SPN fic recs

Wheel in the Sky Keeps on Turning by buffyaddict13 PG-13ish gen This is a countdown of Dean’s last year after he makes the deal with the crossroads demon. I love the characterization of Sam in this piece; I love the way he becomes obsessed with word puzzles, the way he seems to believe that if he can get his brain to shift its way of thinking just a hair to the left, the answer to saving Dean will suddenly become apparent to him. It reminds me of a fic I read in Harry Potter where Neville is obsessed with anagrams and tries desperately to find some meaning in random words.

A Ribbon at a Time by ultraviolet9a PG-13ish Gen This is another version of what might happen to Dean in his last year. I love the large roles that Bobby, Jo and Ellen play in this piece. I think it makes sense that they would all band together like family (even though I think the show is obviously going to take the brothers on the road hunting down the things that escaped hell). I love the way this ends; love it. So many of these “Dean’s last year fics” end in that wonderfully ambiguous way that I love as much as chocolate. Which is to say, a whole fricking lot.

Sanguine Ain’t Got Nothing On Me by kimonkey7 PG-13ish Gen This is an excellent piece of work; it’s hilarious—truly, truly funny. And this author has a gift for dialogue. Everything Sam and Dean say here is spot on; I can hear them talking inside my head as I read. Then when I'd had my fill of busting a gut laughing, I read the final section and something sharp and achy twisted up underneath all that funny. Lovely.

The Memory Remains by broadwriting Dean-centric PG-13 gen. This is a remix of a handful of fics (of which I’ve only read one or two); it is an excellent Dean character study and oh, oh, oh so deliciously angsty.

Hide Too Well Away by dotfic PG-13ish gen This is set the summer before Sam leaves for Stanford; all three Winchesters are excellently characterized and I love the way the case they’re working is a mirror for their own internal issues. Really, really lovely.

A Priori by memphis86 Sam/Dean Adult I am a sucker for amnesia!fic; it’s one of my favoritest fandom tropes. I love the whole process of the characters discovering who they are and the often funny, sometimes angsty, ways they mistake the available clues about their former selves. This is an excellent and fresh take on the idea. This fic is ultimately a very sad one for me and a rather dark one; it hurts my heart and for that, I love. Deeply.

Measure my Bones by littledrop Sam/Dean Adult This is very atmospheric, almost dreamlike. It’s told in second person which really works for me in this piece; that little bit of distance the POV creates feels like that disjoint between sleeping and awake. Wonderful take on the first kiss meme.

On the Road Again by dsudis Ash/Andy PG Ash and Andy are both dead, but that doesn’t mean our favorite minor characters can’t get together and have some fun. This goes a long way towards healing the HUGE AND GAPING HOLE LEFT IN MY HEART when they died.