Home is Where You Let Me In by bedamn

Sherlock/John

Gorgeous, dreamy, evocative piece based on an ancient fairytale. Really beautiful.

Like Spinning Plates by anon

Gen

Sherlock/Little Prince crossover with Sherlock as an alien adopted by Mycroft as his little brother. Lovely and ethereal with fantastic Mycroft characterisation.

The Anatomist by rosa_acicularis

Gen but with incestual undertones.

Molly is Jim's twin sister.

I normally avoid reccing WIPs as its sods law that every time I have the story has ended in a way that I found a little disappointing but WIP or not The Anatomist is so superb everyone should just go read it this instant!. Its dark and perverse and creepy and the writing is so strong it really stays with you. Jim and Molly's characterisation is superb. Moriarty is often portrayed as a camp idiot in fic- too easily beaten but here he is both brilliant and truly twisted. The depiction of him and Molly casually trying to kill each other during childhood is genuinely disturbing. But what I loved about it the most is that Molly is recognisably the character we see in the series but also a multi faceted criminal mastermind capable of the most dark and twisted acts. Shes cute pink, neverous, cat loving Molly mouse but also somehow blank, hollow and profoundly fucked up. Pitch black and magnificent - go read.

There is also this stunning piece of artwork for the series by sevenswells which just brilliantly captures the darkness of the piece.

How I Met Your Uncle by irisbleufic

Sherlock/John (mild)

On a much lighter note super cute piece with John telling his niece how he first met and fell and love with Sherlock. Heart warming.

And by the same author:

I Meet You There, and We Go by irisbleufic

Sherlock/John

Major characters death

Post The Great Game fic with John and Sherlock gravely injured at the pool and Sherlock drifting between the reality of the pool and a calmer gentler place elsewhere. Lyrical, poetic and quietly devastating this is a heartbreaking little piece with Sherlock realising far too late what John means to him. The line "its peaceful" practically killed me.
The author is very explicit in the comments to the piece as to what happens at the end of the fic but actually one of the things I really like about it is the hint of ambiguity which allows the reader to decide for themselves what happens next. There is a sequel (The Half-Open Window) dealing with the aftermath which while beautifully written felt like an act of masochism to read - I don't need quite that much despair in my life.

Improbable Reality by flawedamythyst

Sherlock/John

Moriarty captures John and alters his brain chemistry leaving him stranded in a word of hallucinations. I loved this - John's hallucinations manage to be both very funny and devastating at the same time and Sherlock as nursemaid working tirelessly to cure John is just lovely. I adored Sherlock's unwavering resolve that John should remain with him and that he would solve his problems. Very sweet.

Waking You Up by brbsoulnomming

Sherlock/John

Character death

John dies and Sherlock struggles to cope with his guilt. Very clever well characterised piece with a satisfying twist in its tail. The sort of fic you read and then immediately re-read.

Long long overdue list of Sherlock recs for the New Year. There are so many awesome stories in this fandom!

Sherlock/John recs

If I fell by thedeadparrot

Stunning BDSM piece with sub Sherlock trying to work out of John shares his proclivities. One of my favourite pieces in the fandom.

The Velveteen Doctor by lantean_drift

Incredibly gorgeous lengthy first time piece. Read at once.

John's Midnight Garden by anon

I absolutely adored this. John visits a beautiful garden in his mind at times of stress during his life. Vivid and evocative and one of my favourite ever pieces.

I Am Become Death by entangled_now

Short, profoundly creepy fic with Sherlock creating zombies in his bathtub. The Frankenstein allegory is great and I love the notion of John as Sherlock's conscience.

Winter's Delight by kate_lear

Lovely very long festive fic with Sherlock taking John back to meet his family for Christmas. I don't buy for a second that the Sherlock we saw in the BBC Series could have come from such an incredibly lovely, welcoming, supportive and eccentric family but if you ignore that this is a fun popcorn read.

Lay Me Down by irisbleufic and moony

Sequel to The Shape I Found You In with John following Sherlock to Sweden. Bittersweet first time fic which is sweet and melancholy at the same time.

New Days to Throw Your Chains Away by wordstrings

Another part of the wonderful Paradox series. Remarkably quotable and the sequence where Sherlock very reluctantly shows John the "fine" and "not fine" lists is rather magnificent.


