Meta-SCPs are among the most interesting on the entire wiki.
When I put together my list of the best SCPs, I kept running into the occasional meta-SCP. I wasn’t sure what to make of them at first, and it took a while before they won me over.
Meta-SCPs aren’t necessarily format screws. What defines them is that they play with the idea of the SCP-Wiki as a fictional world, sometimes writing the wiki’s own authors into the story.
Things can get confusing, and this kind of article won’t be for everyone. But there are a few I can’t help loving, whether for the sheer creativity of the idea or the effort behind it. Here are six meta-SCPs I genuinely enjoyed.
Fiction by René Rehn
Notice: All articles cited here are licensed under CC-BY-SA.
SCP-2747 – As below, so above by minmin
Hands down, my favorite meta-SCP of all time. The writing is excellent, and the incidents described are both well-executed and genuinely creative. The best part, though, is the ending. Never have the words ‘DATA LOST’ been so frightening.
SCP-3043 – Murphy Law in… Type 3043 — FOR MURDER! by The Great Hippo
One of the best format screws on the wiki, and one of the best meta-SCPs too. It isn’t written as a normal article but as a noir thriller, told from the first-person perspective of its titular character. An odd idea that works remarkably well, carried by some of the finest writing the wiki has.
SCP-3999 – I Am At The Center of Everything That Happens To Me by LordStonefish
Probably the most popular meta-SCP on the entire wiki, and also one of the weirdest things I’ve read, best described as sheer madness. I loved it, though it drags a little and runs overlong. The bigger issue, however, is that you get invested in the story and all its details, only to reach the revelation of what’s really going on. It’s a weird, ambitious piece, and definitely not for everyone.
SCP-5500 – Death of the Authors by Ihp
Meta-SCPs are a tough sell to begin with, and the ones dealing with pataphysics are among the most divisive articles on the wiki. This is one of the weirder ones. It builds on S. Andrew Swann’s 001-proposal and pushes the idea even further. It’s not just about the interaction between the writers and the Foundation, but what happens when those writers die, and the consequences that follow. One of the most ambitious meta-SCPs out there, and again, not for everyone. If you’re a fan of meta-SCPs, and of pataphysics specifically, give it a look.
SCP-5999 – This is Where I Died by Shaggydredlocks, Modern_Erasmus, TheeSherm, and Woedenaz
This might be one of the most ambitious SCPs I’ve read, and you can see the amount of work that went into it right from the start. My one reservation is the same as I have with a few other meta-articles: it lures you in with a run of great stories, keeps you hooked, and then reveals what’s really going on. Here, though, the revelation is really well handled. A fantastic idea and great read, if a long one, and one I still recommend to fans of meta-SCPs.
I.H.Pickman’s Proposal – Story of Your Life by Ihp
A meta-SCP that doubles as a 001-proposal, and another that builds on Swann’s idea, adding a further layer that makes the whole thing more interesting. What I enjoyed most was the writing, the dialogue, and the characters. A fantastic read to end this list on.
