Portal (series)/Fanfic Recs
Proof that the remaining 10% is worth braving deadly neurotoxin for here:
These are recommendations made by Tropers for the Portal series, all of which have been signed. After a few samples, you will be able to judge whether you might be interested in the 'fic, based on who recommended it. No-name recommendations will be Zapped (wiki). Nobody would back up the rec. 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.
Do warn when a fanfic may head into non-canon territory. Some people just don't like it, and as we all know, Shipping is Serious Business.
Fanfic Authors
- If you're into the ChellxWheatley pairing, this author is your woman. A word of warning, though: all of her work is rated M, and are Porn with Plot.
- A multitalented writer for most major pairings in the Portal universe. She has written some of the best Portal fics out there.
- A writer of the friendship/family relations between Chell, G La DOS, and Caroline, her fics are brilliantly written and are often quite introspective on the characters' personalities. She writes the characters very well in-character and her stories could be just about Canon. One of the best writers in the Portal fanfic community.
General Fics
Night Of The Living Wheatley by TheUnsigned
- Recommended by rapunzelloveseugene
- Pairings: A mix of Wheatley/Chell and unrequited Wheatley/OC.
- Synopsis: A dark take on Wheatley returning to earth.
- Comments: This is a rare, dark and amazing take on human!Wheatley. The Unsigned is a master of horror and is a rival to GLaDOS in terms of awe-inspiring fear. Though some of her work may turn your stomach Unsigned is a credit to the Portal fandom.
Portal 3 by blademarylin
- Recommended by IHOP, Lady In Grey
- Now has its own page: Portal 3
- Pairings: Minor Wheatley/Chell
- Synopsis: Four years after Portal 2, Wheatley decides to use his "death laser" to inscribe a giant apology to Chell on the moon. Chell has become a scientist on the surface, and upon seeing the message goes on an less-than-sane adventure to rescue Wheatley. Meanwhile a mysterious entity called The Mainframe is gathering personality cores for a sinister purpose, and Chell keeps having flashbacks of a strange man who may or may not have been her boyfriend: someone named "Wheatley Whitmore"...
- Comments: Described by the author as a "multimedia comic" it contains, text, drawings, and flash movies in a style very similar to MS Paint Adventures. The story is hilarious, while still being intriguing enough to make you care about the plot beyond simple laughs.
- Seconded. It is hilarious, sweet, and very silly. An undeniably creative and unique take on the "after Portal 2" plot.
Fabrications by skywalker05
- Recommended by Dolt Boy
- Pairings: N/A
- Synopsis: The story (and backstory) of Portal, from GLaDOS' perspective, in three short parts.
- Comments: Though more serious and somber in tone that the game itself, this fic otherwise captures the mood and voice of the game perfectly, and offers some chilling ideas of how exactly our favorite robo-villainess came to be what she is.
- Is now non-canon as of the patch containing the Sequel Hook.
You Monster by Kamiki77
- Recommeded by: wellinever
- Pairings: Caroline/Cave
- Synopsis: Cave Johnson is nearing the end and wants his faithful P.A. to take over his empire. At any cost.
- Comments: This is pure nightmare fuel. You know how some people say GLaDOS resembles a woman in bondage? You know how J.K. Simmons refused to record some lines of portal 2 because of how much they disturbed him? Yeah. This fic goes there. It is not for the faint of heart but it really captures what happened in the gaps suggested by the game.
The Unfortunate Discovery of Marissa Roberts by Korekara
- Recommended by webidolchiu94
- Pairings: A completely flanderized Mary-Sue OC/Wheatley.
- Synopsis: GLaDOS and Chell's commentary on a fan-fiction they happened to stumble across.
- Comments: This is most definitely a Troll Fic. Hilariously written, and a cute commentary on how ridiculous some authors can be. The fan-fiction that they both comment on is written by the author to avoid the dreaded “you didn't like my fan-fiction??” rant on the reviews.
- Seconded, except the fanfic in question wasn't written by the author; in fact, it has its own page.
Schematics by [[[IC Representitive]]]
- Recommended by Fantasy Of Lulz
- Pairings: Slight Caroline/Cave
- Synopsis: The GLaDOS machine was complete. It only needed one more component.
