Read It Later Reviews #71 – While Their Name’s Still Spoken, Infernal Machines, A Short Story by Twilight Sparkle, Reciprocity, Playing the Scales · 7:39pm Mar 12th, 2017
Instead of working on A Thousand Roses yesterday, I ended up reading a number of additional stories off of my high priority Read It Sooner list, as well as re-reading a couple of older stories that I read before I started doing reviews.
I really need to get to work on finishing up my story… but I can’t say that I didn’t enjoy the experience of reading many of these works.
Today’s stories:
While Their Name’s Still Spoken by Estee
Infernal Machines by Skywriter
A Short Story by Twilight Sparkle by Skywriter
Reciprocity by Tumbleweed
Playing the Scales by King of Beggars
While Their Name’s Still Spoken
by Estee
Alternate Universe, Sad
7,218 wordsThere are no ghosts in Equestria.
Those in the shadowlands can be brought back in memory, in stories and songs and laughs shared once again. But they never come into the world of the living, or fail to leave it in the first place.
Everypony knows that sort of thing never happens.
Everypony except one.
Why I added it: Estee is a good writer.
Review
This story is about a ghost, or a spirit – something that a pony left behind. Something that is lingering in the world. She can’t effect the world in any way. She can’t do anything. All she can do is watch.
Everyone is ugly. Everything is hideous. The world is constantly dying around her, and no one else can see it. Why doesn’t anyone pay attention to her? Why doesn’t anyone talk about her? Was she not the most beautiful thing there was?
This story is something of a puzzle, and the character tags give away a big part of who it is about – not entirely, but enough that you will likely cotton on before the story truly gives it away.
The story is ostensibly about the ghost, but it is really about the effect she had on other ponies – what she did to them in life, a life that the ghost cannot remember, as well as the kind of person she was (given her outlook, as you might expect, it wasn’t a particularly good one), but also that even in all that, ponies did care, at least a little.
It is a melancholic story, but a good one. If something on the sad side is up your alley, this could be a good choice.
Recommendation: Worth Reading.
Infernal Machines
by Skywriter
Adventure, Comedy
8,104 wordsIn a world where forest fires (well, a forest fire) run(s) rampant, the fate of Ponyville – this week, at least – lies in the capable hooves of the greatest scientific genius ever to walk the surface of Equestria...
...Pinkie Pie.
Why I added it: Skywriter is a good writer.
Review
A terrible fire is threatening to engulf Ponyville. Twilight and company have been battling it all day, but Twilight is on the verge of exhaustion after spending all day throwing up ice walls. Forced by Applejack to go back to town to recuperate and gather some morale-boosting sweets from Sugarcube Corner, Twilight discovers that Pinkie Pie is secretly a mechanical genius in contraptionology, which is how she built her party cannon. And numerous other things, while being dismissed as “just being Pinkie Pie”.
This might come in handy.
This is a silly story. It isn’t exactly the sort of thing that knocks it out of the park, but it is more of a line drive – something that is somewhat funny, and which makes use of the characters we know in order to overcome some obstacle. Pinkie Pie being a mechanical genius is always an idea I’ve been amused by, and while she is a bit over the top here in some ways, she’s still very much Pinkie Pie, and her solution is ultimately a Pinkie Pie solution.
Told from the point of view of Twilight Sparkle, we get to see the implications early on, then get hit with them more powerfully when she comes back to town. While the solution does in some ways feel a little too straightforward, given that we’re given both the real problem and the real solution in a pretty small space of time, ultimately the whole thing works reasonably well.
If a serious situation with a Pinkie Pie solution sounds like something that might be up your alley, this is worth a read.
Though now I’m going to have to read its sequel, Contraptionology...
Recommendation: Worth Reading
A Short Story by Twilight Sparkle
by Skywriter
Slice of Life
2,621 wordsPrincess Celestia helps to banish a hoofful of inner demons lurking deep in the heart of a troubled author. Metafiction, again, ensues. Something of a coda to "Princess Celestia Hates Tea".
Why I added it: I read it a long time ago.
Review
Skywriter writes metafiction at times – stories about stories, as well as fanfiction about fanfiction. Heretical Fictions is an excellent piece of metafiction.
A Short Story by Twilight Sparkle is much more subdued.
In this world, Twilight Sparkle wrote Princess Celestia Hates Tea, a farce about Princess Celestia admitting to hating tea, causing a nationwide panic (and specifically, a panic with Twilight Sparkle). Twilight wrote the story pseudonymously in order to work out some of her own inner demons (namely, her fear that she understands Princess Celestia very poorly, and that Celestia keeps secrets from her about even basic little things, and that Twilight herself is a nervous, panic-prone wreck) but, alas, Princess Celestia not only has read the thing, but knows Twilight wrote it.
Misery – as well as a lesson from Princess Celestia – ensues.
This is a very subdued story – the story encompasses a single teatime, really just focusing on a conversation between Twilight and Princess Celestia, and how Twilight feels about the whole business. The first time I read this story, I was not terribly fond of it; re-reading it, I have a bit more fondness for it, but I can remember why I didn’t like it.
