Themed Rec List (Sherlock): Messing About with Time
Stories in which time is messed about with-not only conventional time travel, but also a selection of other oddities.
I've only included completed fics in this list, though admittedly for a certain value of "complete"-any borderline cases are noted if you know that will bother you! (For content warnings, please check headers of linked works; I've not listed them here.)
[Rec List: Messing about with Time]
World on His Wrist Series by bendingsignpost : On LJ | On AO3
Sherlock/John | NC-17 | ~67,000 words (two stories)
First, he is shot in Afghanistan. Second, he wakes to a phone call in Chelmsford, Essex. Third is pain, fourth is normalcy, fifth is agony and sixth is confusion. By the eighth, he's lost track. (John-centric AU)
This series takes two of my fan fiction tropes-timey-wimey shenanigans and alternate histories-multiplies each of them by a factor of several, and deftly juggles the results in a very interesting way. Great action and characterisation.
Each main story arc in this series is complete, although the series as a whole may not be. Also note that the author also has a few spin-off stories from this verse (on his LJ) that aren’t part of the main narrative.
A Beginner’s Guide to Apiology by VictoryCandescence : On AO3
Sherlock/John, Mary/John (minor) | R | ~11,000 words
John and Sherlock meet for the first time as old men in Sussex.
This is a truly beautiful story; John and Sherlock are written with such warmth and insight into their characters and life stories that I'd be recommending it somewhere even if it didn't have a bit of a timey-wimey twist to make it even more agreeable.
Wee Doctor Series by americanjedi (thursdayplaid) : On AO3 | On ff.net
John | PG-13 | ~227,000 words (whole series)
Dr. John Watson is turned into an eight year old child, dealing with Sherlock who doesn't know him in a world where he was never born. He's a little stressed out, but he's got his priorities straight.
Delightful gen adventure story with appearances from all my favourite canon characters, plus a few more that the author fleshes out in her AU. I really like the sense of distorted reality that emerges, as well as the showcase of John's amazing and resourceful capability in a tight spot.
To Rubble and Decay by anchors (burninganchors) : On AO3 | On ff.net
Sherlock/John | PG-13 | ~6,300 words
“You’re John.” He pauses, frowns. “But not my John.”
The man - John - quirks his lips into a smile. “No. But I was.”
Sherlock receives a visit from an old friend, who has both words of advice and words with which to say goodbye.
What it says on the tin, and nicely done.
Groundhog Day, Sherlock Style by anon : On LJ
Sherlock/John | PG-13 | ~1,600 words
Action! In-character interactions! Sherlock is smart! And John's day is Very, Very Long.
John’s Midnight Garden by anon : On LJ
Sherlock/John | PG | ~11,000 words
Tom's Midnight Garden fusion.
This fic does a good job of recreating the dreamy atmosphere of Tom's Midnight Garden, and translating its concept into the Sherlock verse. I really enjoyed the way it unfolded with clever details.
The Baker Street Flat by anon : On LJ
Sherlock/John | PG | ~5,000 words
The Lake House fusion
There's lovely chemistry in this despite the physical remove between John and Sherlock for most of the story. Very engagingly written, and stands alone without any knowledge of The Lake House movie (I've not seen it myself).
The Long Three by anon : On LJ
Sherlock/John | PG-13 | ~4,600 words
John is the Doctor's son. Cue Sherlock being endlessly fascinated.
Deftly put together crossover featuring Christmas dinner with John's family. The story isn't marked as complete, but ends at a pretty natural stopping point.
Untitled by anon : On LJ
John and Sherlock | PG-13 | ~1,800 words
John is transported to Sherlock’s childhood home, twenty years in the past. He's absolutely shocked at young Sherlock's reactions to, well, everything. Especially when John tries to touch him.
An interesting development of the premise, also featuring Mycroft.
At Your Finger Ends by tartanfics : On AO3
Sherlock and John | PG-13 | ~7,400 words
John has always wanted to be a historian. He was born in 2020, so he grew up hearing about developments in time travel technology and theory. For John, history is mostly about the adventure. Fusionfic with Connie Willis’s Oxford University time travel novels (Doomsday Book, To Say Nothing of the Dog, etc.), which you don’t need to have read to understand this. John is a time traveller from Oxford 2059 who gets stuck in London in 2009.
Great fusion and world-building of both worlds involved. Clever plotting and backstories.
Paradox and Splinters by pickledfingers : On AO3 | On ff.net
Sherlock/John | PG-13 | ~3,500 words
The first time John catches eyes with Sherlock, he is young and on his first Watch. John doesn't miss the spark of recognition in those grey eyes.
