Katya's Professionals recs

The Professionals - fiction recs updated 3 February 2003 And then there were the Brits, the professionals of CI5, who put their lives on the line every day in their quest to keep England safe and smelling ever so faintly of roses and lavender. Bodie, with his shady past (ex-merc, ex-Paras, ex-SAS, ex-lots of other things he won't discuss) and heart of mush (but only for Doyle) under that pseudo-tough-guy exterior; and Doyle — former Met copper, one-time art student, he of the marksman's eye, foul temper, indecently tight jeans, and rampaging guilt complex. Together they formed Cowley's best team, and certainly his most decorative. They spent most of their off-hours together; didn't seem to understand the concept of personal space; stole each other's one-night stands and heartily disliked each other's serious girlfriends; answered each other's sentences and bickered away like an old married couple; and inevitably went to pieces when either of them was hurt or threatened. In other words, they were the perfect slash pairing. This is an incredibly prolific fandom, and one in which the immense quantity of the fic is almost matched by its quality. If you're wondering about my reasons for recommending these particular tales, here's a quick synopsis of my basic likes and dislikes. Most of the good stuff is still in zines (some of which are still in print, fortunately), but the old paper circuit library is gradually being converted to text files on CD (e-mail me for info on getting a copy), and a portion of the library is also available online. If you want to know where to find any of the zines I've referenced below, e-mail me. Also, I'm still working my way through the backlog of zines available, so I may have overlooked some gems; if you know of a good tale or two that I've missed, please let me know.

Leave off with the swiss roll, sunshine, and hand over the recs.
Alexandra	• Love in a Faithless Country • Memoirs of a Merc
Ann Barrister	• Whisper of a Kill (also a zine novel; OOP) - Interesting A/U, and solid characterization. I find the initial premise intriguing enough that I'm willing to overlook the somewhat disjointed nature of this tale. (Nothing a solid editing couldn't fix.)
Anne Higgins	• Whatever Happened to Raymond Doyle? - An interesting AU that uses the role of Alan Cade to spin one possible (albeit improbable) tale of what might have happened to Bodie and Doyle, post-series. An angst fest, but with a lovely ending that wraps everything up nicely. (Originally appeared in Variation on the Theme of B and D.)
Brenda Antrim	• Grapevine - After the events of "In the Public Interest," the boys are increasingly attuned to and aware of one another. Her interpretation of some of the later eps is pretty interesting; I particularly liked her take on Mayli. Things come to a head rather nicely after "Ojuka," which I can see happening (though I view the guys as pretty much married right after "Graveyard," but that's just me).
Cherilyn	• Fruit of the Spirit (zine novel) - A solid tale that traces Bodie & Doyle's relationship from their initial meeting (they hate each other on sight, which I enjoyed thoroughly), through the course of the show (I liked her incorporation of the different episodes), to their post-series life together. It's an enjoyable tale with lots of banter, and the guys seemed very in character to me. (Still in print, e-mail me for details.)
Courtney Gray	• Night Moves
Chris P.	• "Of Tethered Goats and Tigers" (CD) • "Masquerade" (CD)
Dorinda	• Festival of Lights
DVS	• "Suitable Gravity" [A/U] (from zine; OOP)
Elessar	• Neon Nights
Ellis Ward	• Harlequin Airs - (zine novel) An unbelievably beautiful zine, chock-full of gorgeous pictures by Suzan — many of them in full cover — and lovely sequential page borders. This is an AU in which CI5 agent Doyle goes undercover at a circus, where he is a trapeze artist paired with William Bodie. (No, really — stop laughing! Oh, all right, go ahead and laugh. I sure did when I heard this premise.) It's a ridiculous plot, but a lot of fun, and the OCs are pretty well done. Definitely a guilty pleasure of a zine, and one of the true classics of the fandom. (Still in print, e-mail me for details.) • Trial Run • Killing Notes
EPS	• "Any Other Day" (CD)
Frankie	• "Brother's Keeper" [A/U] (CD)
Hestia	• "Deck the Halls" (CD)
HG	• Rediscovered in a Graveyard (zine novel) - A classic of the fandom. A mix of AU and present day that parallels two different sets of Bodies and Doyles, and has an engrossing plot in both time periods. (Still in print, e-mail me for details.) • Jigsaw Puzzle (zine novel; also on CD) - Yet another classic, and one of my favorites. A big, complex wallow in angst, with plenty of suffering before the thoroughly enjoyable resolution. I do like her characterization — I never have to strain to see a Bodie and Doyle that I recognize in her stories. (Still in print, e-mail me for details.) • Strange Days Indeed (zine novel; also on CD) - Bodie's past comes back to haunt him, and Doyle gets swept up in the ensuing drama. That's just the catalyst for this old-school wallow in h/c, angst, and miscommunication. (Still in print, e-mail me for details.) • Rainbow Chasers (zine novel) - An interesting AU that portrays a very different past for both of the guys, yet still brings them to almost the same final destination. And there's plenty of angst and misunderstanding along the way, of course. (available from Nut Hatch) • HG Collected 1 & 2 (zine anthologies) - Some of these stories are also available in the library, but there are plenty of other goodies in these collections of her circuit stories to make these two volumes worth reading. (Still in print, e-mail me for details.)
