Nightdog's List o' Recs

[nightdog_barks]

Just so everyone knows, this is a work-in-progress rec list. The fics listed are stories that I have recommended in my journal, with the descriptions I gave them then, starting in 2007 when I first started tagging fic recs. My eventual goal is to have a list that includes everything still accessible in my DW and LJ memories. If you see your story here and do not want it listed, please tell me and I will delete it.

There are no WIPs on this list (although there are a couple of series) and no stories that are f-locked. And, to totally steal a line from topaz_eyes, this list is entirely subjective. As in, these are the fics that I liked when I read them.

If anyone sees any howling errors, please let me know! :D



Stories with House and/or Wilson as Main Character

2.1.2.3., by finding_jay
Rating: PG
House, Wilson
Just beautiful -- slow and lovely, with a gorgeous undercurrent of melancholy. The very mildest of slash (blink and you'll miss it).

A Warm Body, by mer_duff
Rating: PG
Wilson, House, Cuddy
Wilson, cats, and life in general. As usual, full of Mer-awesomeness.

Bearing Strain, by lit_luminary
Rating: PG-13
Wilson, Cuddy
Post-ep fic for 7.22, "After Hours." House-Wilson friendship, the five a.m. conversation between Wilson and Cuddy.

Blood Letting, by hannahrorlove
Rating: G
House, Wilson, OCs (Wilson's family)
Companion piece to Consequence Chose
Wilson's family? They're werewolves. This is an astounding, empathetic glimpse into another world, perfectly put together and readable as hell.

Bridging, by rubyjuly
Rating: R
Wilson, original character
Lovely, atmospheric little story. Takes place after "Locked In," and features a very tired Wilson just looking for some uncomplicated comfort. Very nice writing, vivid details -- a real pleasure to read!

Carried by the Current (The Grieving Freely Remix), by zulu
Rating: R
House, Foreman, Wilson
Remix of joe_pike_junior's Jump in the Stream
This is an absolutely amazing revision of the bus crash in 4.15 ("House's Head") and the way life unfolds afterwards.

Cicatrice, by shara_i
Rating: PG
House, Wilson
House and Wilson go for a short walk in the woods. Nope, that's it. That's all that happens, but of course it's so much more. Rated PG, with the very tiniest bit of slash at the end. An absolutely lovely little slice-of-life meditation on love and loss and the changing of the seasons.

Confession, by srsly_yes
Rating: PG-13
House, Wilson
Sequel to Trespasses, by yarroway
Based around episode 8.20, "Post Mortem," this examines Wilson's conversation with House on that Newark-bound bus in a new light.

Confessor, by heledren
Rating: PG
House, Wilson
Nice little ficlet -- Wilson's under a lot of stress, and House is a jerk. For a while.

Count In Fives, Do It Every Time (There Were Five Times Overdub), by joe_pike_junior
Rating: Teen
House, Wilson
Remix of deelaundry's There Were Five Times
House and Wilson, living together. Repeatedly.

Dig in the Dirt, by sassyjumper
Rating: PG-13
House, Wilson
Post-series. Part of Sassyjumper's "Tiny House" series, in which Wilson decides he needs to simplify his life and House (reluctantly) comes along for the ride. This story finds them moving into their new tiny home, meeting the neighbors, and generally trying to fit in (good luck with that). This is a delightful series that I sincerely hope runs to a full catalog of stories!

Duncan, by menolly_au
Rating: PG
Wilson
Post-ep ficlet for 8.16, "Gut Check."

Falling Slowly, by jezziejay
Rating: General
Wilson, House
One of the many excellent Housefics born out of the end of "Out of the Chute." In this one, Wilson has had Enough, and a brilliant writer takes us to the very edge ... and beyond.

Give Us a Hand O'Thine, by pwcorgigirl
Rating: Ages 13 and up
House, Wilson, Cuddy
Wilson visits a farm in his quest for organic foodiness, and lands in much more trouble than he counted on. It's funny! Not harmful or angsty or boojums jumping out of closets.

