One fact about me that I may not have mentioned is that I also have a fondness for listing things. The first thing I do at work is make a to-do list of goals for the day. If I'm stressed, one of the easiest ways to deal with it is to put EVERYTHING that I need/want to do out on paper, sort through it, and break things down step by step. I have a multitude of lists on my computer for long term to-dos (both work projects and for fun), ways to inspire myself, books to read, things to watch, and so on. Even my personal financial spreadsheets are waaaay beyond what most people would keep track of. I really like data, interesting data visualizations, and things of that sort (which serves me well as an observationalist). So I've decided to go through and list some of my favorite things to read online, as recommendations and for personal reference. I've broken my list down into categories, and then tried to keep them in a vague semblance of order by putting my favorite stories first within any given topic. Of course, all of the stories on the list are ones I like, obviously, and which is exactly my favorite at any given time depends on my mood. Nevertheless. Here are various top recommendations of comics and stories!
Webcomics and Serials:
I've been a fan of webcomics since my uncle introduced me to a couple of them when I was in 10th grade (I think I still remember the comics he started me off on, too: Acid Reflux, Dominic Deegan, Kevin and Kell, Faux Pas, Suburban Jungle, and Dakota's Ridge). Indeed, I probably now follow what most would consider an excessive amount of webcomics, and have finished or dropped even more, since I've been following and finding webcomics for more than a decade, now. But thank to RSS feeds and other tracking sites, it's easy enough to keep tabs on them. Anyways, this is by no means a complete list of webcomics and web serials, but these are some of my favorites!
Gunnerkrigg Court: The Court and the Forest have long been separated. Antimony Carver joins the court for her schooling. Webcomic, ongoing.
This is my favorite webcomic: just read it, you'll like it. This is a fantastic comic: the pacing and writing are excellent, the story is intriguing and has a great blend of realism and fantasy, and the author clearly knows how to weave a story together. Initially the art is a little 'meh', but over the years it has developed quite a bit; now there are some really gorgeous pages!
Girl Genius: Agatha lives in a world run by Sparks! Clanks! and Mad Science! Webcomic, ongoing.
A close second on the favorite webcomic front: this steampunk-y webcomic is great fun to read, full of action and adventure, and of course, MAD SCIENCE!
Digger: Wombats, elephant statues, dead gods, and oracular slugs. Webcomic, Complete.
This is a completed story in its own right, and has a lovely blend of humor, adventure, and wombats.
A Girl and her Fed: A girl discovers that she's been placed on a watch list by the government, and is being spied on by a very unusual agent. Though he hasn't picked up on the fact that she lives with the ghost of Benjamin Franklin. A webcomic about civil rights, ghosts, and ethics. Webcomic, ongoing.
XKCD: Individual Comics relating to a myriad of topics, with a focus on science. Webcomic, ongoing.
If you aren't familiar with XKCD, you really should check it out, especially if you tend towards science. These don't follow a story, they're pretty much all one-shots, and have a lot of gems.
Tales of MU: Mackenzie Blaise begins college, determined to make a new start for herself and hoping to ignore her non-human heritage. Web serial, ongoing.
This is an interesting fantasy web serial with some very nice world building (which I tend to enjoy) - the setting is basically a D&D type world which has moved into the modern age - think 1990's. Honestly, some of my favorite chapters are the ones which describe Mackenzie's classes, simply because of the level of detail involved. For the most part it's a kind of a day to day life sort of thing, not so much focused on plot,. There is quite a bit of sex, and some of the early chapters can be a bit off-putting. You can start either at the beginning of Volume 1 or Volume 2 - the second volume is Mackenzie's second year, and the author tried to write such that new readers could pick it up at that point, so you may want to start there.
No Rest for the Wicked: November has been unable to sleep since the moon disappeared, so she goes forth to seek her fortune, in this fairytale based land. Webcomic, ongoing.
Although slow to update, this story has very interesting takes on a number of famous fairy tales, including the Princess and the Pea, Little Red Riding Hood, and Puss in Boots.
