The Last Roundup #2 - Professional Boxing · 7:36pm Sep 21st, 2014
Hi guys. It's that special time of week again. Sundays, where we can all sit down with our fellow human beings, join hands together, and plot the inevitable overthrow of humanity's reign on this planet. But how to bond? You don't even know this Morcraw fellow, with whom you'll be working to destroy humanity's governing bodies. Do you even have anything in common?
Maybe! And the best way to find out is by reading horsewords together. So we at The Last Roundup gathered some recent winners up to show you. I'm sure Morcraw will appreciate them too. Which is also why we guest-invited him this week to handle commentary on the featured stories.
If you don't remember what this is, or missed it when it made the rounds last Sunday, we're The Last Roundup--essentially a bunch of people who'll dig through the stories of the past couple weeks or so, and put up a handful of the ones we thought were good/enjoyable/worth reading every Sunday. Think of it as an alternative Featured Box. One that looks to showcase stuff that's worth your time, as opposed to merely showcasing what's been most popular lately.
(And no we're not here to tell people if a story's objectively good or bad or be a showcase for the fandom's greatest accomplishments since the beginning of time. We're just a bunch of folks with reasonably good taste who've banded together to make you some recommendations on what's worth reading from recent stories. Take that as you will.)
For more information on what the whole thing is, who we are, and to keep abreast of future features and developments, check out our group here, and associated links:
The Last Roundup
The Last Roundup FAQ
Suggest Stories for the Next Post!
And now for our feature presentation (stories listed in no particular order):
Pointless by Dark Avenger
Twilight Sparkle writes a letter to Princess Luna...
Morcraw ses: It's a well-written piece of character study in a letter format, though the first letter from Twilight strikes Morcraw as somewhat angsty. Luna's reply letter, however, ties this story up nicely -- it provides a good piece of character development and also some hints of worldbuilding flavors.
I Am Demon by Aquaman
I am Cold, swirling snow that turns ponies against each other. I am Survivor, the one the Friendfyre spell didn't catch. I am Demon, and Clover the Clever is my Master. *1st-place finalist in EqD's Outside Insight contest.*
Morcraw ses: No. I am demon. A fascinating tale with the unusual gimmick of working color into the narrative. It works beautifully once you understand what it's going for (although it will occasionally use white text, which may be aggravating to read on a light background).
Quills and Sofas by Just Horsing Around
A visiting Night Light is intrigued when his daughter mentions one of Ponyville's more unusual retailers – Quills and Sofas. Why quills? Why sofas? Why the two in combination? He can't resist the chance to investigate further...
Morcraw ses: Puns and silliness. A good comedy, if you enjoy that. The first chapter title tells all: "Sofa, So Good"
A Friend of A Friend by 8686
Twilight is away and Spike rapidly becomes bored. Luckily, he has five other awesome friends to hang out with. Doesn't he?
Morcraw ses: A strong character study on Spike, which focuses on the more childly aspects of his character. Points for not being too whiny or sad, as some similar efforts are wont to do, though some parts of it may feel a bit forced.
Three Goddesses, the Apple, and the Stallion by Snake Staff
A tale from the times before Equestria, of chaos, an apple, and a love everlasting.
Morcraw ses: You know what? I like this one. Much of it is a (competently written) pony-retelling of the famous Golden Apple story from Greek Mythology, complete with old-timey speech. The ending pays off, though, and is equal parts amusing and heartwarming.
WILDCARDS
Chemistry by Fuzzyfurvert
Could you trust a pony that can make you love them, no matter what? Could you trust a friend with a secret past you've recently discovered? Twilight would really like answers to these questions.
Morcraw's Wildcomments: Slightly old. An exploration of addiction and the effects it can have on a person/pony's life, and with a subtle and intriguing plot to boot.
Warmongering by Bronywriter
A Diamond Dog king declares war on Equestria
Morcraw's Wildcomments: An amusingly written correspondence between Celestia and another nation's leader. It relies heavily, though, on repeating the same basic character gag in their back-and-forth, which hurts its comedic value. Fans of Equestria being hilariously overpowered may enjoy it. The second chapter is a bit more sober/less comedic and should probably be considered separately, as a more realistic view on a potential war situation involving Equestria.
And that's it for this week, folks. Be sure to check back on the group next Sunday for next week's post if you think this is a cool deal. Or just check the feed, if you're following me. I'll be doing weekly crossposts on these every Sunday.
Have a nice day!
This is something that I could get into. Recommendations based on just casually liking stories!
I don't suppose you'd rec slightly older fics (within the last month or two)?
Just curious. The first one just had the stories and a short bit from their description. This one has a comment on each one. Are the comments going to be a regular thing? An occasional thing? Added according to the whims of the moment when putting together the post? I'm mostly wondering if I want to add these to the big master review list of mine.
2472560
I believe that is the plan.
Sweet biscuits! A story of mine FINALLY made it into one of these?
I'm flattered