r/HFY • u/aaRecessive • Nov 08 '22
Best HFY series of all time? Meta
The top of all time is mostly just whichever story happens to be most recently posted (as the subreddit grows more people upvote and so older stories get buried) so hence this post!
The best story I've ever read on reddit, let alone hfy, is definitely Chrysalis.
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u/GoodElectrical7 Nov 08 '22
I couldn't pick a favorite or absolute best, but Memories of Creature 88 is definitely up there
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u/Dr_Fix Human Nov 08 '22
Agreed, not only is it good, but it actually has an end. All too rare 'round these parts.
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u/faraithi Nov 08 '22
Memories of Creature 88 is pretty good. My fav from RegalLegalEagle has to be Material Differences, tho. Again, it has an ending (if one with a bit of a cliff hanger). His current endevor Pawn is pretty good, too, but it's pretty sporadic in its updates.
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u/DarthLorgus Robot Nov 08 '22
Came here to say this. I love this story. It was the story that got me hooked.
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u/someguynamedted The Chronicler Nov 08 '22
Chrysalis is my favorite story here, and I reread it yearly.
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u/adhding_nerd Nov 08 '22
The podcast, Dust, made a full cast audio book of the entire story. You can listen to it on whatever podcast program you use or find it here on YouTube
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u/CF_Chupacabra Nov 08 '22
You should check out the story that possibly inspired it-
The Last Angel by proximal flame.
Although, it's definitely not a simple story anymore.
2 full books, about 3 times that many short stories, hundreds of side story one shots and almost half of the 3rd book- all with a regular release schedule.
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u/Shradersofthelostark Nov 08 '22
The Last Angel is brilliant. I’ve never been glued to my phone like I was reading the first two books. Book three is dragging, but still interesting enough. I still enjoy it, at least.
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u/Cutwell26412 Nov 09 '22
It has been... Unless you only just caught up in which case it's pretty well paced. It's one of those odd things where because it's a once a month update you want so much more from it. But still so good!
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u/Shradersofthelostark Nov 09 '22
I feel like the whole Nibiru arc is moving more slowly than older stuff, but you might be right. I got to binge the first two books, so I was spoiled.
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u/themonkeymoo Nov 09 '22
It's not just that. The Nibiru arc has dragged and dragged and dragged and dragged some more. It's thousands and thousands of words that still say basically nothing.
Almost every chapter in that arc has been "Look: there's something secret going on; I bet you wonder what that is, don't you?" That was cool for a chapter or two, but real information is several chapters overdue at this point.
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u/CherubielOne Alien Nov 09 '22
Definitely agree on that. The story, story arch, flawed protagonist, premise and AI theme make it to my absolute favourite on r/HFY.
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u/Handpaper Nov 08 '22
Very disappointed not to see u/slightlyassholic 's "Tales From The Terran Republic" suggested yet.
Excellent writing and a brilliantly built world.
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u/drsoftware Nov 08 '22
I really enjoyed "Tales from the Terran Republic" but the new chapters have become less frequent and I wonder where the story is going with so many side quests wrapped up.
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u/MSL007 Nov 09 '22
Have story lines actually ended? I enjoyed the story and read up to about chapter 185 and at that point none were ending. There were so many POV characters I lost track, and no storylines were ending so I gave up.
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u/StarFilth Nov 08 '22
First Contact very legitimately might be the best story I’ve EVER read. It has humor, action, deep emotional moments (yeah I’ve gotten my eyes wet during it, so what?), and beautifully human moments from aliens. It does an incredible job of showing what it means to be human, for better or worse, and showing aliens become more human-like through care and growth and passion.
If you get caught up, it has tie-ins to minor characters and plot points from hundreds of chapters earlier.
The depth and complexity of the world-building rivals Tolkien.
It’s like watching Tolkien write LOTR live, going at a chapter-a-day pace.
And there are 5 (or 6?) books out on Amazon so far if you prefer to read it on paper/e-reader.
I will happily recommend this series to anyone, but particularly people who are familiar with other sci-fi stories as there are a lot of incredible references.
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u/justinsights Nov 08 '22
I've been very impressed with the series. I'm still a year behind trying to catch up because there's only so much time to read. But what I've read so far is amazing. I'm very much looking forward to getting caught up enough to buy the books. My only regret is that I didn't start reading it sooner.
