Recommended Procrastination Reading

The internet is a wonderful thing. It connects people all around the world, provides information on any number of subjects, and, perhaps most importantly, provides endless new sources of procrastination. Sites like Facebook, Reddit, Tumblr, Twitter, and so on can very easily take up the bulk of a person's day, if one isn't careful. More than that, there is an endless supply of reading material: news, science, fiction, stories, comics, everything. THIS post is going to focus on recreational reading material: the stuff I read purely for entertainment. Not to say I don't read science blogs, or informational data sets, or interesting news articles and whatnot during my free time, but I have an awful fondness for things like webcomics and web fiction. 

One fact about me that I may not have mentioned is that I also have a fondness for listing things. The first thing I do at work is make a to-do list of goals for the day. If I'm stressed, one of the easiest ways to deal with it is to put EVERYTHING that I need/want to do out on paper, sort through it, and break things down step by step. I have a multitude of lists on my computer for long term to-dos (both work projects and for fun), ways to inspire myself, books to read, things to watch, and so on. Even my personal financial spreadsheets are waaaay beyond what most people would keep track of. I really like data, interesting data visualizations, and things of that sort (which serves me well as an observationalist). So I've decided to go through and list some of my favorite things to read online, as recommendations and for personal reference.  I've broken my list down into categories, and then tried to keep them in a vague semblance of order by putting my favorite stories first within any given topic. Of course, all of the stories on the list are ones I like, obviously, and which is exactly my favorite at any given time depends on my mood. Nevertheless. Here are various top recommendations of comics and stories! 

Webcomics and Serials:
I've been a fan of webcomics since my uncle introduced me to a couple of them when I was in 10th grade (I think I still remember the comics he started me off on, too: Acid Reflux, Dominic Deegan, Kevin and Kell, Faux Pas, Suburban Jungle, and Dakota's Ridge). Indeed, I probably now follow what most would consider an excessive amount of webcomics, and have finished or dropped even more, since I've been following and finding webcomics for more than a decade, now. But thank to RSS feeds and other tracking sites, it's easy enough to keep tabs on them. Anyways, this is by no means a complete list of webcomics and web serials, but these are some of my favorites!

Gunnerkrigg Court: The Court and the Forest have long been separated. Antimony Carver joins the court for her schooling. Webcomic, ongoing.
This is my favorite webcomic: just read it, you'll like it. This is a fantastic comic: the pacing and writing are excellent, the story is intriguing and has a great blend of realism and fantasy, and the author clearly knows how to weave a story together. Initially the art is a little 'meh', but over the years it has developed quite a bit; now there are some really gorgeous pages! 

Girl Genius: Agatha lives in a world run by Sparks! Clanks! and Mad Science! Webcomic, ongoing.
A close second on the favorite webcomic front: this steampunk-y webcomic is great fun to read, full of action and adventure, and of course, MAD SCIENCE!

Digger: Wombats, elephant statues, dead gods, and oracular slugs. Webcomic, Complete.
This is a completed story in its own right, and has a lovely blend of humor, adventure, and wombats.

A Girl and her Fed: A girl discovers that she's been placed on a watch list by the government, and is being spied on by a very unusual agent. Though he hasn't picked up on the fact that she lives with the ghost of Benjamin Franklin. A webcomic about civil rights, ghosts, and ethics. Webcomic, ongoing.

XKCD: Individual Comics relating to a myriad of topics, with a focus on science. Webcomic, ongoing.
If you aren't familiar with XKCD, you really should check it out, especially if you tend towards science. These don't follow a story, they're pretty much all one-shots, and have a lot of gems.

Tales of MU: Mackenzie Blaise begins college, determined to make a new start for herself and hoping to ignore her non-human heritage. Web serial, ongoing.
This is an interesting fantasy web serial with some very nice world building (which I tend to enjoy) - the setting is basically a D&D type world which has moved into the modern age - think 1990's. Honestly, some of my favorite chapters are the ones which describe Mackenzie's classes, simply because of the level of detail involved. For the most part it's a kind of a day to day life sort of thing, not so much focused on plot,. There is quite a bit of sex, and some of the early chapters can be a bit off-putting. You can start either at the beginning of Volume 1 or Volume 2 - the second volume is Mackenzie's second year, and the author tried to write such that new readers could pick it up at that point, so you may want to start there.

