The Ten Greatest X-F Fanfics You've Ever Read

[badforthefish.livejournal.com]

Have you ever struggled whenever you've ventured inside a new fandom to find the really good stories?

With the Revival attracting a whole new generation of fans, I thought it would be a good idea for us to list the X-Files fanfictions that made our hearts beat faster, the ones that blew our minds, those stories we never forgot, the ones we've kept coming back to, or remember fondly because they were SO DAMN GREAT.

Our fandom is blessed with so many talented authors, but with more than 35,000 stories on Gossamer (and these numbers date from 2007), more than 4,000 on AO3 and around 8,000 on FF.net, plus God knows how many floating about on Tumblr, how can newcomers be expected to find the truly good stuff?

The rules are simple: list a maximum of ten fics you love the most followed by a short explanation of why you do.
Is it the plot? The writing? The characters? Something else?
You can list less, but not more.
No "everything by [insert author's name]" please, we're looking for specific stories here.
Let's rec!
ETA: you don't have to pick different stories if they have already been mentionned by someone else. Your list is *your* list.

Comments

[rainatlas.livejournal.com]

1. The Lambs by so kiss my goodbye
Technically still a WIP, but parts I and II are complete, and III is supposedly getting posted in the near future. This is a incredible colonization story told from William's point of view and it's spectacularly well done. I can read it over and over which is unusual for me. I'm dying to discuss it for book club, though I know wendalah has a thing about WIPs. Heading to the nom post anyway.. maybe we can do one part at a time. ;)

2. Fathoms Five by penumbra
Oh my heart.

3. 20 by syntax6
20 years of Mulder and Scully. Syntax6's beautiful writing. What more is there to say?

4. Six Times Someone Learns About William by bugsfic
Fill in the blanks for everything I needed to see from the William arc. Lovely.

5. The Birthday Stories by syntax6
One of the first fanfics I ever read and it has stuck with me. Canon in both content and tone, if that's possible. Syntax6 just gets these characters and these birthday snippets are perfect.

6. Home, Home by onpaperfirst
Adorable. Sad. Hilarious. The language is perfect and this is how I want to imagine them pre-IWTB.

7. Machines of Freedom by Amal Nahurriyeh
Amazing in so many ways. The ending is perfect.

8. Parabiosis by penumbra
Yup.

9. Ghosts Series by Anjou
Three stories in a post-The Truth AU that deal with Mulder and Scully on the run with William and how they eventually make a life for themselves. I have small children and find this story totally relatable despite the visions of dead people and other typical post-The Truth x-files danger. Ha.

10. A Winter's Tale by Anjou
I'm not exactly sure why I love this story so much, because honestly it goes a little off course somewhere in part two and I can't read that part, but the first part left such a mark that I had to include it anyway. I love the way this story deals with all the possibilities that could have been within the Emily arc. And I love that there are so many tropes that this piece could be used to make a statement about what embodies much of XF fanfic, haha.

And of course Arizona Highways, Iolokus, and Life During Wartime are classics that can't be left out of a rec post. There are so many more that I love, but this will have to do for now. Also, I apologize profusely for not having linked my stories, which I feel terrible about, but I have a nursing baby in my arms and this comment has already taken far too much time. (If anyone is looking for a link I'd be happy to track it down for you. Most have been discussed here at the book club.)

I love love love this post and can't wait to read some of the other recs.