16 KiB
Which should I read first and why?
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Author: u/TheLeo3314 *
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URL: https://www.reddit.com/r/rational/comments/8a4nqj/which_should_i_read_first_and_why/
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Score: 20
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Created: 2018-04-05T23:28:35
Post:
I've been off reading paper books and playing video games instead of studying lately so I've fallen a bit behind on web serials. Right now I've got tabs open on my phone for: "The Good Student," "Worth the Candle," and "A Practical Guide to Evil."
I can't decide which one to read first so it would be cool if you fine people could give me some guidance on my never ending journey to kill time on bus rides. Thanks!
Edit: blargh, I realize now that there is a monthly recommendation thread I could have used instead of making another post. I no reddit good.
Comments:
u/Jokey665 [+43] Worth the Candle (3 minutes later)
worth the candle is so good it's actually kind of ridiculous. i haven't read the others though
u/Croktopus [+32] (34 minutes later)
I think it depends on what you're in the mood for.
Worth the Candle is a really good LitRPG (one of the best), whereas the interesting draw (imo) for the other two is that they look at narrative logic informing reality (though they do so in very different ways). For me, the latter is a much fresher thing, and I'd go with those if it's the same for you.
Choosing between the two, I'd say the Good Student is more lighthearted and short, whereas PGtE is long and a bit grimdark. I think PGtE is better, though, and that'd be my recommendation.
e: i do need to make a shout out to TGS though, for having perhaps the most...interesting romance ive ever seen. its teetering on the edge of absurdism. i love it.
u/TheLeo3314 [+5] (an hour later)
Thanks, this response is very helpful! One quick thing though, I've had a weird day at work and my brain isn't in top form, could you explain what you mean by "narrative logic informing reality?"
u/Croktopus [+14] (2 hours later)
i mean its a weird thing anyways, but basically in PGtE literary tropes are like, laws of nature. so if the Villain launches into a long monologue about their great plans that the Hero couldn't possibly do anything about, the Hero will get some huge power boost.
u/TheLeo3314 [+8] (3 hours later)
Oh snap I see what you mean, that sounds right up my alley.
u/Croktopus [+11] (3 hours later)
fwiw, shadows of the limelight is another great story that explores that trope in yet another way, and it's actually finished (i think were waiting for an epilogue that'll never come, but its finished enough).
its more superhero-y than these other 3 which are more fantasy-y, but maybe in 6 months when youre caught up on all of the others its worth a go :P
u/nicholaslaux [+1] (17 hours later)
And is also written by the same author as Worth the Candle, though under a different pseudonym.
u/ShIxtan [+1] (3 hours later)
To be fair, that's also somewhat true in WtC. At least the characters are all worried it is
u/Croktopus [+1] (3 hours later)
hahaha oh yeah. but...i feel like thats much more of a background thing. good catch though
u/OnePunchFan8 [+5] (14 hours later)
Is Worth the Candle available anywhere else other than achieve of our own? I prefer fanfiction.net or any other site, AO3 is pretty user unfriendly (at least on mobile, even the app is iffy)
I want to try reading it, is it complete? If not, is it still updating?
u/Escapement [+9] Ankh-Morpork City Watch (16 hours later)
Worth The Candle is AO3 only, and is unfinished but still updating. Last update was a week ago, author updates sporadically but fairly often and usually with long multi-chapter updates.
You can download .epub or .mobi format ebook files for AO3 stories, and also a standalone HTML format. Worth The Candle uses some formatting and stuff in tables / some mouseover text, some of which is stripped entirely and others of which are merely ugly - but if AO3 itself is a total dealbreaker, these might be better for you. I personally view AO3 on mobile just using Android's Chrome rather than any specific app and it works well for me, but your mileage may vary due to differing phones etc.
u/OnePunchFan8 [+1] (17 hours later)
Is there any way to use the chrome version of AO3 so that it's dark themed? AO3 is generally unreliable, for awhile there it kept disappearing off of my home screen (but still I my list of apps, I had to keep re-adding it)
I also find the stories to be generally quite disturbing (lot of weird shit there) so I only use it to find stories recommended to me/ones I already read on other sites.
u/Escapement [+3] Ankh-Morpork City Watch (17 hours later)
If you have a login for AO3, you can go to "preferences" -> "skins" and choose from a variety of user-made skins for the site. The public site skins include at least one (Reversi) that is dark-themed with light text. I honestly haven't tried using skins much but they do exist and seem to work, more or less.
