for a whole month (and beyond?) i want to encourage everyone to praise and celebrate all the works and authors they’ve enjoyed, neatly separated into prompts open to interpretation 💛
to participate: when publishing your recs as a tumblr post, mention @spnficrecfest and tag the post with #spnficrecfest so i can reblog it.
you can also request recs! send me an ask with what you're looking for, and someone out there might have a few recs ready for you later. be as vague or specific as you like.
info:
all pairings and gen fics are welcome during the entire event.
you can include as few or as many recs per post as you want.
there are no limitations — just make sure to mention major warnings (mcd, non-con, underage) in your recs.
I just love when their lives suck not because they’re vessels for archangels or whatever, but just because their job is the worst. thankless, dangerous, morally ambiguous, leaving them injured and dirty and bone-tired. i <3 whump
Due East by sowell (4,700 words)
Just hunts and angst and them, together. Love the characterization.
“I think I like you injured. Less bitchy,” Dean says with a smile, and Sam blinks at him. / “What?” / “You think I haven’t noticed you sulking for two days straight?”
Hard to Come By by sevenfists (1,700 words)
Hunting, driving around, sleeping in shitty motels. Making difficult choices, dealing with hard realities.
"You don't smoke," Sam says, and Dean says, "What's it look like I'm doing?" The cigarette tastes like ass. He smokes it anyway, tapping the ash out the open window. It's August. Sam turns up the air conditioning. Dean turns it back down.
Below Breath by kalliel (3,100 words)
Season 2, case fic. Love the complete lack of exposition. You’re just thrown into it on Dean’s terms, and everything is complicated and difficult and unknown.
Dude, he says, and shoves you in the back with his shotgun. You resist the urge to turn around and smack him with it. Or kiss him, all teeth. See how much he’s paying attention then.
Every Rhyme Without Reason by kalliel (44,800 words)
Season 1, case fic, Sam POV. Fascinating and atmospheric and a tough read bc Sam’s life is very uphill at this point, but he’s so present, wrestling and grappling with it. Love him. <3
Maybe they killed that rawhead, released that reaper, slashed that bax'aan's throat. Maybe they'll kill this thing in Rime. But this is what's gonna get them: They have $127.34, four more nights, half a tank of gas, and some cold leftovers to their name. Out here, there's nowhere to go but down; and even then, they're going to have to limp.
With Gravy by kalliel (3,700 words)
Vague season 2. A hunt gone wrong. Slim chances of survival, complete darkness, pain, and heroism.
The tunnel stretches on and on, and all Dean hears is their footsteps getting heavier, sloppier. One kid cries. The woman cries. The man's leg doesn't quite clear some jutting rocks, and he weeps.
The Real Thing by ameliacareful (14,200 words)
Jensen wakes up in a motel room in Dean’s place. So outsider POV. That thing about the third trial, about Tom and Shep… Kill me.
“Are you doing that on purpose?” / “What?” / “Sounding like him?” / “A little. Does it work?” Jensen asked. / Sam did that funny little flicker of a smile/grimace that Jared only did as Sam. “Yeah, it does.” His gaze hardened. “Don’t do it again.” / Sam was suddenly very big. Armed. / “Gotcha,” Jensen said.
Catch Your Death by road_rhythm (22,300 words)
They work a ghost hunt while Sam’s sick. This fucks severely! All their petty fights and their biases and bickering really get the spotlight they deserve, as well as the fact that they just really love and care about each other. Feels exactly like a really good ep of s2. And takes up some of the interesting Sam issues as well.
It was this, every time. Sam lashed out and Dean came back with impenetrable patience and washcloths and medicine and touch and one day it would be his life. And there was no answering back to that.
my habit of breaking hearts as soon as i have them by acccording2thelore (6,600 words)
WARNING: major character death.
A hunt gone wrong. Staggering grief and horror mixed with intimacy and connection. <3
If he can just get to Garth, he can send up some of his people and help carry Sam to the base of the mountain. Dean won’t make it that far.
the blurriness of being alive by hathfrozen (3,500 words)
WARNING: major character death.
Sam dies of an infection.
