"Never recreate places from your memory. Always imagine new places!"
—Dom Cobb
Proof that the remaining 10% is worth going deeper for here:
These are recommendations made by tropers for Inception fan fics, 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.
Do warn when a fanfic may head into sexual or non-canon territory. Some people just don't like it, and as we all know, shipping is Serious Business.You can also add to the current recommendations if you want by leaving a review on the accompanying link. Refrain from posting Conversation in the Main Page though; that goes in the discussion page.
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Authors and Websites
- Recommended by: fiftysix
- Pairing(s): Arthur/Eames, some Yusuf/Ariadne and Cobb/Saito (but mostly Arthur/Eames).
- Arguably the most famous Inception author on the net now. She is the person behind the famous Inception Coffee Shop-AU fic
, and has written many more good quality stories, especially in the humor (bordering crack) and fluff side. Her Domestic Verse fics are a must-read.
Add Review- Recommended by: fiftysix
- Pairing(s): Mostly Arthur/Eames, with the occasional Yusuf/Ariadne and some gen.
- One of the best Inception authors I've ever encountered on the internet. Her characterization is amazing; she can show all sorts of sides to characters while keeping them in character, and has an amazing writing style. The quality of her stories is always high, with beautiful, nicely-paced story lines. Definitely recommended.
- Recommended by: fiftysix
- Pairing(s): Arthur/Eames
- Another one of the best Inception authors on the internet. She has a way with words that will keep you captivated with every single one of her stories, from the start until the end. Her works, especially her kink meme fills (that have now been de-anoned and posted in her journal) are definitely of high standard.
General Fics
Stories focused on the family and the friendly relationships of the cast. Plot-focused stories or light day-in-the-life stories. Pretty much anything that isn't focused on romance.
The Replacements by LithiumDoll
- Recommended by: beeftony, Zaptech
- Status: Complete
- Summary: "I'm going to kill them," Ariadne said flatly when the line finally picked up. "They're dead men. Yusuf's pretty confident he's planned the perfect murder and Saito's promised to cover the legal fees just in case."
Breadcrumbs for a dead and dying man by hope_calaris
- Recommended by: magentastorm
- Status: Complete
- Summary: For all her wit and quick learning, Ariadne doesn’t understand the fact that they not only are losing one of their friends but two.
- Tags: Death Fic
Alternate Universe Fics
Stories where one fundamental aspect of the series is completely overhauled from its point of origin.
Tryst by itakethewords
- Recommended by: beeftony
- Status: Complete
- Summary: A stolen night, a stolen dream. Secrets for secrets. She gives him a perfect night before she destroys his world.
I've Got Nothing to Do Today but Smile (The Only Living Boy in New York) by gyzym
- Recommended by: fiftysix
- Status: Complete
- Summary: Arthur's a corporate lawyer, Eames owns the coffee shop across the street, and all good love stories start with a quadruple shot latte.
Patience, A Steady Hand by Helenish
- Recommended by: The Lover She Used To Be
- Status: Complete
- Summary: 821 A.D. Arthur is in the nightmare business. Eames is a thief, a liar, and versatile with a pen.
- Tags: Slash, some non-con
Shipping Fics
Stories focused on the romantic relationships between the cast.
The Trick is to Keep Breathing by ffodder
- Recommended by: Mokyn
- Pairing(s): Arthur/Eames
- Vanished from the internet. Please post a link if found.
- Summary: Arthur's life is laid out in neat, elegant folds and tucked-in corners, and he's finding it increasingly difficult to hide a certain part of his past from a frustrated (and determined) Eames.
- Tags: Slash, Dead Fic, Deleted Fic - Alternate source sought -
Tailor Made by Handful of Silence
- Recommended by: tictactoe
- Pairing(s): Arthur/Eames
- Status: Complete
- Summary: When Eames first meets Arthur, he thinks he has his character pegged from the clothes he is wearing. Conservative type, little imagination. He turns out to be quite wrong, but this time, because it's Arthur, he doesn't mind that much.
- Tags: Slash
Burn my Bridges by knowmydark
- Recommended by: tictactoe
- Pairing(s): Arthur/Eames
- Status: Complete
- Summary: Arthur begins to slip over the brink, and it's easier than he thought it would be.
- Tags: Dark Fic Death Fic
Mute-Eames Fills by Anon and balphas
- Recommended by: Godborn and 20thcenturyvole
- Pairing(s): Arthur/Eames
- Status:
- Fill 1: Complete
- Fill 2: Dead
- Summary: Two different (both amazing) fills for the inception kink meme, in a prompt where Eames loses his tongue.
Bless You, Autocorrect by Evie Specter
- Recommended by: Flame Feathers
- Pairing(s): Arthur/Eames
- Status: Complete
- Summary: Humorous fluff about autocorrect leading to ... interesting text messages.
The Carrick by HasFar2Gonote (also known as thursdays_girl in LJ)
- Recommended by: swampariadne
- Pairing(s): Dom/Ariadne
- Status: Complete
- Summary: The team starts to delve back into the world of dreams to rehabilitate coma patients, but going under means facing secrets they have all been keeping.
