The Best Damn Fics You've Ever Read.

[The Laurent]

Oh, that's fine - I don't think it's particularly amazing myself. It was the reasons for the de-rec that I had issues with.

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I mean, though as far as they go they aren't helped, popularity wise, by the fact that they're sorta screwed from both sides. Like, people who don't want to see gender issues/etc will object, while people who want to see them, well...

From what I remember, the gender politics were very...like, I mean, it was an earlier time, which is a way to point out that it's a little messed up that someone changes sex with magical water and then abandons the gender they've been comfortable with and identify as.[1]

...like, all of those girl-Ranma fics were moderately guilty pleasures when I was a teen, and they've only gotten less pleasurable and more guilty since then?

Again, that's not about the quality in general, though I wasn't impressed, and someone above can comment on that.

[1] Like, I get why people MIGHT do what they do, but still.

 

[eSpyre]

From what I recall of Heir to the Empire, most of the problems stem from Ranma Saotome not actually being Ranma Saotome :| (on the Ranma side of the crossover anyhow).
There was a reason I put The Best of Tmes up for recommendation, even with all its flaws.

 

[GoldenFalls]

I feel this is a distinctly unfair de-rec - you're allowing your own bias of the author to colour your interpretation of the fic. Indeed, just because a topic or genre doesn't appeal to you doesn't make something warrant a de-rec in my eyes. I don't think I'm going to recommend it myself, but that's just because I didn't think it was amazing - I do not accept your reasons as valid ones for a de-rec. In fact, I'd argue your given reasoning for the de-rec undermines the point of the thread.

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While I think immediately turning against a fic because of it's author is a bit cheap, @Reyemile gave a good explanation of what they actually found wrong with the fic and it didn't seem like just a write-off.

My issue with people taking issue with judgements based on author is that they seem to be viewing it as people hearing about an author's reputation and then being biased and coming up with reasons to dislike it for the sake of disliking it. I'm not sure if this is actually the case for a lot of people, but as someone who has been reading boatloads of fanfiction off of archives long before joining any conversations about it, my experience is that an author bias happens when you read more and more of their fics and their repeated flaws or biases become unignorable.

Like, there's one author of a prolific number of BtVS crossover fics who I initially enjoyed because of their variety of ideas. But I reached a point where I couldn't even read the fics with the most interesting premises because it had become obvious that all of their female characters were written as giggly Strong Female Characters and Xander was, without fail, a suave guy. I just couldn't look past it anymore, and if I were to see one of their fics recced here, I would say pretty much the same thing as Reyemile: this author struggles with characterization in these ways, and this fic shows those flaws.

As long as the user is posting issues they had with the actual fic, I don't think those types of dereccs should be ignored.

 

[Madou Sutegobana]

Most of what I could suggest is already on the list. Other fics I'd like to suggest resided on websites that my bookmarks no longer point to, or were taken down by their authors on FFN because of critics complaining of Mary-Sues.

Well, The Hill of Swords was pretty good. Mostly for being one actually finished.

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Seconding or thirding 'The Hill of Swords', it is a great fic, though it would probably drive some Nasu fans bonkers with 'Non-Canon' elements. (Or I've heard of some not liking it for that reason, it doesn't literally drive people insane!)

I advise anyone of the sort to just imagine Shirou comes from somewhere other than the Nasuverse.

Good points are an alternate familiar to Saito that takes the plot off the rails without demonizing Louise.

I second those fanfic because are good and GB is just that good!

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It seems I third this reccomendation!

Edit: In order to clear up any misconception that I am "thirding" 'In Flight' I've clipped Giodan's post to just the second for 'Hill of Swords'.

It even threw me for a loop, so I can understand very well how my post could lead to being misconstrued.

 

[aabbcc]

though it would probably drive some Nasu fans bonkers with 'Non-Canon' elements.

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Also the massively OOC protagonist.

Good points are an alternate familiar to Saito that takes the plot off the rails without

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I wouldn't say that, Eventually yeah, particularly with the lack of canon content given when it was written, but GB hugs those rails pretty hard while they were available

It's good, but, best ever? no. Not even his best fic. I'd derec them all except a couple short ones that are pretty decent. In Flight is plain worse than Hill, it's just bad.

