you guys HAVE to take “is dumb” off the end of your username. you have to take “my shit rambles” out of your talking tag. you have to stop apologizing for existing. I get so sad for every url I see like “[name]’s-stupid-reblogs” and every blog I open with a title like “pointless posts” and every opinion post I see tagged something derogatory by op!! speaking as someone whose post tag used to be “makes bad posts.” stop actively putting up roadblocks for yourself!! why do we always say bullying is bad but never when we’re bullying ourselves
Also, when you post fanfic, don’t say “sorry the summary sucks” “this is bad ughh ” or some variation in the tags!! Not only is that putting yourself down needlessly, but people will take your word for it and scroll past. Someone told me this once about 12 years ago on ffnet and it has stuck with me ever since.
If I could only read four fics per fandom for the rest of my life, I would choose these.
Under the cut are recs for Danny Phantom, Daredevil, House M.D. Rurouni Kenshin, Sherlock Holmes, Supernatural, and Thor, though I may add more later.
Danny Phantom
The Disparaged Series by imekitty (gen, rated T) Long
Maddie Fenton’s obsessive quest to capture Danny Phantom brings disastrous consequences.
A recent take on the classic “dissection fic”, with Danny/Maddie’s relationship at the center of it. The first two fics in the series are complete, and the third is currently being updated monthly. The author skirts the limits of the readers comfort in an absolutely fascinating way which would not work in a lesser authors hands. I’ve been loyally following it for a couple years now and I find that I’ve never had to reread a previous chapter in order to remember whats going on. It’s very memorable.
Masks by Cordria (Gen, rated K+) Mid-Length
Sometimes, people hide who they truly are behind masks. This is a short story about the day that Lancer decides enough is enough when it comes to Daniel Fenton. Sequel is 'Plunge'.
It feels a little blasphemous to pick this Cordria fic when they have many, far more iconic fics to choose from (*cough* PITS) but this one just holds a special place in my heart.
Phantom of Truth by HaiJu (gen, rated T) Long
Locked away in a secret government lab with Phantom as her subject, nothing stands between Maddie and the truth... except, perhaps, herself.
Everyone and their mother recommends this fic, and that’s because it fucks severely. There’s a complete sequel now, but I find that I prefer this fic over it. The progression of Danny and Maddie’s relationship is titilating, you’re constantly on your toes wondering how he’ll make it out of this situation half-alive.
What A Nice Surprise by DarkNymfa (gen, rated T) Long
A ghost and two ghost hunters, sitting around. Like a family.
Which they were, but, well. The other two didn’t know that.
---
AKA the story of how the Fentons accidentally adopt their own son.
In a fandom full of fucked up and sad fic, it’s nice to have this cute, fluffy series to come back to at the end of the day.
Daredevil
Lucky Devil by ChuckleVoodoos (Matt/Foggy, rated T) Mid-Length
Matt gets caught, Foggy gets a clue, and cases get won.
Emotionally intimate, loving and believable. I’ve read this fic a thousand times and can never look away once I’ve started it.
Of Monstrous Shape by RosaLui (Gen, rated M) Short
“Put me in the ring,” Matt said. His glasses were cracked like a spider’s web, and in the shifting shadows it looked as if he was raising hackles in disgust.
“The House doesn’t profit from quick deaths,” said the jailor.
This fic is dark, violent, dramatic, and insanely engrossing. The author deftly paints the world of Daredevil and I am always in particular gripped by the climax.
Trial and Error by shyday (Gen, rated T) Mid-Length
'You're a lot of scary adverbs right now, my friend. Trust me when I say that "fine" is not one of them.'
This author loves to get into Matt Murdock’s head and imagine the world the way he perceives it, and they do it very well. Each fic of theirs is a sensory trip, but this one is my favorite. Very strong dialogue between Matt and Foggy as well.
Trust: Handle With Care by ceterisparibus (Matt/Karen, rated M) Long
Matt and Foggy's new client is a mother whose son was sexually abused by a priest.