The first time Sherlock catches eyes with John, he has just finished a chemistry degree and is sitting in a cafe to celebrate. The older, haggard face isn't one he knows, but he'll accept a nod and a raised glass from the stranger.
Interesting plotting and metaphysics and a little bit heartbreaking. John and Sherlock love each other so much it hurts.
Before the Time of Angels by PlotDotOh and radial_symmetry : On AO3
Sherlock/John | PG-13 | ~17,000 words
John Watson has a run-in with a weeping angel, and gets sent 33 years into the past.
Fascinating treatment of the Weeping Angel mythos; origins; and strange loops. And love, of course-A vicious motivator.
Undoing Fate by sator_square : On LJ | On AO3 | On Dreamwidth
Mycroft/Jim | PG-13 | ~30,000 words
Mycroft will do anything bring Sherlock back to life, even if that means rewriting history itself. However, preventing Jim from becoming his arch-enemy may prove to be more difficult than it seems.
Cause, effect, and Mycroft. Another set of divisions on a ground that vary in fascinating ways with a satisfying (albeit possibly precarious) resolution.
Interred with their Bones by ahn_chan (Ani) : On LJ | On AO3
Sherlock/John | R | ~650 words
"What if the skull is John's? I don't mean that the skull is John's possession. I mean that it is John's actual skull."
Yes, indeed. What if?
Elsewhere by sea_lilis : On LJ
Sherlock/John | PG | ~3,000 words
Sherlock falls out of a wardrobe.
A perfectly Sherlock approach to that applewood wardrobe, with additional clever winks to Narnia.
Waiting to be Known by soera : On LJ
Sherlock/John | R | ~7,400 words
John Watson has been saving Sherlock's life for a very long time, even if he doesn't know it.
The depth of feeling that John and Sherlock have for each other is key in this story; although they hurt, the way they look out for each other is amazing.
The Great Puzzle by soera : On LJ
Sherlock/John | R | ~33,500 words
Sherlock has never encountered a more interesting puzzle than Dr John Watson.
There's a lot of familiar material in the very first part of this, but it's set in Sherlock's POV to compensate for that, and pretty soon there are hints that not all is as it seems-veers from Season One canon in very interesting ways, and with an original plot.
I've only included completed fics in this list, though admittedly for a certain value of "complete"-any borderline cases are noted if you know that will bother you! (For content warnings, please check headers of linked works; I've not listed them here.)
[Rec List: Messing about with Time]
World on His Wrist Series by bendingsignpost : On LJ | On AO3
Sherlock/John | NC-17 | ~67,000 words (two stories)
First, he is shot in Afghanistan. Second, he wakes to a phone call in Chelmsford, Essex. Third is pain, fourth is normalcy, fifth is agony and sixth is confusion. By the eighth, he's lost track. (John-centric AU)
This series takes two of my fan fiction tropes-timey-wimey shenanigans and alternate histories-multiplies each of them by a factor of several, and deftly juggles the results in a very interesting way. Great action and characterisation.
Each main story arc in this series is complete, although the series as a whole may not be. Also note that the author also has a few spin-off stories from this verse (on his LJ) that aren’t part of the main narrative.
A Beginner’s Guide to Apiology by VictoryCandescence : On AO3
Sherlock/John, Mary/John (minor) | R | ~11,000 words
John and Sherlock meet for the first time as old men in Sussex.
This is a truly beautiful story; John and Sherlock are written with such warmth and insight into their characters and life stories that I'd be recommending it somewhere even if it didn't have a bit of a timey-wimey twist to make it even more agreeable.
Wee Doctor Series by americanjedi (thursdayplaid) : On AO3 | On ff.net
John | PG-13 | ~227,000 words (whole series)
Dr. John Watson is turned into an eight year old child, dealing with Sherlock who doesn't know him in a world where he was never born. He's a little stressed out, but he's got his priorities straight.
Delightful gen adventure story with appearances from all my favourite canon characters, plus a few more that the author fleshes out in her AU. I really like the sense of distorted reality that emerges, as well as the showcase of John's amazing and resourceful capability in a tight spot.
To Rubble and Decay by anchors (burninganchors) : On AO3 | On ff.net
Sherlock/John | PG-13 | ~6,300 words
“You’re John.” He pauses, frowns. “But not my John.”
The man - John - quirks his lips into a smile. “No. But I was.”
Sherlock receives a visit from an old friend, who has both words of advice and words with which to say goodbye.
