12/8/12 EMCSA Update posted 12/12/12!

WITHIN: Graded primarily on heat and narrative
WITHOUT: Graded primarily on narrative
Possible spoilers below …

WITHIN
The Invisible Hand  (mc mf ff md ma) (new) by   BluejayGS and CG
–3/5 (decent, not perfect)–

Weird, is about the only word I could put to this at first, and mostly in a good way. Plus, it at least got right to it! It did drag a bit after a while, though. Don’t get me wrong, I like backstory, but it seemed a bit out of place in light of all the grand economic manipulation portrayed. So, I liked the first half a whole lot more. Overall, I liked it.
(Readability: low / follow: no)

Virtual Reality (mc ff) (new) by   Mr. J.
–2/5 (so-so, maybe a good story to others but didn’t mesmerize me)–

Sorry, I still don’t think this author’s “bio” is necessary at the top of every one of his stories … Like past reviews of this author, I find myself not a fan of his writing style. The author simply goes too far in describing simple things the imagination can figure out on its won. I felt like it really put a drag on everything. Many of the themes were not to my tastes as well. Yes, I skimmed a bit. Not my thing, but master/slave fans may find far more enjoyment in this.
(Readability: low / Follow: no)

WITHOUT
Summoning Hypnos  (mc mf md fd) (new) by   saturnlovesme
~~2.5/5 (not great, had some redeeming qualities)~~

I must admit I found it a bit awkward to read this screenplay format. Nothing against the format; I’m just not used to it. The style was as much of a plus as a weakness due to its aberrant nature. Found this hard to grade, but it wasn’t bad for what it was.
(ReReadability: low / Follow: no)

RANDOM COMMENTS
And yes, I made sure I posted this on 12/12/12