Clover's newbie-friendly reading list
Real quick glowfic 101
What is glowfic?
Glowfic is a genre of webfiction! It’s a cross between a text roleplay and a coauthored story. It started as a collaboration by a couple of writers, Alicorn and Kappa, on dreamwidth; now it has its own website, called “the Constellation.”
If you want more information, here's the community guide to glowfic and the wiki glossary.
There’s an awful lot of glowfic and no obvious way to tell which things are prerequisite for which other things! Where do I start?
If you just want a single generic rec: Start with in color by Alicorn and lintamande. It was the first glowfic I (and a lot of other people) read and requires basically no background. If you want you can read this setting explanation first.
If there are specific themes you're interested in reading about, or if you want something pretty short: you can take this uquiz to recommend you a starter glowfic.
If you want a list of options: Check out the newbie-friendly reading list on the next page of this guide.
What if I want to read things by a specific author, or involving a specific character?
You can go to their author page (respectively, character page) on the Constellation and choose from their list of threads or continuities. You can also enter, for example, [author="Alicorn"] into the wiki search bar to find wiki pages for glowfic written by Alicorn.
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