Nomination Thread: AU: Alternate Narrative

[tiltedsyllogism.livejournal.com]

Please post your suggestions for alternate narrative or canon divergence stories here!

N.B. We have divided up the large umbrella category of AU into a couple of subcategories - we have separate streams for Alternate Narrative/Canon Divergence, Crossover/Fusion, and Omegaverse. So for Alternate Narrative, think of stories in which the world is the same as ours but the characters are slightly or greatly changed, e.g. Genderswap, Different Occupations (John is a photographer, Sherlock is a consulting architect), what-if-the-bomb-went-off-at-the-pool, or Mary-Morstan-was-never-here fics. For the time being, we are also including teen!lock, uni!lock, and other kinds of alternate-age fic unless it is written in an effort to conform to BBC canon (e.g. John's first meeting with Sholto in the army, several years before meeting Sherlock Holmes).

Current Nominations:

The Paradox Series by wordstrings
Five Years Prior by Feverishsea
Ava Watson 'Verse by Keeliethompson1
The Progress of Sherlock Holmes by ivyblossom
The Quiet Man by ivyblossom

Comments

Paradox Series by wordstrings

[birggitt.livejournal.com]

I would like to nominate this series (http://archiveofourown.org/series/28906). Yes, the whole thing, because I'm ambitious like that :D

So far, there are 8 stories in this series, with a total of ~100k, and, to be fair, it's not really necessary to read all of them to understand the narrative. But... what can I say? It's totally worth of it.

And, as every story gets a month to be discussed, if this gets to be chosen, then we could take two stories a week? I'm sure we could see how to work it out.

Now, on the series...

The series deals mostly with Sherlock and John, in the BBC canonical Universe... except they both are a little madder and a little wilder here. Actually, even Mycroft is quite insane in this specific world.
But Sherlock, particularly... he is not sane, not exactly... not really. But he loves John, tremendously, and John loves him exactly the same, and they share their particular brand of happiness. I think this is what grabbed me so strongly: their connection is so powerful that, no matter how difficult things can be from time to time, how painful and awful it can become for a while, at the end, they are everything for each other.

The stories go from some month after SiP until the end of SiB, and if you are not comfortable with utterly possessive behaviour, or prefer a Sherlock who is clean of drugs, and a brilliant man, not a brilliant madman, maybe these stories are not for you. But if nothing of that scares you away, you certainly should give them a try. I bet you won't be disappointed.

PS; And yes, what you can read in my icon is an actual quote of one of the stories :D

Re: Paradox Series by wordstrings

[http://users.livejournal.com/meredith_/]

100% seconded, I'm halfway through reading all of it but I'm loving it so much. Such a great portrayal of codependency that is just all too familiar to me.

Re: Paradox Series by wordstrings

[meghanadxb.livejournal.com]

Thirded

(frozen)

[dioscureantwins.livejournal.com]

Okay, I recced this at 221B_recs this month but I think the story is so delightful I'd love for other people to read it as well and discuss it with them.

The Mystery of Ill Opinions (http://archiveofourown.org/works/1110736) by mundungus42

Here's the summary in the author's own words:

Two Elizabethan actors dream of leaving women's roles behind, and Master Sherlock Holmes agrees to help them find them a playwright to write them roles to rival Marlowe's Tamburlaine. But strange things are afoot in the Holmes household, and Sherlock and John must accomplish this feat while discovering who wants to kill Sherlock and why.

(frozen)

[saki101.livejournal.com]

I'm seconding this wonderful story in this stream, too.

(frozen)

[azriona.livejournal.com]

Freezing this comment stream as this story has been nominated in the Crossover/Fusion thread. Thanks!

[thursjournal.livejournal.com]

i'll nominate The Bone Fiddle (http://archiveofourown.org/works/573857) by vulgarweed.

it's sherlock and john set in 1970s appalachia. sherlock lives in a run down house in the woods, john just returned from vietnam, and the crimes follow old fiddle tune stories.

[violethuntress.livejournal.com]

Hitting the Water at Sixty Miles an Hour by what_alchemy (AO3)

An old trope done so, so right.

This fic is so, so moody. And I love the way Sherlock's mother was portrayed, pre-series 3.

Summary: “You love your mother, Sherlock?”

John watched the muscles in Sherlock’s jaw jump. He nodded in one sharp jerk.

“Then we’re going to her party and making her happy.” John let out a resigned sigh. “As a ruddy couple, you bastard.”

[baudown.livejournal.com]

Five Years Prior, by Feverishsea: http://archiveofourown.org/works/366850?view_full_work=true

Author's summary: John and Sherlock meet five years earlier, when both of them are a little bit younger and a little bit softer. It doesn't necessarily make things any easier.

