Fandom: ACE LIGHTNING
Characters: Lord Fear, Sparx, ?
Length: One-shot
Author on LJ: scarab_dynasty
Author Website: dynasty_fic, Fanfiction.net

Why this must be read:

It is the time of the Twelfth Dimension (amongst others) and an overlord rules with an iron fist, to yet be overthrown. If the Lord of the ascendant be Lord of the twelfth, and Combust, you must observe of what house the Sun is Lord, and in what Signe and quarter of Heaven he and the Lord of the ascendant are, and judge the Witch liveth that way...

High drama set in the Sixth Dimension. scarab_dynasty writes an amazing fic in a dystopian world, with twists and plans laid inside plans, in a world where Lord Fear gained control. A rebel they call the Witch has been captured...

He supposed he was quite used to her disobedience by now.

Heretic

Fandom: ACE LIGHTNING
Pairing: Sparx/Random Virus
Length: 7415
Author on LJ: tech_head
Author Website: Fanfiction.net, old Geocities page

Why this must be read:

I'd be remiss if I didn't slip in this 'shipping example sometime just before the end of the month. Well-done Random/Sparx, by an author who really likes the characters and does them very nicely indeed.

Fight the Tides

Fandom: Ace Lightning
Pairing: Unrequited Sparx pairing
Length: 204 words
Author on LJ: lightningflash8
Author Website: Fanfiction.net

Why this must be read:

I could summarize this as "angsty poetry from Sparx's view"--and that would turn you away. But this is beautiful, and Lightning Flash makes it work. More poetry from the fanauthor is located here, including an Anvil!Angst.

You Have No Idea

Vidder: ScarabD/Scarab Dynasty
Song: 'Justice' from Superman Returns (I think)
Pairing: Hinted: Sparx/Lord Fear, Ace/Lady Illusion
Vidder Sites: Fanfiction.net, dynasty_fic

Why this vid kicks ass:

The video was made as a 'trailer' to a roleplay that went on, though it's not concerned with injokes but the dramatic effects. I love the song to this vid, and I really love how it was used here. It's strong, intriguing, and does something thrilling with the fierce, emotional parts of the show.

The game has always followed the rules.

Do right and fear not. Never trust a villain. When in doubt, fight your way through.

But rules only work in videogames.

Roleplay Trailer

Fandom: ACE LIGHTNING (mini-crossovers with Bleach and Star Trek)
Characters: Ace (Something New), Dirty Rat (Informative)
Length: 525 words, 215 words
Author Website: Fanfiction.net

Why this must be read:

In Something New, there's a strange creature called a Hollow spotted in Conestoga Hills. I know zilch about Bleach, but I thought this was a fun, brief fic. In fellow crossover Informative, the Dirty Rat makes an interesting discovery... Likewise, this was an amusing drabble.

Something New, Informative

Vidder: ScarabD/Scarab Dynasty
Song: 'Say the Word', from Kim Possible
Pairing: None
Vidder Sites: Fanfiction.net, dynasty_fic

Why this vid kicks ass:

Ace Lightning set to Kim Possible--two differently-flavoured hero shows starring a feisty redhead and a more laid-back blond. I suppose the crossover was inevitable. This one's a fun one; Sparx gets the principal role, of course, and the other two Knights also get a look-in. The vidder tries a few effects, with excellent results.

Say The Word

Vidder: Evilgidgit/Wile E. Coyote/Rotgut
Musical Artist: Four Square
Song: Ace Lightning theme
Pairing: None
Vidder Sites:: Fanfiction.net

Why this vid kicks ass:

It's a screencap vid, made with limited resources; but it's the first vid to come up on YouTube in a search for the show's name, and it makes good use of those screencaps and the full version of Four Square's theme tune.

There's a hero in us all...

Ace Lightning Tribute

(As the end of the month approaches rapidly...)

Fandom: ACE LIGHTNING
Pairing: Lady Illusion/Sparx
Length: Series of five shorts for the stagesoflove challenge.
Author on LJ: scarab_dynasty
Author Website: dynasty_fic, Fanfiction.net

Why this must be read:

Sparx! Lady Illusion! Plausibly femslashy! I love the pairing, and I also think the writing's good. It takes time--of course--to build, and comes together in a way that really works for their characters. I love the fact fic like this exists.

