* br-r-rp…br-r-rp br-r-rp*
SNAKE: This is Solid Snake. Your reply, please.
COLONEL: Good, Snake - you're in position. I'm not going to lie to you: this may be the most dangerous mission of your life.
SNAKE: I'm listening...
COLONEL: You'll need to infiltrate the darkest recesses of the Metal Gear fandom, and retrieve a fic that is actually worth reading.
SNAKE: Fan... fic? You mean those horrible stories about us that nerds with no life like to write?
MEI-LING: That's right, Snake. You need to be extremely cautious in your judgement. Remember what Theodore Sturgeon said: "90% of everything is crap."
SNAKE: Right, Sturgeon's Law.
OTACON: You'll be working alongside a rogue military group known as "The Tropers", who have already amassed a large collection of works.
SNAKE: So what happens if I actually find something I like?
OTACON: You can add it to the list, but remember to use the template found on the Main FanFic Recs Page. You can also expand the notes about the fanfic, or link to similar or related ones. And finally, please, refrain from posting Conversation in the Main Page though; that goes in the discussion page.
SNAKE: So, no Conversation in the Main Page?
OTACON: That's right; all conversations need to go in the discussion page.
SNAKE: Got it. I'm beginning the operation now.
SNAKE: This is Solid Snake. Your reply, please.
COLONEL: Good, Snake - you're in position. I'm not going to lie to you: this may be the most dangerous mission of your life.
SNAKE: I'm listening...
COLONEL: You'll need to infiltrate the darkest recesses of the Metal Gear fandom, and retrieve a fic that is actually worth reading.
SNAKE: Fan... fic? You mean those horrible stories about us that nerds with no life like to write?
MEI-LING: That's right, Snake. You need to be extremely cautious in your judgement. Remember what Theodore Sturgeon said: "90% of everything is crap."
SNAKE: Right, Sturgeon's Law.
OTACON: You'll be working alongside a rogue military group known as "The Tropers", who have already amassed a large collection of works.
SNAKE: So what happens if I actually find something I like?
OTACON: You can add it to the list, but remember to use the template found on the Main FanFic Recs Page. You can also expand the notes about the fanfic, or link to similar or related ones. And finally, please, refrain from posting Conversation in the Main Page though; that goes in the discussion page.
SNAKE: So, no Conversation in the Main Page?
OTACON: That's right; all conversations need to go in the discussion page.
SNAKE: Got it. I'm beginning the operation now.
Page Reconfiguration in Progress: Fanfic Recommendations is being split into pages for each individual series, so help is needed to classify each entry into the appropriate category, and to format it according to the template.
Authors, and Websites
- Recommended by xyzzy, Arsenal Tengu
- Well-written tales of love and melancholy and life and death and angst and beauty; predominantly Snake/Otacon. So good this troper can't really think of anything more coherent to type here. Or maybe that's because it's four-thirty in the morning. Broken, Light a Candle, and Through a Glass Darkly in particular are highly recommended.
- Seconded by Arsenal Tengu. Excellent writer with a unique and haunting style.
Peachi's Works
- All of the following links have been compiled and temporarily moved by the author to here
. - Let's Destroy Metal Gear! (Metal Gear Solid)
- Let's Destroy Metal Gear again! (Metal Gear Solid 2)
- ''Let's Destroy the Shagohod! (Metal Gear Solid 3'')
- Let's Defeat the FOX Unit!
- Recommended by Hanz, Extraintrovert, Salty Wound, Premier 666, gzl5000, xyzzy, Alloflifedecays, Enunciability, Zero XSEED
- Short comics parodying each of the games, starting with Let's Destroy Metal Gear. The comics often feature the main characters of the games as the Only Sane Man dealing with either the insanity and absurdity of the characters or the plot itself.
- Seconded by Extraintrovert, so hard, forever and ever. Absolutely anything Liquid or Volgin says is brilliance, and Ocelot is adorably pathetic.
- Thirded by Salty Wound. I haven't laughed so hard in years. Every other panel is an instant classic.
- Fourthed (?) by Premier 666. Every single panel is an hilarious reaction image. Left me laughing for hours.