Mixed Myth: Keeva, half-goblin, half-elf, is being chased for something that she doesn't even know she possesses. Fantasy. Webcomic, complete.
Abstruse Goose: Individual comics, with science focus. Webcomic, ongoing.
This is another good set of comics for those with a science focus.
A Miracle of Science: Benjamin's job is to track down and subdue people affected by Science Related Memnic Disorder (more commonly known as Mad Scientists), and in pursuit of his latest quarry, he must work with an envoy from the enigmatic Mars. Webcomic, complete.
Hyperbole and a Half: A highly entertaining mix between a blog and stories told with MS Paint. Blog, ongoing.
Order of the Stick: An adventuring party and their ongoing quest for gold, XP, and justice! D&D based. Webcomic, ongoing.
Fanfiction:
One of my guilty pleasures is fan-fiction. Yes, I know, I know; a lot of it out there is really bad, or really smutty, or otherwise terrible --- I fully admit this. But some of it is written well, and it can be a lot of fun.
I'm particularly partial to fanfiction based on the Harry Potter series (which I love) and that which is based on Sherlock Holmes, particularly the BBC version. So I've broken fanfiction into those catagories, with Crossovers between works and non Harry Potter or Sherlock fanfiction falling under "Miscellaneous". Most of these fictions can probably be read with just a passing familiarity for the original works, though there are definite spoilers in some.
Harry Potter:
Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality: Harry is a rationalist: he was raised in a loving environment by his Aunt Petunia, her husband (an Oxford Professor), and a steady diet of science and science fiction/fantasy books. When he gets his Hogwarts letter, he decides to claim the magical world in the name of SCIENCE! Work in Progress.
This fic ALWAYS makes the number one spot on my list - it is amazing. It is well written, scientifically minded, interesting, and well thought out. If you like either science OR Harry Potter, you should really check this out. It's written such that you don't actually have to have read the books, but the author does poke fun at, reference, and keep some of the plot-relevant points from the originals. And you can't beat trying to understand magic with the scientific method. [You'll also find a couple other fics by this author under "Miscellaneous."]
Harry Potter and the Natural Twenty: An 11-year old wizard named Milo is summoned across the planes from a distant land: one in which people have hit-points, there are a limited number of spell slots per day, and a critical hit can make all the difference. Despite his strange magic, he soon enrolls in Hogwarts and befriends Harry Potter. Work in Progress.
Harry Potter and the Natural Twenty: An 11-year old wizard named Milo is summoned across the planes from a distant land: one in which people have hit-points, there are a limited number of spell slots per day, and a critical hit can make all the difference. Despite his strange magic, he soon enrolls in Hogwarts and befriends Harry Potter. Work in Progress.
This fic is a lot of fun: D&D players will particularly enjoy it. The author even keeps a fairly up to day character sheet for Milo, keeping track of his spells and stats.
Harry Potter and the Nightmares of Futures Past: The Battle of Hogwarts did not go well at all... so Harry casts a desperate spell to merge with his 11-year old self, and re-do Hogwarts with advanced knowledge. Work in Progress.
Getting the Hang of Thursdays: After a catastrophic accident in potions class, Severus Snape finds the day repeating itself, always resulting in the death of Hermione Granger. Complete.
This story has two possible endings, so make sure you refresh the last page to get both.
The Prince of the Dark Kingdom: Voldemort won, all those years ago, and currently rules over Great Britain. Harry discovers his wizardry and enrolls into Hogwarts, and soon catches the eye of the country's leader. Work in Progress.
This story has two possible endings, so make sure you refresh the last page to get both.
Sherlock (BBC):
You'll note I list a fair amount of Sherlock Holmes fanfiction here - I really enjoy the BBC TV series, Sherlock, which is frustrating because there are only 6 episodes out, and they still haven't announced when the next season will be coming out. So lately, I've been glutting myself on Sherlock fanfiction in order to stave off my hunger pangs for the new season. It's sort of working, but needless to say, I'm really looking forwards to season 3, which is currently in production.
The Googe Street Gambit: Bored at a crime-scene, John and Lestrade play a quick game of Mornington Crescent, to Sherlock's confusion. A short one-shot, complete.