 

[MiskWisk]

I would like to recommend break through the limit by captain space.

It's a DBZ fanfic where piccolo was much stronger in the first episodes and raditz and Goku have to team up. Butterflies galore but in the last couple arcs captain space really shines. They are original arcs taking place after the battle of the gods. Movie. Enjoy.

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Because I want to contribute I'm going to butt in and derec this as well.

I enjoyed it, don't get me wrong. There are some nice ideas in it such as Kuriza's development and the author really does try to make everything work

However, an A for effort is not an A for quality.

Despite the changes things manage to stick to canon a little too well. The story has copious amounts of original arc which straddles the line between good, but ultimately filler and oh god please get on with it filler. Finally, as previously mentioned, the power ups start getting a little out of hand. And by, a little out of hand, I mean Tengen Toppa Guren Lagann went through less power jumps.

 

[Xegzy]

*shrugs* it has been a while since I've read it, maybe I'm looking at it with rose tinted nostalgia glasses. If you guys with I can remove the post.

 

[eSpyre]

No need to remove a post... (unless it is breaking the rules I suppose).
Others may decide that it is worth the recommendation afterall.

 

[Tallamee]

I Know Not, and I Cannot Know--Yet I Live and I Love

By: billowsandsmoke
Severus Snape has his emotions in check. He knows that he experiences anger and self-loathing and a bitter yearning, and that he rarely deviates from that spectrum… Until the first-year Luna Lovegood arrives to his class wearing a wreath of baby's breath. Over the next six years, an odd friendship grows between the two, and Snape is not sure how he feels about any of it.

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Okay, so, not gonna rec or derec this thing just yet, but I feel that a few notes should be added to this post, because the title and plot summary set the alarm bells a-ringing about the probable content of the story. It is listed as fiction K+ though, and that should have probably been included in the post wherein you recommended the story.

Also alongside the cursory examination of the story I have a minor criticism to add. The story is thirty thousand words and has only one chapter. That kind of formatting is never called for. If you can write something that long, you can definitely find points in the story to separate it into chapters.

That aside, I may yet read it, time otherwise permitting.

 

[Marika Oniki]

I'm gonna derec this.

Above all, Ozzallos's fics exist to serve one purpose: to find a way to make Ranma Saotome into a full-time, fully accepting female. This may be better than some of his other attempts, and it's certainly more finished than most of them, but it's an agenda-fic and that agenda seeps through the entire story, making it feel entirely OOC.

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Well, I can freely admit that it has a number of flaws (though my biggest critiques were spelling/punctuation and that it ended before it could get more into Ranma coping with the whole reincarnation business WITHOUT an imminent threat to deal with), the original post asked for stories we found to be awesome that were complete. And what the hell is de-reccing? Like, would it now take at least four people seconding it for it to be worthy of an OP edit?

I'm going to maybe de-rec because, just to look it over, I went to the last chapter and found several egregious spelling errors. That's not enough, but I'm not sure the prose really is that compelling. I swear I've read it before and found it very average (and the gender politics, if I remember, were kinda...iffy?)

I'd at least definitely not recommend it.

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That, I suppose is fair, though I still don't get the whole need for de-recs; if people besides myself feel as you do, it won't make the list anyways... Though if you could expand on what gender politics you recall being present, I'm somewhat intrigued, as I personally didn't notice anything like that, though it has been a fair while since I last read it.

 

[The Laurent]

Well, I can freely admit that it has a number of flaws (though my biggest critiques were spelling/punctuation and that it ended before it could get more into Ranma coping with the whole reincarnation business WITHOUT an imminent threat to deal with), the original post asked for stories we found to be awesome that were complete. And what the hell is de-reccing? Like, would it now take at least four people seconding it for it to be worthy of an OP edit?
That, I suppose is fair, though I still don't get the whole need for de-recs; if people besides myself feel as you do, it won't make the list anyways... Though if you could expand on what gender politics you recall being present, I'm somewhat intrigued, as I personally didn't notice anything like that, though it has been a fair while since I last read it.

