Proof that the remaining 10% are worth losing a limb for here.
These are recommendations made by tropers for Fan Fics, all of which have been signed. After a few samples, you will be able to judge whether you might be interested in the 'fic, based on who recommended it. No-name recommendations will be zapped.
Feel free to add a fanfic of your own to the list, but please remember to use the template found here and to add it at the bottom of whichever folder you're adding it to.
Reviews of fics are encouraged, but if you choose to write one, please make it substantive, and give specific details about what you liked / disliked in the fic. If you want to give a fic a thumbs-up without writing a full review, you can add your troper handle to the Recommendations Line. Please refrain from posting "Comments" or Conversation in the Main Page
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En JOY! 🔵
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Authors and Sites
- Recommended by Sean Devine
- Recommended by BigClickEnergy
- Recommended by BigClickEnergy
- Recommended by BigClickEnergy
General Fics
Multi-chaptered stories that don't focus on romance.
- Recommended by: BigClickEnergy
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Olathe is done. After Buddy Armstrong's rampage brought it to its knees, the last few scraps of civilization rotted and died. But Buddy herself is still around, with trumpet and child in tow. Her journey across the ruined land carries her to the very edge of the world and the secrets that lay there, where she will learn if there is anything about Olathe, or herself, that's still worth saving.
- Comments: A great Continuation of "Lisa: The Joyful." You'd think there's nowhere to go from that ending, but Courier New expands the world with new locations and a civilization with interesting dynamics. The story's characterization of Buddy as a grim, headstrong and reluctant mother feels very realistic, and while the ending's grim, the story as a whole is beautifully written.
Those Who Carried On by dinoburger
- Recommended by: BigClickEnergy
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Post Painful. While awaiting news of Brad and the three party members who'd pursued him, Rooster finds himself spending more and more time at the Beehive. Times are getting awfully strange and the world seems to be in a state of increasing decay.
- Comments: While this story has the pairing of Rooster/Roger, that's not the main focus. It's an interesting exploration of Roger's character, along with the ramifications of Brad's rampage. Plus, there's artwork in the story!
- Recommended by: BigClickEnergy
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: When Terry was younger, well-meaning adults would hear about his hospital stays and sadly call him a survivor, something he never quite agreed with. When the world ends, he's forced to find out if they were right.
- Recommended by: BigClickEnergy
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: A wholesome coffee shop AU in which Brad goes to therapy and befriends Terry Hintz. He also hangs out with Rick, Cheeks and Sticky, as well as his daughter Buddy.
Shipping Fics
Stories focused on the romantic relationships between the cast.
Summoning Circle by monoko_chan
- Recommended by: BigClickEnergy
- Status: Complete
- Pairing: Lisa Armstrong/Bernard Buttfart
- Synopsis: Lisa and Berny try to summon the devil.
- Comments: Incredibly tense and well-written.
Prana by rasputinian
- Recommended by: BigClickEnergy
- Status: Complete
- Pairing: Brad Armstrong/Terry Hintz
- Synopsis: A newly sober Brad tries to find a way to deal with pain. Terry helps.
Sleep in the Heat by viktorstardust
- Recommended by: BigClickEnergy
- Status: Complete
- Pairing: Brad Armstrong/Terry Hintz
- Synopsis: Terry dies in every dream Brad has.
- Recommended by: BigClickEnergy
- Status: Complete
- Pairing: Lisa Armstrong/Bernard Buttfart
- Synopsis: Now 17-18 years old, Lisa and Buzzo waste the night on the rooftop of a Wally Burger.
Good Company by viktorstardust
- Recommended by: BigClickEnergy
- Status: Complete
- Pairing: Brad Armstrong/Terry Hintz
- Synopsis: The man he loves is chained up in the yard. It doesn’t hurt like it used to. (In which Terry finds mutant Brad before he can get to Buddy and nothing good happens, as usual.)
Fortunate Encounter by orphan_account
- Recommended by: BigClickEnergy
- Status: Complete
- Pairing: Lisa Armstrong/Bernard Buttfart
- Synopsis: When Lisa thought her life was no longer worth living, a glimmer of hope showed itself through the darkness.
- Recommended by: BigClickEnergy
- Status: Complete
- Pairing: Lisa Armstrong/Bernard Buttfart
- Synopsis: Lisa gets thrown out of the house, and makes a new friend.
