What is the best story you have read that was published in 2025 by someone who frequents the Authors’ Hangout?

[FrancesScott]

Don’t be disheartened because nobody mentioned your stuff. Just keep doing what you’re doing and if you’re doing it well, it will get noticed.

If that was directed at me, it’s misplaced. As I say clearly above, I have written eight short and experimental stories and two 750 word stories here. None are my best work (which doesn’t appear here - or at least yet), and I have zero expectations about anyone mentioning what I have written.

I am merely pointing out that it was evident from replies that there are circular relationships of recommendations, and there are star authors. In retrospect, neither of these should have been surprising developments.

I’m unclear in what way those are controversial observations.

 

[TheRedChamber]

I'll probably think of some others with a bit more thought, but the one that stands out to me is https://www.literotica.com/s/transfixed-by-her-heel-pt-01 by TaniaTulles

 

[Bazzle]

If that was directed at me, it’s misplaced. As I say clearly above, I have written eight short and experimental stories and two 750 word stories here. None are my best work (which doesn’t appear here - or at least yet), and I have zero expectations about anyone mentioning what I have written.

I am merely pointing out that it was evident from replies that there are circular relationships of recommendations, and there are star authors. In retrospect, neither of these should have been surprising developments.

I’m unclear in what way those are controversial observations.

I make a conscious effort to leave a comment on every story I read.

Ultimately reading others works is fertile ground for thoughts and emotions and plots.

Im always on the lookout to "Bazzle" a story idea.

 

[redgarters]

I'm guilty as hell when it comes to the circlejerk. But I think it's a very normal thing to happen. For example in my case, I write mostly lesbian romance, because I like lesbian romance. It follows that most of the stories that I read are from that category. I'm more likely to read a handful of authors I like in that category than others. I'm lucky enough that some of them are nice enough to beta read for me, and vice versa, so I'm even more likely to read their stories.

Put that in context with what was said here earlier, that when we write we tend to read less here, it follows that I haven't read an awful lot of stories in the last 6 months. So, when I'm asked what's the best story I've read within that timeframe, it's like a 90% chance that the one I liked best will be from one of that handful of authors.

I do read outside the LS category (Penny's Mothman is now on my to read list fx), but mostly because its something I've seen recommended here or The Mood took me there unexpectedly.

I think these threads are great for giving a bit of kudos to other authors, and for picking up recs. So yay that they appear regularly

 

[lovecraft68]

A while ago, I started this thread, and it barely went further than this one. I also didn't put any limits in the sense that it has to be something recent or that it has to belong to an AH author. The only thing I insisted on was people not linking their own stories, but some have found workarounds even about that.


https://forum.literotica.com/threads/lets-share-stories.1627882/

Well, some of us here have posted, and I think others may agree but not publicly, that there is a me, me, me culture here. I see a lot of the "Enough about me, let's talk about you, what do you think about me" here.

But I think that's kind of the nature of a place like this. If someone asks a question about how to do something, people are going to come up with links to their stories that they did that, or maybe its a case of if I don't toot my horn who will? Look at a thread asking for people to post a fav story of their own vs a fav story from someone else, quite a difference.

And as I mentioned previously and others agreed with, we tend to focus on our own work and not others which I think is also natural.

I hate the expression I'm going to use but I think it fits here. It is what it is. I do think some here might be a bit more pretentious to where its laughable and mock worthy, but the average person doesn't really intend to be that way.

 

[PennyThompson]

Maybe it would be too hard to maintain, but...

I wonder if we could do a recurring thread where we recommend stories we loved, BUT

1. they can only be from authors who have NOT posted in AH
2. they can't be authors that we have any sort of existing connection with
3. no repeats, once an author has been mentioned, nobody else can post them

This is a common problem on algorithmic sites, like YouTube or Spotify or whatever. Once the algorithm learns your preferences, it will do its best to serve up more content that is like what you already consume.

 

[SinclairGroupLLP]

It’s helpful, though, in a way, or at least it has been for me.

From the authors involved in the circlejerk that has surfaced here, I’ve read exactly one story and my response was a resounding “meh”. Now I know that trying to read others will likely result in a similar reaction, and thus I can choose to spend my limited reading time elsewhere.

/eyeroll

 

[SinclairGroupLLP]

If that was directed at me, it’s misplaced. As I say clearly above, I have written eight short and experimental stories and two 750 word stories here. None are my best work (which doesn’t appear here - or at least yet), and I have zero expectations about anyone mentioning what I have written.

I am merely pointing out that it was evident from replies that there are circular relationships of recommendations, and there are star authors. In retrospect, neither of these should have been surprising developments.

I’m unclear in what way those are controversial observations.

It was directed at you, largely because the tone of your response seemed to indictate you were disappointed in the responses you received, even though they were exactly what you'd asked for - people to mention stories they liked from AH members that were recent.

