Star Trek AOS: Top Picks

Break by Yahtzee
A beautiful exploration of the origin of Spock and Uhura's relationship. Utterly brilliant; I consider it canon. (Adult stuff happens in Part 3.) Part 2 | Part 3

Graduate Vulcan for Fun and Profit by Meg (lazulisong)
A startlingly good Kirk backstory (beginning with Taurus IV and the aftermath) melded with his time at the Academy. The Vulcan stuff is excellent; it really does take a village to raise a Jim Kirk. PG13 for Jim's potty-mouth.

How to Avoid Kicking Puppies and Other Lessons in Leadership by sparky77
Being Captain isn't all playing in the Big Chair. Deeply funny with awesome dialogue that really captures what the new Enterprise under Kirk would be like. Language warning: everyone has potty-mouths. Except Spock and Uhura, but the potty-mouth is implied there.Linked from the Wayback Machine

Inevitability by galaxysoup
"More than one friendship was derailed by the Narada's arrival." After Narada, Bones treats an old Vulcan...

Lunch and Other Obscenities by rheanna27
Nyota thought she was prepared for cultural conflicts... until she met her roommate. Great backstory for Uhura and Gaila, and for Spock/Uhura; really well executed.

Not All Who Wander by thedeadparrot
"Spock Prime has found ways to keep himself occupied; the universe doesn't know what hit it." Funny and perfect in all the best ways, with lots of references to Old Skool canon. Kirk's contributions are especially hysterical, but the whole thing is fantastic.

Of Two Worlds by Yahtzee
Spock has the opportunity to choose between the Prime universe and his own. Cool, plotty, twisty fic with an awesome guest star, and fabulous characterizations. S/U.

RE: Fraternizaton Regulations by boosette
A screamingly funny Day in the Life email fic, with bonus!Rand. KikiRec Updated Link

We Two Alone by shoreleave
"Academy fic. Dr. Leonard McCoy thinks he has nothing in common with command-track cadet Jim Kirk, until a series of events forces them together. When a simple training mission is derailed into a seemingly hopeless situation, both have to learn to trust one another, and they'll need all their wits and survival skills to stay alive." Epic-length adventure, perfect characterization.

Aftermath by emn1936
"After everyone had breathed a sigh of relief, that's when the real work began..." Among other things, Jim finally makes it to Sickbay. Some good insights to the battles everyone just survived, and a few very nice moments. Link updated

COMM 3259 by eldarwannabe
"COMM 3259 was on her required course list. She didn't expect to end up sitting next to the older guy who was always hanging around Jim Kirk on campus." You don't see a lot of Uhura and Bones fic. This is a good one.

Five Times Jim Was Neurotically Mothered By His Crew (And One Time He Mothered Them Right Back) by _seven_crows
A sweet and lovely "Jim loves his crew" fic.

A Formal Dance in the Bowling Alley by Raven
"Here are some things that James Tiberius Kirk, Captain, does not understand about the USS Enterprise and her crew..." Alternately giggly and heart-warming, with great voices for everyone.

How Many Roads? or, 27 Times Jim Kirk Hit On Nyota Uhura by Deastar
A lovely look at Jim and Uhura's relationship from beginning to end. Very true to both characters, and Spock gets a few good lines, too. S/U, with little bitty bits of K/U. KikiRec

In Service by loneraven
"It turns out, when they said joining Starfleet was a life in service, that was exactly what they meant." Bones and Scotty on the loose in the universe.

It Takes a Village by chaletian
Another Bones study, of a sort; crisp, accurate and funny. First in a funny and cute slice-of-life series called The Villageverse.

Midnight Judges by lettered
"In the two weeks following the events of Star Trek Into Darkness, a Starfleet officer tries to put Starfleet back together again." Adroitly handles some of the more glaring FAIL moments of the second movie. KikiRec

Murphy's Law of Jim Kirk Diplomacy by _seven_crows
Kirk, Spock and McCoy trapped-in-a-shuttlecraft fic that captures the spirit of TOS as well as the movie.

Plant Life by cole_chan
A long, plotty, gen story, yay! Kirk has a life-threatening encounter with the local flora that turns out to have repercussions that could shake the Federation. Linking to Part 11, which has links to all the other parts at the top of the page.

Precious Things by haearnmouse
"There are things which are greater than any single human or Vulcan. As long as there is life, there is hope." Short, starring OCs (sort of), and incredibly beautiful. There are several equally excellent sequels.

There is Joy in Repetition (But Sometimes You Have to Break Routine) by igrockspock
Romulans invade Sickbay; Chapel takes them on. But it's more serious than that, and is actually a great character study of Chapel, and the responsibilities of command.

these old walkin' blues by ignipes
Five times McCoy proved he has a heart of gold. Really fabulous Bones character study.