secret by

appletarts (formerly

olivia_notebook) [Now UNlocked]
(gen, G)
Olivia strikes again! I'm usually not all that fond of short fics, but Olivia manages to say so MUCH in so few words, they don't NEED to be longer. They have immense punch just on their own, especially with the spot-on, gritty-real characterisation and circumstances. I draw big hearts around this one.

School Days by

derryderrydown
(gen, G)
Man I love this, SO HARD. Mixed-media story, told through Dean's school work, letters home, and letters back. A must-read. The epitome of 'show, don't tell' and bloody delightful.

* Summer Blackout by

nutkin
(Sam/Dean, NC-17)
Underage, but not really in a creepy way. The author pulls it off with an awesome atmosphere of claustrophobic, breathless summer heat, and a great Dean (and Sam) characterisation that is age-specific and -appropriate. Gorgeous, evocative piece of writing.

Sunshine State by

innie_darling
(Sam/OMC, Sam/OFCs, Sam/Jess, NC-17)
An amazing story that spans Sam's time at Stanford. AWESOME original characters, amazing relationship dynamics, brilliant warts-and-all characterisation of Sam.

The Wild One by

trollprincess
(gen, PG-13)
SAM SMASH! This needed to be written after The Benders. Breathlessly satisfying. Because, yep. *fans*

To Wish Impossible Things by

lea_ndra
(Sam/Dean, NC-17)
I love this story a great deal. And I'm noticing a pattern here... The Pre-Stanford stories I adore seem to have that wonderful approach with the focus on being a teenager and growing up, oh, and there's the demon hunting, but that's just what they do. There's a lot more to deal with internally when you're going through puberty, duh. Solid, satisfying writing with characterisation that doesn't rely on a lack of gaps in the canon, but manages to flesh everything out beautifully.

untitled by

olivia_notebook/

appletarts (flocked)
(Sam/Dean, NC-17)
I realise this is flocked, but dammit, this is MY recs list and I use it to bookmark and re-visit my own favourite pieces. I love Olivia's style and tone so much. This is a gorgeous piece, so atmospheric and economical but definitely not sparse. Love.

Vocabulary by

innie_darling
(gen, PG?)
The denouement in this story alone is enough for me to rec it. Aside from that, this is another lovely look at the... well, the normality of being a teenager, and how it's just that, but still new to the person experiencing it; all within the complete lack of normality that is the Winchesters' lives... yep.

What Things Burn the Sun (ephemera) by

drvsilla
(Sam/Dean, R)
To paraphrase the feedback I left for this story... The author is just so good at crafting such evocative descriptions without straying into purple prose. She creates beauty out of domesticity and then slots the characters on in there to experience it (and live it) and the results are sublime.

* World Anew collection by

drvsilla
(Sam/Dean, Adult)
More deliciously delightful fic from Dru, complete with wee!angst and cuddling. *happy sigh*

Present - Season 1 & 2

12 Prompt-me Ficbits by

drvsilla
(slash and a little gen, NC-17)
Oh Dru. This set pretty much sums up everything I love about her writing. All fluid and mercurial and all over the place and clingy and sweet and hot and yay. Giant hearts.

a mount rushmore for assassins by

tripoli8
(gen, Dean, pre-series through S2)
To paraphrase feedback yet again: The style of this is so close and reflective, but most definitely not stagnant (as so much character study is, sigh). Very mobile, getting you there before you realise then PUNCHING YOU IN THE GUT. Beautiful.

All Out Of Sight by

whereupon
(gen, R)
In which things don't always go to plan, Dean's not the plucky hero, and Sam is pretty much unscrupulous when it comes to his brother. Breathless stabs of accuracy in this one.

* Almost Everything by

sevenfists
(Sam/Dean, NC-17)
Lovely domestic slash, with brotherly ribbing and bickering and sexing. Yay!

And Fools Shine On by

eighth_horizon
(gen, R)
Dark, heart-clenching, angst-filled but without the 'chick flick moments' - it's their salvation, but dude, no need to make anything of it - it just is.
Sequel: If Belief Was Enough, with another in this 'verse coming soon. Seriously, read everything

eighth_horizon writes. I will rec more of them soon, when my heart has stopped hurting enough that I can go back to those entries.

Another road song by

thete1
(gen, PG-13)
SAM'S BRAIN. This story is fabulous, episodic like an episode on crack, where the ordinary is hilarious in a comedy-of-errors kinda way. Not precociously so, though - the author pulls it off brilliantly. N'aww brotherly love.