- Tags: AU Fic
Chasing Dominic by World's Neighbor
- Recommended by: swampariadne
- Pairing(s): Dom/Ariadne
- Status: Complete
- Summary: Post-movie. It's over. Dom Cobb didn't wake up. Ariadne prepares for the challenge to bring him back out, seeing that she is the only one who can. In Limbo, she finds the many faces of Dom Cobb and the many faces of herself.
Matryoshka by mixed.vinyl
- Recommended by: beeftony, chibiaries
- Pairing(s): Arthur/Ariadne
- Status: Complete
- Summary: Half a year after their successful inception, Ariadne receives an offer of another job with the team, and just like the last time, she has no idea what she's getting into.
Capitulation by A.Annie.N
- Recommended by: beeftony
- Pairing(s): Arthur/Ariadne
- Status: Complete
- Summary: Falling. The bishop falls for her, as does the die for him. It's like a kick; pulling them up for air when they find themselves drowning in the shadows of an ill-fated dream, thrown in by someone who wants nothing more than to rip them apart.
Happy Endings by fluffyandkagura
- Recommended by: beeftony
- Pairing(s): Arthur/Ariadne
- Status: Complete
- Summary: Because sometimes even our nightmares have a hidden happy ending. After awaking from a nightmare, Arthur invites Ariadne to dinner. After 3 glasses of wine, Arthur gets more than he bargained for.
In the After by freeze1
- Recommended by: beeftony
- Pairing(s): Arthur/Ariadne
- Status: Complete
- Summary: It isn't until the black smudge of Cobb's suit dissolves into the crowd that it occurs to Ariadne she has nowhere to go.
Past the Point of Repression by cchelez
- Recommended by: beeftony
- Pairing(s): Arthur/Ariadne
- Status: Complete
- Summary: The team finishes the job and goes their separate ways but where some are able to forget about the past, Arthur still hangs on to the memories that will not fade.
Coveted by HarlequinEnigma896
- Recommended by: beeftony
- Pairing(s): Arthur/Ariadne, one-sided Eames/Ariadne
- Status: Complete
- Summary: She belonged to the point man, and the forger didn't stand a chance.
Fallout by BurstingAtTheSeams
- Recommended by: beeftony
- Pairing(s): Arthur/Ariadne
- Status: Complete
- Summary: Set during and post-Inception. Ariadne thought she would be overjoyed after successfully completing the Inception. But she wasn't prepared for what came next, the overwhelming sense of loss and the dangerous fallout from the job. How will they cope?
- Tags: Dark Fic
- Recommended by: Arashi 110
- Pairing(s): Arthur/Ariadne
- Status: Complete
- Summary: If you can't win with the hand you're dealt, change the rules.
- Tags: Character death, bittersweet ending.
The Greedyhearts by weatherfront
- Recommended by: SLamar and 20thcenturyvole
- Pairing(s): Arthur/Eames
- Status: Complete
- Summary: AU. Eames is an art thief who isn't exactly all that great at what he does, and Arthur is a detective who enjoys the chase a little more than he'd like to admit.
- Tags: A kink meme, comedy, AU Fic, Slash
- Recommended by: 20thcenturyvole
- Pairing(s): Arthur/Eames, Ariadne/Saito
- Status: Complete
- Summary: "It's always the most experienced dreamers who get blase about the process and start falling into bad habits."
Towards Zero by Mirabella
- Recommended by: 20thcenturyvole
- Pairing(s): Arthur/Eames
- Status: Complete
- Summary: Five levels down, and five to dig yourself back out. Arthur met Eames' projection long before he met Eames.
- Tags: Lemon NSFW
En Route to Transylvania by Weatherfront
- Recommended by: 20thcenturyvole
- Pairing(s): Arthur/Eames, Cobb/Mal
- Status: Complete
- Summary: AU. Arthur is a vampire. Eames herds goats. I have not been drinking.
- Tags: AU Fic
Palm, Ditch, Steal by Imperfectcircle
- Recommended by: 20thcenturyvole
- Pairing(s): Arthur/Eames, Ariadne/Saito
- Status: Complete
- Summary: Heists, experiments, dreams and lies.
Everything You Never Wanted To Know About Lying by apiphile
- Recommended by: Heart-mint
- Pairing(s): Arthur/Eames
- Status: Complete
- Summary: Eames is manipulative, slippery, and a compulsive liar.
Destructive Testing by thereisafire
- Recommended by: beeftony
- Pairing(s): Ariadne/Mal
- Status: Complete
- Summary: "I can teach you things you never knew, dearest. We can build a dream together." Mal's curls tickle Ariadne's face, her hot breath on Ariadne's neck.
- Tags: Femme Slash
Rapid Eye Movement by Dana Norram
- Recommended by: yahikochan
- Pairing(s): Arthur/Eames
- Status: Complete
- Summary: Dreams were overrated.