- Fifthted by gzl5000. Hiimdaisy has a knack for distilling catchphrases into their purest, most hilarious form. "BRRRRRRROTHER!" Add another layer of hilarity by reading Snake's lines in David Hayter's voice in your head.
- Sixthed by xyzzy. Hilarious, yes, and don't forget that the art is adorable.
- Seventhed by charliebigpotato. Young Ocelot in particular is a work of genius, as are ALL of Volgin's facial expressions.
- Eh, kinda all gone . . .
- Rejoice for it's been salvaged -Zero XSEED
- All four comics have been dubbed by Broad Spectrum Studios, with their own additional jokes. The voice acting is top notch, and vastly help the comics's enjoyment. -Tomodachi
- Seconded by Extraintrovert, so hard, forever and ever. Absolutely anything Liquid or Volgin says is brilliance, and Ocelot is adorably pathetic.
- Recommended by Occam
- Synopsis: A group of near-hopeless Mercenaries from the timeline of Metal Gear Solid 4 are forced to re-visit the timelines of the older games in order to 'repair' a time-rip which threatens the universe, while having to protect the necessary characters. The blog is currently half-way through the first game, and earlier in it's development it put up a series of stories concerning the actual Mercenaries themselves.
- Comments: Written as a Script Fic format. The story itself, in light of a storyline which sounds absolutely confusing, is incredibly funny a lot of the time. A Gary Stu who is completely hopeless, an obese soldier, several lunatics (including one who has been implied as having escaped from a Mental Institution) and a talking Penguin are among the highlights concerning the characters. The Fanfic also does a good job at following the actual story itself, although it does have a tendency to get confusing at times. It also does not focus solely on characters from the games, the titular characters are the protagonists of this Fic (so it seems) The story is also loaded with Take Thats, Shout Outs, Lampshade Hanging and lots more.
SNAKE: Otacon, what are these "General Fics?"
OTACON: A General Fic is a story focused on the family and/or the various friendly relationships of the cast, like plot-focused stories or light day-in-the-life stories. They're pretty much anything that isn't focused on romance.
SNAKE: So..."Snake, Otacon, And Sunny Go To Disneyworld" would be a General Fic?
OTACON: Well, that would be a one-shot. But the category also includes novelizations, and even multi-part epics! Reading is fundamental, Snake!
SNAKE: ...
OTACON: A General Fic is a story focused on the family and/or the various friendly relationships of the cast, like plot-focused stories or light day-in-the-life stories. They're pretty much anything that isn't focused on romance.
SNAKE: So..."Snake, Otacon, And Sunny Go To Disneyworld" would be a General Fic?
OTACON: Well, that would be a one-shot. But the category also includes novelizations, and even multi-part epics! Reading is fundamental, Snake!
SNAKE: ...
- Recommended by Palindromee
- Status: Incomplete
- Pairings: Background Solid Snake/Otacon
- Synopsis: "AU where Raiden joins Philanthropy and lives with Snake and Otacon after saving Sunny. Raiden-centric, set between 2 and 4."
- Comments: Though it's not complete yet, this fic tackles the missing period of time between 2 and 4 that MGSR would have tackled, and it does a good job of it, especially working to make Raiden a (gasp) likable character without shoehorning anything in or dipping into OOC. It's not a Dead Fic as the author is still actively writing it, just... very slowly.
Haemoglobin by jacob
- Recommended by Palindromee
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: None
- Synopsis: "Raiden-centric, pre-MGS4. From human to monster."
- Comments: A fantastic and vividly realistic look at the circumstances in which Raiden became a cyborg. It's gripping from beginning to end without veering into depressing territory, and ends bittersweetly.
- Recommended by Redneck Rocker
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: The Boss/The Sorrow
- Synopsis: Explores more about the past between the Cobra Unit during World War II, especially focusing on The Boss and The Sorrow. Long, but interesting.
- Comments: A bit long, but otherwise extremely well-researched and written. The author obviously does their best to make the characters three-dimensional. Goes into more detail about The Sorrow's death at the hands of The Boss, and the birth of their son (AKA Ocelot).
