34 replies to this topic

[screamin]

I've been looking for good Game of Thrones fanfic recently, and found the pickings seem to be pretty slim, with the usual high percentage of unreadable crap making them even slimmer; so I thought this would be a good place to exchange recs when we find something we like. I'll start by recommending Min Daae, whose GoT tales I found highly readable and engaging. I'd love to hear if anyone else has found good stories.

[Eegah]

George R.R. Martin strongly disapproves of fanfic, so naturally a lot of the big fans who could probably do really good ones refrain from it.

[Maximum Taco]

George R.R. Martin strongly disapproves of fanfic, so naturally a lot of the big fans who could probably do really good ones refrain from it.

It's more than just disapproving of fanfiction sometimes too, frequently he'll actually request sites take down Fanfics of his works. I don't think he's ever actually pursued (or threatened) legal action, but I think most of the people who would write fanfics are generally respectful of the author and would probably take down them down before he had to pursue his legal options.

Edited by Maximum Taco, Nov 27, 2011 @ 12:34 PM.

[screamin]

All the more reason, then, to exchange recs, since the diminished number of fanfics makes finding good ones a lot harder (Hasn't anyone found any good ones to recommend?)

Or is the problem that since the author disapproves of the concept of fanfic, reading and recommending them is also frowned upon among GoT fan circles?

[zombygirl]

it's also hard to find fics based on just the show instead of the books. Fanfiction.net has an archive of fics that covers both the show and the books. There are a few there, like The Lion and the Wolf (which I can't find my link to right now) that are very good, but mostly they have spoilers, so people on the wall beware.

[jr352]

For those who've read the books or just don't care about spoilers, I'd suggest Sera dy Relandrant. She really has a fantastic grasp of the setting and I think her writing style even compares favorably to GRRM. I'd recommend any of her ASOIAF stories but my favorite one is Promises Kept, an AU about Lyanna surviving the war and becoming Robert's Queen.

Another fic I'd recommend is The Joinery by falseeyelashes. It's another AU about Ned becoming King and marrying Cersei, instead of Catelyn. The writer does a great job getting the two characters down. This one is a little more complicated as there's very minor spoilers for season two, but nothing that you couldn't probably learn from reading casting reports.

[screamin]

This one (The North Remembers, by Silverblood) is pretty good, though unfinished.

Edited by screamin, Mar 9, 2012 @ 3:14 PM.

[Eegah]

Just finished The North Remembers up to its current completion, and I can say, meaning it entirely as a compliment, that I kind of regret reading it. By which I mean that it's such a thematically and tonally consistent continuation of the story that I'm undoubtedly going to still have it in my head when Winds of Winter comes out, and I may get confused as to what the canon story actually is. Seriously, it's that good.

[screamin]

It is, isn't it? I first skimmed it, looking for the bits with my favorite characters, but it was so well done that I went back to the beginning and read it properly. New installment today. I just hope the author doesn't get bored with it.

[Eegah]

And The North Remembers has just given us the inevitable unbearably cruel twist of fate. Martin would approve, if he'd get that stick out of his butt about fanfic.

[screamin]

I know; who'd have thought I'd ever feel sorry for a Frey?

[InsertWordHere]

I'm hoping, like with GRRM himself sometimes, that this latest twist is not as cruel as it seems.

[Impervious]

I have been all about Myrcella AUs lately, and I am in love with I Fear No Fate (For You Are My Fate, My Sweet). It is, as these tend to be, Robb/Myrcella, but. . .I found it oddly believable and got very emotionally invested. I could read this one over and over again, and I would read endless fic in this universe.

[agora]

George R.R. Martin strongly disapproves of fanfic, so naturally a lot of the big fans who could probably do really good ones refrain from it.

I've got to agree with him, most of the TV fanfics I've read are lucky to get the tone of even one character right (if any), so the stories come across as what if/Alternate Universe scenarios more than anything else.

*ETA: I can't even imagine what a Game of Thrones fanfic would look like.

Edited by agora, Apr 22, 2012 @ 2:13 AM.

[screamin]

If you're interested in finding out, I'd recommend you start with The North Remembers (I linked it above.)

[Eegah]

A very popular topic is "What if Robert decided to betrothe Myrcella and Robb instead? The one linked just above is definitely the best I've seen of those.

[Cowshark]

I'm suprised George R.R. Martin hates fanfic. I'd think he'd just be amused, because whatever plot a ff writer comes up with, you know it's gonna be Jossed due to his bloodthirst.

[Eegah]

He says it's mostly because of worries over copyright. If a fanfic writer happens to put in a specific event that actually happens in a later book, he might have to deal with a lawsuit.

[Spiffy]

If you're interested in finding out, I'd recommend you start with The North Remembers (I linked it above.)

Thank you for the rec, btw. That story is beyond incredible.

[Mariagonerlj]

He says it's mostly because of worries over copyright. If a fanfic writer happens to put in a specific event that actually happens in a later book, he might have to deal with a lawsuit.

Eh, mostly I think it's because he's old and creaky and is honestly worried that these writers might out-do him. Because seriously-- when has a fanfic writer ever brought on a lawsuit against an author? Or at least, done is successful? If GRRM is really worried about that possibility, he needs to get some legal counseling, before he works up a fit for no reason. I honestly think he's more worried about someone doing more justice to his plots than he can himself-- which I would be, considering how ponderous and dull his last two books were.

I second the req for The North Remembers, btw! I found it to be like GRRM circa Storm of Swords-- minus the poor exposition, the awful sex scenes, the go-nowhere "world building," and the focus on very boring new characters of the latter books. And frankly, the writer of that fic regularly manages prose that GRRM usually achieves at his very best. I'm more impressed with TNR than I was with the last two books of the series, frankly!

