Fanfic Recs / Channel Awesome

Proof that the remaining 10% is worth conquering Kickassia for here:

These are recommendations made by Tropers for Channel Awesome Fan Fics, 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.

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.

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

• Emeriin
  • Recommended by Zadia
  • Characters: Various, but usually concerning Doug and any/all of his characters
  • Comments: Em is an amazing writer. Her fics are all completely in character, no matter the premise, and she makes each story seem totally genuine.

• Aunt_Zelda
  • Recommended by Zadia
  • Characters: Often focuses on Linkara and just about all of his characters, but also writes a lot of others.
  • Comments: Zelda is a damn good writer, and not once does she ever write anything subpar. One gets the feeling that she really, really loves writing, and she puts so much effort and research into her fics that it's hard to see otherwise, frankly.

• A Softer TGWTG
  • Recommended by turina
  • Characters: Everyone, but Critic and the Demo Reel characters show up most.
  • Comments: A Softer TGWTG is pretty much the crack house for when the fandom needs their fix, whether it's feels, bitterness (for example, if you don't like Critic's return, there's a ton of strips for you) or just some mocking Black Comedy. Ana and Em love their project, and hopefully it'll stay popular for a while.

• RedAndFranticFeelings
  • Recommended by emeriin
  • Characters: Mostly Hyper Fangirl and Devil Boner.
  • Comments: PB has a really great style, realistic (especially with body types) but not jagged. She knows Hyper and Devil Boner so well, and her art - whether slightly NSFW or domestic - is always in character.

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General Fics

Stories focused on the family and the friendly relationships of the cast. Plot-focused stories or light day-in-the-life stories. Pretty much anything that isn't focused on romance.

Go Amongst Mad People by keevacaereni (Torture, gore, horror themes, multiple endings.)

• Recommended by emeriin
• Status: Complete
• Pairings: Spoony/Scarlett.
• Synopsis: Spoony was committed on the 8th May. Scarlett visits him every week.
• Comments: It's time we had some serious Nightmare Fuel fic up in here. Another AU born out of the Kink Meme, this fic transplants the TGWTG crew in a sadistic mental hospital run by Ask That Guy (so naturally, Critic needs saving - and believe me when I say that The Reveal of what ATG and Insano are using him for will give you bad dreams) and Dr. Insano. This was scary, fantastic and a joy to read, even if you're not a Nightmare Fetishist.

When Harvey Met Linkara by nochi_san

• Recommended by taekarado
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: Harvey's had enough.
• Comments: Don't let the simplicity of the title fool you - there's a reason people are calling this their new headcanon. The situation is set up nicely, and it gives a great insight to Harvey and Linkara's relationship-dynamic.

untitled by unknown (MPreg, implied character death, really disturbing imagery.)

• Recommended by emeriin
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: Things go from amusing to horrifying when Critic gets pregnant.
• Comments: Dark MPreg that's actually good is seriously hard to come by and this one stays in your mind for days. And the characterization is excellent; Chick cares deeply but does it in a quiet way and Critic is suffering badly (when his hair starts falling out, you'll be crying) but is strong-willed to the very end. Who says all Kink Meme fills have to be kinky?

The Missing Piece by gethenian (Note: You need to be a member of TGWTG fic community in order to read it.)

• Recommended by Duosangel
• Status: Uncertain
• Synopsis: You know how they didn't show what happened to Rob... Well he's still The Other Guy; Rob helps Spoony except he still remembers Nostalgia Critic, while no one else does.
• Comments: Based on the 2010 Christmas Special, this is a very angsty fanfic. If it doesn't make you cry it'll come close.

Suburban Knights: A Novelization by ZQ

• Recommended by Numbuh 84
• Status: Dormant
• Synopsis: "And so the Fellowship, newly forged through their strength and wisdom, scaled the hill. They knew they would remain strong, for their destinies awaited them. Perils would stand in their way though, and a great evil was watching over them..."
• Comments: This fic is already off to a great start, with the wit befitting a fanfic from the TGWTG-fandom and the characters' personalities perfectly captured. If you enjoyed Kickassia, you will surely enjoy this.

