"Sherlock" Recs Post

THIS POST IS A WORK IN PROGRESS (13.02.2011)

Sherlock Recs Post


I finally got my act together and started going through my Sherlock bookmarks; as a result this rec post was born, a compilation of the fics that I've read and really loved in this wonderful fandom. Phrases like delightful, beautiful, gorgeous, well-written and in-character get thrown round a lot, mostly because these are all one if not more of those things. 

There's a fair mixture here: slash (John/Sherlock), het (multiple pairings) and some gen. There are AUs and crossovers, backstory fics, smut, ratings from G right through to NC-17. What can I say, I have eclectic tastes.

Recs are set out as such:
Title | Author (location)
{  Pairing | Rating | Warnings | Word Count  }
Summary+notes

I have tried to provide thorough warnings throughout. However, it's entirely possible I may have missed things so if you see something that you think I should have warned for, please comment and let me know. Where there is no rating and/or summary on the original post/fill I have estimated and/or created one.






A Priori (Verse) (AU) | rubberbutton (AO3)
A Priori  |  White Noise  |  Symbiosis
{  John/Sherlock | PG-13 | Violence  }
In which vampires have enslaved humans and control, well, everything. Vampire!Mycroft insists his little brother get a slave -- even though it didn't work out with the dog -- and Sherlock chooses the one guaranteed to irritate his brother the most: an unassuming little doctor with an ugly past and absolutely no style to speak of.

I love dystopias and I love vampire AUs and this series combines the two spectacularly. The world building is incredible--there's politics and rebellions and Mycroft--and the characterisation is a perfect balance between what we know and the changes that are wrought from existing in such a different world. Addictive.

A Slowly Dawning Attraction (5+1) | mitsuruaki  
{  John/Sherlock | PG-13-R | 12,143  }
5 times Sherlock and John nearly kissed at work, and 1 time they did.

The UST in this is delicious. Characterisation is flawless and adorable and it's nicely plotty for a simple concept.

Molly Hooper is actually Molly Moriarty. Jim is her twin. I don't think there are actually words for how bloody much I love this fic. The prose is stunning, the plot is in-depth and complete, the backstory is incredible. Molly becomes something entirely new but it all fits. Read it. Read it now.

A reversal of the Empty House scenario: namely that it's John who is presumed dead for three years. It's a journey, both literally and figuratively, and a fantastic example of subtlety. The plot and pace is fast but never messy, the characterisation of Moriarty is superb and the prose is gorgeous. Subtle all over, sometimes sparse, entirely fantastic.

Crossover with The Thick Of It. Possibly everything about this is perfect, idek. It has the humour of The Thick Of It down to an absolute tee and all of the characterisation for both series is flawless. Did I mention that there's Malcolm Tucker and Sherlock and Mycroft? Also, the swearing thing? Yeah, loads.

Essentially, John and Sherlock develop a clothing barter system. IT IS AS GOOD AS IT SOUNDS. Sherlock in John's jumpers, John in Sherlock's coat, except not because that's "off limits." Wonderfully long and well-written, plotty and emotionally complex. So much more than you're expecting, and brilliant for it.

Gorgeous. This writer's prose is always beautifully shaped and this is no exception. Gets across a hundred emotions in a relatively short space and the last line is killer.

Consensual pain play. Not usually a kink that I'd read but this is gorgeous. A slow fall from grace that isn't, really.

It passes. The plot is simple but effective and slots nicely into canon.

A nice play on the fact that ACD!Watson played rugby. I know next to nothing about rugby, as much as I enjoy watching it, but the details were neither scant nor overwhelming. The prose is lovely and yes, okay, John playing rugby is an attractive image, okay?

One of the earlier fics in this fandom, and the kind that's stunningly beautiful. sartorialists has an amazing gift for poetic prose and paints scenes with stunning visual and emotional imagery. Heartbreaking, properly so.

Adorable. Hilarious. Sweet. Legit world building that is Actually Awesome. Plot! Murder! Smut! Misunderstandings! Royal marriages! What's not to like?

I don't know what to say about this, other than that it's truly beautiful, both in subject and style. Go and better your soul by reading it.

Sherlock is still taking cocaine when he meets John. I have somewhat of a Sherlock/Drugs OTP and this is a beautiful story with a good grasp on Sherlock as a sociopathic narrator.