Terminal South by veronamay

Lovely haunting piece with Sherlock and John kissing goodbye as Sherlock heads off to confront Moriarty. Powerful.

The Whore of Babylon was a Perfectly Nice Girl by out_there

Lengthy piece with John's assumptions about Sherlock as a chaste, virginal sort being challenged when Sherlock reveals he's slept with a surprising number of people. Great characterisation.

A Thorough Examination/In Depth by emungere

non-con/med fet

Dark piece with John indulging his medical fantasies with an unwilling Sherlock. Insanely hot, well written and a really interesting take on the characters.

Some people find dodgy dancing sexy by mistyzeo

Sherlock and John at the Scotland Yard Christmas Party with Sherlock very turned on by John's display of dodgy dancing.

Elementary by wafflestories

Absolutely lovely story with Sherlock and John meeting as children. Adorable.

AUs


I used to live alone before I knew you by etothepii


Glorious Good Omens crossover with Mycroft as an angel and Sherlock a fallen angel. Brilliant characterisation and plot. In fact check out everything this author writes - he's great.

Time in Lieu Of by squidwhisk

Absolutely brilliant piece with John as death (one of the Four Horsemen) and Anthea (War), Pestilence (Sebastian Moran) and Harry as a famous model who is also famine. Huge fun and I absolutely love John's characterisation in this.


The Engagement by thedeadparrot

Unusual Au fic with Prince Sherlock betrothed to Prince John. Wouldn't normally be my cup of tea but hugely enjoyable and a brilliant read.

The Letter of the Lore by anon

Sherlock as a faerie. Lovely au piece.

Galatea by one_windiga

Incredibly bizarre piece with John as a life size doll Sherlock buys on the internet. Weird as hell but a good read.

Post The Great Game

Worse Things by fengirl88

Sweet coda to The Great Game with Sherlock struggling in the wake of his encounter with Moriarty.

All That I Have by 2ndstory

Sherlock quietly falls apart after the events of The Great Game. Very sweet story depicting Sherlock suffering from ptsd after the incident at the pool and unable to bear being apart from John.

Apotheosis by mad_maudlin

John takes the fight to Moriarty after the events of The Great Game. Fantastic John characterisation and the ending is sublime.

Our Souls Catch Us Up by mad_with_july

Sherlock is left alone after the events of The Great Game. Heartbreaking with a very strong ending.

The Science of Circumvention by lusus_scientiae

Very very clever post The Great Game piece. Read and then immediately re-read.

Burning Up Through Your Veins by verasteine

John and Sherlock dance around each other after the events of The Great Game. Simply gorgeous.


Other Pairings

Surveilled, Problems and Solutions or... Bohemian Like You and City Sirens, Violins

John/Sarah/Sherlock

I'm not normally a fan of threesome fic but this is done so wonderfully. Sherlock fandom has something of a tendency to ape the show by ignoring the female characters so this series gets immediate brownie points for featuring a strong, very likeable and sexy Sarah. The trio completely works and the plotting is great. Highly recommended.

Ain't Seen the Sunshine (Since I Don't Know When) by emungere

John/Lestrade pre slash

An AU re-telling of The Hound of the Baskervilles with John acting as nanny to young Sherlock and Mycroft. It's not an appealing summary I know - I don't care for AUs and I certainly don't like kid fic. But this is absolutely awesome. Young Mycroft and Sherlock are brilliantly characterised and John is warm, funny and totally a BAMF in this. Its a long, plotty, interesting read and the author even made me buy a possible John/Lestrade relationship which isn't a pairing I buy at all. A really enjoyable read.

Library by thinkpink20

Sherlock/Mycroft

Yes I know its incest but its creepy in the best possible way and very well written.

Selfish by jemisard

Sherlock/John/Mycroft

Enjoyably filthy piece with Sherlock and Mycroft seducing a very willing John.


You know someone (but it won't be me), Its easy to trust someone who can't break you and Everything you won't tell me (is mapped in your scars) by etothepii

John/Sherlock Sherlock/Lestrade

BDSM

AU in which everyone is a dom or a sub and Sherlock (as a sub) fights against society's expectations of how he should behave. Great characterisation and hot as hell.