A really funny short story, though you should probably be familiar with the game Mornington Crescent.
The Road Trip Series: Sherlock, John, and Lestrade need to travel 12 hours in a car together in order to get to a crime scene outside of the city. This goes about as well as you would expect. Complete.
Wee Doctor: While pursuing a mad scientist, John is hit by a gun which rips him out of time, and finds himself as an 8-year old child in a world where he never existed. Work in Progress.
The Green Blade: Sherlock and John investigate a string of murders by a serial killer. However, due to some recent events, Sherlock's credit with the Yard is at an all time low. Complete.
Performance in a Leading Role: Sherlock and John are actors, who meet (and fall in love) on a movie shoot. Complete.
Love, Thieves, Fear: After John is shot in Afghanistan, he finds he can talk to ghosts. He tries to ignore this, until he meets someone who has the same ability. Complete.
A Week is just Seven Days, isn't it?: Mycroft asks John to go back to Afghanistan for a week to investigate some issues for him, which means leaving Sherlock alone in London for a week. Nothing that bad can happen in a week, right? Complete.
A Slip of the Finger: While still in school, John Watson accidentally sends a text to a wrong number: namely, the phone of Sherlock Holmes. A series of texts and phone calls as their relationship evolves. Work In Progress.
Midnight Blue Serenity: Sherlock and John investigate a series of murders by going undercover as a bartender and bouncer at a local club. Work in Progress.
You'll note I list a fair amount of Sherlock Holmes fanfiction here - I really enjoy the BBC TV series, Sherlock, which is frustrating because there are only 6 episodes out, and they still haven't announced when the next season will be coming out. So lately, I've been glutting myself on Sherlock fanfiction in order to stave off my hunger pangs for the new season. It's sort of working, but needless to say, I'm really looking forwards to season 3, which is currently in production.
The Googe Street Gambit: Bored at a crime-scene, John and Lestrade play a quick game of Mornington Crescent, to Sherlock's confusion. A short one-shot, complete.
A really funny short story, though you should probably be familiar with the game Mornington Crescent.
The Road Trip Series: Sherlock, John, and Lestrade need to travel 12 hours in a car together in order to get to a crime scene outside of the city. This goes about as well as you would expect. Complete.
Wee Doctor: While pursuing a mad scientist, John is hit by a gun which rips him out of time, and finds himself as an 8-year old child in a world where he never existed. Work in Progress.
Performance in a Leading Role: Sherlock and John are actors, who meet (and fall in love) on a movie shoot. Complete.
Love, Thieves, Fear: After John is shot in Afghanistan, he finds he can talk to ghosts. He tries to ignore this, until he meets someone who has the same ability. Complete.
A Week is just Seven Days, isn't it?: Mycroft asks John to go back to Afghanistan for a week to investigate some issues for him, which means leaving Sherlock alone in London for a week. Nothing that bad can happen in a week, right? Complete.
A Slip of the Finger: While still in school, John Watson accidentally sends a text to a wrong number: namely, the phone of Sherlock Holmes. A series of texts and phone calls as their relationship evolves. Work In Progress.
Midnight Blue Serenity: Sherlock and John investigate a series of murders by going undercover as a bartender and bouncer at a local club. Work in Progress.
In Which John is a Cuddly BAMF Assassin: John is an assassin and Sherlock is trying to track him down. But John tracks down Sherlock first --- to ask him on a date. A short one-shot, complete.
Sometimes Family is the Most Terrifying part of the Fairy Tale: Sherlock takes John home to meet his family, and doesn't notice that Mummy doesn't like the doctor at all. Work in progress.
The Flat of Two Serial Killers: Breaking into 221B is not the best decision ever. Short one-shot, complete.
A Completely Different Untitled Police Force John (and Sequel): Sherlock meets John Watson when the doctor starts working forensics at crime scenes, and falls in love at first
Letter of the Lore: Sherlock is Faery-blooded and bound by the rules of the Fae. A short one-shot, complete.
Knock Knock: Sherlock deletes most useless trivia, and in some cases, the results can be extremely amusing. Short one-shot, complete.
