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AU (Alternate Universe) Wincest Recs 

proudlyfreckled:

I actually tend to avoid AU fics.  Basically, I’ll only read them if they are written by an author that I already know that I like, or if they are recommended by someone that I trust.  And even when one (or both) of those conditions are met, I still often open an AU fic, read the first chapter or so, and then abandon them.  It is difficult, I think, to write AUs well. 

True Alternate Universe fics take the characters that we know, and change something crucial about them.  In Supernatural fics this often takes the form of removing them from their supernatural world, separating them, making them not actually brothers (and I’ll admit that I have never found a not-related AU that I actually enjoyed—if anyone has any links, I’d love to check out your favourites), or by putting them in a very different time or place.  It is difficult to keep the essence or soul of a character present while changing something so huge.  And AUs need to be more than just plopping the exact same character in another world; changes need to be made that make sense within the universe you’ve created, while still keeping the most important things constant (and these things are often quite subtle).  In Supernatural, particularly in Wincest fics, what matters most to me is the feel of the relationship between the brothers.  And these six stories all manage to make the Winchesters still seem like the Winchesters, no matter what universe they’re in.  I guarantee you’ll enjoy them! 

  1. On the Dodge by candle_beck.  Rated NC-17, 40 000 words, Western AU.  I’ve recommended this before, but it is just the best AU fic I have ever read.  It is based, at least somewhat, on Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (but to be honest, I haven’t seen it, so I can’t say to what extent it is similar).  It is the kind of AU that manages to keep the essence of Sam and Dean, and just transport them somewhere else, keeping all that really defines while completely removing them from their own reality.  It’s kind of amazing.  Don’t start this one late at night, because you won’t be able to stop reading.
  2. Taking the Fifth by astolat.  Rated NC-17, 11 000 words, Separated boys AU.  Sam is Dean’s lawyer, and ends up taking a special interest in his case.  This fic gives an idea of what Sam might be like if he had gotten his normal life, while still having enough of the Sam we know shining through so that the reader sees him as the Winchester they know and love.  I am kind of a sucker for AUs where the boys are separated, and then meet each other later on without knowing they’re related, and get together.  “Surprise, he’s your brother!” is always a fun plot device.  
  3. Trust Me, I’m a Doctor by checkthemargins.  Rated NC-17, 12 000 words, Non-supernatural AU.  (Also features some Dean/Lisa).  Dean is a neurosurgeon, Sam is a law student.  Dean as a neurosurgeon may seem like a weird fit, but this story manages to make it seem really plausible, which is always a mark of a great AU.  In this fic, Sam was sick growing up, which somehow makes Dean becoming a doctor seem like the most natural thing possible.  The relationship between the brothers is at the core of this story, and feels true to the show.  We see how much the care about each other, and their co-dependence is at full force.  
  4. The Outlaw Dean Winchester by runedgirl.  Rated NC-17, 37 000 words, Western AU.  An AU with canon tie-ins, as it features Zachariah sending them into an alternate universe to prove that if they weren’t brothers they wouldn’t care about one another.  He is, of course, wrong.  Sam is a Pinkerton detective, Dean is an outlaw who has been evading him for years, and it goes on very naturally from there.  Yes, another Western AU.  I love cowboys, all right?  Who doesn’t?  And, since it is sort of canon-compliant, we also get to see with the boys dealing with the whole “I slept with my brother in an alternate universe” debacle, which is fantastic.  It’s a great story, all around. 
  5. Look the Other Way by candle_beck.  Rated NC-17, 55 000 words, Non-supernatural AU.  Dean is a cop, Sam is his no-good brother.  This is probably my second favourite AU (yeah, candle_beck is a genius).  I love Dean as a cop, Bobby as his boss, and Sam as a kid who just had a rough time of it (they still lost their parents, and Sam still lost Jess).  Just like in On the Dodge, they both manage to maintain exactly what makes them who they are—particularly Dean.  He really makes sense as a cop, although I had not really thought of it before, and it really works.  It’s really well written, it will draw you in, and it feels very real. 
  6. Everything I Want Is Nothing But You by mickeym.  Rated NC-17, 12 000 words, Separated boys AU.  Hooker!fic.  The boys got separated very young, Sam was in foster care, and ended up prostituting himself.  Yeah, it’s hooker!fic, but it isn’t overly angsty or drawn out.  Sam and Dean run into each other, eventually hook up (Dean is not a client), and then they (of course) find out that they’re actually brothers.  It’s quite a nice fic, that manages to make a potentially corny and melodramatic trope seem quite realistic.  And we can still feel the closeness between the brothers, which is what matters most to me. 

And there you have it.  Some fantastic AUs for Wincest Week.  I am untalented in most ways, but I am a great reader of fan fiction.  If anyone has any suggestions for other themed rec lists, I’d love to hear them. 





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