Elf AU

Elf AUs are a type of alternate universe in which one or more canon characters is an elf. A variety of different fanworks have incorporated Elf AUs, including fanart and fanfiction. Elf AUs can appear in fanworks for both fantasy and non-fantasy universes. Elf AUs have been used both for serious fantasy and parody works. 
In source materials that already feature fantasy or supernatural elements, an Elf AU may incorporate an identity reveal. These works often feature a character who has concealed their true nature and is, in fact, an elf. There are also works where a character is unaware of their elven heritage. In Elf AUs that feature slash pairings, often the shorter/thinner half of a popular pairing is an Elf, and they must reveal to their love interest that they are an elf. 
Elf AUs are often an opportunity for Hair Fandom, which celebrates characters having long hair.
Fantasy AUs that don't include elves may be referred to as Magic AUs, though Elf AUs may also be considered a subgenre of Magic AUs. 
==Fan Comments==
===1993===
 
===2007===
==Ray Doyle: Elf==
Ray Doyle from The Professionals, has been a popular, and seminal, elf AU subject.
The earliest media elf AU story is El'Endu'il. It is a Professionals fic that was published in zine form in 1983, but circulated privately for a number of years before that date. Another very early Doyle-as-elf story is the Descent to Humanity, a 1980s circuit story series by Anne Carr.
Ray Doyle also co-stars in of the most famous early elf AUs from the mid-1980s: The Hunting by Jane of Australia, a multi-volume zine epic that cast Ray as a captured elf and Bodie as a human who frees him; they run away together and have five zines' worth of adventures.
File:Pros the hunting.jpeg|a fan's custom zine cover for The Hunting, artist is digitalwave
File:Elvensummer.jpg|"The Swing" by Suzan Lovett (1992), used as a frontispiece for Elvensongs #1
File:theex3back.jpg| from the The Hatstand Express #3, art by Jean, "For all of us who are getting tired of see Doyle getting elfed-out, all the time..." -- a commentary that, as early as 1984, there were enough Doyle-as-elf stories to have become, to some fans, a very tiresome trope 
==Blair Sandburg: Elf==
 
Blair Sandburg from The Sentinel has been a popular elf AU subject.
 
 File:Dragonsandkings.jpg|from Dragons and Kings, Blair Sandburg is an elf prince in Cascade. Jim Ellison learns the truth, and overcomes his own resistance to help Blair deal with problems in Cascade and the elf kingdom. (1997)
Image:blairelftacs.jpg|artist is TACS
File:Loveguns3-3.jpg|from Love and Guns #3, TACS is the artist (1998)
File:Betwixt-2.jpg|from Betwixt and Between (Blair is quite surprised to find he's an elf prince and must go with Jim and Simon into The Between to fulfill a prophecy.) (2000)
File:Kinddeed.jpg|from One Kind Deed (Will Jim and Blair submit to their growing attraction for each other despite their differences?) (2001) 
File:SQ2.jpg|from Soul-Quest series, artist is Lorraine Brevig (elves and mpreg) (2006) 
==Other Epic Elf AUs==
Epic elf AUs have a tradition in online fandoms as well. 
The Magnificent Quest is a Magnificent Seven AU that has Vin as a half-elf who discovers the true meaning of his heritage when he and his friends are on a quest to warn the king of an evil that threatens the kingdom. In the Magnificent Seven Kings and Vagabonds Jean Graham. Kings and Vagabonds, 2000, 2004. (Accessed 20 October 2008) series it's Mary Travis who is an elf. 
 
