Today I bring you the top 15 lesbian fanfiction stories because when I want a break from my list of books to review, I always turn to fan fiction. I choose which of my favourite characters from TV, film, books, or video games I want to read about, see them fall in love or deep lust, and maybe even right the wrongs of their original stories.
Update: We’ve been surprised and delighted to see all the love this list has received. Many readers have found us because of it and have asked a great question—where does a reader go from here? Each of the entries below has been updated to include a recommended lesfic book. I hope you like them! — Tara
As much as Sheena gently teases me for my fanfic-reading ways, she knows how much I love it, which is why she suggested I make this list. I don’t read in many fandoms, however, so I recruited some friends who love fanfic even more than I do: authors Lee Winter, KD Williamson, and G. Benson. These women have given me some of the best reading recommendations I’ve ever received, so who better to help? (Their profiles are at the bottom of the page)
Let’s be honest—with a sandpit as huge as fanfic, there was no way we could narrow it down to just 10, so this is a supersized top 15 list. Even still, many fandoms are missing because we haven’t read everything, including Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Legend of Korra, Grey’s Anatomy, Rizzoli and Isles, anything set in video game worlds, and many more. So forgive us—and better yet, give a shout out in The Lesbian Review Book Club to the excellent stories in your favourite fandoms.
[tweetthis]Check out these great lesbian fanfic stories [/tweetthis]
Note: click on the headings to link to the stories
The Best Fanfic Ever
Truth and Measure by Telanu
- The Devil Wears Prada
- Miranda Priestly/Andrea Sachs
- 271,584 words
All four of us love this story and it’s at the top of all of our lists. I heard about Truth and Measure on a podcast, and it CONSUMED MY LIFE for a week. I didn’t want to go to work, I may not have been as attentive to my kids as usual, and when I wasn’t reading Truth and Measure, I was thinking about it. If you read no other story, read this one, because it’s excellent.
Sample:
“I’ve never cared for yellow,” Miranda said absently as she looked over a spread. “So garish. Even in pastels.”
Andy looked around the office for Nigel, which was when she realized that he wasn’t there, which was when she realized that Miranda was, in fact, speaking to her. Miranda was also looking at her now, which meant that a response was required. Andy thought fast. She didn’t wear a lot of yellow, and she wasn’t wearing any today, and there was yellow in the spread, so Miranda wasn’t critiquing Andy personally. At least, not yet. She would if Andy didn’t say something fast.
If you like Truth and Measure, you should check out:
The X Ingredient by Telanu
- The Devil Wears Prada
- Miranda Priestly/Andrea Sachs
- 24,413 words
This is another story that all of us agree on, and it’s no wonder, because it’s another DWP from Telanu. It’s FILTHY, you guys, and it gets the emotional side right, too. I never thought I’d find a story about workplace sexual harassment so satisfying, but damn if it isn’t. Definitely don’t read this one in public. Also, it says it’s unfinished, but the story is complete, I promise.
Sample:
“No?” Andy pressed a light, barely-there kiss beneath Miranda’s ear. Miranda gasped, but didn’t push her away. “You’re not going to let me do it slow?” She slid her hand out from beneath Miranda’s skirt. Miranda gasped again in protest, tilting her head to the side, giving Andy more access to her neck. Andy took advantage of it, just brushing her lips over the skin, scarcely touching down. “It’ll be really good,” she promised, tickling Miranda’s ear with her breath.
If you like The X Ingredient, you should read:
Tara’s Picks
Boston Marriage by Jae
- Gilmore Girls
- Rory Gilmore/Paris Geller
- 5,437 words
I had never imagined Rory and Paris together until this story. Now I can’t imagine Rory with anyone else (and frankly, given her horrible taste in boys, that’s for the best). Boston Marriage might be the shortest story on this list, but it’s easily also the cutest, perfectly capturing both characters.
