Alexstrazsa 1,275 followers · 15 stories

A guy who did pony stuff at one point.

News Archive

  • 113 weeks
    SA: The Last Round

    "So, what do you think, Corejo?" Wanderer D asked, politely showing off the stack of papers in his claw.

    The burlap sack with the printed (in color!) face of Corejo remained silent.

    "I see, yes, yes!" Wanderer D cackled. "Ahahaha! Yes! I agree! This story should do fine! So, who's reviewing it? RT?"

    The sack that had the picture of RTStephens on it tilted just enough for a single potato to roll onto the table.

    "And we have two! Alright, team, I expect you all to figure out who's doing the next one, okay? Let's not keep the readers waiting!" He glanced expectantly at the several sacks with pictures around him. "Alright! Dismissed."

    "Sir?"

    "Ah, intern. Is that my coffee?" Wanderer D took the proffered mug and downed the contents in one go. "Excellent! No time to rest! We have to edit what the guys just handed to me."

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    110 comments · 8,849 views
  • 134 weeks
    SA: Round 186

    Seattle's Angels is a group that promotes good stories with low views. You can find us here.


    The Dodge Junction train ramp was not where Floydien expected to be part of a reunion.

    He especially didn’t expect it to happen four times in a row.

    “Wait, Winter? What are you doing here?”

    Winter’s eyebrows raised. “On Summer vacation. What about you?”

    “Uh, same.”

    “Guys!”

    The two Angels looked to where the voice came from. Cynewulf came running up to them, a wide brimmed sunhat and sunglasses adorning her head. “Fancy meeting you two here!”

    Floydien scratched his head. “Same. Are you on vacation too?”

    “Yep! Had a blast down on the Horseshoe Bay coast.”

    “Well, ain’t this something!”

    All turned to the fourth voice. Knight strode up, his body decked out in fishing gear, complete with a fishing pole balanced over his shoulder. “Haven’t seen so many of us in one spot since vacation started.”

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    12 comments · 4,652 views
  • 149 weeks
    SA: Round 185

    Seattle's Angels is a group that promotes good stories with low views. You can find us here.


    Winter and Knight stared out at the bleak townscape. All around them, the fires raged unchecked as Ponyville's former occupants stumbled mindlessly about, their undead faces ravaged by rot and decay as they moaned for sustenance. Knight turned to Winter.

    "Ready to go?"

    Winter nodded and shifted a backpack. "Got everything with me. I guess it's now or never."

    Knight gave a wry smile. "That's the spirit. You do have your reviews, right?"

    "Of course!" he said, patting his chest. "Right here."

    Knight nodded and said, "Alright, here's the plan: we stick to the shadows as much as possible. From what I can tell, their eyesight isn't that good, but their sense of smell is excellent. We just have to stay upwind."

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    10 comments · 4,266 views
  • 156 weeks
    SA: Round 184

    Seattle's Angels is a group that promotes good stories with low views. You can find us here.


    “I see. Alright, I’ll let him know.”

    Intern twisted a dial on the small mechanical piece attached to his ear, retracting a blue, see-through visor from across his face. He turned to Floydien, crossing his arms. “It’s confirmed. Generation 5 is on its way. Season 2 of Pony Life is just around the corner. And the series finale of Equestria Girls was scrapped for a holiday special.”

    Floydien lifted an eyebrow. “And, what does that mean for us?”

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    10 comments · 4,425 views
  • 160 weeks
    SA: Round 183

    Seattle's Angels is a group that promotes good stories with low views. You can find us here.


    Over their heads the flak guns peppered the sky. The planes roared and sputtered. The clouds were dark, heavy with the child that was war. It was all noise.


    Cynewulf looked around the bend. “You know, I’ve been reading old fics. Remember Arrow 18?”


    Floydien slipped—a Floydien slipped—One Floydien came through the fractured time in the lower levels of the Sprawling Complex. “Uh, human in Equestria?”


    “Yeah. You know, we were probably too mean about those.”


    “They were terrible. I mean some of them. I guess a lot of everything is terrible.”