State of Absence by dinoburger
- Recommended by: BigClickEnergy
- Status: Complete
- Pairing: Brad Armstrong/Chris Columbo
- Synopsis: Brad and Chris cross paths again after a good while. Cue belligerent sexual tension.
Alternate Universe Fics
Stories where one fundamental aspect of the series is completely overhauled from its point of origin.
Lisa the Disdainful by Ynnep48
- Recommended by: BigClickEnergy
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: In the city of Olathe, there is peace but it is far from boring. Wholesome/Domestic au.
- Comments: One of the longest stories on this page, and a hilarious one to boot. The first chapter gives Terry and Brad an... interesting first meeting, and from there it explores their lives.
LISA: The Faithful by missTreasure
- Recommended by: BigClickEnergy
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: In this prequel to "LISA: The First," a girl with knowledge of Olathe's future tries to save Brad and Lisa Armstrong from their fates, which she believes is the only way to save humanity from the White Flash. Joan's presence triggers a series of events that change their lives. This is a fix-it AU with multiple narrators: Brad, Lisa, Sticky and Joan.
- Now with its own page!
- Recommended by: Sean Devine
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Brad leaves his sister Lisa in charge of watching his daughter, Buddy. With Lisa in charge, there's bound to be a bit of excitement! Between bike rides and milkshakes, the two end up having an adventurous day.
- Tags: Alternate Universe, AU, One Big Happy Family
Lisa: The Baroque by orphan_account
- Recommended by: BigClickEnergy
- Status: Abandoned
- Synopsis: An alternate universe fic in which Dr. Yado decides to raise his daughter himself instead of dumping her on Brad.
- Recommended by: BigClickEnergy
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: A AU in which men died in the White Flash. Lisa survived in this AU — then she discovers a baby.
- Comments: Really inventive, if a little disturbing in the way the author alludes to Brad's abuse at the hands of his mother. Fascinating idea, though — I wish there were more.
Oneshots and Short-Chapter Fics
Short stories you can read in under 30 minutes without a focus on romance.
i’m talking to myself even when i’m saying “you” by dropadragon
- Recommended by: BigClickEnergy
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Buddy dreams of Lisa Armstrong.
- Comments: The author gives the two girls an interesting dynamic.
- Recommended by: Sean Devine
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Self-explanatory. It's a poem about Lisa.
- Tags: Poetry, Symbolism
Comparisons Between Planet Earth and the Last Girl by wildewriter99
- Recommended by: Sean Devine
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: A poem about Buddy and her relationships with Brad and Rando, as described in planetary symbolism.
- Tags: helluva lot of symbolism
- Recommended by: BigClickEnergy
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: An interesting character study on Harvey Alibastor.
- Comments: Much better than I thought it would be; I thought since it was about a comedic character it would be shallow (pun intended), but the author does a great job of fleshing out this fish.
- Recommended by: BigClickEnergy
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: A character study on Nern Guan.
A Choice That Doesn't Matter by rex101111
- Recommended by: BigClickEnergy
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: To hug or not to hug? That is the question. (A short and serious fic about the end of "The Painful.")
Mother by dinoburger
- Recommended by: BigClickEnergy
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Lisa never knew her mother. Brad can only do what he can.
- Comments: A beautiful deep dive into the hole left behind by Mrs. Armstrong's death.
Don't Let's Start by rasputinian
- Recommended by: Sean Devine
- Status: Dead; last updated August 2016
- Synopsis: a bunch of short fics based on headcanons sent to me on Tumblr dot com. more 2 follow, more 2 come
- Tags: detailed warnings at the beginning of each chapter
Body Parts Bingo by PhilipJFright
- Recommended by: BigClickEnergy
- Status: Abandoned
- Synopsis: “'S good to see a sick kid grow up,” says Birdie, and Terry’s never felt more guilty for being alive in his life.
the sireen's call by withintemptation
- Recommended by: BigClickEnergy
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: "And me I am her dagger, too numb to feel her pain." Lisa Armstrong, 50 sentences.
- Comments: Super short, but it packs a punch. Great window into Lisa's psyche.
- Recommended by: BigClickEnergy
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Before the kidnapping, before the fighting, Buddy lived with her father and her uncles. Before they knew it, little Buddy grew up into a Big Girl.
Something Greater by orphan_account
- Recommended by: BigClickEnergy
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Buzzo and Yado have a disagreement in the Joy lab over the ethical standpoint of their experimentation.
