Path: newsfeed.direct.ca!newsfeeder.toronto.ican.net!torn!howland.erols.net!news.bbnplanet.com!cam-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!uunet!in1.uu.net!152.163.170.17!newstf01.news.aol.com!audrey01.news.aol.com!not-for-mail From: celeste801@aol.com (Celeste801) Newsgroups: alt.sex.stories Subject: Celeste's Top 100 Stories of 1996 Date: 5 Jan 1997 21:05:55 GMT Organization: AOL http://www.aol.com Lines: 194 Message-ID: <19970105210400.QAA03183@ladder01.news.aol.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: ladder01.news.aol.com X-Admin: news@aol.com Xref: newsfeed.direct.ca alt.sex.stories:138198 Status: N Celeste's Top 100 Stories of 1996 Here's my annual list of the best stories I read and reviewed for this newsgroup during 1996. To be eligible, a story had to be reviewed for the first time in Celestial Reviews between January and December, 1996. I'm tempted to find a catchy name - maybe The Celestial Golden Glob Awards. There are some absolutely excellent stories on this list. If your story appears on this honor roll, I hope you feel honored to be associated with such a skillful group of writers. People that say there are no good stories on alt.sex.stories simply have not properly sampled these stories. In addition to the Top 100 Stories, I have added (in alphabetical order) 33 stories that receive "Honorable Mentions." These are stories that were originally on my earlier list of potential candidates but were bumped when I had to narrow the list to 100. (The Honorable Mentions are listed, but for reasons of space, the reviews are not repeated here.) I have no doubt that many people will disagree with my list and see "biases" in it. If that's a problem to you, compile and post your own list. Other readers will enjoy your input. One problem that I faced was stories that were posted serially - chapter by chapter, instead of as a whole story at once. My inclination is to review most of these stories just once. In a few exceptional cases (e.g., "The Amazing Adventures of Me and Martha Jane"), I'll review a story once early and then again when the final segment is posted. In other cases (e.g., Uther Pendragon's Bob and Jeanette Brennan series and Mark Aster's "My Friends the Allens") I have reviewed each segment separately, even though they comprise a continuing story. This is because each segment stands alone so effectively. However, in this latter case I have tried to show restraint in putting stories from the same on this list more than once. In other words, several of the Pendragon and Aster stories deserved recognition (and they received it in the biweekly reviews), but I tried to put one or two of their best stories on this list, rather than "padding" the list with multiple entries that are really one long story. I supply the author's e-mail address when I think I know it, but be aware that many of these addresses may have changed. Many of these stories can be found through Deja News (www.dejanews.com). In addition, I encourage authors whose stories appear on this list to repost them, so that readers can find them more easily. Please do NOT ask me to e-mail the stories to you. I don't have time to reply to such requests. If someone else wants to post these stories with my reviews at a web site, I will be happy to cooperate with that person and will publicize the site in my Celestial Reviews. Here are this year's winners: 1. "Anything" by Delta 2. "First Love" by Unknown Author 3. "Test Ride" by Joe Parsons 4. "For Now" by Uther Pendragon 5. "For Him" by Uther Pendragon 6. "Scarlett's Cove" by Ann Douglas 7. "Darcy and Elizabeth" by Mark Aster 8. "Inger" by Friar Dave 9. "The Adventures of Me and Martha Jane" by Santo J. Romeo 10. "Elizabeth & Anastasia" by Tom Bombadil 11. "KIN" by Delta 12. "The Reward" by Bill Green 13. "Crossing The Line" by Ann Douglas 14. "Marie" by Friar Dave 15. "Deja Vu" by Ann Douglas 16. "Watching" by Alan Mathews 17. "Remembering" by Michael K. Smith 18. "Discovery" by Michael K. Smith 19. "Lawyers in Love" by A. Van Peebles 20. "Bracelet of Love" by Stephanie 