Looking for stories similar to Starlight Gleaming by TJSkywind and Three Square meals. Stories must be long enough to absorb the reader (and cause PSD -Post series depression-). Protagonist should be male, not a pushover or a whimp. A Harem aspect wouldn't hurt and no gay scenes.
take a look at "Flight of the code monkey"
I dropped it after 6 chapters or so because of an overabundance of accents and sex but many many others like it.
a little bit more about what you want in the story would help, many of us won't read the stories you say we like just to make a similar recommendation - that's already done at the end of a story by using the tag system.
that's already done at the end of a story by using the tag system.
I've gotten plenty of 'recommendations' that were nothing like the story I just finished. Sure they shared some tags, but as far as plot or theme. they had nothing in common.
as far as plot or theme. they had nothing in common.
which is why the posters of these types of requests need to spell out what they seek.
a little bit more about what you want in the story would help, many of us won't read the stories you say we like just to make a similar recommendation
Every reader has read stories that they think are good and by asking for "something good" I simply asked for stories that are similar to TSM and SG that YOU as a reader think are good.
I simply asked for stories that are similar to TSM and SG that YOU as a reader think are good.
I realise what you ask for in the original post. However, what I'm saying is just naming a story doesn't tell anyone not familiar with that story anything about what you want. Which is why you should say something about the actual content. For example saying:
"I'd like recommendations for a story like Will to Survive." - doesn't tell you what the story is about, while saying:
"I'd like recommendations for a story like Will to Survive which is about a man who travels back through time to be stranded in the US west in the mid 1800s. - Tells people reading the post you're looking for a western time travel type story.
I can't say if the stories you mention are good or not, because I've not read them, and I've no intention of reading them just so I can recommend something similar.
Mind you, I often bookmark stories listed in the discussion threads where someone says something about a story content that is of interest to me.
Searching for something good...
Every author on this site thinks he wrote "something good". If not, they probably wouldn't post it. You need a lot more specificity. (I wrote this reply simply because I wanted to use that word. Since I can no longer pronounce it because of speech problems, at least I got the chance to write it!)
Ehhh, some of us post it even when we think it's complete crap, because we believe that getting it out there for feedback and critique will ultimately make us better authors—and that the way to get better at writing is to just write.
We authors are also sometimes extremely hard on our own writing anyway ;)
some of us post it even when we think it's complete crap
But we pretend we believe it's the best thing since sliced bread because of the Ratner effect ;)
AJ
"best thing since sliced bread"
What's so great about sliced bread?
IMHO nothing. I regard the citation "best thing since sliced bread" as sarcastic.
HM.
I regard the citation "best thing since sliced bread" as sarcastic.
That citation comes from the advertisement used to promote the product "the greatest forward step in the baking industry since bread was wrapped".
What's so great about sliced bread?
The quote is generally a reference to pre-sliced bread sold in grocery stores.
If you have any experience with unsliced loaf bread, you would know that it can be very difficult to cut slices of soft breads for sandwiches without crushing or otherwise mangling the slices and/or the loaf.
The girls at Subway who make my sandwiches have no problems cutting their footlong loaves to open them up for the filings to be added. I don't ever recall having to do it myself, pre-sliced bread is almost universal and I am reasonably certain are done by machines. Maybe if I had to do it myself I would be more impressed by having pre-sliced bread. There are lots of inventions and modern products/processes that are more impressive than "sliced bread". Maybe vaccines or other modern medical "miracles", computers that let us log into SOL, or just indoor plumbing. Outhouses are seriously deficient, particularly in bad weather. And on the same theme, toilet paper is lots better than sliced bread.
The girls at Subway who make my sandwiches have no problems cutting their footlong loaves to open them up for the filings to be added.
Just slightly different from cutting a loaf of bread in to slices for sandwiches.
There have been many inventions that have had a greater impact on health & wellbeing, but the time savings of having pre-sliced bread over having to do your own are greatly appreciated by those of us that know what it's like to have to slice our own loaf.
pre-sliced bread is almost universal and I am reasonably certain are done by machines. Maybe if I had to do it myself I would be more impressed by having pre-sliced bread.
Yes, pre-sliced bread is done by machines with a lot of blades, kind of like a multi saw bandsaw. Growing up I sometimes used a rotary bread slicer which is much like the slicer they use to slice ham at the deli - it was hand operated. I also had to cut bread with a bread knife, it it's extremely hard to get any slice thinner than a half ans inch, and an inch thick was very common, also, cutting tended to squash the bread a bit, unless it was stale. Slicing bread isn't easy, but it varies with the size and the shape. A three inch high by four inch wide loaf is a lot easier to slice than a four inch by four inch load or a five inch high loaf.
