Not from Archie and Horatio's epic "drinking Portsmouth dry" party. Notice Mr Bush.
Image courtesy of katriona_s from following-sea
. Used with permission.
. Used with permission.Proof that the remaining 10% is worth dying for here.
These are recommendations made by Tropers for Horatio Hornblower fanfics, 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, webpages and meta discussion
Archieology 101 by Catherine- Recommended by: XFllo
- Synopsis: An academic symposium dedicated to the character Archie Kennedy. The aim of the webpage is to study and appreciate Archie, explore his origins and development as a television character with special regard for his status of a Breakout Character, to recommend his many subsequent literary manifestations, and to admire and discuss his many charms. Fair share of snarky commentary.
- Tags: Gushing About Characters You Like, MST, Fanon
"Hornblower Commentaries" by FlirtyFroggy
- Recommended by: XFllo
- Pairing: Hornblower/Kennedy (mentioned), Kennedy/Wellard (mentioned)
- Synopsis: Both affectionate and snarky reviews/commentaries on five episodes of Hornblower, very much Archie-centric, but with lots of love for Captain Pellew, Major Edrington, Matthews and Horatio. As the author puts it: "I mock because I care."
- Tags: MST, Gushing About Characters You Like, Slash Fic (mostly for the lolz)
Two Evil Monks on Hornblower by Two Evil Monks ephian and KueiLuola
- Recommended by: XFllo
- Status: Dead note
- Synopsis: Fan page with information about Hornblower films, characters, recaps and picture spams of the first six movies with words of love, wisdom and snark. Their fan speak is very close to TV Tropes. Authors' introductory words: "In the time known as the Dark Ages, monks were the ones responsible for copying and illustrating books. In our modern cybernetic times, Two Evil Monks continue that tradition of "illumination", preserving words and pictures on these web pages for the enjoyment of others."
- Tags: MST
Shipper's Manifesto: "I Won't Survive If You Don't Help Me" by tanacawyr
- Recommended by: XFllo
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: The essay introduces Horatio/Archie ship and argues what's so great about it, and why Ah'chie and H'ratio are in a class by themselves among Slash pairings.
- Pairing: Horatio/Archie
- Tags: Slash Fic, Hurt/Comfort Fic
Fan Vids
"Hornblower Spoof" by Crystal .Erin (acoupleanutcases)
- Recommended by XFllo
- Synopsis: Horatio is worried about his emo boyfriend Archie, who is ill. Hunter judges them for being gay, but he still enjoys watching. Archie gets anxious about a mysterious lady and thinks Horatio might be involved with her. Horatio gets drunk. Cut to the Renown days. Our guys enjoy watching some sexy action, but later Horatio tops it. Captain Sawyer disapproves and puts Horatio to irons. Cliff top striptease follows. Hilarious parody, making fun especially of Ho Yay and Mr Fanservice-y moments. The cuts are from "The Duchess and the Devil", "Mutiny" and "Retribution".
- Pairing: Archie/Horatio, possibly One True Threesome Archie/Horatio/William Bush
- Tags: Slash Fic, Meta Fic, Breaking the Fourth Wall, Affectionate Parody, Cast Full of Gay
"Brokeback Hornblower" by Crystal .Erin (acoupleanutcases)
- Recommended by: XFllo
- Synopsis: Horatio/Archie slash paired with music from Brokeback Mountain
- Pairing: Horatio Hornblower/Archie Kennedy
- Tags: Slash Fic
"Fav Hornblower Scenes" by Makani, compiled by Kitty Hawk
- Recommended by: XFllo
- Synopsis: A very fine selection of funny moments from the second and third series. Some of them were funny intentionally. Some of them were funny accidentally. The author's comments and title cards are priceless.
- Tags: MST, Funny Moments
General Fanfiction
"Astra Major" by FlirtyFroggy- Recommended by: XFllo
- Crossover with: Battlestar Galactica (2003)
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Archie Kennedy is transferred to a weird place and keeps waiting for his doppelgänger. Later he is joined by his friend Horatio Hornblower, and they keep waiting together. Horatio wonders if they are still alive and what kind of strange level of existence they are on. Jamie Bamber was once informed by his fans that they liked to live in a fantasy world where Archie had not in fact died, and he was asked about his theory on how Archie had survived his seemingly-fatal wound. Jamie replied: "So when they carried his corpse away, aliens came down and resuscitated him, and now he's living on Astra Major in some other galaxy. And maybe Lee Adama will come across him, and asks: 'What the hell is going on with you, Arch?'" This answer inspired the author to write her story. Several readers expressed its affinity to Waiting for Godot, which she originally had not read and was later freaked out by the similarity.