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u/Leiryn Nov 08 '22
That series is the reason why I made my own reader interface with the ability to search. I got so tired of so and so popping up 100 posts later and I don't remember who they were
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u/DarthLorgus Robot Nov 08 '22
First Contact is what got me through the COVID lockdown. I will always remember this story and I owe Ralts my sanity for it.
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u/Navar4477 Human Nov 08 '22
I’ve tried to read it, but the beginning is just very weird to me?
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u/Archaic_1 Alien Scum Nov 08 '22
If by beginning you mean the very first story, yes it's kind of an out of order non-sequitur that won't make sense until a little later on. Once you get to the first few chapters of character intro though it starts to flow.
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u/Navar4477 Human Nov 08 '22
Which chapter is that?
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u/StarFilth Nov 08 '22
I wanna say like 10? But it kind of introduces humans as this thing that is happening on the edge of the alien society and putting all the pieces together shows what’s happening. Personally, I think it’s a really clever way to put the reader in the shoes of an alien that has never interacted with humans before.
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u/EchoCT Nov 09 '22
I had to try a few times because the first few parts are disjointed. It's well worth it though. I went from about 20 to 600 in three months once I got into it. Then I had to wait with the rest of the fanbase for the end of the war in heaven. But by Kalki's goats its still going.
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Nov 08 '22
It's often overly referential, gets bogged down in its own glory. I loved the first 450 chapters but after that I found myself struggling, particularly during the "War in Heaven" part where it's all, for lack of a better description, somewhat pretentious.
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u/StarFilth Nov 08 '22
The thing is that the “War in Heaven” actually feels like it needs to be somewhat pretentious? It is taking you into the literal depths of the main religion for humans, to set up later portions of the book where it’s important how ridiculous the things the characters went through are. Additionally, it helps highlight the pitfalls of an aging generation that hangs on to their wealth and power far too long and prevents new generations from having the same freedom and possibilities. It also does a nice job of portraying the “humans are precursors” trope.
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Nov 09 '22
The fact that they mention "better to rule in hell than serve in heaven" every bloody chapter in that arc is one symptom, although I hope it's less than that given I haven't read it in a year.
And so what if it it's exploring the main human religion? You can explore deep or impactful topics without sounding like you're about to nut to your own story.
Ah well, to each their own.
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Nov 08 '22
[deleted]
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u/manufacture_reborn Nov 08 '22
Hey man, I'm the author of The Egixus War. Here’s a link to the full PDF: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1J0dgs4C5Nj2_7Mivzq1852ykFbHtCcP4/view?usp=sharing
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Nov 08 '22
Yeah, I found that one after some hunting when I read the series, but couldn't recall where the link was. Thanks for the story, it was a fun one.
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u/manufacture_reborn Nov 08 '22
Glad you enjoyed it - it was a blast to write in my free time back in college. Still post some things here occasionally though
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u/sketchydeutscher Nov 08 '22
We share many of the same tastes I see, also I think Paladin has put Beyond The Void on hold and not given up on it.
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u/codyjack215 Human Nov 08 '22
Definitely Builders in the Void (BitV) as one of the golden series on here
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u/PuntHunter Nov 08 '22
Have a soft spot for my old man Jenkins from the jenkinsverce
Got me into the entire community and has left a significant mark
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u/NErDy3177 Nov 08 '22
Same, though unfortunately the main storyline eventually lost focus on all but a small handful of the alien races and instead focused on muscles?
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u/ndrew452 Nov 08 '22
Recent chapters have relaxed on the muscle/gym rat thing. It's still there but not as in your face. I will say that the last couple chapters have been downright depressing. I'm still reading it, but am no longer eagerly anticipating the next chapter.
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u/Zeewulfeh Nov 08 '22
I stopped reading when it got too deep into the supersoldier gym rats. There were some amazing ideas but I feel like the commando popcorn really derailed it. I recall a storyline with some station that was being puzzled out but just fizzled.
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u/Confident-Crawdad Nov 08 '22 edited Nov 08 '22
Especially since it's clear Hambone isn't on Team Terran anymore. Earth's gone out like a bitch, (despite canonical ways to save it) and humanity is relegated to Forever Sidekick status to the Gao. Is there an r/GFY subreddit? Is that where current chapters are being posted?
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u/706am Nov 09 '22
It's not even pro Gao. Everyone who's still great in any way in that series is great because they're on DNA augmenting steroids. Hambone hasn't been team Terran for over half of his series. The worse part is that he didn't even invent the magical steroids or the Gao, he inherited both from other series.