The quote is generally a reference to pre-sliced bread sold in grocery stores.
If you have any experience with unsliced loaf bread, you would know that it can be very difficult to cut slices of soft breads for sandwiches without crushing or otherwise mangling the slices and/or the loaf.
Not to mention the time it takes to cut the loaf if you're making more than just the one sandwich.
Sliced bread was huge time saver.
Not to mention the time it takes to cut the loaf if you're making more than just the one sandwich.
Sliced bread was huge time saver.
I faintly remember the time I had to cut bread manually, since then I always use a bread-slicer and it's fast.
With a bread-slicer or a food-slicer I can individually select how thin the slice will be so I cut thicker slices for me than for my 92-yo mother.
In Germany many grocery stores now have bread-slicers for use by the customer where you can pre-select the thickness of the slices. That's better than pre-sliced bread.
However you are warned to not use these machines with fresh, warm bread.
HM.
However you are warned to not use these machines with fresh, warm bread.
But that's just when it's best smothered in real butter, none of this marjorine or other erzatz food substances.
But that's just when it's best smothered in real butter, none of this marjorine or other erzatz food substances.
Right. But my food-slicer doesn't have this problem, because I can change the speed of the blade and adapt for the consistency of the bred.
So I buy unsliced bred, preferable still warm.
HM.
it's the best thing since sliced brea
It is my understanding that sliced bread became available in 1928. Which prompts the question - what was the greatest thing BEFORE sliced bread?
what was the greatest thing BEFORE sliced bread?
Matches. That was because they made starting a fire a lot easier.
what was the greatest thing BEFORE sliced bread?
I think someone mentioned it earlier- Toilet paper.
Like sliced bread, until you've had to go without it, you don't realise just how great (decent quality) toilet paper is.
Like sliced bread, until you've had to go without it, you don't realise just how great (decent quality) toilet paper is.
Anyone who as worked in a commercial office building knows what it's like to go without decent quality toilet paper. They tend to stock the restrooms with single ply industrial grade toilet paper.
Anyone who as worked in a commercial office building knows what it's like to go without decent quality toilet paper. They tend to stock the restrooms with single ply industrial grade toilet paper.
The stuff that was too rough to be sandpaper, or the smooth shiny stuff that nothing can stick to?
When they are the options, i'd choose to use news paper again.
Edit- I forgot the 3rd option.
That which has less wet strength than wet tissue paper. Finger(s) go through it every time unless you use 4+ sheets.
The stuff that was too rough to be sandpaper, or the smooth shiny stuff that nothing can stick to?
The office building I worked in liked the sandpaper rejects.
When they are the options, i'd choose to use news paper again.
While I have used outhouses, its since toilet paper. But my father occassionally mentioned a cartoon he once saw in the newspaper when he was young. Old man is dashing away from the porch holding some printed matter in his hand. Two young men are sitting on the porch, one saying to the other, "Catalog was two weeks late this year, but granpa says it was worth waiting for." Brought home to me some of what life growing up in the great depression in the poor section of Oregon City was like; I have no true comprehension, but it helped somewhat.
And I used to bake my own bread. It takes a special bread to be able to slice it thinly by hand. I didn't bake that kind of bread.
They tend to stock the restrooms with single ply industrial grade toilet paper.
Aka Dirty Hairy or John Wayne toilet paper -
It's rough and tough and doesn't take crap off of anyone.
That is better than the brown paper I've seen in some rest rooms. It was only a little thinner than what is used for wrapping packages.
what was the greatest thing BEFORE sliced bread?
Bread.
According to Bernard, the Elf, it was the ball.
Which prompts the question - what was the greatest thing BEFORE sliced bread?
The Grocer magazine claimed that the greatest thing since sliced bread for hard-pressed families was - the disposable plastic carrier bag.
AJ
Ratner effect ;)
18 long years and he is still remembered. Feeling for our trans-pond cousins I did a google and, lo and behold, it is there. What infamy and he is bracketed with Dame Helen Mirren.
I haven't read Starlight Gleaming and Three Square meals and to echo another commentator you need to tell us far more detail about those stories or, better, the sort of plot you are looking for.