No Rest for the Wicked: November has been unable to sleep since the moon disappeared, so she goes forth to seek her fortune, in this fairytale based land. Webcomic, ongoing.
Although slow to update, this story has very interesting takes on a number of famous fairy tales, including the Princess and the Pea, Little Red Riding Hood, and Puss in Boots.

Mixed Myth: Keeva, half-goblin, half-elf, is being chased for something that she doesn't even know she possesses. Fantasy. Webcomic, complete.

Abstruse Goose: Individual comics, with science focus. Webcomic, ongoing.
This is another good set of comics for those with a science focus.

A Miracle of Science: Benjamin's job is to track down and subdue people affected by Science Related Memnic Disorder (more commonly known as Mad Scientists), and in pursuit of his latest quarry, he must work with an envoy from the enigmatic Mars. Webcomic, complete.

Hyperbole and a Half: A highly entertaining mix between a blog and stories told with MS Paint. Blog, ongoing.

Order of the Stick: An adventuring party and their ongoing quest for gold, XP, and justice! D&D based. Webcomic, ongoing.


Fanfiction:
One of my guilty pleasures is fan-fiction. Yes, I know, I know; a lot of it out there is really bad, or really smutty, or otherwise terrible --- I fully admit this. But some of it is written well, and it can be a lot of fun. 
I'm particularly partial to fanfiction based on the Harry Potter series (which I love) and that which is based on Sherlock Holmes, particularly the BBC version. So I've broken fanfiction into those catagories, with Crossovers between works and non Harry Potter or Sherlock fanfiction falling under "Miscellaneous". Most of these fictions can probably be read with just a passing familiarity for the original works, though there are definite spoilers in some.

Harry Potter:
Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality: Harry is a rationalist: he was raised in a loving environment by his Aunt Petunia, her husband (an Oxford Professor), and a steady diet of science and science fiction/fantasy books. When he gets his Hogwarts letter, he decides to claim the magical world in the name of SCIENCE! Work in Progress. 

This fic ALWAYS makes the number one spot on my list - it is amazing. It is well written, scientifically minded, interesting, and well thought out. If you like either science OR Harry Potter, you should really check this out. It's written such that you don't actually have to have read the books, but the author does poke fun at, reference, and keep some of the plot-relevant points from the originals. And you can't beat trying to understand magic with the scientific method. [You'll also find a couple other fics by this author under "Miscellaneous."]

Harry Potter and the Natural Twenty: An 11-year old wizard named Milo is summoned across the planes from a distant land: one in which people have hit-points, there are a limited number of spell slots per day, and a critical hit can make all the difference. Despite his strange magic, he soon enrolls in Hogwarts and befriends Harry Potter. Work in Progress.

This fic is a lot of fun: D&D players will particularly enjoy it. The author even keeps a fairly up to day character sheet for Milo, keeping track of his spells and stats.

Harry Potter and the Nightmares of Futures Past: The Battle of Hogwarts did not go well at all... so Harry casts a desperate spell to merge with his 11-year old self, and re-do Hogwarts with advanced knowledge. Work in Progress.

Getting the Hang of Thursdays: After a catastrophic accident in potions class, Severus Snape finds the day repeating itself, always resulting in the death of Hermione Granger. Complete.
This story has two possible endings, so make sure you refresh the last page to get both.

The Prince of the Dark Kingdom: Voldemort won, all those years ago, and currently rules over Great Britain. Harry discovers his wizardry and enrolls into Hogwarts, and soon catches the eye of the country's leader. Work in Progress.

Sherlock (BBC):
You'll note I list a fair amount of Sherlock Holmes fanfiction here - I really enjoy the BBC TV series, Sherlock, which is frustrating because there are only 6 episodes out, and they still haven't announced when the next season will be coming out. So lately, I've been glutting myself on Sherlock fanfiction in order to stave off my hunger pangs for the new season. It's sort of working, but needless to say, I'm really looking forwards to season 3, which is currently in production. 

The Googe Street Gambit: Bored at a crime-scene, John and Lestrade play a quick game of Mornington Crescent, to Sherlock's confusion. A short one-shot, complete.
A really funny short story, though you should probably be familiar with the game Mornington Crescent.