I love any AU that even vaguely involves a bar or a club (I don't know what that tells you about me) and this one is lovely. Fun and funny, with every character and situation given a nice twist. John is a wonderful barman and Sherlock is a terrible customer.

My prompt, so obviously I'm biased, but these five fills are gorgeous. Harry Potter, Doctor Who, Firefly, Stardust, Supernatural, so something for everyone (and obviously the author must have read my mind because I love all of those things). Five little glimpses into absolutely delightful crossovers, and a lovely +1 so round it off. 

The Stardust section is especially wonderful--though the author admitted to starting and then abandoning a longer version, they posted what they'd written per a request here.

I adore what-might-have-been fics and this one is amazing, threading right through from childhood to the beginning of Sherlock and providing both great backstory and some wonderful not-quite meetings, all of which feel entirely possible. The prose has a lilting quality to it and the journey from children to adults is lovely.

Sherlock and John are both single fathers; told from a child's point-of-view. Kidfic is hard to pull off but this is fantastic; Tristram is a fully-fledged character in his own right, fleshed out and lovely, and Emily is hilarious. Sherlock as a father seems impossible to pull off but he is completely in character and believable, as are all of the other characters. There's plot but it's approached from a child's eye view with just enough hinted at for we, as the adult reader, to know what's going on even if the main characters don't. The interactions between the kids are delightful and the John/Sherlock UST is delicious.

Oh, delightful. Delightful to the extreme. She's always funny but this is a wonderful example of humour, humourous prose specifically, with a sweet edge to it that is honestly moving.

This really is sweet and tender. It's very subtle, understated, and lovely for it.

From ivyblossom: "Think that's in poor taste? I actually kind of agree with you. This fic is written by a thyroid cancer survivor (me!) for a thyroid cancer survivor going through treatment round two." Which is kind of all you need to know. Delicate, thoughtful.

Hilarious. Everyone is slightly happier than they are in the series and I believe it was written before it had finished broadcasting, but it's essentially a complete delight. There's also an amazing version of Clara, Sherlock and John spying on the neighbours and Mycroft.

Crossover with How To Train Your Dragon. You'd think that would be insanely hard to pull off but this fill does it with ease. NightFury!Sherlock is perfect and, somehow, in-character, despite not having one bit of dialogue, and John is put upon and secretly Okay with that. 

Short and terrifying. As in, I actually had a nightmare after reading this. This fact is made extra special because nothing outright terrifying actually happens--it's the subtle, the unspoken, the could-bes that made you want to cry. Extraordinary.

Soo Lin isn't killed at the museum, but survives. Delicate and sensitive, giving Soo Lin the backstory she deserves.

As someone who wear glasses, I fully approve.

Funny! Intelligent! John makes deductions! It's Christmas Eve! In a word: delightful.

This author always writes incredible, in-depth stuff and this is no exception. I wouldn't call it fluffy but it's undeniably sweet and very in-character, almost like a Sunday morning read. John's confusion is delightful.

Excruciatingly well done. Although I love old Faerie legends I don't tend to read Faerie fics, but this is stupendous. Beautifully written, well-plotted and actually quite sweet. Subtle, nicely fused with canon, with Sherlock's cases--brilliant (besides, I think this picture proves that Sherlock must be at least a little bit fay. Look at him!).

Short and sweet with a clever resolution.

THIS. IS. BRILLIANT. Apart from the incredible names--Lobsteriarty, Sherlobster, Lobstrade--and the feat of making lobsters in-character, this is actually really well written. And hilarious, did I mention that? Laugh-out-loud funny. A meme classic for a reason.

Whilst that's how it may have started, that summary is now far too simplistic to describe this wonderful, wonderful series. Everyone is in character, the dynamics of an OT3 are superbly managed and the plot that develops is both heartwrenching and completely engaging. It's believable, entirely so, and moreish. I read the first four in one go, deep into the night even though I had to get up the next morning, and I've reread the entire series more than once. Stupendous.

Fusion with Ella Enchanted. John was cursed as a baby so that whenever he's given a command, he has to follow the orders. The curse of Obedience. Well written, funny in places and so very, very moving in others. It's all of the characters, not just Sherlock, who are worked into the idea with finesse (Harry especially), and it's written in such a way that you don't need to have read the book to understand the concept.

