How To Read The ASH Universe
                                 version 1.2
 
     With the late 1998 reinvigoration of the ASH universe and the increase
in inter-title continuity, the backlist has become perhaps a little daunting
to new readers.  A hundred-plus stories can be a big chunk to attack all at
once, and it's not always obvious what order to read them in for best effect.
Sure, you could just go through the archive and read each series completely
in turn, but then you lose the surprise of revelations in one title that
spill over into others.
     This short guide is intended to help new readers get a grip on where to
start and how to proceed.

     0) Not actually a step in reading, but a preparation step.  Read the
stories at the ASH webpage, http://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/ASH, not the
regular eyrie.org archives.  The ASH webpage has several resources created to
make it easier to get into ASH.  Obviously, if you're reading this file on
the web, you've already completed step 0.
     1) Start with the Academy series.  It's designed to introduce readers to
the world of ASH, which is why it's heavy with sourcebook-style material.
     2) Next, you may want to read the various information files on the ASH
webpage, especially the Pre-2022 Timeline, the Causality Wars FAQ and the
Violation Effects file.  You should hold off on the other Timelines and the
World Politics section for a while, as they give away plot points.
     3) Now you can dive into the series for a bit.  ASH #1-11, STRAFE #0-4
and Warden #1-7 are fairly unconnected to each other, so you can jump about
between titles as you feel like it.  While you don't have to read all 23 of
these issues before moving on, it might be a good idea, since the continuity
is about to get thick.  You might also want to read the one-shots
"Thunderbolt and Lightfoot" and "Spark" in the Miscellaneous section.
     4) Things are about to get hairy.  Read Conclave of Super-Villains #1/2,
#1 and #2, plus Time Capsules #0 to get the last bits of background you need.
     5) DEEP ARMAGEDDON!  The DEEP ARMAGEDDON Virtual Trade Paperback puts
the big crossover into recommended reading order.
     6) From here on out, follow the Timeline files.  Some stories are
intended to be read out of chronological order (for instance, CSV #6 makes
certain revelations about events in Warden #10-12, and you might want to read
it after reading the Warden issues), but the timeline's a good guide to
following the stories since DEEP ARMAGEDDON.

     7) Okay, maybe you want to jump in and try something without getting all
the background first, to get a feel for the setting.  Especially since you
might figure that the early issues may not be as good as later issues, owing
to growth on the part of the writers.  The following stories are reasonably
self-contained or otherwise easy to jump in on, and represent later works by
the respective writers in ASH.

     Pi: Warden #13-15 (guest-writing stint) and CSV #22-25 (arc following
the main character from Warden #13-15).
     Rossi: Warden Annual #1, Time Capsules Annual #1 (a big two-part
story). 
     Singer: STRAFE #16-17 (while part of a big crossover, most of the story
is a retelling, set in the 1990s, so most of the background the reader will
need is provided).
     Van Domelen: WarStar #1-4 (also set in the 1990s and self-contained, but
introduces a number of characters who are later important in the main ASH
storyline). 

     Now go forth and read!