The First Piece of the World Is Missing by Dark Patrician

• Recommended by Kizuna Tallis
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: A unique spin on the origins of The Entity, exploring how exactly the "wondrous accident" played out and how a glitch from a video game gained physical form and became the world eater we know and fear.
• Comments: The origins of The Entity are very well played out here, and the writing is great, throwing in a few small jokes here and there, with more than a little Nightmare Fuel as well. Definitely worth a look!
  • Seconded by The Otaku Ninja- I honestly never thought of this possibility before, but the thought that the Entity was originally a young Lewis Lovhaug from an alternate universe never fails to give me the chills...

Dear You (You're an Asshole, But We Miss You Anyway) by crystal_chan

• Recommended by emeriin, Gamerex 27, Lady In Grey, The Otaku Ninja, Zadia
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: "Try talking to him," Film Brain said, and at first they all rolled their eyes because that was bullshit if they'd ever heard it. But little by little they started to believe, and little by little they started to move on.
• Comments: If you ever feel like getting your heart ripped out by To Boldly Flee all over again, then check this out. It's wonderfully realistic, keeps everyone in character, and has the same bittersweet-but-triumphant feeling the film did.
  • Seconded. This fic has some truly great moments in it, particularly when Plot Hole!Critic is visited by Linkara and the entire scene with The Other Guy. Also, the whole thing is one giant Heartwarming Moment; so be prepared to shed a few tears.
    • Thirded. The writing is gorgeous, works in many contributors (all in character, to boot!), and is a Heartwarming Moment and a Tear Jerker all rolled into one satisfying, well-written package.
    • Fourthed! This fic is equal parts sweet, funny, and tearjerking, and paints an interesting picture of the aftermath of To Boldly Flee... but still might bring you to tears in the process.

Mirror, Mirror by ObnoxiousAmy (Note: You need to be a member of TGWTH fic community in order to read it.)

• Recommended by Zadia
• Status: Uncertai
• Synopsis: Todd has seen many kinds of reactions when he lifts his mask, but Luke is the only one who reacts with a complete silence.
• Comments: A story based on the very essence of Blessed with Suck, Mirror, Mirror is heartbreaking in its depictions of how people react when their true selves are revealed.

Cinema Snob Reviews Frozen, by Dragon Quest Z

• Recommended by Miss Sally
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: Exactly What It Says on the Tin, a fancomic about The Cinema Snob hypothetically reviewing Disney's Frozen (2013). Has its own tropes page.
• Comments: The jokes are on-point and in-character, and thanks to continuity in the pictures used, it does look like an actual Snob episode. And it is also Brad Jones-approved.

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Shipping Fics

Stories focused on the romantic relationships between the cast.

Or Is It? by Iambic (Bondage, mindfuckery, knifeplay, dubcon, Critic!whump. Link goes to the first chapter, of which there are three.)

• Recommended by emeriin
• Status: Complete
• Pairings: Critic/OFC, implied Critic/Chick.
• Synopsis: The Critic is kidnapped by one strange woman and rescued by another. Unless they're the same person. Unless it's all a dream. In other words, what the hell is going on?
• Comments: Not many fics with OCs are worth talking about, but this one is. The story is fantastically mindfucking, Penny and That Other Girl are wonderfully mysterious, even while he's suffering a lot Critic still keeps his explosive personality and the Chick is a very sweet, in-character Mama Bear.

Tie A Red Ribbon by Fininevermore (Bondage, knifeplay. Link goes to the first chapter, of which there are three.)

• Recommended by emeriin
• Status: Complete
• Pairings: Critic/Nerd, Critic/Ask That Guy, Ask That Guy/Nerd/Critic.
• Synopsis: Ask That Guy decides to get the Nostalgia Critic a Christmas present. The problem is, it's unwilling, loud and very, very angry.
• Comments: Toppy!Critic and Bottomy!Nerd (trust me, this will put A Very Special Truce out of your head for good) and Ask That Guy being his awesome, sadistic self. What more could a fangirl ask for?

