Left 4 Dead/Fanfic Recs

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Proof that the remaining 10% is worth getting infected for here.

These are recommendations made by Tropers for Left 4 Dead fanfics, all of which have to be signed to stay on the page. Feel free to add a fanfic of your own to the list, but remember to use the template found here.

You can also add to the current recommendations if you want. Refrain from posting Conversation in The Main Page though; that goes in the discussion page.

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Authors, and Websites

grimmons88

• Recommended by Un Defined Legacy
• Mostly Nick/Ellis centered(one Francis/Zoey oneshot). 3 multi-chapter stories God, Ellis/Nick loves/hates ____, Resurgence, and an "Untitled Left 4 Dead 2 fic". Plus many oneshots. All of them sexy and well written.

Literature

Let The Devil In, by Archy The Cockroach

• Recommended by The Tall One, and User:Generalwinter
• Comments: One of the best Left 4 Dead 2 fics I've read. Contains mild Nick/Ellis, and some Ellis/Rochelle.
  • Seconded without hesitation by me. This is, quite honestly, not only the best L4D fic I've read, but also one of the best pieces of fic I've read in any fandom, to date. I don't care whether you ship the pairings here, this is damn good writing. And, really, it manages to make both pairings believable, while not fawning all over them endlessly, or forgetting that Coach is there, too. Wonderfully in-character, beautifully written...yeah, I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys this game.

Whatever Days May Come, by Wild Arm

• Recommended by zoeymoe, User:REV 6 Pilot
• Synopsis: The events of the Left 4 Dead Campaigns mostly in Bill's perspective.
• Comments: This fic is one of the rare gems, because it is well written. The author gives more depth to the characters.
  • Another thing that makes this a gem among mounds of dirt is that it's exactly the game if it had cutscenes... and without the gameplay quirks. The zombies are still attracted to light and sound, but are really quite rare, which you would expect from an ensemble that tries its hardest to be stealthy, sneaks around depopulated areas, and doesn't have an AI Director breathing down their necks. The start deviates from canon a little bit, since it was written before the releases of the Crash Course DLC and the Sacrifice comic, but the version presented in the fic is still solid gold (it hasn't even reached Blood Harvest yet and, let's face it, Crash Course didn't add anything to the story).

Kill All Sons of Bitches, by Never a Hero

• Recommended by zoeymoe
• Pairing(s): Ellis/Zoey
• Synopsis: Ellis saves Zoey at the mall and tags along with the rest of the group.
• Comments: One of the few well-written Ellis/Zoey fics.
  • User:REV 6 Pilot - Contested. It gives off no believable background for the groups meeting (remember, L4D 1 happens a week before 2, and they occur several dozens of miles apart) and the writing is terrible. I was put off by that enough to not reach past the part where Coach's ensemble finds Zoey cut off from Bill, Francis and Louis, all conveniently killed by a Tank. I found it to be unoriginal Wish Fulfillment, and can't help but disrecommend it.

Two Step by Disrupted Original

• Recommended by gRough, User:REV 6 Pilot, User:Randomfanboy, and User:Kris Mahai
• Synopsis: Nick loses an eye and gets separated from the others when their cruise ship sinks, and goes on alone to find them.
• Comments: One of the few Left 4 Dead fics that I actually recommend. Well written and a great place for anyone not particularly knowledgeable in the series to start. Author gets a big thumbs up from me.
  • Same from me. This is probably the best Left 4 Dead fanfic out there - well-written, great Character Development, and no linearity to the plot - believe me, you can't guess what'll happen next, especially because the author pulls no punches about either characters, settings or "vampires". You'll laugh, cry and jump at the edge of your seat sometimes, but mostly you'll be glued to your seat, frozen in anticipation.
  • Agreed. It's addictively readable - I couldn't stop. I tell you what if Nick doesn't meet up with the others, I will be very upset. And it looks like that's a possibility.

