Forum: Story Recommendations

Lady in Red but toned down

teflon31 🚫
Updated:

Hi.

I'm looking for stories similar to Lady in Red but toned down. I don't mind the action parts, unrealistic as they may be. Highschooler saving his school from terrorists? Cool. Saving 2 girls and trekking through the jungle? Awesome! Saving his fiancee from somalian pirates? Sure!

What I don't like is all the attention they get. Sure, there's going to be a news story if a highschool kid save his school from terrorists, it's not that part I don't like. It's how the whole world seems to hang on to every word Steve/Gwen says. It's how when Steve's hurt, the whole world's holding their breath rather than just his friends and family. It's how there just happens to be some film crews that captures all amazing things they do so they can humblebrag to the entire world about how awesome they are. It's how there's always someone that has to tell everyone around them how awesome what they just did and how amazing they are rather than just letting their actions speak for themselves. When you've just read about something cool Steve did, I don't want to read in the next paragraf where his family or friends are watching it happen live at a resturaunt and telling everyone there about how brave and awesome Steve is. It's enough to let the reader decide if his actions were cool or not, no need to have 10 support characters ranting about his glory aswell!

Basically, I want to read something like Lady in Red, but without all the media coverage. Something action packed with Gary Stu / Mary Sue characters, no relationship drama but still some romance in it, but without all the humblebragging and without them being worshipped by the entire world!

Banadin 🚫

Have you looked at the Richard Jackson saga?

Replies: teflon31

teflon31 🚫

@Banadin

I haven't tried it, no. As I said, I'm looking for something action packed and from the tags and blurbs it doesn't seem like there's alot of that going on in Richard Jackson. And high school coming of age stories are usually filled with romance angst, so I tend to avoid stories around that age. I might give it a try though, if you recommend it!

Replies: helmut_meukel

helmut_meukel 🚫
Updated:

@teflon31

I'm looking for something action packed and from the tags and blurbs it doesn't seem like there's alot of that going on in Richard Jackson.

Apart from killing two bankrobbers, saving people from wrecked cars and burning houses, capturing some rustlers, interfering in an assassination attempt, killing a rabid coyote ...

As for teenage romance angst: he tries to find a girlfriend and avoid those girls who are only attracted by his fame or money.

HM.

Safe_Bet 🚫

teflon31, you do realize that "how the whole world seems to hang on to every word Steve/Gwen says" is a pretty well crafted plot device that is an integral part of the story line, right?

I mean how do you have world renowned characters without, well... them becoming world renown?

If you want something other than that "but like that" I'm not sure what you're asking for. Maybe something like these might be what you are asking for.

https://storiesonline.net/s/39348/cammie-sue

https://storiesonline.net/s/70895/triptych

https://storiesonline.net/s/56784/vacation

Replies: teflon31

teflon31 🚫
Updated:

@Safe_Bet

I might not have expressed myself in a good way, apologies but English isn't my first language.

What it boils down to is that I felt like their renown was way over the top. Other parts of the story was way over the top aswell, but it was the renown specifically I didn't like.

I'm sure that there are real life Navy Seals and other bad ass guys that are in action packed situations and act heroically like Steve does in LiR. But you don't see them personally getting world renowned and basically worshipped by the whole world. I'm sure their family and friends are very proud of them, by all rights, but I don't think strangers would pilgrim across the US to camp outside the hospital if they're hurt.

Imagine a Lady in Red where it's more "intimate" (I don't know if that's the right word to use here), and not so blown up. Something where instead of 10 TV stations waiting at the hospital when Steve's hurt, there's just his friends and family there.

Thanks for the recommendations. I should probably have stated in my original post that I'm not really into swinging or sharing (sharing with other men atleast). I've read Vacation and it would be a great fit except for the swinging part that I should've mentioned. I read Model Student up to about half Triptych. I don't remember why I quit but I don't think it had the action I'm looking for right now. As for Cammie Sue, I don't really remember why I quit that either, though I think it had something to do with sharing lovers. The action parts where good though if I recall.

Replies: Jim S Nulaak83

Jim S 🚫

@teflon31

I reviewed the latest LIR. Basically, I have the same opinion as you. I came to the conclusion that the only way to enjoy it was to treat it as a fantasy without the goblins, witches, etc. Otherwise, I'd have just blown it off.