    “Well, yes. But anyway, I was reading it, and it occurred to me that what I liked about it was that it felt optimistic in the way that Star Trek was optimistic. It felt naive, but in a way one wanted to emulate. To regress back into it.”


    “Uh, that sounds nice?”

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    7 comments · 5,923 views
  • 165 weeks
    SA: Round 182

    Seattle's Angels is a group that promotes good stories with low views. You can find us here.


    “Okay, Winter, hit it!”

    Winter pulled a lever that ignited a rocket placed underneath the communal Christmas Tree. The tree blasted through a cylindrical hole and out into the skies beyond. It only took seconds for the tree to become a tiny red dot against the blue sky.

    Winter stepped away from the control panel and down to where Intern was standing behind a fifty-five millimeter thick glass wall. “We could have just picked up the base and tossed it in the garbage bin outside, you know.”

    Intern scoffed. “Yeah, we could, or we can go over the top in a comedic and entertaining manner that leads into our reviews.”

    “You’re getting all meta, now.”

    “Exactly! On to the reviews!”

    ROUND 182

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    6 comments · 7,954 views
  • 170 weeks
    SA: Round 181

    Seattle's Angels is a group that promotes good stories with low views. You can find us here.


    For the first time in the year that he worked there, FanficFan finally experienced quiet in the Seattle’s Angels Compound. All the other reviewers had gone home for the holidays, leaving him and Intern to submit the last round of reviews of the year. However, with Intern off on an errand, FanficFan was left alone.

    With stories ready to be read by his partner, all the reviewer could really do was wander around the empty building, taking in all the holiday decorations left behind from the Office Christmas Party a few days prior, like office space holiday knick-knacks, lights strown about the ceiling and wreaths on nearly every door. Plus, there was some leftover cookies and egg nog, so that was nice. 

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    8 comments · 6,366 views
  • 174 weeks
    SA: Round 180

    Seattle's Angels is a group that promotes good stories with low views. You can find us here.


    Cynewulf lay in a grassy field. This was a curious occurrence, as the Seattle Angel’s Dyson Sphere-esque compound basement labyrinth did not usually have grass. 


    But like she had many times before, she’d been teleported here, and whether or not the sky above her was real or not, she didn’t mind. The grass was nice, and the wind was nice, and whatever happened happened.
    f

    There was a great crash and Corejo stumbled into the grass to her right.

    “Oh, god, are we out? How did—”

    “No clue. I suspect that it’ll just take us back anyhow. Did you have the reviews? The machine came for me a few days ago, so I’ve got mine.”


    “I… Uh, I was late. I mean, we both are, unless you’ve been here for days.”

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    9 comments · 8,124 views
  • 178 weeks
    SA: Round 179

    Seattle's Angels is a group that promotes good stories with low views. You can find us here.


    Winter peered cautiously out the corner of the broken window, surveying the damage outside. He turned to his companion.

    "Looks like we're trapped in here," he said quietly.

    Intern grunted and adjusted the bandage on his arm. "Nothing we haven't gone through before." He looked up at Winter. "Got your reviews?"

    Winter nodded and patted his chest pocket. "Right here, where they're safe." He turned and looked once more out the window. "Now, it's simply a matter of getting through all those ponies." Winter shuddered as he took in the horrors before him.

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    10 comments · 5,223 views
  • 181 weeks
    SA: Round 178

    Seattle's Angels is a group that promotes good stories with low views. You can find us here.


    Matthew stumbled through the basement, crouching low to avoid all the pipes on the ceiling. Floydien hadn’t told him much, just that it was extremely important, had nothing to do with Intern, and to take the last fire door on the left.

    After what seemed like eternity in an instant, Matthew finally came to said fire door, damp with sweat and condensation. He carefully undid the latch and opened it with one arm raised just in case of any traps. Only to be greeted with the sounds of maniacal but joyous laughter as he spotted Floydien sitting in the center of the room surrounded by thousands of stacks of papers.

    “I found it!” Floydien said, tossing a stapled pack of papers to Matthew. “I finally found the answer. The answer to all of our questions. To our very existence!”

