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From today's USA Today: Two Kansas towns hoping meteorites will help attract tourists.

One of the towns wants to bill itself as the Meteor Capital of the USA. Doesn't anyone there get The WB?

Cambiare Podentes: Invocare by Jordan Grant
Harry/Severus Slash
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Harry learns that the only way to defeat the Dark Lord is for him to participate in an ancient ritual that will permanently enslave him to Snape.
http://www.livejournal.com/users/jordangrant/10481.html

According to the LJ anouncement, Invocare is a completed novel-length fic. Only the first part is posted, but it's already a lengthy read, and the remaining posts should be available soon. This remix is based on the originally posted chapters of Cambiare Podentes (which was never completed), with the permission of the original author.

Having read what's been posted so far, I'm very impressed with what Jordan Grant has done. Those who read the original CP posts will recognize much of the text in the opening chapters, but the author has strengthened the characterizations, and as the relationship between Snape and Harry evolves, the reader goes from thinking that they'll never be able to trust one another to believing that they will indeed be able to achieve the level of trust and intimacy required to make the ritual work. I'm looking forward to reading the remaining chapters as they are posted.

ETA As of 1/3/2006 the story is now complete, taking Harry and Snape through the fateful ceremony. A sequel is in the works.

Another gem from the crackfic Harlequin SGA challenge--

The Physicist Bride
by Zulu (Harlequin Challenge)
Rating PG: (Sheppard/McKay implied)
Summary: The Princess Bride done Stargate Atlantis style. Laugh out loud funny.
http://www.livejournal.com/community/sga_flashfic/167394.html#cutid1

( This is my brain. This is my brain on SGA )

Stargate Atlantis Recommendation

A Beautiful Lifetime Event by Shalott
Sheppard/McKay Slash (eventually)
http://www.intimations.org/fanfic/stargate/lifetime_event.html
Summary: First comes baby, then comes Sheppard and McKay trying to raise it together. It's a story about creating family and then falling in love. From a master storyteller, this is poignant and hilarious by turns. Note that this is not MPREG.

I've already recced at least two Snape mentors Harry stories as among the best in their class. Is there room for another? The answer is yes, when the author is as talented as Theowyn. In "The Enemy Within" she shows us Harry after the events of OOTP-- angry, grieving, filled with self-recriminations and dealing with the consequences of his link to Voldemort. It soon becomes clear that he desparately needs to learn to shield his mind, and Snape is manipulated into helping him.

What I like most about this story is how natural the characters feel. Snape isn't warm or cuddly. Even as he grows to understand the horrors of Harry's experiences, he doesn't change his mannerisms or fall over himself to act as comforter. His help is practical, direct, and exactly what Harry needs. Harry, for his part, grows to rely upon Snape while still convinced that he despises and distrusts his professor.

A long, wonderful story.

The Enemy Within by Theowyn
Gen
Summary: When his burdens drive Harry to the verge of breaking Snape is the only one who understands.
http://www.sugarquill.net/read.php?storyid=2375&chapno=1

Comic rec in honor of the upcoming holiday

Behold!! The epic romance of Snapeep and Harry Peeper by Brevisse
Pre-slash Snape/Harry
http://brevisse.arithmancy.net/peeps2.jpg

And check out the cover at http://brevisse.arithmancy.net/peeps1.jpg

Mirabella packs more emotional intensity into this short story than most authors can accomplish in a hundred thousand word epic. Breathtaking.

Kailash, When it Rises by Mirabella
Harry/Draco
http://www.livejournal.com/users/mirasfics/30335.html

Harry and friends have left Hogwarts, but they haven't quite managed to settle down....

The Revenge of Lord Vodkamort by LizBee
Gen
http://www.mirrordance.net/hpfic/vodkamort.html

Hysterically funny.

Will Turner is very pretty, and someone is taking notice. Not a lot of plot here, but wonderful characterization, lush descriptions, and the author knows her nautical lore. A fun, fast read.