To repeat something I wrote here many moons ago, go to the SOL search engine and make a list of the tags you require. Then load Google or Bing and type in a tag then a space and then site:storiesonline.net. You should get a link to a list of SOL stories which have those tags - a complete list and not the normal ten. Repeat with the next tag. I have not experimented with putting in multiple tags - you can try it.
some of us post it even when we think it's complete crap, because we believe that getting it out there for feedback and critique will ultimately make us better authors
Which is more than I've done; I actually do have some stories written down, in the last year, that I don't think would embarass me that much to have out in public, but I just haven't taken the final steps to post them; of course, part of that is that I haven't come up with good descriptions for them, and if I post them, I want _someone_ to think they sound interesting enough to take a chance on an unknown.
Edit for spelling.
Oh, the descriptions for my stories are the worst. I always get the whole story down, then go to post it, and am stymied by that blank summary box. I throw words in there, but it never feels right.
At a certain point, I bank on codes, hoping that draws in interested readers, which leads them to my other stuff. I don't think it works very well, but I still don't come up with good summaries for my stories. Le sigh.
Guys-
"Something good" is a broad term.
SOL, after all, full of stories of many genres. At least Lazeez does us the service of providing tags so on can begin to filter out things he deosn't want to see.
As a 'writer' (who makes for more NOT writing) I post what I think are GOOD stories. After all I write for myself, and find it satisfying that when I post stories **I** enjoy, others find them enjoyable as well, at least to the point that I get scores and comments to validate my suppositions.
For the original poster, surely you can find something here that will float your boat. If not, we're NOT the only game in town. Project Gutenberg will get you the classics of literature for free, and other sites will get you even more for some very reasonable fees.
And if you're of a mind, try MY stories. Not for everybody - just a quite a few people.
Oyster50
nah, running water
Flush toilets...
Doubt my claim? Ask anyone who ever grew up using an outhouse/privy.
Ask anyone who ever grew up using an outhouse/privy.
Especially in places where it gets COLD during the winter.
Especially in places where it gets COLD during the winter.
Been there, done that. I was 17 before I got to live in a house with an indoor toilet and hot running water.
My great-grandmother had an outhouse.
Hindsight is 20/20 but a flushing toilet is really just as low-tech as it gets. You just need a water tank, some pipes, the toilet itself and outgoing sewage pipe.
If we go post-apocalyptic, maintaining flushing toilets just needs a renewable water source, even if running water doesn't work anymore.
Looking for stories similar to Starlight Gleaming by TJSkywind and Three Square meals. Stories must be long enough to absorb the reader (and cause PSD -Post series depression-). Protagonist should be male, not a pushover or a whimp. A Harem aspect wouldn't hurt and no gay scenes.
How about Starlight 300 by JAX? Much shorter than Three Square Meals, but a bit of the same flavor. Another, incomplete, is My fiancee is an alien by Markious.
Okaaaay then... Allow me to rephrase the statement.
I am asking for YOU readers and authors alike, to recommend stories that are similar to Starlight Gleaming and Three Square Meals that YOU (regardless of what others think) think are a good read.
Damn
**Inner Voice**
Even your previous recommendation post got more comments than actual recommendations... You need to work on your phrasing and delivery.
**Me**
Nope, they just don't get me very well...
I'd like to recommend an author whose works appear on ASSTR.
https://www.asstr.org/~XaltatunOfAcheron/AAMain.htm
There are 57 stories, a wide variety of scenarios. Some of which I think fit the post series depression original request, although some of the heros are heroines. Ponygirls are a feature.
Something long that's good?
A few off the top of my mind for storiesonline,
The Private by Random Writings
Doing it all Over by Al Steiner
OVERBOARD! by HandyMan
Non-storiesonline, books that I keep rereading, if you can find it in the library (go to overdrive.com and see if your local public library has a digital loan):
Sword-Dancer (Tiger and Del series) by Jennifer Roberson
Queen's Thief by Megan Turner (favorite series this year)
Allow me a bit of selff-promotion. Try my Smart Girls series.
They seem to be well-received - scores in the eight-plus to nine range. There's enough there to make it past Christmas if you want to devour the whole thing.
Smart Girls universe reading order:
Cindy
Christina
Nikki
Those three merge at the ends of each the stories, to become Community
Kimberly 2.0 comes in at the end of Community, so read that one to see where she comes from
Community Too rocks along next. Dana comes into Community Too about midway through, so you need to read her concurrent with Community Too.
Carlita is mentioned late in Community Too, so you need to read Mi Vida to learn her story.
And then there's Community 3Sigma. Bill and Haley and Deena show up there, and that's presaged by Neighbors and Bill and Haley.
yeah, I know it's a bit of self-promotion, but if I get more readers, my weekly checks get bigger.
