Brave New Worlds - Recommendations


	If you've read our stories, you've probably noticed our tendency to write Mulder/Scully romance. If so, you won't be too surprised by the majority of what we're recommending here. These stories represent a tiny sampling of the wonderful, funny, exciting, angsty and totally delicious stories that people have written over the years. We'll be adding to it as we go, of course, but enjoy this much for now. Oh, by the way - we both really like smut and it's well represented here, so if you're not a grownup and the story is rated NC-17, please read something else. There's a lot more than smut here.
		Alabaster and Oak by Tara Avery Rated PG-13 Cratkinson - Another great 3rd person POV. It's an artist's observation of them and is very visual and almost tactile. Good stuff. Flynn - Third-person POV must be a favorite of mine. Who the observer might be is entirely inconsequential here - it only matters WHO he's watching. The observations are spot-on and startling in their clarity. I really liked this one.
		Alternatives (the collector's edition) by Shannono and Brandon D. Ray Rated NC-17 Cratkinson - Shannon and Brandon have come up with a fascinating series of stories that have Mulder and Scully NOT having sex - but enjoying each other anyway. This is my favorite kind of smut - the delayed-gratification, slo-mo kind. Eventually leading to the fast and furious, instant gratification kind. <grin> Flynn - Cratkinson told me about this one a long time ago, but the length scared me away. Then I found it on my own and sang its praises to .... well, anyone who would listen. Trust me, the length is a GOOD thing here. (I read it at work. Not a wise move.) <g!>
		Alunakanula by Dasha K. Rated NC-17 Cratkinson - One of the few Requiem Post-eps that I really loved. This is Scully musing about Mulder, remembering their few nights together and dreaming. Flynn - This one just about made me cry. The bittersweetness of her recollections snagged me from the very beginning. Like my buddy Christine, I fell in love with this one.
		And Cupid Laughed by JHJ Armstrong Rated NC-17 Cratkinson - Mulder takes Scully to an amusement park after the events of The Goldberg Variation. Magic happens. This one is absolutely perfect. The pacing is just right, the tension palpable and the making out on the Ferris Wheel is... well, you get the picture. Flynn - You might want to have some ice water to suck on and maybe a fan to turn on. It's funny and steamy and very sweet, and spot-on in character. I especially like it when Mulder realizes he's forgotten to breathe. Again. <g>
		Gift Horse by Suzanne Barringer Rated PG-13 Cratkinson - Ooo, some delicious UST as Mulder gives Scully a follow-up batting lesson in their office. Lots of talking and lots of conscious snuggling. Flynn - Mulder can come teach me how to hit a ball any time. <G!> Wonderful UST, a sharp and wily Scully, and Mulder managing to rise to the occasion. Fun stuff!
		Gradual Precipitation by Narida Law Rated NC-17 Cratkinson - Oh, baby. This one is set after Brand-X and has a recovering Mulder driving Scully crazy - in more ways than one. She's trying to be kind and concerned for his health, but she's having a hard time keeping her hands to herself. The laundromat is... impressive. Flynn - Doing laundry is never that much fun in MY neighborhood. Of course, my room mate being a cat might have something to do with that ....
		Hair of the Dog by Brynna and Magdeleine Rated PG-13 to R Cratkinson - Poor Mulder wakes up on Scully's couch the morning after a drunken confession. Bad hair and paranoia ensue. Very funny stuff. Flynn - I found this about a week after discovering fanfic. It just seems so Mulder. The hair is bad, yes, but the process of rectifying the problem .... darn! I guess it really is tough being beautiful.
		Hartwell by David Hearne Rated PG Cratkinson - I've probably read this story 50 times. It's funny and charming and cool. It's a little musing by none other than the sheriff from Bad Blood. I'm a sucker for 3rd party POVs and this is one of the best. Flynn - This is a fun read. I love "Bad Blood". The third person take on the Mulder/Scully dynamic is appealing on its own merits, but to hear David Hearne speaking with the sheriff's voice only makes a good thing better. Flynn likes!
		Hot by beduini Rated NC-17 Cratkinson - And oh, boy, is it! A very hot night, a limp Scully and a not-so-limp Mulder. They figure it out. Flynn - When you're boiling over, I guess you can figure you aren't gonna get any hotter. A very cool customer, that Mulder. No wonder Scully likes him.
		Hollywood Nights by Kristel St. John Rated NC-17 Cratkinson - This is the tastiest post-ep I've read. Certainly the best of the "What did they do with that credit card?" stories. It's slow, seductive, tantalizing and funny. The best of all worlds. Flynn - Okay, I'll say it. I didn't really get into HAD. This piece, though ....Perfect characterizations, particularly Mulder's testosterone-laden role of Miffed Significant Other. And the tender loving .... oh, boy.
		In Darkness, Light by Kristel St. John Rated NC-17 Cratkinson - Oh, man! This is the sweet, tender, considerate papa-to-be I'd love to see. After Mulder's return, they try to reestablish their relationship. It's funny and sweet and yummy. Flynn - It's sweet, funny, and quite smutty. Goes to show that sometimes the scariest things these two face aren't aliens or madmen with automatic weapons, but each other and their own insecurities. <sigh>
		Post-Climactic Stress by Lysandra Rated NC-17 Cratkinson - They talk. Well, they do a lot more than that. I think someone called this ThrustFic. It's funny and delightful! Flynn - I laughed. Give it a try.
		Primal Sympathy by Lydia Bower Rated R Cratkinson - This is another classic fic from Lydia. Set during the cancer arc and incorporating a different explanation for the events in Gethsemane. Mulder fakes his death in order to find a cure for Scully's cancer and the results aren't what either of them expect. Flynn - This was one of the first authors I happened upon when entering the wonderful world of ripping off Chris Carter for gratuitous sex, AKA Fanfic. I fell in love with Lydia's style and meter, and how she is so on the ball with the charactertizations that I thought she might actually be one of the show's writers. Would that she were - think how much spicier Mulder's return would be if Lydia were in charge. <G!>
		A Real Man, A Real Woman and A Real Love by Isahunter Rated R, R, NC-17 Cratkinson - Flynn told me to read these and I'm so glad she did! We hear their thoughts as they each muse about what they want in a mate - and each comes to the conclusion that it's the person sitting next to them. And then in the third piece... well, maybe you should just read it. Flynn - I was struck by the clarity of this trio. The parallel thinking of the characters is precisely what attracted me to the show to begin with. They could come at the same problem from different angles and basically reach the same conclusion. These pieces are extremely satisfying. Treat yourself.
		Truncated by Lysandra Rated R Cratkinson - Oh, this story has everything I love. It's Mulder and Scully - talking! And spooning and enjoying each other. When Mulder tells Scully his favorite part... <sniff> Flynn - Mulder and Scully compare a few of their favorite things. No, it's not what you think. This one is one of my favorites because it's sweet and tender without that pesky backwards slide into schmoop. <not that I object to schmoop. Heck, it's what I write the best!>
		Volition Unbound by Rachel Anton Rated NC-17 Cratkinson - Another classic. Scully goes on a date with an old boyfriend and Mulder angsts out - until he overhears her telling the ex that she's in love with Mulder. Delicious lovin' follows thereafter. Flynn - This was one of the first pieces I read when I first discovered fanfic. Oh, baby. Good characterizations, good angst, a few surprises .... I blushed. Give it a try.