- Recommended by: BigClickEnergy
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Brad goes shopping for some new T-shirts, and spots something familiar. (A short character study that deals with PTSD and triggers.)
Crossover Fics
Fanfiction that combines elements, characters, etc. from two or more different franchises.
Exploding Hearts by JoyfulWriter
- Recommended by: Sean Devine
- Crossover with: Undertale
- Status: Dead; last updated March 2016
- Synopsis: A crossover fic inspired by but not really at all close to:(MAJOR LISA THE PAINFUL/JOYFUL SPOILERS) http://seashelbby.tumblr.com/post/130516278310/. Set directly after the events of Lisa the Joyful. (((Also, MAJOR LISA THE PAINFUL/JOYFUL SPOILERS WITHIN!)))
- Tags: SPOILERS!!!, Spoilers for LISA & LISA THE PAINFUL/JOYFUL, You've been warned.
Hintster In the Underground by thegentlecoltteofleisure
- Recommended by: Phoenixreece
- Crossover with: Undertale
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: An Undertale and LISA Crossover, where instead of Frisk falling into the world of monsters, it's the lovable Terry Hintz bumbling his way through the underground.
- Tags: Comedy, AU, Kinda sad at the end.
- Recommended by: Sean Devine
- Crossover with: Undertale
- Status: Abandoned
- Synopsis: Olathe is empty. Buddy refuses her crown and decides to set her sights far away... But she finds that she doesn't have to walk too far away to find what she is looking for...
- Tags: Crossover, Post-Joyful
LISA: the Wicked by otherwiseGent
- Recommended by: Sean Devine
- Crossover with: Disgaea
- Status: Dormant
- Synopsis: Olathe's halfway to hell anyway; it takes very little to finish the process, as Buddy Armstrong finds out, the hard way.
- Tags: Crossover, Alternate Universe, this is so bizarre
Comics
Long-running fan-comics.
LISA: The Painful RPG (Comic) by miggymagic
- Recommended by: Sean Devine
- Status: Dormant; last updated June 2017
- Synopsis: A fan comic adaptation of LISA: The Painful RPG's story
LISA: The Mournful by Calbinorb.
- Recommended by: BigClickEnergy
- Status: Abandoned
- Synopsis: LISA: The Mournful is a fancomic that takes place three years after the LEAVE THEM ending of LISA: The Joyful. A certain Armstrong has some unfinished business, but, not even she’s sure what it is yet.
- Comments: Although Calbinorb said the comic is discontinued, there's a lot of content left behind to read, and it gives attention to side characters like Rick, Tooley, and more. We also get to see Buddy chill with the ghost of Lisa. An interesting take on what Buddy's life after "Joyful" could have been like.
Crack Fics
Just plain weird stories.
- Recommended by: Sean Devine
- Pairing: Buzzo/Rando
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: hes succ im fucc
- Tags: Crack, Bees, Parenthood, Oviposition, Cuckolding, Anal Fisting
Buzz-Buzz Joins the Circus by revolting
- Recommended by: Sean Devine
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: HOT DIGGITY
- Tags: Psychological Horror, Clown Transformation, Existential Crisis, Brainwashing, Not Suitable/Safe For Work, Burgers to Lovers, im dead inside
Fan Videos
Exactly what it says on the tin.
LISA THE PAINFUL Anime OP1 by NCHProductions
- Recommended by: Big Click Energy
- Category: Animation
- Synopsis: LISA... But as an anime opening with music from Fist of the North Star.
Lisa the Painful RPG Fan Animation fin by Derwin Hayden
- Recommended by: Big Click Energy
- Category: Animation
- Synopsis: Brad and his boys get into a fight.
Lets get this over with (SPOILERS AND GORE) by yellow-py
- Recommended by: Big Click Energy
- Category: Animatic
- Synopsis: An animatic drawn to the tune of "Let's Get This over With" by They Might Be Giants
- Recommended by: Big Click Energy
- Category: Animatic
- Synopsis: An animatic to the song "Today Today" by Jack Stauber.
Don't Let's Start by yellow-py
- Recommended by: Big Click Energy
- Category: Animatic
- Synopsis: An animatic drawn to the tune of "Don't Let's Start" by They Might Be Giants
Lisa: The Analysis by Squatch Gaming Official
- Recommended by: Big Click Energy
- Category: Fan Videos (Analysis)
- Synopsis: A 19-episode playlist that analyzes every aspect of the LISA RPG series, from individual characters to story arcs to plot elements like Joy and the White Flash.