Victor, Meet Spoils by mira_jade_fics

Molly/Moriarty

Creepy interesting fic with Molly being made to realise how much her brief relationship with Jim has changed her.

Gen

Housing Sherlock by irisbleufic

Lovely Mike Stamford piece as he struggles to find accommodation for Sherlock.

Crack

A Study in Pink in 15 minutes, The Blind Banker in 15 Minutes and The Great Game in 15 Minutes by sunnyrea

Complete crack with sunnyrea condensing the epiosdes down to basics. Americanisms abound but they are delirious fun.

One Date, Three Meals and the End of Things by typhon_9

Sherlock/Moriarty

Absolutely brilliant Sherlock/Jim fic. Moriarty tends to be poorly served in fic but he is brilliantly characterised here - mercurial, highly changeable and yet very very human. He's not some moustache twirling villain but someone you could actually see Sherlock being with. It's not easy to make a romantic relationship between Sherlock and Jim believable but this fic manages it effortlessly.

Here's to winning this again and again by bedamn

Sherlock/Moriarty

Non-con/humiliation

A take on the end of The Great Game with Moriarty getting the better of Sherlock. Unpleasant and yet hot at the same time with a fabulous last line.

What Happens While Nothing Happens by unsentimentalf

Sherlock/JIm

Sherlock takes up "Jim from IT"on his offer and gives him a call. Clever fic with Sherlock unwittingly having a booty call with Moriarty during the events of The Great Game.

We're going to wash ourselves in sin by calicokat

Sherlock/Moriarty

Sherlock willingly sleeps with Moriarty after the events of The Great Game. Sherlock is so fucked up in this fic you sort of want to shake him for embarking on such incredibly stupid behaviour but an interesting fic if you like the pairing.

Mrs Hudson's Uneventful Week by aslipperysloth

Sherlock/Mrs Hudson

Completely awesome fic detailing Mrs Hudson's weekly routine which includes hot weekly sex with Sherlock. Just brilliant.

The art of scheduling or how Mycroft came to realise he was well and truly fucked by igrab

Mycroft/Anthea

Amazing Mycroft voice and a really brilliant look at the Mycroft/'Anthea" reltionship. I love these two and wish there were more stories about them.

Creature Comforts by alice_day

Sherlock/Molly

Sherlock has a rather unusual way of coping with his migraine. Poor Molly is still as put upon as ever but this is hot and oddly sweet at the same time.

The Undiscovered Molly by tristesses

Sherlock/Molly

Sherlock decides to experiment with sex and who better a partner than Molly. Hot as hell and major bonus points for having an assertive Molly at the end.

A Cherry on Top by sciosophia

Sherlock/Molly

Sherlock and Molly, a string of sexual encounters and a code based on the number of sugars Sherlock has in his coffee. Unsentimental and yet somehow gentle and a very believable take on how a relationship between these two could progress.

Don't Ever Look Back by sciosophia

Sherlock/Molly

One of my favourite fics in the fandom - Sherlock and Molly go into witness protection after the events of The Great Game. I love how Molly is still very recognisably Molly but very much changes and grows over the course of the story. The burgeoning relationship with Sherlock is entirely believable. Loved it.

Other things to do after buying a cat by blackeyedgirl

Molly/Sally

Awesome Molly/Sally fic in which Molly wisely realises that Sally is awesome and a 1000 times better for her than Sherlock. Great fic.

There is so much fantastic fic being written in the Sherlock fandom it's almost impossible to keep up!

The Paradox series by wordstrings

An Act of Charity, The Paradox Suite, The Death and Resurrection of the English Language and Entirely Covered in Your Invisible Name

This series as a whole is absolutely stunning and some of the best fan fic I've ever read. I love the author's depiction of the Sherlock/John relationship. Its warped and unhealthy and hideously co-dependent and yet curiously sweet and touching at the same time. Brilliant characterisation (Sherlock is absolutely terrfying and sweet and awkward and brilliant all at the same time) and an impressive bit of world building makes for one of the strongest series in the fandom. Some minor americanisms creep through ("cream and sugar" - Donovan shooting someone in The Paradox Suite even though in reality a DS wouldn't have a gun, Sherlock rather incongruously saying "son of a bitch" that sort of thing) and Lestrade's name is Greg not Geoff (Gatiss tweeted categorically on that point) but they're minor quibbles. Fantastic stuff.