1: Killing Atmosphere, 2: Aftermath 3: Pennies for Thoughts 4: Rainfall 5: Quiet

Fandom: ACE LIGHTNING
Pairing: None
Characters: Chuck and Lady Illusion
Length: 380
Author on LJ: scarab_dynasty
Author Website: Fanfiction.net, dynasty_fic

Why this must be read:

‘So what, you really don’t have them? Not at all?’

‘Not as such…’

Perhaps this was one of the sacrifices which came with finding yourself in love with the hero. You had to bear the presence of his sidekicks.

This is sweet and short and makes me smile. Comic, due to Chuck's presence--and completely nails these characters dead-on in their interaction.

Shapeshifters Don't Have Heartbeats

Fandom: ACE LIGHTNING
Pairing: Ace/Lady Illusion
Length: 250 words
Author Website: Fanfiction.net

Why this must be read:

Set following Certain Events of the final episode; sappy poetry from Ace's point of view and very 'shippy. I reckon Ace's feelings there deserved more showing than they got, and fanworks like this are a nice way of working this out. Allison's much longer fic Once Upon A Time deals with similar issues using a plot; though the fic was started quite some years ago now and begins with an OC who might set off a few buttons, the writer has a great eye for a dramatic situation, an interesting theory about Mark and Ace, and original characters who develop very well indeed.

True Feelings

Fandom: ACE LIGHTNING
Pairing: Gen
Length: 1953 words
Author on LJ: tech_head
Author Website: Fanfiction.net, old Geocities page

Why this must be read:

The evils of the sixth dimension are about to take over the earth, and it seems the Lightning Knights are out of options.

Desperation; almost-apocalypse; and a move nobody expected would be made. It's short, but packs quite a punch.

Out of Hand

Vidder: ScarabD/Scarab Dynasty
Musical artist: Chris Cornell and David Arnold
Pairing: Perhaps mild canon
Vidder sites: scarab_dynasty, Fanfiction.net

Why this vid kicks ass:

It's a Lady Illusion vid; how could it not? More seriously, Lady Illusion to a James Bond theme is delightfully cool and ironic. Opening with some good fanart from the vidder's devart, it takes you through most of Lady Illusion's appearances, and creates an image apropos to the lyrics. Some very well-spun juxtaposing of scenes with music; though it's a flashback focusing on a single character, it's riveting, entertaining, and brings to mind the great moments of the character.

You Know My Name by Scarab Dynasty

Fandom: ACE LIGHTNING
Pairing: Occasional/some
Length: A series of short fics, 24 254 words in full
Author on LJ: scarab_dynasty
Author Website: Fanfiction.net, dynasty_fic

Why this must be read:

As a series of unconnected shorts, I can't name a reason that applies to all of them--but some of the ones I like the best are:

Count Delusion. Introducing an OC in a short I find impressively creepy. Set amongst the evils. "The smoke was his cover. His means of escape and sometimes, his means of concealment..."

After Battle. The first one of the bunch--a cute, brief snapshot of Ace and Sparx.

Sprocket. Random Virus...and a kitten. Not much I can say 'sides that. :)

Five Things Heather Noticed About Sam. Written for a meme, this is a good character piece centered on the humans. Five snapshots running a gamut of situations.

Unreal. Kat/Sparx mildish femslash, reality and belief; an interesting situation and meditation.

The Nature of Heroism. Based on a Young Justice comic, this involves fun with binoculars as Mark and Chuck observe a rendezvous between hero and villain.

Datastream Apologues

Fandom: ACE LIGHTNING
Pairing: Ace and Lady Illusion are mentioned
Length: 3021 words; 2368 words
Author on LJ: scarab_dynasty
Author Website: Fanfiction.net, dynasty_fic

Why this must be read:

Pastfics exploring the Sixth Dimension as a world tend to make my toes curl. In these two companion fics, scarab_dynasty does this spinning from a throwaway line from the fourth episode, and does it with storytelling skill. Rough and strong on imagery, description, and imagination. A wild-growing House of Illusion; Knighthood; a strange and changing world.

Playmates: As a child, she knew things were coming undone. Her world slowly changing beyond recognition. Now in adulthood, he remains constant. But does their past?

Adversary of Ideals: She was fifteen years old the last time she saw him. Roughly thirty Kyrilian cycles and he, twenty-odd.

Playmates; Adversary of Ideals

(Note: I happen to be credited as beta for the second fic, but irrespective of bias I think they're good fics.)