Sample:
“Oh, come on,” Paris said, sitting up in bed. “I mean, yes, I’m never going to be all sloppy, touchy-feely, oh my angel whatever you do is perfect because you’re so perfect. I’d throw up before I’d manage to say something like that, and you’d throw up if you had to listen to it. Or you should, at any rate.”
If you like Boston Marriage, you should read:
Crazy Little Things by Dreiser
- Harry Potter
- Hermione Granger/Luna Lovegood
- 95,749 words
My first dip into fanfic was back in my university days, when someone showed me some Harry Potter stories. I fled in horror when I encountered some m/m pairings I wasn’t ready for (*cough*Weasley twincest*cough*) and didn’t look back until I heard about this one. I defy anyone to read it and think Hermione could possibly end up with Ron Weasley, because Luna is perfect and this story is adorable.
Sample:
It was odd, really it was, skipping would look utterly ridiculous if she did it but somehow it seemed completely natural for Luna. Terribly charming in a way. Shaking her head as if to rid herself of such thoughts, Hermione greeted the other girl on her arrival. “Luna,” she said with a nod.
“Hermione,” Luna returned, tilting her head and gazing thoughtfully at the brunette. “You aren’t still embarrassed at me knowing when you would blush and scowl, are you?”
Predictably doing a combination of both, Hermione averted her gaze, gritting her teeth as she exclaimed, “Of course not! Why would I be embarrassed over a trivial thing like that?”
If you like Crazy Little Things, you should read:
A Mile for the Journey by Sweetjamielee
- The Good Wife
- Alicia Florrick/Kalinda Sharma
- 33,326 words
Okay, look, I don’t mind Peter or Will, but frankly, I don’t understand why Alicia would bother with either of them when she clearly has the best chemistry with Kalinda. It’s there from their first meeting, and I was so drawn in by their interactions that I went looking for a story that got it right. KD pointed me toward this story and I’m so glad she did. The author does a great job capturing the characters and it has the perfect ending for them.
Sample:
“The divorce just went through. I’m not sure I’m in the best emotional place, for dating. And… there’s the fact we work together.”
“You know, you could just say ‘I’m straight.’ And that would be end of story,” Kalinda pointed out.
What was it about this woman that kept Alicia perpetually on the edge of not-completely unpleasant discomfort? The only time she was one hundred percent sure she liked it, was when they were drinking together. And even then, in the morning she often wanted to smack herself for how much she revealed just to keep Kalinda from looking at her the way she was now.
If you like A Mile for the Journey, you should read:
Lee Winter’s Picks
The Lily and the Crown-verse (series) by Telanu
- The Devil Wears Prada
- Miranda Priestly/Andrea Sachs
- 53,787 words
Did someone say lesbian space pirates? This is a terrific alt-universe offering from the Devil Wears Prada queen Telanu. An imperious slave woman dubbed “Assistant” from a captured pirate ship is given to a cloistered young botanist on a space station. Sparks fly. Naturally nothing is what it seems. This fic has such bone-dry humor, it had me hoarse with laughter. It’s also sexy and subtle as hell. Love it to bits.
Sample:
“You know very little of how I feel,” Assistant said in her sharpest voice. Andy flinched. “But,” Assistant continued more gently, “I am fully aware that I could be much worse off. Much, much worse.”
“I guess,” Andy said, and gulped. Wasn’t that what she’d told herself a thousand times already? But somehow it was different when Assistant admitted it out loud. It made her feel a little better. “I’ll try to be less boring,” she blurted.
Assistant looked stunned again. Well, she often looked stunned around Andy, so that was nothing new. But then she actually chuckled. “In order to be boring,” she said, “you must first stop surprising me. You haven’t done that yet.”
If you like The Lily and the Crown, you should read:
Safe by SgtMac
- Once Upon a Time
- Regina Mills/Emma Swan
- 186,800 words
Not for the faint of heart, this is an angsty, angsty story that’s regarded as a masterpiece by many in the OUAT fandom. Regina’s kidnapped by Emma and Henry and taken over the Storybrooke border so she can work through her deep-seated issues and rage without magic—or killing anyone. It’s a slow burn, slow build fic, that makes you ache and feel so invested.
