Sherlock/Fanfic Recs

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


John Watson: I knew it was a bad idea getting you into crap telly.
The Great Game

Proof that the remaining 10% is worth dying for here:

These are recommendations made by Tropers for Sherlock, 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 watch-list, if need be.

Warn for sexually explicit or non-canon territory. Some people don't like it, and Shipping is Serious Business.



Authors and Websites

irisbleufic's Sherlock Fanfiction @ LiveJournal

  • Recommended by Kelliannm
  • Comments: Read absolutely everything Sherlock on this journal, that's my advice. It's mostly John/Sherlock slash, but there are also a handful of impressive character-driven short pieces and crossovers (with Good Omens and Hot Fuzz). You'll find fantastic characterization and spare, yet elegant prose with genuine emotional insight.

Jim-in-Westwood

  • Recommended by Hekateras
  • Comments: Brilliant, in-character Moriarty-centred fics, though most of them are Moriarty/OC in that they pair him up with this author's (awesome) vision of Sebastian Moran. Warning for smut, creepiness and general Moriarty-ness.

Morgan Stuart

  • Recommended by Hekateras
  • Comments: Wonderful set of stories focusing on Sherlock, John and Lestrade, their friendship and relationship. A must-read.


The Sherlock Kink Meme

  • Recommended by Polaris, Marodin
  • Comments: Like most kink memes, contains plenty of gen and non-kinky romance, although there's definitely kinky shenanigans going on. There's high-quality fic here, and it's still going strong. The Delicious archive is here, for easier navigation.

KCS (aka KC Scribbler)

  • Recommended by Hekateras
  • Comments: Lots of well-written platonic Sherlock and John friendship fluff. Strong characterization, particularly of Sherlock and his social deficient tendencies.

woe_in_a_hoodie's Sherlock fanfiction on livejournal [dead link]

  • Recommended by Ginger Timelady
  • Comments: Often funny, always well-characterized, and frequently hot, this is one of my favorite authors. Be warned: lots of shipping, but really, well worth the read.

Songlin

  • Recommended by Rose And Heather
  • Comments: Do you like John/Sherlock romance? Then just go read everything songlin has ever written. All of it. Even the ones with kinks you think you won't like. Because damn songlin can write.


General Fics

The Arms of London Bridge by takadainmate

  • Recommended by aimsme
  • Synopsis: John, Sherlock and an octopus. Hilarity Ensues.
  • Comments: Pure, brain-breaking crack.

Detective Stories by esama

  • Recommended by Aromli
  • Synopsis: John stops writing the blog after Sherlock's fall, almost stops writing completely. Then he finds a new audience. AU, oneshot, het, kid!fic, spoilers, death of a character
  • Comments: John turns his adventures with Sherlock into children's books.

The Green Blade by verityburns

  • Recommended by Hekateras
  • Synopsis: As a serial killer hits the headlines, the police are out of their depth and the next victim is out of time. With faith in Sherlock Holmes at an all time low, this is a case which will push loyalties to the limit...

Art of the Reasoner by Tellytubby101

  • Recommended by Hekateras
  • Synopsis: An AU in which Sherlock is an artist rather than a scientist, though he helps solve crimes all the same.
  • Comments: Brilliant. Artist!Sherlock is an interpretation that just clicks and fits in far too well with the canon.

52 Weeks by ColgateKiss

  • Recommended by Hekateras
  • Synopsis: Post Reichenbach. John is going through the classic phases of grief ... badly. Divided into four parts, this fic chronicles his progress week by week, the reconstruction of life without Sherlock. Can John possibly find a happy ending? Warning: BIG angst.

Night Out by Amazonbatlock

  • Recommended by Hekateras
  • Synopsis: The bomber's gone silent, the Bruce-Partington plans have been recovered, and John Watson wants to get out of the flat for a night. However, he doesn't know that somebody else has their own plans concerning the night's entertainment. No Ep. 3 Spoilers!

It Takes A Village by Caffeine Kitty

  • Recommended by Hekateras
  • Synopsis: Sherlock is ill and drives John to distraction.

