# Well written fan-fiction? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 4, 2016, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-written-fan-fiction/761756 "2016-08-04T17:28:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-written-fan-fiction/761756/1 "2016-08-04T17:28:17Z")
Hey, do any of you all know of any fan fiction that is actually good? This is for a writing group, so writing style counts. It doesn’t have to be Nabokov, but it should be something someone would actually want to read as a story in its own right. I’d prefer it not to be slash/erotica, but that’s not a deal breaker. It should be available on line. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-written-fan-fiction/761756/2 "2016-08-04T17:48:29Z")
People have been writing Sherlock Holmes fan fiction for a very long time. There are thousands of published stories and novels using the characters (or thinly disguised versions of them.) Would those count? I think the preferred term for them is “pastiches” rather than fan fiction, though. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-written-fan-fiction/761756/3 "2016-08-04T17:54:29Z")
Anything that could even vaguely be called fan fiction counts. My only wish is for stories that make you go “Wow, what a good story!” and not “That was pretty good, you know, for fan fiction.” ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-written-fan-fiction/761756/4 "2016-08-04T18:12:59Z")
Did you know that _Fifty Shades Of Grey_ started out as a _Twilight_ fan fiction titled “Master Of The Universe”? ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-written-fan-fiction/761756/5 "2016-08-04T18:40:05Z")
A, that book is awful, as far as I know. B, I’m looking for short pieces. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-written-fan-fiction/761756/6 "2016-08-04T18:42:26Z")
People say good things about **Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality** (or something like that). I think it’s written very elitist and is written for those “too smart” for fun fantasy books. But, my opinion nonwithstanding, it’s a well put together story that I don’t agree with, but is by no means “bad” ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-written-fan-fiction/761756/7 "2016-08-04T18:58:18Z")
By available on line, do you mean for free? If you’re willing to pay, Neil Gaiman’s “A Study in Emerald” is brilliant. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-written-fan-fiction/761756/8 "2016-08-04T19:14:09Z")
You could try browsing [www.fanfiction.net](http://www.fanfiction.net) ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-written-fan-fiction/761756/9 "2016-08-04T19:14:43Z")
At least 90% of fanfic is crap. Probably more like 95%. However, there is some very well-written stuff out there. The best I have seen is by an author using the name of little0bird, published in the massive Harry Potter section of [fanfiction.net](http://fanfiction.net). She has written a whole series of stories (short stories, novellas, and novels) about Harry and company in the twenty-five years following the Deathly Hallows battle. The quality of the writing is excellent, easily professional-grade, and the stories are very entertaining. The first story picks up right where Deathly Hallows ends, and follows the characters through the first year after the battle, as they deal with massive PSTD and survivor’s guilt. By the end of the series Lily is in her fifth year at Hogwarts. The total word count rivals that of the original series, and is still growing. Highly recommended. There are other authors in other genres who produce quality work. And there are some from whom the writing quality may not necessarily be the best, but who tell an interesting and entertaining story. The real difficulty is finding it. Given the volume of stuff out there (especially in the HP-verse), you need to rely on recommendations from others. The TVTropes Fanfic Recs pages are not a bad place to start. ETA: \*\* Sir T-Cups\*\*, I’m not a fan of **Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality** , either ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-written-fan-fiction/761756/10 "2016-08-04T19:25:26Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > ETA: \*\* Sir T-Cups\*\*, I’m not a fan of **Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality** , either Well, you’re objectively wrong, because it’s frickin’ awesome 🙂 Seriously, it’s clearly not for everyone. It’s got an agenda and a very particular voice, and takes serious preachy (about logical fallacies, not religion) excursions. But it’s also incredibly intelligent and engrossing. I highly recommend giving it at least five (fairly quick) chapters. You can find it [here, among other places.](http://hpmor.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-written-fan-fiction/761756/11 "2016-08-04T19:33:12Z")
What the OP thinks is good fan fiction might depend on whether the OP likes the source material or not. If someone isn’t into a certain genre, than a fan fiction in that area might be treated with equal disdain no matter how true it is to the source material. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-written-fan-fiction/761756/12 "2016-08-04T20:39:03Z")