Sample:
The corrosive rage that slithers through her bloodstream feels vibrant and strong and powerful, the burning heartache feels clear and cold, and the icy touch of vengeance within her damaged heart is comfortable. She understands all of these terrible feelings, and has walked with them for most of her adult life. Though they are the worst of friends, they are still the only willing companions that she’s ever had; they’re the only ones that have refused to leave her no matter how difficult things get.
Relief on the other hand, well that’s something that she can’t cope with. Doesn’t know how to. So she doesn’t.
If you like Safe, you should read:
Just Between (series) by G.L. Dartt and Pt 2 here
- Star Trek: Voyager
- Kathryn Janeway/Seven of Nine
G.L. Dartt carved out a niche in the Star Trek: Voyager universe that set the bar for all others to follow. Her Just Between series is fifty parts long, most which can be read as standalone stories, exploring the tumultuous relationship between Captain Kathryn Janeway and her Borg crew member, Seven of Nine. Every part is a page-turner, with action in one sense or the other. For me, hands down the most exciting story was Just Between Species, with the captain trapped in an alien prison and her lover, who doesn’t have human sensibilities, prepared to rip it apart to get to her. This is a lesfic paradise that’s engrossing, plot-driven and immersive for sci-fi and f/f fans.
Sample:
Seven reached down and snagged the final alien by the scruff of his neck before he got too far. He whimpered as she lifted him up and slammed him into the wall again, then a second time just because she felt like it. She was not the sort to indulge in emotional displays, but her concern for the captain was taking her over, filling her with feelings she did not necessarily understand but welcomed nonetheless. They flooded her, giving her strength and a power which would have been frightening if she had thought about it for very long.
If you like Just Between, you should read:
Land Fathoms (series) by Chainofclovers
- The Devil Wears Prada
- Miranda Priestly/Andrea Sachs
- 17,512 words
Chainofclovers has a turn of phrase that leaves me weak-kneed and breathless at times over her talent. There’s a lyrical tone to her descriptions that are subtle, well-observed character studies—never cliched. Her DWP protagonists are always flawed, where nothing between them meshes exactly how they’d like, but they muddle through it regardless. I would recommend any of her stories. Land Fathoms is a three-part DWP series about Miranda and Andy reconnecting after they first got together at the wrong time in their lives. It’s beautiful and real.
Sample:
After a moment’s hesitation, they look at each other and wordlessly decide to unclasp their dresses, to struggle with their own zippers. If they don’t help each other, if they keep their hands to their own clothes, the decision to undress remains in each woman’s personal control. They leave their bras and underwear on, everything black lace to suit the requirements of their dresses, and walk toward the bedroom. Neither of them says anything complimentary about the other’s beauty. They are beautiful, but wearing a hideous day.
If you like Land Fathoms, you should read:
KD Williamson’s Picks
The Mothering Thing of Us by QuickYoke and Ratherembarrassing
- Agent Carter
- Peggy Carter/Angie Martinelli
- 59,286 words
Peggy kicks ass and she does it so well that she has to sacrifice a lot. This Peggy isn’t overly sweet and that’s what draws me to the story. She’s older and has an edge because of everything she’s given up. She’s been a wife, a mother, and when Angie just waltzes back into her life, everything opens up again. This one has humor, heat, action and some moments that will tug at your heartstrings.
Sample:
Time has been incredibly kind to Angie, and for a moment Peggy wonders what Angie sees in the lines beginning around her own eyes, the thread of grey through her hair that she is too proud to color away. It isn’t much, but Peggy knows they are there, these marks of time. She can’t see any in Angie; it’s as though she has stepped straight out of Peggy’s memory.
