Recommended Reading List

QL Damsel

Al's Place / TVS & QR & Radio Files Administrator
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Aug 26, 2002
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Over at the Al's Place board, I noticed a question about TVS. I'm posting it here to help with those who haven't been to the Al's Place board.... yet.

Newleaper wrote:
I've really been wanting to get into TVS. I've read all the Starbright, but that's because it wasn't all that much reading. Are there things to aid me and make reading TVS easier (episode guide, must read list, etc) I don't have time to read every episode, but if I could read the must reads and know what happens in the rest, that would be perfect!


Taking the post from Al's Place with Damon Sugameli's permission, Damon has put a list together that may help if you want to read through these to help you get caught up -- if you have some time:

Damon said:

All right, well let me see here... this is just my own personal recommendation, based on what I liked the most (and what I think were important events in the continuity). This is still quite a lot of stories, but remember there are 6 years worth of continuity to keep up with; there are just too many great stories to NOT recommend them, IMO...

To simplify things just a tad, I'm going to color code some episodes. Without giving away too many spoilers:

Episodes that continue the "Evil Leaper" storyline (begun in Season 5 of the original series) shall be in RED;

Episodes that are part of the "Rogue Leaper" storyline (begun by myself in Virtual Season 10 and continuing throughout Season 12) shall be in YELLOW;

Episodes that pertain to or include characters that are prominently featured in the "Project Liberty" storyline shall be in BOLD;

Episodes that directly tie in with Brian's prequel series, The Starbright Project, shall be in LIME;

In some cases, these will overlap... you'll see what I mean:

SEASON 6:
601 "Double the Leap, Double the Danger" (SEASON PREMIERE)
608 "I'll Be Home for Christmas, Part I" (recommended)
609 "I'll Be Home for Christmas, Part II" (recommended)
610 "Battle Scars"
618 "Hostile Takeover" (SEASON FINALE / CLIFFHANGER)

SEASON 7:
701 "Hostile Takeover, Part II" (SEASON PREMIERE)
703 "Heart and Soul" (introduces a new character)
710 "And Then Came Another, Part I"
711 "And Then Came Another, Part II"
715 "Nightstalker" (reminiscent of the Halloween episode; recommended)
717 "One Voice Was Heard"
718 "The Little Girl"
721 "Leap for Life, Part I"
722 "Leap for Life, Part II"
724 "Fallen Hero, Part I"
725 "Fallen Hero, Part II"
726 "I'm Not Sure You'd Understand, Old Fruit" (introduces a new character)
732 "Vietnam Revisited, Part I" (recommended)
733 "Vietnam Revisited, Part II" (recommended)
734 "Leapers Who Need Leapers" (SEASON FINALE / CLIFFHANGER)

SEASON 8:
801 "Leapers Who Need Leapers, Part II" (SEASON PREMIERE)
805 "A Promise Fulfilled" (sequel to "Another Mother" )
807 "I Will Love You Forever, Part I"
808 "I Will Love You Forever, Part II" (introduces a new character)
811 "Life's Probability Leap"
819 "Brotherhood, Part I"
820 "Brotherhood, Part II"
827 "Stripped Free" (if you're female and are a Scott fan, you will probably LOVE this one!) :p
829 "Mercenaries" (begins a 3-episode story arc that is somewhat important)
830 "Shadows of the Moon"
831 "Poo to You" (introduces a new character)
832 "Leap From Hell, Part I" (SEASON FINALE / CLIFFHANGER)

SEASON 9:
901 "Leap From Hell, Part II" (SEASON PREMIERE)
902 "Leap From Hell, Part III"
914 "Obsession: Deceit" (interesting trilogy; recommended)
915 "Obsession: Revelation"
916 "Obsession: Repatriation"
917 "The Valley of Death, Part I" (great Al story; highly recommended)
918 "The Valley of Death, Part II"
922 "Cosmic Leap" (standalone, but cool story, IMO)
928 "Cross Currents, Part I" (Body Vs. Soul Debate thrown topsy-turvy)
929 "Cross Currents, Part II"
930 "Mirror Expression I" (sequel to... take a wild guess!) ;)
931 "Mirror Expression II"
932 "Mirror Expression III" (SEASON FINALE)

SEASON 10:
1001 "The Final Solution" (SEASON PREMIERE)
1002 "The Final Solution II"
1009 "A Time to Remember" (standalone, but highly recommended... plus, it sort of sets up what follows)
1010 "Eeny Meany Miny Mo"
1011 "Eeny Meany Miny Mo II"
1012 "Where the Buck Stops" (standalone, but good)
1013 "Second Genesis" (introduces a new character; will play a major role in Season 12, if all goes according to plan)
1014 "Second Genesis II"
1015 "To Say Goodbye" (standalone, but HIGHLY recommended)
1018 "The Picnic" (reminiscent of "Mirror Image"; recommended)
1019 "Guinea Pig" (introduces a new character; plays major role in Season 11)
1020 "Guinea Pig II"
1024 "Four Minute's Warning, Part I"
1025 "Four Minute's Warning, Part II"
1026 "Leap to the Rescue, Part I" (introduces two new characters)
1027 "Leap to the Rescue, Part II"
1028 "Leap to the Rescue, Part III"
1029 "The Little Things" (about autism; HIGHLY recommended)
1030 "Touch 'Em All" (standalone, but I liked it)
1031 "Future's End"
1032 "Past's Prologue" (SEASON FINALE / CLIFFHANGER)