The Road Trip Series: Sherlock, John, and Lestrade need to travel 12 hours in a car together in order to get to a crime scene outside of the city. This goes about as well as you would expect. Complete.

Wee Doctor: While pursuing a mad scientist, John is hit by a gun which rips him out of time, and finds himself as an 8-year old child in a world where he never existed. Work in Progress.

The Green Blade: Sherlock and John investigate a string of murders by a serial killer. However, due to some recent events, Sherlock's credit with the Yard is at an all time low. Complete.

Performance in a Leading Role: Sherlock and John are actors, who meet (and fall in love) on a movie shoot. Complete.

Love, Thieves, Fear: After John is shot in Afghanistan, he finds he can talk to ghosts. He tries to ignore this, until he meets someone who has the same ability. Complete.

A Week is just Seven Days, isn't it?: Mycroft asks John to go back to Afghanistan for a week to investigate some issues for him, which means leaving Sherlock alone in London for a week. Nothing that bad can happen in a week, right?  Complete.

A Slip of the Finger: While still in school, John Watson accidentally sends a text to a wrong number: namely, the phone of Sherlock Holmes. A series of texts and phone calls as their relationship evolves. Work In Progress.

Midnight Blue Serenity: Sherlock and John investigate a series of murders by going undercover as a bartender and bouncer at a local club. Work in Progress. 

In Which John is a Cuddly BAMF Assassin: John is an assassin and Sherlock is trying to track him down. But John tracks down Sherlock first --- to ask him on a date. A short one-shot, complete.

Sometimes Family is the Most Terrifying part of the Fairy Tale: Sherlock takes John home to meet his family, and doesn't notice that Mummy doesn't like the doctor at all. Work in progress.

The Flat of Two Serial Killers: Breaking into 221B is not the best decision ever. Short one-shot, complete.

A Completely Different Untitled Police Force John (and Sequel): Sherlock meets John Watson when the doctor starts working forensics at crime scenes, and falls in love at first sight read-through of forensics report. Short, complete.

Letter of the Lore: Sherlock is Faery-blooded and bound by the rules of the Fae. A short one-shot, complete.

Knock Knock: Sherlock deletes most useless trivia, and in some cases, the results can be extremely amusing. Short one-shot, complete.

Long Ago and Far Away: Alternate universe which takes place around WWII. Sherlock and John romance. Complete.

On Feathers and Bacon Sandwiches: John Watson was killed when he was hit in the shoulder in Afghanistan, but conveniently, a demon was able to step in and use his body, anyway. And being a demon is an advantage when you live with Sherlock Holmes. Complete.

Semper Fedelis: John and Anthea (Mycroft's assistant), are framed for betraying their partners (Sherlock and Mycroft) and are forced to go on the run to clear their names. Complete.

Miscellaneous/Crossovers:
A Study in Emerald: Sherlock Holmes/H.P. Lovecraft, written by Neil Gaiman. Based on "A Study in Scarlet," this is a detective story set in a Lovecraftian Victorian England. Short story, complete.
This might be stretching what counts as "fan fiction," since this is published in an actual book somewhere, as well as being available for free online.  But I'm already a huge fan of Neil Gaiman (who wrote, amongst other things, the Sandman comics, Neverwhere, Stardust, Coraline, American Gods, and other pieces of awesomeness), and this story is amazing, so I don't care.

Trust in God, or the Riddle of Kyon: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Kyon and Haruhi are graduating, which makes Kyon wonder what is going to happen next. So he comes to an important decision. Complete.
This is my head-canon for how this anime should end when everyone graduates high school. Note that this and "the Finale of the Ultimate-Meta-Mega Crossover" (below) are by Eliezer Yudkowsky, who ALSO writes Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality (see Harry Potter Fanfiction list above). I'm a big fan of his work, in general - his other writings are also definitely worth checking out.

Friendship is Optimal: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. My Little Pony executives put out a new game, with an A.I. version of Princess Celestia running it. Only, she's truly a VERY advanced AI. Complete.

I don't even watch My Little Pony, but this is extremely well done, and you don't need to know much more than the bare essentials of MLP at all to enjoy it. In fact, this fic is actually one of the more terrifying things I've read.