Have a Heart, by menolly_au
Rating: PG
Wilson, Cuddy
Wilson's been in an accident. All kinds of creepy and deeply unsettling.

Head and Heart to Heart and Head, by littlenotebook
Rating: PG
House, Wilson, various canon characters
House and Wilson, in the gap months between Seasons 4 and 5, when Wilson was gone. Lovely writing, a great sense of melancholy and loss and waiting -- for something to happen, for the echoes of what did happen to stop reverberating. Nice stuff.

Hey, Hey, I Saved the World Today ... , by jezziejay
Rating: PG-13
House, Wilson
Post-series. House and Wilson, in Florida, and ... well, that's about it. Seriously, that's the story. But ... it's them, both of them yearning towards something neither one can quite define, both of them waiting. Gritty and real and not fluffy at all, this is an absolutely terrific fic.

Home for Christmas, Part Three, by menolly_au
Rating: PG
House, Wilson, Blythe House, a few OCs
Post-series, set in a future in which Wilson lives and Christmas Eve brings unexpected guests. Contains links to Part One and Two.

I Guess It Would Be Nice, by nakannalee
Rating: PG
Amber, Wilson
This is Wilson and Amber in a "missing scene" from episode 6.10, "Wilson." It's beautiful and poignant and just lovely.

Just For A Little While, My Darling, by ticcyyy
Rating: R
House, Wilson, Cuddy, Stacy, Amber
Ten dreams/fantasies of House, looking at his relationships past and present and trying to imagine a different life. Poignant and funny and beautifully written, these little ficlets pack a subtle and powerful punch.

Left of West, by hannahrorlove
Rating: R
House, Wilson, many other canon characters, original characters
This is an absolutely amazing story -- a fully-detailed, completely believable AU that's so close to our world, just tipping over the edge in a multitude of tiny ways. House. Wilson. Cuddy. Stacy. Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. All completely recognizable, all subtly (and for a certain very important one, not so subtly) different. This is simply one of the best stories out there, and it's one terrific journey.

Living Picture On A Wall, by joe_pike_junior
Rating: Teen
Cuddy, Wilson, other canon characters
Companion piece to Time for Some of Us
These are great stories, packed with all the little details that ground a tale and make it right and believable. Heed the warnings -- there is a major character death in the first, and that death still reverberates throughout the second, but there's no angst here, and not a hint of overwrought emotion.

Long Way Down, by pwcorgigirl
Rating: Mid-teens and up
House, Wilson
House, Wilson, and a promise to be kept. It's the kind of thing House is best at, and Wilson should know. Read the warnings on this one.

Made Visible, by rubyjuly
Rating: R
House, Wilson
Set post-series; please read the rating and warning. This is a beautiful, quiet, lovely story. It's also melancholy and autumnal, but that's not the point of the tale. Two big thumbs up.

Matisse Is Turning In His Grave, by joe_pike_junior
Rating: Not specified
House, Wilson
Something that's kind of wistful and kind of scary and all kinds of funny. Wilson's got it bad when it comes to acrylics and linseed oil, and that ain't good.

Ningyo, by yarroway
Rating: Hard R
Wilson, House
This is simply marvelous, full of light and shadow and mythos, with the most understated and graceful touch of magical realism I've seen since ... well, since nieded's great classic Asphyxiation. This is a gorgeous story.

No Sleep in a Quiet Room, by flywoman
Rating: PG-13
House, Wilson
Post-ep fic for 7.23, "Moving On." House-Wilson friendship, a guest appearance by Thirteen, rated PG-13. This is really a very good read.

Nothin' Else Matters in this Whole Wide World (the Jersey Shore Remix), by shara_i
Rating: G
Wilson, original character
Remix of mer_duff's Down the Shore
Wilson and his not-lost brother. From the author's summary: Once you learn how to swim, you never forget.

One Noble Function: Savannah, by namasteyoga
Rating: PG
House, Wilson
Post-series. Part of Namaste's "road trip" series, this is House and Wilson traveling around the country. Beautifully written, contains links to the other stories.

Out of Jail Free, by verbal_kint10
Rating: PG
House, Wilson
House and Wilson begin the long process of moving on from their life in the bush of ghosts.