Originally a comment fic. It flows beautifully between the two writers, switching easily between both point of view and style (each suited perfectly for what they're writing) and the plot is nicely detailed and complex, utilising all the characters. Moriarty in particular is great. Read this in one sitting, and I suggest you do the same.

Sherlock never finished University. Short but punchy, great characterisation--headcanon.

Hot. Hot, hot, hot. And funny! And in-character. And actually emotionally complex.

Crossover with Outnumbered. I may be biased because I am the prompt OP but seriously. Seriously. I prompted this because the idea stuck but never expected a fill, and then I was gifted with the most marvellous, well-written, in-character, hilarious and touching fic I could possibly have asked for.

It's a perfect mix of both canons, incorporating both themes, scenes and dialogue from Outnumbered with original material, and it adds up to everything about those children that made me prompt it in the first place. It demonstrates exactly why they could be John and Sherlock's offspring but does it whilst keeping them entirely in-character. Not one moment is twisted or characteristic sacrified, which I guess proves that they're the perfect children for these two? Mostly because they are far from perfect. It's funny, so much so, and it's not just the dialogue; the prose is hilarious in a droll, delightful way, very subtle and controlled, and had me literally laughing out loud. Even if you haven't seen Outnumbered I propose that you get on Youtube now and remedy that, then head straight back over to read the fic. Worth every second you spend on it. I adore it.

This series is almost indescribable. I started reading it, then stopped because I wasn't sure if I liked it; then, when I had actually mentally prepared myself, I went back and read what was (at that time) the entire series in one go.

This is the sociopathic!Sherlock fic, with characterisation made doubly impressive from the fact that the majority is from Sherlock's point of view. His thought processes are incredibly, fantastically drawn, every single good and not-good moment, and entirely inventive--look out for Radiohead lyrics and a certain List. Sherlock is almost bizarre, a little alien, and his relationship with John is terrifically messed up, giving you conflicting loyalties. Sherlock is at times an unsympathetic narrator, but like John you just keep on going and keep on loving. One of those fics that you really do have to read.

John, Sherlock and linguistics. FABULOUS.

Pure fluff, but the in-character, slightly ironic kind. Pure love.

At night you listen to the Cold War ciphertexts that sometimes still sigh out over the radio waves, and in your mind you run the combinations. The result's not the point. It's all a game. You are lulled by the knowledge that there is a solution. It's out there, precise and Platonic. It has a physical shape. Oh, god. This prose. This prose. It's like someone distilled beauty down into words and this was the result.

Crossover with His Dark Materials. The two worlds are blended perfectly, the plot is engaging and weaved deftly into canon, and the dæmons! Perfect choices and beautifully drawn, with personalities that manage to become their own even as they reflect their humans'. 

A fantastically constructed AU--John and Sherlock are in character and the almost-absurdity of the situation is entirely enchanting whilst remaining oddly serious. Good plot and great execution.

Unlikely pairing, fantastic piece of writing. Insanely hot and all the better for the emotional layers wrapped around it. This is sex with emotionally complex motivations which is, I always find, the best kind.

Writing on skin is a huge thing for me, and this is gorgeous. Oddly suspenseful, a little sad. Just--read it.

Genuinely one of my absolute favourite fics ever. I don't tend to read fic about Mycroft but this pulled me in. The description and evolution of their relationship is beautiful -- so in character, and Sherlock is taken from a character who feels and behaves very much like a child but is still Sherlock through to what we see in the show. Completely, completely stunning.

Oh, ouch. This is a stunning piece of work and a stunning backstory. The ending sends honest-to-god shivers down my spine every time.

Glorious. Glorious. I wish these guys had been my teachers, it would have been amazing. Everyone is perfectly matched to their subjects--Sherlock is, of course, Chemistry--and the little details are just gorgeous. Every character is slotted into this world with ease and it nicely reflects canon whilst managing to build a little canon of its own.

So I have a thing for boxer!Sherlock, for reasons unknown (I don't even watch it or know anything about it) and this doesn't disappoint. Enough detail to seem authentic but not to confuse, and Sherlock being so skilled is just sexy.