What it says on the tin, and nicely done.
Groundhog Day, Sherlock Style by anon : On LJ
Sherlock/John | PG-13 | ~1,600 words
Action! In-character interactions! Sherlock is smart! And John's day is Very, Very Long.
John’s Midnight Garden by anon : On LJ
Sherlock/John | PG | ~11,000 words
Tom's Midnight Garden fusion.
This fic does a good job of recreating the dreamy atmosphere of Tom's Midnight Garden, and translating its concept into the Sherlock verse. I really enjoyed the way it unfolded with clever details.
The Baker Street Flat by anon : On LJ
Sherlock/John | PG | ~5,000 words
The Lake House fusion
There's lovely chemistry in this despite the physical remove between John and Sherlock for most of the story. Very engagingly written, and stands alone without any knowledge of The Lake House movie (I've not seen it myself).
The Long Three by anon : On LJ
Sherlock/John | PG-13 | ~4,600 words
John is the Doctor's son. Cue Sherlock being endlessly fascinated.
Deftly put together crossover featuring Christmas dinner with John's family. The story isn't marked as complete, but ends at a pretty natural stopping point.
Untitled by anon : On LJ
John and Sherlock | PG-13 | ~1,800 words
John is transported to Sherlock’s childhood home, twenty years in the past. He's absolutely shocked at young Sherlock's reactions to, well, everything. Especially when John tries to touch him.
An interesting development of the premise, also featuring Mycroft.
At Your Finger Ends by tartanfics : On AO3
Sherlock and John | PG-13 | ~7,400 words
John has always wanted to be a historian. He was born in 2020, so he grew up hearing about developments in time travel technology and theory. For John, history is mostly about the adventure. Fusionfic with Connie Willis’s Oxford University time travel novels (Doomsday Book, To Say Nothing of the Dog, etc.), which you don’t need to have read to understand this. John is a time traveller from Oxford 2059 who gets stuck in London in 2009.
Great fusion and world-building of both worlds involved. Clever plotting and backstories.
Paradox and Splinters by pickledfingers : On AO3 | On ff.net
Sherlock/John | PG-13 | ~3,500 words
The first time John catches eyes with Sherlock, he is young and on his first Watch. John doesn't miss the spark of recognition in those grey eyes.
The first time Sherlock catches eyes with John, he has just finished a chemistry degree and is sitting in a cafe to celebrate. The older, haggard face isn't one he knows, but he'll accept a nod and a raised glass from the stranger.
Interesting plotting and metaphysics and a little bit heartbreaking. John and Sherlock love each other so much it hurts.
Before the Time of Angels by PlotDotOh and radial_symmetry : On AO3
Sherlock/John | PG-13 | ~17,000 words
John Watson has a run-in with a weeping angel, and gets sent 33 years into the past.
Fascinating treatment of the Weeping Angel mythos; origins; and strange loops. And love, of course-A vicious motivator.
Undoing Fate by sator_square : On LJ | On AO3 | On Dreamwidth
Mycroft/Jim | PG-13 | ~30,000 words
Mycroft will do anything bring Sherlock back to life, even if that means rewriting history itself. However, preventing Jim from becoming his arch-enemy may prove to be more difficult than it seems.
Cause, effect, and Mycroft. Another set of divisions on a ground that vary in fascinating ways with a satisfying (albeit possibly precarious) resolution.
Interred with their Bones by ahn_chan (Ani) : On LJ | On AO3
Sherlock/John | R | ~650 words
"What if the skull is John's? I don't mean that the skull is John's possession. I mean that it is John's actual skull."
Yes, indeed. What if?
Elsewhere by sea_lilis : On LJ
Sherlock/John | PG | ~3,000 words
Sherlock falls out of a wardrobe.
A perfectly Sherlock approach to that applewood wardrobe, with additional clever winks to Narnia.
Waiting to be Known by soera : On LJ
Sherlock/John | R | ~7,400 words
John Watson has been saving Sherlock's life for a very long time, even if he doesn't know it.
The depth of feeling that John and Sherlock have for each other is key in this story; although they hurt, the way they look out for each other is amazing.
The Great Puzzle by soera : On LJ
Sherlock/John | R | ~33,500 words
Sherlock has never encountered a more interesting puzzle than Dr John Watson.
There's a lot of familiar material in the very first part of this, but it's set in Sherlock's POV to compensate for that, and pretty soon there are hints that not all is as it seems-veers from Season One canon in very interesting ways, and with an original plot.