I adore this fic, which has the added bonus of being written from a third-party (Lestrade's) POV.

[tiltedsyllogism.livejournal.com]

I really love this story, and I haven't read it in a long time. I would love to read it with this group!

Ok, one more

[violethuntress.livejournal.com]

Don't know how I forgot this one since it's basically almost replaced canon for me. A lot to talk about in terms of narrative structure, canon-fixing, gender issues, etc.

Law Like Love (http://archiveofourown.org/works/1244686/chapters/2557825) by plaidadder

Summary: Six months after Sherlock didn't go off on that mission to eastern Europe after all, all is well at 221B Baker Street. Little Rachel is just beginning to sleep through the night. John and Sherlock are sleeping with each other. Charles Augustus Magnussen is alive and unwell and just about bankrupt. And Mary is nowhere in sight.

Obviously the events of "His Last Vow" were not what they seemed. What really happened? How did we get here from there?

Well, we're going to find out. Backwards.

(And I love the notes as well:)

I've decided that the only way back into this fandom, for me, is to Moftiss Moftiss. Behold, the true story of what was REALLY going on during "His Last Vow," instead of all that shit you THOUGHT was happening.

[cbzofdeath.livejournal.com]

I'd like to nominate The Skeleton Winter (http://archiveofourown.org/works/279916) by branwyn.

It features a gender-swapped John Watson and dives into some of the darker implications of what it means when one is addicted to danger. I love this fic because I love the character of Joanna Watson, a tough female soldier who is struggling with self-destructive urges. And also, there is some seriously badass case fic inspired by ACD's "The Dancing Men".

One of the most interesting/disturbing things about BBC John Watson is that he conveys this sense anger bubbling just below his unflappable exterior. The author of this fic takes that characteristic of his personality and runs with it.

Unilock and Parentlock by Keeliethompson1

[meghanadxb.livejournal.com]

Unilock

The Faithful Compass Series (http://archiveofourown.org/series/25517) by Keeliethompson1

John is five/six years younger than Sherlock and is studying at university when he meets a bored, addicted Sherlock. But Sherlock still needs to become sober, learn his skills and become the consulting detective while John needs to train, find his place in the world, and in the army, to become the man that can match Sherlock. The problem is they may not be able to become these people while in a relationship with each other.

Pairing: Sherlock/John
Status: Complete

Parentlock

Intentions Series (http://archiveofourown.org/series/34483) by Keeliethompson1

Sherlock Holmes discovers he's the father of ten year old John Watson; the product of an experimental night with a girl he would tenuously call a friend when he'd been sixteen.

Status: WIP

Ava Watson verse (http://archiveofourown.org/series/20112) by Keeliethompson1

Five year old Ava Watson's life is changed forever when her Daddy's old friend comes calling.

And continues from there

Pairing: Sherlock/John
Status: WIP

[gentlespirit.livejournal.com]

The Faithful Compass series are some of my all-time favorite stories, but I'm actually commenting to second the Ava verse. I was skeptical at first, but I am a sucker for alternate POVs/scenes retold from another point of view. The series is long, but some could be read on their own. There is a lot to discuss with it. There are elements of a case and the developing J/S relationship, but also parenting and a child's point of view. One of the things that I love (and alternately hate) about this author is that she is not afraid to write really dark scenes. It never seems like they are done for the sake of being dark or to shock, but rather because terrible things happen in the world, and she explores some of them. Yet at the same time, there are ridiculous and silly moments, and sweet scenes. Basically, if you like stories that will lead you through an entire range of emotions, this is a series I'd reccomend!

[jmarlinquin.livejournal.com]

Love, love, love keeliethompson and her Faithful Compass series is probably in my top two fav works of all time but I actually putting in the rec for her Ava Watson 'verse - a compelling parentlock series that really dives into the character developments and the challenges of parenting when one lives the kind of lives that John and Sherlock lives.

[violethuntress.livejournal.com]

Isn't anyone going to nominate ivyblossom's "Progress of Sherlock Holmes" and "The Quiet Man"? Anyone?

Ok, I will :)

[meghanadxb.livejournal.com]

Oops! Forgot about those two......

If you haven't read it yet, don't waste and go read it now!

The Progress of Sherlock Holmes (http://archiveofourown.org/works/173274/chapters/253157) by ivyblossom (http://archiveofourown.org/users/ivyblossom/pseuds/ivyblossom) and The Quiet Man (http://archiveofourown.org/works/322978/chapters/520106) by the same author

Nominations seconded

[meghanadxb.livejournal.com]

I moved Watches' verse here since it sorta is canon compliant with TGG (mostly)

Watches' verse (http://archiveofourown.org/series/15213) by bendingsignpost (http://archiveofourown.org/users/bendingsignpost/pseuds/bendingsignpost)