excellent_omens

A Wholly Ridiculous Explanation by rex_dart
A/C, PG

Well this is entirely lovely. There's no real build-up to the relationship, which is often something I very much enjoy, but then... well, to be honest, it comes directly after the book and if that can't be considered build-up, what can?

Basically this describes Crowley's decision not to let things potter along as they have done for years, but instead to take decisive action. And the action he takes is typically brash, idiotic, and strangely effective. The guest appearance by Dogma's god amused me rather, since it was subtly done and didn't make much of itself as a crossover, which is something that can be abused; it was brushed over, and didn't rely on inside jokes, and was well explained within the story.

Footnotes, which are constantly a sticking point with me, weren't overused and were nicely amusing, giving it a touch of a canon feel to it, and although I might make the observation that Crowley was perhaps a little too much of a softy... well, there's really not that much in it. In canon, in my opinion, it's quite clear that he's rather under Aziraphale's thumb, so why not?

Short and sweet, a lovely feelgood story.

Ideas by copperbadge
A/C, R

When I originally started reading fanfiction, a very long time ago when I was far younger and more naive, I tended to choose my reading material based largely on pairing and rating - the higher the better, as far as I was concerned. Over time I've learned that there are far more important things; that characterisation should be priority, and long build ups can be far more effective than many things labelled 'PWP'.

Good Omens is a fandom that works well without graphic smut, an awful lot. Judging by what I've seen it takes genuine talent to reconcile canon with higher ratings; when it is done right the story is even more satisfying, as a result.

Ideas is one of the stories that manages to make it work. copperbadge takes a fandom interpretation - that Aziraphale is, in fact, far prettier (and younger) than you'd suspect - and twists it ever so slightly to fit. He also manages to explain making an effort - or, rather, why it's not so needed as it used to be. The result is a story without very much plot, but one that definitely provides an arresting and affecting beginning to a new stage in Aziraphale and Crowley's relationship.

Provocative without getting lost in too much detail.

Good Omens Ficlet by copinggoggles
gen

What I like about this snippet, beyond its grasp of character and decent style, is how well it works on different levels. As a self contained story, without any context, it's well characterised and, while sad (without being overly angst-ridden) is also faintly uplifting because of their cooperation. What rings true about it in particular is Crowley's response to the soldier - one gets a sense of the state of mind he was in after the Spanish Inquisition.

When one reads it with a little more context (which, if you're not familiar overly with British history, is explained in the comments) it becomes even more potent. Especially when one considers that it was very much Crowley's idea - it's possible to imagine Aziraphale smiling faintly for some time after, with Crowley embarrassed and rude about it.

It also works as a nice metaphor for the War in Heaven, and for how much humanity has changed them, something that is mentioned in the book itself.

The reader can interpret it as they will, and it's lovely to find something that says so much with so little.

Anything But Ordinary by cimness
A/C, R

This story is a remix of daegaer's "Ordinary People" which is linked to at the top of the page. It's strange, because much as I love Daegaer's body of work, and will be making a post of recommendation at some future point, Ordinary People is not one that I think I'll be linking to. The orginal is a delightful story, certainly, but it does seem something of a pointless AU. It stands well enough on its own that it doesn't really need the tag of 'Good Omens fanfiction', and although I would possibly recommend it as a work of fiction in and of itself I wouldn't say that it was core to the fandom.

This remix, on the other hand, is utterly delightful. It's superbly written, and it's charmingly true to the ever so slight descriptive indications the book gives about Aziraphale, which are frequently ignored. It doesn't romanticise either of them, really, and (one of my personal favourite touches in this fandom) it mentions, and expands on, making an effort. The subtle sensuality of Crowley's experinces are far more affecting than they have any right to be, considering how little there is in the way of out-and-out contact.

It is a story I'll be keeping in mind for when the day's been bad and the weather is grey, as an infallible pick-me-up. And nothing is so important as that.

Absolutely lovely.

Ways To Forget by casirafics
Crowley/Aziraphale/Remus, HP/GO crossover, PG-13

I've always adored Casira's stories, although I've only ever really read her Harry Potter tales. Her grasp of Remus and Sirius has always been very secure, and that makes this story all the more pleasant - to find someone with an excellent voice in more than one fandom, someone who can combine the two effectively in a way that is believable and true to the canons and the characters.

There is much outside of this story that I would love to see explored - I hope that the muse strikes again and Casira writes more in this fandom. Knowledge of both canons is necessary for the enjoyment of this story, but there is so much enjoyment waiting. I love her rich descriptions, her feel for character voice (Crowley's justification of his wine is particularly lovely) and the tempting glimpses that make one wish she would go into far more detail.

Excellent.

Everything That Rises Must Converge by bookshop.
A/C, mildly PG

What really stands out about bookshop's story is the footnotes.