Oyster
yeah, I know it's a bit of self-promotion, but if I get more readers, my weekly checks get bigger.
Wait, what? I only get mine once per month.
Hey, Lazeez!
@oyster50
yeah, I know it's a bit of self-promotion, but if I get more readers, my weekly checks get bigger.
Wait, what? I only get mine once per month.
Hey, Lazeez!
Doesn't really make any difference if they are all for zero dollars.
There's enough there to make it past Christmas if you want to devour the whole thing.
Not if you are a fast reader... :)
my weekly checks get bigger.
I thought the moderators only checked the file when posting it, not each week!
Here are a few of my favorites....
They That Have Power by hermit. great 3 part(book) series. He did complete it to a point, but there was a little room for more(4th book, but never posted).
https://storiesonline.net/a/hermit
======================
This one is my favorite - I wish it could be made into a movie... who knows.
Sleepwalker series by Shadow of Moonlite
https://storiesonline.net/a/Shadow_of_Moonlite
================
I really liked this one too, has incest in it, so may not be for everyone.
https://storiesonline.net/s/54861/the-book-of-david
====================
I am currently reading Runaway Train, and I like it really well.
https://storiesonline.net/s/13709/runaway-train
There are a couple more but I would have to deep dive in my archives to find and sort them for you.
Hope this helps get you started.... if these are old hat that every one has read, then I apologize.
I know this will be very ironic coming from me, but...you people need lives.
When you're having fun you are having a life ;)
When you're having fun you are having a life ;)
Vicarious fun in a web format is not a life. Don't feel bad, I don't have one either.
.you people need lives.
currently my life is called writing, reading, and attending court with the hope Nov 27th is THE last court date. If it is I should be able to get back to doing a lot more story writing than court submission writing.
I know this will be very ironic coming from me, but...you people need lives.
I just looked up 'irony' in the Pictionary...
You're cute... :)
We first must differenciate between automated/mechanical slicing and using a hand knife. If the latter, we have to go back several thousand years. For the former, ~100 years.
We first must differenciate between automated/mechanical slicing and using a hand knife. If the latter, we have to go back several thousand years. For the former, ~100 years.
They saying "the greatest thing since sliced bread" is generally referring to pre-sliced bread bought from a grocery store.
They saying "the greatest thing since sliced bread" is generally referring to pre-sliced bread bought from a grocery store.
Ambiguous at best when considering context. In order to establish anything 'greater' before, the specifics of when and why must first be established.
Ambiguous at best when considering context.
Considerably less so when you track the origins of the saying and discover it originates In the 1930s.
The invention of and automatic bread slicing/packaging machine and the appearance of packaged pre-sliced bread loaves in grocery stores dates to 1928.
Seems y'all have sliced & diced this topic near to bits & crumbs.
Ever since I bought spouse her first bread machine, we've bought nary a sliced loaf from the store. That, and a slotted rack that serves as a guide for our serrated, insanely sharp knife, and 'snik,snik' the bread is sliced. Since there's only the two of us (the PB&J gang long evicted) we zip-lock the bulk of it to the freezer and grab & thaw as needed. It serves.
As for the invention that's the greatest thing since sliced bread, I'd kinda looked forward to powdered alcohol and dehydrated sex packets. Add water, shake and stir, and serve.
My version of the saying goes:
The best thing since sliced bread and homogenized peanut butter.
homogenized peanut butter.
I prefer natural peanut butter. Just nuts and salt, no oils, extenders, fillers etc. The type where the oil seperates and you have to mix it back in. That stuff is da bomb...especially if you can get it in the Civil Defense 25 lb cans.
I always thought that before there was sliced bread, the best thing was "button up boots". At least that's what my mother told me, who was around before there was sliced bread.
I always thought that before there was sliced bread, the best thing was "button up boots". At least that's what my mother told me, who was around before there was sliced bread.
I have to say that enjoying "button up boots" is either a unique acquired taste, or an extremely rare fetish... I'm trying not to imagine them toasted...
I have to say that enjoying "button up boots" is either a unique acquired taste, or an extremely rare fetish... I'm trying not to imagine them toasted...
Calfskin button-up boots are best fricasseed, but only if the buttons are first removed, lest one sit enthroned early the next morning screaming, "Oh gawd, not another button!"
Not only Charlie Chaplin. But his was a take-off of Depression-era folks going hungry, and starving Donner Summit wagon train party members. Boots were leather, and that was a last-resort meal. It's a rather macabre subject for humor, and better if one has spices to boil with 'em.