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    4 comments · 4,521 views
May
25th
2015

Story Reviews » Reviews! Round 66 · 6:59pm May 25th, 2015

Seattle's Angels is a group that promotes good stories with low views. You can find us here.


A cheesy 80’s synth tune trumpets high, excited notes as a camera hones in on two men sitting at an anchor desk. A moment passes before the man on the left fixes the camera with a suave yet overly serious stare.

“Hello and thank you for joining us today here at Seattle’s Angels Nightly News. My name is Corejo, and joining me tonight is Casca—the better C’s to see you through the stormy news-y seas.” He turns to the other. “How’re you doing tonight, Casca?”

“I’m great, Core, how ‘bout yourself?”

A quick smile. “I’m doing great, thanks for asking. But not all of us are doing great here at Seattle’s Angels headquarters, as we have some breaking news for you all this evening: not everything you read on the internet is true.”

“It’s true, folks,” Casca adds, tapping his note stack on the table. “Nearly all information distributed on the internet is falsified in some way, and ninety-seven percent of all statistics are made up on the spot, according to researchers. How do you like those numbers, Core?”

Corejo shakes his head. “I don’t like them one bit, Cas. But numbers don’t lie. And in that vein, we have shocking new evidence today that the origins of Seattle’s Angels’ reviews may not be quite as accurate as some say they are. What was once thought to be a group dedicated to finding the best of the best underappreciated stories out there has been scandalized by the discovery that it is, in fact, one man.

“Ferret takes us now to the scene, where it can truly be said that there simply are no words for such an atrocity. Ferret?”

“Thanks, Core!” Ferret says from her perch on a countertop high above the camera. “It’s true! Me and Squirrel tracked the culprit to this very room!” She pointed to a door beside the counter, then punched a paw into the palm of the other. “Let’s nab him!”

She leaps for the doorknob, turning it as she falls to the floor. The door pops open, and into computer-lit room they run, the camera shaking in time with Red’s tiny squirrel breaths.

A man turns from his computer, wide eyed at the intrusion, and can only stand to tower above the camera before Ferret is up and through his pant leg and poking out his collar, face to face, microphone extended. “Hello Mr. Wanderer D, sir. We’d like to take a moment to talk to you about your fraudulent work regarding the Seattle’s Angels reviews, please?” She tilts her head, beaming.

Wander D scowls at her, then at the camera, before his boot rises to blot out the light of the computer monitor. “Oh, crap,” can be heard whispered behind the camera, and all goes silent.

Corejo is back on screen, grimacing as he nervously fixes his tie. “We, uh, appear to be experiencing some technical difficulties. We’ll return to this story in a moment. In the mean time, we would like to extend our condolences to red squirrels everywhere who have fallen victim to boot-related injuries, and claim that no red squirrels were harmed in the making of our real reviews, which should be arriving shortly.”

Ferret dashes on screen, a manilla folder between her teeth. She leaps up onto the anchor desk and hands it to Corejo. “Here’s your reviews!”

“They’re in already? But you were just interviewing Wanderer D for our top story.”

“Yeah, how do you think I got here so fast?” She leans in, the backside of a paw directing a whisper toward him. “Just don’t mention to Red how fluffy his tail is now.” She beams and then scurries off camera.

Corejo chuckles, pulling the first page out of the folder. “Well, thank you, Ferret. Here, ladies and gentlemen, are this week’s scheduled reviews. On time. Every time.”

ROUND 66


A forgotten manuscript reveals an odd journey purportedly undertaken by Lord Dunsany, a Promethean explorer of the Lands of Dream. While the manuscript has yet to be authenticated, its contents are interesting enough to merit my posting them here.


Do you like worldbuilding porn? Because this is worldbuilding porn. All over your monitor.

Let me step back from that statement a bit, before I get some on my clothes. As the title, Riverdream at Sunset: a Manuscript, suggests, this story reads very much like a manuscript. (I’m a master analyst, I know.) It’s a recounting of one man’s travels through a Grecian-named Equestria, and all that he sees. But that doesn’t adequately explain this story.