If you don't have a username for AO3, you can start on that here - it's about a 12-day wait right now.
Alternatively, if you find this sort of thing highly desirable on lots of sites beyond just AO3 and you're willing to get a little more complicated, one thing you can do is use Android Firefox for the Firefox addon Stylish - which lets you download and use user-made themes for various websites, including e.g. AO3 but also a lot of other sites.
u/FatFingerHelperBot [+1] (17 hours later)
It seems that your comment contains 1 or more links that are hard to tap for mobile users. I will extend those so they're easier for our sausage fingers to click!
Here is link number 1 - Previous text "AO3"
^Please ^PM ^/u/eganwall ^with ^issues ^or ^feedback! ^| ^Delete
u/OnePunchFan8 [+1] (17 hours later)
Thanks!
u/Kizadek [+2] (a day later)
I really don't know if this will help, but mobile browsers are starting to allow you to use a reading mode that they have built in. I use the Mozilla Mobile Browser, and Reading mode makes for a much nicer experience overall.
u/Izeinwinter [+2] (2 days later)
... What? Ao3 is a far better designed site than fanfiction.net Something is really wrong with your browser setup. It also generates ebook versions for you if you dont want to fix your shit
u/OnePunchFan8 [+1] (2 days later)
Maybe the mobile version is really bad? Fanfiction's UI is much better.
u/Izeinwinter [+1] (2 days later)
If you are reading on mobile, you need the epub or mobi version to retain your sanity regardless.
u/dalitt [+20] (6 minutes later)
Worth the Candle is maybe one of my favorite novels ever, let alone web serials. Highly recommended.
u/ShIxtan [+16] (56 minutes later)
Worth the candle is one of the best things I've read in years, possibly ever. As soon as I was caught up, I started right over. Unless constant talk of tabletop gaming is a turn-off, that's where I'd start.
Practical Guide to Evil is filled with moments of awesome. Heroes and villans alike are epic and enjoyable characters. The dialogue with orcs and goblins is immensely satisfying. Magic system explicitly runs on narrative, so the best way to be a good munchkin is to be a fun character.
The Good Student has hilarious dialogue. Personally, I find the plot a bit hard to follow, but it's clear there are layers of mysteries that will probably be solvable before they are answered on-screen.
u/TheLeo3314 [+3] (an hour later)
Dang, those are all good selling points in my mind. Thanks for the thoughtful response!
u/narfanator [+12] (52 minutes later)
TGS reliably updates once a week, and is at ~40 chapters? Catching up is very doable.
WTC is amazeballs, updates 2-4 times a month, usually 2-3 chapters per update? We're at ~80 chapters. Catching up would work, but you'll spend some time behind.
PGTE is up to 3+ chapters a week, and there's A LOT already written. We're right near the end of a hiatus. It will be hard to catch up without some serious binging.
u/TheLeo3314 [+8] (an hour later)
Hmmmm, I do love me some staying-up-too-late-super-tired-at-school/work-just-one-more-chapter binging...
u/AurelianoTampa [+9] (12 hours later)
Out of the three I think A Practical Guide to Evil and Worth the Candle are about tied.
A Practical Guide to Evil has great worldbuilding, banter, and speculation about what will happen next. The meta-story isn't so much a mystery as it is a clue; a lot of battles and duels come down to who has more weight of narrative behind them, so shaping a story is almost as important as shaping a battle plan. It's currently on hiatus, as the third book just ended - starting it now means you'll be caught up when book 4 starts. There are five books planned for the main series.
Worth the Candle has a lot of meta-story qualities and an overarching mystery behind what's happening, who's doing it, and why. Honestly that aspect is my favorite part, and it does meta even better than APGTE (in my opinion). The dialogue is pretty good, though not as snappy as APGTE. The characters are neat and interesting, and it deconstructs a number of tropes (Juniper is prodded toward having a harem of princesses follow him, but refuses to buy into the notion). The world building is unique, but... disjointed. It's like each location is almost it's own separate world, not really connected to the others. I mean, they are, but it just doesn't feel like it compared to APGTE. I would say this is a more mature and philosophical story than APGTE, but only by a bit.
TGS is a fun read and hits a lot of these same points, but to a bit of a lesser extent. It's worth reading, but I'd take the other two first.
u/everything-narrative [+4] Coral, Abide with Rubicon! (18 hours later)
My vote goes to APGTE, because it is massive, over the top, and has some of the most interesting fantasy world building ever committed to the electronic equivalent of paper. The writing is stellar, the cast is massive, and the medieval world is very historically accurate.
u/nineran [+3] (13 hours later)
My favorite web fiction from a non-NYT best selling author is PGtE. A close second is HPMOR but that really wouldn’t have worked for me if I weren’t already a HP fan.