Popslash had TalliswoodTarowen. Talliswood, 2002. From the author's notes: "This series is set in a fantasy AU, in which only Joe is all human. Jayce and Lansten are elves, Justin (Joe's half-brother) is half sylph, and Chris has some wild blood running through his veins. They're on a quest through a dangerous wood full of restless magic. Read this if you like swords, sorcery, elves, quests, angst, and jeweled codpieces." (Accessed via wayback 20 October 2008) where both JC and Lance are elves and find their true love with Justin and Chris while saving the magic of the realm. The story was originally inspired by Helen's Guerillas series, but ultimately went in a very different direction. 
In Stargate SG-1 fandom Serpent in the ShadowsSelenay. Serpent in the Shadows, Jack/Daniel slash, 2004. (Accessed 20 October 2008) shows Sam Carter as an elf.
The Crown of the Summer Court in Merlin fandom follows the tradition of high fantasy elves (in a fusion with the Merry Gentry series of books) and shows Merlin as a half-elven prince with Arthur as his champion and future king. 
In The Sentinel fandom, Natalie L combines elves with mpreg in her epic-length Soul-Quest series, first published in the My Mongoose e-zine and then later as a print zine.Natalie's Writing Nook (accessed 30 August 2009)
There are also Elf AUs that don't use high fantasy elves. For example, the SGA story A Wish For WingsCaro. A Wish For Wings, McKay/Sheppard slash, posted 9 December 2006. (Accessed 24 February 2009) by Caro has John Sheppard as one of Santa's elves who ran away to escape the exploitation of toy production.
File:TCotSC.jpg|vid banner of the fic trailer for The Crown of the Summer Court. The vid uses clips from Lord of the Rings for the other elven characters in the story. Merlin is a half-elven prince and Arthur is his champion.
File:Magnificent Quest.jpg|story banner of the Magnificent Seven elf AU The Magnificent Quest, showing elf!Vin.
==Gallery of Elf AU Fanart==
File:Shootstarhennig1-6.jpg|Luke Skywalker, elf! by Kate Nuernberg from Shooting Star #1 (1982)
File:Jimmy Page and an elf-eared Robert Plant-1.jpg| Jimmy Page and an elf-eared Robert Plant, artist is TACS (1988)
File:Miami Spice 2 by dundas.jpg|Miami Vice: Sonny Crockett from Miami Vice as an elf (Miami Spice #2, Susan K. Dundas)
File:Loveofmylife.jpg|Kiefer/Lou on the cover of Love of My Life, artist: KOZ
File:Steeleart5.jpg|an elfified Remington Steele by Gordon Carleton from Steele Files
File:Noholds6art5.jpg|from No Holds Barred #2, by Cat -- "Me, I don't see what's so bloody romantic about being an elf."
File:Playitagain1-1.jpg|art by Kate Nuernberg portraying Sam Beckett as an Elf Quest elf, from Play It Again #1 (1991)
File:Playitagain1-7.jpg|art by Kate Nuernberg portraying Sam Beckett as an Elf Quest elf, from Play It Again #1 (1991) 
File:Rosetint5-9.jpg|art by KOZ, portrays Illya from Man from U.N.C.L.E. as an elf (1994)
==Sample Fiction==
* The Descent to Humanity by Anne Carr (The Professionals) (1980s)
* El'Endu'il by Marilyn W. (Cory) with original plot help by Felicity M. Parkinson (The Sentinel) (1983)
* The Hunting by Jane of Australia (The Professionals) (1986)
* Dragons and Kings by Yvonne McCool (The Sentinel) (1997)
* Here Be Dragon-Flies by Julien (Due South) (1997)
* The Christmas Elf by Lady Ra (The Sentinel)
* Betwixt and Between by Maigret and Wolfling (The Sentinel) (2000)
* One Kind Deed by Dolimir (The Sentinel) (2001)
* Talliswood by Tarowen ('N Sync) (2002)
* The Magnificent Quest by Miz Nettie (Magnificent Seven)
* The Crown of the Summer Court by astolat (Merlin) (2009)
* Fly With The Wind, Stand On The Ground by andiheardthemplaying GOT7, K-pop) (2015)
* by STARSdidathing (frostiron, MCU) (2016)
* Somewhere Only We Know by gmuhh (Haikyuu!!) (2016)
* A Blade of Grass by Lycoria (Voltron: Legendary Defender) (2017)
* Carpe Diem by HuntingHardyGirl (Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys) (2018)
* The Elven Boy With Rounded Ears by eldee (Druck | SKAM (Germany)) (2019)
* Elf Mayarah by ThymeButter (Supergirl (TV 2015)) (2021)
==Challenges==
* The Inappropriate Elf Challenge (2003)
==Rec Sites and Archives==
* Alternate Universe - Elf tag at AO3
* Elf Fetish
* Lil Miss Elf's Slash Recommendations Site
==Meta/Further Reading==
* by McSwain!
== See also ==
* Elf Fetish
* Magic AU
==References==
Category:Fantasy Tropes
Category:Glossary