Proof that the remaining 10% is worth being detained by the Sheriff's Secret Police for.
These are recommendations made by Tropers for Welcome to Night Vale, 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.
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.
Authors and Websites
daftalchemist
- Recommended by caughtbluehanded
- Comments: If you like an adorable, not-quite-human Cecil (think tentacles and then some) and a heart-of-gold, science-minded Carlos, you are going to love all of this author's fic. It is funny. It is sweet. It is wonderfully detailed in its Night Valean quirks. It is occasionally terrifying. And the porn is always hot as hell.
The Strex Family Roleplayers On Tumblr and assorted associated blogs
- Recommended by Hannah Hypolita
- Synopsis: Once upon a time someone decided to create a Desert Bluffs version of Carlos. And so did someone else. And someone else. But instead of arguing over it, they all looked at each other and decided to become a family instead.
- Comments: These blogs are insanely difficult to get into but oh-so-worth it. The fact that so many different people all decided to become a family instead of fighting and then proceeded to make a dozen odd other family members and assorted extras (in addition to those linked above, a dozen others have ties to the Strex Family) is a Heartwarming Moment and through all of the pain inherent in a half-dozen highly screwed up mad scientists becoming a family, there’s a lot of love between both the characters and the muns.
- The fic, and its extensive Spin-Off fics Compliance and Procedure (which are for the most part darker than the blogs but also easier to get into) have a TV Tropes page here.
General Fics
I am become death by Naraht- Recommended by Naomi Hansen
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: There is a new sun shining over the desert. Though most of us were pretty fond of the old one. Welcome to Night Vale, an atomic community. (WWII AU)
Add ReviewThe 59th Quarterly Night Vale vs. Desert Bluffs Football Game by Chi-chi-chimaera
- Recommended by Syncretic Venture
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Cecil is temporarily forced to share a recording booth with Kevin, at the 59th quarterly football game between Desert Bluffs and Night Vale. It doesn't go well.
don't trust the air you breathe by DevilishKurumi
- Recommended by Naomi Hansen
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Set just before "Station Management" - Carlos receives a warm welcome from the Sheriff's Secret Police, which isn't so much warm as it is painful, and Cecil comes to his rescue, which isn't so much a rescue as it is an exercise in string-pulling. (AU because in this fic, Telly isn't so much the barber who cut Carlos's hair as he is a scapegoat for a much more complicated problem.)
just another purgatory; here at last, here at last by [1]
- Recommended by: genisgone
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis:It takes longer than expected for Carlos to finally see.
How I Survived My Summer Vacation, by Tamika Flynn, Age 12 3/4 by thingswithwings
- Recommended by: stardust_rain, caughtbluehanded, Nightsky
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: The first book on Tamika Flynn's Summer Reading Program Sticker Chart is Lord of the Flies. She doesn't really like it.
- Comment: Set during "Summer Reading Program", and read like a short YA novel. Beautiful, perfect, flawless narration about using the books and brains and friendship to defeat the monster librarians. Brilliant Night-Vale weirdness distilled into a love of reading.
- Seconded SO HARD. Gorgeously written and powerful. -caughtbluehanded
- Thirded. Be sure to check out the fan art linked at the end, for it is made of win and more win.-Nightsky
The Untimely Disappearance of the Voice of Night Vale by Margo_Kim
- Recommended by: genisgone
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: City Council announces a new secret law. The Night Vale Astronomy Club has officially denounced the existence of stars. The Night Vale Historical Society is throwing a barbecue for a tragedy that no one is allowed to talk about. It's the usual week's news in Night Vale except for one tiny detail-Cecil isn't the one reporting it. And as Head Intern Jessica ignores her normal inclination to not do any work ever (you don't become head intern by being a go-getter) to fill in for him while Carlos conducts his desperate search, she's beginning to think that maybe Cecil isn't the only one who'll disappear.
- Comments: A perfectly in-character episode of Welcome to Night Vale, as narrated by Head Intern Jessica, whose personality manages to be distinctly different from Cecil's while still being intrinsically rooted in Night Vale.
