You Might Like This Recs: April 2015

Those Who Live Forever by Moose Mage
Someone had already recced this, but I'm still going to put it here because this deserves it. This is a story about life, as much as it is about ponies. Failure is a concept we don't like to address in stories, or at all really. Sometimes dreams don't come true, sometime your best is just not good enough, and sometimes even if it is fate conspires against you. Sometimes you just don't make it, because life isn't fair. And it hurts.
But that doesn't mean we can't be happy. It doesn't mean we're worthless. And this story does a wonderful job of showing that.

Addenda by Miller Minus
I'm not entirely sure I should be adding this, but it's really too good for me not to. This is a collection of, well, addenda, to some of Miller Minus' other stories. I believe that it is worth recommending, despite the extra reading required for comprehension, because each of these addenda hit just as hard as the original stories - and the original stories are pretty damn good.

The Tempest by Carabas
Fantastic original characters? Check.
Fantastic characterisation of existing ones? Check.
Brilliant story? Check.
Some of the best world-building in this fandom? Check.
I really don't have anything else to say other than GET HYPE. This isn't a story that I want to analyse anyway - I'm just going to enjoy it. And I think you will too.

In The Belly Of The Beast by Miller Minus
For some odd reason, Miller Minus deigned to let me of all people pre-read this, so perhaps I am unfairly biased in it's favour. That doesn't change the fact that this is a wonderful, if distinctly odd, read. The flow of the prose is strangely uneven - springing into bursts of motion before a sudden lull. Maybe you will like it, maybe you won't, but this is something different.
Oh, and I love the way the Whore of Babylon is ponified.

Neither Brass Nor Bold by JohnPerry
Our favourite featured box sufferer is also a rather smashing writer, for those of you that were unaware. Here he takes on poetry, and the latest season premiere (OMGSOGOOD) in a rather interesting look at how a new inhabitant of Starlight Glimmer's town (which I hearby dub "Wilhelm" in honour of the distinctive scream heard at the end of the two-parter) might think and feel.

The Unwilling Student and the Unlikely Teacher by HapHazard
HapHazard is an interesting writer for me. Every other thing he writes is gold.
Anyway, this is certainly one of his good stories. A very interesting take on Clover the Clever and her relationship with Starswirl the Bearded, it crafts two very strong characters and carves out a believable world for them, all without losing track of the story, a common problem in short, world-building stories. Definitely worth checking out.

Shine On Harvest Moon by BlndDog
This is an utterly fantastic and hugely overlooked little slice of life piece. It brilliantly captures the voice of a child, and on top of that of a child from an alien culture and in another culture very alien to her. Through the voice of said child, it then constructs a town full of life, and a frankly adorable story about friendship. Do yourself a favour and read this.

Rocks Cannot Swim by Leo Skogkatt
This is a very odd little story that I honestly didn't expect to work. Yet despite the almost overly absurd premise, this ended up being genuinely touching, and a great exploration of Maud's character.

Method Acting by Pascoite
Another one that has already been recommended, this is a brilliant "what if" that doesn't waste a word - and the twist is executed absolutely perfectly.

Princess Changeling Rainbow Magic Pants by Justice4243
I can't analyse this. That would miss the point.
All I will say is this:
This story damn nearly killed me. I actually, properly, had-to-go-get-some-water-to-calm-down choked at some of these lines. I don't think I've properly laughed this hard in a very long time.

Twilight Sparkle vs. April Foals Day by dragonjek
Pure, delicious, dark comedy. So dark it's damn near black. The whole story was hilarious in it's absurdity, but the last line...
That last line sold it for me.

6's & 7's by shortskirtsandexplosions
I don't know what the hell SS&E was on when he wrote this, but I want some. That was a joke don't do drugs kids.
If you are not a fan of James Joyce, you might want to steer clear. If, like me, you love purposefully obtuse prose and language mangling, dive right in.

Rainbow Rises by Trinary
I'll be honest. I wasn't expecting much out of this story. So I was pleasantly surprised to find that this is a subtle and almost introspective re-write of Rainbow Falls, that not only improves on the original episode significantly, but does so twice. That's right folks - this story has two endings, and both are pretty much perfectly executed. Definitely go read this.

Fridge Horror by Aragon
Pitch. Perfect. Comedy.
Seriously, this is the funniest thing I've read all year.

Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks by maneyan
Without a doubt one of the best explorations of the Diamond Dogs I've read. Actually scratch that - I've read a few interpretations that impressed me just as much, but none that went into as much detail as this. If you're interested in this race being more than a dumb caricature, you can't miss this.

Modern Medicine by GAPJaxie
Easily the best take on an often mangled ethical question that I have ever seen - inside the fandom or out. Would removing death by aging be good? Would it be right? I don't know. And this story encapsulates exactly why I don't know. You definitely need to read this.

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Spotlight Review is here.