HellCraft I can't beleive that it took me this long to find this site. I will be honest I don't know if anyone will see this post or not but oh well. I am not sure what AGD and fanfics are, but this is one of the most amazing pieces of literature I have ever read. The sheer imagination shown in it is mind blowing. You have taken a computer game storyline and breathed life into it. Taking basic characters that we knew little about, you have given them traits and characteristics we can relate, and in some ways look up to. The way topics, like hatred, are presented is thought provoking. It is easy to tell that this was not written by just anyone, but by a true fan, who has a great mind. This is a fantastic work, not just among this AGD people talk about. This is a great work for thought and plain and simple pleasure. Congratulations on a job very well done. Damion Received via feedback form 5/7/2003 |
HellCraft No I'm not Dolt, but I feel like i'm at a loss in words to describing your amazing masterpiece!!! Keep it up as if its not already way up on top :) Received via e-mail 05/13/2001 |
Top ten events of AGD history ... HellCraft is undisputed and unchallenged as being the best fanfic ever written for AGD. It is the finest work of an author who is unarguably AGD's greatest writing talent. But that isn't why it made the list. HellCraft went above and beyond what fanfics were supposed to be. Through an amazing amount of creativity it was the first to break all the restraints and barriers of writing with in the Diablo story line while at the same time holding close enough to Diablo to remain a true Diablo fanfic. Characters used so many times before such as Griswold were breathed new life as we saw the true pain involved in a man who has lost everything of importance without any hope of regaining it again and we see original characters like the CowLord whose comic appeal and unrealistic nature never detract us from knowing that behind the catch phrases and cool spells there's a real man with fears and motions constantly having the two sides to himself battling it out for control. HellCraft not only set the standard for all other fanfics to follow, it rose above it to an unreachable point. It is without a doubt the greatest AGD fanfic ever written and I'm almost certain it will always hold that title. It's here for all the writers it's inspired and for all the stories it made possible, and for the pure enjoyment of what it was. Rob
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HellCraft Whoa. Thank you for one of the best if not the best fanfics I've ever read.... WolfWoof16
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Fans. ...you're probably wondering, "Who the hell
is this?"..."Could it possibly be that guy I met last night?", "Or old
Johnny from high school?". Nope its just a punk kid and his little brother. Thought I
(we) would give you an e-mail. After all you deserve one. We are major Blizzard fanatics
and we waste most of our youth on the games that plagued you for quite some time. Quite a
Grim story..:), We recently read your HellCraft (well all of them actually)...I have to
give you props (this would be our slang)....that was very well composed and my brother and
I totally loved it. I myself, found myself relating to the story in a way that it's hard
for me to describe. I am sure you hear this from everyone, but you have a talent for
writing. We aren't generally turned onto reading something, unless its a McDonalds
menu or the back of some PC game that we are considering purchasing. Maybe the endless
lines of bickering on Battle Please Oh Please find time to write another ! ;p. Or if you are working on something in particular throw us a web page URL. Something, we are going to die before Diablo 2 comes out :) Anyhow I hope this made your day, you filled our ...grey and rainy and quiet and boring and and and...I could go on with fun, fun that came from within our imagination. ....thanks! -Samwise and his brother...
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Re: HellCraft (Diablo fiction, Chapter 15 of 15) Lol, I loved the first line, and the cats were giving me some awfully strange looks when I started cracking up when you worked in Dolt's Final Words. This has been an excellent, exciting ride, Steve, I will definitely look for the epilogues. Thank you so much for this entire fascinating tale.... ald
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Re: HellCraft (Diablo fiction, Chapter 15 of 15) Great ending! I adore the way you write, I truly do. Keep them coming, Steve! Jimmy Nilzohn
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Re: HellCraft (Diablo fiction, Chapter 15 of 15) Wow! Reading that was almost as much as fun as actually playing it. Awesome job. Thanks for sharing that. Gellor Aerdy
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Re: HellCraft (Diablo fiction, Chapter 13 of 15) CONTENT WARNING WOOHOO! AWESOME! :) Purple
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Re: HellCraft (Diablo fiction, Chapter 10 of 15) WOW! This story just keeps getting better and better.
