Proof that the remaining 10% is worth dying and getting cryorevived for here.
These are recommendations made by Tropers for Vorkosigan Saga 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 and Websites
- Recommended by Tropers/Scifantasy
- The primary source for Bujold fanfic these days, and well worth an exploration.
Vorkosigan fanfic on Archive of Our Own
- Recommended by Yrfeloran
- Presently the primary archive used by Vorkosigan fanfic writers, containing well over 600 fics in the fandom.
Pater Patriae by Philomytha
- Recommended by Battle Hamster
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: A series of three conversations between Gregor and Simon: one shortly after his twentieth birthday, one after Warrior's Apprentice, and one after The Vor Game.
- Comments: The characterization in this fic is excellent; Philomytha writes Simon very well in general, and Gregor's growth between the three scenes is well done.
Forward Momentum by bracketyjack (canon to A Civil Campaign and "Winterfair Gifts", but AU to Diplomatic Immunity)
- Recommended by Elizabeth, Jonn, and Warrior Drgn Mage
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: A Terran scientist comes to Lord Auditor Miles Vorkosigan with an hypothesis which could change the laws of reality itself. Miles uses it to bring about an unprecedented era of peace and prosperity for the Imperium...
- Comments : The author tried to imagine a Peaceful Vorkosiverse. You could think it would be boring. But, thanks to lovely characterization and an interesting plot, it's not. Forward Momentum is followed by four tail pieces also available on bracketyjack's LJ.
- It was doing so well right up until The Two Ivans, when
Unfortunate Implications came into play. To wit, Ivan does not want to marry two woman who have both proposed to him and are perfectly okay with polygamy. He does, however, want to secretly marry another woman and run away before the first two find out. He is forced to marry all three. And not in the P. G. Wodehouse hilarious misunderstanding fashion either; the first two find out, show up, and negotiate their positions with the third, without any input from Ivan, backed by Imperial pressure. From both Emperors. While Ivan was in the wrong on a lot of points, that doesn't make it okay to force him into what's basically a Shotgun Wedding. Basically, you might want to skip that story, since it seems more about torturing Ivan than anything else. —Jonn- I also dislike the Two Ivans and recommend skipping it as well. Elizabeth
- Me three. I only read through it the first time reading the series. It really doesn't make much sense to why Ivan would do that. The whole story just irritates me because I don't think it's fair to Ivan. Warrior Drgn Mage
- It was doing so well right up until The Two Ivans, when
''Offerings by Raven (singlecrow)
- Recommended by Newt
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Some things, animal, vegetable, mineral, embarrassing, intangible, literary, priceless, that Gregor received as gifts while Emperor of Barrayar.
Tides of Stars by Tel-Writing
- Recommended by Pacifist
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: AU. After a shocking catastrophe, an older Miles Vorkosigan is again on the run, forced to survive in the past by his wits alone. He can't afford to lose, but to win he must overcome historical inevitability, the laws of physics, and himself.
- Comments : The story starts slow but comes into it's own with the interplay of future Miles, past Miles, and Mark. The second story of the series "We All Want to Change the World" is even better.
Warrior's Apprentice: Scenes from the Other Side by avanti_90
- Recommended by Star Bright
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: What was happening on Barrayar while Miles was off accidentally creating the Dendarii.
- Comments: Not much action, but very tense—gives the impression that Barrayar came this close to collapsing into civil war. Also great to see Gregor's perspective; he's portrayed sympathetically, even though in some ways he's an antagonist.
Mission Reports by Gwynne
- Recommended by Newt
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Simon Illyan edits Miles's Dendarii report.
- Comments: Very funny. Contains a list translating Miles speak into what really happened. Eg- "In accordance with mission objectives… = He decided to follow orders, at least for a while."
The Importance of Being Edited by shimotsuki
- Recommended by Mossy Stone
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis Simon Illyan edits Miles' fanfiction.
- Comments Really funny and in character
The Will of the People by Gwynne
- Recommended by cliffc999
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Miles and Gregor share a moment as they await the voting results of Barrayar's first planet-wide free election, the founding vote of a Barrayaran Republic.