This story isn’t about what the narrator does or sees, it’s about Equestria and its history, told by those the narrator meets. Hence, the world building. It’s an interesting set up: we’re given a short scene of Celestia and how she goes about creating Equestria via a dream of the narrator, and from there we set foot on Equestrian soil and partake in the adventure that is a chariot ride across the land. To be honest, it almost feels like an innocuous framing story, until one hell of an ending brings the story full circle and leaves you with a taste of ‘wow’ and a yearning for more. (That is not an extension of the opening metaphor, though it could be if you want it to.) I had one problem with it, though, namely the density of the information thrown at the reader.

I have to say before I nitpick at it that this problem is very much preferencial, as I can see past my reader goggles and say that the writing style is very much in tune with what the author wanted, and doubly so that it’s well-constructed. It just isn’t really my cup of tea.

Back to it from as objective of an opinion I can give, it’s, as stated earlier, written in manuscript form by a person recounting past events. That said, the story is conveyed purely in ‘tell’ format. That is by no means a bad thing. In fact, it’s a good thing, given GroaningGreyAgony’s proficiency with it. Not once did I ever slip out of Lord Dunsany’s head for an instant, Groaning’s diction and attention to important details never wavering. It’s hard as an author not to inject a little bit of your natural writing style into a story’s narrative, and I couldn’t point to any part where I felt that had happened here. This piece is as solid as a gold brick on that front. So how about the story this gold brick presents to us?

Like I said before, not much actually happens in terms of story. Guy goes to Equestria, goes on a tour, and then comes the twist that I’ll be damned if I spoil for you. The beauty of it lies in the stories recounted to him while there. This story really is worldbuilding porn. Like, a lot. Which is awesome, mind. Seeing another’s take on how Equestria was made is always a trip, but I felt like we’re given too much. I should clarify and say that the quantity I have no problem with; again, it’s more the density I found overbearing.

Each individual piece of worldbuilding is well-constructed (even the re-capped canon ‘worldbuilding’ maintains a level of mysticism you wouldn’t expect, despite adding nothing to what we already know from the show), but it’s the rapid-fire nature of them, how they felt crammed together like gems in a basket vying for attention that, by doing so, got lost among themselves. Had they been spaced out more adequately for us to breathe between, I would have found it easier to digest; though, doing so might have tarnished the brilliance of the manuscript style Groaning chose, which, in the end, is the most important factor here, so I feel torn on my dissention. Is that allowed? Can something be done so well that I don’t like that I don’t like something about it? That’s not fair! :raritydespair:

To those who love worldbuilding and pitch-perfect narration, DO NOT SKIP THIS. Seriously. To those that don’t like it when said pitch-perfect narrative is very dense, this one will grind your gears.

And I saw a thing that was like a sunbeam but in reverse, in that the solar ray emanated from her horn, and reached out to the horizon, and only after it touched the distant mountains did the orb of the sun arise. It was an eye-dazing sphere of glowing bronze, and great flames curled lazily from its side. And she raised her head gently, and the orb rose over the mountains and spread its light over the hills and dales and countryside, and its light sparkled in the vapor around my feet as the mists of morning rose from the fields. The light fed the earth even as a mother’s milk feeds a baby. We are glad of a fire, but we do not love it. This light, though borne of an unshakeable resolution, also spoke to the heart. My pulse raced and my face shone with joy and my feet yearned to dance with Pan and the pagan gods, amongst the distant hills.

I turned and hugged Eocharis in a grip of tremendous euphoria, and she returned my embrace politely, and I tried in fumbling earnestness to communicate the full strength of my emotion. But the ponies, though respectful to me, were not strongly moved, for to them it was only the everyday miracle.

I am very blatant in my love of style. Be it wacky, grim, unorthodox, if you present an otherwise standard story in a an uncommon manner, you’ve got my attention, possibly longer than what should be. It takes a vision to hold the writing steady in that one direction, and it takes skill to sand off the edges and polish it up - our first feature is possibly the best example of this I’ve seen yet (thank you based PresentPerfect).

