Subject: [FFML][companion][ALSW] The ALSW FFML Author Encyclopedia Vol. 1
From: Elsa Bibat
Date: 5/13/1998, 1:29 PM
To: "'ffml@fanfic.com'" <ffml@fanfic.com>

This was originally part of my essay A Long Strange Walk or 
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The FFML. I made this on a whim
and when I finished I realized I created something that could
help other fic authors. You ask how ? Well, I don't know about
you but I faithfully study the way succesful authors write trying
to ste...er...improve my style. I hope you guys like my critiques
on you. 

BTW, to get a slot on the FFML Encyclopedia, one of the
already listed authors below nominates you and writes an 
in-depth commentary on both your style and works. You have 
to get the attention of the guys below and then when the
commentary is finished I send it off to random members to
confirm your worthiness to join the Children of Cthulhu......wait ! 
I mean the FFML Author Encyclopedia. I'll be realeasing it by
volume since once I polish off five letter I'll release                                        

            
                               **************************
                 Object Lessons or The FFML Author Encyclopedia        
                              
OK, here we are ! This is the  _incomplete_ FFML Author Encyclopedia. I'm
doing this by saying them off at the top of my head. These authors are the      
ones whose works I like and admire. The authors included here are those who
I admire, exclusion from the list doesn't mean you're a total failure.It just means  
I don't constantly reread your work that I forgot your names. These guys and gals
are the ones I've read so many times that I can practically recite the story, yet
I don't tire from it. There are a few authors I like that aren't on the FFML and I
may have confused them so I may have made a mistake in a few of the entries                     
These people's works are considered recommended reading by me. 
After the author entries come the fanfic entries, where I analyze some of my
favorite fics like Dance of Shiva and others to show the newbies how they tick
and what makes them so succesful. Heck, I'm doing this like it's some college
thesis. <sigh> 

Anyway, let us begin !                

A:Angel

Chris "God Boy" Angel, the lone entry at A is the writer of Siblings, Shieldsman,
Oh My Brother ! , Age of Evangelion, Mirai Muyo (You really should finish it Chris)
God's Toy and Turn The Page. He is also participant of CALF Production's SI 
"Otaku Leap". Anyway, his works are quite good by my standards. I've constantly
reread his Shieldsman and Oh My Brother! series. He has the urge to put in new
characters that I suspect act alot like him.His works do not suffer from this little
quirk, but are enhanced by it. His works have that charm to them. 

B:Becerra, Biles,Bartram,Beaubien,Barbra
             
Five entries in B

Ed Becerra is the author of Legion's Quest, one of the best SI's I've ever read. 
I recommend to go to his webpage and get the entire series. His writing skills
are quite good, making his works quite an enjoyable read. 

John Walter Biles is the author of such classics of fanfiction as Dance of Shiva,
Lemon Sherbet, Putting Your Heart in the Right Place and many others. He's
also got this cool WoT RPG on his page. Anyway, his skills at writing is 
incredible. As Andrew Huang puts it,he is an "epic-weaver". His interweaving          
of plot points and excellent writing skills make his works classics of the field.

Lara Bartram is the author of Kazuo's Kind, Wolf in Samurai's Clothing,Twisted 
Destiny and quite a few unforgettable lemons. She is a very good writer and
I'll be constantly rereading her lemons for a long time. ~_^

Richard Beaubien is the author of two unforgettable Hime-chan No Ribbon fics and
the Eating Guide to the Silver Millenium.He is a masterful mood setter and as shown
by his fics quite flexible, skilled in both serious introspection and comedy.                                                  

Rob Barbra is the author of Tales of Shampoo. Like Biles, he is an epic weaver,
able to get many plot points to weave into one whole. His work is very,very good.
Trust me, you'll forget the time while reading his fic as you are caught up in the
story.                
   
C:Cheng,Cobb

Two entries for C

Donny Cheng is best known for his work on the Life and Times series, a real
big crossover which at the very heart has every unattached female in the anime
universe going after Ranma. Excellent style that blends humor and romance.                         

Henry J.Cobb is the resident Urusei Yatsura writer. His premiere work is in his
Oh My Goddess/ Urusei Yatsura fanfic ' Choas and Death'. He is also a master
spamfic writer, matched only by Ryoucilo in skill of creating delightful little shorts. 

D:Davies, Doherty,Dynon,DDFA,De la Merced

Five entries in D

Chris Davies is the author of the immense 'Together Again' saga and it's little
associated stories set in that continuity. Mr. Davies matches Biles in his skills
of plot weaving and saga creation. Also, like Biles, he is skilled in both script 
and prose formats, capable of writing an engaging story in both.   
  
Mark Doherty is the author of  I'm Here To Help, Knights of the Saber, 100% Woman
and ,I think his biggest work to date, Ryouga and Ukyou. Mark is a master of
characterization and his Emerald matches Frank Barr's Trenchcoat Mask and Chris 
Angel's Crimson in my favorite original SM characters list. His works are quite a joy   
to read and are excellent examples of character-driven plots             

Andrew Dynon is the author of Operation Lightsphere, a Teknoman/Iczer crossover. 
He is a good prose writer and has incredible skills in plotting, following the three C's
I outlined in ALSW. It is quite sad that his work is unnoticed because of the relative
obscurity of his subject series.    

Dark Day For Anime is a newcomer and is the author of the controversial Usagi is
Dead series 1 & 2 along with the Barking Snout series, The Sailor Investigation Unit
and a really weird Monty Python/SM/whatchamacallit crossover I accidentally deleted.
The best I can describe of his style is something like Anno Hiddeaki and other like
minded individuals working together to make your brain explode. The UID series is
filled with blood,gore,violence and incredible amounts of stuff that could mess with 
anyone's mind. And _that_ is a good thing. All of his works have his works have this
surreal feel to it that I personally like. Though his works have this tendency to make
anyone's head hurt, I recommend him for both skill and originality.                                   

Florencio B. de la Merced is the author of Silly, Angelus Returnen Incarnatus,
The Son He Never Was, In My Life and The Legend Of El Hazard: The World Of 
The Ancient Gods among others. A skilled writer, he can breathe life into plots that
would sometimes put me to sleep. His fics have that charm in them that makes
me want to read them again.          

E:Eddy,Eades

Two entries in E 

David Eddy is the author of Nekophobia , Second Time Around, Wild Child and that cute 
little lemon, Careless Destiny. A very good author, especially skilled in crafting dialogue
and evoking emotion, his prose style is perfect for his works. He also makes a pretty
good lemon ! ~_^ 
       
James Eades is the author of Macho Cabballo, IMHO one of the best Original fic on the
FFML. He is a very good writer, as proven by the fact that I haven't fallen asleep or have
been tempted to delete his fic. I usually delete Original fics once I've read a little part of 
it and doesn't pass my standards.James' fic passed with flying colors, something only
David Homerick, author of the Original fic Missy Foxglove has been able to do. 

*******************

Next volume will be from F-H

_____________________________________________________________
' Writers are the torchbearers of civilization. We're set in a corner only we
can illuminate.Some of us are searchlights, able to cast a beam into the 
far reaches of the human soul.Some of us are candles , barely able to 
sustain a glow against the darkness. Nevertheless the words I write 
are important, because light is additive. Another's light  doesn't diminish
 my own. Our lights together make us stronger.'   
                   - (After much paraphrasing and reaaranging) Roger Martin  

' ... there's a hell
  of a universe next door ; let's go '
                                e.e. cummings ' Pity the Busy Beast Manunkind '

' How can a person live in a world where she can hear voices only she  
can hear and visions that only she can see ?' 
                                                         - (Paraphrasing) Shirley Jackson