“They don’t get to grieve for him,” Dean tells Miracle when he decides he isn’t calling anybody to tell them. “They ain’t allowed. They don’t get it.” Dean’s had the worst things in the known universe leeching off of him, trying to turn him into evil, but this is the most rotten, meanest he’s ever felt. He doesn’t fucking care.
A Lifetime or Two by nigeltde (18,400 words)
They work a case with their mom; Sam gets banged up; they try something new. This fic feels so real and lived in. The familiarity between Sam and Dean, the way Sam feels left out, Sam’s quiet loneliness and enduring hope, Dean’s desperate affection. <3
Sam would say lucky it was just broken bones. Lucky nothing else cut too deep. Lucky his ear was intact. Dean gets lost, strung out, trying to calculate: if Sam had been concussed, would that still be good luck? If he’d lost the finger, should Dean be thankful? Where does it end, the tallying? Sam thrown through glass, dragged across pavement, tossed into a car, stitched up in this cramped doll’s house of a room, having to bluntly endure; this is what he’s supposed to be grateful for?
Settle Down My Shivered Bones by abitingsmile (4,800 words)
WARNING: disordered eating, food insecurity, and child neglect.
Pre-series. John, unreliable and off hunting somewhere, and Sam and Dean, making it work with too little cash and too little food. Love this exact flavor of codependency, not sweet, but hard-earned and for survival.
Sam still bickered with him about school and television and laundry, but not about food. Hell, he practically waited for Dean to give him permission to eat, because that way they knew there’d be enough. John or no, this was something incredibly important they could control, they could handle. John simply wasn’t in the loop anymore.
for @spnficrecfest day nine: vintage fics 🧡
(published pre-season six)
by CANDLE_BECK
Last Day on Earth
10.8k words, rated E, published july 2009
A list of things to do if you only have one day to live, presented in inconvenient non-list form.
Eight Things You Should Know
7.7k words, rated T, published dec. 2008
Being in love with Dean is the most annoying thing.
Speechless
11.2k words, rated T, published oct. 2008
Dean loses his voice and their rapport is only moderately impaired.
Second Map of the World
13.9k words, rated E, published sep. 2010
They're on a lucky streak, and then Sam does something ill-considered, and the plot thickens.
American Myth
11.5k words, rated M, published nov. 2007
As long as you have a car, you are free, and other lies my country taught me.
by WHEREUPON
Breathing Hard
9k words, rated E, published aug. 2009
The day Dean figures it out.
Love Letter
4.8k words, rated E, published sep. 2009
It's almost fall and Sam hasn't said anything about leaving.
Head On
8.3k words, rated M, published june 2009
And then, just like that, Dean falls.
by SEVENFISTS
Wear Him Like a Habit
2.2k words, rated M, published march 2008
Their first kiss isn't an accident. It's anticipated well in advance, discussed for weeks, argued over, second-guessed.
Someone Else's Blood
6.7k words, rated E, published aug. 2006
The first time, of course, was an accident.
Life As We Know It
13.7k words, rated M, published apr. 2007
On the morning that Sam woke up, Dean ran five red lights on the way to the hospital, his half-empty coffee cup sloshing in the holder.
Just Reach Out
1.9k words, rated E, published apr. 2006
Sam wakes up slowly. The dull hum of noise in the distance resolves into Dean's voice, quietly singing along with the radio. Sam's face is stuck to the leather seat. He's been drooling a little; the corner of his mouth is wet. He moves his hand tentatively, feeling it prickle, heavy with blood. The window's rolled down.
The Art of Manly Hugging
1.6k words, rated E, published aug. 2007
Sometimes, you know, Dean just needs a goddamn hug.
by COYOTESUSPECT
Odysseus, American
10.1k words, rated M, published feb. 2010
Dean finds Peter O'Toole's recording of the Odyssey in a bin marked “Audio" in Casa Grande's only used bookstore. The place smells like cigarette smoke and old books, and it reminds him of Sam.
Divine Intervention by coyotesuspect
3.8k words, rated T, published aug. 2008
"Dude," says Sam. "I think Castiel just hit on me."
by ASTOLAT
Leader of the Pack
14.9k words, rated E, published dec. 2007
Teaching old dogs new tricks.