- Comments: There may be many takes on Caroline's transformation into an A.I, but one more won't hurt, right? This tragic account of what may have happened captures, as it's author put it, "the image comparison of the original G La DOS, as how the developers saw her... and how the fans did" alongside the stuggle represented in Caroline's unused in-game lines.
Useless Parts by AnimeRANDOMNESS
- Recommended by: Jade Eyes 1
- Pairings: Mild Chell/Wheatley
- Synopsis: Wheatley's never really understood why humans have so many useless parts. Hair, eyebrows, fingernails...and lips. What did lips do, anyway? Of course, maybe bringing it up around a certain mute lady isn't the best idea...
- Comments: Short, sweet, and surprisingly well-written. Even if you don't like "fluffy" stories, you'll still enjoy this.
Sarcasm Still Valid by Pirate Kit
- Recommended by: Lady In Grey
- Pairings: Mild Chell/Wheatley
- Synopsis: "You don't escape from the insane facility of Aperture on tenacity alone. It takes a generous helping of bravery, wits, and sarcasm. And a valuable Aperture Science Testing Protocol Partner - Wheatley."
- Comments: Ridiculously funny. It starts off seemingly like a written version of Freeman's Mind, but quickly becomes it's own fic, taking a slight AU curve. From (literally) trolling GLaDOS to Chell musing if the internet has run out of LOLcats 200 years in the future, this is a very humorous story that will have you giggling at every possible turn.
Blue Sky by wafflestories
- Recommended by Wasserplane, Princess Lucky, Jonn, Insanity Prelude
- Now has its own page: Blue Sky
- Pairings: Light Chell/Wheatley.
- Synopsis: Wheatley comes back to earth, has to be rescued by Chell, and gets put in a Hard Light body. Wheatley must get used to human life, all while gaining Chell's trust again and finding his purpose.
- Comments: This story is great because it perfectly captures Wheatley's "babbling idiot" personality, and characterizes Chell beautifully. Hilarious and heartwarming at the same time- I cannot recommend this enough.
- Princess Lucky: Seconding the recommendation with all my heart - the way the author writes the co-op bots alone is worth the money! Apart from FF.net, the story is published in the author's LiveJournal, where you can also see the amazing header art for each chapter.
- Odafangirl: I literally cannot express how truly amazing this fic is. To describe everyone as In-Character is almost an injustice. Wheatley and Chell are better then In Character. They are fleshed out, explored, dissected, exposed, and put back together again better than they were before. I'd almost describe it as a Reconstruction of 'Wheatley Becomes Human' fics. Plus, it updates twice a week, Mondays and Thursdays. Plus Plus, its almost complete. Seriously, you have absolutely no excuse at all GO READ IT RIGHT NOW.
- Aralyn: It's now complete, and there's not much much more to say, except everything you've heard about this fanfic is true. I've yet to read a better overall fanfic of the Portal genre. Prose is flowingly pleasant, characterization is simply amazing, especially of Wheatley's, with a simple yet interesting plot, realistic, and it even gets G La DOS' dry humor down pat. The ending itself is enough to warrant a read- do yourself a favor and read it. Now.
- twiltye: I'd heard that this was the fanfic that spoiled all other Portal fanfics, and then I read it. It was fantastic beginning to end, and I didn't even think a Portal fanfic could ever capture the same feeling of the game and, at the same time, be a quality piece of literature before I read it, but Blue Sky blew me away. I highly recommend it.
The Rules, by Cave Johnson by 3theCaptain
- Recommended by: Parkour Paisho
- Pairings: Zero. Well... maybe a little Cave X Caroline if you squint really hard at #7.
- Synopsis: This fic is the list of Rules Cave Johnson announced over the intercom every day during Aperture Science's Black Mesa Commute. (Don't think about that last sentence too hard.) It's funny, it sticks like glue to canon, it's a quick read, and it captures Cave Johnson's hilarious, confidently aggressive voice perfectly! The best part?! The author says, "If you have a funny suggestion for another rule, please leave a comment!... And even if you're not funny, send your suggestions anyway! I'll add your name to the credits." Think the Evil Overlord List, but instead of an evil overlord, it's CAVE JOHNSON! (Who may or may not qualify as an evil overlord.)
