It's really that time again. And yes, almost 12 years after becoming a phile I still dork out about this date. Hehe. So! I decided an appropriate celebration would be to finally make that list of my Top Fic Picks: X-Files Edition. I wanted to make it a top 10 list, of course, but I couldn't possibly narrow it down to 10. So instead, the fics that have made it into my "Wow" folder - the best of the best, the ones I can read over and over again, and save for a rainy day. In no particular order:
Top X-Files Fics
1. Parabiosis by Penumbra (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
penumbra23) - Hands down my favorite fic of all time. Perhaps the best piece of literature I've ever read. The narrative is stumbling, strange, and entirely captivating because of it. The prose is magical. Certain scenes, lines, sections, stand out clear in my mind years after reading them. Better yet, I get something new out of it each time I read it, so it never gets old. Obviously I could go on and on, but most of you have read it already and I'm just preaching to the converted. So, perhaps a given, but definitely a classic. Aaaaand, since I'm obviously such a sucker for her writing, Penumbra has two other fics on my list:
2. Black Hole Season by Penumbra - Penumbra Lite. All of the magical scenes and lines and style of Parabiosis without the novel length. The ideal of what a short story can be - moving, thought-provoking, simple and yet deep.
3. Contact High by Penumbra - I think I've raved about her style enough. So I'll skip it here, but this fic is a standard of how in the right hands, what sounds like a silly premise (Mulder and Scully telepathically share thoughts and feelings after the events of
Field Trip) can be magical.
4. Bridge by Maria Nicole - Deals with the same premise as Contact High in a similarly astounding way. I can never, ever forget the magic of their dream world.
5. 12 Rites of Passage and 12 Degrees of Separation by Anne Haynes - Absolutely my default when I want a long, engaging story to snuggle away and read for a few days. Because Anne has mastered the art of bringing the reader to the edge and keeping them waiting. It's like Harry Potter that way - I just can't put it down.
6. Arizona Highways by Fialka (fialka) - For novel-length fics, this comes right behind Parabiosis as a favorite. Another fic I cannot put down, and end up doing nothing but reading for 3 days straight. The story is complex and engaging, enough to pull me in against my will. And it has perhaps the most memorable love confession I've ever seen or read. It had me breaking down alongside Mulder. For me it's not just a story - it's an experience.
7. Blinded by White Light by Dasha K. (dashakay) - Another classic, and for good reason. I still can't put my finger on exactly what it is that makes it so good. But somehow in the unique trappings of a sci-fi future, it is one of the best love stories I've ever read, while not shying away from the very real issues that result.
8. Spectacular by Rafferty - Let's take a break from the novels for a short one-shot, my guily pleasure feel-good escape for when I'm in a bad mood. It absolutely never fails to brighten my spirits.
9. An Alluring Indiscretion by Beduini and M. Taylor Harrison - Another long fic that captivates and enthralls and untimately sticks out in my mind for its astounding visualizations.
10. Salt by Anjou - A tender, feel-good fic, with dreams and stories along the way that slowly bring about the meaning.
11. Five Years and One Night by Shalimar - Another fabulous mythology story that covers all extremes - from fantastically hot smut to some of the deepest, darkest angst. Fabulous story, hot sex, and the. best. breakdown scene I have ever read. Scully's breakdown on the beach is some of the most visceral, real, emotional writing I have ever read.
12. What Happens to the Dreamers by Buckingham - Buckingham weaves a story between the events of season 7, specifially the whole IVF situation revealed in
Per Manum. A fascinating glimpse of what we didn't see, and I'm a sucker for the at times flowery, poetic language.
13. The Cycles Series: Lucid Dreaming by Prufrock's Love - The first in the Cycles series, Lucid Dreaming really stood out as a fantastic bit of immersive storytelling. A calming, meditative journey, especially for that time of the month. ;)
14. 99 and 44/100ths Percent Done by Sarah Segretti - Just a fun old romp of a casefile. Doesn't take itself too seriously, but has fun, UST, and some delicious, delicious ice cream.
15. Adagio by Terma99 - A short Milagro post-ep that is heart-breaking and touching at the same time.
16. Syncopation by Lilla Vaughan AKA Nanda (nandamai) - Sweet, sappy flick-fick. And I'm a sucker for it.
SO! That's the list. There are so many others that are close to making it - The
Magician Book series by Suzanne Bickerstaffe and Jennifer Lyon,
Acadia by RivkaT,
Blood Oranges by Syntax6, and many, many more - but I'm tired and that's a pretty good list. So yay X-Files! Just putting this list together re-awakened my inner phile, who's now screaming for me to re-read all these fics, or at least watch an episode. So I guess you know what I'll be doing the rest of the evening. Hehe. So happy 10/13, my fellow philes. *mwah* I love you all, and I hope this community never dies.
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