Lemon Pie - He's Coming Through by paperclipbitch
- Recommended by: Ms Anarchy, LongLiveHumour
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Carlos is absolutely objective. It’s just that it’s quite hard to stay objective when you’ve got Hooded Figures living in your kitchen, radio news reporters stalking you with somewhat dubious baked goods, and everything is so soaked with chemicals, radiation and dark magic that half the time your food disparages your cookery skills while you’re trying to make dinner.
- Comments: A rather lighthearted and somewhat relaxing tale of Carlos growing use to the oddness that is Night Vale. Includes quite a lot of input from others such as Old Woman Josie and Dana. Definitely worth a read.
- Recommended by: genisgone
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: As far as strange occurrences go, a snow day in a desert is one of the strangest that the sleepy town of Night Vale has lived through. Cecil gives us the news and updates concerning this peculiar storm.
- Comments: Just another well-done fanfic in the style of the radio show, this one noteable for including a music rec for the weather section as well as a proverb in the credits. A fun, fairly light read.
The Rat and the Ruby Slippers by indigostohelit
- Recommended by: Lemonbubble, Nightsky
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Carlos is having the strangest dreams, and the strangest headaches, like there's something he's supposed to be remembering. Not to mention the intern's wedding coming up, and that new chemical Strexcorp wants him to develop. It's going to be a busy week.
- Comments: Fantastically well written and creepy in an everything-is-a-little-bit-wrong kind of way.
- Seconded by Nightsky, who loves Child Ballads in general and "Tam Lin" in particular.
On the things you love by pearwaldorf
- Recommended by: caughtbluehanded
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: How six households in Night Vale deal with a weekly ritual.
- Comments: A short and sweet fic that provides a glimpse into the lives of the citizens of Night Vale—specifically, what they do on Dot Day.
And The Cables Break by neveralarch
- Recommended by: genisgone
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: This isn't a retraining session.
- Comments: Original Flavor insofar as it's not written in the style of a radio episode, this fic is dark but retains a few elements of Night Vale's off-the-wall-humor. Also, this headcanon of Cecil is intriguing and frankly impressive. Spoilers for Yellow Helicopters.
The City Council Calls it a Community Bonding Experience by guardingdark
- Recommended by: genisgone
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Faces do all sorts of things. Sometimes they make funny faces, or mad faces, or sad faces. Sometimes they get shy when they meet new people. There's a lot of variation in faces, and no one face is intrinsically better than another.
- Comments: A weird and sweet look at some favorite characters and their blue box from the perspective of a Night Valien who comes off totally normal and distinctly other all at once.
A Short Story About the Shape in Grove Park That No One Acknowledges or Speaks About by Malkontent
- Recommended by Khym Chanur
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: There is no shape in Grove Park, so no such short story can exist. The link you think you see to the alleged story is merely a figment of your depraved imagination.
Vox by 14CombatGeishas
- Recommended by thishazeleyeddemon
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: There has always been a Voice of Night Vale and there always will be. Cecil Palmer is just the latest in a long line of beings stretching back to the beginning of human life in Night Vale. This is the story of how the Voice came to be and how Cecil came to be the Voice.
- Comments: Honestly, this fic is wonderful. It's clever, engaging, and a brilliant explanation for some confusing canon events. 10/10 would recommend.
Partially Stars by thebookofnights [renamed thatwilderness]
- Recommended by Capt Equinox
- Status: 6 complete stories (Being Hunted by Time is a three-parter), series resurrected spring 2021, more on the way
- Synopsis: The entire story of Night Vale unfolds from Carlos' perspective as he and his team of Four (and then Five) Argumentative Scientists enter the town and begin their work. Carlos has psychic abilities which show themselves in dreams, then begin to operate when he's awake — and he heard The Voice long before meeting Cecil in person. Background details, lovingly delineated, bring the town and its people to life. Darkly intense and compelling, and altogether plausible. 10/10.