Sic Gorgiamus Allos Subjectatos Nunc: Sherlock/Addams Family Crossover. On his mother's side, John Watson's family have some unusual traits and abilities. We see his life growing up, including visits to his extended family, the Addams, and eventually see when he moves in with Sherlock and tries to keep his odder quirks under wraps. Complete.

Loss of Flesh and Soul: Sherlock/Silence of the Lambs/Red Dragon Crossover. Sherlock was a psychologist and a serial killer, put behind bars by D.I. John Watson. But after some copy-cat crimes, the police want Sherlock's help in catching another serial killer. Work in Progress.

I Used to Live Alone Before I Knew You:  Sherlock/Good Omens crossover. Sherlock is a Demon, Mycroft is an angel, and John is just John. Short one-shot, complete.

The Magic of Deduction: Sherlock/Harry Potter Crossover. John is in Hufflepuff, Sherlock is in Slytherin. Friendship, love, and mysteries over 7 years at Hogwarts. Complete.

Stardust: Sherlock/Hunger Games Crossover. For the 74th Hunger games, John is selected in District 12 and Sherlock is selected in District 8. Complete.

The Finale of the Ultimate-Meta-Mega Crossover: Fire Upon the Deep/Permutation City/Miles Vorkosigan/Suzumiya Haruhi/Sherlock Holmes/Doctor Who/Star Trek/Hitchhikers Guide/Alice in Wonderland/Disk World/Matrix/Ah! My Goddess!/Monty Python/[Error: Overflow]. Short, complete.
So.... the list above where I list the stories this crosses over... I haven't actually read the first two items, and after that, I just listed some --- NOT all --- of the works that the story crosses over with that I'm FAMILIAR WITH. There are many crossover works mentioned in the story that are things I'm NOT familiar with; indeed, there may be more that I haven't read/seen then that I have. This is not important, nor is it the point. The point is that this story is a mere two chapters long, and not only makes this work, but it gives a reasonable explanation for why this is all happening in the end. Yes, really.

And I can think of nothing else online that would be better to end on then that, so until next time, happy procrastinating!

Well loved books: The Vorkosigan Saga

As I stated in my last post, for Christmas I received an iPad mini from my Uncle Bob. Actually, in the note he sent with the iPad, he said he sent it to me for "Winterfair" - a reference to my favorite book series, one which he introduced to me to years ago: the Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold. So naturally, one of the first things I want to do when receiving a bookreader (or something I'll primarily use as a bookreader) is load all my favorite books onto it. So the series of Vorkosigan books were the first ones I loaded onto the iPad. Now, I own hard copies of all of these books (in fact, I own pretty much every book that Bujold has written, either alone or in a compilation). However, due to what I think is pretty good marketing savvy on her - or her publishers - part, I also own all the e-books for this series as well, for the various omnibuses. One of the latest books in the series, Cryoburn, came with a disk which included ALL the Vorksigan e-books. It also included a note that basically boils down to this: "We want you to enjoy these books so that you will buy them. We want you to recommend these to your friends, and lend them to your friends, so that THEY will buy them. Go nuts." So, basically, I can hook up my friends and family with this series extremely easily, and without misgivings; and in exchange maybe I'll hook someone else on the series and they, too, will go out and buy all of her books.

I'm not JUST going to use the iPad mini as a book reader, of course; I've already downloaded a number  useful applications for myself, in addition to the iBook and the Kindle apps. For example, on the astronomy front, I've got the fantastic app Star Walk, which allows you to point your screen in any direction and see exactly what stars, planets, and constellations are up. I've also got a number of travel/map apps, including Exit Strategy, which gives you not only subway and bus maps of NYC, but also tells you WHERE TO STAND and what car to get into for the subway, depending on what stop you get off at. So you can get in the car which will be right by the exit or the transfer point! And of course, plenty of games, like Bastion (AMAZING game, though better on the computer than the iPad, buy the computer game first and the app second), Mahjong (REAL mahjong, not matching mahjong), various puzzles, and so on and so fifth. But I suspect the bulk of time I spend using this device will be reading books.