This story is interesting in that it is an examination of Twilight looking at herself and those around her, and how she writes them wrong, as well as her fears about the kind of person she really is – someone who Celestia knows to be better than that. The kindly, quiet friendship the pair share is nice.
But at the same time, some of the metafictional aspects – such as the fact that this story itself is written by Twilight Sparkle, about the very events therein – lends it a slightly unpleasant level of precision at times. Twilight panics over being imprecise in the story, and so her story itself shows her concern by going into detail about her surroundings, at times in ways that are slightly boring. The story is intentionally something that this Twilight Sparkle wrote, and as such, there are bits of Twilight Sparkle sprinkled in there, which enhances the metafictional aspect of it, but at times makes it slightly unpleasant to read.
The story is one of those things where I’m not sure if it is more interesting than it is clever – the conversation is pretty subdued, and not much really happens (a fact lampshaded by Twilight herself in the piece). But at the same time, it is a decent character piece about Twilight, which reflects on Twilight’s own image of herself. And in that, there is something interesting.
That being said, this piece is rather dry, and I can understand why Past TD wasn’t as fond of it as Present TD is. If metafiction interests you, if you like slice of life pieces (and I mean things which are a real slice of life, where not that much happens), and if you want to read about how Twilight thinks about herself, I think there’s something here for you. But if those things put you off, you may not find yourself appreciating this fully.
Recommendation: Worth Reading if you don’t mind the dryness.
Reciprocity
by Tumbleweed
Comedy, Romance
10,409 wordsIt's a simple agreement: Rarity will take Applejack to a proper gallery opening, and in turn, Applejack gets to take Rarity to something called a 'hootenanny.' What could possibly go wrong?
Why I added it: I am a shameless RariJack shipper, and read this long ago and now have to write a review about it.
Review
While this story is set in the same continuity as Tumbleweed’s other stories (most notably I Am Trying to Break Your Heart), those other stories are not required reading to understand this one so long as you can accept the idea that Rarity and Applejack are together.
Rarity had the wonderful idea of taking Applejack out to an art gallery opening, in exchange for Applejack later taking her to a hootenanny (not a hoedown or a barnburner). So begins two Fish out of Water stories, one after the other. The first half of the story concerns Applejack at an art gallery opening, trying (and failing) to appreciate modern art. While Applejack is somewhat familiar with the idea of art (particularly classical stuff, like ponies rising out of the sea in clamshells and lying on couches with certain come-hither looks), the likes of the works of Magritte’s “This is not a pipe apple” and Andy Warhorse’s paintings of cans of soup eludes her.
Naturally, some of the more snooty ponies around (namely Upper Crust, everyone’s favorite upper-class bully) have to comment about Rarity’s… uncultured companion, resulting in Rarity lying to everyone about how Applejack is one of those VERY avant-garde artists. It would have been nice of her to tell Applejack, though…
The second half (or really, third, as dealing with the first scene consumes about 2/3rds of the story) is Rarity going to a very rustic concert with Applejack and getting to hear country music and get jostled by the unwashed masses.
I have to admit that the first half of the story – particularly the second half of the first half, when Applejack finds out just why everypony is staring at her – is my favorite part of it. Applejack is the worst avant-garde artiste possible, save for perhaps her “artistic temperament” (when pressed too far, of course), and the awkward situation Rarity made for her being turned back to be even more embarrassing for Rarity is just a thing of beauty. Rarity and Applejack are wonderful in the way that they bounce off of each other as well as go together, and Rarity and Applejack really try for each other… even though they’re both quite bad at it.
Rarity at the hootenanny is a bit more predictable at first, though it, too, veers off when Applejack gets drug on stage by her second cousin thrice removed to sing a song. It isn’t as funny as the first bit – Applejack being at a fancy art gallery and not getting it (and being thought to be an artist) is just a funnier mental image – but there’s still some fun to be had here, and the whole thing comes together nicely in the conclusion.
This story doesn’t take any major risks in what it is, but it is fun. Who doesn’t love watching Rarity squirm? Who doesn’t want high society ponies to try and get Applejack to paint something for them? If you like watching Applejack and Rarity cause trouble for each other, this story is likely to be up your alley, especially if you like RariJack as a pairing.
Recommendation: Worth Reading.
Playing the Scales
by King of Beggars
Romance
14,283 wordsSpike needs to get out of Ponyville, and when an advertisement for an affordable travel package finds its way into his mailbox, he jumps at the chance. Little does he know that he isn't the only one who took the offer. What will come of his chance meeting with this beautiful mare? Friendship, or something more?
Why I added it: I liked Lies and Lyres, written by the same author, which was about an equally unusual ship (Spike x Lyra), so I was curious as to what his Spike x Octavia fic would be like.
Review
Set about ten years after the present, Spike is a young adult (though still quite small). Rarity finally gave him a shot – perhaps as much out of guilt as anything else – but things went poorly, with Rarity finally ending things with him as it became clear that she didn’t love him, and never did. So Spike decided to take a vacation to clear his head.