Inseparable
6.7k words, rated M, published jan. 2008
It was just plain sense, so Dean didn't understand why something about the way Dad said quietly, "It's time you had your own bed," made him feel guilty and confused.
Unasked
15.3k words, rated M, published june 2007
Sam doesn't ask.
Worth The Wait
4.4k words, rated E, published jan. 2008
Sam couldn't remember a time when he didn't want Dean.
Generosity
1.7k words, rated E, published may 2007
John had traded the gun; he'd have traded away more, and he was still feeling the cold dread of the moment when the demon had cocked its head like a pistol and said, "You know, I'm feeling generous today," because if it hadn't taken more, that was only because it figured what was in store was going to be worse.
by MOLLYAMORY
North of Wednesday
3.5k words, rated G, published feb. 2008
Coda to Mystery Spot.
Open Road
2k words, rated T, published may 2010
Sam's old enough to know what's good for him.
by FLESHFLUTTER
whose wings, though tattered, shall carry me home
(dean/cas, sam/dean) 2.2k words, rated T, published march 2009
There is a breeze moving across the field. It stirs the long grass in lapping waves like the sea. Castiel runs his fingertips through it and remembers flying.
I'll take my chance on a beautiful stranger
3.9k words, rated M, published june 2007
If Chase were a better friend, he might try to end the game now, before Brendan loses even more money. But if Brendan is a dick at Stanford, it’s nothing compared to how he is on break.
by others
The Last Outpost Of All That Is by gekizetsu
59k words, rated E, published feb. 2008
The world ends while they’re asleep.
a journey of a thousand miles by killabeez
2.3k words, rated T, published aug. 2006
Sam spends a lot of time being afraid, but it's not the things that go bump in the night that scare him the most.
Almost At Home by balefully
24.3k words, rated E, published july 2008
Sam graduates from high school in early June in rural Tennessee. He and Dean start the summer with an all-nighter of celebration; the day after, while both fight hangovers, John calls to assign them their first hunt by themselves.
State of Love and Trust/As I Busted Down the Pretext by cormallen
2.9k words, rated M, published jan. 2010
When you know exactly what your brother's thinking, there are some chances you just don't take.
so here's my list for @spnficrecfest day 16! casefics! i have a lot of casefic ish stuff that i've recced already, but i've saved a few juicy ones.
i also have an absolute passion for "law enforcement pursuing the winchesters" fics, including crossovers with procedurals. you can rest assured that i have zero familiarity with criminal minds or law and order or whatever. the people from those shows are just well-developed oc's to me. so i can vouch for the crossovers being fine if you don't know the other source. anyway, there's a few of those on here, and there will be more on the outsider pov and gen lists.
so, casefics, in order of wordcount:
in scales of grey by liliaeth, 4k
victor henriksen hunts some vampires, along with some other beloved early seasons cameos.
drowned by eden22, 15k
gen, crossover with criminal minds. i would honestly rec everything by eden22, and basically all their stuff is at least case adjacent, but this fic is their most case-focused one other than maybe back road, black road. the winchesters hunt a kelpie with the law on their tail.
cops and robbers by ficangel, 17k
one of the first ever henriksen focused fics, apparently. victor henriksen finds out, then he and the boys hunt a demon. also a character study.
he ain't heavy, he's my brother by castiel_for_king, 27k, chose not to warn
the thing about this fic is that it's like an episode of the show, but like, a version of the show where all the characters like each other and have charming little interactions. even crazier, a version of season nine like that. and there's established destiel.
where black stars rise by teen_dean, 27k
a little destiel casefic by everybody's favorite babyboy dean author teen_dean. not exactly scary but borrows it's vibes from horror if you know what i mean.
i see a darkness by twisted_slinky, 70k, violence warning
gen. another cm crossover, but this time salmondean kidnap a couple of the feds to keep from being caught. great stuff. i liked the bro dynamic and i loved their interactions with the feds. and it's more case focused than some similar pieces.
and finally. so the thing is, i've already recced trapdoor by hal_incandenza. but i just cannot allow it to go un-recced for the casefic enjoyers out there. it's a rewrite of seasons thirteen and fourteen in episode format, with whole new motw episodes. they're so good you guys. like it's an overarching destiel plot fic, but it also has multiple whole case fics embedded inside. like, six of them. highly highly recommend.
edit by the amazing and talented and generous @lemondropsonice
SPN FIC REC FEST #11
All-Time Favorites/Free Recs
The only pairing is Wincest
Most are explicit, but those that aren’t are marked accordingly.