Ash and Bone by

olivia_notebook
(Sam/Dean, NC-17)
Harsh, like really bright light. A history and a summary, and tied up in a not-neat little bundle of knots. Love this. Love the author's complete neglect of romanticism and the way she deals with just the bare, painful bones of things.

Atmosphere (5 Times Dean Doesn't Kiss Sam) by

nixwilliams
(gen, pre-series to S2, PG-13)
This is so gorgeous. Each part so striking and independent and spot on, then drawing them all together at the end with a STAB TO MY HEART! I love it, a LOT.

Bargains by

marinarusalka
(gen, PG-13)
This one gives me glee, it's such a fun read. Investigating a missing persons case, our favourite brothers discover the culprit is faeries (in all their non-sparkly, actually-quite-cold-and-calculating glory). Good, solid episodic writing with a bunch of laughs.

* Binding by

astolat(Sam/Dean, NC-17, S2)
SOULBONDING FOR THE WIN. Shalott's Dean-voice trumps everything ever, I think. So touching and THEM, which means kinda gritty and whatever as well.

Carry Me Over the Sky by

killabeez
(Sam/Dean, NC-17, S2)
Ahhhh. I think the thing I love about

killabeez is that she doesn't sacrifice the emotional stuntedness of the characters in order to make a piece emotional. What *makes* her work so effective is the realism in the fucked-uppedness of the characters, and by effective I mean holy crap, PUNCH me in the gut, why don't you. Wonderful gritty characterisation and realism in the sex scenes and other behaviour, too. All over, AWESOME.

close by

violetsmiles
(Sam/Dean, R)
Max! I, er, have a Max thing. A fascination. Not only does this story have Max-stuff in it, but it's good, too. An inexorable build of dread like a lump in your throat. Plus, Sam's BRAIN.

Crossroad Dirt by

killabeez
(gen, R)
I guess you could call this an AU - its premise is speculation out from the end of Devil's Trap. Dear god, it's amazing. Very densely and carefully constructed, a perfect piece of complex, oiled machinery. Very real, very true. Dude, what are you waiting for? Go read it NOW.

Devil Driven by

writings_from
(Sam/Dean, R)
Another story that gives me great glee (what am I talking about? all of these do). There's a curse, the only way out is through - the are subjected to the seven deadly sins. Guess who gets what? Hijinks ensue. Hot and hilarious and well-characterised.

Don't Know How to Let You Go by

merepersiflage
(Sam/Dean, NC-17)
This is a really slashy story - as in, that style that is just the epitome of 'slash', yaknow, how it's not *just* about the boytouching? Anyway, I'm fond of this, as it is hot and also beautifully in character. I love it when they bitch and banter and be brotherly (and all those other b-words) in the sack. Because really, as if it would be any other way. Even with all that angst.

Down From Here by

stone_princess
(Sam/Dean, R)
This still makes me cackle in glee to think about. "The boys find themselves in a tight spot" is the summary, and yep. Lovely characterisation, because boys will be boys and brothers will be brothers.

fifteen minute ficlet #4 by

olivia_notebook
(gen, PG)
So simple, so complete, frigging perfect. Better than poetry, right up there with the best of the short stories/prose.

Five Stages of Love by

oxoniensis
(slash, NC-17)
The premise might be clichéd, but the author carries it off by actually re-looking at each of the stages, taking an accurate slant on them instead of relying on what's typical. Summary: Sometimes, love's not much different from grief. Yeah, that works.

Fundamental Image 'verse by

rei_c
(slash, NC-17)
This is ... different. Like looking at the Supernatural 'verse through a heat haze, or fever-dream. Things are slightly different, like they're coated in hot, sticky tar. Thick and difficult wading, constant feedback hum. Kinda Lynchian, now that I think about it; but more humid.
- re-starred, because there is a whole epic VERSE for this story. Amazingly dense and huge, solid in its construction. Amazing.

Guardians of a Rare Thing by

esorlehcar
(Sam/Dean, NC-17)
Hee. Lovely brotherly characterisation, as well as, er, character characterisation. Very satisfying progression and tension-building to leave you happy.

hard to come by by

sevenfists
(Sam/Dean, R)
That bitter taste in your mouth that you can't really escape. 'Not real happy' is the author's notes, and that's it, essentially. Not angst, but not real happy. Just humanity, and reality.