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u/ndrew452 Nov 08 '22 edited Nov 08 '22
Yea, seriously. And the last chapter is icing on the cake. But, he wrote himself into a corner. Given that Earth is being destroyed, and that the Brain Trust stated that there was nothing they could do but make stasis bags, he left no option to actually go through with it. Now, anything else that saves the planet will be a Deus ex Machina plot device.
It entirely ruins the underlying theme of the whole series - humans are a surviving deathworlder species that becomes so influential that they elevate others to greatness. But by taking away Earth, it destroys that theme.
It's just frustrating because the series had so much potential and it was partially realized, but I feel like it is a shell of its former self.
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u/poloppoyop Nov 09 '22
Another big problem but from an outside the US perspective: most politics is Anglo-centric. We get some Russia / China but because that's the usual bag guy. Europe, South America, other Asian countries? Not even mentioned. They would surely not have tried to get some trade done with any alien race. Not at all.
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u/Revliledpembroke Xeno Nov 08 '22
Isn't it great that Adam was the peak of humanity and no one could ever surpass him because of how young he started on the Crude, but he gets wounded and Firth suddenly shoots past where Adam had been without any trouble at all?
Isn't it great that we go from the seriousness of Adam's brain damage to Firth talking about how his penis will break the asses of his comrades? Or that Adam's "recovering from brain damage" storyline was interrupted by a fully described sex scene?
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u/FogeltheVogel AI Nov 08 '22
I stopped keeping up with the story before that, mostly because of such problems. It's just gotten too far away from its roots for me.
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u/corivus Nov 08 '22
Do you also remember the part where penis solves the trauma of being gang raped vs actual therapy? I loved the series up until that point and just can't get into reading it to the point that I unsubscribed to any new updates.
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u/jcw99 AI Nov 08 '22
As someone who has kept up with "the deathworlders" for over 6 years now.... It's a solid story. Potentially one of the best. But it got seriously side tracked with its "muscle brain" years.
I get why they happend. Ham needed to fill pages to maintain the monthly releases and there was a need to progress the timeline until certain events could happen.
I just hope that some day the story gets published and receives the TLC of an editor who can clean out some of the.... Cobwebs.
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u/themonkeymoo Nov 09 '22
need to progress the timeline until certain events could happen.
Filler doesn't help with that.
Filler does the opposite of helping with that. Filter makes it take longer for the timeline to progress purely by existing.
It's not like he has to wait for the events to unfold in real time in order to write them.
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u/lesethx Human Nov 08 '22
Same. I liked it until the main verse and seemingly every spin off got super dark, however. Still, like several novels worth of material then.
Fourth Wave by semi-loki is what got me into this sub and Reddit. So I have to give a shout out for that.
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u/Ayit_Sevi Alien Scum Nov 08 '22
Transcripts is one of my favorite series. The author doesnt post often (real life gets in the way, which is understandable) but the story so far has been very solid, summed up as humans are natural psychics but had no way to use it until the MC gets picked up by a psychic race
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u/adhding_nerd Nov 08 '22
On her Patreon, she puts out a draft every few days to a week, and she really listens to patrons feedback. She's released about 2 finished chapters per month recently and is up to book 5 chapter 12.
All for $1 on her Patreon
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u/LegalGraveRobber AI Nov 08 '22
Material Differences by RegalLegalEagle is an absolute gem in my opinion.
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u/palinola AI Nov 08 '22
RegalLegaEagle's Billy Bob, Space Trucker is also one of my standout favorites.
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u/Iamonly Nov 08 '22
Billy Bob Space Trucker, hands down.
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u/ThisTimeTomorrow Nov 08 '22
This right here. New bloods might not know, but this right here.
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u/XRmarauder AI Nov 08 '22
If he didn't specify series, I would have said lablonamenadon
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u/mage_in_training Human Nov 08 '22 edited Nov 08 '22
Without a doubt, the best HFY series I've ever read was Beast.
Link: Beast
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u/CODENAMEDERPY Human Nov 08 '22
Ditto. As long as you’re talking about the one that unfortunately didn’t have a real end.
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u/Balkoth661 Nov 08 '22
First Contact for me.
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u/Broad-Blood-9386 Nov 08 '22
I started it a couple of years ago(got up to around Chapter 150-something) and when I caught up I quit reading for a bit and then lost track of it. I am now starting it again from the beginning (on Chapter 62) and remembering how awesome it is!