Taking on the form of a 1900s journal, Lord Dunsany tells two stories - one of gods and their deaths, and one of how he visited Equestria for a day. He finds a pony, who quickly becomes his guide, and he explores this strange, new world from the viewpoint of a fascinated stranger. Two things, I think, separate this from the flock that follow the same plot line.

Lord Dunsany, though the story is not about him, is the key that binds the storytelling elements together. He speaks when the opportunity allows it and does not otherwise. He rejoices and becomes impassioned at things of great beauty; embraces with first curiousity then grace the unusual, the surreal. Educated with plenty to share and keep the scenes going, quiet to listen when others do the same, never stealing the spotlight from his goal - he is a gentleman, and damn if those aren’t fun to read.

With the eloquence of such, he describes this new world beyond the Thames. Contrary to impressions, the prose is surprisingly bare-bones - it’s mostly sufficient adjectives that layer the normal, and the rest of the wordcount goes to lore. A wealth of Equestria’s history through the eyes and words of our own kind of historians - the grave, reserved approach of past events that imparted to you weight. This happened - the way it weaves in and about Lord Dunsany’s observations builds up upon each other. It’s a heavy read which I gladly sunk into - deeper and deeper with each tale and magical moment. It is the strength of the world behind, the sheer force of what was, that brings this story to life.

There is a reverence that he - and GroaningGreyAgony, by implication - treats his experience, that by the time you finish and leave this Riverdream, your brainspace is glowing golden from the wonders you’ve seen. It’s a usual assumption in fanfic to not spend too long describing Ponyville, and I will concede that the location is probably not it - but what the author’s done here is basically that, and has brought a completely fresh perspective of the imagery. Try it out if you’re looking for something a little more highbrow, or one of the few “human new to Equestria” fics we’ll ever feature.


Life can be hard. But for a young man named Travis, at least there’s a place he can run to. A place where he has friends. ~ A place where he has understanding. A place he can call home.


Will you guys freaking hurry up and make KitsuneRisu famous already? This is like, the ten millionth story of his we’ve reviewed. If you’re wondering why that is, it’s because he’s a damn good author.

</rant>

For those that somehow didn’t freak out in excitement, hopefully I can convince you to. Simply put, this story is amazing. Labelled a dark tragedy, KitsuneRisu nails this genre in a way you wouldn’t expect.

Have you ever had a strong opinion on something? Like, to the point that it even crossing your mind would cause you to involuntarily react to it, like clenching a fist in anger? Felt you were good at something that others weren’t? Has it ever colored the way you viewed the world and those around you? Then have you ever come back to reality and realized you weren’t all the hot s:yay:t you thought you were?

This is, as the human tag would normally suggest, not an HiE story. This is an HiH, a Human in Head, story. That might sound odd, but by Celestia is Kitsune brilliant at it. From the moment we start, we see the world through the extremely bias eyes of a man named Travis for all the bullcrap and lies it’s filled with. Which he isn’t afraid to call straight up, by the way. This narrator swears a lot, and he isn’t shy about how he feels on other matters. Example:

Stupid pony can’t even get to my side, but she’s offering. She’s great, isn’t she? I mean, this is the one kind of dumbass I can take in my life, really. I got no problems with this.

Instances like this might come as a turn off for some readers, as they’re prevalent throughout, but I’d argue it definitely strengthens his character, no matter how much it ruins his humanity. It definitely earns the story its dark tag.

As for the tragedy? That I won’t spoil. It’s too deliciously terrible to ruin.

And in this corner, we have the human who is definitely not new to Equestria (once again thank you based PresentPerfect).

This is not so much a ponyfic as it is a story about a person. The focus is on the psychology, though the events playing at hand are strong enough to shroud it - unlike Riverdream, Travis is the spotlight and keeps it that way.

Seems like all you need to get by nowadays is half a brain cell and a mouth that works when it’s not full of donuts. But you’ll usually never find anything more than that. Lucky there’s the rare few, though, the ones destined to rise above the rest and pull out of the dregs and climb to the top of the capitalist empire that is the modern world.