* Head's Up by

minkmix
(gen, PG, S1)
Mink's fic continues to utterly delight me. This was hilarious, a beautifully accurate progression of events.

Highway Survivalists' Roadmap: 1; 35; 78; 92; 154 by

drvsilla
(Sam/Dean, NC-17)
Dru's gorgeous, fluid writing style again, with that beautifully, simply crafted domesticity - on the road. Awesome, hot, can't wait for more in this 'verse.

I'm Not Touching You (And Other Annoying Games Little Brothers Play) by

trollprincess
(Sam/Dean, NC-17)
This story will always strike me as the epitome of SPN fanfic - the humour, the mind games, the bickering, the setup, the incest. It makes me very happy, as it is very clever and also tricky. Read!!

In Jerusalem Next Year by

peripheralsight
(Sam/Dean, NC-17)
An insight into the World Of Wincest during that four-years-apart (or was it two? oh canon, youso tease-ful). Wonderful establishment of character and plot and progression, a very entertaining and insightful read. Also, teh gay secks.

It doesn't explain the ocean by

rageprufrock
(gen, R)
I love this story so much. The writing is just divine - clear and real and sharp. The characterisation is so economically lovely (not too much, not too little), giving the reader such a comfortable joy at learning these things of the characters that are new but so true... I love it.

Like Neighbor and Weigh by

sevenfists
(slash, R)
Supposedly this is schmoop. It makes me happyhappy and my little heart glow with love. Is that what schmoop is? Definitely not saccharine, the author captures the intimacy and ease of brothers and lovers and just simple human need.

Maybe by

drvsilla
(Sam/Dean, PG-13)
Post-Shadow, not a negation or denial of the canon but another option opened up. Oh, the heart-clutch and visceral surge of hope this gives me. Dru's style, again, seeping in through the narrative and winding 'round my ribcage.

Missing Scenes and Tags by K Hanna Korossy
(gen, PG-13)
This series of fics is like, the epitome of 'broyay'. Gen, but still soinlove, solidly and satisfyingly written, well-characterised, and also lots of hurt/comfort. Read now!

* Muscle of Love by

researchgrrrl
(gen, R)

researchgrrrl writes fic that SHOULD be trashy bodice-rippers, but really, that's just the plot. Fabulous gen characterisation, exciting action, funny and clever and engaging. Great fun.

Night Moves by

researchgrrrl
(Dean/OFC, NC-17)
Pretty much PWP, with a great fleshy (in more ways than one!) OFC, extremely hot and great Dean characterisation. And long! Many words! A delightful read.

No Standard Operating Procedure Exists by

poisontaster
(Sam/Dean, NC-17)
Oh boys! Yep, this needed to be written after Dean Man's Blood, and who better to do it? The author yet again hits the nail on the head, angling this in right where I want it and leaving me desperately wanting more in this 'verse.

On Midsummer Nights I Dream Of Winchesters by

deirdre_c
(Sam/Dean, NC-17)
Oh, this is just delightful. So very clever and touching and FUNNY and hot. And Dei rocks. Sam and Dean are cursed to perform Shakespearean verse. Ten million times better than that sounds on its own. Read!

Out of Focus by

shadow_shimmer
(slash, NC-17)
It's nice to read a slash story that's fucked up in this fandom. Not the sudden gleeful relief of discovering each other, but kicking and screaming and fucked-up all the way with no resolution. Yeah, this is one of those stories. Works so well with the characterisation that doesn't assume softness immediately below the surface, but bravado that still sticks because it's a defence mechanism, and this is a situation that requires defence.

People Livin' in Competition by

ladyjaida
(Sam/Dean, PG-13)
IT'S STUPID, AND IT ALWAYS ESCALATES. Oh god, I love this story so much. She takes it and she runs with it. It's funny and hot and them and awesome.

Private Language by

ethrosdemon
(slash, R)
Toes the edge then rips you back, perfect demonstration of the complexity and inevitable downfall that would occur. If it could ever occur. Beautiful momentum-build, the gradual lapping in of the tide, pretty fucking dangerous, really.

Red by

big_pink
(gen, R, pre-series through to present)
This story completely blows my mind. Incredible storytelling, and god, the detail and research that must have gone into it awes, humbles and intimidates me. Three stories told simultaneously, all winding up into one. Terrifying monster, brilliant charactersation, amazing, AMAZING setting and OCs like I can't even tell you. READ IT. RIGHT NOW.

