International Fanworks Day 2026 - Alternate Universe Fanfic Recs
Just a short list of many AUs I've enjoyed over the years
Pulchrae Alis (Beautiful Wings): A White Collar Wingfic with some great worldbuilding, and some nice illustrations to go with the story. Really emphasizes Peter and Neal's platonic bond. Link
Infinitely Stranger: A BBC Sherlock magic au/creature fic, and one of the quirkier ones, using some deep cuts into folklore. https://archiveofourown.org/works/691226/chapters/1270149
Angel With a Shotgun: A Critical Role Vox Machina AU which retells the Briarwood Arc with one little twist... Percy's not as human as he always thought. And yes, wings are involved. https://archiveofourown.org/works/33177010/chapters/82367731
It Sings In Your Voice: Essentially another Vox Machina Percy is an aasimar AU. I just think it's neat. https://archiveofourown.org/works/8561767
Magic or Superpower AUs (In universes without them):
You grow like ivy around me: Hamilton Modern with Magic AU/College AU. Aaron Burr has a crush on Alex Hamilton. His magic causes this to manifest in unusual ways. https://archiveofourown.org/works/7741633
a crown of maple leaves, a crown of flowers: Essentially Hamilton's perspective on the above. https://archiveofourown.org/works/7758136/chapters/17690959
Changing Tides: Sanders Sides Merfolk/Selkie AU. Young teen Virgil is found, nearly drowned, by a pod of diverse merpeople, who end up saving him in more ways than one. https://archiveofourown.org/works/24429820/chapters/58941814
shy daydreams and stardust: Anne with an E Magic AU. Magical realism and Anne/Gilbert fluff. Anne and Gilbert discover they have a shared secret and decide to help each other out. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15501489/chapters/35985648
The Bookkeeper: Sanders Sides Magic AU. This one surprised me with how deep it became near the end. A beautiful meditation on what gives life meaning. Logan is a bookshop owner with magic, but has neglected his gifts and the books his grandfather collected as an adult in favor or studying nihilism. Patton, one of his best customers, stumbles upon his secret and helps him reconnect to that side of him. https://archiveofourown.org/works/32798791/chapters/81381838
if you ever did believe: The Ted Lasso Season 1- Practical Magic fusion you didn't know you needed. Rebecca and Sassy are witches whose lovers are cursed to turn on them and betray them. The witches themselves are cursed to respond with heartbreak or revenge. Rebecca has chosen revenge... but Ted Lasso might change all that. https://archiveofourown.org/works/33974254/chapters/84494317
Fourth Floor: Avengers/Captain America, Modern with (More) Magic AU. Steve is struggling to get through wizard college in New York City, but needs a place to stay. Sam tells him his apartment building has a vacancy. He finds the building has a lot of quirks, misfits, and one grumpy but attractive cook. But all is not as it seems, not even Steve himself. I love the inventive changes to the Avengers' canon powers and backstories to make them more magical yet grounded in this version of New York. https://archiveofourown.org/works/11843493
Tadashi's Guide to the Other Side: Big Hero 6 Magic/Paranormal AU. Tadashi wakes up after his death as an Oni (Japanese spirit) with fire powers and sets about trying to protect his brother and friends during the events of the first film while they can't see or hear him. Callaghan in this version is a vengeful spirit, so tech isn't enough to stop him. https://archiveofourown.org/series/237522
The Normal One: Superman & Lois canon divergence series where Jonathan Kent, in Season 1, discovers he has his own set of powers vastly different from his father's or brother's. The series is made of 100 fics written over nearly 4 years, with its own set of original characters who are pretty fun to follow alongside the canon characters. https://archiveofourown.org/series/2369875
The Schneiders of Stars Hollow: A Gilmore Girls/ Marvelous Mrs. Maisel crossover proposing that perhaps Midge and Lenny managed to make a happy ending for themselves and survive into the 90s/early 2000s. https://archiveofourown.org/works/38856480
Born of Magic: Merlin canon divergence/ Arthur has magic AU fic, where what if, after Arthur recovered from the Questing Beast incident at the end of Series 1, he discovered he was born of magic and has unique abilities that come from that. I think what I really like is Arthur's magic is not the magic of a sorcerer, but the magic of a king, so he has abilities quite different from Merlin's. They also manage to form a stronger bond sooner, which is nice. https://archiveofourown.org/works/4927207
Garden or Graveyard: BBC Merlin Arthur has magic AU. Again, love it when Arthur is such fics isn't just another sorcerer but has something unique to offer, and this one also emphasizes his intelligence. https://archiveofourown.org/works/21847510
On Tethered Wings: BBC Merlin Dragon AU. Instead of being known for banning magic, Camelot is known for being a kingdom of dragon riders. Merlin comes to Camelot, excited to tend to the dragons, while Prince Arthur deals with the lifelong discomfort dragon riding gives him. A secret inheritance ends up bringing them both together. https://archiveofourown.org/works/233954