It takes people like me, you know? The ones who recognize how different things can be if we just tried to make a difference. The one who realises that in today’s age, the rapid homogenization of society means that culture and race no longer matter, and all it takes to make it anywhere in any country is will, dedication, and a shrewd intellect. Things like poverty… or blaming your government… that’s all bullshit. Those guys are just not trying hard enough.

I don’t like to talk about myself, but I’ve always known that I was made for big things. I got all the signs, if you look through history. I follow the patterns. I know I’m one of them.

Put short - everyone’s favourite human trope, given a touch more chaining in reality, and a few less magical outs. Sorry, no cosplay powers for you this time.

From the description you can kinda pick up the idea, and from the fact that it’s here, you know that it’s about the journey - let me reassure you that Equestria is not the point in the fic. I somehow feel the need to say this, because KitsuneRitsu has written such a crazy ride through the mind of Travis.

The workings are told mainly through the dialogue he has, in the unreliable narration that keeps you doubting what’s actually going on. There are leads, here and there, that Travis lets leak unknowingly, clues for the careful reader to pry at and tug. It’s a mystery of the mind, and the implications for it are heavy enough that it engrosses you - which is why I laud this story. It manages to be interesting simply by taking an ordinary person and showing what could lurk within. An ordinary person whose perspectives may, at some points, seem reasonable enough, even relatable. An ordinary person with struggles you may have been in before. An ordinary person... that might have been you.

In baring Travis’ mind wide open, he invites you to open yours, and that element of lingering reflection left me speechless for a while after I had finished. This is a great read, showing just what good writing can do to the reader.


Crime was easy in the days before Princess Twilight and the First Five ushered in a golden age of Harmony. Back then, any idiot could plan a robbery, just like any rat could sneak through the cracks in wooden granary walls. But now that everything is cloudstone and clearsteel, with magical countermeasures over the few remaining holes, it takes a different breed of rat to survive. "Slippery" Jimmy the Grey is one of the rare few ponies who can still slip through the cracks — even with the legendary Rainbow Corps on his tail. Now he's got a billion-bit heist planned in the gleaming skyscrapers of Cloudsdale. If only he hadn't made the mistake of stealing from a dragon …


I’ll admit, I had never heard of the Stainless Steel Rat before reading this, but apparently it was very popular. I feel so out of the loop.

Thankfully, horizon’s crossover with this series, like his disclaimer in the story description says, requires no familiarity with the source material. Which is good, because I would not have wanted to miss out on this gem.

The story takes place well beyond the years of our Equestria, and science has turned down an alternate path than what we’d expect. Homeopathy is a thing, splicing of animal genes and characteristics to create hybrid ‘abilities’ and concoctions—change the very way pony bodies work. It’s all really engaging, and though I don’t know how much of this horizon pulls from the source, the way he implements them is genius.

The attention to detail is astounding on so many levels. The way the narrator focuses on certain aspects of the city, its citizens, and how he can best manipulate it centralizes his character and gives us solid ground to stand on.

The story begins right in the middle of Jimmy the Grey’s ‘last con before the big job,’ working a flower stand, wherein he attempts to shortchange Spike, who is considerably aged up to account for this story’s futuristic setting. Things go about as well as you’d expect, ripping off a dragon, and we’re immediately thrust into the thick of things. And can I say that horizon write the thick of things well? Because he writes the thick of things well. Like, really well. Like, holy crap my body actually tensed up while reading the action sequences, and I was too engrossed to notice until they were over.

Thankfully, I didn’t experience a bout of tetanus and die from sheer awesomeness due to his understanding of pace and story flow. There are equally as many slower moments to address certain aspects of the story and to offer explanation for thoughts and plans to come as there are heavy, tense ones. All in all, a really well done story.

If there’s one story from this round you have to pick, make it this one.

That has to be one of the most ambitious summaries I’ve seen in a while. High magitech world? Slippery Jim main character? Something something steampunk? Forget intrigued, this one had me before I loaded the page.

And what a ride it is. The jargon-heavy opener may be a bit of a bother, but it’s nothing that a reader’s brain can’t figure out. This story is made of awesome moments - acts of pure slick, cleverly thought out plans, instinctual fight-or-flight, lucky breaks and an energy that makes the story positively sprint along. It’s fun, framed in writing, and leaves as simply as it arrived, ending on a nice climax where a continuation wouldn’t have been out of place.