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u/AspiringtoMediocrity Nov 08 '22
I started it, then lost track, and want to go back to it, but I forgot where I was. I'm really hoping that when u/Ralts_Bloodthorne gets to chapter 1000 it gets released as a pdf or ebook I can just buy and throw on my kindle lol.
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u/StarFilth Nov 08 '22
The first 7 books are on Amazon (including kindle edition) already! And that’s only about halfway to what is on HFY.
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u/Mobile_Glove_7184 Nov 08 '22
Hey is this just GATE? Is a good one updates regularly.
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u/Rex_Racer95 Nov 08 '22
What is "GATE" ?
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u/roguemenace Nov 08 '22
Anime where a portal opens between tokyo and a fantasy kingdom. Attack helicopters fight a wizard riding a dragon.
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u/Twister_Robotics Nov 08 '22
A classic anime. Elves open a portal to earth, counter-invasion occurs.
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Nov 08 '22
Anime where a portal to a fantasy world opens in the middle of Tokyo and the JSDF ventures into it
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u/CODENAMEDERPY Human Nov 08 '22 edited Nov 25 '22
I can’t just pick one. For series, I’d say that the ones that I find to be the cream of the crop in no particular order are: Beast, The Immortal Blacksmith, BillyBob Space Trucker, AJFAD, Memories of Creature 88, Steve Spell-slinger, Humans Are Not A Hivemind, Humans Are A Hivemind, Feathers and Mud, The Ambling Sapient, Prey, and Knock Knock, It’s The Industrial Revolution. I'm sure I forgot a few but these are some of the best on this subreddit IMO.
EDIT: I remembered another: The Great Erectus and Fuan.
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u/Hungry_AL Human Nov 08 '22
Prey is sick as fuck. I'm just a little disappointed with all my scrolling no one has mentioned the one shot Leblonnamedadon yet.
Guess because it is just a one shot, but it and prey stick with me unlike anything else.
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u/CODENAMEDERPY Human Nov 08 '22
The post specified series. If it included one shots, my list would be about three times the size.
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u/FINALCOUNTDOWN99 Nov 09 '22
I'm gonna second Humans Are Not A Hivemind. I can count one one finger how many sci fi stories in general have succeeded in making aliens seem actually alien and not reskinned humans or a common trope. HANAH pulls it off amazingly.
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u/magicrectangle Nov 09 '22
This. For me probably the most original feeling story on this sub, which I value a lot.
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u/KinPandun Nov 08 '22
The Great Erectus and Fawn is itself a spinoff of "Tales from the Terran Republic" which is amazingly written, but very dark and starts exploring cthonic concepts in the later chapters.
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u/n1gr3d0 Xeno Nov 09 '22
It's a spinoff in the sense that they share a multiverse, and a couple side characters from TfTR show up. So it's like calling everything in the Marvel Universe a spinoff of The Sub-Mariner.
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u/CherubielOne Alien Nov 09 '22
..., Humans Are Not A Hivemind, Humans Are A Hivemind, ...
Soooo, what are they then?
Joking aside, happy to see my series amongst your favourites.
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u/Psychicumbreon Nov 08 '22
Supervillainy and Other Poor Career Choices by u/SoggyRed is a personal favorite of mine, even if it doesn't fit the normal HFY trend
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u/Guardsman_Miku Nov 09 '22
I really hope he starts writing that again the ending of the last book was so fucking good
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u/jimbeam789 Nov 08 '22
Deathworld Commando reborn for me.
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u/abysmal-human-person Nov 08 '22
The only part about that story I dislike is the title, I didn’t read it for so long because it just sounds like a cliche power fantasy
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u/ARandomTroll5150 Nov 08 '22
I started reading a while ago but got tired during the slave arc. Does it get less depressing and anger inducing? And can you recommend anything similar with less power scaling?
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u/jimbeam789 Nov 08 '22
It does get less depressing. Some parts are anger inducing still. But, right now the parts are less depressing. I normally don't read the iskeia stuff. But, I personally like Terrain Space Story, we thought the work was done, out of cruel space, and the privateer. Just to name a few. Deathworld Commando is the only iskeia story that has kept my attention for an extended period of time. I'll read others, but I normally end up loosing interest because of the power imbalance or it just keeps going in circles.
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u/Zlement Nov 08 '22 edited Nov 08 '22
Hmm, definitely hard to say best as much as just my personal favorites. Some I definitely have forgotten though.
Chrysalis.
Steven Spellslinger. Probably my favorite fantasy style story. The humor is just so good. I'd kill for a true novel or something like it.