Romance Goes Out The Window With Dad In The Next Room by

merepersiflage
(Sam/Dean, NC-17)
To paraphrase feedback again, the dialogue alone was enough to sell me on this fic. As if sex would be an exception to them constantly bitching at each other! Oh, and as well as the gleeful spot-on-character dialogue, the sex is pretty damn hot too.

Room and Board by

maygra
(Sam/Dean, NC-17)
Rentboy fic! And not an AU. Maygra pulls it off ~~(so to speak)~~ brilliantly. Hot and insightful and not as fangirl-skeevy as the premise has the potential to make it. I wish she'd write more slash.

Shadows and Sunshine Land by

scribblinlenore
(gen, PG-13)
Another episodic (and by episodic, I mean in the style of an episode of the show) fic, a good read that offers flashes of insight into characterisation like we'd get in the show, only better, because we're in their heads. Some murky water.

Somatic by

stillane
(gen, PG-13)
Ouch. Denouement, yes, it brings you along... There is no dramatic irony in this, and that's really what makes it. Very clever, and all the more effective because of it.

Somehow I Made It Through by

revelininsanity
(gen, PG)
Another delightful episodic fic. In which not all supernatural things are bad; in fact, some of them are just as not-normal as the rest of us. Also, lovely brotherly things.

Somewhere Between Static and Interruptions by

drvsilla
(Sam/Dean, R)
I considered putting this in the AU category, but decided against it, because, just... the element that could be considered AU in this universe of stories just slots right on into Dru's writing style, enhances and saturates it, and believe me - that's what's good about her writing. The intricate but not overwhelming detail, intertwining around the characters and their relationship like they do around each other.

Sounds of Silence by

sunrize83
(gen, PG-13, S2)
A lovely gen hurt/comfort in the most grassroots sense, ah, makes me pine for my early fandom days. Or maybe just early S1 days. Good, solid writing, good, understated angst and h/c.

St.Peter's Bones by

peripheralsight
(Sam/Dean, NC-17)
Episodic, but so much more than just a TV show. These are their lives, how they deal, how they don't deal, how they *cough* make out. Great story and great storytelling.

Status Quo by

alethialia
(gen, PG-13)
Brotherly banter and their own version of domesticity. I love these warm, comfortable stories.

Tempt not a desperate man by

elmo_loves_me
(Sam/Dean, NC-17)
Um. Sex pollen fic. I debated whether to put this in the 'Crack & Crossover' section or not, then decided to put it in the normal section, because heck, supernatural. This story makes me cackle with glee. If you don't know what sex pollen is, all you need to know is that it's a plot device. If you want to find out more, GO READ THE DAMN STORY.

That sometime did me seek by

lcsbanana
(Sam/Dean, NC-17)
LC totally hits my kink button here like none of the whips-and-chains BDSM stories can. This is more a character (or dynamic) study than a kink story, which makes it so much damn hotter than crackfic seems to manage. THUMBS UP. So to speak.

The Most of Never-Never by

ficbyzee
(Sam/Dean, NC-17)
I like the stories that aren't just hot and satisfying, but take their time getting there in a realistic manner. Like, they're brothers, dude, and though a few authors are able to pull off that whole "fuck the world, we're different" trip, keeping it in character and getting it to the incest bit takes a good degree of skill. This fic has it.

* Under Hill by

astolat
(Sam/Dean, NC-17)
Best amnesia fic ever. The amnesia side of things is hole-less (which is refreshing), and the slash hot and smooshy and hurty. A good long read, too. The week after this was posted, at least four people in meatspace asked me "did you read the amnesia fic??" Just do it.

Unspoken by

raina_at
(Sam/Dean, NC-17)
I can't believe I missed this one before. Long, satisfying angsty read but with excellent payoff and great sex. This fic makes my insides twist around a bit.

Until I Can See Again by

poisontaster
(Sam/Dean, R)

poisontaster hits the nail on the head again with this one, in a variety of ways. Her Sam/Dean always kills me, but the secondary characters in this one nearly did me in, too. Oh, my heart. Read all the stories in this 'verse, it's totally worth it.

Wuxing (Five Goings) by

poisontaster
(Sam/Dean, NC-17, see warnings)
I am completely blown away by this piece. A remix of a

maygra fic, PT manages to encapsulate the scope of Maygra's work beyond the single story and provide... well, an homage to it as much as a remix of it. Powerful stuff, hitting my primal kinks. And with a blend of both Maygra's and PT's Sam/Dean, it's simply stunning.