Synthetic (Fusion) | aslipperysloth 
{  John/Sherlock | PG-13 | ~2000  }
John is the best blade runner ever to have worked for the London police. Mycroft calls him out of seclusion to track down and retire one especially slippery replicant that used to be an invaluable asset to them in solving crimes, but over time began to believe that it was human.

Fusion with Blade Runner. The last time I saw that film I must have been about twelve and didn't have a clue what was going on, so believe me when I say that you do not have to have seen Blade Runner to read this story. Regardless of your knowledge of the film, read this. I was left speechless, my level of emotional response was just so strong. The prose is sparse with a technical feel that is somehow beautiful and the story is relatively short but powerful, very much so. Warning for angst, but only pass this up if you really, really can't cope, because it's worth it.

Short but, honestly, devastating. The way it hits John is the way it hits you as a reader, a real gut-punch.

Every fandom needs a hypothermia!fic. Whilst this isn't quite hypothermia, more a case of broken heating in the middle of winter, it nonetheless does the job rather spectacularly. Bed sharing! Body heat! Unhealthy amounts of UST! I think this was probably the first "famous" series in this fandom and it deserves the title. Sweet, fun, in-character, well-written. Go. Now.

An unusual idea worked into canon with ease. Beautifully written and structured.

A wonderful example of the collaborative nature of the meme. Every fill is sensational and John's voice is constant despite the varying writers. Read each and every one.

Crossover with Doctor Who. This is a lovely merging of the canons and a beautiful story, wonderfully structured with hints and homages to each series.

John, Harry, Anthea and Moran are the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Amusing and fun, with some nice references to other literary works.

This author never disappoints, but this is gorgeous. Structured in an inventive way--red, amber, green--with prose that hints rather than telling you things outright. Some pretty heavy subjects but that's not unusual territory for this author. Sombre but dashed with hope.

Firstly, hot. Secondly, in-character. Combined, the two produce this piece of utter brilliance. It's believable, importantly--Sherlock's inner monologue rings so true--and they play off against each other so well. Also, did I mention that it's hot?

Nicely in character and subtly sweet. Sherlock is so very, very Sherlock.

Does exactly what it says on the tin. Short and fabulous.

This is fantastically written, firstly. Secondly, Joanna is wonderful, a great female variant of the John we love, and Sherlock's insecurity works; he's entirely in-character. There's some wonderfully angsty plot and a brilliant compare-and-contrast structure between Joanna/Sherlock and Sylvia/Jim, and overall it is amazing. Go and read it.

Ahahahaha. I love this fandom so much. Everyone is just so good. Scientifically accurate, hilarious and...sexy? Somehow, YES.

Short but gorgeous. I'm slightly biased because this was my prompt but the fill is tender, touching and makes you think. It's what's hinted at that really gets you, and the last few lines...love. Love.

Yes, this is PWP, and it's also brilliant. Hot, sexy, great dialogue. Never enough OT3.

That, essentially. John is an amazing shot (and it's sexy, okay? Very).

Surprisingly sad. Really, very sad. This combines a child's view of the world with some heavy subjects, hinting at them just enough in childish prose for us, as readers, to understand what's going on. It links nicely to issues in the canon, namely Mycroft and Sherlock's relationship, and has become very much a headcanon piece for me.

This. Short, hot. I seem to have a thing for Sherlock being good with the ladies.

Oh, man. Don't read this unless you want to be broken, because it hurts so good. Fantastic structure and prose, perfect characterisation. Painful, brilliant.

Pure crack. Based on drawings by sadynax  which are featured throughout, John is turned into a baby and Sherlock has to look after him. Hilarious, in-character and adorable.

Who hasn't read this? And if you haven't, why haven't you? Go, read, now! Distilled down to its basic parts, the premise of the story is that John thinks Sherlock has no sexual experience, when in fact the opposite (no, really, the opposite) is true. Probably the best sexual!Sherlock fic out there, and deliciously long. I read it in one sitting and it was so. worth. it.

Although I see BBC!Sherlock as asexual I don't tend to read asexual fics, but this is just gorgeous. It's a story about people trying to work through differences because they love each other, about the fallout and the aborted solutions and the struggle. Real, human. Brilliant.

Hand kink. Majorly. Also light gun kink and possibly also some licking and basically ALL THE THINGS, okay? All the kinks. Insanely hot and relevant to my interests. And hopefully yours.