Reading the Most Iconic Fanfiction

Everybody, drumroll, please...

I.

Read.

Fanfiction.

No not that published on the self name changed garbage. I’m talking the real stuff, right from the ancient web pages of fanfiction.net. And not just any fanfiction, but the internet dubbed ‘most iconic fanfiction’. And, I'm going to read the most iconic fanfiction for you all today.

So, it became apparent quickly that I wouldn’t be able to finish all of these fics in any reasonable amount of time. So, I compromised on reading the first 3-5 chapters of each to hopefully gain a good understanding of the overall quality of the writer as well as a short preview of the fic. I would like to note that some of these fics have become published novels up for sale, and as such, they are not necessarily available from their source meaning I can’t be 100% sure I read the original fic. That being said I did put in effort to at least try to read the correct work, so this list could be as accurate as possible. I’ve rated each fic on a scale of 1-10 based on multiple factors such as writing, prose, popularity, enjoyment, relationship to source material, and value as a standalone story. I also have not consumed all the material these fics are based on, but I tried to be as objective as possible. 

All the Young Dudes

Due to the nature of my Instagram reels and TikTok For You pages somehow being able to target my interests better than I know myself, I was aware of All the Young Dudes before I was even aware of fanfiction. From edits to animatics and fan cast battles, the fanbase for All the Young Dudes is seemingly a separate entity from Potterheads altogether. Boasting a translation in over 40+ languages and 14 million viewers ATYD has a pretty huge reputation to live up to, and I can safely say on first impressions, it deserves the hype. The writing is complex enough to be interesting but simple enough to keep the reader immersed. Every character has a brilliant first impression that introduces them wonderfully, revealing plenty without the author having to forcefully shove exposition down the reader's throat. This fic is one I would feel inclined to read in its completion which says a lot considering its 526,969 word count. I give ATYD a solid 9.5/10. 

Harry Potter and The Methods of Rationality 

Roughly HPTMR is about Harry Potter if he was raised by scientists for parents and this butterfly affects the entire series to the point that it’s more or less one of the most out-of-character versions of Harry I’ve ever experienced. So, correct me if I’m wrong, but from what I can gather, the reason this fic gained a lot of traction is that it’s lowkey ideology/maybe cult propaganda. Am I like even in the ballpark? Because based on the first chapter, there’s not much going on. It’s not bad per se but I don’t see the appeal to the writing. It does a mediocre job of showing and not telling. Ex: “Harry’s father, Professor Michael Verres-Evans rolled his eyes”.

The lore surrounding this fic, however, is quite compelling. This might honestly be more compelling than the actual story, especially considering that a lot of fans speculate the fic was created as more of a gateway into the author Eliezer Yudkowsky’s own personal scientific research and subsequent blog. I give this fic a 5/10.

The Accidental Warlord and his Pack

Let's branch away from Harry Potter TAWHP branches and focus on a show I am admittedly unfamiliar with called The Witcher. That being said, I found it enjoyable. It does provide some exposition, however, I still think this fic does fail a bit for the readers who have never watched The Witcher. However, in the genre of fanfiction, one could argue that it's not a flaw considering how pointless it would be to read fanfiction based on a source you haven't ever consumed. But, the story itself reads well and has some interesting points established. I’m guessing that if I were a fan of the show, I would find this fic very interesting, if not indulgent. I give this fic a 7/10.

Down to Agnicourt

I'm not quite sure if it still is, but as of 2024, Castiel and Dean were the most written ships of the AO3 period. Considering the range of fics Supernatural fans have to select from, this fic being the standout makes reading this work much more anticipated. As someone who is once again unfamiliar with the source material I came in, I was impressed with the character introductions that were intriguing but descriptive enough to serve their purpose. The actual storyline took a bit of time to pierce together, and I imagine that it would be much more apparent if I were an actual fan of the show. However, the fic created enough intrigue that I ended up watching an episode of the show, so take that as high praise. I give this fic an 8/10.

Manacled 

Okay, I can’t say it’s not just personal bias, but this fic was somewhat akin to HPTMR in it being a bit painfully out of character. I don’t know if it’s just jarring seeing this author’s interpretation of Hermione and wizarding warfare, but I couldn’t get past the first paragraphs without cringing. Now, before you go off about how biased and unfair I am, this fic is objectively well-written. It reads well and isn’t cringe-inducing in terms of writing. It’s just the actual content of the fic that I found myself disconnected from. I do think if I were to get further immersed into this fic, I would probably be more inclined to compliment its content, seeing as the fan content surrounding this fic I’ve seen is quite compelling. Plus, I know this fic is very popular in the Dramione community. I give this fic a 7/10.

Heat Waves 

Okay, I’m 99% sure this is the right fic, but the original is no longer available so I had to piece together bits from various sources. Uhm, I can’t say this fic was my favorite. It was very dialogue-heavy with little exposition, although I guess you could argue not much is needed considering this fic is about Minecraft streamers. I think it’s considerably free of modern slang and other cringe-worthy tropes, but that’s about all the thanks I can pay. The writing, while not amateur or unbearable, I would call passable. The plot is a dream-sharing AU from what I understand and jumps pretty quickly into flirting which the other shipping AUs here steered away from in favor of focusing on the actual story. Therefore, while not bad in the broad world of fanfiction itself, in comparison to the other fics on this list Heat Waves fell very short of expectations. I give this fic a 4/10.