In the Forests of the Night by KCS

  • Recommended by Hekateras
  • Synopsis: Sherlock and Moriarty are dead. In an attempt to cope, Watson has returned to the front in Afghanistan as a sniper at Mycroft's insistence. His spotter and comrade-in-arms is an experienced veteran by the name of Sebastian Moran.

Anything But Elementary by xox-hattii-xox

  • Recommended by Hekateras
  • Synopsis: Danger is Sherlock's life, but this game of Moriarty's pushes it beyond anything else Sherlock and John have ever known. When the game is this deadly, there can only be one winner. And when you're playing for your life, you need something to live for.

Going Cold by MoreThingsInHeavenAndEarth

  • Recommended by bookhobbit
  • Synopsis: Preseries!Sherlock comes off the drugs and Lestrade helps him get through it.
  • Comments: Now complete.


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

  • Recommended by aimsme
  • Synopsis: Sherlock is high as a kite. John is not amused.

The Case of the Vanishing Blog by Hekateras

  • Recommended by bakfanny
  • Synopsis: Sherlock is in it for the hunt. John is in it for the action. Even so, the events at the Pool leave a mark on both, unwilling as they are to admit it.

Anonymous by Hekateras

  • Recommended by bakfanny
  • Synopsis: Sherlock Holmes is dead, but his heart never stopped beating, his lungs never stopped pumping air, and his mind has been so very busy. By every reasonable practical, medical definition, he is still alive. And he wants to see John.
  • Comments: A post-Reichenbach one-shot. A character study of sorts, with some viscerally emotional imagery.

The Quiet Man by ivyblossom

  • Recommended by Hekateras
  • Synopsis: A post-Reichenbach John-centric lengthy fic showcasing his psychological development mostly in the form of inner monologues as he comes to realise just how much Sherlock had really meant to him and struggles in equal parts to hold on to him and to let him go.

The Art of Trolling by Hekateras

  • Recommended by Bakfanny
  • Synopsis: Post-Reichenbach: John has disabled all comments, but that doesn't prevent a certain someone from hacking into his blog. Again. Moriarty is alive, and is desperate for Sherlock's attention.

The Greater Game by lovingthevolume

  • Recommended by Ayries
  • Synopsis: An AU where Molly is Moriarty's sister.
  • Comments: Really clever and a great take on the Molly-is-Moriarty WMG.

A Brief Account of Life With Zombies by Silver Pard

  • Recommended by Epitome O Random
  • Synopsis: The zombie apocalypse arrives. Mycroft wants tea, Stephen Fry wants protection, Sherlock wants to work and John wants a katana.
  • Comments: It's a witty, fresh take on Z-Day, told through text messages, emails and Mycroft's personal notes. And it's hilarious.

Mem., move Govt. Cannot have repeat of Prime Minister's Questions. Lucky nobody watches BBC News Channel and thus country is secure in ignorance regarding the fact that Deputy PM attempted to kill and eat PM literally rather than figuratively.

Oneirology by luthier

  • Recommended by the_gabih
  • Synopsis: An amnesiac, injured and downright bewildered John wakes up to a strange house, a strange man and a world of pain.

The BBC Sherlock Rules Game. By Various players.

  • Recommended by Rainwolf95
  • Synopsis Premise: You are helping to write the official guide to surviving Sherlock Holmes, the rules are explained clearly and there are many contributors to this project.
  • Comments: Okay, this is just a silly little game, not quite a fan fic, but not quite not, that's fun to play and is at least worth checking out.

Brightly Burning by Silver Pard

  • Recommended by chibiaries, Eruanne
  • Synopsis: A Study In Emerald AU. Some realities are more hideous than any possibility.
  • Comments: This is absolutely gorgeous in the way it combines Neil Gaiman's AU oneshot 'A Study in Emerald'and BBC's Sherlock. Reading A Study in Emerald first is highly recommended for better understanding of this fic, though not absolutely necessary.

SM CASE FILES by lillyankh

  • Recommended by persephonethinx, The Corsair 20, The Deviations
  • Synopsis: The aftermath of Sherlock trying to investigate the deaths and disappearances tied to The Slender Man Mythos.
  • Comments: Presented in the form of interview transcripts of Sherlock's stay in a mental hospital, this is definitely not something to read while alone at night. Nightmare Fuel doesn't even come close. (Oh NOW he fucking tells me!!!) And no, knowledge of the Mythos is not needed to appreciate the terror and paranoia caused by this fic. Seriously well written horror.