- Tags: Gen Fic, Fix Fic, Doppelgänger Crossover
- Recommended by: XFllo
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Prequel to "The Even Chance". Midshipman Jack Simpson, a sadistic abuser, reflects on his relationship to Midshipman Archie Kennedy. Very dark story involving Rape as Drama and Rape as Backstory and other disturbing tropes.
- Tags: Dark Fic
"Jack's Boy"
by Donna Immaculata- Recommended by: XFllo
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Prequel to "The Even Chance". Another take on sexual abuse of Archie from Jack Simpson.
- Tags: Dark Fic, Rape as Drama, Rape as Backstory
"A Skerry Story"
by Pam- Recommended by: XFllo
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: It's Halloween and Archie and Horatio are on shore leave in Cornwall. On a beach, Horatio rescues a mysterious waif...
- Pairings: Horatio/Nerissa (OC)
- Tags: Original Character, Fandom-Specific Plot (shore leave fic, mythological creature fic), Halloween Episode
Shipping Fic
"Nunc Atque Semper" by bbcphile- Recommended by: XFllo
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: During their three years of marriage, Maria Mason had learned to weather Horatio's extended absences, changeable moods, and occasionally sharp temper, and to steer clear of the storms as best she could. That is, until she found the men’s wedding bands and love poetry from an A.K. that Horatio had hidden in his desk.
- Pairings: Horatio Hornblower/Archie Kennedy, Horatio Hornblower/Maria Mason
- Tags: Slash Fic, Prompt Fic, Angst, Hurt/Comfort Fic
Half Jack by faantine
- Recommended by: XFllo
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: First World War AU + eldritch elements. This story starts in 1915, roughly alongside the Battle of Loos and after Dogger Bank. Horatio and Archie are Sub-Lieutenants instead of midshipmen, because midshipmen by this stage were officer cadets moreso than actually out on active service. Retelling of the TV verse with some major changes.
- Pairings: Horatio Hornblower/Archie Kennedy, William Bush/Horatio Hornblower, threesome William Bush/Horatio Hornblower/Archie Kennedy
- Tags: Alternate Universe Fic, Historical AU, Slash Fic
Much Ado About Shakespeare: Love's Labours Won by bbcphile
- Recommended by: XFllo
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: The fic is set after the episode "The Frogs and the Lobsters". Archie and Horatio return to England after the miserable mission in Muzillac and are granted 50 hours of shore leave they intend to spend together. Archie annoys Horatio with his quoting Shakespeare excessively. Horatio proposes a bet. Can Archie "speak in Shakespeare" for 6 hours? Lots of puns, lots of quotes (at times very lengthy), lots of love for the Bard.
- Pairings: Horatio Hornblower/Archie Kennedy, Archie Kennedy & William Shakespeare
- Tags: Slash Fic (pre-slash), Hurt/Comfort Fic, Fandom-Specific Plot (short leave, Archie & Shakespeare, Archie/Simpson backstory)
"When the Wind is Southerly" by inlovewithnight
- Recommended by: XFllo
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Horatio and Archie live together in a house on Archie's father's estate. It would be bliss if Horatio didn't miss sea and if they didn't have to deal with a serious illness... Mr Bush visits.
- Pairings: Horatio Hornblower/Archie Kennedy
- Tags: Slash Fic, Hurt/Comfort Fic, Fandom-Specific Plot (Archie and Horatio live together as lovers)
Series My personal canon - I need to believe, ok?
by Paraxdisepink- Recommended by: XFllo
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: The universe where Archie Kennedy survives and that Kingston kangaroo court crap is sorted out. It starts in the Spanish prison when Archie and Horatio reunite and get close. Back on the "Indy", Horatio tries to help Archie study for his lieutenant’s exam. They are transferred to the Renown and must deal with Sawyer's craziness. Followed by an adventure story on the high seas involving masks, privateers, secret identities and all that good stuff. Horatio refuses his promotion and quits the Navy. The ex-Navy boys enjoy one night of relative hopefulness and serenity before they must leave Portsmouth. Archie visits his family to tell them he's alive. Horatio awaits the wrath of Archie's father after the family learns of Archie's circumstances. In the next part, Horatio's mental state is improving only to encounter weirdness on All Hallow's Eve. Two years to the day after the trial in Kingston, Admiral Pellew pays a certain person a little visit. Everybody hopes to find their peace of mind.
- Pairings: Horatio Hornblower/Archie Kennedy, others (implied, suspected, one-sided crushes)
- Tags: Slash Fic (some parts NSFW), Fix Fic, Hurt/Comfort Fic, Fandom-Specific Plot (Spanish prison fic, Archie/Simpson backstory fic, brilliant surgeon fic, Archie loves Shakespeare/theatre fic, Horatio and Archie leave the Navy fic, Archie's family and Edrington are friends fic, Horatio and Archie live together as lovers fic), Halloween Episode