Long Ago and Far Away: Alternate universe which takes place around WWII. Sherlock and John romance. Complete.
On Feathers and Bacon Sandwiches: John Watson was killed when he was hit in the shoulder in Afghanistan, but conveniently, a demon was able to step in and use his body, anyway. And being a demon is an advantage when you live with Sherlock Holmes. Complete.
Semper Fedelis: John and Anthea (Mycroft's assistant), are framed for betraying their partners (Sherlock and Mycroft) and are forced to go on the run to clear their names. Complete.
Miscellaneous/Crossovers:
A Study in Emerald: Sherlock Holmes/H.P. Lovecraft, written by Neil Gaiman. Based on "A Study in Scarlet," this is a detective story set in a Lovecraftian Victorian England. Short story, complete.
This might be stretching what counts as "fan fiction," since this is published in an actual book somewhere, as well as being available for free online. But I'm already a huge fan of Neil Gaiman (who wrote, amongst other things, the Sandman comics, Neverwhere, Stardust, Coraline, American Gods, and other pieces of awesomeness), and this story is amazing, so I don't care.
Trust in God, or the Riddle of Kyon: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Kyon and Haruhi are graduating, which makes Kyon wonder what is going to happen next. So he comes to an important decision. Complete.
This is my head-canon for how this anime should end when everyone graduates high school. Note that this and "the Finale of the Ultimate-Meta-Mega Crossover" (below) are by Eliezer Yudkowsky, who ALSO writes Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality (see Harry Potter Fanfiction list above). I'm a big fan of his work, in general - his other writings are also definitely worth checking out.
Friendship is Optimal: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. My Little Pony executives put out a new game, with an A.I. version of Princess Celestia running it. Only, she's truly a VERY advanced AI. Complete.
I don't even watch My Little Pony, but this is extremely well done, and you don't need to know much more than the bare essentials of MLP at all to enjoy it. In fact, this fic is actually one of the more terrifying things I've read.
Sic Gorgiamus Allos Subjectatos Nunc: Sherlock/Addams Family Crossover. On his mother's side, John Watson's family have some unusual traits and abilities. We see his life growing up, including visits to his extended family, the Addams, and eventually see when he moves in with Sherlock and tries to keep his odder quirks under wraps. Complete.
Loss of Flesh and Soul: Sherlock/Silence of the Lambs/Red Dragon Crossover. Sherlock was a psychologist and a serial killer, put behind bars by D.I. John Watson. But after some copy-cat crimes, the police want Sherlock's help in catching another serial killer. Work in Progress.
I Used to Live Alone Before I Knew You: Sherlock/Good Omens crossover. Sherlock is a Demon, Mycroft is an angel, and John is just John. Short one-shot, complete.
The Magic of Deduction: Sherlock/Harry Potter Crossover. John is in Hufflepuff, Sherlock is in Slytherin. Friendship, love, and mysteries over 7 years at Hogwarts. Complete.
Stardust: Sherlock/Hunger Games Crossover. For the 74th Hunger games, John is selected in District 12 and Sherlock is selected in District 8. Complete.
The Finale of the Ultimate-Meta-Mega Crossover: Fire Upon the Deep/Permutation City/Miles Vorkosigan/Suzumiya Haruhi/Sherlock Holmes/Doctor Who/Star Trek/Hitchhikers Guide/Alice in Wonderland/Disk World/Matrix/Ah! My Goddess!/Monty Python/[Error: Overflow]. Short, complete.
So.... the list above where I list the stories this crosses over... I haven't actually read the first two items, and after that, I just listed some --- NOT all --- of the works that the story crosses over with that I'm FAMILIAR WITH. There are many crossover works mentioned in the story that are things I'm NOT familiar with; indeed, there may be more that I haven't read/seen then that I have. This is not important, nor is it the point. The point is that this story is a mere two chapters long, and not only makes this work, but it gives a reasonable explanation for why this is all happening in the end. Yes, really.
And I can think of nothing else online that would be better to end on then that, so until next time, happy procrastinating!