You Never Had It So by

mandysbitch
(slash, NC-17)
Another story that doesn't delicately shunt the issue of being siblings who raised each other to the side. Because that is actually going to cause issues as well as intimacy when it comes to sex. Great kind of vernacular fic, nothing fancy but it really frigging works.

Future (post-S1 & otherwise)

Can't Push It Underground by

trollprincess
(gen, PG-13)
With a denouement that gave me whiplash. The good way. What happens to the Winchesters After?

Chains of Babylon (All in Your Mind) by

poisontaster
(Sam/Dean, NC-17, PT'S Heart 'verse)
This piece is astounding - the size of an epic, and I guess it is epic, but such a tight character focus. The premise is definitely more about the characters than just a handy plot device, and it HURTS. A great, solid read, and can I have more around this time in the 'verse now, plz?

Family Comes First by

ethrosdemon
(gen, PG-13)
Oh, Sam. And also Dean. And all associated Winchesters. They find their own 'normal'.

happy ending by

eighth_horizon
(gen, PG)
It sure is a happy ending. So perfectly them, and so happy I'ma choke on it.
Finally Gets Home and This Bitter Cup, sequels co-written with

maygra
Again in this verse: Oe'r the ramparts, we watched. So happy!

Second Sight series by

maygra
(gen, PG-13)
Maygra read my meta-musing-mind on this one. The demon has been defeated and Sam is left (seer) blind. A slow, steady exploration of what happens next, for all three Winchesters; at once both delicate and intense.

Stumbling Across Its Bleak Ending and companion: Practical Men of the World by

esorlehcar
(Sam/Dean, NC-17)
Beautiful, strong characterisation of beautiful, strong characters. Also, SOINLOVE. Sharp and thick, like a butcher's knife sliding between my ribs. But in a good way.

What I Keep and What I Carry by

poisontaster
(Sam/Dean, PG-13)
Spanning from the present through to many decades in the future as the basis for a number of stories in this 'verse... oh, my heart. The author gives them a future, and each other.
(others in this universe: All I Hear is Your Heart and Five Heartbeats.)

Crack, AU & Crossover

This fandom has an absurd amount of awesome crackfic. I guess the canon allows it - I'm not about to start complaining!

A Fashionable Profit by

mad_gaters
(gen/crack, pre-Stanford, R)
The premise of this one? Well, they need they money, and there's a talent scout right there. Adolescent!Dean becomes a Calvin Klein model. Which sounds like it'll turn into badfic, but really it doesn't. The author handles it brilliantly; it's in character and believable, and hilarious and cracked out at the same time. Great for a laugh or five.

Achieving Indigo by

rheasilvia
(slash, AU, NC-17)
A deathfic in which, well, death is not the end. Despairing and hopeful at once, touching and hot in a kinda strange way.

Across the Universe by

trollprincess
(Jess, Dean, PG-13)
What happens to Jess after Sam dies, pinned to the ceiling? Poignant, determined story, awesome Jess characterisation, awesome proxy characterisation of secondary characters. Ow, my heart.

Brothers and Strangers (WIP) by

janissa11
(AU, gen, PG-13?)
Oh my god, this story killed me. KILLED ME.

janissa11 seems real good at that. An AUish story where Dean discovers he's adopted. And, as you'd suspect, it shakes the foundations of his world somewhat. So freaking angsty, but never tipping the edge into gratuity because it's so spot on with characterisation. Might be a bit too much to take, but I like it when I feel like my heart's being ripped out of my chest.

Cliche for the fangirl by

fatale
(Sam/Dean, R, parody)
HAH. HAHAHAHAH. As a connoisseur of a broad spectrum of SPN fanfic, THIS STORY MADE ME PEE WITH LAUGHTER. So brilliant.

Compels You by

lyra_wing
(Boondock Saints x-over; Dean/Connor, Connor/Murphy, Sam/Dean, NC-17)
Episodically structured again, BUT WITH THE OTHER GAY BROS TOO! lovely characterisation of all of them, and hot gay sex to boot. Plus, it's nice and long. Read!

False Comforts by

maygra
(Dean/Sam, NC-17, read warnings)
Holy crap. Maygra writes "dark" like a black hole, as opposed to just turning out the light. This is not so much an 'alternate universe' as a divergence in the text, a darker road, other possibilities, enriching the original text by going where it can't go - where the bad things are sometimes inescapable. Don't forget to read the other parts of this story, it really is one big huge complete thing.