Cat and Mouse, by randomfox

• Recommended by Kamakazikid8, seconded by Dark Gidora
• Synopsis: Cats toy with their prey before killing them. When a Hunter sees Zoey as prey, will she live long enough to escape before he is finished toying with her?
• Comments: Excellently written. It easily shows Zoey's acquired fear of the Hunter while it sadistically toys with her. On the other side, it gives us a look into the Hunter's mind and shows us why and how far it will go to keep chasing it's prey.
  • Second Opinion: Very, very well done. Randomfox manages to give the Hunter a personality and intelligence without diminishing the creature's menace. Zoey's growing fear of the Hunter, her fellow survivors' reactions to it, and it's sadism are believable and interesting elements. As their mutual character development occurs, the fic approaches an epic climax. Good action scenes ensure this as a great fic.

Respect a Woman by Zarla, Jazzaboo, et al

• Recommended by Snark Tron, Seconded by Jia Mekare
• Synopsis: Respect A Woman is a shared fan-Universe focusing primarily on gender-swapped versions of four of the special infected: Hunter the Genki Girl, Smoker the Deadpan Snarker, Laughing Mad Jockey and Charger the Team Mom. Together, they try to survive in the post-zombie apocalypse world.
• Comments: In addition to this main universe there are side-stories focusing on Hunter and Smoker's friendship (and sometimes more) before the apocalypse struck and a Cowboy AU of an AU in which Smoker and Hunter are outlaws and Jockey and Charger work on a ranch.

Bill's Ultimate Adventure

• Recommended by Jak Attack
• Synopsis: As Bill smokes his last cigarette, looking at the oncoming tanks, he smirks. For he knows that this is no ordinary cigarette: it's a magic cigarette. No, Bill doesn't die; he lives, and defeats the tanks in a truly hilarious way.
• Comments: It's a crack fic, and boy does it handle that well. There's no real plot, the spelling's good except for when it's intentionally messed up, but with too many "gritty dirt realism" stroies, it's nice to see a fanfic that exists purely to make you laugh.

Just Like the Movies

• Recommended by zcohen723
• Synopsis: A story largely from Zoey's perspective as she experiences the zombie apocalypse.
• Pairings: Zoey/Francis
• Comments: A very well done fic of Blood Harvest that adds more meat to the original story. Zoe provides drama and comic relief with her pop-culture references as she tries to cope, such as this little gem here regarding her chances of survival "After all, she hadn't drank, hadn't smoked pot, and definitely hadn't had sex. That meant she'd at least make it to the end of the movie unscathed. Right?"

PLAYTHING, by mihoyonagi

• Recommended by fenrir7139
• Synopsis: Thrown from the third story of an office building, Zoey finds herself hurt, low on ammo, and alone. That is, until a wayward and strangely intelligent hunter decides he wants her all for his own...
• Comments: WARNING: NSFW! With that out of the way, don't be fooled by the site it's on; the story is well-written, and can be quite a tear-jerker.

Apex, by P Chill Now

• Recommended by Shoddop Eat Your Burgers
• Synopsis: A tale of a hunter's journey from the hunter's perspective. Offers a glimpse into the thoughts and emotion of one of the infected.
• Comments: Very unique and very interesting. The hunter's thoughts are like those of an amnesiac, and his view of the world is naive and childlike. It is admittedly difficult to understand at times, and the fight scenes are rather anticlimactic. However, the author does a good job of making you care about the hunter and his companion, the romance is interesting and the ending... Read to find out.

Name's Ellis by MAGO5

• Recommended by User:Nightelf 37, Poptard, User:REV 6 Pilot
• Synopsis: Applejack finds a strange visitor in her apple orchard one day, with even stranger stories to tell. His name? Ellis.

Machinimas and Animations

Left 4 Nicks, by lucius0mega

• Recommended by Deranged Genius
• Comments: Think one Nick was too snarky? Try a whole quartet of him! A hilarious love letter to Nick's in-game banter lines, covering "Dead Center" and "Dark Carnival".

Webcomics and Art

Left 4 Dead Comics by IsisMasshiro

• Recommended by King Sonn Dee Doo
• Comments: Well-drawn and amusing, these comics mainly focus on the Infected, with the artist steadly making a comic-cross-info sheet for each. Oh, and be sure to look out for the oft-cameoing Headcrab! There are occasional typos and gramatical errors (the artist is Finnish), and a word of adivce in that the text can be bit small at times, so you may need to choose 'Download Image' near the Artist's comment.
  • Seconded. These comics are so funny that they are 100 percent responsible for me actually buying the game.