Manacled by SenLinYu
Manacled may be a diamond in the rough, but it is far from the only one. Many writers with prolific careers began in fan fiction. To dismiss a writer’s merit because they did not begin with a strictly “original” story is shortsighted at best and willfully ignorant at worst. Art begets art; creativity and imagination flow on the rivers of our experiences. SenLinYu stands as a near-perfect example of how inspiration can be transformed into something singular and powerful.
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
The whole "great love story" label says more about readers than it does Brontë. We want a familiar romantic arc and instead we are handed cruelty, class anxiety, and spiritual rot. Brontë refuses to give us a morally acceptable way to root for Catherine and Heathcliff together and yet, we keep trying. Which is part of its sting.