THE FIREFLY THAT LOVED METALLICA by fleshflutter
Rated R, but WARNING: MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH/RESURRECTION. I passionately adore this indescribably poignant story. Get tissues.
LIKE STARING INTO THE SUN by nyxocity
It was never about the girls. It was about them.
A new OFC in each part, until there are no more FCs at all and it’s just them.
There is also a sequel, linked to the original
RUN IT ALL OVER (THE WEST SERIES) by runawaydr3amer
I LOVE this series with a passion not too dissimilar from Sam and Dean’s for each other
When you live a life like theirs, chasing tail isn't always an option. But sometimes you just want someone to touch your dick, and your brother’s hand is as good as any.
THE LAST OUTPOST OF ALL THAT IS by gekizetsu
I’m sure this will end up on multiple lists during this event, as it’s a fandom classic that everyone loves. I don’t even want to try to describe it. 60K words. Casefic. First time. I think there’s some H/C. Beautiful. So so sad. Joy amidst the wreckage and heartache. I love it so much I should probably get the title tattooed on my body somewhere
NOT FOR SAMSON IN THE TEMPLE by maygra-fic
Coda to my all time favorite, see above. You have to read that one first to truly appreciate how this coda maintains the tone, voice, and prose quality. You feel like it’s from the same author, but surprise! it’s not, and that’s remarkable. Mature Sam and Dean. Elderly Sam and Dean
THE GHOST OF SOMEBODY AT HIS SIDE by runedgirl
Prepare to weep. When I need pain, this one guarantees I’ll get it. Author Description: The night before Sam Winchester meets with his 12th grade guidance counselor for the second time, something very bad happens. One of those somethings that takes only a ridiculously short amount of time – in this case, about three minutes – yet manages to change the course of two lives forever. Or: Sam goes to Stanford, and takes most of Dean's heart with him.
COGNITIVE DISSONANCE by Morgan
This one just…stuck with me. The events that unfold are awful for Dean in particular, but I’m sure it wasn’t a great time for Sam, either. Bobby makes an appearance. Angst for daaaaays, and NON CON/DUB CON warning is red-flag-level. Author Description: Sam loses his mind. It's that simple. Dean doesn't know what to do, but he's not going to walk away from this, he's never backed down in all his life. If you're looking for happy endings, don't come here. This shit is dark.
THE SILENCE OF A SUMMER DAY by wanttobeatree
***Everyone who loves the Winchesters should read this amazing future fic***
Rated PG. The world has moved on. This is their legacy. Haha, yes, of course I’m recommending this one again. No sex whatsoever! Weird, right?!?!
@spnficrecfest
RESTRAINT by DarkEmeralds
Free rec. Rated M. 200k+ words. It's not Spn or Wincest or even J2, not really. I guess it’s technically a J2 AU. I’m sneaking it in here because it’s an all-time favorite of mine. This might not be your cup of tea, fanfic wise. I certainly didn’t think it was mine. But but but…it’s absolutely lovely, it’s extremely well-written, the tone/voice/verbiage is accurate for its time, and it has a happy ending that made me cry HAPPY tears when I was finished. If you like historical romance, you’ll like this. It’s set in Regency England! Author Description: The calling card said Tristan Jarrett, Viscount Penrith. Beneath that, in a lazy scrawl, was the addendum Mr Acklebury, be so good as to wait on me tomorrow, number 10, Half Moon Street. Yours, &c., Penrith. Mr Acklebury was not sure how he felt about being thus summarily commanded to paint his lordship's portrait.
Supernatural fic recs fest day 1 - specific era or season
see @spnficrecfest
I am going for canticles for a season specific fic rec, because it's of such a particular point in Destiel, ie - season five, free to be you and me. Look people know this one, but it's not illegal to talk about it, right? It's a classic for a reason. Lot of Dean gender derangements which are of special interest to me.