You may feel a little tired after being driven upon completion, but never in the middle - Horizon is restrained enough to give rest where rest can be had without ruining the flow. Just right - that’s how this story is, and if a grand heist in futuristic Equestria sounds like your thing, go for it.


Starlight Glimmer assembles the townponies of... the town to finally pick a name for the village they all dwell in. However, finding a name that does not promote any form of inequality proves to be harder than she imagines.


I love slapstick. It’s what got me into this show and kept me coming back, until its other qualities could sink in and bolster my love for it. I’m sure a lot of you guys are the same. Well, this story will be a little treat for you all.

Name This Town is a short piece about the ponies from the town in the season five premiere coming together to try and name the town. What’s expected to be a simple task quickly gets out of hand, and, as the phrase goes, hilarity ensues. There isn’t much more to this story than that, but by Celestia does it do it well.

In a town that does its best to remain equal on all fronts at all times, it’s clear that the joke is going to be about maintaining that equality. And that’s exactly what we get: ponies striving to keep everything equal, including the name.

Usually one-joke stories run their joke into the ground within the first 500 words or so and then just drag on until the end. Impressively, Justice4243 manages to keep things fresh through all 2.2k words. Yes, the joke is the same, but he attacks the joke from multiple angles, so while it’s inherently the same thing, it’s still fresh and fun as the story escalates.

And it definitely escalates. I was surprised to read this and actually laugh harder as the story went, rather than groaning harder as the joke decayed. Its impressive to see a story know how long to stick around, and this one knew when to call it quits, wrapping up with a neat little bow of a joke.

Just don’t go unfairly promoting it over other stories once you’ve finished reading.

Hah! This was the fanfic I hoped would happen after watching that episode. Does anyone actually know the name of that town?

The joke is essentially there - Starlight Glimmer, pre-M6, gets about to naming their town in a manner that obeys equality. What makes it manage to last a little longer, I think, is that the author plays on it in several ways - it must have been frustrating to come up with new angles only to shoot them down, but I think it pays off nicely. The straightpony is kept straight properly and is a source of rightful exasperation. The escalation is sound, and plays on some classic slapstick technique for added gas.

Certainly humourous, and you can’t go too wrong with a short read like this.


“This just in, Seattle’s Angels stock prices plummet after reports of fraudulent reviews surfaces in recent media! In related news, Quills and Sofas stock jumps nearly three hundred points, and fire departments are scrambling to contain an outbreak in furniture-related fires across the nation. Our correspondent in the field, Pav Fiera, joins us now with details. Pav, it looks like everything’s gotten quite out of hand behind you.”

Now on screen, a genteel figure flips his long, flowing hair out his eyes, a well-manicured hand following it up and over his ear as he smiles. “Thank you, Corejo,” he shouts above the din of the crowd, “and yes, as you can see here out front of our Secret Underground Base and Tree Fort, there’s a lot of positive energy going around! I’ve never seen people come together quite like this since Twilight became a princess like me. You should have seen the piñatas they had out back. They looked just like us!”

Two men walk on screen and pick Pav up by the arms and feet. “Oh! Uh, looks like they want me to join in! Back to you, Core!”

Corejo stares blankly at the camera for a moment. A quick shake of the head and a smile. “Thanks, Pav. That’s all we have for you tonight, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Corejo.” He pulls a helmet from beneath the desk and dons it. “And thanks for watching. We’ll see you next time.”


Feel free to visit our group for more information and events, and to offer some recommendations for future rounds. See you all next time!

Report Alexstrazsa · 2,982 views ·
Comments ( 20 )

3096723
Gotta say, pretty good timing on the feature here when it seems next in line to be added to the RCL.
Guess I'd better read it then, huh.

Majin Syeekoh
Moderator

3096825 The interview is already posted on the RCL website.

What a bizarre feeling. I've already read three out of the four stories here. I highly recommend everything but Home, and that's only because I haven't read that one yet.