"It's Complicated" by r-scribbles

  • Recommended by babayaga
  • Synopsis: In which there are country-house visits, Sherlock's shampoo, the Macarena and past relationship trauma. Bonus John-badassery, fake sex and dreadful Welsh.

A Study In Pink Gin by Red Scharlach

  • Recommended by peppermintflame
  • Synopsis: If the Sherlock characters were drinks, what would they be?
  • Comments: Much better then it sounds, and guaranteed to make you snort milk up your nose (assuming that you're drinking milk of course).
    • And now with a sequel, of sorts. Sher-Chocs, for those with impeccable taste in chocolate and puns. I highly recommend the Johnbon and Moriarzipan.

Being Watson by Amy Gaffigan

  • Recommended by Olive The Breloom
  • Synopsis: "Even if we could communicate, I don't think I'd be in any position to ask questions. Ghosts aren't supposed to exist."
  • Comments: A better then it sounds AU where John is a ghost. Wonderfully characterized and fond of cliffhangers. The ending is especially a unique deviation from the series.

The Man With Two Names by the-salt-monster

  • Recommended by Lianna
  • Synopsis: Sherlock's up to his eyeballs in a new case, but this time he has to solve it without Watson. Instead, he has to deal with a stubborn yet clever new sidekick whose name he can't seem to figure out...

Drowning by dayja

  • Recommended by: Rhiannon87
  • Synopsis: Sherlock has never learned to swim. This is why.
  • Comments: Heartbreaking and beautiful character study on Sherlock, Mycroft, John, and Harry. It's told a bit out of order, but that just makes the reveals at the end all the more gut-wrenching. If you do not want to build a time machine and travel back in time to hug young!Sherlock by the end of this, then you have no soul.

A City on the Head of a Pin by Mad_Maudlin

  • Recommended by: Inkmage
  • Synopsis: John wakes up from the explosion by the pool to discover that he can see wings on the backs of people who were previously without them. These wings are apparently magical enough to not be bothered by clothing and chairs, and real enough to block the telly.

The Most Dangerous Game by chi-chi-chimera.

  • Recommended by: Dichtonomy
  • Synopsis: "Serial Killer AU. Sherlock has never just played on the legal side of the law, and murder is just as fascinating however you approach it. But now he has John Watson to contend with. Still, he is a soldier. He has potential."

Coping Mechanisms by Liannabob.

  • Recommended by: Daun, Hekateras
  • Synopsis: "After the explosion, Sherlock has some trouble adjusting."

Mouth of Babes by Morgan Stuart

  • Recommended by Aromli, The Corsair 20, Hekateras
  • Synopsis: Several weeks after the explosion at the pool following "The Great Game" episode, Lestrade visits the recuperating Sherlock and John at 221B Baker Street. He brings case files and food... and a visitor in tow.

A House is Not A Home by selenityshiroi

  • Recommended by Aromli
  • Synopsis: John and Sherlock got a flat share because they needed to split the rent. But when John comes into money, people wonder 'why hasn't he found a place of his own'

Let the Sand Fall, That's What an Hourglass is For by Fallowsthorn

  • Recommended by Star Bright
  • Synopsis: Three chapters so far. In each one, the premise is that a character (John, Sherlock, Moriarty) has nine lives, and dies nine times.
  • Comments: Well-written and with a thorough understanding of the characters; Watson's chapter is definitely my favorite. Warning: many of the deaths are gory.

A Facade Faded by Jennistar1

  • Recommended by Star Bright
  • Synopsis: Great Game AU. What if John really had been Moriarty after all?

The Goodge Street Gambit and the Controversial Non-Holmesian Principle by definewisdom

  • Recommended by darknesshiddeninlight
  • Synopsis: Lestrade and John play a game of Mornington Crescent, Sherlock tries to work out the rules.

