Argo has been in and out of the ASFR community for several years, since finding the group on the web and IRC.He has written a few short stories, done a little bit of art, participated in a few chats, all both within and outside the ASFR genre.He originally hosted the Hall of Statuary until its closing, and has gone on to host the not-quite-so-ASFR Darker Age page until he pulled it down in April/May of 2002. Later he went on to found the Gorgon:Art site as a kind of successor to the Hall of Statuary. He's a self-proclaimed social pariah and author/artist.
Argo's preferences in ASFR stories are:
Email: http://us.f132.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=argoforg@earthlink.net
Take these as you will.These are either where some of my ideas and ideals gained form from, stories that moved me, or stories that have a special place in my memory.Believe it or not, a lot of these, I just look over from time to time, just because some of them really caught me with their first look.Oh, and they're in no particular order, either, just in case you're thinking so.
Abbreviations I might use below (not always perfectly accurate):
F/F - Female/Female Lovin'
MC - Mind Control
MP - Multi-part or Serial story
MQ - Transformations to or from Mannequins (okay, am I lazy or what?)
TF - Transformation
Statue TF, F/F
Lisa brings back a date from the nightclub that turns out to be a little more than she thought.I have really good memories of this one, partially because it was the first story that brought me into the realm of ASFR. People either can thank this story or curse it vociferously for that.
Gorgon Golf, by Dmuk
Statue TF
You want an out of the ordinary setting?How about a miniature golf course? And when snooty Ginger steps foot on the course, you just know there's gonna be trouble.Dmuk's always had a great handle on characters, and when the idea for this came up, I was frankly surprised how effortlessly he pulled ASFR into a setting no one would usually think about for statuary.
Fem-Fantastique, Inc. in Hardbodies, by CMQ
Statue TF
The FF Inc. heroines have their hands full with a break-in at their headquarters that leads them on an across the world trek to save their friend and teammate.All of CMQ's FF Inc. stuff is great for the comic-lovers, and he has a good habit of throwing a curve ball that'll keep you wondering how they'll snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. This is just one of my favorites of the bunch.
Statue TF, MP
Hardboiled detective whodunnit and a petrifying twist that'll leave you guessing.This multi-part story brings everything together... its meticulously researched, unbelievably well-written, with a great cast of characters... and its opening lines really grab you by the throat and demand you read further.The Arts series still ranks as one of my all-time favorites, showing what ASFR stories are really capable of.
The Gorgon's Kiss, by Cobalt Jade
Statue TF, F/F
My penchant for mythological settings meets with some of the best description I've read from a writer in this beauty set in an ancient Achaean world. Darn near anything of hers is worth a read, and if you like this one, just hit all her stories at the LTBSA and her episodes the Medusa Chronicles... you'll be glad you did.CJ has an eye for detail that will amaze you, and the twists she throws in her stories will leave you goggle-eyed.
The Perils of Penelope T. Hoze, by Vincent Jarrod
Various TF, MP,
Why does this sort of thing always happen to me?That's the tongue-in-cheek way Ms. Hoze quickly begins to think as she and some of her friends find themselves in all manner of perils.Snappy banter, hilarious in-jokes, and villains that even manage to make you grin (which actually make tongue-in-cheek fun of their own stereotypes) are earmarks of this whole series, which I highly recommend.
The Touch, by ASL
Statue TF
A recount of some of the oddities in the life and times of King Midas, in his own words. Another mythological gem, this was another that grabbed me early on in my ASFR travels through the net.ASL tells a pretty convincing story from the viewpoint of King Midas.Some heads-up description and a nice first-person viewpoint make this one a winner.
Overexposed!, by the Gripper
Statue TF, Flattening, F/F
FF Inc. finds one of their colorful villains returning for another go around, while Cosmic Girl begins to come to grips with a personal matter that may ripple out for a long time to come. One of the few FF Inc. stories not written by CMQ, this beaut does a great job of keeping the characters in line with the pesonalities they've been given and even expands on them a little more.For a long story, not done by CMQ, Overexposed does a great job of tying together a good story with the history CMQ's already delved into with FF Inc.
