The Bolt stories of PenNameSmith
- Recommended by Macgyver 644200
- Synopsis: A series of stories set after the conclusion of the movie, giving a brief overview of what happens next.
- Pairings: BoltXMittens
- Status: Complete.
- The author touches on a variety of topics that the movie didn't fully resolve (Bolt adjusting to normal life, what happens to the show, etc) and does it very well, with a bunch of original ideas thrown in as well. The characters stick to their canon personalities and the author's very good at keeping the story interesting all throughout. Humor, action, and heartwarming moments galore, I was never bored with the stories and was sad to see that the author had stopped writing Bolt fanfics. Give it a whirl.
- Seconded by Bolt_DMC. Amazing, amazing stories. Full of heart and warmth and humor, with a distinctive and vivid style of writing. Characters are portrayed accurately, yet allow for reasonable growth beyond canon, and there's much telling reference to the film and the book The Art of "Bolt". For many years, these were the unquestioned gold standard for fanfic in this fandom by a long shot, and its five stories still remain the major, indispensable cornerstone of its fan literature. "Grimalkin" in fact may be the best fanfic of any kind I've ever read — but they're all remarkable. A must. The author has now copied all of these stories over to Archive of Our Own.
- Seconded by Bolt_DMC. Amazing, amazing stories. Full of heart and warmth and humor, with a distinctive and vivid style of writing. Characters are portrayed accurately, yet allow for reasonable growth beyond canon, and there's much telling reference to the film and the book The Art of "Bolt". For many years, these were the unquestioned gold standard for fanfic in this fandom by a long shot, and its five stories still remain the major, indispensable cornerstone of its fan literature. "Grimalkin" in fact may be the best fanfic of any kind I've ever read — but they're all remarkable. A must. The author has now copied all of these stories over to Archive of Our Own
- Recommended by: Bolt_DMC
- Synopsis: A collection of Bolt stories set after the conclusion of the movie.
- Status: All entries complete. More stories may be added in future.
- The author’s stories (bearing the series title “Bolt”) thus far present the adventures of Bolt, Mittens, and Rhino after moving to the country. They showcase this writer’s signature tongue-in-cheek dry wit, mastery of genre parody, polished writing style, and thoughtful storytelling in an especially genial and understated manner. Character portrayal is very much true to form. In brief, among the best this fandom has to offer. Five one-shot stories, a three-part fic, and two verse entries currently exist:
- "Just a Summer Breeze": a parody of Bolt superpower stories. It features the characters humorously double-crossing each other and has an enjoyably ambiguous ending.
- "Of Heroes and Hamsters": a first-rate spoof of the action/adventure story genre this fandom is known for. The trio save Penny from what they think is some sort of peril in spite of themselves.
- "Bolt Noir": an affectionate send-up of Noir-style detective films and TV shows. There's no murder to contend with, just a hankering for cat treats and a point to prove. All it needs is stale cigarette smoke and fedora slouch hats. Charming and funny, very knowing of the genre.
- "Mirage": Mittens tells two versions of her backstory to Bolt and Rhino. Given her unreliable narrator status, however, neither one may be all that accurate. An ambitious outing that shows expert control of several approaches; humor, spy-style intrigue, uneasy sweetness, devastating sadness — all co-exist in expert balance.
- "Ode to a Bird on the Front Lawn": Mittens sees a blackbird out the window and fantasizes about catching it. A charming drabble-sized poem bearing subtle nods to folks like Ogden Nash or Dorothy Parker.
- "The Cabin in the Woods": Bolt is excited to be going to a rustic cabin and wants his friends to tag along. Rhino's on board, but Mittens isn't sold on the idea — and the dog inadvertently says something hurtful to her while trying to change her mind. Followed up with two later installments: Part 2 (which details the misadventures the Bolt crew get into while driving to the title venue) and Part 3 (where the three pets explore an abandoned mine nearby). The first is a fine slice-of-life story, while the follow-ups are primarily adventure fics; the former smartly juggles elements of humor and angst while the latter pair deftly combines comedy and mild peril elements, all showing well executed dialogue and characterization.
- "Iamb Bolt": Bolt and his animal friends interact in a little slice of life at home, depicted through a clutch of short poems. Charming and clever, with each character using a different verse style to express themselves.
- "Madame Bolt": Bolt appears in a dog food commercial, but to his dismay finds out that he has been depicted as female in it — and he endures plenty of teasing in the process from Mittens. A comedy delight filled with polished banter, smoothly leavened with elements of drama and angst.
The Bolt Chronicles by Bolt_DMC
- Recommended by: Samhain11
- Synopsis: A collection of stories set before, during, and after the events of the movie.
- Status: Incomplete? The series is still listed as such on AO3, but the last story seems to hint at an ending.
- The stories are mostly small "slice of life" stories set after the events of the movie, with some of the first stories also expanding backstories for the characters prior to the movie as well.
- The series has its own TV Tropes page, which can be found here