The Long Drive by stupid_drawings

  • Recommended by Sadistic Apathy
  • Synopsis: Sherlock, John, and Lestrade go on a road trip, and are stuck in the same car for hours.
  • Comments: In a word, hilarious. The writing is sharp, witty, and in character. Sherlock is obsessed with sheep, John and Lestrade bond over 80s glam rock, and they all play the Roadkill Game. The best part? There are three sequels.

The Anatomist by rosa-acicularis

  • Recommended by: Beluah
  • Synopsis: "You’re not the only one to enjoy a good murder. There’s others out there just like you – except you’re just a man. And they’re so much more than that." What if Molly was Moriarty's twin sister?

Then I'll Begin by Garmonbozia

  • Recommended by Hekateras
  • Synopsis: In the aftermath of their faux-double-suicide, Jim's a wreck. His will to live, his zest for his work, even his enthusiasm for a really good suit, all gone on holiday. But somebody's had enough of all this wallowing. Time to get out of bed, Jim.

We Believe by Quicksliver

  • Recommended by Hekateras
  • Synopsis: Post-RBF. He writes one sentence, and while it's not enough, it starts something. A movement.

I wake up and I wake up and you're still gone by thisprettywren

  • Recommended by: The Corsair 20
  • Synopsis: Sherlock might have been the one to jump but John fell, too. Now Sherlock isn't the only one who's lost.

The Secret Identity of John Watson by scifigrl47

  • Recommended by Star Bright
  • Synopsis: Sam really likes John Watson, but dating him is a terrifying experience. And who's the strange man in the scarf who seems to be stalking him?

A Dish Served Cold by Teej

  • Recommended by sloane5
  • Synopsis: John believes people don't have arch enemies; Lestrade's case-closed rate proves him wrong.

The Deepest Secret Nobody Knows by Sciosophia

  • Recommended by Beluah
  • Synopsis: First words. First steps. Tiny things like first smile, first laugh, the first time he reaches out and grabs Sally's finger. Sherlock misses everything. The real reason Sally Donovan hates Sherlock so much? They have a child he never sees.

A Study in Sherlock by bendingsignpost

  • Recommended by Star Bright
  • Synopsis: Study in Pink remix, where John is the one to confront the killer.
  • Comments: You really have to feel sort of sorry for the murderer, because clearly he never stood a chance against the awesome that is John Watson.

A Study in Squawking by Castiron

  • Recommended by zurai
  • Synopsis: The autobiography of Sherlock Holmes, intelligent macaw, as told (under duress) to a therapist.

Shipping Fics

Stories focused on the romantic relationships between the cast.

A Very Cold Case by sagestreet

  • Recommended by Hekateras
  • Pairing: John/Sherlock
  • Synopsis: Violin music, 19th-century poets, and a string of puzzles presented to Sherlock by an enigmatic client (or adversary?), who prefers to stay in the shadows
  • Comments: A heartwarming story, a clever case fic and rich in culture. Beautifully written.

A Study In Lullabies by Shooting Stetsons

  • Recommended by: Fast Ice
  • Pairing: John/femSherlock
  • Synopsis: Girl!Sherlock/John. When John Watson moved into 221B, it wasn't just with a mad detective. It was with a mad detective and her baby. What on earth was he thinking?

the theory of narrative causality by falling_voices

  • Recommended by: veerserif
  • Paring: John/Sherlock
  • Synopsis: "Sherlock is a well-known fanartist whose online antics always land him on fandom_wank. John's a beloved BNF fanfiction author. They meet at a convention; geeky love ensues." And thus, a beautiful metafic is born.

The I Meet You There, and We Go 'Verse by irisbleufic.

  • Recommended by Kelliannm
  • Pairing: John/Sherlock
  • Synopsis: Sherlock doesn't believe in second chances, but a last one will suffice.
  • Warning: Major character death(s)

The Thermodynamics Series by entangled_now

  • Recommended by aimsme
  • Pairing: Slow-developing (it's not explicit until Part 4) John/Sherlock
  • Synopsis: What begins as a way to stop Sherlock from freezing becomes a habit, much to John's dismay.

Burn the Heart Out of You by Jennistar1

  • Recommended by chibiaries
  • Pairing: Eventual Sherlock/John, and implied Sherlock/Moriarty if you read upside down and squint.
  • Synopsis: Sherlock has not backed off. Moriarty follows through on his threat.