And yes, I admit that I've muttered wrathfully about them before, and no doubt shall again, but they add so much to the story here - they aren't gratuitous in the least, and that's refreshing. The entire concept of the story (which is very short, with very little plot, but entirely charming) is so very Terry Pratchett and so very Aziraphale. As may have been noted, I very much enjoy stories that are true to canon, and this feels like it could definitely happen within the world the two authors created.

Again, it's the subtlety that draws me to it. Very enjoyable.

Saunter by ariastar
Not really A/C at all, really. G.

This is an example of that sort of story that I am generally not terribly fond of. In which a character gets terribly introspective about Nothing In Particular, and ponders life, the universe, and everything in between. I don't tend to have endless reserves of patience for them, although I confess I've been known to write one or two in my time. With such stories, characterisation has to be absolutely spot on in order to have even a hope of succeeding; as previously mentioned, ariastar is someone who can be trusted in this.

Again, the viewpoint is Crowley's. And the story is far more lyrical and far more introspective than the previous offering; it's also beautiful. It's not really a story, since it doesn't really have a plot. But it says far more than Crowley does because the tone and the plaintive almost-thoughts are skilfully used to suggest a story that is far more effectively told in this way than a straight tale would have been.

It's evocative and gently heartbreaking, skillfully avoiding the potential for entirely too much angst. Again, the tone is excellent, and although short it's a very affecting story.

Falling Rain by ariastar
A/C, mildly PG

This story is probably one that you've read before. If it's not, it should be; this story ought to be recommended instantly to everyone upon entrance to the fandom, although there is the definite downside that one would be hard pressed to find anything that matched up to it after.

It's told through Crowley's eyes, and relates the tale of quite what happened to the both of them during the Great Flood; it also explains why Aziraphale wasn't mentioned in the Biblical retelling, and what happened to all the Babylonian wine. And, more importantly, perhaps most importantly, it lays the foundation for the Arrangement. It shows - in a way that feels like it's been plucked straight from canon - exactly how a demon and an angel could end up as friends, anyway. Even if they'd never admit it.

The narrative voice is delightful and true to the characterisation of Crowley, and there are small references to things mentioned in canon - this author knows her material well, and uses it with admirable subtlety. It is not an exercise in proving how well ariastar has studied the book, but instead provides moments of delightful familiarity that make it thoroughly believable as an extension of canon.

I cannot recommend this story highly enough. Anyone who liked the book will enjoy this, I think.

Fin by angelgazing
gen, hints of A/C

This is beautiful, genuinely lovely use of language. Nothing stated, but remarkably well characterised for that, telling a tale in which you can fill in the blanks but even without doing so, even without paying attention to what plot there is it's a pleasure to read.

It can certainly be read as a piece of gen fiction, but what hints there are are evocative and surprisingly telling. It's very short, but it manages to say far more than its wordcount would suggest.

Very enjoyable. Someone else I'd definitely like to see more from.

Next Time I Fall by amberdiceless
Implied A/C, PG-13 for implied slash and violence

This story is superlative. I'm actually surprised I hadn't come across it before - it most certainly should have been recommended to me, or at least within (whatever on the internet passes for) my hearing. The first part did have the slight disadvantage of excessive footnotes - something that, within the Good Omens fandom, seems to have become shorthand for 'Good Omens Style' and is greatly overused - but it's well worth looking beyond that.

The first part, told from Crowley's perspective, offers a lot of insights into the character; what specifically resonated was the reason that Hell was quite so bad as it was. It was an interesting perspective on the issue, and made the end of the first part all the sweeter.

The second part is where it really comes into its own. One gets the impression that amberdiceless has gained confidence, and found their own voice as opposed to carefully mimicking that of Pterry and Gneil. The Good Omens touches are most definitely still a part of the story - one line that stood out was "Shortly thereafter consciousness gave it all up as a bad job, and fled." And yet this is not only a good piece of work as an homage to Good Omens; it's well written in its own right, the descriptions and images are compelling, and the characterisation is excellent.

I was really most impressed by this story, and I'm definitely going to keep an eye out for more by amberdiceless.

Of Apples and Serpents by abernaith
Slightly implied A/C, gen

I very much enjoyed this story, and I'm having a bit of a job trying to work out quite why. It's not one of the most skilfully written stories I've read, and sometimes the grammar and phrasing wasn't quite to my taste - a couple of the comments made by the characters jarred ever so slightly. But in spite of that I found the story rather lovely.

I think key in my enjoyment was the simplicity of it. Aziraphale and Crowley, I find, are such charming characters in and of themselves that plot is certainly a bonus (for the most part) but not always necessary. I could quite happily read about them pottering around the shop all afternoon, or subtly needling each other while feeding the ducks, or having a conversation over tea at the Ritz. This story has apples and crosswords and curry, and not all that much else, and yet it manages to be a pleasant snapshot of the two of them, as well as hinting at slash if you choose to see it that way.

Short and sweet.