Other Stories, Other Storytellers

Drawing of Tails by Ken Penders copyright 1996 by Archie Comic Publications
(Unless otherwise indicated, these stories are found on Bookshire's fanfic page)

A tip of the ol' Freedom Fighter fedora to Robert Brown for supplying me with links to Bookshire's page after Ratman took his ball and went home.

NOTICE: Bookshire's Website is COMING BACK ONLINE! So some of the stories which weren't available for a time will be readable once more. And there was much rejoicing. Yay!

Crystalline Beauty by Robert Brown and Francis Tolbert.
The team of Brown and Tolbert has turned out a large (and growing) collection of Sonic stories, each blending into the other with amazing complexity. Of all their stories I've read so far, this has to be my favorite. Sonic, Sally, Bunnie, Antoine, Tails and Sondra are on a serious quest; the obstacles they face and how they overcome them are a marvel. You may have to read the five(!) stories that preceeded this one to fully understand what's going on but it'll be worth it. [And a BIG round of applause to Alessandro Sanasi (aka Tyro) for giving their fanfic page a home in the wake of Bookshire's page going offline].

Shadows of Evil by Robert Brown and Francis Tolbert.
This particular installment in the Brown and Tolbert epic (and I mean epic!) signals a shift in the story but is still an impressive narrative. There are challenges to face, made all the more challenging because several wishes made by the players are either undone or doubled back onto themselves. And one very underutilized character really gets to shine. [Courtesy of Tyro's Sonic site]

Happy Solstice by Bookshire Draftwood.
Bookshire wrote this one about his character, Todd, in the days before Mobius was taken over by Robotnik. A quiet little story which helps set the mood for what everyday life on Mobius must have been like; I'm a sucker for those kind of stories myself.

Power of Love by Bookshire Draftwood and Morgan Ingersoll.
Based solely on a fragment of animation used in the opening credits of "Sonic the Hedgehog", Draftwood and Ingersoll set up a romance between Bunnie and Rotor. Again, a departure from the action genre to something more intimate.

Sonic the Barbarian by Robert Haynie as "Mandar the Insomniac."
I couldn't have written "My Quills Are Quick" if Robert Haynie hadn't been the first to explore the realm of genre parody. It's the Sonic cast in a sword-and-sorcery tale. A hoot!

Dead Squirrel Walking by Will Wells (aka "Chaos Omega")
While some of us fanfic writers have vowed to keep writing about Princess Sally despite her demise in the pages of the Archie comic, one writer used the cover of Sonic #47 to inspire this three-parter. A gutsy challenge but he pulls it off well; the ending is especially taut. [Available courtesy of: The Acorn Archive]

The Storyteller" by Roland Lowery (aka "Jim Doe")
Jim Doe has written a truly chilling example of Mobian history gone wrong. A demonstration that mythology, as well as history, is written by the victors. [Available courtesy of: Sonic the Webhog Fanfic Index]

Selective Amnesia: Part 1
Selective Amnesia: Part 2
Selective Amnesia: Part 3
Matt Page (aka: Fallout) sent me this story as an attachment to some e-mail and I have to say I was VERY impressed! A lot of fanfic fails if the characters are off, and Matt managed to get it right. This story of a best-laid plan spinning out of control also answers a question posed by Sonic fan Richard Smyers: "Does Sally have ANY character flaws?" Once again, Matt, great job.

Blue Star: Quest For Peace by James Lutz
Jim Lutz, A Sonic fan, contacted me and asked for help with a fanfic he was working on. Here are the results, admittedly still a little rough around the edged. But I learned what it truly takes to be an editor: the ability to find the story in the words.

Over The Hills And Far Away by "Ian The Potto"
The Sonic fan named Ian the Potto set himself a challenge: think of the most impossible, most outlandish Sonic crossover possible (that Archie Comic hasn't used yet), write it up in a fanfic and make it WORK! On the whole I think he's succeeded admirably. If you can't guess what the crossover element is from the title, I won't spoil the surprise. Much as I'd like to.