- This fic came so highly recommended that I feel terrible that it was disappointing. The supposed research had so many flaws that even a casually World War II-literate reader would be frustrated. The dialogue was flat and stilted, and there was hardly any characterization. Most of what was there relied on Doomed by Canon as a means to elicit an emotional response. My theory is that this is an important fic mostly because it was the first finished long-form Cobra Unit fic published online. Although it's rather newer (only a few months old), the fic The Joy of Battle: Historical Espionage Action seems to be doing a much better job of telling a similar story so far. If it is completed in the near future, I'll probably add it as a rec.
- This fic came so highly recommended that I feel terrible that it was disappointing. The supposed research had so many flaws that even a casually World War II-literate reader would be frustrated. The dialogue was flat and stilted, and there was hardly any characterization. Most of what was there relied on Doomed by Canon as a means to elicit an emotional response. My theory is that this is an important fic mostly because it was the first finished long-form Cobra Unit fic published online. Although it's rather newer (only a few months old), the fic The Joy of Battle: Historical Espionage Action
- Recommended by Lady Nomad
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: No real pairings here.
- Synopsis: Eva was searching for Naked Snake's supplies to give back to him. There, she discovered what lengths Major Ocelot will go to understand his nemesis. He will even eat live green frogs.
- Comments: This is a very funny story that takes canon and runs with it. Everyone is in character and it shows that weird chemistry that Eva and Major Ocelot have.
Tactical Idiocy Action by DarkGidora
- Recommended by Big Daddy P
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: As much of it as there is in the first game (Snake/Meryl, Otacon/wolf)
- ''Synopsis: A humourous rehash of Metal Gear Solid full of humour, lampshading, and running gags.
- Comments: Funny parody of Metal Gear Solid. The author (DarkGidora) is well aware of the Fridge Logic and points out everything wrong. Snake is great here as a Deadpan Snarker, and Roy Campbell is drunk for most of the story (Meaning he now has an excuse for being vague and unhelpful).
The Night Ocelot Was Conceived by Evil Asian Genius and Greekhoop
- Recommended by Miss Monkeh
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: The Boss/The Sorrow
- ''Synopsis: A funny little one-shot focusing on The Sorrow's retelling of Ocelot's conception, with Ocelot as the audience.
- Comments: An underrated little fic. The author writes witty, snappy prose with a slightly surreal edge. It's as silly as it is fun.
Howling At The Moon
- Recommended by Silver Doe
- Vanished from the internet. Please post a link if found.
- Pairings: Onesided Wolf/Big Boss, Wolf/Liquid
- Synopsis: Basically, the story up to and including the events of Metal Gear Solid, told from the point of view of Sniper Wolf.
- Comments: Has several scenes that are very funny, and is overall an excellent fic. However, it does borrow a lot from The Last Days of FOXHOUND, including a few things that were jossed by MGS4.
- Recommended by The Wild West Pyro
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: Venom Snake/Quiet, hints of BB/Kaz, BB/Eva and BB/Ocelot.
- Synopsis: Set during Metal Gear 1 events, a major canon divergence occurs when somebody refuses to be forgotten within the pages of history.
- Comments: A brilliant alternate take on the events of MGS V and Metal Gear 1 that miraculously all fits onto a single page. Every character is well explained and fleshed out, and the author keeps the story very much in line with most of the canon.
I'll Pick Up Your Bones When I'm Done by Cephied Variable
- Recommended by The_Tactical_Orange
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: BB/Kaz
- Synopsis: A sprawling re-telling of the Metal Gear 1 and 2 era in an AU where Master Miller stayed on as Big Boss's Second-in-Command.
- Comments: This is hands down the most lovingly lore-heavy fic in Metal Gear fandom, full of little details and Easter Eggs that will please long time series fans. It's well-researched, well-written and one of the few fics out there where the Ho-Yay shipping elements are actually there to make a point in the plot. Brilliantly executed on all accounts, this fic feels so close to canon that it's almost like getting a sixth MGS game.
Tactical Espionage Action: Metal Gear Solid by Steven Hildreth Jr
- Recommended by Agent_B
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: An elite military unit takes over an obscure Alaskan nuclear disposal facility. They have threatened to launch a nuclear missile if the US government does not hand over the body of Big Boss. The only man who can successfully infiltrate the facility and thwart the terrorists' plans is the legendary Solid Snake. A novelization based off of the bestselling PlayStation game.