The Tampered-With Toilet by VivaLaTARDIS11

  • Recommended by vivalavida42
  • Pairing: Sherlock/John.
  • Synopsis: Sherlock must solve his biggest mystery yet: who left the toilet seat up.

The Glass and The Floor by nyssa123

  • Recommended by Ectoplasm Cookie
  • Pairing: Sherlock/John
  • Synopsis: Sherlock doesn't call or text John when there is an explosion at Baker Street and he finds out while watching TV. The good doctor is understandably upset. Sexytiems ensue.

It Feels Like Home When I'm With You by etothepii

  • Recommended by kph2pt0
  • Pairing: Sherlock/John
  • Synopsis: John dies in Afghanistan and returns to 221 B Baker Street as a ghost. Then Sherlock moves in.

The Lizzyverse by Anonymous (Link is to the Kink Meme thread containing all stories.)

  • Recommended by The Blood Sharpie, chibiaries, kph2pt0
  • Pairing: John/Sherlock, but it's kept PG; they kiss about once and the most obvious way you can tell they love each other is by how they react when the other's in danger. This is because the story is mainly told from Lizzy's perspective (3rd person lmtd), and, seeing as she grew up with these two, she mainly dismisses it as "normal and therefore unimportant."
  • Synopsis: The best synopsis for this would be the prompt from the Kink Meme that inspired it: "Teenage daughter of Sherlock and John dealing with her parents' shenanigans or her interaction or views of them."

The Sherlock Holmes Club by Silver Pard

  • Recommended by chibiaries
  • Pairing: Heavily implied Sherlock/John
  • Synopsis: Lestrade and the police department meet once a week at a pub to rant about Holmes.

Breakfast at 221B by AJHall

  • Recommended by babayaga
  • Synopsis: Siblings, brothels and cormorants.
  • Comments: Check out the rest of this author's work, which is wry and well-observed and very funny, particularly the witty "The Case of The Asphyxiated Acafan".

After Mary Died by Manzy

  • Recommended by Epitome O Random
  • Synopsis: Death changes people. After John's wife, Mary, dies suddenly, change becomes all too clear. Mild slash.

The Lobster Quadrille by Anonymous (links to original prompt thread; scroll down for fill)

  • Recommended by veerserif, aimsme
  • Synopsis: Original prompt: "Sherlock. Moriarty. Lobster Knife Fight." John/Sherlock

Glass Shatters Softly by Mira Jade

  • Recommended by chibiaries
  • Pairing: Molly/Moriarty
  • Synopsis: "Your hair is weighed down with product, and you have slathered an unseemly amount of cosmetics on your face. You're wearing an evening gown more risque than I could previously imagine you even glancing at. By my deductions, Miss Hooper, you are most certainly here on a date."

Braid Me Alive by Settely

  • Recommended by Destined
  • Pairing: John/Sherlock and squinty Sherlock/Moriarty
  • Synopsis: It's all fine as long as everything goes according to the plan, even the most horrible one, right? kidnapping, slash or pre-slash, M-rated for the safety

The Heart in the Whole by verityburns

  • Recommended by Lightning
  • Pairing: Sherlock/John; pre-slash moving into explicit slash
  • Synopsis: Events after The Great Game leave Sherlock dependent on his best friend and colleague. But John has a secret of his own...

Alone On the Water by Mad_Lori

  • Recommended by Akahfied
  • Pairing: Sherlock/John; nothing explicit
  • Synopsis: Sherlock is given one month to live with a brain tumor; he makes the decision to end it early, and spends his last day alone with John.
  • Warning: Major character death

The Desire And The Spasm by grassle

  • Recommended by tictactoe
  • Pairing: Sherlock/John
  • Synopsis: Sherlock discovers John's secret: he's writing a roman a clef novel about their adventures. A very bad one.

The Syndicate Scandal by Stilletov

  • Recommended by Mad_Alice
  • Pairing: Sherlock/Irene Adler
  • Synopsis: Sherlock and John investigate the gang-hit of the leader of global drug-trafficking network The Syndicate. Sherlock taps an old rival, Syndicate gang lawyer Irene Adler, for information, but eventually finds himself in a very compromising position.