Portal Cubed by Insane Guy of DOOM
- Recommended by: IHOP
- Pairings: None
- Synopsis: According to the author its "meant to be an as realistic as possible depiction of what I think Portal 3 might be". Several months after Portal 2, Chell is living on the surface only to get called back to Aperture when GLaDOS accidentally unleashes a Sealed Evil in a Can that threatens far more than just the Aperture Science Computer Aided Enrichment Center.
- Comments: A summary of all the story's planned chapters can be found here, for those inclined to spoilers.
Ghosts by BelievingEvey
- Recommended by: Girl On The Moon
- Pairings: Some Chell/OC
- Synopsis: Another "robots as androids" fanfic, this one takes place after Portal 2 and Chell has moved on with her life. But when Black Mesa comes in trying to overtake Aperture, Chell is brought back and works with some new and old characters to save Aperture.
- Comments: A very well-paced action fic, it has some characters from Half-Life woven into it along with the Half-Life plotline. Overall, it's a very fun read, the original characters are written well, and the new ones just add to the story!
Crossovers
Better Living Through Science and Ponies by Pen Stroke
- Recommended by: Toko WH
- Synopsis: GLaDOS is free of Chell, free to continue testing, when she discovers a portal gun Wheatley tried to repair with duck tape. When the portal gun catastrophically fails, the enrichment center, GLaDOS, and Chell are literally dropped in the middle of Equestria. The mute test subject soon finds the world of ponies far more welcoming than the human world. But GLaDOS sees possibilities. Let the testing begin... for science.
- Comments: As a previous suggester on the My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic fanfic recs stated, most cross-over fics fail because the author in question does not fully understand either one or both of the franchises he is attempting to cross-over. Where "Better Living Through Science and Ponies" succeeds is that Pen Stroke does in fact understand the two universes and manages to make a very effective product by mixing the two together. Not only does the story keeps everyone in character and writes some really funny moments but his GLaDOS dialogue is such that you would have sworn someone at Valve had written the fic.
- Now getting its own Portal 2 mod.
Holes in Orange and Blue by Lusor
- Recommended by: Weaver
- Synopsis: A crossover with Fate/stay night of all things that none the less works suprisingly well. Basically, due to a glitch in reality that a certain moronic AI was partly responsible for, the Grail tried to summon Saber but got the 404 Error and Chell instead. Awesomeness ensues, including projected turrets, the ASHPD gaining several new settings (including 'gravity gun', take that Black Mesa!) and Shirou apparently channeling Cave Johnson.
- Comments: Somewhat demented but a lot of fun, rather like Portal itself in fact. Despite the higher then usual level of craziness there are still a few moments where it has a suprising amount of depth and getting inside Chell's head is always interesting. The fic is also made of a collection of scenes that aren't in any particular order at the moment but this doesn't really detract from the fic.
Thinking With Aperture Plasmids by Diable Oni Giri
- Recommended by: Alexander Kane
- Synopsis: A melding of Portal 2 with Bioshock that works beautifully. The Aperture Science Hand-Held Portal Device becomes the Aperture Science Portal Plasmid, Wheatley is... well, still Wheatley but with his human form using the sphere core as a communications device and bottles of Combustible Lemonade that are perfect for Explosion Day parties litter the underwater lab.
- Comment: I not sure there's anything left to say, the scientific madness of Aperture Science and the deranged lunacy of Rapture blend so easily and beautifully, you'd wish there was a real version to play.
Port-Ed by rcmero
- Recommended by the author
- Synopsis: Beautiful meld of Portal with Ed, Edd 'n' Eddy. Instead of Chell, Edd is the test subject that will "kill" G La DOS. And he's got a few friends to help him.