Anyways, my mother also got a book reader for Christmas, a Kindle, and she's very excited by this, since it will make it a lot easier for her to read in general and carry books around with her. She's been vaguely interested in trying the Vorkosigan books for some time, since she knows I love them, but it's been getting difficult for her to hold heavy books and turn pages. So last week, while she and my dad were up in NYC for a day after Christmas, I loaded all of of my Vorkosigan ebooks onto her Kindle, as well! And because I have strong opinions on this series, I wrote up a bit of background and description about it for her, as well as a recommendation of where to start, etc. And then, of course, I decided I wanted to expand on it even further, for a general audience, and thus, this blog post was born.

The Vorkosigan Saga is a series of science fiction books, taking place perhaps 1000 years in the future or so. However, the bulk of the stories are more about the people than the technology - or, if technology is an issue, it's more about how those technologies affect people and planets. For example, one futuristic piece of technology is the 'uterine replicator' - basically, allows people to skip the whole "being pregnant" thing, and just directly cook up your kid in the lab. As a bonus, you can therefore also make sure said kid is free of genetic defects, or choose the gender, or whatever. It also makes bio-engineering a lot more feasible. The planet Barrayer (from which Miles, the protagonist, hails) in fact has a bit of a problem with gender statistics, since when gender selecting came about, everyone started having lots of boys. Another of the books (Ethan of Athos) is about a man from a planet which doesn't have any women at all, since they aren't really necessary to the process anymore, except for the preliminary genetic material. The book Cryoburn looks more into cryogenics - freezing people when they're near death in hopes that a cure will come along eventually to extend their live. But again, its more about the people involved than the technology itself, and people remain people no matter what technology is available.

The bulk of these books focus on Miles Vorkosigan, the crippled heir of an extremely politically important aristocratic family on the planet Barrayer. Barrayer is very militarized, and historically has treated those who are physically different horrendously. However, Miles is extremely intelligent (and a bit hyper), and has an extreme need to prove himself. Over the course of the books, he becomes a successful mercenary commander which is in the employ of his government, running secret missions around the Nexus (the various planetary systems which make up the Vorkosigan universe) which the government doesn't want traced back to them. However, this means that the bulk of his achievements are classified. Which means back on Barrayer, he's largely seen as having some token military job because of nepotism. The books follow him throughout is life, from starting out in Military school (Young Miles) to his later life - the last book chronologically occurs when he's in his late 30s (Cryoburn). Some of the books are from other perspectives: Cordelia's Honor is from the perspective of his mother, for example, before Miles is born.

The books have been published both individually and in omnibuses - in general, I have the omnibuses of the books, and that's the way that all the e-books are collected as well. Therefore, in my overview below, I've listed the omnibuses in the order such that the bulk of the stories are in internal chronological order. However, this is not the published order  - Bujold wrote them a bit scattered over the timeline, though they're actually QUITE internally consistant! In general, you don't really NEED to read them chronologically, since the earliest books aren't required for understanding, and each book stands pretty well on its own. I would read the books in each omnibus in the general order presented, however. For the new reader, I'd say that once you've read a couple which sound interesting to you, then to go back and read them chronologically.

Personally, if you want to see if you are interested in the series, I would recommend starting with the short story The Mountains of Morning (in Young Miles). This will give you some perspective on the culture of Barrayar, and why Miles being damaged is such a cultural problem for him. I would also recommend Cetegania (in Miles, Mystery and Meyhem) as a good place to start, it gives an idea of what Miles' personality is like - plus, it's a nice little mystery. This was, in fact, the first book that I read in the Vorkosigan series! The other two books in the omnibus with Cetegania (Miles, Mystery and Meyhem) are also fun and give you a good picture of the Nexus and Mile's mercenaries. From there on, reading in chronological order is generally best, but not strictly required. You SHOULD read each omnibus in the order presented.

BUT.  

This series is basically broken in half - before and after the book Memory. You should read all the Miles books before Memory before you read Memory. You should read all the books AFTER Memory after you read Memory. 

Additionally, the 6th omnibus (Miles, Mutants, and Microbes) contains a story (Falling Free) which takes place, chronologically, 200 years before any of the other stories in the book. Read it whenever you like, it's a nice story, but largely irrelevant to the story-at-large. It also contains a repeat story (Labyrinth), which chronologically belongs in the first omnibus in which it's listed (Miles, Mystery and Meyhem). The final story is a new Miles story (Diplomatic Immunity), and belongs in the location it's listed, after Winterfaire Gifts and before Captain Vorpatril's Alliance!