Octavia, meanwhile, has problems of her own. Vinyl Scratch has finally made it big, and Octavia, after confessing her feelings for her friend (and being rejected), decided to take a vacation to clear her head.
As Spike sits around in his first-class cabin on the train, flexing at himself in the window, Octavia walks in on him – and can’t help but be amused. The two strike up a quick friendship – which is for the best, as apparently the hotel overbooked rooms, and Octavia doesn’t have anywhere to stay but in Spike’s first class suite…
Sadly, this story didn’t really feel as strong as Liars and Lyres. This story felt rather more contrived. The real problem here was Octavia – while I can buy Spike enjoying music, and the fact that he can play the piano is actually canon, Octavia herself felt like the sort of thing which is designed to appeal to a guy. She’s cute, vulnerable, playful, sexy, gets all over Spike when he’s drunk, and generally just seems very open to Spike, despite the two having been total strangers before the train ride. When Octavia shows her vulnerability, Spike is always there to be chivalrous to her, and clearly expects nothing in return (though he does swiftly take a liking to her).
Ultimately, Octavia feels like a fantasy or wish fulfillment in many ways, and unfortunately, because the story is almost entirely told from Spike’s point of view, she never really grows into a person to me. Octavia is the character we know the least about in this story, having very little canonical personality, and yet by the end of it I’m still not sure if I could really say who Octavia is as a person on any real level, despite the story being almost 14,000 words long.
There is definitely an audience for this sort of thing, and I can’t say that the story wasn’t reasonably written for what it is. But it is not the sort of story I find myself enjoying; Spike is intended as a self-insert for the audience, a chance to be wanted by a beautiful mare and to be gallant for her, while Octavia is the fantasy girlfriend, the wounded lady who gets comforted by a nice, kind of silly guy who isn’t too pushy about pursuing a relationship, but who is there for her in her time of need.
If that’s your sort of thing, then this might light your fires. But it’s not for me.
Recommendation: Not Recommended unless you like romance fantasies.
Summary
While Their Name’s Still Spoken by Estee
Worth Reading
Infernal Machines by Skywriter
Worth Reading
A Short Story by Twilight Sparkle by Skywriter
Worth Reading
Reciprocity by Tumbleweed
Worth Reading
Playing the Scales by King of Beggars
Not Recommended
And there we go!
I actually read even more stories than this, but those reviews will have to wait until another day.
Until then, I hope you all find something to enjoy.
Number of stories still listed as Read It Sooner: 174
Number of stories still listed as Read It Later: 602
Number of stories listed as Read It Eventually: 2105
What's this? 4 out of 5 Worth Reading?
You say that almost like it's a bad thing.
4453183
Turns out that I put stories on my high-priority bookshelf for a reason. It is almost as if I put them there for a reason, like they were recommended to me or that they were written by people whose other works I enjoyed or something.
But that's crazy talk.
Also, two of these were things I had read before I started doing reviews. Though admittedly I hadn't upvoted A Short Story by Twilight Sparkle previously for the reasons noted in my review.
Goodness, you're starting to resemble your physical self with these reviews.
Hmm, wait. Spike knowing how to play the piano is canon? The only instance I can think of is Party Pooped, which might or might not count....
4453193
Indeed, as I believe you were you talking a few reviews ago about how the recommended percentage for "Read It Laters" was actually about equal (and if I remember correctly, turned out to be slightly higher) than for the "Read It Sooners"? Or was that "Later" vs "Eventually"?
4453304 He plays for Pinkie's song in the Appleloosa episode.
Edit: It should be noted that whenever Spike plays the piano, war inevitably follows. Now, I'm not saying this is Spike's fault, but I'm also not saying it isn't.
4453364
Unless we take the Yakyakistan episode to be a retcon, revealing that Spike knows as much about playing the piano as Applejack knows about modern art. It's much less interesting than if Spike was actually decent at piano, having as many fingers as he does, but there's a possibility.
4453376 Possible, but of course we don't know for sure. Personally, I like to think that he can play, but he's not great at it.* With the yaks, I think (t)he(y) went the self-playing piano route because of the yak insistence on perfection, and (t)he(y) didn't want to risk a screw up (but got one anyway).
*I like it when Spike has something that's his own, rather than things directly tied to Twilight like pretty much everything else in his life that we see.
4453364
Oooh, right!
4453376
Maybe he's good, but not bring-yaks-to-tears good, and he knows it?
I strongly recommend everyone read Infernal Machines, because it is the prequel to Contraptionology, which is one of the best stories on this site.
4453384
4453376 After the first time his playing piano started a war, and knowing how violent Yaks are, I think its quite reasonable he would panic and use player piano out of fear.
Contraptionology is one of the best stories on this site! You read that sequel right now!
4453462
I did add it to my You're Next shelf, which is not at all ominously named.
And which is increasingly being populated by novel-length works, almost as if I keep putting off reading the longest stories...
I
Contraptionology. I even recommended it for the RCL's feature-an-author-a-second-time thing, though it didn't win, unfortunately. I'd be very surprised if you didn't enjoy it.