- Recommended by Zoic Alcelaphine
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: MGS3 “Do you always go around eating suspicious-looking frogs, sir?” EVA, Ocelot. Implied Snake Ocelot, courtesy of EVA’s runaway imagination. Spoilers, language, one-shot.
- Comments: A hilarious stort story where EVA and Ocelot talk about Snake's unusual eating habits.
SNAKE: Otacon, what are these..."Shipping Fics?"
OTACON: It's short for "Relationship", Snake. People write them to further expand the romantic (and even erotic) relationships between different members of the cast. It's how love can bloom, even on the battlefield!
SNAKE: It's blooming all over the place. You've got Meryl and me, Meryl and... Liquid, Meryl and... Ocelot? Ocelot and... young Ocelot? Me and... Big Boss?! Otacon, what the hell?!
OTACON: Just be glad you didn't get into the Metal Gear/Snake fic-
SNAKE: Arrrrrrgh!
OTACON: It's short for "Relationship", Snake. People write them to further expand the romantic (and even erotic) relationships between different members of the cast. It's how love can bloom, even on the battlefield!
SNAKE: It's blooming all over the place. You've got Meryl and me, Meryl and... Liquid, Meryl and... Ocelot? Ocelot and... young Ocelot? Me and... Big Boss?! Otacon, what the hell?!
OTACON: Just be glad you didn't get into the Metal Gear/Snake fic-
SNAKE: Arrrrrrgh!
Rising Sun by AtheneMiranda (M/F sex)
- Recommended by xyzzy, seconded by Charcoal, thirded by SuperGeekGirl
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: Boss/Sorrow
- Synopsis: The Sorrow reflects on a failed mission, the meaning of life and death, and gets it on with the Boss for the first time.
- Comments: Far more poignant and beautiful than my flippant summary suggests. A touching, poetic second-person tale where each sentence can barely contain the emotions of the words within. Seriously, it's so good I am tripping over my own lack of words to describe it.
- Absolutely agree. This fic is fantastically written, better than most published short stories.
Stray by Dahne. (Slash, non-graphic sexual content, Time Paradoxes.)
- Recommended by Floria
- Vanished from the internet. Please post a link if found.
- Pairings: Otacon/young!Ocelot (the character as he is in Metal Gear Solid 3)
- Synopsis: Otacon accidentally summons Major Ocelot forward in time (to a little after the MGS 2 era) with a homemade time machine. Ocelot learns about his future and doesn't like it much. Over seventy chapters' worth of plot, and eventual romance, ensue.
- Comments: Very long (enough to have multiple plot arcs), with elements of romance, drama, and quirky humor. The story is loaded with ShoutOuts, ContinuityNods, and quotable lines. For a story with a rather crackish premise, it takes itself fairly seriously and gives a lot of attention to individual psychology and character development. There's an Alternate Universe element in the later chapters. The tvtropes page for it is here with more detailed information.
Grenades by Argus Black. (Heavy slash, lasting injuries, violence towards civilians, and a bad-ass violent villain plan.)
- Recommended by DoingThisAgain
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: Otacon/Snake
- Synopsis: A maniacal villain's scheme blinds Snake, and Otacon is left to find a way to heal his friend, cover their trail, and figure out where he stands with his partner in the process.
- Comments: It's pretty long, but you'll be hooked in by the first chapter and it will not let you go until you've finished it. The villain is just crazy enough to fit in the MGS universe, and Snake is a wonderful mix of tough and tender, like a good piece of meat.
Circles and Paradoxes by fantasticpants.
- Recommended by DoctorDizzyspinner
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: Big Boss/Ocelot
- Synopsis: Various events in Ocelot's life, from admitting his feelings to Big Boss, to warning him to be careful in Outer Heaven.
- Comments: This fic came out before Metal Gear Solid V (Before Peace Walker, even!), and it does kind of show. That's not to say that's a bad thing, however — If you like Snake Eater, then this fic may be for you. The writing style certainly takes some getting used to, though. I personally just adore viewing things from Ocelot's perspective, and seeing how he's changed as a person from Snake Eater to Sons of Liberty is always rather nice. Honestly, if you're looking for good Bosselot stuff from before MGSV came out, then this is really high up there when it comes to quality.