Shipping Fics
(nothing) could be better by novembersmith- Recommended by: caughtbluehanded
- Status: Complete
- Pairing: Cecil/Carlos
- Synopsis: Carlos had thought, with a not inconsiderable amount of pride, that he was no longer surprised by the strangeness that Night Vale had to throw at him. In fact, he was more often surprised by the rare normal events than the reverse. Which completely invalidated the words ‘normal’ and ‘abnormal,’ but anyway—
- Tags: Tentacles, first time
- Comments: Hardcore tentacle porn with a soft gooey mushy emotional center? Yes please. Carlos' characterization is adorkable and wonderful, and all the little surrounding details about Night Vale are hilarious and perfectly in keeping with the spirit of the show. And the writing is top-notch. As is the porn. Did I mention the porn? Part I of the tentacles in fortunate places series, which is ongoing.
inspired by your laugh to wait for things by gyzym
- Recommended by: Naomi Hansen, Nightsky
- Status: Complete
- Pairing: Carlos/Cecil
- Synopsis: Maybe in Night Vale, where everything else works a little bit wrong, love works a little wrong too. Maybe in Night Vale, where time occasionally stands on end and gravity pulls slightly less than usual every second Thursday, someone like Cecil, a love like Cecil's, could come without any strings attached at all.
- Seconded by Nightsky, because it's beautiful.
What We've Got Here by Margo_Kim
- Recommended by: caughtbluehanded
- Status: Complete
- Pairing: Cecil/Carlos
- Synopsis: Carlos's reaction to the first date involves a lot more anguished cries than Cecil's, though to be fair, they're only anguished cries of "Why did I do that, why did I say that, why am I allowed to interact with other people" so they're still better than at least eighty percent of Night Vale's late night wails.
- Comments: Carlos (over-)analyzes the events of "First Date." Adorable and hilarious in the extreme.
- Recommended by: caughtbluehanded
- Status: Complete
- Pairing: Cecil/Carlos
- Synopsis: Cecil accidentally broadcasts a private moment.
- Comments: This fic turns accidental voyeurism into a surprisingly sweet moment shared by the whole town. Set after "Faceless Old Woman."
There Is No Euphoria In This Reality by LordofLies
- Recommended by: Ru Tsuna
- Status: Complete
- Pairing: Cecil/Carlos
- Synopsis: Carlos doesn’t know what “re-education” entails, but he thinks he knows what it means. It means that your thoughts are not your own and your doubt must be stamped out, no matter the cost. Carlos fears that, unless Cecil can learn to stop trusting and doubting in equal measure, that cost will be far too high.
- Tags: re-education, memory loss, artificially-induced dementia, ordinary human cecil
- Comments: Carlos watches as Cecil crumbles beneath his role as the voice of the town. Heartbreaking, but has an excellent bittersweet ending.
The Temporal Tornado by novembersmith
- Recomended by: Ms Anarchy, caughtbluehanded
- Status: Complete
- Paring: Cecil/Carlos
- Synopsis: A temporal tornado reduced our most beloved scientist, Carlos, into a darling little toddler version of his already darling self, didn’t it? Yes it did, oh yes it did! Plus, a jellyfish migration is underway, a mysterious series of unexplained crevasses are appearing in the streets of Night Vale, and valuable advice is provided on the care and feeding of children.
- Comments: A sweet fic about Cecil taking up a father role for little Carlos. Told entirely through the radio show along with the weather addition and some wonderfully written stories to what is occurring around town.
- Seconded! A funny, adorable, brilliant homage to the format of the actual show, complete with the weather. -caughtbluehanded
The reconciliation of science and religion (or lack thereof) by dee
- Recommended by: Nightsky
- Status: Complete
- Pairing: Cecil/Carlos
- Synopsis: So what if Cecil was some mind-shattering, eldritch horror, thinly held beneath the frail mask of a man? He seemed like a pretty nice guy. And Carlos lived in Night Vale now. What was he, a bigot?
- Comments: Why does everybody like Eldritch Abomination!Cecil so much? Why do I like eldritch!Cecil so much? I don't know, either, but this is one of my favorite instances of it. Fluffy and not explicit.
- The written story has disappeared, but here's a link to a podfic version
- The written story has disappeared, but here's a link to a podfic version
Hon Hon Baguette Eiffel Tower by [2]
- Recommended by: Ilssii-Koschei
- Status: Complete
- Pairing: Cecil/Carlos
- Synopsis: It happens every third Wednesday in June. Unfortunately, Cecil does not speak French.
- Comments: Read this after the shock that was "Yellow Helicopters" and it cheered me right up. Light, fluffy crack fic with cuteness and bad French. Perfect for when you want something ridiculous and entertaining.
