**incoherent squeals of glee** · 6:43am Dec 30th, 2014
I just got a surprise PM from Illya Leonov that he and "some friends" had recorded an audiobook of my Equestrian origin fable, The Dragon's Riddle. What Illya didn't mention is that those friends are a rogue's gallery of other top-tier fanfic audioreaders (DeftFunk, Goombasa, and Scribbler), and the result is a 10-minute collaboration that both nails the character voices and infuses the narration with an appropriate sense of majesty:
Given that this first-ever audiobooking of my work (aside from Skywriter's hilarious reading of My Harshwhinnial, which was in service of a mutual in-joke) came out of left field as a Hearth's Warming present — and given the amount of talent that went into this — I'm just going to be over here running out of words now. 
Thank you to everyone involved!
So cool!
That sounds like an utterly fantastic PM to get. Illya's the best*, I really need to get back into listening to fandom-made audiobooks.
*Not to mean any ill will towards his collaborators, I'm just less familiar with their work!
EDIT: An excellent rendition of an excellent story! That really felt like a fable.
Grats! I've been a fan of his ever since I heard his readings of Past Sins. I'll try to keep my inner gushing fanboy in check, but I'm very happy for you, jealous, and resentful all at the same time. So far I've had two of my fic's read (one by Bad Horse, the other by Monanniverse), and both times I was overjoyed, tickled pink, and babbling incoherently. (Still, my wife puts up with me for some reason)
(Hopefully someday I can find somebody with a gravely Russian accent to read Daring Do and the Dance)
...damn. I didn't think anything could make that story more epic...but those voices...damn...
2687553
If any of you fanfic audioreaders are checking this post in the wake of the video going up ... DO EEEEEET. I fully support this idea.
Daring Do And The Dance is great (it's on my shortlist of Superlative Stories), it's short, it's all in narration, and a good noir voice would move it from Awesome into The Undiscovered Country North Of Awesome That Everypony Speaks About In Hushed Whispers And It's Probably Not The Crystal Empire.
Congratulations!
Yeah, Imma listen to that this morning. :D
That was totally metal. Allow me...
That is so awesome!
That was surprisingly hardcore awesome!
That's a gift worth keeping. Congrats, dude.
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… No, Scootaloo! Too metal!
That is very good indeed, and a wonderful present.
Y'know, I really need to get in on this scene more. I've got a microphone! And rudimentary audio editing skills! Emphasis on the rudimentary.
(The microphone I now have is ostensibly much better than the tinny thing that "Harshwhinnial" was recorded on.)
Interesting how reading, especially with character voices, points out flaws in the original story. Yeah, I said "flaws", someone has to point 'em out!
The repetition is great... for the most part. However, the phrase "Where is my prize?" is tacked on too hastily for all the initial characters. I understand the purpose, in characterizing the others as sure of themselves, but it doesn't flow naturally when actually spoken, regardless of the voice actor giving the lines.
So yeah, really, a minor quibble in an otherwise great piece, but still, interesting how it stands out here and not when I read it as text. Regardless, I submit the following.... Horizon != perfect. So nyeh!
That is the apogee of ponee.
No, thank you, Horizon. You cannot even begin to fathom how much I enjoy playing
Iron WillStands-the-Mountain.2689423
Ooh, ooh, can I join you?
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It's a rare fic reading that can support two narrators; what did you have in mind?
2689423
Do eeeeeeeeet! (See also: 2687668.)
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Nooooooo! My carefully implied aura of invincible perfection, shattered in an instant! You fiend!
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2691415
Well, now, that sounds like a problem that should be authorially fixed.
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I am an artiste! I go where my muse takes me! I can't be expected to create under conditions, like "two narrators" or "word count" or "quality" or "makes any damn sense whatsoever."
I'm also afraid that any piece I wrote specifically to work with two male narrators would turn into gay porn.
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Oh, that was the general
"you""authorially", not the targeted "authorially". Actually I meant to vaguely imply that I should take the lack as a personal challenge. Not that I have the follow-through to make any promises.But, y'know, never hurts to plant the seeds …
Yeah, this is pretty much the best thing that's ever happened, anywhere. It's my first time hearing the story as well, and it was fantastic. Great job all around.
2691415
Nothing specific. Iunno, I'm just eager to help.