Nerd-On-Critic Action by Aunt_Zelda

• Recommended by emeriin
• Status: Complete
• Pairings: Critic/Nerd.
• Synopsis: The Final Battle goes an entirely different way.
• Comments: If the very first fic - that was done to retaliate against troll!fic being the only TGWTG fic around - that started the fandom doesn't deserve to be here then nothing does.

When Zombies Attack: A Dark Comedy in Three Acts by bubosquared (Character death, slash of both flavors, het and ZOMBIES!)

• Recommended by Freya
• Status: Complete
• Pairings: Critic/Nerd, Chick/Marz/Goggles, Chick/Ma-Ti, several implicit.
• Synopsis: From the chapter list: "The mad scientist community cordially invites you to attend the Zombie Apocalypse".
• Comments: Exactly what it says on the tin: A zombie fic featuring TGWTG contributors. Not only is the fanfic funny and sweet, but it's also dark and sometimes tearjerking. It even comes complete with an author commentary!

Welcome Home by alien_snipe

• Recommended by V Ger
• Status: Complete
• Pairing: Linkara/Good!Insano
• Synopsis: Linkara encounters an AU Insano who has some... issues... and tries to bring him back to some modicum of sanity while only keeping a tentative hold on his own.
• Comments: Very well written, satisfyingly dark and angsty without being graphic, the author captures both characters' "voices" wonderfully.

Nostos by villis (Death, violence, sexual abuse, angst, slash, pretty much what you'd expect from a post-apocalyptic AU)

• Recommended by Digitaldreamer
• Status: Complete
• Pairings: Linkara/Spoony, Critic/Chick, Linkara/Marzgirl, Handsome Tom/8-Bit Mickey
• Synopsis: This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang, not with a whimper, but with Change. After the bombs fall, Critic must lead his people on an epic journey in search of a place to call home. A full-blown post-apocalyptic rewrite of Kickassia with superpowers.
• Comments: The author has taken the characterizations from Kickassia and woven them into something impossibly real. The writing is solid, subtle when it needs to be and giving just the right amount of detail to drive the darkness home. This troper found Nostos to be a solid piece of literary work, not just great fanfiction.

The Denny's Court, by achika_chan, yersi_fanel, and a number of other writers

• Recommended by Zadia
• Status: Complete
• Pairings: Quite a number, but the most important ones are Spoony/Linkara, 90's Kid/Harvey Finevoice, and the triangle Spoony/Linkara/Insano.
• Synopsis: A vampire slayer has a simple task: kill vampires. But when he falls in love with a vampire lord, his world becomes anything but simple, especially when all other kinds of onlookers decide to interfere.
• Comments: An open universe, TDC is a great example of the inventiveness of the Treehouse. The supernatural and historical concepts brought in by the various authors make the story so much more than a simple "killer falls in love with the target" plot. A great read.

Over My Head, Under Your Feet by ObnoxiousAmy

• Recommended by Zadia
• Status: Complete
• Pairings: Critic/AVGN, Paw/Todd/Roses, Luke/Film Brain, Chick/Nella, Spoony/Linkara
• Synopsis: Nostalgia Critic is not pleased when he meets his soulmate. Film Brain even less so.
• Comments: A wonderful subversion of many soulmate tropes, Over My Head, Under Your Feet deals with just about all the problems (and then some) involved with finding your soulmate. Amy is one of the best Film Brain/Luke writers in the fandom, and she shows her skills nowhere more than in this fic.

L Is For (Our Rollercoaster) by canufeelthemagictonight

• Recommended by Mighty Mewtron
• Status: Complete
• Pairing: Devil Boner/Hyper Fangirl
• Synopsis: Inspired by the TGWTG Kink Meme prompt "So Hyper and Devil Boner go off together at the end of the Mad Max review, and I ship it with all my heart (mutually attracted couple! yay!). I gotta see a date with them, where they can be the extremist freaks they are."
• Comments: An early analysis of the dynamic between the Official Couple that still rings accurate to them after development. Very sweet, managing to make Hyper sympathetic by showcasing her anxiety and self-doubt, without vindicating any of her actions as a villain.

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