If you like The Mothering Thing of Us, you should read:
Letters Never Sent by Sandra Moran
Scars and Souvenirs by OfEndlessWonder
- Supergirl
- Kara Danvers/Cat Grant
- 81,591 words
While this is a relatively new fandom, there are some very good writers within it. For me, this story stands out because it takes this couple and gives them such depth. This one is an attention grabber. It wrapped around my heart. I was laughing and crying with it. There were even times I was screaming at the computer. The angst is fine tuned but not overpowering.
Sample:
“Kara.”
It’s just a word. It’s just her name – a sound she’s heard a hundred thousand times in all the years she’s been alive, that she’ll hear for as long as she keeps breathing. But at the sound of it falling from those lips, little more than a choked gasp too quiet for those with normal hearing to even notice, from a voice that she hasn’t heard for over six months, knocks the breath from her lungs, her knees trembling and she thinks she might have fallen, if not for the strength of Winn’s desk at her back.
If you like Scars and Souvenirs, you should read:
No Rest for the Wicked by InspectorBoxer
- Firefly, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
- Sarah Connor/River Tam, Inara Serra/Zoë Washburne
- 171,959 words (as of October 1)
Two of my favorite things from back in the day together. The writer expands the characters, especially the women who were already rich in personality, into something more. Her words are clean, crisp and they stay with you. There are times as a reader I was left breathless. The action is well done and not over the top. It has angst, humor and heat, which is the ultimate trifecta for me. The romance, once it’s going, caught me by the throat and wouldn’t let go. At almost two hundred thousand words, it’s still unfinished but the writer assures me she’s still working on it.
Sample:
Zoe cocked her rifle then fired off a shot from her cover behind the rocks. The bullet struck something vital, and a plume of smoke rose from the vehicle. Still the Reavers kept coming, the sound from the engine making both Zoe and Jayne wince as it shot past them and continued on after their running shipmates.
“Come on!” Zoe yelled as they gave chase, aware that there would be others behind them on foot. Some would be fleeing the cannibals.
Others would be the cannibals.
If you like No Rest for the Wicked, you should read:
G Benson’s Picks
Bread by Tulipp
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer
- Willow Rosenberg/Tara Maclay
This fic is based after season five as the group deals with Buffy´s death. There are three parts in all, and each one is achingly beautiful. The use of language and the grief they all go through, in such different ways, is stunningly written and conveyed. The way in which Willow and Tara come back together after everything they went through the last season is, for me, perfect. Also, check out their other fic, Terra Firma. It´s epic and amazing. Choosing Willow and Tara fic to recommend was actually painful, as it was my first fandom and I have pages of amazing fic. So message me if you’d like some more recs!
Sample:
Willow almost forgot.
A soft sound had tugged her out of not-quite-asleep, and blinking in the dark of Joyce’s bedroom, she almost scooted across the bed to fold her fingers into the hollow of Tara’s hip bone. Almost nuzzled Tara’s neck with her nose. Almost slowed her breathing down so that they were inhaling and exhaling together. But then she remembered, and …with Tara only inches away…Willow was alone again.
If you like Bread, you should read:
You’re Magic & You’re Real by unicyclehippo
- The 100
- Clarke Griffin/Lexa
Told from the perspective of Octavia, who joins Polis High. This is still very much a Clarke and Lexa fic, it’s just so much more, as well. Lexa is demisexual and on the autism spectrum, Clarke is dealing with grief in the way most teenagers would, Octavia is non binary, Raven has a service dog that I want to pet (even though I know I can’t), and everyone is queer and frustrating and amazing and perfectly imperfect. And Clarke and Lexa are just so, so into each other.
Sample:
Clarke is touching her, her front against the girls back, her chin propped on her shoulder, and she reaches around to point at something on the computer screen and the girl sighs and rolls her eyes and makes some murmured comment that has Clarke smiling. An actual real smile and Octavia finds themselves smiling too because look, she’s human. Look, she’s lovely.
If you like You’re Magic and You’re Real, you should read:
What’s a Fanfic List Without Xena?