Fandom: ACE LIGHTNING
Pairing: Unconventional
Length: 757
Author on LJ: lightningflash8
Author Website: Fanfiction.net

Why this must be read:

Somewhat-strange pairing, delightfully written. Though early in the writer's experience with fanfiction, completely adorable. I promised to rec this one in the fandom overview as a rarepair, because it's awesome.

Sparx sneaks away to the Carnival...

A Romantic Moment

Fandom: ACE LIGHTNING
Pairing: None
Length: 347 words
Author on LJ: sapphiresilver
Author Website: Fanfiction.net

Why this must be read:

A short, smooth shot of depression and doom, concerning poor Mark.

Not A Game Anymore

Fandom: ACE LIGHTNING
Pairing: Gen/canon
Length: 17,279 words
Author on LJ: tech_head
Author Website: Fanfiction.net, old Geocities page

Why this must be read:

This fic takes on the Problem of Random Virus--in a manner that's original and results in character development. During a battle, Kilobyte does some interesting things with Random's evil...

It's nicely characterized, well written, and contains some excellent evilness. Click on!

The Other Side

Fandom: ACE LIGHTNING
Pairing: Not really
Length: 2336 words
Author on LJ: scarab_dynasty
Author Website: dynasty_fic, fanfiction.net

Why this must be read:

They’ve both moved on since that Fourth of July.

A post-series conversation; understated--and encapsulating a possible future. Mellow, bittersweet, lucid. I choose it as a great example of scarab_dynasty's work; sharply executed, saying a lot in relatively few words.

Responsible Liberties

Fandom: Ace Lightning
Pairing: Unconventional
Length: 3507 words
Author on LJ: lightningflash8
Author Website: Fanfiction.net

Why this must be read:

Short story with an awesome-flavoured concept. Reviewing it, the series creator called it "very clever and funny". Involves an unusual pairing with Sparx.

The Toad Prince

(Repost: I stupidly posted this at the bottom of the fandom overview.)

Fandom: Ace Lightning
Pairing: None
Author Page: Fanfiction.net
Length: 2150 words

Why this must be read: It's a simple, self-contained short story that has many canon elements. Many kids' fandoms don't get it nearly so good with their first fics; I was delighted when I first saw an Ace Lightning section existing on ff.net, with this fic and a couple of others just waiting to be adored. Short, sweet, and recognizably Acefic.

Dirty Tricks: Mark's cousin is kidnapped by Lord Fear...

Ace Lightning is an obscure YA television show with a small (but tenacious!) fandom into teh crack it offers. This overview has many spoilers--proceed with caution! Canon Sources is where to get the material.

Screencaps mostly courtesy of sapphiresilver and moordryd_rules. Note: rather image-heavy! (Click on the images to see larger versions.)



Plot Overview:

I couldn't limit myself to one summary, so I offer three:

Summary #1: Superheroes land in a small American town. Predictable chaos results.

Summary #2: Questions about humanity and the nature of reality combine with some good old-fashioned debunking of clichés. Canon necrophilia results.

Summary #3: Characters from a popular videogame mysteriously appear in the real world. A young teenager, Mark Hollander, is forced to help them and become a hero himself. Associated relationships are brief, violent and/or probably doomed.

( Canon Sources )

( Characters (moderate spoilers) )

( Detailed plot synopsis, major spoilers )

( Fandom )

( Fandom Resources )

Fanfic Recs:

More recs are to come later! For a nostalgic view, I'll start off with one of the earliest fics written in the fandom.

Dirty Tricks, by Sparx-007.

Fandom: Ace Lightning
Pairing: None
Length: 2150 words

Why this must be read: It's a simple, self-contained short story that has many canon elements. Many kids' fandoms don't get it nearly so good with their first fics; I was delighted when I first saw an Ace Lightning section existing on ff.net, with this fic and a couple of others just waiting to be adored. Short, sweet, and recognizably Acefic.

Mark's cousin is kidnapped by Lord Fear...

And to balance out the old fic, some new fanart by rodentnetworks.

Why this must be viewed: bright, expressive, and well-drawn, these artistic reproductions of the CGIs are just plain amazing. You can find Lord Fear and Dirty Rat at her website gallery here (no direct linking available); and here's also a very nice sketch with a Fear/Lady Illusion pairing. (All safe for work.)