The only logical conclusion to your disliking the responses was nobody mentioned you. Otherwise, why be disappointed?

Now, not directed at you: The cynicism some folks have here, especially towards the new folks, gets as old as the constant pointing out that no threads are new, there are ten thousand of these threads and they all end the same way, etc. For those of us who haven't been on the site for twenty years, these threads do have some value. Constantly pointing out that they're repetitive, even in a funny way, is as bad as the repetition.

 

[redgarters]

I wonder if we could do a recurring thread where we recommend stories we loved, BUT

1. they can only be from authors who have NOT posted in AH
2. they can't be authors that we have any sort of existing connection with
3. no repeats, once an author has been mentioned, nobody else can post them

Great idea

 

[TheLobster]

Once the algorithm learns your preferences, it will do its best to serve up more content that is like what you already consume.

Sheesh, I wish we even had some better recommendation algorithm here. Discoverability of good stories, or stories, you like, is notoriously bad on Lit. What recommendations we do have are based solely on that one single story you’ve just read, and tags thereof, and not at all on your longer term preferences.

Anyway, I like your suggestion but I’m confused about #2. If one wants to recommend a story to others, it’s quite likely it’s already among your favorites, or you follow the author; so there can’t really be “no connection”.

Maybe I’m misunderstanding, but it seems such recommendations would be limited to “looks good at first glance, but haven’t read it because it’s not my kink.”

 

[SinclairGroupLLP]

Anyway, I like your suggestion but I’m confused about #2. If one wants to recommend a story to others, it’s quite likely it’s already among your favorites, or you follow the author; so there can’t really be “no connection”.

What I think she means is not recommending someone you are working with in some kind of context within the site beyond reading or following. For example - under that rule, I couldn't recommend her stuff because I beta read it, and she couldn't recommend mine for the same reason.

Liking, following, replying to someone on the forums I don't think would be a significant enough of a connection - I could recommend one of your stories, for example, even though I've responded to you a few times - to cut you off, but something like a Beta Reader or mentor type situation would qualify.

 

[PennyThompson]

Anyway, I like your suggestion but I’m confused about #2. If one wants to recommend a story to others, it’s quite likely it’s already among your favorites, or you follow the author; so there can’t really be “no connection”.

What I meant was, someone that you haven't had conversations with, haven't collaborated or beta-read for. I have people that I consider to be friends on Lit, they are the people I wouldn't want to boost in a thread like that.

I would want a recommendation thread like that to be used to elevate new voices that come from outside our existing networks.

But I realize that's super hard to do, because I'm also somewhat in my own self-created "recommendation algorithm." The signal-to-noise ratio of new stories is so low that it takes a lot of energy to find those new voices!

 

[TheLobster]

That does make sense, thanks. I think if done this way, it would be a sort of guided tour to one’s followees — definitely better than a simple list which is what we have now.

 

[FrancesScott]

The only logical conclusion to your disliking the responses was nobody mentioned you. Otherwise, why be disappointed?

I have no control over how you react to things or interpret them. You seem to be basing your argument on assumptions about things - my mental state - about which your have no privileged knowledge. But it’s your prerogative to think what you want. It’s mine to say you’re wrong when the subject is me.

Maybe reread what I wrote and see if it’s just slightly possible you are misinterpreting things. It’s a good exercise to do sometimes on-line. I think what I wrote was neutral and fact-based, but YMMV.

 

[THBGato]

Maybe it would be too hard to maintain, but...

I wonder if we could do a recurring thread where we recommend stories we loved, BUT

1. they can only be from authors who have NOT posted in AH
2. they can't be authors that we have any sort of existing connection with
3. no repeats, once an author has been mentioned, nobody else can post them

This is a common problem on algorithmic sites, like YouTube or Spotify or whatever. Once the algorithm learns your preferences, it will do its best to serve up more content that is like what you already consume.

Isn't that just the Good reads thread on the story feedback forum?
https://forum.literotica.com/threads/good-reads-on-literotica.1140679/

Okay, nothing to stop us breaking rule 2 there... though I'd argue "how important is that?" I don't know any writers IRL, and even with writers I've done beta reading for I know nothing about them - names, where they live, what they do. I recommend stories on their merits. If I like them enough, I might reach out vía feedback (as I did with you Penny) and maybe an email exchange will ensue...

 

[lovecraft68]

Maybe it would be too hard to maintain, but...

I wonder if we could do a recurring thread where we recommend stories we loved, BUT

1. they can only be from authors who have NOT posted in AH
2. they can't be authors that we have any sort of existing connection with
3. no repeats, once an author has been mentioned, nobody else can post them

This is a common problem on algorithmic sites, like YouTube or Spotify or whatever. Once the algorithm learns your preferences, it will do its best to serve up more content that is like what you already consume.

This one I could contribute to because the few stories I've read recently have been short ones that people asked for feedback on.

 

[THBGato]

I would want a recommendation thread like that to be used to elevate new voices that come from outside our existing networks.