[trekfiction.com](http://www.trekfiction.com/) has gobs and heaps and tons. Some is actually good. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-written-fan-fiction/761756/13 "2016-08-04T21:02:48Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > What the OP thinks is good fan fiction might depend on whether the OP likes the source material or not. If someone isn’t into a certain genre, than a fan fiction in that area might be treated with equal disdain no matter how true it is to the source material. Everyone in the group is pretty open minded. We’ve read a couple of things that were pretty bad. We’ve been trying pieces from all sorts of genres: political essay, fantasy story, classic fiction, etc. Someone suggested fan fic as something we haven’t done yet, and I said I’d try this message board for suggestions. Again, the only real criterion is that it is short, about a two hour read at most. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-written-fan-fiction/761756/14 "2016-08-04T21:11:03Z")
> [@Johnny\_Ace](#): > > You could try browsing [www.fanfiction.net](http://www.fanfiction.net) Thanks! that’s really helpful. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-written-fan-fiction/761756/15 "2016-08-04T23:18:15Z")
We really need a sarcasm icon. There’s a long Babylon 5 fanfic out there. Essentially “what-if” the Minbari had not surrendered at the “Battle of the Line”. And just like the original, he caries it out for five “seasons”. It’s pretty good, not great but pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2016, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-written-fan-fiction/761756/16 "2016-08-05T00:24:36Z")
If you like DC Comics, there were some good pieces in an old zine I used to be involved with called [Fanzing](http://www.fanzing.com/). ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2016, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-written-fan-fiction/761756/17 "2016-08-05T13:29:58Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > At least 90% of fanfic is crap. Probably more like 95%. However, there is some very well-written stuff out there. > > The best I have seen is by an author using the name of little0bird, published in the massive Harry Potter section of [fanfiction.net](http://fanfiction.net). She has written a whole series of stories (short stories, novellas, and novels) about Harry and company in the twenty-five years following the Deathly Hallows battle. The quality of the writing is excellent, easily professional-grade, and the stories are very entertaining. > > The first story picks up right where Deathly Hallows ends, and follows the characters through the first year after the battle, as they deal with massive PSTD and survivor’s guilt. By the end of the series Lily is in her fifth year at Hogwarts. The total word count rivals that of the original series, and is still growing. Highly recommended. > > There are other authors in other genres who produce quality work. And there are some from whom the writing quality may not necessarily be the best, but who tell an interesting and entertaining story. The real difficulty is finding it. Given the volume of stuff out there (especially in the HP-verse), you need to rely on recommendations from others. The TVTropes Fanfic Recs pages are not a bad place to start. > ETA: \*\* Sir T-Cups\*\*, I’m not a fan of **Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality** , either Now THIS sounds like some HP fanfiction I could read. Do you have a link to it? > [@MaxTheVool](#): > > Seriously, it’s clearly not for everyone. It’s got an agenda and a very particular voice, and takes serious preachy (about logical fallacies, not religion) excursions. But it’s also incredibly intelligent and engrossing. I highly recommend giving it at least five (fairly quick) chapters. You can find it [here, among other places.](http://hpmor.com/) This is pretty much why I don’t like. But , as usual, someone else put it much better and more eloquently than I. But it’s still terrible and you’re a terrible person for liking it. So there. I win. Nyah 😛 Also there’s this really terrible fanfic out there, that people say is real, it’s called “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”. It may say it’s official. But it’s noooooooot… ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2016, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-written-fan-fiction/761756/18 "2016-08-05T13:35:35Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > Now THIS sounds like some HP fanfiction I could read. Do you have a link to it? [Here](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/1443437/little0bird) you go. Enjoy! (On that page, the author suggests the order in which you should read the stories. Follow the suggestion.) ---
**Author:** ![janis\_and\_c0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janis_and_c0/32/21_2.png) [@janis\_and\_c0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janis_and_c0)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2016, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-written-fan-fiction/761756/19 "2016-08-05T14:02:50Z")
[This tale](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/4889951/1/The-Wind-and-the-Rain) based on the show M_A_S_H_ is my favorite of all time. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2016, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-written-fan-fiction/761756/20 "2016-08-05T14:13:58Z")
Just finished this excellent My Little Pony fanfiction. Be warned though the whole thing is over 110,000 words long and there’s a sequel. > **[The Witching Hour](https://www.fimfiction.net/story/108647/the-witching-hour)** > > A new pony comes to Ponyville, but she's not all that she seems. Will the town accept Midnight Storm, or will Ponyville run her out like all the rest? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-written-fan-fiction/761756.md?page=2)