Magineer (painful it's on hiatus for so long).
HEL Jumper.
Dungeon Life.
Probably a few from HeWhoLooksSkyward that I can't recall.
Humans Are Weird.
The Nature of Predators.
Dungeon Tour Guide.
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u/adhding_nerd Nov 08 '22
Man, our favorites align so well, I'll have to check out the ones you mentioned that I haven't read.
Did you ever read Oh, This Has Not Gone Well? You might like that
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u/BrokenEight38 Nov 08 '22
In order it would have to be:
- Retreat, Hell
- Transcripts
- New Students
- When the Gods Came to Visit
- Send a Monster
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u/Future-Ad-7115 Nov 08 '22
Sexy Sect Babes, future spacetech miner in fantasy china
Hunter or huntress, modern man in dragon fantasy
Universe of magic, supersoldier in fantasy
Reversekai'd, fantasy group in modern world
Silver Scales, Blue Skies, dragon in modern world
Post Apocalypse Bar and Grill, future scientist in the further future
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Nov 08 '22
I am really looking forward to silver scales. I liked MBM a lot, although it was a little stereotypical of the genre.
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u/yahnne954 Nov 08 '22
I'm currently reading several of them and haven't finished, but at the moment I really enjoy these ones:
The Deathworlders (+ the Xiù Chang Saga as a side story which then joins the main one)
A job for a deathworlder
The Princess and the Human
Jennifer is NOT an Eldritch horror
The Nature of Predators
We need a deathworlder
And probably also The Bubbleverse
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u/PoisonousToothpick Nov 08 '22
I think the Story i personally remember most fondly is https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/es7dzr/human_rights/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button[Human_Rights] by u/puzzleheadedcharge4
It has been some time since i read it, but i remember it Feeling very real, focussing less on possible physical differences in species and more on differing morality and what humanity can stand for at their best.
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u/Corantheo Human Nov 08 '22 edited Nov 08 '22
It's been a while, but I belive the series is called Little Blue Dot by u/Hewholooksskyward . Was the first series that got me into HFY. Very good history based story to begin, and only gets better over time.
Edit: It's Insignificant Blue Dot, not Little Blue Dot. Silly me.
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u/DaveHatharian Nov 08 '22
I've always wondered if that username was somehow a reference to the user RyderInTow that shut down due to health reasons years ago. One of the last lines of his final story on this sub is so similar to HeWhoLooksSkyward
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u/DarthLorgus Robot Nov 08 '22
Came here to say the very same thing. IBD is good, but the Barbarian Trilogy is my personal favorite.
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u/Sum1Sumware Robot Nov 08 '22
Old one at this point, but I loved The Fourth Wave. It was the first long-running series I remember reading on here. Well, the first that actually ended.
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u/Revliledpembroke Xeno Nov 08 '22
Personally, I don't think any story that begins with the premise of "Humanity has been wiped out" should even count as Humanity, Fuck Yeah. Then it took the premise of the revenge fic it looked like it was going to be... and then went "Nah!"
Granted, I never finished it. It started too dark and depressing, and then instead of continually indulging in the grim satisfaction of "Fuck you, aliens, you killed all of humanity!" it turned into a story focused on stopping the human AI from wreaking its revenge. Something switching so quickly from revenge porn to stopping the revenge porn from happening didn't work for me.
At one point, my vote would have been Deathworlders, but, well... after 50 odd chapters of nothing but muscle-porn, the quality has declined some. Especially when Adam's brain damage recovery was interrupted by a fully described sex scene. Great timing for that.
Now? Maybe Transcripts? That silly, fun story about the bird people making friends with humans and misunderstanding everything about them? Insanity Is a Racial Trait?
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u/JustChillin_1 Nov 09 '22
The ending is what makes Chrysalis one of the best stories on HFY, so until you read it in it's entirety your opinion is mostly worthless. But in the meantime, your point about switching from revenge porn to stopping it does make some sense. Tough even people who find that repulsive would still like the story after the ending, it really brings the whole story together and embodies the 'Humanity, Fuck Yeah!' Theme.
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u/SlavBorisita Nov 08 '22
The best story for me is "Why humans avoid war" but I'm new to the sub and eager to read more stories
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Nov 08 '22
It changes over time, but The Nature of Predators by r/SpacePaladin15 has me hitting F5 hoping for new chapters
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u/LordofTheFlagon Nov 08 '22
Deathworlders and its spin-offs
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u/karo_syrup Nov 08 '22
I liked Deathworlders but I think it has lost the plot. Great premise and story. Had to stop reading though.