Homo Homini by miloserdie.
- Recommended by Xemylixa (who had the honor of translating it to English)
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: Solid Snake/Gray Fox (+ one-sided Solid/Miller and background BB/Kaz)
- Synopsis: The story of how Solid Snake went to FOXHOUND, how Gray Fox went to Outer Heaven, and how everything went wrong.
- Comments: One of the most atmospheric and grounded MG fics I've seen. Set a year or so before Metal Gear 1. Detailed and believable worldbuilding, subtle characterization, memorable extras (Snake's pre-FOXHOUND squadmates are my favs), heartfelt and heartbreaking relationships between the main cast. Forgive my lack of US military vocabulary research during translation, if you can.
Crash Test by tangoromeo.
- Recommended by Xemylixa (who, again, had the honor of translating it to English)
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: Solid Snake/Kazuhira Miller
- Synopsis: Set post-MG2 in Alaska. Miller has to rescue Snake from a panic attack, leading to lots of driving, chatting, and some irreversible mutual soul-baring.
- Comments: A lovely, unhurried road trip of two people who maybe know each other a little too well for their own good. Dialogue surpasses "show don't tell", zooms right past "avoid As You Know situations" and crashes into a snowbank of "just let the reader be a fly on the wall for the whole thing, they can figure it out". Suicide is a prominent topic in this one, so keep in mind. Rereading recommended. Was a load of fun to translate.
???: Snake, watch out! There are crossover fics ahead. Use a Crap Detector!
SNAKE: What? Who is this?!
???: Just call me...Debbie Does Dallas. Actually, don't call me Debbie, 'else I'll kill you. Call me Deadpool.
SNAKE: Deadpool... so you're that "merc with a mouth?"
DEADPOOL: Hey - that's "The Merc With The Mouth", thank you very much!
SNAKE: ...right. Where's Otacon, and how did you get this channel?
DEADPOOL: You ever get one of those urges to break out the old phone directory and start dialing numbers at random to see who picks up? Me neither. I got it out of your husband here.
SNAKE: Wha—
DEADPOOL: Anyhoo, listen - crossover fics are where different characters and settings from different universes (franchises, if you want to be boring) are slammed together at high speed to make something that resembles something like either roadkill, or beautiful roadkill - like us!
SNAKE: Enough! Shut up and put Otacon back on, now!
DEADPOOL: Yeah...about that. See, we kinda got into a fight on the internet, and I kinda tracked him down and... kinda punched him so hard it broke his glasses. Plus his face.
(faint moaning)
DEADPOOL: 'Scuse me a sec. (aside) YOU LIE THERE IN THE CORNER AND THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU DID! SEPHIROTH WOULD TOTALLY SHIP WITH GARGAMEL AND EVERYONE KNOWS IT!
SNAKE: ...
SNAKE: What? Who is this?!
???: Just call me...Debbie Does Dallas. Actually, don't call me Debbie, 'else I'll kill you. Call me Deadpool.
SNAKE: Deadpool... so you're that "merc with a mouth?"
DEADPOOL: Hey - that's "The Merc With The Mouth", thank you very much!
SNAKE: ...right. Where's Otacon, and how did you get this channel?
DEADPOOL: You ever get one of those urges to break out the old phone directory and start dialing numbers at random to see who picks up? Me neither. I got it out of your husband here.
SNAKE: Wha—
DEADPOOL: Anyhoo, listen - crossover fics are where different characters and settings from different universes (franchises, if you want to be boring) are slammed together at high speed to make something that resembles something like either roadkill, or beautiful roadkill - like us!
SNAKE: Enough! Shut up and put Otacon back on, now!
DEADPOOL: Yeah...about that. See, we kinda got into a fight on the internet, and I kinda tracked him down and... kinda punched him so hard it broke his glasses. Plus his face.