- Tags: Slash, Rated M/NC-17 for sexual situations and language
Hush by fishwrites
- Recommended by: Pan Boleyn
- Pairing(s): Arthur/Eames
- Status: Complete
- Summary: "Arthur loves Eames in an unconditional, overwhelming sort of way. A week later, Arthur goes missing. Ten days after that, Eames finds him unconscious in a hotel, the PASIV humming gently by the bed. in which Arthur deliberately traps himself in Limbo"
Our Last Night On Earth by Dana Norram
- Recommended by: yahikochan
- Pairing(s): Arthur/Eames
- Status: Complete
- Summary: In which Philippa is kidnapped, Arthur feels guilty, Eames pours him some coffee and the team has to do something that might be a little more tricky than inception itself.
- Tags: Oneshot, Slash, Rated M/NC-17 for sexual situations and language
eye on authority, thumb print's a forgery by imogenedisease
- Recommended by: zoestertoaster
- Pairing(s): Arthur/Eames
- Status: Complete
- Summary: “Oh,” Eames says. “A potential riot. I must be going love, ta!” “Don’t get shanked!” Arthur yells, but Eames has already hung up.
The Delphini Trials by atomicskull
- Recommended by: Thinks Too Much
- Pairing(s): Arthur/Eames (not exactly the focus, however)
- Status: Complete
- Summary: Years after the movie, mind crime becomes a public scandal. A witch hunt takes off. Phillipa, now an adult, watches as Arthur, Eames and all of the others get caught up in it.
- Tags: Dark Fic
Presque Vu by rageprufrock
- Recommended by: Eveandriss
- Pairing(s): Arthur/Eames, Dom/Mal
- Status: Complete
- Summary: Or, "on the tip of the tongue." Arthur meets Mal first. He inherits Dom, after. Everything else is on him.
- Tags: Slash
The Music Makers by rageprufrock
- Recommended by: RainKrystal
- Pairing(s): Arthur/Eames, Dom/Mal
- Status: Complete
- Summary: A. Graham Cole was twenty-one years old when he was killed in action in Iraq. At the time of his death, he was a corporal with the psychological operations unit of the United States Army. He was four days away from wrapping up his third tour in the Middle East and had already packed for his return stateside. This is the official story. The truth is, of course, somewhat different.
- Tags: Slash
i am the hero of this story (don't need to be saved) by electrumqueen
- Recommended by: RainKrystal
- Pairing(s): Dom/Mal, and depending on your point of view, shades of Arthur/Dom, Arthur/Mal, and Arthur/Dom/Mal
- Status: Complete
- Summary: Mal wakes up. Dom doesn't.
- Tags: Slash
The Dreamers of the Day by deathgetsusall and Rrrowr
- Recommended by: Eveandriss
- Pairing(s): Arthur/Eames
- Status: Complete
- Summary: Before Cobb, they’d both been the best at the game. Before they were legends, they had been young.
- Tags: Slash
In the Garden of the Commendatore by Jubilee 3
- Recommended by: copperfishtail
- Alternate Link: AO3 as starvinbohemian
- Pairing(s): Robert/Ariadne
- Status: Complete
- Summary: Ariadne and Robert build a green skyscraper.
- Tags: Oneshot, mild NSFW
- Recommended by: ramber
- Pairing(s): Arthur/Eames
- Status: Complete
- Summary: Arthur is a giant purple squid-monster (with great hair) and Eames really couldn't care less. Because he is Arthur.
- Tags: Crack Fic, Humor, AU Fic, Childhood Friend Romance
- Comments: Love is Blind, even before puberty. It doesn't matter what you look like, just who you're with as Eames found out when he met baby Arthur.
Helix Trap by Croik
- Recommended by: ald0us
- Pairing(s): Robert/Eames
- Status: Complete
- Summary: After the Inception proves successful, Eames tracks down Robert out of concern for its unusual side effects. Meanwhile, Arthur is hired to a dangerous job that forces the rest of the team to take sides: whether to defend Robert and his fragile mind, or ruin him completely.
- Tags: set in Canon, post-Canon, rare ship, long fic, includes Arthur/Ariadne
Crossover Fics
Lions and Tigers by Starlingthefool
- Recommended by: Ria Aboal
- Pairing(s): Arthur/Eames
- Crossover with: Calvin and Hobbes
- Status: Complete
- Summary: A story about Arthur and Eames relationship and how Arthur gets the approval of Eames best friend Hobbes
- Tags: set in Canon, post-Canon, rare crossover, mild NSFW, meeting the parents, parent death
- Comment: This fic is probably one of the best Eames/ Arthur fics I've read, Word of God is that the author had the random thought that Eames is what Calvin became when he grew up
I Don't Think You Think I Think About Improbability by karanguni
- Recommended by: Leradny
- Status: Complete
- Crossover with: Ocean's Eleven
- Summary: Saito, on a vacation with thieves and thieves.
- Tags: Comedy
Requiescat by whiskyrunner
- Recommended by: yahikochan and generalwinter
- Pairing(s): Arthur/Eames (Eames/Neil)
- Status: Complete
- Crossover with: Mysterious Skin
- Summary: The death of Neil McCormick was gradual, not sudden, and not permanent by any means. In the end, Arthur goes much more quickly.
- Tags: Crossover with the Gregg Araki movie, Mysterious Skin. Slash, Rated M/NC-17 for sexual situations, language, dub-con, mentions of non-con and child abuse.