Playing the Game, by daasgrrl
Rating: R
Wilson, Taub
Wilson/Taub fic, and it's just outstanding. Rated R, and it fits, although the R part is definitely not explicit. This is beautiful and strange and sad, and just overflows with wonderful atmosphere and detail. There's so much going on here beneath the surface -- you simply can't look away.

Rationalizing the Denominator, by shara_i
Rating: PG
House, Cuddy, Wilson, Amber
Things are so not right in House-land. Great read.

refugee from the eightfold path, by phinnia
Rating: PG
House, Wilson
Companion piece: Untitled
This is a lovely little slice-of-life story of the kind that I like so much -- Wilson is cooking, House is watching, and they talk. Very mild mentions of slash. The untitled follow-on from eightfold path features two Buddhist monks, who bear a very suspicious resemblance to House and Wilson. This is a sweet little AU, and well worth the read.

Rock Your Body, by deelaundry
Rating: PG-13
House, Wilson
H/W friendship, spoilers for late Season 6. This is funny and sweet and a delight to read. From the author's summary -- House knows a lot about Wilson, but he doesn't know everything.

Saturday Morning, by rubyjuly
Rating: Adult
Wilson, Cuddy
Wilson/Cuddy, after the events of "Both Sides Now." Melancholy, moving, so well-written and lovely.

Scenic View, by alternatealto
Rating: General Audience
House, Wilson
Post-series. House, Wilson, after the series finale. Fun, sweet, tender, and all-around lovely.

Sitting Duck, by fayding_fast
Rating: PG-13
House, Wilson
Sequel to nightdog_barks' Ugly Duckling and Duck Duck Goose
A lovely fic, sweet and touching -- it adds a bit of valuable backstory to the seriousness of Wilson's injury, and it's just awesome that the writer was able to bring something new out of this ficverse.

Skill Sets, by mer_duff
Rating: PG
Wilson, Cuddy, House
House and Wilson (with some glimpses of Cuddy), set a short time after the beginning of Season 5, when Wilson has returned to PPTH after Amber's death. It's a terrific read.

So This Is Christmas, by ggo85
Rating: PG
House, Wilson
Wilson experiences a medical emergency -- while dressed as Santa Claus. This is a really enjoyable read -- it's warm and sweet and it made me feel good.

Stay With Me, by nakannalee
Rating: PG-13
House, Wilson, Amber
This is a strange and haunting little piece, with some very well-done misdirects. It's a bit like drifting slowly through different layers of realities and memories, where you're not entirely sure what's going on until the very end. This is well worth a read, but note the warning at the beginning.

Summer Time, by deelaundry
Rating: PG
Wilson, Cameron, OCs, House
Why am I reccing this story? Because it flat-out made me happy. The story has a couple of kids in it, but they're well-drawn, real kids, and they and Wilson go to one of those fancy resort water-parks in Florida, and hijinks ensue, and we learn something about House (and Wilson), and Cameron's there at the beginning and she's funny and sweet and smart, and it just all fits together beautifully. So. Like I said. It made me happy, and I wanted it to go on for another 3,295 words.

The Fourth, by mer_duff
Rating: G
Wilson, House, OCs (the Wilson family)
How Wilson decided to become a doctor.

The Past is Another Country, by pwcorgigirl
Rating: Older teens
House, Wilson, Cuddy, Stacy, OCs
This rec is not for a new story. It's from 2007, and it's one of those five-things fics. It's held up to many a re-read.

Til You Know What You Want, by deelaundry
Rating: PG
House, Cuddy
This is a lovely, lovely story -- House, learning and relearning how to navigate through life after Mayfield, and finding some unexpected puzzles and poignancy along the way.

Time for Some of Us, by joe_pike_junior
Rating: PG
House, Wilson, others
Companion piece to Living Picture On A Wall
These are great stories, packed with all the little details that ground a tale and make it right and believable. Heed the warnings -- there is a major character death in the first, and that death still reverberates throughout the second, but there's no angst here, and not a hint of overwrought emotion.

