The Supernatural Community
Just like online fiction in general, supernatural novels have their own dedicated forums on the internet.
One such platform for discussion and exchange is the Supernatural Community.
At the moment, under the influence of the supernatural master Zhang Yun, the entire Supernatural Community is abuzz with discussion about his new work, 'When Evil Spirits Rule'.
"A master is a master; Zhang Yun's latest work is simply phenomenal."
"Absolutely mind-blowing, 'When Evil Spirits Rule' has single-handedly pushed Suspense World's sales up by 80.000 copies."
"Extra! Extra! Zhang Yun's word count has surpassed 5.000; he truly deserves the title of Number One in the supernatural genre."
"'When Evil Spirits Rule' is terrifying. Damn it, I can't even sleep at night after reading it."
"Haha, that guy Sanyue really turned out to be a joke. Claimed to be on par with Zhang Yun, what now, completely done for."
"What a joke. Zhang Yun is the true master of the supernatural genre. Everyone else is just a fraud."
"I'm wondering, is there anyone left who can even challenge Zhang Yun?"
"Suspense World is about to dominate the entire market."
"Looks like I'll cancel all other subscriptions. From now on, Suspense World is the only magazine I need."
These were just some posts from hardcore fans.
At the same time, the Supernatural Community also featured a wave of heartfelt posts from other authors:
"Plot Elements in 'When Evil Spirits Rule' Worth Studying"
"Zhang Yun's Writing Technique is a Model for Us All"
"The Path to Zhang Yun's Success"
"With Suspense World's Sales Soaring to 270.000 Copies, Can Supernatural Novels Finally Break Out of Their Niche and Enter the Mainstream?"
"I'm Done Submitting to Midnight Talk, From Now On, It's Suspense World Only."
Additionally, several editors using sock puppet accounts were actively posting on the forum:
"With Capital Backing Suspense World, Supernatural Novels Will Now Reach the Masses."
"Top Authors Flocking to Suspense World, Now Open for Submissions!"
"Rumor Has It That Three Supernatural Magazines Are About to Collapse Under Pressure From Suspense World."
Some of these posts were true, others false, a confusing blend, easily misleading.
But just as all attention in the Supernatural Community was fixated on Zhang Yun, on Suspense World, and on 'When Evil Spirits Rule', a few veteran, long-time supernatural fans quietly started a recommendation thread.
"Strongly Recommend Fanchen's Work, 'Strange Tales'."
Just as the title says, it was a book recommendation post.
Often, when hardcore readers in the Supernatural Community discover a work they truly enjoy, they'll recommend it to others. After all, enjoying something alone isn't as fun as enjoying it with others. Especially when they find a truly outstanding story that's being overlooked, they're even more motivated to share it.
They want to bring this hidden gem into the spotlight.
But most of the time, such recommendations have limited impact.
Because personal taste is subjective, what you think is a masterpiece, others may find unbearable. In the words of the Supernatural Community: "Your heavenly herb may be my toxic weed." Still, these recommendations do have a certain influence. After all, if someone wasn't genuinely fond of a work, why would they bother recommending it? And if the story wasn't actually pretty decent, they wouldn't waste their time either.
Back to the post, the veteran reader wrote: "Everyone, I agree that 'When Evil Spirits Rule' is excellent. But after reading it, why not check out 'Strange Tales' by Fanchen, a writer for Midnight Talk? His stories like 'Biting a Ghost', 'Corpse Mutation', 'Ear Dweller', they're all superb. And recently, Fanchen added another piece, 'The Temple Ghost', showing signs that he's turning 'Strange Tales' into a full-blown series."
Originally, this thread was just casually posted. In the vast Supernatural Community, such threads often get buried under more popular topics. Let alone now, when Zhang Yun is trending, and everyone's talking about 'When Evil Spirits Rule'. But for some mysterious reason, this thread seemed to have magical traction. Soon after it was posted, other readers began replying:
"Dude, you noticed 'Strange Tales' too? Yeah, it's really good."
"I've been wanting to recommend 'Strange Tales' for a while, but you beat me to it. Brothers, I'm endorsing this too, go read 'Strange Tales'! Highly recommend!"
"Bumping this! I'm also a 'Strange Tales' fan. The first time I read it, I was blown away. Didn't expect to find so many kindred spirits here in the Supernatural Community!"
"Haha, who knew so many people were reading it. Awesome! Let's bump this post up so more people see it."
"Absolutely. A good book deserves to be shared. Let's all work together!"
"Totally agree. It's a shame for such a great story to stay obscure. I'm gonna start a new thread to recommend 'Strange Tales' too."
In a flash, dozens of readers joined the thread. The 'Strange Tales' recommendation post started gaining real traction.
"Damn, so many replies. Could this actually be legit? Gonna check it out."
"If everyone's saying it's good, I'll take a look too."
"'Strange Tales', huh? Never heard of the author, but fine, I'll give it a shot."
"Didn't expect to find such a gem while Zhang Yun's dominating the scene. Thanks, OP, 'Strange Tales' is amazing."
"Bumping for the OP! Thanks for the rec, without you, I would've missed such a classic."
"Much love to the OP. 'Strange Tales' is seriously well done. Especially 'Ear Dweller' and 'The Temple Ghost'. Damn, they're so thought-provoking."
"No doubt, this kind of work absolutely deserves more attention."
"It's been a while since a supernatural novel impressed me this much."
"After reading 'Strange Tales', everything else in the genre feels like trash."
"Damn right. Bump. Bump. BUMP!"
"Brothers, let's keep this thread alive, for the sake of 'Strange Tales', let's bump it every day!"
Sometimes, the world is complicated.
Sometimes, it's very simple.
A classic may be forgotten and covered in dust.
But once someone wipes away the grime, its brilliance becomes impossible to ignore.
That's exactly what happened with 'Strange Tales'.
Before this, three issues of 'Strange Tales' had already been published, yet barely anyone noticed.
But by the fourth issue, a single person casually turned the page, and 'Strange Tales' shone like a star in the sky, radiant and resplendent.
It was dazzling.
Everyone who read it was awed by its brilliance.
And what followed was sincere reverence from the readers.
"I just want to say, this is the best supernatural novel I've read in decades."
"A century of supernatural fiction without a single true classic. I believe 'Strange Tales' is that long-awaited masterpiece."
"Tomorrow, I'm subscribing to Midnight Talk just for 'Strange Tales'."
"I have no idea who this Fanchen guy is, but I can't believe he wrote something this incredible."
"I'm floored. Completely floored. This kind of classic should never be overlooked."
"To anyone who hasn't read 'Strange Tales', I swear on my name, this is a once-in-a-lifetime masterpiece."
"I used to think Zhang Yun was the master of supernatural fiction. But now, I realize, maybe he's just on the path… and Fanchen is already at the destination."
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