Fics so good that you don't need to be a fan

Apologies if there's already a thread for this, but I didn't see one, so:

Anyone have Grade-A Writing to recommend, that's really good on its own valor (I'm talking best-selling novel quality), and that can be read and enjoyed without the need to be in the associated fandom?

(This doesn't mean the work can't have a Continuity Nod or a dozen, and it can even be Continuity Porn. The important things are that it needs to be good writing, and that it can be thoroughly enjoyed by anyone who likes the genre.)

edited 17th Jun '13 9:38:56 PM by Izon

Graffiti. My. Page. due eet nao

Aeon Entelechy Evangelion. That is all. It could easily stand alone, IMO

They should have sent a poet.

Glorious Shotgun Princess . I have never played any of the Mass Effect games and am not really interested in doing so, but it's fucking awesome nonetheless.

You've lost. You're the Bomb Squad after the bomb's gone off. I'm the blast ongoing.

Some of Solid Shark's Gundam stuff is quite good that it's better than what's shown on TV. Although he's on permanent hiatus as of now.

A Green Sun Illuminates The Void

edited 18th Jun '13 1:48:46 AM by FurikoMaru

A True Lady's Quest - A Jojo is You!

Mostly blueninja's Mass Effect fics, like Ascension.

My work is here. Current main fic: Tengen Toppa Gurren Solvernia

I read From White to Black (a story in The Storm Dragons), even though I have never read or watched anything from the source works of the Inheritance Cycle. This tale is very violent, with a war where Anyone Can Die.

Read chapter 1 of 62.

Oh, I just remembered: The Wedding Crashers, Twilight/Supernatural. Not a fan of either, but it is glorious to watch some semi-sane people try to interact with Meyer's characters. Especially when one of them is basically Nagato Yuki if she were an angel wearing a white guy.

A True Lady's Quest - A Jojo is You!

Oh. My. GOD. Wedding Crashers was fucking amazing!

Just to say that one of my rules for "you don't need to be a fan" is for the writer to have described the characters involved and either their normal behavior or why in-story behavior is not their normal characterization, as well as note general concepts of the setting at large. Otherwise, outside readers could suffer from Continuity Lockout.

edited 23rd Jun '13 1:40:05 PM by DonaldthePotholer

... there are people who actually read the series summaries fanfic writers put at the start of their crossover fics? Pussies! If you're a good enough reader and the author is a good enough writer, you should be able to pick up on which things are significant and why just from the fic alone.

A True Lady's Quest - A Jojo is You!

If the author is a good enough writer, then the series summary would be incorporated into the story itself. And not as an Info Dump but an actual conversation.

If a crossover between two universes, then Naïve Newcomer can be worked in, preferable at a campsite or Hotel Room.

edited 23rd Jun '13 5:04:20 PM by DonaldthePotholer

One I want to write would kinda "reintroduce" the canon, since the source material is pretty obscure.

edited 23rd Jun '13 6:32:50 PM by Izon

Graffiti. My. Page. due eet nao

I'll second that one in a heartbeat.

I recommend On the Way to Greatness.

The Man with No Name is a really good Crossover for anyone who's familiar with either Firefly or Doctor Who, you don't need to be familiar with both to enjoy it.

edited 25th Jun '13 4:01:55 PM by Zennistrad

I am totally going to read Glorious Shotgun Princess on the strength of its title alone.

I'll have to put my hand up for Sleeping With The Girls and ARTICLE2.

Edit: The Bestselling Novel Quality requirement makes me leery though, because it speaks to me of a misconception of what what fanfiction is and what it is for. Fanfiction is a fundamentally different medium. Even if you can somehow find one that gets around the fact that fanfiction authors simply don't have the time or resources to thoroughly edit their work like a novel author, it will still be a very different experience.

edited 25th Jun '13 4:16:37 PM by CDRW

I'm about six chapters into Glorious Shotgun Princess, and I'm quite disappointed. The title makes a very specific promise about what sort of story it's going to be, and so far it has only delivered one shotgun (not even wielded by the main character!) and one mention of a princess. Also, the writing is really rough. It does have a sort of wry humor that I adore, but that's counteracted by the fact that I have no clue what's going on half the time because the author never bothers to establish the setting or characters.

This is the biggest title letdown I've experienced since I read Her Majesty's Dog.

edited 26th Jun '13 2:51:53 PM by CDRW

Totally blushing over here.

Absolutely recommending Hybrid Theory. I haven't watched/played most of the series they incorporate, and yet it does a wonderful job of putting them together in a believable fashion.

That’s the epitome of privilege right there, not considering armed nazis a threat to your life. - Silasw

I'd tentatively recommend Fallout Equestria. I know there's been some hype backlash for some, but there's just as many with me included who think it's wonderful. Heck, a friend of mine doesn't even like either fandom, but really enjoys the fic. Though I'd think Fusion Fics in general that establish world building can fall into this category.

The Madness of Angels is a very good Sherlock, Matthew Swift, Rivers Of London crossover that you don't need to know canon for but you do need to know some incarnation of Sherlock Holmes (it just assumes you know who Sherlock, Watson, Mycroft and Lestrade are in general terms). It's Urban Fantasy set in contemporary London, starring Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson.

A Little Mental Yoga by dsudis is a great Southland fic (no link because that story is rated Explicit). This author writes fantastic, publish-quality stuff in a lot of different fandoms though so give any of their stuff a try. This particular fic is set in Los Angeles (like the show), shipping Ben Sherman (rookie cop) and John Cooper (veteran cop, training officer, clam and bamf). It injects some psychic powers into a standard police procedural. If you've seen just one cop show, you'll be fine reading this fic.

Fidelity is a Generation Kill slash romance soulbond fic. I haven't seen any of Generation Kill but I like this fic as a romance.

Though I Sang In My Chains Like The Sea is a Rivers Of London fic that doesn't require canon knowledge. It's another Urban Fantasy set in London, and three magic cops try to solve a case of children getting sucked into mirrors.

edited 28th Jun '13 2:50:41 PM by StarValkyrie

Some posters recommended Aeon Entelechy Evangelion, but the Word Salad Title scared me away.

Instead, I took the suggestion in post #5, and started reading A Green Sun Illuminates the Void, which is by the same author. This story is my introduction to Louise, and did well to explain the premise. There is a late surprise about the hair colours of some characters, but the story eventually describes those colours. There are also some Cryptic Background References, but it works because the references are also cryptic to Louise. The whole prolog about Mardukth is a cryptic reference. The reward comes if the reader can reach the first real chapter.

Harry Potter and the Natural 20 is an extremely hilarious account of a Munchkin D&D character who suddenly finds himself in the Potterverse. It's not the most elegant of stories by any means, but it is funny enough to override any objections I have. And then there's the sequel... Fiona Smyth has quite possibly the sexiest personality I've ever come across in a story.

I have never played Dungeons & Dragons and don't know how; but I have enjoyed works in the D&D fandom, such as Order of the Stick, DM of the Rings, Angband and NetHack. So it makes sense that a person who is not a D&D fan might read Harry Potter and the Natural 20.

FanFic.Tiberium Wars.

The Revolution Will Not Be Tropeable