Trespasses, by yarroway
Rating: PG-13
Wilson, OCs
Prequel to Confession, by srsly_yes
Based around episode 8.20, "Post Mortem," this is a tightly-woven, carefully-observed little piece that delves a bit deeper into that fateful prom night and Wilson's relationship with the real Kyle Calloway.

Turnabout, by menolly_au
Rating: PG
Wilson, House
Post-ep ficlet for 8.16, "Gut Check."

Unexplored Possibilities, by daasgrrl
Rating: NC-17
House, Wilson
This is, hands-down, probably the single most TERRIFYING story I've read this year (2009). A calm, collected Wilson, a House who just can't fucking resist a puzzle -- if there were a mood icon for "shaken," that's what I'd use. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Until a Quieter Time, by deelaundry
Rating: R
House, Wilson, OC
Sequel to These Crimes Between Us, by nightdog_barks
This is just wonderful, spinning off a tangential mention of a character and carrying the original story forward in the most unexpected of ways. If you choose to read These Crimes Between Us first, be sure to note the warnings and tags -- it is NOT a walk in the park.

Virginia is for Lovers, by sassyjumper
Rating: PG-13
House, Wilson
Post-series. Part of Sassyjumper's "road trip" series, the link leads to the tagged stories of House and Wilson traveling cross-country.

When the Trap Shuts, by bammel
Rating: R
House, Wilson, Amber, others
This is a variation on a "five things" story -- five ficlets of about 1,000 words each, each one exploring an alternate version of the events of the "House's Head"/"Wilson's Heart" episodes. Rated R for themes and language.

With and Without You, by jezziejay
Rating: PG
House, Wilson
Short post-episode fic for 8.20, "Post Mortem." A small riff on friendship, truth, and the proper place of alter egos.

With Me Wherever I Go, by alternatealto
Rating: PG-13
Wilson, House, Amber, original character
A series of six 100-word drabbles about ... Wilson's McGill sweatshirt

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Other Characters

A Voice in Ramah (Welcome to Holland), by ignazwisdom
Rating: PG-13
Cuddy, House, Wilson
Cuddy makes a difficult, life-changing choice and must live with the consequences. That's about all I can say without giving more away (although some of you can probably guess, just from the story's subtitle). Guest appearances by House and Wilson and a few original characters. This is a powerful, thoughtful tale.

Follow You Around the Sun, by rubyjuly
Rating: PG-13
Chris and Rachel Taub, Wilson
Chris and Rachel Taub, House's team, Cuddy, Wilson -- what they did (and didn't do) during the summer of Mayfield. This is just a gorgeous fic, full of melancholy and hope ... beautiful, beautiful work.

In the mourning, by shadowbyrd
Rating: G
Kim, Judy (from episode 1.04, "Maternity")
A small story on canon periphery, an episode tag from the first season's "Maternity," featuring Kim and Judy, the parents of Baby Boy Chen/Lupino. It's not an easy fic to read, but it's a beautiful story, all the same.

Kansas By Now, by pwcorgigirl
Rating: Mid-teens and up
Kutner, Thirteen
This is one of those most beautiful stories I've read in a long time. It's sad, and bleak, and moving, and so gorgeously luminous I'm not going to forget it anytime soon.

Through the Looking Glass, by daasgrrl
Rating: PG-13
Original male character, Wilson
One of the most original stories I've read in a long time about Daniel Wilson. It's fascinating, frightening, and ultimately heartbreaking, and the writer pulls it off masterfully. This is an amazing, amazing Housefic, and I can't recommend it strongly enough.

Uniforming (Made to Seem), by hannahrorlove
Rating: Mature
Cameron, other canon characters, original characters
This is a long fic -- it's for House BigBang, and if you go here and scroll down you can see the artwork for it (and the other House BigBang entries). I'll tell you upfront this is a Cameron-centric story. DO NOT let that scare you away, because if you do, you will have missed an incredible fic about a changed woman in a changed land, trying to fit in and adjust to circumstances beyond her control. It's about someone coming to terms with the sea-change that has become her life and doing the best she can to take control. The others are here too -- House, Wilson, Foreman, Chase, et al., but this is Cameron's story, and it's just amazing. For a slightly different take on the story, perspi's rec is here.