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Well, again, these are second-hand memories, but the problem with a lot of Ranma-chan fics in general, and I think I remember it being present, is that it gets into a very questionable sense of what gender is that confuses it with sex. Like, if I remember, Ranma, someone who was born and identified as a male in canon, winds up staying as a female and even having a child or something like that by the end of the fic?

Again, it'd help if my memories were more than vagaries, but it was always an iffy element of the whole genre, and as far as I know, it wasn't really dealt with in this fic any better than on average?

 

[Marika Oniki]

Well, again, these are second-hand memories, but the problem with a lot of Ranma-chan fics in general, and I think I remember it being present, is that it gets into a very questionable sense of what gender is that confuses it with sex. Like, if I remember, Ranma, someone who was born and identified as a male in canon, winds up staying as a female and even having a child or something like that by the end of the fic?

Again, it'd help if my memories were more than vagaries, but it was always an iffy element of the whole genre, and as far as I know, it wasn't really dealt with in this fic any better than on average?

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That... really doesn't mesh with what I recall at all. Ranma explicitly reverts back to male at the end, in part to put some distance between himself and the memories of Serenity, and isn't even really seeming to be thinking about romance or anything in that vein at the end, let alone with child. I do recall a line about Usagi gaining a...brother? (not sure what the child of a reincarnated parent would really be considered) named Unagi, though I can't say for sure if that was supposed to be factual or just Chibi-Usa and up-time Ranma messing with present Ranma.

 

[The Laurent]

That... really doesn't mesh with what I recall at all. Ranma explicitly reverts back to male at the end, in part to put some distance between himself and the memories of Serenity, and isn't even really seeming to be thinking about romance or anything in that vein at the end, let alone with child. I do recall a line about Usagi gaining a...brother? (not sure what the child of a reincarnated parent would really be considered) named Unagi, though I can't say for sure if that was supposed to be factual or just Chibi-Usa and up-time Ranma messing with present Ranma.

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Oh, hrm. Weird. I think I misread it? Or, I might be remembering a different fic of his. One thing about him is that he made a lot of fics and they all include a lot of girl-Ranma. Actually, let me double-check.

Edit: I think I was confused by the Mom-Grandma stuff. Also, the prose really is not that great.

Edit 2: But yeah, I think I might have been mixing it up.

 

[BF110C4]

Of course of all Vathara completed fics are worthy of being considered, but special mention goes to Thrower of the Dart. Not everyone can write a genius in such a way it does sound smart, here we get to see all of the Avengers cast plus Artemis Fowl acting, plotting andgenerally being extremely smart, and they do in different yet appropiate ways for each character.

Thrower of the Dart
Avengers. Artemis Fowl. AU for something that could have happened instead of book 6...
Crossover - Artemis Fowl & Avengers - Rated: T - English - Adventure/Friendship - Chapters: 10 - Words: 105,632 - Reviews: 273 - Favs: 1,266 - Follows: 428 - Published: May 6, 2015 - Artemis F., Holly S., Iron Man/Tony S., Agent Phil Coulson - Complete

 

[Tallamee]

That, I suppose is fair, though I still don't get the whole need for de-recs; if people besides myself feel as you do, it won't make the list anyways...

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This specifically needs to be answered, I feel. The rest of your post is not on a topic I care about, and really that gets to the heart of the reason for why derecs are needed.

From a general point, dissent is important. I would agree that if there are continual grammar errors a work should not be included in this list, even if I have no interest in the genre, nor any intention of ever reading it regardless. See, in dissenting, those who do so are reinforcing the standards of this list. To remove that option leaves this list much weaker, letting in stories that are genuinely not that good because all they had to do was find three people on the entire forum with the bad taste to give them a recommendation. Not saying that that is what is happening here, but there are points of this thread where it could have happened.

However, especially important the difference between dissent and indifference. For instance, by not derecing or seconding your recommendation, I am displaying indifference, and by extension, tacit aproval of your position, or rather the opinion that comes out to be the successful position by the rules of the thread.

