Where Insanity Lingers

Yes, I’m reccing an entire series and it is a sticky post.  This is some of the best fiction I’ve read anywhere, either published or fan fiction.  The author, Cordyfan, sadly passed away in November of 2021 from complications of COVID, so some of the stories will remain unfinished.  The entire series is excellent, but the list below is the core of the series and can be read alone without the others and are all completed and posted.  “A Sunnydale Summer”, which sets up the beginning of Cordelia’s journey in the summer between seasons 3 and 4 of BtVS, is excellent but it is not essential.  All of the stories in the series are excellent, but the list below is definitely the “must read” portion of the series (for me, at least). 

 

“A Different Future” series essential reading list in order:

 

 

“Making the Quota”  (4,535 words) Crossover with Private Benjamin and covers how Cordy joined the Army.

 

“Someone Else’s Mess”  (66,285 words)  Crossover with Stargate: SG-1, JAG, NCIS and probably a couple more things I can’t recall at the moment.  Takes place between seasons 4 and 5 of BtVS and entails cleanup of the Initiative mess.

 

“Fate’s Little Plaything” Vol 1  (426,696 words)  Crossovers with the above mentioned and Animal House (one character from this one).  This is where things really get rolling.

 

“Animal Gate”  (1,258 words)  Crossover with Stargate: SG-1 and Animal House.  A short interlude with General Hammond.

 

“Fate’s Little Plaything” Vol 2  (426,303 words)  Crossovers with the above mentioned.  The second half of this particular story.

 

“The Typhon Affair”  (292,743 words)  Crossover with The Railway Children, Dempsy and Makepeace, a few surprises I don’t want to spoil and tons of history and likely other things I either can’t recall these days or am just unfamiliar with them, so didn’t recognize them.  If pushed to specify, I would say this is my absolute favorite of the series.

 

Sadly, “Key to the Stars”, while some of the very best hard sci-fi I’ve ever had the pleasure to read and with some of the best world building anywhere, will remain unfinished as the author passed away before he could finish the story, which had approximately 6 chapters left to go.  The story covers the adventures of Dawn, Joyce and Faith in another galaxy where they are sent in order to keep Glorificus from getting Dawn and takes place during volumes 1 and 2 of “Fate’s Little Plaything”.  The original characters in this are amazingly well fleshed out and three dimensional.  The main crossover is Stargate in premise but so much of it otherwise is entirely from Cordyfan’s mind.  If you can deal with the lack of a wrapped up ending (we know they made it back at the end of “Fate’s Little Plaything” Vol 2), the story is still one of the best out there.  Unfinished, this one clocks in at a whopping 624,309 words.  

This series by itself would definitely serve as summer reading for the entire summer!  Then again, it’s so easy to dive into these head first and not come up for air, you might get quite the sunburn if reading while sunning.  ;-)