Why You Should Read "If Horses Had Gods..." (if you haven't already...) - - - Top Shelf #1

And now, back to (if you haven't already...), the continuing stooooooory of a Brony and his quest for really good fanfics.

I said at the end of that last blog that I would go through the comments sections of the other stories already in my Top Shelf and post them here as more IYHA... blogs. Well, it took about as long as you'd expect (which is way longer than I was expecting), but I did it. Still am, honestly, as I write. So here we go, the other most recent one:

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Why You Should Read "If Horses Had Gods" (if you haven't already...)

So this one is interesting, and it's just perfect that this one had to come up first in my list. Comparatively, it's maybe not as good as the other stories on the Top Shelf, but it's definitely earned that spot, and you should definitely read it if you haven't already.

The premise of this story is incredibly simple: Twilight goes around asking her friends if they believe in God. Naturally, they all have radically different answers. One bit of advice if you go to read this story: watch your step in the comments. It took a while to really get rolling, but this is probably the most controversial story on fimfiction. I don't have to spell out for you the sort of flame wars in the comments. Some people just hate this story, and you might be one of them, but take my word for it that this premise was handled as well as it possibly could have been. So at least give it a chance.

I commented a lot on this one, because I just kept thinking of more to say about it. Interesting story about this fic: Ponky posted a blog a while before this fic went up listing a bunch of titles for stories he was going to write, and challenging the Wonderfolk (his fans) to guess what the stories were. Here was my guess for If Horses Had Gods:

If you're feeling really edgy, you could make this a HiE, where the Anon character was deeply religious in his old life, so he has to reconcile his current situation with his belief. I don't know if it's been done before, but again, would make a very fascinating story.

I was less than spot-on, but I still maintain that it would make a good story (no matter what WanderD might think). My first comment on the story was about the accuracy of my guess, but I went on to comment about the story so far, which was three chapters from being complete at the time:

So. That was probably the most interesting thing that happened to me today, and I just drove across the country. And also finished Daredevil. Hm. Maybe not quite the most interesting.
Anyway, this is crazy impressive, Ponky. I think I can imagine what it feels like to write the RD chapter right after AJ's. I know how hard it is to separate your personal views from your creativity and faithfully portray opinions like that. I thought I smelled Skirts in RD's viewpoint. Am I right?
I also love the way you merged our world's beliefs with the world of Equestria. I'd love to hear more about the tribes' old faiths.
So we have Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy left out of the six. I could see Pinkie having some left-field answer next that derails the theme of the story so far a bit but really makes us think, and then Fluttershy finishing up with a reasonable, tolerant answer that says more about belief in general than hers in particular. Or something like that. I'll be happy with whatever, of course.
I'm still not sure if this is better than my idea for the title, though. That story wants to be told, just not by me.

Once the story was completed, I made the big decision to put it on the Top Shelf. It was the first new addition in something like five months, so that was a big deal for me. Here's what I commented as my reason why:

If I could have one little wish for the Brony community, I would have this story remembered with the great classics of pony fanfiction (how's that for an accomplishment, huh?). Maybe it's not as artistically brilliant as I Am Demon or Background Pony or as brimming with pathos as My Little Dashie, but I've never read anything in our fandom as sincere as this. Lots of other people have given Twilight a self-realization story about her ascension, and some of them have done very well, but this one I really felt. I usually have to give a little effort to get into these sorts of fics, to look at it more closely than a casual read-through. This one is one of those that brings you in all the way. Most do it through sympathetic characters and natural pacing and stuff. This one does it all through the beautiful exploration of differing beliefs and giving them each the respect and attention they deserve.
The thing I love the most about this little collective hobby of ours is that it's really its own form of storytelling. We already know the characters and the setting and the background, so we don't have to re-introduce them in every story. Instead, we can let the events and the dialogue and the themes shine out without having to go through customs. You couldn't tell a story like this one in any other medium, which is a real shame. I don't think we appreciate that enough. More than that, you've taken advantage of that unique quality of "fanfiction" and made the most out of it. We need a new name for this stuff, because it's definitely become art at this point.
Ponky, let me tell you, this story couldn't be any better than it is right now. Good job. Don't pay attention to anyone who says otherwise. I'd like to see them do it better.
Incidentally, this is easily my favorite chapter so far, and I imagine a lot of readers agree with me. Not only that, but this is also my favorite portrayal of Celestia ever. I used to give out little awards for fics that truly captured a character. "If Horses Had Gods" wins the very first Celestia award. Maybe someday I'll make that a little more official.

I'll have to remember that little bit about the virtues of fanfiction. It's something we need to remember more than we do. I'll also have to see about those character awards.

Later on, I saw more and more stuff about this story around the site, so I went back to the comments and found the mess things had gotten into there, despite Ponky's constant optimism about the civility so far. So I posted again with my thoughts on the controversy:

Okay, I have one more thing to say about this. Skirts got me thinking about it again.
I like White Castle. Anyone else like White Castle? Anyone here hate it? Never heard of it? Look it up real quick. It's only out east, and I grew up completely out west until I was 18 or 19. By then, I had been hyped up by Unwrapped and this bro-bonding movie, so I knew what to expect going in, and I was not disappointed. If you're still not familiar with this whole debate, watch this and then go find a coupe facebook friends who've had it and ask them what they think. The division is real.
Basically, some people think it's gross, and other people love it. If you ask anyone in the "love it" camp, they'll usually tell you you can't go in expecting burgers. White Castle makes sliders. They're completely different. Those who don't love it don't care what they're called, though the rest of us are still convinced they could if they just gave it the right chance.
Anyway, this was all brought up in my mind because of the debate about the overall quality of this story. Some people say it's not good, other people (like myself) adore it, for similar reasons. Those who vote against HorseGods usually use the criticism that it stretches the characters too much to make them fit these beliefs, and it's not an unfounded argument. Could I seriously see these characters as depicted in the show having these beliefs as depicted here? Not really, no. But that's not the point. Writing them out of character wasn't a mistake Ponky made, it was a tool.
The focus of this story isn't about seriously looking at these characters and what they are most likely to believe about religion and spirituality. The focus is on Twilight as she learns about all these beliefs, regardless of who tells her about them, and what she thinks about them as she tries to find answers for herself.
I think this story has a really good opening description already, but for all of you who don't get this story, here's another one:
"Twilight studies various spiritual beliefs, as explained to her by her friends. Or, Pinkie Pie and Celestia teach Twilight about tolerance and the nature of belief itself, while her other friends explain various beliefs to her in their own words."
Not my best work. Definitely not imaginative in any way, but this is what this story is meant to be, and this is what you have to go into it expecting. It's way more about the theme than about the characters. Like I said before, the MLP setting and characters are like the paints Ponky uses to paint his picture, instead of puppets playing themselves.
Looking over the comments now, it looks like they really have taken a turn for the religious since I read the story myself. Maybe I'm a little late to the party here. As much as I'm tempted to join the new debate myself, I've long since learned how that turns out. Enjoy your religious flame-pillow-wars, true believers! And true non-believers.
Okay, here's a better one:
"What Celestia and Pinkie Pie have to say about belief."

So that's what I had to say about this story. If you still don't think it's worth your time (which would be weird, considering you took the time to read this far), here are some comments by other people that pretty much sum all of this up:

I've been trying to let these go, but it's killing me.
Applejack's chapter is not about Christianity. It's about what Applejack believes.
Rainbow Dash's chapter is not about Atheism, Agnosticism, Nihilism, Humanism, or anything you're trying to define/clarify/zero in on. It's about what Rainbow Dash believes.
Fluttershy's chapter is not about Buddhism. It's about what Fluttershy believes.
Celestia's chapter is not the unfiltered truth. It's what Celestia believes.
Pinkie's chapter is awesome.
Rarity's chapter is fanfictionally obligatory.
The point of this story was not to tell readers what atheism is or is not. I'm very aware that nihilism and atheism are not synonymous terms, and it's silly to assume that I do. Your fear that I, or other readers, would take a blue pony's opinion as a textbook definition tells more about your anxiety of belief than it does mine.

-Ponky himself

I think this is sorta your "When I Was Thirty," only way less depressing.
I'm of the firm belief that--if able--writers should be encouraged to live out their emotional and philosophical ponderings through works of fiction. Others might find it two dimensional or goofy or pretentious, but... hey... it helps us get to know a person more. And what are we on this site if not to make connections. F'naaa?
A story about multiple perspectives can only be... a story about multiple perspectives. While writing this, I couldn't help but pause and think about how I would rewrite each character and their individual theological outlook. I'm sure every other marsupial reading this felt the same.
I like how you did Fluttershy the most. That's not to say that I agree with her perspective. But, rather, I liked how you wrote her dialogue and demeanor. I too have always seen her as a tree-loving hippy (literally), and if I was to do a fic with this same premise I believe I'd give her the same perspective. Something tells me that--in writing--you probably felt biased to add substance to her stance as well. But f'naaa.
Rarity's reaction (and Pinkie's as well, to some extent) kinda feel like chapters that belong in a comedy fic. Oh well.
I don't like Rainbow's character/stance/chapter/whatever. And I don't think I'm the only one. In your stories, I feel as though--to get a point across--you inevitably have to make ONE character act two dimensional or hyperbolic. I feel as though that's what you did with RD... just to get something that contrasted dramatically with AJ. Emphasis on the adverb "dramatically." I think I've told you before in conversation, but I think RD would make a humanist. *Not* a nihilist. Granted, the commonly hysterical theme I find with nihilism is that most people who use that term to describe themselves don't properly know what it means, myself included. F'naaa. Watch Big Lebowski, you.
I think there's reason to believe that RD could take the side of Nietzsche and dig the whole Carpe Diem thing... but when it all boils down to it, it's a bit cringe-worthy reading her dialogue (or anypony's) cuz these cartoon characters are so friggin' far-removed from discussing anything legitimately philosophical in any medium ever. In reading this, we--the audience--have to willfully drag our suspension of disbelief across the paragraphs, and that is why--understandably so--some people wouldn't want to even touch a fic like this to begin with. It's obvious that this is about the author and not the characters, which makes it all the more telling when the story doesn't end with much of a message aside from "Don't worry; keep searching."
Still, I like to think it's good therapy for you. I noticed that the last chapter was uploaded on the 26th, which leads me to think that it may or may not have been after a certain conversation. That being said, this lemur--who pretends to think he has a slightly sharper perspective on the writer in question--took notice to a rather conclusive series of text:
"What's true, then? That is an important question, Princess Twilight. Perhaps it is the most important question. Another way to phrase it is, What matters?"
"That's not necessarily correct," Twilight immediately said. "Something can be true and not matter at all."
I presume that's where the money shot liesif not on a robot chick's tits. What's true? What isn't true? What matters? What doesn't matter? Do those two questions necessarily converge? And--in either scenario--can one still live on one's life, aspiring, dreaming, improving, achieving?
I do hope your journey is as fruitful as Twilight's, and that--time and mirth permitting--you continue to share what you've learned as well as what you've dreamed the whole way through.
-SS&E

-The Man
But by far the best:

I...
I...
A pony fan fiction just made me rethink my entire life.

-Baileyjrob

Go read it already!