I am amazed at all Simply astounding work here, Steve. Dalai Lama
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Re: HellCraft (Diablo fiction, Chapter 10 of 15) It's amazing isn't it? I don't think there's a single missed inside joke/gag anything... Every chapter written must make the following chapter that much more difficult to write... some what like approaching the speed of light... the faster one goes the heavier they get... Even more amazing... something serious will creep (LOL) into the story sometimes, but the transition isn't so jarring as to make the story fall apart. I schedule time on Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 8 to 8:15am to just sit in awe of his skill. Rich G.
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Re: HellCraft (Diablo fiction, Chapter 11 of 15) BRAVO!!! I would LOVE to see this particular chapter in film! I can see it in my mind you drew it out so perfectly. It's a stand alone chapter Steve, excellent work as always, totally captivating. Wild`
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Re: HellCraft (Diablo fiction, Chapter 9) That was quite a ... ummm, change of pace ... from the usual style of the HellCraft novella, but a very good read. More please! (I'll never see 'Vex and 'Jade the same way again). Stephen van Ham (aka Swift)
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Re: HellCraft (Diablo fiction, Chapter 9) Whoa. Wow. Ouch. You should submit his stuff to a fanzine or something for publication. This last chapter was quite a whammy after that light-hearted CowLord stuff. Andy Steinberg
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Re: HellCraft (Diablo fiction, Chapter 7) Solo felt cowed by the sudden dramatic appearance of the armored stranger. That thought was all it took to exclude her from any participation in the subsequent conversation. She had to bite her lip until it bled to stifle a giggling fit of, well, bovine proportions. Oh man - stop it! ROFLMAO! 'cowed' heheheh Gotta love it! I can't take it! Make him stop! No wait - make him finish if he dares. Can you actually continue from here? Handy_Solo aka Chris Kasten
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Steven Dong-- HellCraft Amazing piece of work. HellCraft is a mini-masterpiece in the making and I am glad I saved and read all 5 at once. I laughed too many times to count, and was riveted to every word. I do hope you find the time to continue this gem. What's next? Will Griswold be caught trying on Red Vex's discarded boots? Will Gillian put her phone number on the back of that slip with Dolt's name? If so, does that mean that everyone who finds the cornerstone of the world will be able to call her (referencing Dolt's demise in a far earlier story) What about Wirt? Is he still alive and making a fast buck off the Zerg? Thanks for writing this :-) Dalai Lama
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Re: HellCraft (Diablo fiction, Chapter 6) Great story! :) If you keep this up, you'll have to put them together for a fantasy best-seller! :) Vox
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Re: HellCraft (Diablo fiction, Chapter 5) That was a very enjoyable chapter! Your descriptions of the Zerg make me feel like I've played StarCraft already.... I'd love to see more of Red Vex and Solo ;=) Andy Steinberg
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I love your stories Your stories are the best Diablo fanfic I've ever read. In fact, after reading Val Halla's journey, I decided to write my own (I had been wanting to for a while but your story provided the final inspiration). I included the address to my website which houses my Diablo tale. If it's not too much trouble, could you tell me what you think of it? This is my website address: http://members.tripod.com/~Optimus_98/main.html I look forward to your future stories. Martin Hodges
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Re: Val Halla's Journey - An Online Novella And my first attempt at a haiku, just for you: Steve, writer of tales, Stephen van Ham
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Re: Val Halla's Journey Epilogue (fanfic) Darn, I hate seeing that last word :-) This has been a glorious ride, Steve, I'm glad that you allowed us to come along on it. So what do you have in mind to try to top it? :-) Definitely more, please! :-) ald
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Attn Steve: Val Halla's Journey Chapter 18 ...after retrieving this chapter from Dejanews and giving my news server a kick in the ribs for good measure, I sat down to read. Wow. Who would have thought that a little bit of gambling could progress into something so sinister? Wonderful stuff. Judging by all that occurred, I can see that the finale of this story arc is going to absolute mayhem. I can't wait :-) Stephen van Ham