I wasn’t going to include a Xena story, because how do you possibly choose one? What a difference that show made to our world. Not only would we not have the current fanfic landscape without it, but we wouldn’t have the contemporary lesfic genre either. Some of our favourite stories by Lynn Ames, Melissa Good, Blayne Cooper, Radclyffe, Ann McMan, Jae, and so many more amazing authors started out in the Xena fandom, and we’re better for having them.
But back to the problem of how to choose. Turns out that Lee Winter is one of those “people who knows people,” and she snagged a recommendation from MaryD, author and legendary webmaster for AUSXIP, one of the longest-running Xena sites. Okay, so MaryD actually sent five picks, clearly having the same problem I did, but I chose this one because it’s a classic.
Nor the Battle to the Strong:
Part 1 – All Through the Night by Rebekah
- Xena: Warrior Princess
- Xena/Gabrielle
This is one of the best stories (and one of the first that I had read coming into the Xenaverse). It’s a hurt/comfort tale that is so moving and so well written. Xena is hurt and Gabrielle nurses her through a tough night. They both learn more about each other. It is an absolute Xena classic story. It was written by Rebekah who passed away some time ago.
Sample:
It was a constant chore to waken Gabrielle and get her moving in the morning, though it seldom actually irritated Xena anymore. Ever the pragmatist, she just folded the time into her morning ritual. Stretch. Build up the fire. Waken Gabrielle for the first time. Feed Argo. Rouse Gabrielle again. Pack up the bedroll. Threaten Gabrielle with bodily harm if she didn’t start moving NOW. Braid her hair and put on her boots, leathers, and breastplate. Grab the slightly cross girl by the shoulders and pull her gently but firmly into an upright position. Secure her chakram, sword, and lesser weapons to her armor. Make sure Gabrielle was walking and talking. Go out and find something for their breakfast. Eat with her now-smiling friend. Saddle Argo while Gabrielle finished breaking camp and get started at about the time she had in mind to do so. It didn’t really take TOO much extra effort, though if someone had told the Warrior Princess five years ago that she would go to such lengths for another human being, she would have been sure her informant was mad beyond recall.
If you like Nor the Battle to the Strong, you should read:
Many thanks to Lee Winter, KD Williamson, G Benson, and MaryD for helping with this list! Have any lesbian fanfic stories you love? Come tell us about them at The Lesbian Review Book Club.
About Lee Winter
Lee Winter is an award-winning newspaper journalist and in her 27-year career has lived in virtually every state of Australia, covering courts, crime, entertainment, hard news, features and humor writing.
These days she’s a sub-editor at a Sunday metro newspaper and lives with her girlfriend of 17 years.
Get Lee Winter’s Novels on Amazon
About KD Williamson
KD is a Southerner and a former nomad, taking up residence in the Mid-West, east coast, and New Orleans over the years. She is also a Hurricane Katrina survivor. Displaced to the mountains of North Carolina, she found her way back to New Orleans, where she lives with her partner of ten years and the strangest dogs and cats in existence.
KD enjoys all things geek, from video games to super heroes. She is a veteran in the mental health field working with children and their families for over ten years. She found that she had a talent for writing as a teenager, and through fits and starts, fostered it over the years.
Get KD Williamson’s Novels on Amazon
About G Benson
Benson spent her childhood wrapped up in any book she could get her hands on and—as her mother likes to tell people at parties—even found a way to read in the shower. Moving on from writing bad poetry (thankfully) she started to write stories. About anything and everything. Tearing her from her laptop is a fairly difficult feat, though if you come bearing coffee you have a good chance.
When not writing or reading, she’s got her butt firmly on a train or plane to see the big wide world. Originally from Australia, she currently lives in Spain, speaking terrible Spanish and going on as many trips to new places as she can, budget permitting. This means she mostly walks around the city she lives in.
Get G Benson’s Novels on Amazon
About Mary D
MaryD is the webmaster of https://ausxip.com, one of the longest running Xena sites online (Australian Xena Information Page). Online since 1996, she’s a writer, graphic artist, and webmaster—skills that were forged in the heat of battle in the Xenaverse.