This is a fic that deals with the heavy topic of abuse in the Catholic Church, but if you are able to stomach that it is an expertly executed fic. Not many authors would be able to craft a fic like this, but you can tell that every aspect of it comes from a place of deep personal knowledge and care. Also, the author is a lawyer, which is a rare treat in that the legal case is legit.
House M.D.
Codependency by debbiel (Hilson-ish, rated PG) Short
It was the sort of diagnosis that wouldn't rate a sad-face on his whiteboard. And yet it could change everything.
I’m a huge sucker for the premise of this fic, but none that I’ve found have hit quite like this one. Like a soulmate au, but more poignant ;)
Down to the Water by Blackmare (Gen, rated PG-13) Short
After Amber’s death, House and Wilson try to figure out their place in eachother’s lives.
So many little moments of this fic have stuck with me over the last decade, it’s quiet and beautifully melancholy. There’s a sequel as well which you can find on blackmare’s profile.
The Open Road by Pun (Hilson, rated M) Mid-Length
Wilson goes along for the ride.
Another road trip fic! This one is how I used to imagine the show would end, and somehow in the end it.. kind of was. This is still better.
Two Solitudes by mer_duff (Gen, rated PG) Short
"You were protecting me," House snapped. "What would you have done if he'd had a gun? Stood there and taken the bullet?"
Wilson shrugged. "Better me than you."
A short exploration of Wilson’s tendency towards self-sacrificial protectiveness for House. I come back to this fic constantly.
Rurouni Kenshin
An Unexpected Lesson by Conspirator (Gen, rated PG-13) Long
Three years after the end of the Bakumatsu, a chance encounter with a kabuki troupe teaches Kenshin an unexpected lesson in survival.
A wandering era fic that gives us a window into what might have aided Kenshin in developing his “bumbling rurouni” act. I’ve read it a hundred times over the years, it is a great story with believable OCs and balance of humor and drama.
Out of Time by Siriusfan13 (Gen, rated PG-13) Long
During a trip to Kyoto with his friends, Himura Kenshin winds up in deep water... thirteen years in the past. How will Kenshin deal with the Revolution again? And how will his friends deal with Battousai, who has traded places with him?
This is such an earnest and loving study of Kenshin, who is my all time favorite character. This is certainly in my top fics of all time, and shares a similar premise to my other favorite fanfiction Bargaining, which just goes to show I have consistent taste lol.
Recovery by hakubaikou (Gen, rated T) Long
As Kenshin recovers from his wounds after his duel with Shishio, his friends sense a threat and take precautions for his safety. Complete.
Kenshins characterization rings absolutely dead on and the tone in general is like canon . This fic always feels like a warm hug to me, and I come back to it often. Hakubaikou was an amazing writer and she is missed every day, I’m so happy she shared her work with us.
Twelfth Knight by an_earl (Gen, rated T) Long
A bloody street-side massacre has been identified by Saito as the product of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. There are two suspects: Himura Kenshin and his master Hiko Seijuro the Thirteenth. Unbeknownst to them, a third user of their exalted style has time travelled to the future: Hiko Seijuro the Twelfth.
A fic about mistaken identity inspired by Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.
An ongoing fic that reads like a fandom classic (and I mean that very, very affectionately). The author’s Saito/Kenshin interactions absolutely crackle.
Sherlock Holmes
Bel Canto by bendingsignpost (Johnlock, rated T) Long
After years of waiting for wealthy patrons to faint, Dr John Watson discovers a far more interesting patient in the opera house basement. (AU through a Phantom of the Opera lens.)
The Phantom of the Opera AU I hold all others to as a standard. So delightful and entertaining.
How Sherlock Holmes Was Compelled to Remember One Festive Occasion Per Year: A Reminiscence by John H. Watson, MD by MirithGriffin (Johnlock, rated M) Short
Known to the SH fandom as The Turkish Bathhouse Fic. Charming as hell with ACD canon flavor, reading this fic has become a Christmas tradition for me.
Particular Peculiarity by saavik13 (Johnlock, rated M) Long
“How high is your regard for me, Watson?” He asked abruptly, his eyes still trained on the fire. “If I were to confess my darkest secret would you leave? Would you abandon me here to my melancholy?”
