Espresso Recommendations

Star Trek: Deep Space 9

Julian Bashir

' "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 Clever Plan by Gabrielle Lawson

An intricate plot that leaves the reader guessing right to the end, plus a Bashir who remains true to the complex and fascinating character of the series. Set after the series finale

[Added 16/04/2003; Drama; 2500-6000; Star Trek: Deep Space 9; Characters: Julian Bashir, Luther Sloan]

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]

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]

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]

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]