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Re: Val Halla's Journey Afterword Thanks a lot for this long and wonderful part of fiction! I enjoyed all of the chapters, although the last one was definitely the best - the "grande finale" you promised! Flann (already looking forward to the next part of Val Halla's trilogy)
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Re: Val Halla's Journey Chapter 14 (fanfic) Cool story! You got me hanging there with anticipation for when Lachdanan would finally go to sleep. :) Tess
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Re: Val Halla's Journey Chapter 14 (fanfic) *sigh* Well, glad to know I don't have anything to be jealous of (although I disagree with your--or maybe it's Val's and Wirt's--assessment of Lachdanan's personality). Glad to see his, ah. . .*attributes* live up to my expectations (fantasies). ;-) Celleste
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Re: Val Halla's Journey Chapter 12 (fanfic) I don't think I ever want to cast spells again now that I know where mana potions come from. <shudder> btw, nice story and writing as usual :-) SilverRaven
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Re: Val Halla's Journey Chapter 09 (fanfic) Gee, this makes me want nothing more than to labor to save Tristram from the Evil that's taken over it and make it like this once again. *Sigh* 5 more days. Great tale (tail?) going, I can't wait for the next chapter. SBPP, or more, please. ald
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Re: Val Halla's Journey Chapter 09 (fanfic) Reminds me of the Kennedys a bit. Well done. =) With the little salute at the funeral and all... made all the more poignant in retrospect knowing what is in store for Albrecht. Well written. Rich G.
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Re: Val Halla's Journey Chapter 07 (fanfic) I only just got around to catching up on reading your latest tale (yeah yeah, I know - shame on me) and I must say that this *completely* different approach you're taking, where you use the initial chapters to introduce the characters before diving into the action (and there will be some action won't there? hint hint *grin*) is a very refreshing change. Much like you previous epic "HellCraft", I am really enjoying this tale, and hope that there are many more chapters to come. Your writing is a joy to behold, and hope that one day I can emulate your wordsmanship. Stephen van Ham
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Re: Val Halla's Journey Chapter 07 (fanfic) Well, thanks a lot. Some time ago I wondered who was living in Tristram, in all those huts you always bump into on your way from church to Cain and cannot enter. Now with every chapter of this great story at least one of the huts gets "filled" with interesting inhabitants. More, please. Flann (six days until next Wednesday and counting)
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Attn: Steve - A Fanfic About That Fat Fellow In Red The Butcher I'm just catching up on some of the older works posted to AGD at the moment, and have just devoured your Butcher's tale. I could almost smell the stench of death in the dank dungeon air and feel Val Halla's fear when her initial attacks proved in vain, and her jubilation as the Butcher was silenced forever. Another great tale. Thank you for sharing it with us. I'm looking forward to the second and third books of the Val Halla's Journey, once you've got the time to pen them and a cooperative muse to assist in the process :) Stephen van Ham
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Re: A Fanfic About That Fat Fellow in Red The Butcher Loved it! of course, now my mental picture of Val Halla has been adjusted a bit (and I quote, "Urrr... small") :-) Handy_Solo
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Attn: Steve Dong - your "From the Ashes" Diablo 2
fanfic Well, now that I've got my own fanfic written and posted, I've had some time to sit down and read the other AGD submissions for the contest. Yours was, as usual, absolutely incredible, well written, perfectly paced, and with a varied and colourful selection of characters. Bravo! Stephen van Ham
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Re: Attn: Current and future fanfic writers From the Ashes Maybe we can blame Steve for raising the bar so high with that amazing amazon tale! I think he has a secret plot development team for his fantastic stories, but I can't get him to admit it. Dalai Lama
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Re: Attn: Current and future fanfic writers / A new Val Halla
fanfic From the Ashes Amazing! HellCraft, Val Halla's Journey, and now a first glance of DII's possible plot. I must say that I greatly enjoy reading all of your fanfics, Steve! It's that kind of stuff that makes my waiting for DII more than comfortable. Flann (Dumptruk is not really dead, is he?)
