the big ones

The Serendipity Gospels (by Tamsyn Muir featuring art by Shelby Cragg) https://archiveofourown.org/works/335176/chapters/541856 A no-SGRUB Gamrezi (???) fic exploring the broader workings of the Alternian empire. Genuinely one of the most compelling stories in the pre Act 7 fandom full stop. Also loudly influential for The Locked Tomb, a YA fantasy/sci-fi series by Muir that dares to ask what it would look like if you held Andrew Hussie at gunpoint and forced them to write Lesbian Warhammer 40k. You should read that too.

Theatre of Coolty (by Duckface) https://archiveofourown.org/works/3275858 you’ve probably def read this one already but if you haven’t, have this short character definining impossible play script that nails Dirk in ways the general public wouldn’t grasp until the Homestuck Epilogues. Comedy peaked here and buddy I don’t wanna come down.

make sure to check out naked bee’s adaptation if you haven’t yet, shit’s an actual goddamned miracle https://youtu.be/aIavjRkRKT0?si=8wE4PHAb81wpJcPi

Godfeels (by Sarah Zedig and a whole bunch of other people now too) https://archiveofourown.org/series/1475819 You may or may not have been told a lot of things about godfeels already, some of which are true. What you maybe haven’t heard is that godfeels is some of the craziest unglued postmodern space opera fantasy ever put to text. It takes a while imo for godfeels to find its footing (i honestly think godfeels 3 is where the story begins, everything before that is prelude) but once it does it becomes something unlike anything else in the fandom at large. All at once grandiose and personal, boldly queer and messy in the tastiest ways. You cannot fucking say godfeels is not putting 110% in every goddamned second

Some easy picks here but hey every thread has to start somewhere