- Comment: Quoting one comment from this fanfic:
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An Ed, Edd, n' Eddy fanfic that is well-written? Somewhat rare, but there are a few gems out there. |
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Things Have Changed Since You Left the Building by squeequeg
- Recommended by: elemecha
- Synopsis: Following her escape from the Aperture Science Enrichment Center, Chell enters a world ruled by the Combine, meets new allies and enemies, and learns that sometimes it's not enough just to escape. (AU in that it ignores the new patch, the new ending, and any word of Portal 2.)
- Comment: Recommended for its characterization and general plausibility; could definitely see this as an actual continuation of Portal, if Valve had decided to go this route. Crossover status for this story is a bit debatable, as it's just about canon that Portal and Half-Life take place in the same universe, but we do have characters from both franchises meeting up and kicking ass.
Apollo 18 The Nixon Files by Andrew Joshua Talon
- Recommended by: Pacifist
- Synopsis: A crossover between Portal and the dreadful movie Apollo 18 starring Richard Nixon and Cave Johnson as they fight to save the world from moon spiders. Yes, you read that right.
- Comment: A sane Nixon trying to deal with moon crabs and Cave Johnson.
Portalborn by Experiment 282
- Recommended by: autopanda
- Synopsis: In the land of Skyrim, the Dragonborn is a hot-blooded thrill seeker. An encounter with a weird man and a talking meteorite ball thing that rambles about space sets her off on something weird indeed...
- Comments: Based on the new Space Core mod for Skyrim. Very good. Doug Rattman actually comes into play pretty early. G La DOS is here now. She got some bandits to think she's either a Daedra or a Divine
Shipping Fics
The Punishment by conquerorwurm
- Recommended by: Dontknowdontcare
- Now has its own page: The Punishment
- Pairings: Chell/Wheatley
- Synopsis: Rather than let Wheatley float in space for eternity, GLaDOS thinks of a far better punishment for him.
- Comments: An excellent take on the idea of putting Wheatley into a human body, especially when dealing with 'The Itch'. Following him and Chell in the bowels of Aperture as he tries to figure out his new body, as well as all the guilt, tension and sexual frustration is both funny and heartbreaking. The story moves at a good pace, taking its time as the pair tries to grasp their own emotions.
- Seconding! A great story about the joys and burdens of being a living human being, and all the interpersonal complications that come with it.
- Has its own tumblr page with fanart and story illustrations here.
Test Of Humanity by baronobeefdip
- Recommended by: bobdrantz
- Pairings: Chell/Wheatley
- Synopsis: Set after Portal 2, GLaDOS retrieves Wheatley from space and places his mind in a human body.
- Comments: A rather humorous story at times in which we follow Wheatley from his journey back to earth, to him being placed in a human body by GLaDOS, to his reunion with Chell. Wheatley's awkward and clumsy attempts to fit into human society are both funny and endearing. And, the gradual bond that forms between him and Chell is heartwarming as well. Now has its own page.
Let's Plays
TobyGames playthrough of Portal 2, starts here.
- Recommended by: Fighteer
- Rating: PG - Very mild language.
- Comments: Toby takes his trademark wacky humor into Portal 2, with hilarious results. Watch him talk back to Wheatley and GLaDOS from Chell's point of view, make fun of literally every story element, and fail repeatedly. "I'm screwed. I'm screwed. I'm gonna die. I'm dead! I'm dead! GOD DANGIT!"
Harry 101 UK's Let's Play of Portal, starts here.
- Recommended by: justagirlwithakeyboard
- Rating: PG
- Comments: Harry knows his stuff for Portal. Far from his first playthrough. He's also the voice of Wheatley for the audiobook project of the fanfic Blue Sky, which can be found above. Aside from his own normal humor, he adds in bits for G La DOS whenever looking at security cameras, he messes with the effects here and there, and he adds 'elevator music'. Oh - and he beats the game in approximately 50 minutes. All in all - it's a great LP.
Chell's Mind, starts here but the author recommends starting here
- Recommended by: Girl On The Moon
- Rating: PG
- Comments: Cyh Anide's take on Portal done in the same style as Freeman's Mind, it shows the gameplay of Portal from the crazy inner thoughts of Deadpan Snarker Chell. A thoroughly amusing, clever commentary with jabs at G La DOS, Aperture, and even a few shout outs to Half Life!