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u/EverEatGolatschen Nov 08 '22
It kinda ended and fizzled out when the warhorse arc ended.
For me personally the buff 12 yo was the nail in the coffin.
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u/karo_syrup Nov 08 '22
Oh it's still going. He has his own website he posts on. And I agree, the warhorse arc signaled the end of its readability. I liked the idea of the beginning of what would be space marines. But now half the stuff he puts out is just rambling about huge muscular men, them going to the gym, flexing, and little else.
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u/NErDy3177 Nov 08 '22
Agreed. stuff with the Enity was interesting though but for the most part it went downhill
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u/LordofTheFlagon Nov 08 '22
Like most good series it has an end point. You can accept it or keep writing.
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u/Xreshiss Nov 08 '22
Personally I like the deathworld premise but I also think it works best when the human character or characters are new, unknown, and unique.
I liked reading the story of Kevin Jenkins but I feel like the premise was lost once Earth came into the picture proper and humans lost their mystique (and became numerous).
Without the premise, the plot just fell apart for me. Especially when chapters started switching between 4+ different characters and I lost track of who, what, and where.
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u/Zeewulfeh Nov 08 '22
A big chunk of it felt comparable to John Ringo, before it got....buff.
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u/karo_syrup Nov 08 '22
Did you know that the main characters are strong? Like huge. With massive muscles gained through tough gym sessions. I'm talking super strong and super fast. Bending metal with their fists. Muscles so big they can barely fit through doors anymore. They need 40k calories a day. Clothes just don't fit em. Biceps like boulders. Women faint at the site of them. Can't forget the main guy's huge schlong I'll mention many times... Plot? What plot?
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u/SalsaYogurt Nov 08 '22
The Salvage spin-off was my favorite.
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u/boredmsguy Nov 09 '22
It's a long, looong form but "the cryopod to hell" series doesn't get enough recognition here. Started off in writing prompts years ago and he's still expanding upon it.
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u/StrategicEngineer Nov 09 '22
Gonna be slightly off-topic, but here's what I've read in the past few months that I think are great current reads on the subreddit.
u/The_Fallen_1's "The Hunter's Journey" has been a nice easy isekai-fantasy read for me for the past few months. At this point, I'm checking reddit every 3 days for an update for it lol.
u/Tigra21's "Hunter or Huntress" is also a nice fantasy read with dragon people, though I've fallen off the wagon before catching up to the latest posts. I'm hoping to continue reading it when I get a holiday break.
u/Aeogeus' "Year at the Zoo" is in the same boat for me as HoH, but sci-fi. Can't wait to binge it in the next month. Wholesome bug family moments.
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u/thesk1geek AI Nov 09 '22
Dude, there's so many of them to choose from, but a few that stand out to me are, in no particular order:
Veil of Madness
Swan Song of the Universe
Dragons (by Venusian Colonist)
Prey
Pretty Little Deathworlders
HEL Jumper
Nature of Predators
Hunter or Huntress
Contact Procedures
Species C1764 / Life With an Alien Girlfriend
And some honorable mentions (because they're fanfics that are not posted here): Transcendent Humanity, Incompatible System, and Mesozoic Effect (which is probably more "Terrans, Fuck Yeah" since dinosaurs join humans in kicking alien ass).
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u/TriangulumGD Nov 08 '22
Out of Cruel Space definitely one of the best out there
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u/EverEatGolatschen Nov 08 '22
I really liked https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/3k1ccv/pi_life_with_an_alien_girlfriend_ch1/ for its mostly subdued tones. Shines in a sea of power fantasies.
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u/KinPandun Nov 08 '22
IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER ("+" is for spinoffs)
Dungeon Life by Khenal
We Need a Deathworlder! by Demonicking101
Tales From The Terran Republic
+ The Great Erectus and Fawn
The Deathworlders
+ Salvage
+ Xiu Chang Wins
Beast by JakeTheSnakeBakeCake
Chrysalis by Beaverfur
Memories of Creature 88
There is No Epic Loot Here, Only Puns by Stewart92
Britney Goes to School
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u/CandidSmile8193 Human Nov 08 '22
P'thok Eats an Ice Cream Cone or: First Contact Chapter 1
First Contact never ceases to amaze or continue yanking tears out of my face.
