I realize that I haven't posted very many fanfic recommendations for "Pilot"-related episodes. I need to correct this omission. There are lots of excellent fanfics related to this episode.

I love alt-beginnings, and there are many of these. Wendy Richards has several, three with similar titles. There is Strange Visitor From the Congo , where, to quote from the description: "In an alternate-alternate universe, Lois Lane, newly returned from the Congo, meets Clark Kent, top reporter at the Daily Planet. They are soon partners and on the cusp of something more, but two minor problems stand in their way -- Lois can't stand Superman, and someone wants Lois dead."

And in Strange Visitor Revisited , "Lois knows and Clark knows she knows. This awareness brings a different perspective to the events which follow, as both Lois and Clark begin a process of reassessment, not just about their changing relationship but also about themselves."

The third on this theme is Strange Visitor: The Evil Vignette by Wendy Richards and Tank Wilson. Here, when Trask and his bullies barge into the newsroom, Clark betrays himself and Trask finds out that CK=SM. Things go on from there! Wendy wrote an excellent sequel to this in Don\'t Be A Stranger .

Another fic that starts at the events of "Strange Visitor From Another Planet" (yes, I know I'm cheating, but this technically qualifies as a beginnings fic) is Chris Carr's Learning Curves . "Lois stumbles across some information about Superman that he doesn't even know himself. As they embark on a quest to discover more about Superman's alien origins, Lois and Clark find plenty of other lessons to learn as well."

Jessi Mounts has a snappy little vignette in Between Floors 7 and 8 . There must have been a fanfic challenge once about "Lois and Clark stuck in an elevator" because this is one of those stories, and a very good one.

I just love Master of Disguise by BJ. Here, Lois has married Lex Luthor, Clark is a reporter in San Francisco, and Superman has just made his debut. It's a good thing that Lois has seen through Lex's machinations, and needs an excuse to go off and investigate while she sets up Lex's downfall. What better story to investigate than Superman, and who better to investigate him with than with Clark Kent, the reporter who broke the original Superman story?

I also love Caroline K's work, and she has two alt-beginnings fics. One is the awesome Field of Dreams - poetic, romantic, deeply moving. Don't miss this one - it's something special.

Caroline's other fic is Stardust : "After being turned down for a job at the Daily Planet, a dejected Clark Kent attempts to drown his sorrows at the Stardust Lounge, where he meets a beautiful and mysterious woman calling herself Wanda Detroit."

The prolific Carol M. has several fics about beginnings, or alt-beginnings. I can highly recommend First Night , where Lois and Clark meet years earlier than in the Pilot. (Another fic on this "early meeting" theme is Shayne Terry's The Family Hour .) There is also the gargantuan Learning to Love and the even more gargantuan On The Other Hand . You'd best pack a change of socks and a basket lunch when you set out to read these. smile Carol also wrote some sequels to these, but I'll let you discover them yourself.