It feels like home when I'm with you by etothepii

Fantastic engrossing story featuring John as a ghost. When I read the summary I thought it would be rather silly but its very well plotted and characterised and the Sherlock/John relationship is rather sweet.

Monster by moony

In the wake of the events of The Great Game Sherlock turns criminal. Or does he? A gripping, superbly plotted story which keeps you guessing throughout as to Sherlock's true motivations.

The Shape I Found You In by irisbleufic and moony

Sherlock investigates a case in Sweden whilst John realises that absence makes the heart grow fonder. Really lovely, slow moving fic with the gradual realisation of the characters feelings for each other playing out in a way which feels entirely true and believable. The texts and e-mails that form part of the story are at turns funny and heartbreaking and even the tertiary characters are well realised. Wonderful.

Shift by messageredacted

More of a gen rec this one as Sherlock has to race against time to save the intended victims of a sniper loose in central London. Fast paced and tense with great characterisation.

House Rules by nishi_shinji

Hilarious and fluffy piece as Sherlock and John try to come up with the house rules for sharing a flat together.

Highly Intelligent, Observant and Destructive when Bored, Feels Like Drowning and Asteroidea by etothepii

(Whilst Asteroidea is the first in the series it can (and should) be read last if you don't want a major plot point revealed - Feels like Drowning is John/Sherlock/Mycroft)

Brilliant His Dark Materials cross over. I've never really cared for crossovers but the concept of daemons fits effortlessly into the world of Sherlock and the world created in these stories is so richly realised. Really lovely writing which left me wanting more. Also I completely didn't see the twist coming. Very well done.

Post Children of Earth I confess I've rather lost interest in the Torchwood fandom and haven't been reading as much fic. So thank heavens for the BBC's new adaptation of Sherlock which in the space of a few weeks has already inspired some really fantastic fic.

Here's a few of my favourites :


Gen

Umbrellas, Kebabs and Saveloys - What Next is the Question? by katharynne

Absolutely hilarious fic written as an entry in John Watson's blog as he recounts an evening coping with a high as a kite Sherlock. Genuinely laugh out loud funny and brilliant Watson voice.

Puppies, Friendship and Girlfriends by cyberscribbles

Adorably fluffy fic with Sherlock buying a bewildered John a puppy. Sherlock's lack of understanding of why John wants a woman in his life is most amusing.

Homemaking by rageprufrock

John character study as he puts his life back in order after returning from Afghanistan. Points for bonus Clara.

London Calling by chaletian

Short well written fic with John contemplating the perils of modern tenchnology.

Headache by chocolate_limes

Very cute look at the Mycroft/Sherlock sibling relationship. Insanely fluffy but it just about gets away with it.

Five Times Mycroft Failed to Set Sherlock Up (and One Time He Did Not) by nekomitsu

Amusing 5 times fic with Mycroft setting Sherlock up on a variety of catastrophic "dates". The Lestrade one particularly amused me.


Collectible by valderys

A look at the complicated relationship between John and Sherlock which manages to be both cute and creepy at the same time.

The Story of How Mycroft Holmes Got Demoted by lavvyan

This fandom needs more Mycroft stories! Rather sweet fic with Mycroft looking out for his brother in his own special way. Minor britfail re medical bills but nothing too distracting.

Five Times Sherlock Realised This was Different and One Time He Admitted It by starjenni

Heart warming story of Sherlock realising all the little ways that meeting John has changed his life. Very sweet - the sort of fic that puts a smile on your face once you've read it.

The Thermodynamic series by entangled_now

The Second Law of Thermodynamics, The Art of Negotiation and The Definition of Insanity

Words cannot express how much I adore this series. It takes a purposefully cliched idea of Sherlock and John having to share a bed to stop Sherlock dropping dead of hypothermia and turns it into a beautiful character study. The characterisation is pitch perfect and it's astonishingly how strongly the cadences of Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman's voices come through as you're reading. The burgeoning relationship between John and Sherlock is handled deftly and with humour and without succombing to fanfic cliches. Definitely the series anyone considering dipping their toe into the Sherlock fandom should start with.