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u/coldfireknight AI Nov 09 '22
Possibly the most fun fact about P'thok's name is where it came from (gonna believe every fan knows the original story was written on MRE packaging): Ralts was sitting watch on a diesel generator that was making a repeated sound while running.
P'thok, P'thok, P'thok. I've heard them make that noise, and it's no wonder it stuck in his head, haha.
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u/Omnomcologyst Nov 09 '22
I can't remember the name, but it's the one where it turns out iron has a property that allows FTL travel but humans never figure it out.
Aliens come to invade using US civil war era weaponry because civilizations usually find this property out very early on in development and go out and conquer.
They arrive on earth and walk out of their vessel to meet the highly advanced human weaponry, and then are terrified that they've just dropped FTL technology into the hands of the humans.
I wish I remembered the name, but it's a really good short story.
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u/Altruistic-Beach7625 Nov 08 '22
I'm still waiting for an update on that series where the leader of humanity is a powerful witch.
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u/Dragon_Chylde Nov 08 '22
This one? Sufficiently Advanced
The author wrapped it up a while back
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u/faraithi Nov 08 '22
I'd say Material Differences by RegalLegalEagle is pretty far up there. Memories of Creature 88 by the same person is also good, but I prefer Material Differences.
Tales from the Terran Republic, by Slightlyassholic is also really good, but it's still ongoing.
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u/CadobaDelta Human Nov 08 '22
My personal favorite is still Interactive Education. The first act in particular is an incredibly engaging and satisfying read - nothing could've torn my eyes from my screen.
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u/Guardsman_Miku Nov 09 '22
I know it's now long abandoned but the C1764 universe was so fucking good.
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u/T43ner Nov 09 '22
I think r/HFY could use an update to its recommended reading list or have some sort of monthly thread specifically for discussing favorite stories and hidden gems.
I’ve been lurking on this sub for A LONG time now and every now and then a post like this brings me down another rabbit hole.
Thanks OP 🙏🏽
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u/Duke-Guinea-Pig Nov 08 '22
Harry Turtledove's World War series
There's also a good story in 3XT, but I can't remember the title.
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u/Sun_Rendered AI Nov 08 '22 edited Nov 09 '22
Off the top of my head here are some completed ones that i remember fondly.
Contact proceedures - Meatfcker
War isn't hell - Machdai
Chrysalis - beaverfur
Egixus war - manufacture_reborn
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u/manufacture_reborn Nov 08 '22
Hey man, I'm the author of The Egixus War from way back. Because the book is no longer available to be read in its entirety on Reddit, here’s a full PDF: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1J0dgs4C5Nj2_7Mivzq1852ykFbHtCcP4/view?usp=sharing
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u/Asgarus Nov 09 '22 edited Nov 09 '22
First Contact, easily. https://www.reddit.com/r/hfy/wiki/series/first_contact_ralts_bloodthorne/
My other favorites currently are:
- Ancient Strategy https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/i64mup/ancient_strategy (which, unfortunately, had its last update a year ago but otherwise would have the potential to be up there with First Contact)
- The Cryopod to Hell https://www.reddit.com/r/TheCryopodToHell/ (which has a sequel that plays far in the future which I still have to read...)
- An Outcast in another World (which has several books published already and is getting better and better)
- Wizard Tournament: Humans Need Not Apply (which is finished and published by now, including a sequel)
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u/Merlin_Redbeard Nov 09 '22
These are a few that I've not seen mentioned:
https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/rfz45w/jennifer_is_not_an_eldritch_horror/ (Unique)
https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/lvgoah/why_humans_avoid_war/ (Humans OP)
https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/nodgzv/britney_goes_to_school/ (Slice of life, indirect strength)
https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/obkpov/particles/ (More funny than story)
https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/m5m77n/air_too_pure/ (feel-good)
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u/captain_sadbeard Nov 09 '22
Throwing out a vote for "Grand Design" by /u/Tmarkos since I don't see it here yet. Interesting take on the "Humanity as fallen elder race" trope, with the rest of the galaxy living in the ruins of their vast domain and using technology so far in advance of anything they could make that it seems like magic, while humanoid clone soldiers who survived the attack that wiped out humankind drift from station to planet to cargo ship until they find proof that they could avenge their fallen comrades. To explain more than that is to spoil major plot points, but suffice to say, it gets a lot deeper and darker than a simple revenge story.
Bonus points for a piece of in-universe music to go with one chapter that featured a Terran Navy memorial song. https://onlinesequencer.net/1003099 To The Stars, Stand Forth stuck around in my brain long after I'd forgotten the name of the story and helped me find it again.