Unvoiced by Xparrot
- Recommended by: Maxwell_Edison, Nightsky, Capt Equinox
- Status: Complete
- Pairing: Cecil/Carlos
- Synopsis: "It doesn't hurt like that." The fear in his eyes, in his too-hard breaths, hardly sounds in his dull baritone. "I'm not the Voice of Night Vale anymore, it seems." StrexCorp makes its move against the Voice of Night Vale, and Carlos struggles to handle the aftermath and its impact on Cecil, as the entire town rallies to save their community.
- Comments: What does it mean to be the Voice of Night Vale? Fans love to speculate on this point, and this fic presents one of the most coherent and compelling explanations around, deftly incorporating canon minutia throughout. More than that, though, it is a lovely portrait of Carlos and Cecil, their relationship, and the strange and dangerous town they both love.
- Seconded by Nightsky. Wonderfully written H/C with a frankly great exploration of what it has cost Cecil to come this far.
The Reorg by Anonymous
- Recommended by: Kilyle
- Status: Complete
- Pairing: Cecil/Carlos
- Synopsis: Carlos, still stuck in the desert, gets offered a way out by Strex — just sign this contract and get to work on a project that threatens all of Night Vale. Strex has captured Cecil, so Carlos accepts the offer, and has to bury his feelings for Cecil as well as his conscious desire to sabotage the project, because the mind-reading device he's forced to wear (for efficiency and communication!) would otherwise betray his plans.
- Comments: While I can't get past the implausibility of the mental techniques Carlos uses to subconsciously sabotage his own efforts, the rest is a tense emotional minefield as Carlos plays the consummate dispassionate scientist, making Cecil question whether Carlos's love for him was just an experiment — or whether Carlos is really counting on Cecil to save him. There's a jaw-dropping bit near the end where a sort of Deus Ex Machina immediately turned into an Oh, Crap!, which I think was particularly well played.
Crossover Fics
Existence Is the Most Exciting Thing of All by Sailor Ptah- Recommended by Completely Different, Nightsky, Origamidragons
- Crossover/Canon Welding with His Dark Materials
- Status: Complete, with a two-shot sequel and another sequel forthcoming.
- Synopsis: Carlos and his Magisterium-approved team are on a mission to study Rusakov particles in the most theologically interesting community in Hispania Nova. They are in no way prepared for anything they're about to meet. (A partial list: angels, witches, hooded spectres, portals between worlds, and a man who walks around with no daemon in sight and knows things he shouldn't possibly be able to know.)
- Comment: While the simple premise of "What if the characters of Night Vale had daemons?" alone could have served as an interesting concept, the author goes even further, seamlessly melding the two universes and giving us an interesting possibility to how Carlos reacted to the weirdness that is Night Vale.
- Seconded by Nightsky. Everybody go home; this fic wins fanfic forever.
- Thirded by Origamidragons. This is just... so good. The author has put so much thought into the worldbuilding and the original characters are all fresh and fun and interesting, and the two canons just blend together so well... gah it's so good I can't explain just go read it now.
He Says He Volunteers as Tribute by Sailor Ptah
- Recommended by: Maxwell_Edison
- Status: Complete
- Fusion with The Hunger Games
- Synopsis: AU. How Carlos scienced his way into winning the Hunger Games, coped with the ongoing attentions of terrifying Capitol commentator Cecil Palmer, and, eventually, found himself acting as mentor to twelve-year-old Tamika Flynn.
- Comments: Considering that skewed perspectives on absolute horror are at the centers of both Welcome to Night Vale and The Hunger Games, maybe it's not surprising how well the two canons mesh. This fusion is completely seamless and utterly horrifying.
And Now, The We[EXPUNGED] by Drewbear
- Recommended by Khym Chanur, Fifthman
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Most of a town's radio station's staff has been abducted, there's going to be a debate a faceless woman and a five-headed dragon, and the town has been quarantined for its own good by a mysterious paramilitary organization. All in all, just an average day in Night Vale. (A crossover with SCP Foundation)
And Who Shall I Say Is Calling? by John the Alligator
- Recommended by Nothingtoseehere
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: The two cities which are his concern do not appear to be any different from the lifeless Fata Morganas he’s seen. Their silhouettes shift every time he looks at them, and Dream does not blink. The roads leading in buck and writhe in front of him and behind, but stay constant under his feet. The mountains are hazy and obscured; below him, Night Vale resolves. (A crossover with The Sandman)
- Recommended by Nothingtoseehere
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: "You are sent by your superior to investigate the possibility of a unicorn." (Crossover with In Nomine)
Love is All You Need to Destroy Your Enemies by shadydave
- Recommended by sablin27, Nightsky, L Mage
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: There are a few things that Carlos may have neglected to tell Cecil. (Crossover with Dresden Files. Long and now complete.)