Slash

The Rules by entangled_now

Resolution to the Thermodynamic series which manages to introduce sex into the equation and yet keep BBC Sherlock perfectly in character. Rather wonderful.

The Perils of Urban Warfare by phantomjam

John/Sherlock

John character study framed by his therapy sessions.Great characterisation and some wonderful imagery.

Handle with Care by nestra

John/Sherlock non explicit

Lovely 5 times fic with John being warned away from Sherlock.

Oh But You're an Explosion by mardia

John/Sherlock.

Hot John/Sherlock porn but I especially loved this for the John/Sally friendship angle. Sally is normally abysmally portrayed in fic and its brilliant to find one that shows her and John as friends.

The Trick is to Make it Look Easy by paperclipbitch

John/Sherlock non explicit

Fantastic John character study as he struggles to get to grips with blogging and a life with Sherlock Holmes. Great dialogue.

Autopsis by spikeface

John/Sherlock

One of the few fics so far to really run with the idea that at heart Sherlock is a psycopath (and potentially a very dangerous one at that) and John simply a hapless creature waiting to be dissected by Sherlock so he can woke out how his component parts work. A fic with a razor sharp edge.

Lab Book by sam_storyteller

John/Sherlock

Nicely in character first time story. The dinner party scene with John's sister Harry is a hoot.


The Voices of Reason by entangled_now

John/Sherlock

Dub con

Short, dark and stunningly raw fic with John and Sherlock's need for each other being twisted into something horribly ugly by an unseen hand. Affecting.

The Year by saharajara

Non-explicit John/Sherlock

Evocative fic written in the style of poem. Beautiful imagery.

Delayed Reaction by cj_ludd18

John/Sherlock

Very funny fic with John having a meltdown over his sexual identity after spending the night with Sherlock. The whole dialogue exchange about socks had me in hysterics.

The Khyber Knife by ariadnes_string

John/Sherlock knife play, self harm

Erotic and dark John/Sherlock piece.

A Thorough Study on the Ordinary Baker Street Fauna by nekomitsu

John/sherlock non explicit

John overhears Sherlock confessing his feelings about him to the skull. Fantastic perfectly in character piece.

Thought Experiments by entangled_now

John/Sherlock

Truly wonderful first time fic. Great characterisation and dialogue - I've read it repeatedly since first finding it. Fantastic.




Episode Based Fic

A Study in Pink

Risk-Taking Antisocial Personality Disorder by lilapaddy

gen

Amusing and very in character conversation between Sherlock and John after the events of A Study in Pink


The Blind Banker

The Blind Banker Episode Tag by torakowalski

gen

John and Sherlock discuss Sherlock's relationship with Sebastian. John getting indignant on Sherlock's behalf is rather adorable.


The Great Game

Pedestrian by vegarin

Gen

Missing scene in The Great Game with a kidnapped John coming face to face with Moriarty. Great John and Moriarty characterisation and I love the way the battle of wills between them plays out.

A Refining Fire by arwen_kenobi

Gen

Post The Great Game fic featuring nice Lestrade characterisation and some touching interplay between a recovering John and Sherlock in hospital.

Self-Deception by vomit_bunny

gen

Clever and nicely ambiguous tag to The Great Game.

Drowning Man, Harbor and Profit and Loss Part 1 by irisbleufic

John/Sherlock

Great on-going series following on from the ending of The Great Game. The relationship between John and Sherlock is portrayed in a surprisingly tender way and everyone is very much in character.

Entropy by cj_ludd18

John/Sherlock character death

Five different ways The Great Game could have ended. Lyrical and really strongly written.

Five Ways Immortality Could Have Been Different for Jack Harkness by sunnyrea

Jack/Estelle Jack/Ianto

Lovely five things fics looking at very different ways that Jack's life could have gone. I loved the first one - all too often its easy to forget, especially in the wake of Chidren of Earth where the character was somewhat emasculated that Jack Harkness is a very frightening man. That trait comes across loud and clear in the first vignette which I would love to see expanded. The Alice section is lovely and bought a lump to my throat and obviously I loved the last part which is sweet and humourous.