LRH Balzer	• After the Battle (zine anthology) - I'm actually reccing a gen zine. Stand by for the four horsemen. No, really, it's a great read; four stories that focus on the guys and their relationship. There's a goodly portion of h/c (especially in the last story, which I found a bit tedious), but the characterizations are excellent, and she does a great job of including Cowley and other agents in interesting, believable ways. I particularly enjoyed the first two tales, which detail the development of "The Bisto Kids." (available from AWS)
Maiden Wyoming	• Journey West (zine novel) - An interesting story set about a decade post-series. The boys are sent on what may be the Operation Susie to end all Operation Susies, with no backup, no way out, and a seriously nasty bunch of baddies on their tails. It's set in Wyoming, so it's sadly lacking the London setting and supporting characters that I so enjoy; and there's a touch of mysticism and the supernatural, which is never a favorite of mine, especially in this fandom. That having been said, however, the pacing is flawless and the plot, intriguing; from a technical standpoint, this novel is superbly constructed. The author is clearly a polished, seasoned pro, and I enjoyed this far more than I do most "fish out of water" tales. Plus, Oblique has done its usual spectacular publishing job, with wonderful layouts and unusual, appropriate graphics. (Published by Oblique Publications, though OOP from them; still available from the author, e-mail me for details.)
Miriam	I know I sound smug when I say this, but I just gotta gloat; she writes in four — count 'em, four — of my fandoms. Woo-hoo! • "Zeno's Paradox" (in Living Pros) - A gorgeous, eloquent, evocative tale that beautifully captures Doyle in all his prickly, bad-tempered glory. Miriam's language is wonderfully descriptive, and her portrayal of the guys as they truly are — not idealized, not "prettied-up" — is always one of the things that I enjoy most about her stories. And the ending to this one — ye gods, it's a thing of beauty.
O. Y.	• Injured Innocents (zine novel) - A total hoot. Sweet without being saccharine, and laugh-out-loud funny. And the plot is one of those convoluted bits in which everything you can think of happens to the boys. One of my favorites. (Still in print, e-mail me for details.) • Ember Days (zine novel) - Another favorite, though this one is very different in tone. Lots of angst as Bodie and Doyle are vastly out of sync with regards to their feelings for one another; much suffering ensues, on both sides, with plenty of resolution when they finally get their act together. I didn't really buy some of their behavior, especially in Doyle's case, but I still enjoyed the read. (Still in print, e-mail me for details.)
Pamela Rose	• Where the Worms Are - The worst has happened; Cowley has been killed, and CI5 has been broken up. Worse, Bodie and Doyle are no longer partners. At least, not until it's made very clear that there is far more going on than meets the eye. Lots of double- and triple-think in this plot-driven, episodic tale. Plus, it features the ever-so-marvelous Elizabeth Walsh, which is an added bonus. • Professional Dreamer (zine novel; also on CD) - A lighthearted AU that has a mild-mannered Walter-Mitty-esque Ray Dibble getting coshed on the head and, upon waking with amnesia, morphing into his favorite fictional action hero, Ray Doyle. He then proceeds to track down his "partner," "Bodie," who's really the author of the "Professionals" novels, W. Philip Andrew. Hijinks ensue, especially when Doyle is dead certain that he and Bodie are lovers. (Can't imagine why. Heh.) A fun, tongue-in-cheek read.
Rhiannon	She is the master of the A/U in this fandom, as far as I'm concerned. • The Larton Chronicles (zine anthology) - This A/U series of four long stories has Ray Doyle, cop-turned-successful-writer, moving to the country to escape London; there he meets Bodie, a hard-drinking, horse-mad Irish soldier and youngest son of the local landed-but-destitute gentry. (Warning: only read these in public if you're prepared to make a total ass of yourself by giggling uncontrollably.) I loved these tales. They may not be to everyone's taste — there's no overt romance whatsoever, everything's so understated that it's practically unspoken, and the characterization isn't quite pure Bodie and Doyle — but I got quite a kick out of them. I thought that they had a lot of the humor of the Georgette Heyer 1930s murder mysteries (i.e., insanity among the eccentrics in the English countryside). Great OCs and plenty of bickering, all liberally laced with wit. (I loved the arguments between the lads, not to mention those between Doyle and his long-suffering agent. And the image of Bodie stuffing the bills behind the clock killed me.) If you're looking for a very romantic tale of Bodie/Doyle, or one with lots of open displays of strong emotion, these are not the stories for you. If you're in the mood for a British countryside version of The Odd Couple, however, these are just the ticket. Plus, they're exceptionally well written. (Still in print, e-mail me for details.)
