Vorkosigan Saga/Fanfic Recs

Proof that the remaining 10% is worth dying for

These are recommendations made by Tropers for  Fan Fics, all of which have been signed. After a few samples, you will be able to judge whether you might be interested in a certain 'fic, based on who recommended it.

Feel free to add a fanfic of your own to the list, but remember to use the template found below. Make sure you sign your recommendation! No-name recommendations may be deleted at other tropers' leisure. Do warn when a fanfic includes sexual situations. Some people just don't like it, and as we all know, Shipping is Serious Business. Likewise, warn if it may head into non-canon territory.

Discussion of the recommendation is welcome on the discussion page. As such discussion is important, do remember to add the discussion page to the watchlist, if need be.

Recommendations Template
Title of the Fanfic by Author OR Fic Trope Page, by Author (Link)
 * Recommended by: Troper Name
 * Synopsis: What's the story about? Give here a brief summary of the plot. It would be also useful to point out in what moment of the series the story takes place. If it's a Gen Fic but it has some romantic elements, note here the characters involved too.
 * Pairing(s): If it's a Shipping Fic, list here the pairings that feature in the fic (warn here if it's het, male slash or female slash). If it's a Gen Fic, remove this line. To tell the difference between the two, notice if the focus of the fic is on a romantic relationship or if it focuses on the other aspects of the story. In case of doubt, classify the story according to the genres it's been tagged: the Romance tag for Shipping, absence of that tag for Gen Fic.
 * Tags: If any are known. This would be things like WAFF, Lemon, Dark Fic, any Trigger Warnings, etc. This is also where you would put character names with Characterization Tags if doing so would be equally indicative.  ("uber!Harry" for Harry Potter, for instance.)
 * Comments: If you want to say something more about why you're recommending the fic, but please, keep it brief. We don't want Conversation in the Main Page.

Authors and Websites
Bujold_Fic at Livejournal
 * Recommended by Tropers/Scifantasy
 * The primary source for Bujold fanfic these days, and well worth an exploration.

Vorkosigan fanfic on Archive of Our Own
 * Recommended by Yrfeloran
 * Presently the primary archive used by Vorkosigan fanfic writers, containing well over 600 fics in the fandom.

General Fics
Stories which primarily focus on the normal goings on of the cast.

Pater Patriae by Philomytha
 * Recommended by Battle Hamster
 * Synopsis: A series of three conversations between Gregor and Simon: one shortly after his twentieth birthday, one after Warrior's Apprentice, and one after The Vor Game.
 * Comments: The characterization in this fic is excellent; Philomytha writes Simon very well in general, and Gregor's growth between the three scenes is well done.

Forward Momentum by bracketyjack (canon to A Civil Campaign and Winterfair Gifts, but AU to Diplomatic Immunity)
 * Recommended by Elizabeth, User:Jonn
 * Synopsis: A Terran scientist comes to Lord Auditor Miles Vorkosigan with an hypothesis which could change the laws of reality itself. Miles uses it to bring about an unprecedented era of peace and prosperity for the Imperium...
 * Comments : The author tried to imagine a Peaceful Vorkosiverse. You could think it would be boring. But, thanks to lovely characterization and an interesting plot, it's not. Forward Momentum is followed by four tail pieces also available on bracketyjack's LJ.
 * It was doing so well right up until The Two Ivans, when Unfortunate Implications came into play. To wit, Basically, you might want to skip that story, since it seems more about torturing Ivan than anything else. --User:Jonn

Tides of Stars by Tel-Writing
 * Recommended by Pacifist
 * Synopsis: AU. After a shocking catastrophe, an older Miles Vorkosigan is again on the run, forced to survive in the past by his wits alone. He can't afford to lose, but to win he must overcome historical inevitability, the laws of physics, and himself.
 * Comments : The story starts slow but comes into it's own with the interplay of future Miles, past Miles, and Mark. The second story of the series "We All Want to Change the World" is even better.

The Will of the People by Gwynne
 * Recommended by cliffc999
 * Synopsis: Miles and Gregor share a moment as they await the voting results of Barrayar's first planet-wide free election, the founding vote of a Barrayaran Republic.
 * Comments: One can only imagine the looks on the poor Betan election observers' faces.

Warrior's Apprentice: Scenes from the Other Side by avanti_90
 * Recommended by Star Bright
 * Synopsis: What was happening on Barrayar while Miles was off accidentally creating the Dendarii.
 * Comments: Not much action, but very tense--gives the impression that Barrayar came this close to collapsing into civil war. Also great to see Gregor's perspective; he's portrayed sympathetically, even though in some ways he's an antagonist.

Crossover Fics
Stories which crossover with other characters or works.

With a Star by DonSample
 * Crossover with Buffy the Vampire Slayer
 * Recommended by Looney Toons
 * Synopsis: While on his honeymoon on Earth, Miles discovers a thousand-year-old mystery -- an enigmatic monument at Sunnydale Lagoon, for an even more enigmatic group of people.
 * Comments: A low-key, almost melancholy little story. It has a sequel by another author, The Vor Slayer by "vogonguard".

Shipping Fics
Stories whose primary focus is on romantic or sexual relationships between the cast.

A Deeper Season by Sahiya and Lightgetsin (AU)
 * Recommended by Battle Hamster
 * Pairing: Miles/Gregor
 * Synopsis: Gregor and Miles deal with the promise of a new technology that may affect their personal lives along with the galaxy as a whole - while dealing with a lot of politics - and courting each other.
 * Comments: There's an interesting plot and good characterization. There is also a sequel, What Passing Bells, and both writers have written shorter stories set in the same universe. Everything is here.

The Rules of Barrayaran Sex by Philomythia.
 * Recommended by User:Voodoo Child
 * Pairing: Aral/Cordelia
 * Synopsis: Cordelia's never been good at following rules.
 * Comments: Hilarious, spot-on in-character look at some of the little (and notably calmer) moments in Aral and Cordelia's marriage. The Cordelia voice is just perfectly deadpan, and this troper might have ruptured something laughing during the "Lord Regent in his underwear" scene.