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Re: Attn: Current and future fanfic writers / A new Val Halla
fanfic From the Ashes Wow. [silence] Ever read something so powerful that you feel the hair rise on the back of your neck? I just did. That was incredible, thank you for giving us the sneak peek. :-) Handy_Solo
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Diablo Episode One: The Buxom Menace (Diablo Fiction) This story written by sdong@ix.netcom.com Steve from alt.games.diablo. It's amazing. charlie.maul
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Re: Diablo Episode One: The Buxom Menace (Diablo Fiction) Wow. That was great! You do this for a living, right? I'm trying to decide if it was Heinleinesque (from his 'juvie' days) or maybe a dash of Bradbury(?) but I sure enjoyed it! Handy_Solo aka Chris Kasten
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Purely awesome. You're a master storyteller with the honed ability to perfectly mix wit, character, and imagination. No idea how I stumbled onto this story, but I'm glad I did!!! http://www.kenghk.com/ |
Greetings to the person known to me only as steve@theboojum.com! You don't know me, but I just finished reading the parts of "The Wild Side of the Window" that are up, and I just had to comment on it. I think it's the best of everything on your site. Perhaps I should back up a bit. I stumbled across your site while searching for Diablo II fanfic (I never got into the first Diablo much, but D2 has absorbed my life...), and since then I've devoured everything you have there for reading. All of it is excellently written. Some of it I like, some I don't, but any gripes are due to thematic material and not stylistic concerns. In any case, as I was saying, I think "Wild Side of the Window" is the best story on your site. The characters are vividly drawn and brought to life incredibly effectively; you make the reader care so much for them that it hurts. At the same time, there are several parts of pure hilarity. Oddly enough, most of these don't come from the out-and-out absurdity of some of the situations, but from subtle things like turns of a phrase or an odd distortion between our world and the Looking Glass world. There are, of course, the more over-the-top moments, like when Wuju bluffs his way into the dungeon past the four guards (which almost had me falling out of my chair). All in all it's a superbly put together piece of work. I can't wait for the rest of it. Please, let me know when the rest of it is up. I seriously think that you should look into publishing your work to gain monetary benifit from it; check out www.3mpub.com for a web-based alternative to publishing houses. Another thing; I noticed our tastes in both authors and music are remarkably similar, from Asimov and Henlien to the Moody Blues. I haven't found many people who are fans of the Moodies. It impressed me. Anyway, thanks for an excellent read, and keep up the good work. Eliott "Sable Phoenix" Norbut
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Finally got around to reading the wild side of the window. Damn it. It's
unfinished. Also saw your page about you for the first time. Never noticed that before. Anyways I was enjoying it, and I'm glad you revealed Destiny Lad's identity before signing off. I wouldn't have anything remotely pleasant to say to you had you not. Is that it, or are you going to finish it? I thought you said at one point that you wrote it prior to Hellcraft. Rewriting it now? Or have you just given up? (If you have just given up, please let me see the outline. I know you keep outlines.) The thing is, it'd be really pathetic if I came to tales of the Boojum everyday looking for it, and you were never planning on posting it. Worse yet if you actually moved to a new address and kept the old site up, and meanwhile I was at the old place waiting for updates. (This actually happened with the AGD library.) Also I'm beginning to compare it to Hellcraft and I'm starting to wonder about your fascination with dual personalities. I'll write the thesis paper when you get published and become famous, after I sell you out to the inquirer for fifty bucks of course :) It's getting late, so SPOT or whatever the hell that's supposed to be now, and know you have one more person awaiting the conclusion. Rob
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Hummm, you don't have anything recent on your feedback page. Guess I'll
fix that ;-) Love your stuff. <wicked, leering grin> Wickedly yours, SilverRaven |
I choose "other", because every store on this site is great!
You REALLY should send in one of your stories to a publisher, it couldn't hurt. You'll
never know if you don't try! As for the up and coming stories, I can't wait! Especially DragonStar! Chris
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Like the first rays of the new day creeping across the hills, filling the
land with gold and green, your tales fill our ears, our eyes, our hearts, with places and
times never been but always about to be. From the moment I first set my eyes on the
alt.games.diablo newsgroup, with its off-topic fluff, it's flames, and, more recently, its
endless D2 beta requests, I can always rely on you to pop in on a regular basis with some
new tale to whisk us away from the mandane. Bravo, as always, bravo! Stephen van Ham
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