A case forces Holmes to reveal the truth to Watson and risks both their reputations and their liberty. Just how understanding is John Watson?
An obviously well researched and beautifully characterized fic. It feels very Granada in Holmes’ mannerisms, though it can be read as ACD or Granada. This fic is like a warm cup of tea on a cold day to me.
The Quiet Man by ivyblossom (Johnlock, rated E) Long
"Do you just carry on talking when I'm away?"
This is a BBC fic, as opposed to the rest on my list. It’s well worth the read though, ivy’s prose is so organic. It was a fandom classic for good reason.
Supernatural
a turn of the earth by microcomets (Destiel, rated M) Long
Dean’s your typical half-orphaned, monster-killing 22-year-old until a trenchcoated stranger crashes into his back windshield one September night, claiming he’s an angel that knows him from the future and that he’s on the run. Frigging fantastic.
(Or, in which Castiel gets stuck in Dean’s timeline preseries and Dean kind of hates it—until he doesn’t.)
This fic is overflowing with love, desire, longing and loneliness . It’s a time-traveling Cas fic which is something of a trope in this fandom these days, but the premise of Cas being dead by the time he meets a young Dean just lends something special to it.
I CARRY YOUR HEART (I CARRY IT IN MY HEART) by unicornpoe (Destiel, rated E)
“Take me,” Dean says. He doesn’t have to think about it. “Take me as your vessel, Cas.”
or: Cas is cursed into an endless sleep. Dean offers himself up as his vessel while they try to break it.
Compassionate, tender, and full of evocative imagery. It’s about being taken care of, and the act of caring for another.
Phantom Load by lovesrain44 (Gen, rated M) Long
Dean and Sam return to Boulder, CO, where they investigate a haunted school. The job seems simple enough to Sam, who has good, although vague, memories of living in Boulder back in 1992. Dean, however, has altogether different memories, far less pleasant and far more damaging.
Quiet, moving, and melancholy. The past-present scenes are woven together very well. Subtle where it needed to be. Just an amazing fanfic, though it deals with some possibly upsetting subject matter which is presented up front in the warning section.
So Says The Sword by komodobits (Destiel, rated E) Long
Castiel doesn’t mind working security duty; he was briefed shortly after the initial salvation of the Sword from the pit, and again before taking up his position. He knows what to do. However, it’s easy to forget that the green room isn’t real. Time moves differently there, the space ever-changing to make a prison of mountains, cathedrals, salt flats, orchards, and whatever Castiel was led to believe about Heaven’s greatest weapon—Dean Winchester is something entirely unexpected.
Original, dazzling and creative, komodobits was an absolute force in this fandom. They took it upon themself to recreate the entire Destiel relationship timeline, and did so beautifully.
Thor
Bargaining by Proantagonist (Gen, rated T) Long
Faced with an eternity without his brother, Loki strikes a bargain to change the past. Post TDW.
This is a near-perfect fanfic, and one of the most emotionally satisfying stories I’ve ever read. Cannot stress enough how much this fic means to me, it’s possibly my favorite fanfic of all time.
Mirror, Mirror by Lise (Gen, rated T) Mid-Length
While poking around in corners of the palace, Loki finds a peculiar mirror that doesn't show his reflection.
It’s clear that I love Loki’s various issues, and this fic puts an industrial spotlight on them.
Slow Poison by Mikkeneko (Gen, rated T) Mid-Length
Years before the events of Thor and Avengers, Loki is working as a spymaster for his father the King. Or at least... that's what he thinks he's doing.
I love miscommunication and fucked up family dynamics. This fic is like a friend to me.
Sharing with u all my only way of conceptualizing a modern au Kenshin.. yahiko runs his account because he’s technologically illiterate so he doesn’t know about the backlash. Half his subscribers are just there bc someone else ( enishi) made a YouTube video essay/ doc about it, a quarter are ppl who came for the drama but then stayed bc they like his recipe videos, a quarter are just stay at home moms who dgaf. There’s a subreddit about it
Im laughing so fucking hard at the opening scene of risk right now. He literally says “I’m just like any other team member now aren’t i” and she goes “ yup. Byeeeee!” Im barely paraphrasing