The reason that derecs are important is that they give voice to the difference between indifference and dissent.

Of course of all Vathara completed fics are worthy of being considered, but special mention goes to Thrower of the Dart. Not everyone can write a genius in such a way it does sound smart, here we get to see all of the Avengers cast plus Artemis Fowl acting, plotting andgenerally being extremely smart, and they do in different yet appropiate ways for each character.

Thrower of the Dart
Avengers. Artemis Fowl. AU for something that could have happened instead of book 6...
Crossover - Artemis Fowl & Avengers - Rated: T - English - Adventure/Friendship - Chapters: 10 - Words: 105,632 - Reviews: 273 - Favs: 1,266 - Follows: 428 - Published: May 6, 2015 - Artemis F., Holly S., Iron Man/Tony S., Agent Phil Coulson - Complete

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Derecing. Was a fun read, but all, or nearly all, of the characters have the same voice. That voice is also carried over from much of Vathara's other works. The narrative is largely indistinguishable from any other work by Vathara, as is the underlying message. It might be less clear than in Project Tatterdemalion, but the message and dialogue is a near perfect match. And Tatterdemalion manages to have more distinct characters anyway.

 

[CV12Hornet]

Of course of all Vathara completed fics are worthy of being considered, but special mention goes to Thrower of the Dart. Not everyone can write a genius in such a way it does sound smart, here we get to see all of the Avengers cast plus Artemis Fowl acting, plotting andgenerally being extremely smart, and they do in different yet appropiate ways for each character.

Thrower of the Dart
Avengers. Artemis Fowl. AU for something that could have happened instead of book 6...
Crossover - Artemis Fowl & Avengers - Rated: T - English - Adventure/Friendship - Chapters: 10 - Words: 105,632 - Reviews: 273 - Favs: 1,266 - Follows: 428 - Published: May 6, 2015 - Artemis F., Holly S., Iron Man/Tony S., Agent Phil Coulson - Complete

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I could've sworn this was recced already... ah well, seconding. It's a fun read that is kind of my standard where crossovers are concerned.

 

[The Laurent]

This specifically needs to be answered, I feel. The rest of your post is not on a topic I care about, and really that gets to the heart of the reason for why derecs are needed.

From a general point, dissent is important. I would agree that if there are continual grammar errors a work should not be included in this list, even if I have no interest in the genre, nor any intention of ever reading it regardless. See, in dissenting, those who do so are reinforcing the standards of this list. To remove that option leaves this list much weaker, letting in stories that are genuinely not that good because all they had to do was find three people on the entire forum with the bad taste to give them a recommendation. Not saying that that is what is happening here, but there are points of this thread where it could have happened.

However, especially important the difference between dissent and indifference. For instance, by not derecing or seconding your recommendation, I am displaying indifference, and by extension, tacit aproval of your position, or rather the opinion that comes out to be the successful position by the rules of the thread.

The reason that derecs are important is that they give voice to the difference between indifference and dissent.



Derecing. Was a fun read, but all, or nearly all, of the characters have the same voice. That voice is also carried over from much of Vathara's other works. The narrative is largely indistinguishable from any other work by Vathara, as is the underlying message. It might be less clear than in Project Tatterdemalion, but the message and dialogue is a near perfect match. And Tatterdemalion manages to have more distinct characters anyway.

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On that note, I undo the de-rec of Heir. Still don't like it, but I don't derec it.

By the way, what IS the underlying message?

 

[Tallamee]

On that note, I undo the de-rec of Heir. Still don't like it, but I don't derec it.

By the way, what IS the underlying message?

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Pack/family is important, and not necessarily who you are born with. If you have only read one or two pieces of Vathara's work it might not stand out very much, but it is shot all throughout their work, including the actually published books.

Mostly, it shows up with the Avengers (Butler as well and an OC People warlock doctor also do it) in Thrower of the Dart and gives them all such similar voices that I have to go through each conversation involving them multiple times trying to figure out who said what. And I have to do that any time that I go back to reread it. What it does is a common problem with Vathara's works. The sameness of the voice of so many characters is not particularly bad in scenes with only two characters, but as the character count rises, as tends to happen with the avengers, it can get really bad.