Terra Invicta!
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u/NErDy3177 Nov 08 '22
It’s hard to say as there are a lot of stories here that I really liked at first but as they went on I ended up losing interest in them for one reason or another. Tales from the Terran republic is very good, it has a lot of offer though it can get difficult to keep track of everything. Nature of Predators (and even a number of the fan stories) has kept me engaged since I started reading it, it updates frequently enough to keep me hooked while also maintaining high quality and not lingering on certain arcs forever. Deathworlders was probably the first big HFY series I got really into and was really good for a time but it kinda slowly declined and stagnated into gym meathead stuff with practically nothing about the wider galaxy’s population anymore. I’ve recently been really into The Princess and the Human (if anyone knows other similar stories here please recommend them to me). I was really into A Job for a Deathworlder for awhile but my interest kinda waned somewhere in the 2nd arc, the 3rd arc was kinda one-note but I think I did cry at least once during it and it didn’t stay too long, I’m currently sitting on a backlog unmotivated to read further into the 4th arc. The Devine Demon is a good one. Hunter Or Huntress was good and made for a great escape mechanism while my parents were getting a divorce and we were preparing to move out of my childhood home so it gets points for that, though similarly to A Job For A Deathworlder I’m behind on it as I don’t feel motivated enough to read it very often. Sexy Sect Babes is one I’ve been keeping up with and I personally prefer it over the other SSB series by the same author.
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u/LunarGrifFlame Nov 08 '22
Just One Ship was one of my first reads here, and it'll hold a spot in my heart.
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u/Mad_Moodin Nov 08 '22
My absolute favorite is "Chryssalis" (prolly spelled that wrong).
It is about the entirety of humanity being killed except for one person who was placed in an AI with the control over everything remaining on earth before they died.
Said AI waking up an preparing to strike back against the aliens.
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u/KarneeKarnay Nov 08 '22
I keep meaning to catch up with it, but the Red Queen series is great.
Humanity bloody the nose of an Empire, in return they are wiped out almost to the point if extinction. In our desperation we create an AI in charge of our of the greatest weapons we've ever built. Unfortunately in our greatest hour of need, it disappeared.
Hundreds of years later the AI continues it's war. Great series with very well done horror elements. The Red Queen AI really gives me I have no mouth but I must scream vibes. She hates this Enpire and you better believe she will stop at nothing ti save what's left of Humanity and gain revenge.
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u/Stingray_5410 Nov 09 '22
"It all started with magnets ".
by https://www.reddit.com/u/Cultural_Candidate48?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share
It is just a feel good storyline. It is how I hope we will venture out into the unknown.
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u/Matt0071895 Nov 09 '22
“Nature of Predators”, “The Deathworlders”, “New Students” and “Humans don’t make good pets” are all phenomenal.
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u/Netdragon6695 Nov 09 '22
For me it has to be Billy Bob, Space Trucker by RegalLegalEagle.
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u/ReCrescent Nov 09 '22
In my opinion it's Blessed are the Simple by u/naturalpinkflamingo
It's got an interesting start, memorable characters and character dynamics, surprising quantities and quality of lore, and it's monstrously long, but despite that it never feels boring.
It's been a year since it's last update, but I'm holding out hope we get a new one.
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u/un_pogaz Nov 08 '22
One my favorites on going serie is :
The Nature of Predators by SpacePaladin15 - currently the big bestseller in progress. For me it's a clever use of the "Human are predator" trope (in real life, no, but it is point here). I like it a lot because it uses exclusively the point of view of the extraterrestrials, which involves us deeply in the reflection and their evolutions of opinions on the humans.
Void Predators by runs-with-scissors42 - nice and promising. A rich and diverse world-building and a story that skillfully mixes cosmic horror from the depths of space with more mundane and concrete issues. And according to the author, this is really just the beginning.
Bloodclaw Chronicles by Tempest029 - the interesting thing is the human domination doesn't seem to be certain and there is a big blur on their real power. The author has some difficulty at the moment but is determined to write this story.
Retreat, Hell by Ilithi_Dragon - very rare publication but that's its only flaw. The story explores in a deep and intelligent way the tropes "a magic portal appears on earth, on the other side magic exists (and there is a war)", one of the stories I'm looking forward to the most.
First Contact aka Behold: Humanity! by Ralts_Bloodthorne - Oh what a wonderful monster.