Fistful of Rain by

marinarusalka
(gen, Winchesters)
One of the best '5 things that never happened to...' fics I've ever read. Honestly. Different paths for the Winchesters. All incredibly well-crafted.

* For Keeps by

fools_game
(Sam/Dean, NC-17)
Sequel to one of those awesome stories where Sam turns into a CAT. This is delicious schmoop.

Games of Life by

monkeycrackmary
(gen, Jess, Cassie, Winchesters)
Almost a five-things fic, all the more poignant because it isn't. Makes your breath catch to think of what (and who) could have been, and hold it close for its fragility. Beautiful character construction in both the negative and positive spaces (which really, is what it's all about).

Grandcars by

derryderrydown
(crack, Metallicar/Truckzilla. HET.)
Yeah, you read that pairing right. This is hilarious and so spot on with characterisation. Believable, dammit. Wee little baby cars.

How Am I Gonna Keep Myself Away From Me by

ethrosdemon
(girl!Sam/Dean, NC-17)
Awesome, awesome genderfuck that had me thinking about this girl!Sam for days. Dean is cursed. Denouement that sticks with you for a while. girl!Sam = VERY, VERY HOT.

Last Rites by

trollprincess
(Sam/Dean, NC-17)
Vampires mate for life. 'Nuff said.

Looking glass world by

monkeycrackmary
(Sam/Dean, NC-17)
Oh, ow. And also oh, heart. A different Sam and a different Dean come back together. Stabbing me in the heart, but in a life-saving-surgery way.

More Glory To Their Eyes Than Blood by

fryadvocate
(Sam/Dean, R)
Post-apocalyptic in the best way possible - as in, it's not about the apocalypse. It's about what happens to the people caught in it. Stark and rotten, with the language constructed like infection constricting my vitals.

One Shot by

trolllogicfics
(gen, PG-13)
Putting in this category because it would spoil to classify it further. But oh man, this story is just brilliant. A denouement to kill me, seriously, I think this is my favourite female-character story in the fandom.

Out of this Darkness by

maygra
(Sam/Dean(ish), NC-17 - see warnings)
This story has taken over my brain. Post-apocalyptic, dark and horrific, but also filled with hope. I'm still picking my jaw off the ground due to the intricate conception and construction of this; and the more I think about it the more it gives me. Just amazing.

Roadhouse by lisa roquin
(Boondock Saints x-over, gen, PG-13)
Another lovely BdS crossover!! Brothers being brothers, and also brawlers. Gets the blood flowing.

Seventy-Six Trombones Played Gloria Gaynor by

teand
(Sam/Dean, PG-13)
Sam and Dean work a job at a queer pride parade. Hijinks ensue. HILARIOUS.

* So Hard Done By by

mcee(AU, gen)
A drabble with a great kick.

Strangers In Another Town by

trollprincess
(gen, PG-13)
Pseudo-AU, painful in its hope and conclusions.

* syntax, a story in 101 lines by

moveablehistory
(Sam/Dean, PG)
Oh, this is SO clever. A story "written in bastardized HTML and PHP pseudosyntax". A comment on the meta-text of fanfiction and slash, as well as a great story in itself :D

This One Time, In A Michelle Pfeiffer Movie... by

trollprincess
(girl!Sam/Dean, Sam/girl!Dean, NC-17)
Delightfully self-congratulatory, headily gratuitous and hot. They make hot girls. Hot girls having sex with hot boys is pretty damn hot. This story doesn't pretend to be anything but. (Plus, I want to have sex with all four of their incarnations. At once.)
You can read other stories in this "curse 'verse" here.

Turn It Over And by

monkeydom
(Sam/Dean, NC-17)
BODYSWAP FIC! And freaking brilliantly done, might I add. That old Bs will be Bs thing again, plus it's very hot and totally them. Absolutely clap-my-hands-in-rapid-succession delightful.

Under a Haystack by

janissa11
(gen, PG-13)
In which a curse reverts Dean to his 7-year-old self (in mind and body). Glee-filling just for the concept, but also offers insight into the Winchester way of life (their childhood, relationships, etc).

When Siblings eAttack by

eighth_horizon
(gen, PG)
Not crack so much in the plot, but in the delivery. Sam is at Stanford, they talk on AIM. Very clever.