- Now has its own Trope Page.
- Comments:
- What if Carlos the scientist were really Carlos Ramirez, Warden of the White Council? "Completely awesome" doesn't even begin to cover it. Deftly written, tightly plotted, with some fantastic original characters. Spoilers through "Skin Game" for the Dresden Files.
- It's hard not to be blown away by this Fic- which blends the creeptastic humor of Welcome to Night Vale with the raw sarcasm of The Dresden Files as seamlessly as it blends the world and characters. The story manages to fell like it belongs to both of the source material without ever being strained or reaching. The story is engaging and it makes you believe in Cecil and Carlos much like the podcast does- and it manages to incorporate Carlos The Warden and Carlos the Scientist into the same character without losing any of the elements of the originals. If you are in both fandoms (or even if you are in only one, as several reviewers profess), this is definitely worth a read.
Blue Sky, Glow Cloud by Mindful Wrath
- Recommended by Celestialily
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: A stranger with a strange device arrives in Night Vale. Strexcorp begins putting wheels in motion. No one is safe. No one. (Crossover with Portal. Complete.)
Go Gently by Shana The Short
- Recommended by: Demonata 1-04
- Status: Dormant
- Fusion with Worm
- Synopsis: Go gently is a crossover between the Web Serial Worm and Podcast Welcome to Night Vale that takes it upon itself to include the cosmic horror of both series, while still being hilarious. The story builds up a little slow but can easily keep your attention long enough for it to take flight.
- Comments: Considering that skewed perspectives on absolute horror are at the centers of both Welcome to Night Vale and ''Worm”, maybe it's not surprising how well the two canons mesh. This fusion is completely seamless and utterly horrifyingly hilarious.
Blood Space Armed Forces Radio Network by Bob G.
- Recommended by: Bob G., Capt Equinox
- Status: Ongoing
- Many A Fan Created Fake Episode
- Synopsis: One day a bored fan got around to saying, "I'm going to make a Fake Episode." Then he started looking at other people's fake episodes. He started finding dead links and missing parts. So he got together with some other Fake Episode creators and said, "Let us make a Radio Network." And then it sort of happened and that's where the link takes you: To the largest archive of fan created Fake Episodes based on Welcome To Night Vale on the internet. Quality ranges from almost inaudible to the sublime. A few are hyperlime.
- Comments: Sorry to say, the episodes are all over the map. In fact, a few are recordings of some of the fan writings above. We don't judge, we just archive. So if you were looking for your one stop shop for fake episodes, stop on by.
- Disclaimer: Yes, I did create some of the episodes. Eight at this point. However, the archive just surpassed the original show in number of episodes and we have a hundred left to upload. New content is being added almost daily, so trust me, my contribution is a very small fraction. This is not self-promotion. I am promoting all these other fine shows.
Welcome to Light Fail by Jack Keane
- Recommended By: Capt Equinox
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: One-off parody that will have you laughing your ass off even if you're not intimately acquainted with the details of the series.
''SCP-615 by thecolorofstars
- Recommended By: Vampireandthen
- Status: Dormant:
- Synopsis: A friendly desert community where the sun is hot, the moon is beautiful, and mysterious lights pass overhead while we all pretend to sleep. Welcome to SCP-615.
- Comment: This is what happens when the Foundation learns of Night Vale.
Mostly Void, Partially Stars by Infinite_Monkeys
- Recommended by: Klltsun 25
- Crossover with: Marvel Cinematic Universe
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: The Avengers' search for Loki takes them to a small town where the sun is hot, the moon is beautiful, and the single mother of an eight-legged horse can join the PTA.
- Comments: Hilarious and heartwarming series of Loki finding a home in Night Vale with his children, and his life in it, as well as dealing with the Avengers. Very well written and thoughtful. Part 1 of an ongoing series, All Our Yesterdays and Days To Come