Original Character

Called, by stenveny
Rating: None specified
Original female character, House, Wilson
Five years after the Season 7 finale, a search for a new Dean of Medicine brings an unusual candidate in Called. I love a good Original Character, and here's one that's a real standout. She's that one thing that a good OC should always be, and that's interesting. I want to know more about this character, I want to know where she lives, what she has for breakfast, what's the first thing she sees when she opens her eyes in the morning. As I told Stenveny, I would happily read a whole series about this character, and I would love to see more of this fascinating ficverse.

Consequence Chose, by hannahrorlove
Rating: PG-13
Original characters (Wilson's family), Wilson
Companion piece to Blood Letting, but you don't have to read it first.
A deeper exploration of Wilson's family, who happen to be werewolves. Which is a completely normal thing in this beautifully-crafted AU. It's a real world with real people, no matter what form they take, struggling with very human problems. I was still thinking about this family long after I finished reading. This is a powerful piece of work.

Under the Honor, by hannahrorlove
Rating: G
Original characters (Wilson's family), Wilson
Part of Hannah's Left of West-verse, this story focuses on Reuben -- the "normal" brother. This is a gorgeous journey, beautifully written and deeply moving, with a final section that's just amazing.

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Crossovers

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Other Fandoms

A World Called Catastrophe, by perspi. Stargate: Atlantis
Rated: PG-13
Sheppard, team
Gen, the aftermath of a ... well, of a catastrophe, but not a death!fic. This is a terrific story.

Interpreted Languages, by thedeadparrot. Heroes/Stargate: Atlantis
Rated: PG
Micah, canon characters from SG:A
An absolutely beautiful SG:A/Heroes crossover about a man who can talk to machines. Not just a sentient Atlantis, but a whole panoply of sentient objects in a lovely take on the secret life around us. This is a terrific read, and you absolutely don't have to know anything about Heroes to appreciate its beauty.

Runs the Stream, by panisdead. Stargate: Atlantis
Rating: PG
Team
An SG:A fic, and it's got everything I love -- the team, a beautiful, dream-like atmosphere, mythic themes. The team is drugged and dreaming -- or is it only Sheppard? There's an underground river -- the Styx? They fall through and through and through multiple realities, and it's all handled so deftly, with such a lovely, light hand by the author. This is just absolutely wonderful stuff (that dreams are made of?).

the city sunset over me (this mess we're in), by armchair_elvis. Elementary
Rating: Mature
Holmes, Watson, a blink-and-you'll-miss-him appearance by Moriarty
Gorgeous and gritty, atmospheric and detailed and eerily real, this is Sherlock exchanging London for New York and learning how to live all over again. A sample line: He wants to tell her that London is a map, that it’s engraved on his bones, but he doesn’t. He’s not sure she’d understand.

These Dull Colours, by teh_elb. Master and Commander.
Rating: NC-17
Stephen, Jack, OCs
An Aubrey/Maturin fic (the Patrick O'Brian books, the Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World film). It's strongly h/c -- the aftermath of Stephen being tortured, his subsequent PTSD (as we would call it today), and his struggle to recover. The writing is uniformly excellent, the characters warm and human. It's not a short fic (19K words), and potential readers should note the warnings. While I'm not really in the fandom (although I did know who Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin were), I was able to pick up the story with no problem.

Comments

[felis]

Heh, I trawled through your fic-recs tag before, so I've theoretically seen all of these, but it's always a question of mood which one catches one's eye, and this is rather convenient. It's also quite the unique collection, and interesting that you kept your initial descriptions/reactions. Did you re-read, or just collect these?

[nightdog_barks]

Mostly I collected, some I collected and tweaked a little. There were a few I had to re-read because I either hadn't had time to write much at the time, or I'd just said something vague like "Typical great work by Mer_duff!" Which is okay, but pretty cryptic if you've never read anything else by Mer. :D

I have to say it was a lot of fun re-reading some of these. *g*