* Winchester Tales: The Hunters' Joining by

monkeycrackmary &

_audrey(Dean/OFC, Dean/John, Dean/Sam, R)
Awesome, awesome idfic crack complete with awesome coverart. AHAHAH. WIN.

John Winchester recs

I am fond of John Winchester. Very fond. And it's not the easiest thing in the world to find John-centric fantexts that are really damn good. So I'm making a section here to help out the other Johnfans.

Some of these have been moved from the above sections, asterisked ones are new. I've found it kinda hard to decide which stories go in this section, some of them are Dean(/)Sam-centric, but I find I love them because of John's part in it. So that's my shaky reasoning for the listings below.

If you're greedy for more Johnslash, take a peek at this page on the Super-wiki.

12 Prompt-me Ficbits by

drvsilla
(Sam/Dean, John, a little gen, NC-17)
Posting this here as well as above; there are a few John gems in this bunch. I am quite fond.

Beyond All Recognition by

olivia_notebook/

appletarts (Dean/John; during-Stanford NC-17)
A genderswap (Dean) while Sam is in absentia. To paraphrase feedback: I love the focus on the downright physical weirdness and discomfort such a bodily change would invoke. The author makes it so logically visceral and actual instead of glossing the topic with cliche. Dean in this especially just... pins it. Like a wriggling bug. The pairing brings it together so uncomfortably but perfectly for the atmosphere of the piece; the other body that allows this, but still the unheimlich of it, the integral weirdness that both shames and thrills.

* Capitulation by

drvsilla(Sam/Dean, John, Adult)
John as active voyeur. ashdk;ashn;skla;fjsd. That about sums it up.

Day Spa by

derryderrydown
(John/Dean, R)
Fab little porny bit from the Stanford years. Hot and omgTHEM while still being fucked-up. Hooray for sympathetic but still screwed up Daddyslash!

* Decade by

monkeycrackmary
(John/Dean/Sam, futurefic/AU, R)
Oh glee, Mary wrote my ot3 :D This is a great, tight story, stacked with that fierce Winchester determination I love.

Four Ways John Winchester Never Touched Dean (And One Way Dean Didn't Touch John) by

derryderrydown
(John/Dean, R)
This is fabulous because it branches out across a number of variations the title suggests - mashing it all in there together and thus managing to stick with awesome characterisation. I am very fond of Derry's Dean and, of course, Derry's John :D

Jungle Boogie by

derryderrydown
(John/OMC, NC-17)
JOHN. IN THE ARMY. HAVING BUTTSEX. I don't think I really need to say any more than that.

Like Any Other Man by

eloise_bright
(gen, PG-13)
Lovely piece on family, or rather - on the fact that John isn't actually impervious to harm. Sometimes he needs taking care of too. And n'aww, Winchesters!

Mayday by

innie_darling
(Pre-series, John, Dean, Sam, G)
Oh, Winchesters I love them so. A brief but lovely look at the three of them in a quiet moment, the love they tie themselves up in in a snug little knot.

* No Regrets by

beanside
(John/Dean, NC-17)
Awesomely hot with training and sexing and domesticking. Hooray for good John/Dean!!

* Rain Makes the Grass Grow by

zortified
(John/Dean, R)
A great piece, not angsty or too romantic, either. Just John and Dean, out hunting, being manly men. With a giant frog.

Suck You Dry by

derryderrydown
(John/Dean, NC-17)
Demons made us do it! And yet, still fucked up and sucker-punchy and, oh, DEAN.

Surrender by

drvsilla
(Dean/Sam, John; pre-Stanford, NC-17)
Of COURSE it's Dru who slays me with this. It was hot enough already, and then, denouement... Oh, I want Dru to write more in this 'verse so much.

That Which Has Been Our Delight by

janissa11
(John/Dean; S1, R)
Oh god, yay, fuckedup Dean/John fic that doesn't go light on the characterisation. Ouchy and very true.

The Talk by

monkeycrackmary
(gen, PG-13)
AHAHAH heart. Just spot on.

Wolf by

deannaz
(Sam/Dean, John/Dean, John/Sam. NC-17, pre-series, see warnings)
This is part of

deannaz's Things My Brother Taught Me 'verse, which I love immensely.

deannaz has constructed a hyper-sensual diegesis for these stories, which can be a bit unnerving at first, namely if you're trying to read it like you usually read fics. Just let yourself go, though, and enjoy the 'verse's bodily delights :)