I can’t wait for April 8, when the new PGtE arc begins. It’s super reliable, which I appreciate. If you’re a straight up fantasy fan, this is the best.
If you are more about tabletop RPGs or even MMORPGs - WTC is the best SI I’ve ever read. It’s easy to catch up to the end point, so if I were you, I’d catch up based on time (weekend= PGtE, overnight=WTC, but your MMV).
In both cases, give yourself a dozen chapters before you give up on it. PGtE’s writing gets better.
I’ve never been able to get into TGS, but it is funny in stretches.
u/ProfessorPhi [+3] (16 hours later)
Practical guide to evil has a lot of length to it already, but it's my favourite as it has a large cast of very interesting characters. It feels very worm esque in that every character is the main character of their story and the narrative arc with the Fae is one of my favourite fantasy books ever.
Worth the candle is also fantastic,but doesn't quite have the body of work yet to put it over practical guide, though it's likely to get to that vicinity.
The good student is probably the least obvious book of the three, in that it really goes all around the shop with its themes and ideas, but it has a very very unique take on fantasy creatures and the idea of the story being supreme.
I'd say worth the candle since it's not that far into it, so you'll be caught up soon enough to participate in discussions. Practical guide since I think it's a must read but the time sink might be a bit much.
u/None [+2] (14 hours later)
I haven't read Worth the Candle yet. I want to finish working my way through The Wandering Inn before I take on another LitRPG.
I'm hot and cold on TGS. It does some good things with setup and resolution, but I don't enjoy it as much as Practical.
Have you read Worm and/or Twig yet?
u/Nimelennar [+3] (2 hours later)
I haven't read TGS, so can't give a recommendation for or against.
Of the other two, I've read both, and while they're both enjoyable, I find that PGtE holds up a lot better when you reflect back upon it. It's a lot more self-conscious about the message it's trying to convey to the reader. When the main character does something morally dubious, that character reflects upon the dubiousness of the action.
WtC, on the other hand, has a similar amount of morally dubious stuff going down, with a lot less self-awareness. I found it more fun on the initial read-through, but kind of troubling as I reflect back upon it.
So, of WtC and PGtE, I'd recommend the latter, since I think it has more to say, and that's the kind of story I like.
u/um_m [+3] (12 hours later)
PGtE, at least in the first three quarters or so, has lot more funny & awesome moments too.
u/SvalbardCaretaker [+2] Mouse Army (13 hours later)
Dissenting voice about PGtE: its really rather lightly written, eg. relatively low quality literature. Think of it as a sweet cereal breakfeast; good for a quick fix but not for long term sustenance, too much of it will give you trouble of the karies/diabetis kind. Same is true for good student.
Whereas WtC is pretty much a healthly and balanced breakfeast.
u/monkyyy0 [+1] (an hour later)
I highly recommend not starting unfinished works
u/HeartwarmingLies [+3] (3 hours later)
Why?
u/monkyyy0 [+13] (3 hours later)
The pain ;__;
u/Cariyaga [+8] Kyubey did nothing wrong (8 hours later)
Serial fiction is awesome though. It's great to have something to look forward to. :D
u/Throwitover9000 [+4] (23 hours later)
Some people enjoy being able to follow along with the community as a piece of work gets written. Real pain only comes with unexpected hiatus for me.
u/Kishoto [+2] (14 hours later)
I sympathize with that to some degree, I'll admit.
u/None [+1] (24 minutes later)
All three are top tier. I recommend rolling a d3.
u/icesharkk [+1] (18 hours later)
Definitely worth the candle.
u/PastafarianGames [+1] (21 hours later)
The Good Student doesn't have the level of raw writing craft behind it that A Practical Guide to Evil does. Haven't read Worth the Candle, but Practical Guide is phenomenal.
(I'd go so far as to say that The Good Student doesn't justify a top 5 slot in web serials, even not counting WtC, as I haven't read that, AND counting all of Wildbow's works together. But that might be just a degree of personal preference that wouldn't apply to others.)
u/Boron_the_Moron [+1] (2 days later)
I can't speak for the other two, but The Good Student is terrible. It reads like a scrappy first draft that got published by mistake. The kind of thing that needed 3 or 4 heavy rewrites, and should never have seen the light of day.
Don't waste your time.