Edited by Mariagonerlj, May 2, 2012 @ 8:02 PM.

[FoolishWanderer]

Is The North Remembers finished? I've been burned before, on fanfic...

[Eegah]

No, but it is being regularly updated, and it seems to be getting close to a climax.

The really incredible thing is that the writer says in the beginning that he almost didn't start it, knowing Martin's feelings on the subject. How close we came to never knowing this fantastic story...

[chaseshishorse]

The really incredible thing is that the writer says in the beginning that he almost didn't start it, knowing Martin's feelings on the subject.

..."he"? Can't say I think that's likely.

I think the prevalence of Robb/Myrcella is a bit overstated here. It's still a fringe-ish pairing, at least in my estimation. Sansa/Sandor seems the most common, and Arya/Gendry (aged up) has had a bit of an explosion recently.

[Gladiator]

He says it's mostly because of worries over copyright. If a fanfic writer happens to put in a specific event that actually happens in a later book, he might have to deal with a lawsuit.

Exactly the opposite thing happened a few years ago. A fan wrote a wonderful sequel to a popular film which made quite a splash in fanfic circles. Trouble is, word of her story got all the way to the production company, and they demanded that she cease and desist, and remove it from the internet - which she did. As far as I know, that's as far as it went, no law suits were filed since she acquiesced to their demands promptly. But still, a scary experience for that author.

[bombayduck]

Thanks very much for the recommendation of The North Remembers -- I started it yesterday, anticipated it would be interesting to see where someone other than GRRM takes the story, and I am FLOORED. It's written so well! Maybe one or two plot points that seem a little odd, and some moments when the dialogue falters (fewer exclamations of "Seven hells!" would be nice -- I've started to play a drinking game in my imagination) but on the whole, it's most satisfying. Silverblood's untangling the Meeren knot remarkably well and writing some wonderful scenes in the process. I'm practically jumping for joy every time people find out things or meet other people that GRRM has been teasing us (and the characters) with for five books now.

[Eegah]

Plus, he/she actually writes a convincing Ramsey viewpoint. Which Silverblood has actually said in the comics makes him/her sick to do, but there's just no other character who could give us the information we get in those chapters.

[bombayduck]

Haven't reached a Ramsey viewpoint yet, and I hadn't looked at the chapter list because I didn't want to know who was there -- but that sounds good! Hope I won't be up all night squicked out by Ramsey. Or wait, actually I hope I will be. Or not. Or yes. Ick!

[Blue32]

The TV show has, predictably, given rise to an explosion of fanfic. Not that I'm complaining or anything, but Sturgeon's Law equally applies to fanfic, so the experience of looking for good ASOIAF/GOT fanfic is a lot like shopping at a thrift store: there's good stuff to be found, but finding it entails going through a lot of lower-quality, questionable stuff.

One advantage of fanfic is that I've found that GRRM seems to have issues writing hot sex scenes (at least when he's trying to write a sex scene that is supposed to be hot), and there are lots of fanfic writers in the fandom who do not have that problem.

A very popular topic is "What if Robert decided to betrothe Myrcella and Robb instead? The one linked just above is definitely the best I've seen of those.

That is awfully popular. Richard Madden being hot as fuck seems to be leading to a spike in Robb-centric pairings. (Ditto for Iain Glen and Jorah fics.) I'm seeing more Theon-centric stuff as well, maybe because Alfie Allen has made the character so compelling? And yeah, Arya/Gendry is going through the roof, thanks to Season 2 (and Joe Dempsie's abs, let's be real).

I have been reading The North Remembers off and on, but there are so many new POVs that it starts to feel a bit more like a complicated writing exercise than a novel. It also struck me as rather...long-winded? It seems like an odd complaint, given how long-winded and tedious A Dance with Dragons could be, but there you have it.

Edited by Blue32, May 27, 2012 @ 9:54 AM.

[Silverblood]

Silverblood (North Remembers author) here.

I've heard from a few of my readers that the story was being linked on this thread on TWOP, so I decided to come over and see what you guys had to say. Thanks to everyone who has offered kind words on it. It's pretty much a total fanwank, as is to be expected, stemming entirely from my desire to have some fun trying to sketch out how the story might go and to play with GRRM's toys a bit (though as noted, I know he doesn't approve and I would certainly take it down if his people asked me to - I very much hope it doesn't come to that, of course). It's just a side project that has happened to take over my life, but if it ever stops being fun, I'll stop doing it. (Hasn't yet!) I'm definitely not trying to one-up GRRM or write the definitive ASOIAF or anything like that. Yeah it's long and complex and imperfect, but I figure ASOIAF fans can handle long and complex and I'm also very surprised (but gratified) that it's gotten the response that it has. (My previous review high was 19.) I haven't written fanfic in years, have generally focused more on my original work, but the plot bunny went after me bad on this one. And hey, if I get anything egregiously wrong, it'll be total crap when TWOW comes out anyway. ;)

Peace love dope, y'all.

[agora]

And yeah, Arya/Gendry is going through the roof, thanks to Season 2

Its not that I'm surprised. I mean, sure Gendry's abs look awesome on TV, but this must be the first [potentially] romantic story without a single love scene I've ever seen in the entire HBO drama department.

The way I see it, anyone can write a love story with the usual elements - love triangles, feuding families, "meant to be together"s, etc. - but it takes actual talent to write a true love story without a single tool whatsoever and, in my opinion, Game of Thrones did it with Arya & Gendry.

Edited by agora, May 29, 2012 @ 9:25 AM.