Season six is a very particular time in canon and spn plot that produces some pretty bonker fics. Let me recommend two:
the paradox of free will - destiel and deanlisa? cheating? heaven politics? I love this fic, everyone has a terrible time in it. Makes me crazy.
so much smoke in a hall of mirrors - some great yucky-disgusting exploration of season six Destiel from Cas POV.
there is a particular time in canon. The human Castiel time. Much to think about
Life skills - I think about this fic a LOT. Enough that I kind of wrote something inspired by it. The point is - Cas and Dean can't have sex with each other. So they have sex with the same women at the same time. Dean is so so so so normal in this. Much to chew on in his naration.
Day one of the @spnficrecfest called for rec lists featuring fics set in a specific season or era, so here are five of my all-time favorite Purgatory era Dean/Cas fics! I'm also including fics which deal with the immediate aftermath of Dean & Cas' time in Purgatory, as I consider those to be part of the era as well :)
The Legend of the White Light by EllenOfOz | Explicit | 50k
Angsty, pine-filled alternate season 8 fic with a happy ending! This was written for the Pinefest a few years back, and it quickly earned a place on my favorite Purgatory fics list.
(Warnings: graphic depictions of violence, explicit sexual content)
Ritual by takadainmate | Teen | 10.8k
This is a really unique fic that follows Dean, Benny, and an extremely changed Cas through Purgatory. I don't quite know how to describe this one without spoiling it, but... possibly sentient lightning wants Cas dead? Just go read it, it's strange and lovely.
(Warnings: none)
Just After, But Before by cymbalism | Explicit | 8.7k
As the title says, this fic is set just after Dean and Cas escape from Purgatory -- and unlike the show, they get out together. It's a short and sweet hurt/comfort fic, with Dean looking after Cas after the journey through the portal leaves him weak and injured.
(Warnings: explicit sexual content)
What Fun It All Would Be by 8sword | Mature | 22.5k
A Purgatory fic that deals with the fact that Dean's half-Amazon daughter Emma must be there, and a really inventive and twisty one at that. When you start reading you're going to be confused. Stick with it. Enjoy the journey -- but mind the tags, and be prepared for pain. This one doesn't have a happy ending.
(Warnings: graphic depictions of violence, major character death, body horror, supernatural "drug" use)
Tales of Brave Ulysses by snarklyboojum | Teen | 55.9k
This one is just beautifully written -- one of those fics that, despite not having re-read it in a while, I can still picture specific moments perfectly in my mind's eye. It's not an entirely happy ending, but it is a hopeful one, and there's some Where the Wild Things Are stuff in there that's especially fun.
(Warnings: graphic depictions of violence)
...AND A BONUS SIXTH FIC:
Redemption Road by multiple authors | Explicit | 652k
Technically, this sprawling, slow-burn, round robin masterpiece was written long before Purgatory ever appeared on screen, with fans starting the project during the hiatus between seasons six and seven. The central story follows Dean as he tries to bring Cas back to him after he's been driven to megalomania by the monster souls he consumed during season six. Seeing as a significant part of the story takes place in Purgatory, and it's still one of my all time favorite fics 13 years after it was published, it gets an honorary place on this list.
(Warnings: graphic depictions of violence, explicit sexual content)
Check under the cut for links to all of the rec lists I make for this fest! I'll update with new links as I post them :)
Day One - Purgatory Era
Day Two - Dean's Canon Kinks
Day Three - Long Fics
Day Four - Alternate Universes
Day Five - Rare Pairs
Day Six - Case Fics
Day Seven - Tropes
Day Eight - Gen Fics
Day Nine - Vintage Fics
Day Ten - Coda Fics
Day Eleven - Mystery List
In May of 1993, Sam Winchester disappeared. In June, his family found him.
Why I rec it: This was the very first samdean fic I ever read, and was the perfect primer to their relationship as I was watching the show for the first time. It shows pre-series Sam and Dean through a very realistic and gritty lens. It's not all giggles and stolen kisses between ganking monsters. They deal with their difficult life on the road, trying to fit in at school, the christian conservatism of the south, and of course their confusing relationship with each other. It also has a very sweet and powerful ending that I think about often.