Hurricane Jack by Shrift
Jack/Will slash
http://glassonion.populli.org/archive/11/hurricanejack.shtml

Here are my recommendations from February, organized by fandom.

Harry Potter
A Bittersweet Potion and Procul His by Alchemia and Dent
Harry/Snape Slash
http://intertexius.com/series.shtml
Summary: Yes, this is the story where Harry turns into a cat and is adopted by Snape. At times funny, tender, and agonizingly heart-wrenching.

A Brighter Morning by GreenGecko (aka Salamander)
Gen
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/1846319/1/
Summary: Harry Potter's son Arthur copes with a crushing burden.

A Year Like None Other by Aspen in the Sunlight
Gen
http://aalno.tauri.org/
Summary: WiP warning. When tragedy strikes, Harry turns to Snape for comfort and protection. Already epic in length, with frequent updates.

"Contemporary Magical Innovations by H. Granger" by Kai
Snape/Harry slash
http://www.squidge.org/~kali/welcome.html
Summary: A wonderfully sly tale of how Potter and Snape teamed up to win the war.

The Familiar by Resonant
Snape/Harry Slash
http://trickster.org/res/familiar.html
Summary: "Quidditch" said the frog. Just go read it, okay?

On Wednesday by Jay Tryfanstone
Harry/Snape slash implied
http://individum.com/snarry/fiction/000788.php
Summary: Each day of Harry Potter's life is carefully planned...

Smallville
Interstitial by Punk Maneuverability
Lex/Clark Slash
http://smallville.slashdom.com/archive/9/interstitial.html
Summary: Clark isn't quite sure what's happening to him. Lex is the only one who understands.

Past Grief by Te
Lex/Clark Slash
http://teland.com/smallville.html
Summary: After Clark's parents are killed, Lex is there to pick up the pieces. A dark vision of the future.

Pretty When You're Mine by Jenn
Lex/Clark Slash
http://seperis.illuminatedtext.com/smallville/pretty.html
Summary: WiP warning. Brilliant AU starring hard-living party scene Lex and hooker Clark. Forget the cliches, this story will rip your heart out.

"SuperGlue" by Kat Reitz (Collaborative Evil) and Perryvic (Vicky)
Lex/Clark slash, other pairings, abuse
http://www.rpgplug.co.uk/Asylum/sv/glue.html
Summary: After years of abuse Lex Luthor turned his back on his father and made a new life for himself as a CSI lab tech. But now Lex is transformed from lab tech into victim when a crime investigation brings up parts of his past that he's desperately tried to forget. See also rec for "Holding out for a hero" in the crossover section.

X-Files

Mercury Falling by cslatton
Gen, violent content
http://fluky.gossamer.org (then search by author or title)
Summary: Stunning characterization and intricate details of FBI procedure drive this long angsty tale of Mulder in his Profiler days.

Oklahoma by Amperage and Livengoo
Gen, violent content
http://fluky.gossamer.org (then search by author or title)
Summary: A classic in the fandom. Profiler Mulder can't give up the hunt for a serial killer, even as the hunt threatens to cost him first his sanity and then his life.

Second Grace series by Logan
Mulder/Krycek Slash
http://www.hegalplace.com/logan/stories.html
Summary: Krycek thought he'd moved on with his life, and then Mulder returns. A long series.

Crossovers
Smallville/CSI
"Holding out for a hero" by Kat Reitz (Collaborative Evil) and Tzigane
Lex/Clark slash, other pairings, abuse
http://www.rpgplug.co.uk/Asylum/sv/hofah.html
Summary: After years of abuse Lex Luthor turned his back on his father and made a new life for himself as a CSI lab tech. But now Lex is transformed from tech to victim when a crime investigation brings up parts of his past that he's desperately tried to forget. This story and SuperGlue both share many of the same story elements, with slightly different twists.