Isn't that just what the lists function on author pages does? In which case, check the thread on that... or my signature.

 

[Actingup]

What I meant was, someone that you haven't had conversations with, haven't collaborated or beta-read for. I have people that I consider to be friends on Lit, they are the people I wouldn't want to boost in a thread like that.

I would want a recommendation thread like that to be used to elevate new voices that come from outside our existing networks.

But I realize that's super hard to do, because I'm also somewhat in my own self-created "recommendation algorithm." The signal-to-noise ratio of new stories is so low that it takes a lot of energy to find those new voices!

On the bright side of this thread, I’ve now got lots more stories to add to my ‘to-read’ list. I already loved Penny’s refreshing creativity and admired the perfection of ManyHitWanda’s prose. But there have been authors mentioned here that I haven’t read yet, or stories that I’d shied away from due to length or subject matter. And I got to look back through my comments on stories to see what I was reading six months ago. No thread is perfect, but this has been useful - thanks OP.

 

[PennyThompson]

Isn't that just the Good reads thread on the story feedback forum?
https://forum.literotica.com/threads/good-reads-on-literotica.1140679/

Okay, nothing to stop us breaking rule 2 there... though I'd argue "how important is that?" I don't know any writers IRL, and even with writers I've done beta reading for I know nothing about them - names, where they live, what they do. I recommend stories on their merits. If I like them enough, I might reach out vía feedback (as I did with you Penny) and maybe an email exchange will ensue...

Yeah, maybe so, no need to reinvent the wheel here...

AwkwardMD and Omenian's review thread is also an invaluable resource, both because they provide such wonderful feedback to writers, and because they tend to elevate interesting stories that I never would have seen otherwise!

 

[FrancesScott]

The only logical conclusion to your disliking the responses was nobody mentioned you. Otherwise, why be disappointed?

Beating a dead horse, but I do that…

Why the fuck would anyone mention me? I’ve been here a blink of an eye. I even say in my profile that I’m experimenting and my work is therefore uneven. That’s not it at all.

 

[SouthernCrossfire]

I had to go back through my comments and Favorites to pick on this one. Runner up was Wendy’s “The More Mom” because of the depth and twists of the tale, but I think my favorite (and just about the only Favorite this year) was Kelliezgirl with “You Only LOVE Twice” with a lovely Romance story and a few James Bond Easter Eggs to make it even more fun.

EDIT: I must have James Bond on the brain. The title was a takeoff but I used the original JB title above anway! Oops! Corrected!

 

[Voboy]

The only logical conclusion to your disliking the responses was nobody mentioned you. Otherwise, why be disappointed?

Perhaps because the OP had an idea in mind for what they thought would be a cool and uplifting thread, and they expected it to go one way, but it disappointed them when it didn't.

I can think of several "logical" reasons why a relative newb would post a thread like this, and those reasons have nothing to do with wanting others to come and suck the OP's literary dick.

Nobody's angry at anybody here, and there's no need to assume anybody has bad faith in their posting. With respect, you seem to have drawn that conclusion about the OP on what, from what I've seen, is very scanty evidence.

 

[Voboy]

Maybe it would be too hard to maintain, but...

I wonder if we could do a recurring thread where we recommend stories we loved, BUT

1. they can only be from authors who have NOT posted in AH
2. they can't be authors that we have any sort of existing connection with
3. no repeats, once an author has been mentioned, nobody else can post them

This is a common problem on algorithmic sites, like YouTube or Spotify or whatever. Once the algorithm learns your preferences, it will do its best to serve up more content that is like what you already consume.

https://forum.literotica.com/threads/recommend-a-story-by-another-lit-author.1501273/
https://forum.literotica.com/threads/recommend-an-author.1469836/
https://forum.literotica.com/threads/what-romantic-stories-would-you-recommend.1362608/
https://forum.literotica.com/threads/recommend-a-story.728088/

This was just from a cursory search. There are undoubtedly similar threads on other parts of the site, or that don't use "recommend" in the title. But they all wind up much the same way.

That's no reason not to start a new thread, of course; feel free! But the result is likely to be the same as it's always been. And when it gets limited engagement from old-timers, well... from my perspective? This is why.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

And when it gets limited engagement from old-timers, well... from my perspective? This is why.

Reading this made me chuckle. I remember being the new guy and putting forward some ideas and getting annoyed at the shrugging and general lack of enthusiasm from the old-timers.
And now, even though I've had far less mileage here than some of the old-timers had at the time, I feel the same kind of resignation. But I guess I've also learned not to shoot down these repetitive threads and ideas. New people need to see things for themselves.

 

[Voboy]

But I guess I've also learned not to shoot down these repetitive threads and ideas. New people need to see things for themselves.

Yep. That's why I didn't comment at all until the OP figured it out.

Some threads need to be shut down, I think. This isn't one of them.