21. "Bird Watchers" by Mark Pollini 22. "Room 6" by McAlister Baine 23. "Chantal" by Mary Anne Mohanraj 24. "Justice" by Michael K Smith 25. "Thanksgiving" by Tom in Sacramento 26. "Home Again" by Ann Douglas 27. "The Gathering" by Patrick Donovan 28. "Lucy in the Sky" by SueNH 29. "A Lovely Girl" by Michael K. Smith 30. "Shower Buddies" by Stone Wolf 31. "A Rube's Story" by Bazarov 32. "SNIP!" by Vickie Tern 33. "Scorpio Madness" by Green Onions 34. "Composition in Cream and Chocolate" by Mary Anne Mohanraj 35. "Jinsong" by Mary Anne Mohanraj 36. "Do You Want It?" by Mark Aster 37. "Swansong" by Unknown Author 38. "Spare Change" by Dafney Dewitt 39. "Diana" by Mary Anne Mohanraj 40. "Dark Nights 1" by D.A. Ignatius 41. "Conversation" by Sandmann 42. "Fame" by Uncle Mike 43. "Girls' Night Out" by Vickie Tern 44. "Appleseed" by Wollstonecraft 45. "Coincidence" by Delta 46. "Snowbound" by A. Van Peebles 47. "Body and Soul" by Stephanie 48. "Bushido" by Sachi Mizuno 49. "Trances" by Michael K. Smith 50. "Newhart: The Made Maid" by Uncle Mike 51. "Cleave It To Beaver" by MrNatural 52. "Novice" by Wollstonecraft 53. "The Passing of Seasons" by Linda B. 54. "Old Friends" by D.A. Ignatius 55. "French Kiss" by Mark Aster. 56. "Library of Congress" by Mark Aster 57. "Bob and Carol and Jack and Jill " by Darryman 58. "Awakenings" by Annette 59. "Meeting Shirley" by The Observer 60. "Lisa" by Dirty Dawg 61. "Hot on the Trail: Who in the World is Celeste802?" by Backrub and Tammy Ng 62. "A Guest of Celeste" by Ted 63. "CBS Evening News" by Uncle Mike 64. "Et Tu" by Mark Aster 65. "College Reunion" by Deidre Ng 66. "Dog Breath" by Dafney Dewitt 67. "Dispensation of Grace" by Horangi 68. "Cinnamon" by Patrick Donovan 69. "One Afternoon" by Mark Aster 70. "Disrobing Mother" by Dafney Dewitt 71. "Intimate with the Vampire 2.0" by Rocket88 72. "Virgin (On the Ridiculous)" by Jordan Shelbourne 73. "Paying the Price" by Javahead 74. "Natalie" by Daniel Shechori 75. "Twin" by Deirdre. 76. "Hands On" by Deidre Ng 77. "Happening" by Vickie Tern 78. "Tonya Harding: Slave-Girl" by Your Friendly Author 79. "American As..." by Deidre Ng 80. "French Tickler" by Mark Bastable 81. "Flying Nun: Decameron Minus 99" by Uncle Mike 82. "Tidal Passion" by Patrick Donovan 83. "Carol & Tom" by Nom de Plume 84. "A Day on the Bay" by Joe Parsons 85. "Pat Comes of Age" by Mark Aster 86. "Let Your Fingers Do the Riding" by Solo Polyphony 87. "How I Met Pat and Julie" by Mark Aster 88. "For You" by D.A. Ignatius 89. "Terri's Dilemma" by The Observer 90. "Gilligan's Island" by Shelby Bush 91. "Healing" by D.A. Ignatius 92. "For These Gifts" by Uther Pendragon 93. "July 4" by Mark Bastable 94. "Memories of Underdevelopment" by Estragon 95. "A Rude Awakening" by Michael Dagley 96. "Interpreter" by Mark Bastable 97. "Anatomy Lesson" by Michael Dagley 98. "Peer Pressure" by Wollstonecraft 99. "A Night at Suzy's" by Mark Aster 100. "My Weekend with Nancy" by Steve Black Honorable Mentions: "Aunt Kate" by Mark Aster "Barfly" by DYS "Bertram I" by {I'm not sure}. "BiGirls" by Vickie Tern "Bosom Bondage Buddies" by Brandy Dewinter "Catalyst" by Mark Bastable "DNA II" by Stephanie "Dorothy Does Oz" by Shelby Bush "Face of Betrayal" by Morpheus' Twin "Girl Meets Girl Meets Boy" by Mary Anne Mohanraj "Glissando" by Mark Bastable "Heat" by Mark Aster "Homeward Bound" by Dafney Dewitt "Infinity" by J.M. "Making a Splash" by I Robert "My Wedding" by WouldBeBad "No Names" by Jordan Shelbourne "Occupation" or "Marie's Hospitality" by Wollstonecraft "Pairings" by DJ "Perfect Love" by Uther Pendragon "Pickles" by Dulcinea "Red Hot" by SueNH "Rocking My Canoe" by Rachel Taylor "Safe Sex" by Wollstonecraft "Shop" by Deirdre "Siblings" by Michael K. Smith "Stars in Our Eyes" by Mark Aster "The Drive" by M. M. Twassel "To Make You Walk That Extra Mile" by Calloway "Travels with Aunt Paula" by Estragon "Trust Me!" by Vickie Tern "Wagtail" by Uther Pendragon "Waitress" by Deirdre (The reviews of these stories are posted in a separate set of files, labeled Part 1 through Part 4.)