Reading list
A list of glowfic I recommend, in what I think is a basically reasonable reading order.
- Purple = highly recommended
- Reading time = time it took me to read, for those where I kept track.
- Spoiler warnings are not thorough. I have basically included spoiler warnings for things I personally would have wanted to be warned about.
- Nothing listed is more than mildly NSFW.
- This list was written in 2019-2020. I am not planning to update it.
Easy stuff to start with:
- in color (Sandbox) - Alicorn, lintamande
- Prerequisites: optionally, this setting description
- Reading time: ~days
- Wiki link
- i've got a list of names (Sandbox) - Alicorn, lintamande
- with the time that is given us (Continuity) - apprenticebard, lintamande
- Prerequisites: none
- Reading time: ~days
- Moderate spoilers for early Buffy (don't remember if season 1 or 2)
- I read this before watching Buffy and kinda wished I'd done it in the other order
- Wiki link
- while there's still evil afoot (Sandbox) - apprenticebard, lintamande
- Prerequisites: with the time that is given us
- Wiki link
Where it all began:
- Luminosity and Radiance (Fanfic) - Alicorn
- Prerequisites: none (not even Twilight)
- This is not a glowfic, but it's very good and it's what the foundational glowfic, Effulgence, is based off of
- Effulgence (Continuity) up to subcontinuity "will you marry me" - Alicorn, Kappa
- Reading time: a month (it will eat your life)
- Major spoilers for Ender's Game
- Wiki link
More Effulgence please:
- catch without release (subcontinuity of Effulgence) - Alicorn, Kappa
- Prerequisites: none
- Reading time: < an hour
- like a thief in the day (Sandbox) - Alicorn, lintamande
- Prerequisites: in color, catch without release
- Reading time: a couple hours
- Wiki link
- in spite of a nail (Sandbox) - Alicorn, Kappa
- Prerequisites: Effulgence up through “they bite”
- Reading time: ~half an hour
- Wiki link
- the prime directive (subcontinuity of Effulgence) - Alicorn, Kappa
- Prerequisites: none
- Reading time: hours
- an art project (subcontinuity of Effulgence) - Alicorn, Kappa
- Prerequisites: none
- Major spoilers for the Vorkosigan Saga up through "Mirror Dance"
- I am so serious about the spoilers, I delayed reading this until I'd read the Vorkosigan saga and I'm really glad I did things in that order
- something that i want (subcontinuity of Effulgence) - Alicorn, Kappa
- Prerequisites: none
- Reading time: hours
- seidr and spear (subcontinuity of Effulgence) - Alicorn, Kappa
- Prerequisites: none
- unfashionable tattoo (subcontinuity of Effulgence) - Alicorn, Kappa
- Prerequisites: none
- Reading time: half an hour?
Other early Bell continuities:
- Incandescence (Continuity) - Aestrix, Alicorn
- Bluebell Flames (Continuity) - Alicorn, Red
- Prerequisites: optionally, previous exposure to Bells, e.g. Effulgence
- Reading time: hours
- Wiki link
- Eclipse (Continuity) - Alicorn, Red
- Prequisites: some of Effulgence (optional, for template background)
- Reading time: days
- Wiki link
Long Arda continuities:
- Elentári (subcontinuity of Silmaril) - Alicorn, lintamande
- Prerequisites: optionally, seidr and spear
- Reading time: a week
- This is the first, and best standalone, part of Silmaril; it’s worth reading on its own
- Silmaril wiki link
- Silmaril (Continuity) - Alicorn, lintamande
- Prerequisites: details on wiki page; all are optional
- Reading time: over a month (it will eat your life)
- Major spoilers for Puella Magi Madoka Magica in subcontinuity "West"
- If you plan to read Golarion sandboxes (later in this recommendation list), then I recommend delaying reading the subcontinuity Starstone until after you do that
- Wiki link
- if the world can’t be saved i’ll save it anyway (Continuity) - lintamande, swimmer963
- Prerequisites: optionally, A Song For Two Voices (Fanfic series by swimmer)
- ASFTV is very long but also very good; if you care about spoilers it's worth reading that first
- Wiki link
- Prerequisites: optionally, A Song For Two Voices (Fanfic series by swimmer)
Golarion:
- ask yourself if you could have predicted this (Sandbox) - lintamande, apprenticebard
- Prerequisites: none, but benefits from prior exposure to Feanorians and/or Imrainais, e.g. in color or with the time that is given us
- Wiki link
- baubles and bangles (Sandbox) - lintamande, Alicorn
- fascinate (Sandbox) - lintamande, Alicorn
- Starstone (subcontinuity of Silmaril) - lintamande, Alicorn
- Prerequisites: none
- Silmaril wiki link
- only that which they defend (Continuity) - lintamande, swimmer963
- Prerequisites: preferably at least one thread with lintamande's adventuring party (e.g. ask yourself if you could have predicted this or Starstone) and exposure to Vanyel and Leareth (e.g. A Song For Two Voices or if the world can’t be saved i’ll save it anyway)
- Wiki link
- free will was a mistake (Sandbox) - lintamande, Alicorn, swimmer963
- Prerequisites: we know we once were gods (subcontinuity of only that which they defend)
- Wiki link
- necessities are free (Sandbox) - lintamande, Alicorn