Re: Inter Office Gossip by Handful of Silence

  • Recommended by tictactoe
  • Synopsis: "Lestrade and Donovan make a bet regarding Sherlock and John. It doesn't take long for the majority of the Yard to get involved."

Two Two One Bravo Baker by abundantlyqueer

  • Recommended by Elven Bookwyrm
  • Pairing: John/Sherlock
  • Synopsis: A novel length case-fic AU, in which Sherlock and John meet ten months and three-and-a-half thousand miles earlier.

The Important Bit by Rayndrop

  • Recommended by Aromli
  • Pairing: John/Sherlock
  • Synopsis: A fairly short glimpse into the life of Holmes and Watson as a married couple.

At Least There's The Football by Sheffiesharpe

  • Recommended by Ianto
  • Pairing: Mycroft/Lestrade
  • Synopsis: Lestrade and Mycroft meet while getting John and Sherlock out of the blown-up swimming pool.

Secrets of Molly by emmyangua

  • Recommended by selkie72
  • Pairing: Molly/Jim, Unrequited!Molly/Sherlock
  • Synopsis: Even after Sherlock tells her who Jim really is and what he's done, she lets him in when he calls on her. Molly decides it's time she stopped letting Sherlock and Jim read her like a book.

Performance in a Leading Role by Mad_Lori

  • Recommended by Rose And Heather
  • Pairing: John/Sherlock
  • Synopsis: Sherlock Holmes is an Oscar winner in the midst of a career slump. John Watson is an Everyman actor trapped in the rom-com ghetto. When they are cast as a gay couple in a new indie drama, will they surprise each other? Will their on-screen romance make its way into the real world?

Sustain (or Concerto for the Famished in D Minor), Sustain II - Refrain, Sustain III: Obbligato by Maybe Amanda and OneMillionAndNine

  • Recommended by Millernumber 1
  • Pairing: Molly/Sherlock, John/Sarah
  • Synopsis: In the wake of John and Sarah's marriage, Molly decides to make some changes to her life. Sherlock, naturally, has something to say (and do) about it.

Tremolo by what_alchemy

  • Recommended by cinnathepoet
  • Pairings: Sherlock/John

the sensation of falling as you just hit sleep by greywash

  • Recommended by Moranion
  • Pairing: Sherlock/John, other pairings implied and otherwise
  • Synopsis: Sherlock and John, post-Reichenbach, but so very real. They're both looking for revenge, unaware of the other. Consequences, near-misses, plot twists, this one has it all.

Psychophysical Examinations of Perceptual Effects of Differential Somatic Stimulation (or: Fuck Off And Leave My Bloody Balls Alone, Would You, Sherlock?) by jedusaur

  • Recommended by selkie72
  • Pairing: John/Sherlock
  • Synopsis: It's for science.
  • Comments: Explicit, nerdy, and utterly hysterical. Bonus points for the author knowing his/her stuff re: experiment design.

For Queen and Country and The Spy Who Came In From The Rain by Darkfangz13

  • Recommended by Musicrox4ever
  • Pairing: Mystrade
  • Synopsis: For Queen and Country: Of first meetings. My first feeble attempt at Mystrade!
    • The Spy Who Came In From The Rain: Sequel to 'For Queen and Country'. The immediate threat on Mycroft's life has been temporarily terminated, but the case isn't over yet. Now Lestrade is in danger. With Sherlock and John safe outside of the country, how will Mycroft handle the situation?

The Last Drop by Phyona

  • Recommended by Indaco
  • Pairing: John/Sherlock
  • Synopsis: Sherlock and John fend off boredom with a night of heavy drinking.

An Avalanche of Detour Signs by gyzym

  • Recommended by limiculous, The Corsair 20, Rose And Heather
  • Pairings: Molly/Lestrade (main), Molly/Moriarty, Molly/Sherlock (unrequited)
  • Synopsis: "In which Molly Hooper gets a job, gets a degree, breaks a heart, has her heart broken, falls in love, keeps a secret, saves a life, runs a morgue, falls apart, pulls it together, and finds exactly what she didn't know she was looking for--not necessarily in that order."