Jaskri and the Maiden, by Leem
Statue TF
An odd statue of a woman appears overnight in a rural town, and a girl named Jaskri forms a bond with it that will grow to change her in ways she never conceived.Some of the best description and deeply warm-feeling statue literature I'd seen in a long time. And this is definitely statue lit. The end will make you wonder why you weren't thinking like that all along, too.
Statue TF
Find out what goes into being a craftsmage, and what goes into becoming a creation. This was another that grabbed me when I was first getting into the ASFR scene and still gives me a nice warm fuzzy feeling whenever I look over it. The detail is terrific, and it's a very short prosaic piece.
Statue TF
Panic does a great job weaving an ASFR bent into a well-researched and thoroughly gripping historical setting.Hell, you'd almost think this really happened.Panic has always had a vocabulary that shows he doesn't shy from the big words, and yet here he fits them in so seamlessly that you never once have to run for a dictionary.The entire setting is so real, you can almost feel the grit of sand in your eyes. This one is a tour de force for history buffs, like myself.
Labyrinth, by Immobilizer
Statue TF, F/F
Four friends in Greece find out why so many beautiful women disappear while on tour, but will their discovery come too late?Great description, great internal dialogue and a darker bent than some stories in this general vein make this story by Immo a winner in my book.Someone call him up and tell him we could use more stories like this.
Shannon's Touch, by JMD
Statue TF, MP
If your best friend was a witch, what sort of gift would she give you for your birthday?Shannon finds out here, and this is a great beginning of what will hopefully be a great serialized group of stories.JMD has always had a great handle on what I call "light" ASFR fiction... not because it's lacking in great description, good plots or dialogue, but because his stories are consistently tightly written, character-driven, and overall, fun to read.Now if we can just get him to get back into writing this series!
The Precious Touch, by Gildsoul
Statue TF, MP
Carl Williams has found the vial of Preciousness, and with it and the help of the angel Ariel, he is about to leap into a world of transformations that even he isn't ready for.Quite possibly one of the best self-contained serials ASFR has, this entire series leads from the genuine simplicity of Carl's testing to an epic conclusion that will leave your teeth rattling and your lungs breathless. The description is great, and it will keep you hitting your scroll bar and your 'next chapter' links to see what happens next.
Power Girl - Tool of Transformation, by Northern Chill
Statue TF, MC, MP
Take one significantly powered Power Girl, add a nefarious villain's plot and a hireling named Shimmer, and no superheroine is safe from being the next victim of the collection in this new serial comic-book fanfic.Northern Chill is one of the new ASFR writers on the block, and his Power Girl series takes a healthy respect for the history and characterization of the heroines and villains he portrays.The dialogue is right on, the settings are varied, and the stories are short and snappy.This is one I look forward to reading for some time to come.
A Simple Quest, Easily Fulfilled
Statue TF
The Order of the White Star is called upon to take on a task for a magus at the behest of a traveler.But will it turn out to be their last?My first 'first-person' piece, my first 'short' piece, and the eventual predecessor of...
World of Phantasie, Prologue II
Statue TF
Years after the events of ASQ, a new evil raises its head in the World of Phantasie, and the first echoes of it are felt in a small Aeri'colquet village.This begins a long series that I am still working on, slowly but surely, trying to mesh my love of fantasy/swords and sorcery and ASFR.For those of you not willing to read the whole thing, but just hit the petrifying highlights, hit the link above.The main page, however, for the whole blame thing, is here, and you can follow the first few chapters from the World of Phantasie main page multimedia experience, graciously hosted by Dmuk.
To Be Loved, Parts One and Two
Statue TF
My first ASFR story, and probably the one that has received the most high regard, this is the story of what happens before Medusa meets Perseus. When a slave girl named Laurel washes up on shore of the Isle of Gorgos, Medusa is first intrigued, and then entrapped, in a web of love that she knows will lead to tragedy.Or will it?Hardcore statuephiles will want to likely just want to skip forward to part two, especially if you're not into the more 'literature' styled stuff.