- Comments: One can only imagine the expressions on the Betan voting observers' faces.
Protective Coloration by a_t_rain
- Recommended by Taeya
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: The trials and tribulations of Byerly Vorrutyer's Impsec training officer.
- Comments: Extremely funny, and captures By very well. Literally everything I like about this character, condensed down.
Shelter and Solace by Dira Sudis
- Recommended by Newt
- Status: Complete
- Synopis: "We will go to Beta Colony. I have some family there, I think, and—a friend."
- Comments: When Escobar doesn't go as planned and Serg survives, Aral and Gregor flee to Beta.
Just Another Family Dinner by Gwynne
- Recommended by Reader At 2046
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Ivan neatly laying out how incompetent House Arqua's younger generation are.
- Comments:
Now is the winter of our discontent... by Gwynne
- Recommended by Reader At 2046
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: "This one was inspired by lareinenoire's Winter ficathon request (I think): 'Anything. Seriously, anything. Although if you really want to make me squee, tell me about Miles' first encounter with Richard III.'"
- Comments: A hilarious look into Miles' first encounter with Richard III. Miles is, as usual, one step ahead; and, again as usual, doesn't realize until too late that that one step ahead has taken him off the edge of a cliff.
peace and quiet by alessandriana
- Recommended by Dalmindor
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Ivan stops an unusual attack against Gregor in typical reluctant Ivan fashion. He winds up with anaphylaxis for his troubles, because of course he does.
- Comments: An excellent little story with a self-contained plot and very good character voices. Gives a brief look into Ivan and Gregor’s relationship dynamic, which is always fun.
Crossovers
Electric Blue by Blaise
- Recommended by trimeta
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Amy asked to visit a planet with horses, but she didn't count on getting involved in an Imperial plot on Barrayar.
- Comments: Vorkosigan Saga/Doctor Who crossover, where the Doctor and the Ponds get more than they bargained for while visiting Barrayar.
On the Desk of Simon Illyan by pendrecarc
- Recommended by whimsyful
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Crossover with the Queen's Thief series. In which the Dendarii Free Mercenaries go somewhat beyond the bounds of their mission, the Queen of Attolia gains an admirer, and the chickens of Aral Vorkosigan's misspent youth come home to, er, roost. Crack-fic or crossover of alarming plausibility? You decide! Set somewhere between Cetaganda and Mirror Dance, and after A Conspiracy of Kings
A Study in Brown and Silver by Mossy Stone
- Recommended by whimsyful
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: A crossover with Sherlock, where Sherlock is a High Vor. Has sequels here and here
Shipping Fics
Stories focused on the romantic relationships between the cast.A Deeper Season by Sahiya and Lightgetsin (AU)
- Recommended by Battle Hamster
- Status: Complete
- Pairing: Miles/Gregor
- Synopsis: Gregor and Miles deal with the promise of a new technology that may affect their personal lives along with the galaxy as a whole - while dealing with a lot of politics - and courting each other.
- Comments: There's an interesting plot and good characterization. There is also a sequel, What Passing Bells, and both writers have written shorter stories set in the same universe. Everything is here.
The Rules of Barrayaran Sex by Philomythia.
- Recommended by Voodoo Child
- Status: Complete
- Pairing: Aral/Cordelia
- Synopsis: Cordelia's never been good at following rules.
- Comments: Hilarious, spot-on in-character look at some of the little (and notably calmer) moments in Aral and Cordelia's marriage. The Cordelia voice is just perfectly deadpan, and this troper might have ruptured something laughing during the "Lord Regent in his underwear" scene.
Imperial Bedrooms by hedda62
- Recommended by Calatoria
- Status: Complete
- Pairing: The main pairing is Gregor/Laisa, but there are little flashback scenes involving various other couples (Piotr/Olivia, Ges/Aral, Aral/Cordelia, and Simon/Alys)
- Synopsis: Laisa and Gregor explore the Residence and each other. raising ghosts along the way.
- Comments: Very sweet and sad at times, though it ends on a hopeful note. All the characterization is spectacular, and the side stories are seamlessly woven together with the main plot.