Those in Peril on the Sea by Ironic Narwhal

  • Recommended by Rose And Heather
    • Seconded by Naomi Hansen
  • Pairing: John/Sherlock, one-sided Sherlock/Moriarty
  • Summary: "When in 1910 the Holmes Corporation found itself without an obvious male heir ready to take over, the Holmes family did the only thing they could: offer their youngest son, Sherlock, for marriage. In accordance with the times, they had to send him through a rigorous and demeaning process called feminization, to make it socially acceptable for him to marry a man. It was in hopes that Sherlock’s husband could take over the company while their eldest son, Mycroft, was groomed into something resembling a decent CEO. Who they found was James Moriarty, youngest son of a firearms manufacturer and certainly qualified to take the Holmes Corporation under his wing. While on a steamship taking him and his fiancé to America to be married, Sherlock met a man named John Watson. Over the period of five days, their lives were irreversibly entangled. But this was not the typical love story; the ship they were on was the RMS Titanic. From the moment it set off from Southampton on April 10th, 1912, the great ship was fated for destruction. Eighty-five years later, an elderly and dying Sherlock Holmes tells his story to a research and salvage team recovering artifacts from the wreck of the ship upon which his life changed."

The What Comes Undone series by songlin

  • Recommended by Rose And Heather
  • Pairing: John/Sherlock
  • Summary: Sherlock Holmes was not the kind of woman a man brought home to meet the family. She wasn't even the kind of woman most men brought home, full stop. But that never seemed to stop John.

A Study in Winning by Jupiter Ash

  • Recommended by Rose And Heather
  • Pairing: John/Sherlock
  • Summary: John and Sherlock are professional tennis players and it’s Wimbledon. One is a broken almost was at the end of his career, the other an arrogant rising star tipped for greatness. It should have been a straightforward tournament. It really should have been. How were they to know that a chance encounter would change everything?

The Long Ago and Far Away series by Lotherington

  • Recommended by Rose And Heather
  • Pairing: John/Sherlock
  • Summary: A consulting detective and a recently graduated doctor meet and fall in love in 1937. But war is on the horizon...

The Progress of Sherlock Holmes by ivyblossom

  • Recommended by Saltyavocado
  • Pairing: John/Sherlock
  • Summary: John and Sherlock, before, during, and after Mary.

26 Pieces by Lanning

  • Recommended by Ainyre
  • Pairing: John/Sherlock
  • Summary: Mycroft gives Sherlock the apparently simple task of solving a puzzle box containing a stolen microchip. It isn't simple.

A Cure for Boredom by emmagrant01

  • Recommended by Van Squirgle
  • Pairing: John/Sherlock, John/Others
  • Summary: They'd never talked about sex in the year they'd known each other. Well, that wasn't quite correct: Sherlock had never said a word about sex; John had bemoaned his personal dearth of it on many occasions. (NSFW)

Crossover Fics

The Butterfly Effect by Philo Vance

  • Recommended by Novatel
  • Crossover with Harry Potter
  • Synopsis: Sherlock Holmes and Harry Potter are both starting their first year in Hogwarts, and a chance meeting aboard the Hogwarts Express forever changes the wizarding world in the most curious fashion.

Spock's Logical Council by marcinda

The Case of the Unwanted Owl by FayJay

  • Recommended by: darknesshiddeninlight
  • Crossover with post-series Harry Potter
  • Synopsis: Sherlock receives a wedding invitation from his least un-favourite relative, and John finds himself learning things about Sherlock's family he'd never have expected.

The Republic Of Heaven by blind_author

  • Recommended by Xitheta
  • Crossover with His Dark Materials
  • Pairing: Sherlock/John
  • Synopsis: John and his dæmon, Amarisa, have never quite fit in, largely because she settled as a wolfdog. Sherlock and Raniel are similarly isolated, mostly because the woman they call Mummy is a witch. These two men and their dæmons end up sharing a flat together and the rest, as they say, is history. And with a witch-clan out for John's blood and a man known as Moriarty emerging from the shadows, they're certainly not going to be bored.

Stock Control for the Blind Drunk by [swabloo]

  • Recommended by Aceofannwn
  • Crossover with Black Books
  • Synopsis: Mycroft Holmes and Bernard Black have an Epic Bromance, which involves a great deal of expensive wine.

