Sherlock Holmes
Also known as: The Great Detective
The original consulting detective of 221B Baker Street, Conan Doyle's violin-playing, cocaine-dabbling reasoning machine. ACD-canon fic keeps the Victorian gaslight and pastiche prose alive, over a century after fans first wrote it.
Popular Sherlock Holmes Ships
Common Tropes in Sherlock Holmes Fanfiction
Sherlock Holmes · Slow Burn
850k works
A romance that develops gradually over time, with tension building across chapters or the entire story.
Sherlock Holmes · Domestic
340k works
Characters in everyday, intimate domestic situations like cooking together, sharing household chores, or quiet moments at home. Romance in ordinary life.
Sherlock Holmes · Mystery
80k works
Something is wrong and someone must work out what: disappearances, ciphers, impossible crimes, and secrets with bodies attached. Mystery fic includes whodunits, slow-unraveling secrets, and stories where the reader solves alongside the characters.
Other Sherlock Holmes Characters
John Watson
6k works
Army doctor, biographer, and the steady hand on the revolver in Conan Doyle's original stories. Watson's devoted chronicling of Holmes reads to many fans as the first great love letter in detective fiction.
Irene Adler
2k works
The opera singer who outwitted Sherlock Holmes in 'A Scandal in Bohemia' and earned the permanent title of The Woman. Irene appears in a single story, yet fic has spent a century giving her the adventures canon never did.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many fanfics feature Sherlock Holmes?
Sherlock Holmes appears in 8k+ works on AO3, making them one of the most popular characters in the Sherlock Holmes fandom. You can browse all Sherlock Holmes fanfiction using the Fanfict Reader app.
What are the most popular Sherlock Holmes ships?
The most popular Sherlock Holmes ships include Sherlock Holmes/John Watson. These pairings feature prominently in AO3 fanfiction.
What tropes are common in Sherlock Holmes fanfiction?
Common tropes in Sherlock Holmes fanfiction include Slow Burn, Domestic, Mystery. Use Fanfict Reader to filter and find exactly the type of story you're looking for.
Read Sherlock Holmes on the go
Fanfict Reader is the best way to browse, search, and read AO3 fanfiction on your iPhone. Download for free and start reading your favorite Sherlock Holmes fics today.