I always assumed it was named "Our Town". You could practically hear the capitals the way the cult-ponies spoke. I found Name This Town amusing but less so than some of that author's other works. Justice is pretty talented at comedy.

Well, I'm off to read Iridescent Iron Rat. You made it sound pretty interesting.

That quote from the Dunsany story is amazing. RILed.

I live in a small town now. A couple of weeks ago I went to a meeting of the town music society. They had a band, a good one, though they only play country music. I sat by accident at the groupie/relatives of the band table, and through dinner they talked about past performances.

I asked, "What's the band's name?"

They went silent and stared at each other, like they'd never thought of that question. Eventually they agreed it was just "the band."

the better C’s to see you through the stormy news-y seas.

My jimbobs are flustered.

Guys, we gotta stop meeting like this =(

I'm running out of thanks to give for your kind words and considerations ._.

3096876
Hey, I've already read three of these too! I think that means we win our Secret Master of Pony Fandom badges. (I enjoyed them all, but Riverdream At Sunset is really something special.)

I suppose I should go check out that third featured story to round out the full set, but eh … that whole "Iridescent Iron Rat" thing? Seriously, author. If you want to write about rats, the "Chip 'N Dale Rescue Rangers" fandom is on fanfiction.net. And really? "Stealing from a dragon" is the best you can do? Gag me with a cliché. I mean, if you wanted to write a creative story about pony thievery, you could have figured out how a pony hides a stolen coin without fingers or clothing or spells, but no, I'm just going to click and be disappointed with another "Oh look, I'm the only being in the universe who realizes that teleportation can be used for theft!" scam. Not that changelings haven't already disguised themselves as guards and cleaned the vaults out by then. Sorry, it's self-evident that magic ruins heist stories, so your weird rat thing failed before the first word.

Rating: F--, didn't read

3097627
Then freakin' hurry up and get famous! :twilightangry2: You're like the Leonardo DiCaprio of Fimfiction.


3097062
The better be.

3098301
Psst, you're posting on the wrong account.

3096825
Riverdream at Sunset is required reading. Do it now.

3098440
I am not.

... Leonardo gets paid more.

3096907
Then we'll have to give his other stuff a poke!

And yes, Iron Rat was a blast. I feel like I should mention that it's a good deal "cleaner" than what you'd expect of the topic, in terms of both execution and ending - I don't know how to explain it beyond that, but maybe you'll see for yourself when you do.

3096876
I guess you could say that you're... a fan of most everything! :trollestia:

¡Execute Order # 66!

3098759
Cafeteria Control is notable for being an excellent parody of Equestria Girls 2... written before the movie was even released, based solely on the trailers. It also has a sequel (Pinkie and Sonata's Excellent Adventure).

Another highly amusing piece of his was Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon's Bogus Journey (which is technically a sequel to Cutie Mark Crusaders Necromancers! Yay!).

So, I've heard there was this old movie about the Seattle Angels. I haven't watched it, but I was told there was a pretty well known line about how every time a bell rings M.A. Larson gets an idea. Is this a remake of that?

3098465
Oh. Uh, please excuse the typo. What I actually meant to say before my cat held a dance party on the keyboard was "I like cake." :twilightblush:

3098301
My goodness! By some bizarre coincidence, the link above contains my EXACT views on this Iridescent Iron Rat story!

You should all just assume I said it.

My name is Corejo, and joining me tonight is Casca—the better C’s to see you through the stormy news-y seas.

Meanwhile, Csquared is grumbling in a corner somewhere.

What was once thought to be a group dedicated to finding the best of the best underappreciated stories out there has been scandalized by the discovery that it is, in fact, one man.

This is old news. *changes channel* I mean literally. It's like this news network is airing a rerun from last year.

Our correspondent in the field, Pav Fiera, joins us now with details.

Hm. Not sure if it's worth bringing up, considering Pav made a joke out of this and allowed it to run its course forever ago, but you misspelled 'Pav Feira.'

Come to think of it, I've always wondered about that name. So Pav, if you're reading this, why the name 'Pav Feira?'

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