Nulaak83 🚫

@teflon31

It wasn't really over the top after the first couple of instances. Eventually if someone keeps doing heroic shit the media is going to fawn all over them, especially if they're young and attractive.

LonelyDad 🚫
Updated:

It seams like almost every high school has the 'ideal couple'. The standard meme is football quarterback and head cheerleader. In this case, meeting Steve brings Gwen out of her nerdness, and they become the ideal couple, helped along by the video of their 'Lady in Red' dance on YouTube. Then, before that meme can fade away, they rescue the kids from the car on live TV, reinforcing their visibility. It just kind of grows from there.

If you want a real-life example of how things like that work, look at the Kardashians. As far as I can tell, the only noteworthy thing about them was Bruce Jenner marrying into the family, bringing his attention-getting history along. Add in the ability of the rest of the family to get into trouble in the most visible way, and you have an international following. Paris Hilton is another example. For once, the attention getting is being done by the 'All-American couple'. It just kind of carried on from there. We know that a lot of American SEALs have gone on find and rescue missions, mostly without any publicity at all.

After all that, the reputation, following, adulation, etc. had to grow, or there wouldn't have been any more story. Face it, reading LiR requires a 'willing suspension of disbelief' and the ability to enjoy the fantasy while knowing that it is one.

Given the size of Book 3 as compared to Books 1 & 2, I don't think there can be a Book 4, unless it is about the next generation.

Replies: teflon31

teflon31 🚫

@LonelyDad

Oh I wasn't questioning the "why" they got famous, it's well motivated in the story, I just personally don't like it. Like you and uberloots says, if someone does something amazing time after time again, and it all happens to be captured on camera for the world to see, of course they'll be famous. And I agree, you'll need a suspension of disbelief. I had that, and I liked the story or I wouldn't have read them both (I haven't read the 3rd because I don't go for unfinished stories). I just wanted to know if someone knew of similar stories but without being so blatant and "in your face" with how amazing the characters are. E.g, maybe if everything they did wasn't filmed or recorded. Or maybe if rather than being a top athlete/a doctor/award winning actors/award winning musicians/probably the most powerful politicians in the world/Highly skilled Navy SEAL, they'd just have one or two "worlds best" skills.

Again, let me say that I know that LiR is meant to be over the top, it even says so in the blurb. And it does what it's meant to very well.

Personally, I just prefer protagonists that's more "low-key" but I liked almost everything else about LiR.
So I wanted to know if anyone knew any stories that still has the good guy/good girl personalities that Steve and Gwen has, still has fun action scenes like in LiR, still has the sweet family bonds present in their family (though I must say I'm not a big fan of the orphan protagonist trope), but doesn't necessarily have the world celebrity status they gained in LiR through memes and "lucky cameras present at the right time" as well as acting and singing.

Replies: Reluctant_Sir

Reluctant_Sir 🚫
Updated:

@teflon31

@Banadin's Richard Jackson series isn't quite as non-stop, but it certainly fits the bill for most of what you want.

He has the unassuming hero doing some pretty amazing things, all while tossing in real-world events, borrowed characters from other fiction novels and actual celebrities, but giving them a more human side in the bargain.

His many pop culture references (appropriate to the time), not to mention the excerpts from various novels the MC is reading, appear like toy surprises in a box of Cracker Jacks. You know they are going to be in there, but you still smile when one pops up.

It is one of the best crafted stories on the site, hands-down.

Replies: richardshagrin

richardshagrin 🚫

@Reluctant_Sir

hands-down

Hands-up! Surrender. There is plenty of violence, bank-robbers shot and killed, cattle rustlers arrested, people rescued from fires but almost no sex. Of course the hero is 15 years old. And a lot of it is in the prequel (on Fine Stories last time I looked) or the first chapter on SOL about his first (written about) summer vacation.

If you haven't read the Banadin opus yet, do so, you have missed one of the classics on SOL.

steve6134 🚫

If it's action adventure check out Todd 172 Tales from the Shack.

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Forum: Story Recommendations

Lady in Red but toned down

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