SEASON 11:
(Unless otherwise noted, all stories listed here are part of the "Project Liberty" storyline)
1101 "Present's Convergence" (SEASON PREMIERE ? sets up "Project Liberty" )
1106 "True Callings, Part I: The Fellowship of the Leapees" (beginning of "Project Liberty" )
1107 "True Callings, Part II: The Two Sams"
1108 "True Callings, Part III: The Return of the Hero"
1109 "War Bride" (not part of "Project Liberty," but there's some character development)
1114 "The Enemy"
1115 "Skin Deep" (standalone 2-parter, but recommended)
1116 "Skin Deep II"
1117 "Eternal Shadows: The Dawning"
1118 "Eternal Shadows: The Emergence"
1119 "Eternal Shadows: The Supremacy"
1120 "Eternal Shadows: The Enchantment"
1122 "I Left a Little Piece of Myself On the Farm, Part I: Hospitality" (not part of "Project Liberty" )
1123 "I Left a Little Piece of Myself On the Farm, Part II: Hostile Measures"
1124 "I Left a Little Piece of Myself On the Farm, Part III: Hospitalization" (spinoff for a non QL-related virtual series)
1127 "And Then Darkness Falls" (not part of "Project Liberty," but sort of sets up the chaos that follows)
1128 "Quantum Evolution"
1129 "Quantum Departure"
1130 "Give Me Liberty"
1131 "Give Me Death" (conclusion of "Project Liberty"; sets up the Quantum Retribution timeline)
1132 "Leap for the Future" (SEASON FINALE)

If this is still too much, I can try to whittle the list down a bit. Or, if you want to just get a quick summary of most of the major developments that have happened so far (Season 11 is still to come), go here: www.quantumleap-alsplace.com/virtualseasons/main/thusfar.html

This contains some spoilers though.

I hope that this will help!

Thanks,
TVS Staff
 
Update?

This list has been a great help getting me into this series. The qualitry in the given episodes has been wonderful. I am quickly approaching the end of the list and see it hasn't been updated in quite some time. I would really appreciate updating to include seasons 12 & 13. I love reading, but another 60+ episodes isn't in my future right now. The core stories that follow the overally mythos, as this list has greatly achieved, would be great. I have gone back and read some of the non-listed episodes/stand alone episodes and they were good too, but didn't propel the series as these listed have. All in all, great series and can't wait to read more.
 
I recommend the following stories from seasons 12 through 14

1201 Close Encounters (season premiere)
1204 Killin More Time (beginning of the main story arc for season 12 that picks up later)
1206 Between The Cracks (part of a smaller story arc ending with a follow up four part epic)
1207 Holding On Letting Go I
1208 Holding On Letting Go II
1209 Holding On Letting Go III
1210 Holding On Letting Go IV
1212 Time Traveler's Aid Society (interesting 2 part story)
1213 Running Against Time
1215 Crimson Reflections (sequel to "And Then Darkness Falls)
1216 Deadly Seas
1218 For Her Heart (introduces a new character)
1219 X3
1220 Someone To Watch Over Me
1221 To Help A Friend
1222 The Great Blue Yonder
1223 Alcatraz
1224 The Calm Before The Storm
1225 Shockwave
1226 Shockwave II: Severed String
1227 Sanctuary
1228 Sanctuary II
1229 Draft Dodger
1230 On Dangerous Ground
1231 Un-American
1232 Preemptive Strike
1235 For The Sake of the Call I (2 part season finale)
1236 For The Sake of the Call II
1301 Don't Touch The Green Chili (season premiere)
1304 Evil Reborn I
1305 Evil Reborn II
1308 Deceit
1312 In The Line of Fire
1317 Post Traumatic Leap Syndrome 1
1318 Post Traumatic Leap Syndrome 2
1321 I'm Too Sexy 1
1322 I'm Too Sexy 2
1325 Stepping Into A Slide Zone 1
1326 Stepping Into A Slide Zone 2
1327 Bloodlines
1328 The Meeting (season finale)
1401 The Interrogation (season premiere)

I hope this updated list helps. I myself am such a big fan that when I started reading in the middle of season 11, I read every story. It took me a few months to go through it all. I recommend every story, but I say read these to get the best stuff. The mythology is a little bit clearer this way. I might even go back and just re-read the recommended reading list just for that.
 
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