Espresso Recommendations

Star Trek: Deep Space 9

Elim Garak

' "Doctor, are you telling me that you missed the entire point of the story?" Garak tutted, "What a shame, I was under the impression that you were more intelligent than that." ' A clever tale within a tale which sheds light on Cardassian values via exploration of their literature. Worth a try despite one or two jarring mistakes

[Added 15/07/2009; Drama; 2500-6000; Star Trek: Deep Space 9; Characters: Elim Garak, Julian Bashir, Tekeny Ghemor, OCs]

Agent Provocateur by Arcady

"To Elim Garak, she was always that woman." A clever reworking of 'A Scandal in Bohemia' that's well worth a read

[Added 08/07/2004; Drama; 2500-6000; Star Trek: Deep Space 9; Characters: Elim Garak, Julian Bashir, OCs; Crossover]

Big Kid by Paranoid Kitten

Mix Keiko, Miles, Julian, Garak. Stir. A clever and surprisingly plausible vignette

[Added 13/01/2004; Drama; 1000-2500; Star Trek: Deep Space 9; Characters: Keiko O'Brien, Miles O'Brien, Julian Bashir, Elim Garak]

A Clear Conscience by Una McCormack

Post-war politics, devious plotting and a sympathetic original character

[Added 16/04/2003; Drama; 6000-20,000; Star Trek: Deep Space 9; Characters: Elim Garak, Julian Bashir, Kira Nerys, OC]

A Discreet Private Inquiry by Henrietta Wotton

'When you work for an organization that catalogues the most private desires and behaviors of every citizen of Cardassia, you’ve run into about every perversion imaginable.' An interesting case for Garak pre-exile, as well as one of the most complete pictures of Cardassian society I've encountered. A brief Postscript is set during the show

[Added 09/12/2005; Drama; 6000-20,000; Star Trek: Deep Space 9; Characters: Elim Garak, OC]

Exile by The Hoyden

'Exile was certainly dark, but in Julian Bashir's case, it was warm and humid instead of numbingly cold.' An intriguing AU which turns the G/B dynamics upside down

[Added 18/10/2011; Drama; 6000-20,000; Star Trek: Deep Space 9; Characters: Julian Bashir, Elim Garak, Dukat, Odo, Tora Naprem, OCs]

The Fabric of our Lives by Una McCormack

'I had not expected to be thinking again so soon of marriage.' A moving character piece, which nails not only the author's speciality, Garak, but also Kira & Jadzia. A real personal favourite

[Added 16/04/2003; Character Piece; 2500-6000; Star Trek: Deep Space 9; Characters: Elim Garak, Tora Ziyal, Jadzia Dax, Kira Nerys]

Five Things Which Never Happened by Selena

Five different AUs focusing on the relationship between Kira & Dukat, each one a completely believable story in its own right, with some delicious sideturns from canon. One of the most interesting responses to the 'Five Things...' meme I can recall, in any fandom. Simply wonderful! Selena has repeated the exercise for Garak & Bashir, in Paths Not Taken, also highly recommended

[Added 08/07/2004; Drama; 6000-20,000; Star Trek: Deep Space 9; Characters: Kira Nerys, Dukat, Odo, Tora Naprem, Weyoun, Damar, Kira Meru; Paths Not Taken: Elim Garak, Julian Bashir, Tora Ziyal]

Flowering by Henrietta Wotton

An intelligent look at the physiology and psychology of an alien race

[Added 16/04/2003; Drama; 20,000-50,000; Star Trek: Deep Space 9; Characters: Elim Garak, Enabran Tain, Mila, OCs; Adult]

Nom de Plume, Roman a Clef by Arcady

An inventive premise, clever characterisation and a broad streak of humour place these two short stories among the very best I've encountered in this fandom. Folie a Deux forms a longer sequel to both

[Added 16/04/2003; Romance/Erotica; 2500-6000; Star Trek: Deep Space 9; Characters: Julian Bashir, Elim Garak, Jadzia Dax, Kira Nerys, Benjamin Sisko]

Obsidian Gothic by Una McCormack

Una's Garak voice is always a treat, and this atmospheric story is one of my favourites

[Added 16/04/2003; Character Piece; 6000-20,000; Star Trek: Deep Space 9; Characters: Elim Garak, Julian Bashir, Enabran Tain, Mila, OC]

Once Upon A Time by JA Chapman

' "You aren't going to tell me some cock and bull story about how you worked as a waiter for some Klingon restaurant and got shorted a tip by a diplomat who later died choking on gagh or something equally bizarre, are you?" ' A bit rough around the edges, perhaps, but this tale within a tale shows Garak at his manipulative best during his time as a gardener on Romulus

[Added 15/07/2009; Drama; 2500-6000; Star Trek: Deep Space 9; Characters: Elim Garak, Julian Bashir, Odo, Kira Nerys, OC]

The Riding Hound of the House of Tain by Arcady

Arcady combines luscious descriptive prose with a deft touch in characterisation in this unlikely rewriting of The Hound of the Baskervilles

[Added 16/04/2003; Drama; 2500-6000; Star Trek: Deep Space 9; Characters: Elim Garak, Julian Bashir, OCs; Crossover]

A Treatise on the Principles of Relativity by Mosca

'This is me, traveling faster than light.' Another excellent character vignette from Mosca's pen: she's encapsulated that strange feeling familiar to anyone who's ever travelled long distance beautifully here

[Added 08/07/2004; Character Piece; 1000-2500; Star Trek: Deep Space 9; Characters: Julian Bashir, Elim Garak]

Two Worlds by Deborah Judge

'She remained in that cave for two weeks, this strange cave that glittered of glass and metal. It had been a spaceship, an ancient spaceship from before science was lost on this world.' An unusual possibility for how Opaka might have been selected Kai. Deborah is adept at stretching canon until it almost snaps to let fresh air blow around familiar situations

[Added 18/01/2014; Romance/Erotica; <1000; Star Trek: Deep Space 9; Characters: Opaka, Elim Garak, Enabran Tain]

What Ails You, An Apple a Day by Nostalgia

A possible future for Bashir. Well written, with an excellent characterisation for Garak -- I wish Nostalgia would write him more often, she's very good at it! Pity the biology rivals Trek itself in suckitudinousness. There's also a sequel, Medicinal Purposes, though actually I felt the first two works stood well alone

[Added 08/07/2004; Drama; 1000-2500; Star Trek: Deep Space 9; Characters: Julian Bashir, Elim Garak, Miles O'Brien]