the.best.fic.ever

No one reads this anyway, but maybe the authors will enjoy getting the plug.

I didn’t start reading DW fan fiction until April 2006, once I was well-established into the new series. There’s a lot of fan fic, of a sort, already, in the books [CDs, etc]. I don’t know if the fandom lends itself to great writing, there are a lot of great writers who write for DW, or if I’m just easily impressed . . . but this seems to be almost the largest category [in my favorite fan fic series].

Backwards Traveller by Lydia Hunter
(6)A great concept—the Sixth Doctor and Peri find Ian Chesterson has become a best-selling science fiction author (and he married Barbara, duh). Funny, well-written, and surprisingly sweet.

The New Doctor on the Block series by Margaret Price
(multi) This reduced me to fits of giggles. The Ninth Doctor joins the club, much to the Eighth’s agony (because he’s not canon anymore). The First, Second, and Third Doctors write naughty slash fan fiction, and Tegan has a rather interesting interaction with the Ninth. Lewd, a little rude, and very apt. I can’t wait for the Tenth Doctor to join the club.

Dinner for Two by warinbabylon
(9) Okay, silly, slushy fun, I admit. I’m way too susceptible to these fluffy Nine/Rose pieces. After "Father’s Day," the Doctor and Rose deal. This is remarkably well-written for its length and general lack of a plot.

Walking Away by Carmen Sandiego
(8) This was beautiful, and also extremely sad. The Eighth Doctor comes to see Dr. Grace Holloway just once a year—on New Year’s Eve. I love the not-oft-exploited pairing, and the amount of detail and characterizations are impressive.

Déjà vu? Possibly … by the Secretive Bus
(multi) This is good for a laugh. The Doctors try to diffuse a bomb.

April Showers by Carmen Sandiego
(9) Ooh, this is a killer. Angsty, hurtful, downright mean Doctor # 9. A bit uncanonical, but, still, worth reading.

Ghost in the Machine by Rain
(multi) Oh, I loved this. Technobabble causes Rose to get stuck in the TARDIS during different eras of different Doctors, and not only is it funny, it’s quite touching in parts. A memorable moment is when Rose spies the Fourth Doctor stepping out of the shower. There’s a lovely interlude where she has tea with the Eighth Doctor. Good stuff.

Percy Gets the Job by DIY Sheep
(multi) Someone could have used spell check and a better beta-reader on this, but the concept is quite funny. And it’s pleasant and short. The Sixth Doctor consumes fruit juice, the Fifth Doctor stares pointedly at a scone, the Master makes a cameo, and Percy James Kent-Smith chews his nails.

Mistress of Dread by Emery Board
(9) This one reminds me a bit of serialized Victorian novels, as the writer seems to write herself into corners that she barely gets out of . . . nevertheless, I really enjoy it. Jack, Rose, and the Doctor end up in ancient Egypt, where the Osirians from "Pyramids of Mars" are causing a ruckus. The writer knows the characters well, and while she’s definitely pressing the shippy relationship between the Doctor and Rose early on, I think her writing is good enough to earn it. Plus, it’s obvious she’s done her research into the period. And one likes to think of Jack dressed like an Egyptian. Heh.

The Sins of Adam by AND
(9) The Doctor and Jack dance. (Dance, not "dance." Get your mind out of the gutter.) Rose giggles. The Doctor tests Jack. Jack passes. Despite this simple formula, this is better written than most, and less shippy than you would think.

Blackadder and the Doctor by RapidEyeMovement
(multi) I’m not all that familiar with Blackadder, but I still found this enjoyable. I like the fact that not all the Doctors are involved, just a select few, and the author writes all of them quite well. It’s also, obviously, funny.

Dr Who the Internet and Fan Fiction by Margaret Price
(6) Really, really funny. "Literature is like wine, my dear Peri. But this! This is vinegar!"

Bed Rest by Gary Merchant
(4) Non-shippy amusing piece about the Fourth Doctor getting the flu and being nursed back to health by Romana II. The dialogue is bang-on.

Daytripping by Lilacfree
(5) I have to admit, I never thought of the Fifth Doctor shipping with anyone. This piece single-handedly made me at least accept the idea of Tegan/Doctor shipping. The reason is that it’s so low-key and soft, it’s only a hint, really, of anything beyond the platonic. Which is so rare, sometimes! Obviously, the two characters are written well. It’s a nice change in terms of mood.

One Thing We Always Suspected about Captain Jack by Red Scharlach
(9) Okay, if you’re looking for three-way Doctor/Rose/Jack sex . . . then you’re not going to find it in this fic. You will, however, find that discussed, on Freud’s couch, no less. If you ever wondered why the Doctor never started kissing people until recently, you can find the answer here. And laugh, a lot.

Dancing in the Dark by Kaethel & WMR
(9) Finally, I recommend this one only conditionally—it earns its R-rating. So if you’re offended by the thought of a semi-serious threesome between our favorite characters . . . then you’d better not read it. But don’t think it’s a PWP. It paints a darker picture of Jack than you’ll see other places, which is refreshing. And the writing is quite strong.

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