The Magic of Deduction by Writing is Purdy

  • Recommended by Mencie
  • Crossover with post-series Harry Potter
  • Synopsis: John Watson spends seven years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he meets the boy who will become the greatest man he'll ever know. Eventual Sherlock/John.

A Man By Any Other Name by mia6363

  • Recommended by Ginger Timelady
  • Crossover with The Bourne Identity
  • Synopsis: He doesn't remember his name. He doesn't remember anything. Sherlock has never had to deduce a live one before. Sherlock/John.


Space Oddity by EmmyAngua

  • Recommended by Sadistic Apathy
  • Crossover with Ashes To Ashes
  • Synopsis: What with bombs going off and the potential to be sent into a coma, Sherlock wanders into CID demanding his blogger back. Sherlock/John if you squint, Gene/Alex if you really squint.

The Road to Inlé by anonymous

  • Recommended by Saltyavocado
  • Crossover with Watership Down
  • Synopsis: Moments of Lestrade's life where he's crossed paths with the Black Rabbit and survived.

Whispers in Corners by esama

  • Recommended by darknesshiddeninlight, Aromli
  • Crossover with Harry Potter
  • Synopsis: Everything started with a stumble - his new life in a new world as well as his surprisingly successful career as a medium. Harry/Mycroft eventual slash. Takes place after The Great Game and after a AUish ending of the Harry Potter books.

Uncharted by Converse on the Tardis

  • Recommended by stetsonlyCool
  • Crossover with How to Train Your Dragon
  • Synopsis: Another example of a super-random crossover that actually works, funnily enough. The fic is taken from the end of The Great Game and splashes down, literally, in a HTTYD Alternate Universe.
  • Comments: Relatively well-written, and fairly amusing as well, the author really manages to turn this crossover into something extremely entertaining. A WIP, but it's updated fairly quickly. A must-read if you like both Sherlock and How To Train Your Dragon.

Harry Potter of Baker Street by Dayja

  • Recommended by Singollo Lomien
  • Crossover with Harry Potter
  • Synopsis: The Dursley's are found to be unsuitable guardians so Harry is taken to live with his cousin... Sherlock Holmes. John finds himself making lists of 'Things Not Allowed with Four Year Olds’. Rule 1. Four year olds are not to have access to chemicals, body parts, glass, or flames. [1]

Sherlock Holmes' Diary by errantcomment

  • Recommended by: Beluah
  • Crossover with Bridget Jones
  • Synopsis: Sherlock Holmes keeps a diary. No one is supposed to know about it. He's pretty sure Mycroft does though, the fat nosy git.
  • Pairing(s): Unrequited Sherlock/John

A Study in Magic by Book_Of_Changes

  • Recommended by: ranmouri
  • Crossover with Harry Potter
  • Synopsis: "When Professor McGonagall went to visit Harry Watson, son of Mr. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, to deliver his Hogwarts letter, she certainly wasn't expecting to find the cause behind Harry Potter's disappearance."
  • Pairing(s): Sherlock/Girl!John, sort of/possibly. They only got married to beat Moriarty, but "aren't planning on a divorce".

The Adventure of the Two Students by Gertrude Granger

  • Recommended by: ranmouri
  • Crossover with Harry Potter
  • Synopsis: "Ten years after Harry Potter defeats Lord Voldemort, Hogwarts faces a new threat to its students. Luckily, first year Sherlock Holmes and his friend John Watson are on the case."
  • Pairing(s): Only those from canon, as yet, though the author ships Johnlock in her other work, so the story may or may not end up there.


Whispers in Corners by esama

  • Recommended by: serinata
  • Crossover with Harry Potter
  • Synopsis: Everything started with a stumble - his new life in a new world as well as his surprisingly successful career as a medium.
  • Pairing(s): Mycroft Holmes and Harry Potter

Magnificent by esama

  • Recommended by: serinata
  • Crossover with Harry Potter
  • Synopsis: The birth of the Ministry of Magic and his relationship with the British Government.
  • Pairing(s): Mycroft Holmes and Harry Potter
  1. (No, not even if you are present and it is a good learning experience.)