You can find free snippets of Bujolds' various books and stories on her website, here. They used to have the story "Mountains of Mourning" up there for free, but that link currently seems to be broken.
Bujold has two other series, both fantasy instead of Science fiction: the Challion books and the Sharing Knife books. These are both ALSO very good, but Vorkosigan remains the top in my eyes. The Challion books is more action driven, whereas Sharing Knife is more of a romance. But both are fun fantasy books which I would also recommend. Worth taking a look at the snippets, at least!

So, here are the collections of Vorkosigan books and omnibuses, with brief descriptions:

0)  Cordelia's Honor (contains 2 books)

• Shards of Honor: Miles' parents meet and fall in love during a war, on which they're on opposing sides.
• Barrayer: Miles' mother is pregnant (with Miles), during a political upheaval.

1)  Young Miles  (contains 2 books and one short story):  the books here tend to be a bit more military based than some of the later books, with smuggling and internal politics. It is also partly a coming of age type thing as Miles finds a place for himself in his (very militarized) society as someone who is ... damaged.

• The Warrior's Apprentice: The FIRST Miles book: Miles meets the mercenaries
• Mountains of Morning (short): A short murder mystery, taking place in a local district on Barrayer
• The Vor Game: Miles gets his first official mission and promptly gets into trouble.

2)  Miles, Mystery and Meyhem (contains 2 books and one short): these books are more mystery based, trying to figure out what's going on with various mysterious situations. These are the books I started off with, and all three are a LOT of fun.

• Cetegania: Miles is on a diplomatic mission to another planet which has historically been an enemy of Barrayar.
• Ethan of Athos: This book is NOT about Miles, but focuses instead on a doctor who gets mixed up with some business which Mile's mercenaries are also involved with. You won't see Miles, but you will see his second in command, Eli Quinn.
• Labyrinth (short): Back to Miles, a short mission which spawns from the previous book, a rescue.

3)  Miles Errant (contains 2 books and one short): These books are great, but intense.

• Borders of Infinity (Short): Miles infiltrates a POW camp.
• Brother in Arms: Miles and his mercenaries take refuge on Earth after the fall out of the previous mission.
• Mirror Dance: Various fallouts from previous books catches up with Miles and his family. 

4)  Memory (contains 1 book): "Miles hits 30. 30 hits back."

     This book really cuts the series in half. Before this and after this are two very separate stages in Miles life. Therefore, I would HIGHLY recommend reading books before this, before this, and the books after this, after this.

      

5)  Miles in Love  (contains 2 books and one short)

• Komarr: Miles, in his new job, investigates an apparent accident on the planet of Komarr. And meets a woman. (more political/investigative, less romance)
• A Civil Campaign: Miles attempts to court a lady while keeping this a secret from her. In addition, there is political fallout from the previous book's investigation. Romance! And lots of humor! 
• Winterfaire Gifts (short): Miles' wedding (from the perspective of one of Mile's guards).

6*)  Miles, Mutants, and Microbes  (contains 2 shorts and one book)

• Falling Free (short): This story takes place 200 years before the rest, and focuses on a race of bioengeneered people called "Quaddies." However, this is by no means required to understand the rest of the series, it will only really provide understanding to Diplomatic Immunity (also in omnibus 6), so I'd just recommend reading it before that!
• Labyrinth (short): This is the same story as in Miles, Mystery and Meyhem - they just published it in this collection as well, since it also involves a Quaddie.
• Diplomatic Immunity: Miles travels to Quaddie-space in order to sort out a tense situation with the Quaddies. This story chronologically follows "Winterfaire Gifts"

      

7)  Captain Vorpatril's Alliance (contains 1 book): Focusing on Miles' cousin Ivan, this is his romance. Ivan meets a damsel in distress, and partakes to help her. (Quite funny).

8)  Cryoburn (contains 1 book): Miles travels to the planet Kibou-daini, which specializes in cryogenics, and promptly stumbles into a number of tangled conspiracies.