- Prerequisites: Ibyabek (short story by Alicorn) and we know we once were gods (subcontinuity of only that which they defend)
- Wiki link
Vampires, demons, and Imrainais:
- what you are in the dark (Sandbox) - apprenticebard, root
- Prerequisites: preferably, previous exposure to Imrainai/Karen (e.g. with the time that is given us) and previous exposure to Z (e.g. his Amenta RP blog, industrialbruise.tumblr.com)
- Reading time: < half an hour
- Wiki link
- jealous is the night when the morning comes (Sandbox) - Alicorn, apprenticebard
- Prerequisites: what you are in the dark, Effulgence up through “raise the stakes,” optionally "Daevinity" (subcontinuity of Incandescence)
- Reading time: an hour
- Moderate spoilers for Buffy season 2
- Wiki link
- every breath you take (Sandbox) - Alicorn, apprenticebard
- bro you need to stop summoning demons in the frat house (Sandbox) - Alicorn, lintamande
- Prerequisites: with the time that is given us and optionally "Daevinity" (subcontinuity of Incandescence)
- Wiki link
- tough guy talk (Sandbox) - lintamande, apprenticebard
- Prerequisites: with the time that is given us
- Wiki link
- raises some questions for gary gygax (Sandbox) - lintamande, apprenticebard
- Prerequisites: with the time that is given us, and prior familiarity with lintamande's adventuring party, e.g. ask yourself if you could have predicted this or Starstone
- Wiki link
- much of the world is lawless and cruel (Sandbox) - lintamande, apprenticebard
- Prerequisites: none, but benefits from prior exposure to Feanorians and/or Imrainais (e.g. in color or with the time that is given us) and/or from prior exposure to lintamande's adventuring party (e.g. ask yourself if you could have predicted this or Starstone)
- Wiki link
- Desperate Measures (Sandbox) - lintamande, apprenticebard
- Prerequisites: much of the world is lawless and cruel
- Wiki link
The diamond queen:
- you were kind to something once (Sandbox) - lintamande, apprenticebard
- Prerequisites: none
- Wiki link
- some only had hearts that were brave and true (Sandbox) - lintamande, apprenticebard
- Prerequisites: none
- Wiki link
- anyone who says differently is selling something (Sandbox) - lintamande, apprenticebard
- Prerequisites: while there's still evil afoot
- Wiki link
- give me the wretched refuse of your teeming shore (Sandbox) - lintamande, apprenticebard
- Prerequisites: while there's still evil afoot
- Wiki link
- most foolish of all (Sandbox) - lintamande, apprenticebard
- you can’t warm the stars with your hands (Sandbox) - lintamande, apprenticebard
- Prerequisites: none, but benefits from prior exposure to Feanorians and/or Imrainais
- Wiki link
- origin of the diamond queen (Continuity) - lintamande, apprenticebard
- Prerequisites: much of the world is lawless and cruel (Korva), some only had hearts that were brave and true (Elizabeth), give me the wretched refuse of your teeming shore (huddled-masses), you were kind to something once (Catherine), and while there's still evil afoot (Slayer Karen)
- Wiki link
Forever is a long, long time:
- repeat after me (Sandbox) - Aestrix, Alicorn
- Prerequisites: Queen, Visitor, and Changeling (short stories by Alicorn), and Phixable (subcontinuity of Incandescence)
- Reading time: ~half an hour?
- Wiki link
- exact words (Subcontinuity of Effulgence) - Alicorn, Kappa
- Prerequisites: Effulgence, optionally some previous exposure to the Harmonics setting (e.g. repeat after me)
- Effulgence wiki link
- blood sweat tear (Sandbox) - Alicorn, Kappa
- Prerequisites: Effulgence up through “raise the stakes,” plus “exact words”
- Reading time: a couple hours
- Wiki link
- Fairylights (Continuity) - Alicorn, Red
- Prerequisites: previous exposure to the Harmonics setting, e.g. repeat after me or exact words (optional, for setting and character background)
- Reading time: a day or two
- Wiki link
- choose wisely (Sandbox) - Alicorn, lintamande
- Prerequisites: previous exposure to the Harmonics setting, previous exposure to fastfairyland (e.g. you were kind to something once)
- Wiki link
Miscellanea:
- ademption (Sandbox) - swimmer963, Alicorn
- Prerequisites: Will (short story by Alicorn) and preferably prior familiarity with Vanyel and Leareth (e.g. A Song For Two Voices or if the world can’t be saved i’ll save it anyway)
- Wiki link
- cleanliness is next to godliness (Sandbox) - Alicorn, westwind
- Prerequisites: in color, familiarity with the Cascadia setting, and optionally the Cascadia RP blogs the-fear-of-childishness.tumblr.com and stitchesinablanket.tumblr.com
- Reading time: a couple hours
- Wiki link
- i don't know how to play this hand (Sandbox) - hearts, westwind
- Prerequisites: none
- Major spoilers for The Magnus Archives up to season 3
- Wiki link
- people being fundamentally people (Sandbox) - apprenticebard, westwind
- Prerequisites: none, but benefits from familiarity with Imrainai (e.g. with the time that is given us) and Lev (e.g. i don't know how to play this hand)
- Minor spoilers for Good Omens
- Wiki link
- complete disrespect of the institutional review board (Sandbox) - Unbitwise, root
- Prerequisites: none
- Wiki link