It's Like Veritaserum, Only with Emotions by blue_fjords

Jack/Ianto

Amusing yet sweet team piece with Ianto having inadvertently taken truth serum. The Jack/Ianto interaction is simply adorable, everyone blatantly taking advantage of Ianto's predicament rather amusing and Tosh's question and the answer to it simply lovely. Post CofE we could all do with a little fluff and this is wonderful stuff.

Comfortable Horrors by alex51324

Jack/Ianto Dub-con in part 2 R rated

Interesting lengthy post Cyberwoman fic in which Jack imprisons Ianto in the Hub following the events of Cyberwoman. Strong Ianto characterisation (I especially like the section where he is touring Wales on his own struggling to come to terms with his grief), an intriguingly dark plot and it's a joy to see a fic in which Tosh is featured so prominently. She's kick ass in this holding Jack accountable for his actions. Tonally the piece is a little confused - Jack is dark enough and hard enough in this to do something as truly horrendous as having Ianto declared legally dead and informing his family of that fact (a situation which hasn't been rectified by the end of the piece) so that he can imprison Ianto in the Hub indefinitely for his crimes and yet he freaks out when Ianto in a state of fear offers him sexual favours as gratitude for not killling him and this in itself causes him to change his mind. Jack was meant to be quite the amoral con man before the Doctor found him, not to mention that he was supposedly the "go to guy" for torture at one stage - would he really change his attitude so quickly over a blow job offered out of fear? Its like there are two stories here - an intriguing dark piece about a darker, harder Jack imprisoning Ianto in the Hub and the unhealthy sexual relationship with shades of master/servant that develops between them and a more conventional Ianto recovers after Cyberwoman piece. Both stories are great in and of themselves but they meld together a little uneasily.

Give Me Pain if That's What's Real Part 2 by baka_sensei

Jack/Ianto mention of Jack/OCs

A 1000 years after the events of Children of Earth Jack finds Ianto in his life again.

Post Children of Earth sort of fix it fic in which Ianto appears 1000 years after his death to be with Jack again. I like the ambiguity in this in that you're not quite sure whether Ianto is really there or whether Jack's emotionally battered psyche has just created something tangible in the form of Ianto to bring him solace. Ianto's characterisation is great - bewildered at his lot but at the same time not prepared to put up with Jack's crap even in death. What I really liked about the fic is that it acknowledges how important Ianto is to Jack and how much losing him damaged Jack whilst accepting that life does go on and that Jack will of course meet and fall in love with other people many many times over the course of his life. And the ending is just lovely.

Guard Them and Him Within by etharei

Jack/Ianto NC-17

When the Rift takes Ianto he finds himself in the future under seige on a desolate outpost with only a future version of Jack to keep him company. A Jack who doesn't remember who he is.

The fandom shattering events of Children of Earth rather overshadowed the latest round of Tardis Big Bang which is an immense shame as this is a fic which deserves to be widely read.

Lengthy, satisfying, well paced fic with great characterisation.

Ianto is far too often depicted in fic as an emo 12 year old girl so its a joy to finally find a fic in which Ianto is strong and capable. His situation may be terrifying but he adapts no matter what is thrown at him. I was expecting there to be a scene where he suffers an emotional collapse in front of Jack and tells him all about their relationship together and was delighted that we didn't get it. Whilst I initally thought it was a cop out that future Jack didn't know who Ianto was that's dealt with in the story very well and the author does a great job of making this Jack different enough from our Jack to keep us intrigued while still making him recognisably Jack. The OCs are also strongly drawn and engaging - normally I shy away from a fic with multiple OCs as the potential for Mary and Gary Sue's is huge but not in this case. These characters are quirky and interesting and we fall for them just as much as Ianto does. And the base on which Ianto reluctantly finds himself posted is almost another character in the story. It's a wonderful, vivid piece of world building with "The Wake" an eerie presence permeating the story. Whilst the author's infuences seem clear (a touch of Pitch Black, Total Recall, Ghosts of Mars) the piece still seems fresh and enjoyably original. There is a slight deus ex machina in the form of a character who appears in the story for no apparent reason but that's instantly forgiveable as the rest of the story is so strong.

Highly recommended.