 

[SuperSonicSound]

Okay, so, not gonna rec or derec this thing just yet, but I feel that a few notes should be added to this post, because the title and plot summary set the alarm bells a-ringing about the probable content of the story. It is listed as fiction K+ though, and that should have probably been included in the post wherein you recommended the story.

Also alongside the cursory examination of the story I have a minor criticism to add. The story is thirty thousand words and has only one chapter. That kind of formatting is never called for. If you can write something that long, you can definitely find points in the story to separate it into chapters.

That aside, I may yet read it, time otherwise permitting.

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You needn't worry nothing like you fear takes place, after giving it read I have to give I know not a tentative rec.

 

[Reyemile]

Though if you could expand on what gender politics you recall being present, I'm somewhat intrigued, as I personally didn't notice anything like that,

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In a vacuum, a single one of his fics doesn't look like gender politics; it looks like bad OOC writing. It looks like a generic, middling-quality story in which a man's man Ranma Saotome experiences far too little internal conflict when he gets touch with his feminine side, something he must do because he has a female body/a female past life/a female mentor/a pressing need to leave his male identity behind. I even enjoyed a few of them, like the one where Ranma and Setsuna get together.

It's when you look at his entire body of work that you realize he's not just changing the character, he's making a statement. And that statement is one that is irritating, not because there is anything wrong with exploring gender identity in fanfiction, but rather precisely because gender identity is a far more interesting topic than he gives it credit for.

All that said, I stand by my de-rec (if those mean anything? I'm just following other people's lead). However, I also recognize that someone who clicked that link and read that story and only that story may not see it in the same light that I do.

 

[Tallamee]

All that said, I stand by me de-rec (if those mean anything? I'm just following other people's lead).

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They mean something. A story goes onto the master list on the first page if it receives a net tally of 3 or more recommendations. The net recommendations equal the number of recommendations minus the number of derecs.

 

[GoldenFalls]

They mean something. A story goes onto the master list on the first page if it receives a net tally of 3 or more recommendations. The net recommendations equal the number of recommendations minus the number of derecs.

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I thought it was more that a story won't go on if it's in general contentious? So In Flight, for example, will never be on that list because there's too many people who dislike it.

 

[MiskWisk]

I thought it was more that a story won't go on if it's in general contentious? So In Flight, for example, will never be on that list because there's too many people who dislike it.

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It's both really. A few de-recs against enough recs will end up being done on a net basis but if something is contentious enough it won't. Mostly because the op will step in at that point to try and get the thread back on track instead of arguing for and against certain fics.

 

[Cosar]

Of course of all Vathara completed fics are worthy of being considered, but special mention goes to Thrower of the Dart. Not everyone can write a genius in such a way it does sound smart, here we get to see all of the Avengers cast plus Artemis Fowl acting, plotting andgenerally being extremely smart, and they do in different yet appropiate ways for each character.

Thrower of the Dart
Avengers. Artemis Fowl. AU for something that could have happened instead of book 6...
Crossover - Artemis Fowl & Avengers - Rated: T - English - Adventure/Friendship - Chapters: 10 - Words: 105,632 - Reviews: 273 - Favs: 1,266 - Follows: 428 - Published: May 6, 2015 - Artemis F., Holly S., Iron Man/Tony S., Agent Phil Coulson - Complete

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De-Reccing. It's fun, but it falls into the general issues that Tallamee pointed out as well as having iffy characterization.

 

[Imrix]

For my part, I'll rec Thrower of the Dart. Having re-read it, the characterisation feels good enough that nobody detracts from the central characters, who feel on point. I flat don't agree all the characters have the same voice. Tallamee points out a notable aspect of Vathara's work, but on reflection I do not see it as a flaw, per se.

Family is not a small issue to write stories about, even just from a perspective of the blood of the covenant being thicker than the water of the womb. There's a healthy amount of room for stories to explore that idea in different ways and worlds. I'd be happy to read another half-dozen of Vathara's tales examining that idea in the context of different IP's.