Sebastian	• Hyperion to a Satyr • Flu • "Flu 2," written with HG (CD)
The Zines:
Motet for New Voices in B and D; Motet Opus 2 and Opus 3; and Night Music	From Keynote Press, but OOP — do not order from the publisher, as she is completely incommunicado, and you will never see your zines. Which is sad, as these are some of my very favorite Pros zines; they contain an interesting mix of authors and styles, are well edited, beautifully illustrated, reasonably priced, and provide subtle yet effective story warnings. I suggest haunting the lists and scouring cons for used copies of these.
Variation on the Theme of B and D	Also from Keynote Press, and also a favorite. A wonderful mix of A/U tales that are as well thought out and beautifully written as the canon-based stories in the Motet zines, and the editing and production values are up to Keynote's usual high standards. I'm not normally a fan of A/Us, but these were lovely. (There is also a Second Variation zine that I found to be much, much weaker; I only liked four of the twelve tales therein. But those four stories were pretty darned good.) See above for notes regarding difficulties in getting zines from Keynote, however.
Unprofessional Conduct 1-11	These are an excellent group of anthologies that include some good stories by very accomplished authors; the early ones are particularly strong. I enjoyed some volumes more than others, of course, which is only to be expected of anthologies. (This publisher is absolutely top-notch with regards to customer service, by the way; e-mail me for info.)

Why'd I recommend these stories? Because I adore: • Canon. Canon. Canon. (Did I mention that I'm a slave to canon?) • Rock-solid characterization, a high snark quotient, and banter that flies fast and furious. • Long, epic tales. With allowances made for the occasional short, funny PWP, and the odd well-done AU. (This fandom in particular seems to suit the longer, more involved story form, IMO. It also seems to attract folks who enjoy writing AUs, which isn't something I celebrate, as I'm not a fan of them. That having been said, I have enjoyed several in this fandom.) • A good wallow in angst and suffering, provided said angst and suffering make sense given the characters and situation, and provided there is positive resolution. (Not fond of the guys being left in pain and without hope, ta very much.) Pros writers really like to pile on the pain, which is fine, but you'd better fix it before ending the story. If I want grim realism with no happy ending I'll turn on the news. • Stories that involve the rest of the squad. There just aren't enough of those floating around. • Post-series stories. I'm interested in finding out how authors see their lives progressing. ...and, generally speaking, I avoid: • Stories that ooze romance and overt sentiment; i.e., those in which the guys make like characters in a Harlequin/Silhouette/Mills & Boon novel. Just not my cuppa. Fortunately there are not too many of those in this fandom. Well, maybe there are, but I've managed to avoid most of them. • Stories in which Doyle is over-feminized or otherwise portrayed as tiny, fragile, delicate or submissive. Doyle's hair may be just slightly on the long side, and he's wiry rather than bulky, but that's it. He is not a girl, or even slightly fey, fer chrissakes. He's strong, aggressive, and tempermental as the day is long. Bit of a sarky sod, really. • Stories in which Bodie is a neolithic caveman with all the social skills of a rampaging wildebeest. Pardon me, but what show were you watching? He may be an attack dog on a very thin leash, but he's capable of being quite charming when it suits him. • Stories in which anyone is an elf. Tolkien has a lot to answer for. • Stories in which Bodie and Doyle wind up with anyone but each other. Or in a threesome. Um — no. (Not to say I couldn't see them getting into a threesome with each other and some bird; that's not even a stretch. But they'd better end up together, and exclusive, or you've lost me.) • Stories that go over the top in demonizing George Cowley. It's a cheap cop-out, it violates canon, and it's boring. Not to say that stories can't show Cowley objecting to the relationship and taking steps to eliminate what he sees as a threat to CI5; that can be and has been done often and well. But Cowley is not Satan, and I don't buy it when I see him used in that manner. • Conversely, I have a really hard time with stories that portray Cowley as a romantic soul who fancies himself as Cupid, helping the boys to realize their true feelings for each other. IMO, he's far too much of an ascetic, not to mention a pragmatist who knows the problems this relationship could cause. Again, many good authors have crafted excellent stories in which Cowley accepts Bodie and Doyle's relationship after a fashion, but these stories ring true by dint of the way in which the Cow accepts or even encourages this relationship. It's not all hearts and flowers, but very much in keeping with his character. • Death stories. Because while I am not fond of the guys being left in pain and without hope, I'm even less fond of them being left — well — dead. (Although there are some righteously gorgeous death stories in Pros, I have to admit. If you go for that sort of thing.)
All screen caps are courtesy of Tauna, who has spent far too much time drooling over Contender's ever-so-lovely DVDs.

home • contact me