(faint moaning)
DEADPOOL: 'Scuse me a sec. (aside) YOU LIE THERE IN THE CORNER AND THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU DID! SEPHIROTH WOULD TOTALLY SHIP WITH GARGAMEL AND EVERYONE KNOWS IT!
SNAKE: ...
Shield of the Patriots by MarsDragon
- Also on Fanfiction.Net.
- Recommended by Drgyen
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: The Howling Commandos and the Cobra Unit are called in to investigate and destroy a rumoured Nazi superweapon built with stolen HYDRA technology.
- Crossover with Captain America: The First Avenger
Let's Play Civilization V: Peace Walker. Wait, what? by Speedball
- Recommended by Tacitus
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Shortly after the events of Peace Walker, a monster storm washes Big Boss and his men onto the shores of a brave new world, where they must coexist or contend with some of history's most infamous and bloodthirsty leaders. Can this old soldier master the arts of diplomacy, economics and research to build a civilization that will stand the test of time? Or is he doomed to an eternity of violence? And just what the hell is going on here? A playthrough of Civilization V using the Militaires Sans Frontiers faction mod that shows what both it and the core game can do, and also includes narrative interludes describing Big Boss' battles against the other leaders that are crazy enough to be in a Metal Gear game.
On Missing Limbs by fallacies. Also found at SpaceBattles, Sufficient Velocity and Fanfiction.net
- Recommended by iridium9900
- Crossover with: Worm
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Three months after she was found in her locker, Taylor Hebert wakes up in a hospital room. A sequence of short scenes, meant largely to be humorous. Not actually a fic where Taylor triggers with an alternate set of powers.
Soldiers Without Borders: Valkyrur, by konamikode
- Recommended by Psyckosama
- Status: Dead
- Synopsis: During the Ground Zeroes event, Militaires Sans Frontières is transported through space and time to the coast of Gallia right before the dawn of the war. This was a quest detailing their recovery and integration into the brave new world in which they find themselves.
- Comments: This is a great example of MGS done right in the background of a war that needed to be fought. All the characters come off great and it includes many moments that just warm the heart or cause the heart to pound. Just to give potential readers something to look forward to, the scene with Isara, Snake, and Kaz really captures the spirit of the games (before the series went to hell), and Big Boss's speech when they offically enter the war will curl your hair. The politics is nice too, as people react to the newcomers.
Metal Gear Grail Wars, by TheCongo
- Spanish translation found at Metal Gear: Grail Wars (MGR:R X Fate Zero)
- Recommended by Pure Salty 101
- Crossover with: Fate Series
- Status: Ongoing
- Fate/Zero arc Finished | Unlimited Blade works arc: Beginning.
- Pairings: Undecided
- Synopsis: Forced into a war not his own, Raiden must adjust to a world of mages he never knew existed. Lost in time once again, Jack the Ripper must face historical legends large and small while trying to find himself, balancing the man and the killer trapped within the same mind, to discover who he truly is.
- Comments: This is an extremely well written story with chapters that exceed 10k words. A great fic to follow if you have the patience to wait months for every new chapter.
Kept You Waiting, Huh? by Felswinter
- Recommended by VictorioMWolff-Haddock
- Crossover with: Blue Archive
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: Venom Snake, body double and loyal soldier to the man once known as Naked Snake, has died, slain at the hands of the true Big Boss' unwanted progeny, Solid Snake. As he lay dying in the soon-to-be glassed Outer Heaven, a strange angel speaking of events yet to come begs him for salvation. And so it is that the Legend returns to life. But what good is a Legend in a world where no one knows your story?
- Comment: Venom Snake arrived in Kivotos with loads of armory and vehicles, but no crew. Accepting that the days of Diamond Dogs are over, he shall build a new team from scratch.
- Recommended by VictorioMWolff-Haddock
- Status: Complete
- Crossover with: Akame ga Kill!
- Summary: After a mission gone wrong Raiden has found himself at the Capital of the empire. it is there that Raiden has decided to dedicate his time and energy to fighting the corruption and protecting the weak. Will Raiden succeed or will the empire be too much the Raiden to handle? only time will tell.
- Comments: Despite his overwhelming power level, Raiden is sufficiently challenged in this new world. Plus, Esdeath is more obviously, glaringly evil than canon.
