Fic recs, February 24th: Oversaturated World edition! · 7:04pm Feb 24th, 2018
I was finally given a reason to look into FanOfMostEverything's Oversaturated World Equestria Girls AU. What I found was… crazy. So I grabbed a handful or so of stories that looked interesting and turned it into an edition! Go figure!
Since finishing, I've added the rest of the stories to either my RIN or my watch list. I'll try not to oversaturate future blog posts with them. :V No, but seriously, if you're into EQG, you should at least read Oversaturation to see if this AU has anything you'd be interested in, everything else jumps off from that story.
EQG tag is assumed for all of these. AU tag is assumed for all but the first.
H: 1 R: 3 C: 5 V: 1 N: 0
Oversaturation by FanOfMostEverything
Read by Fimfiction
Genre: Adventure
The introduction of Equestrian magic to the human world is having greater effects than Sunset could have imagined.
Every now and then, I'm reminded that shortskirtsandexplosions likes to use the word "kaizo", and that while I don't actually know what it means when he does (it's literally Japanese for "reorganize" or "restructure" and is used as the word for ROM hacking), sometimes there are stories for which it is the best descriptor. Take, for instance, this mishmash melee of EQG headcanon, turned up to eleven so we can watch things explode and then gush about how fucking awesome they are. I don't mean that as a slight; in fact, the worst I can say about this is that all that headcanon leaves it often feeling unfocused. There are asides for things like explaining where Vinyl got her transforming car from, or to show human Rainbow Dash preening, not because they add to the plot, but because they're fun. And fun is definitely what this story is, for all that I spent a significant portion of it going "What?" It may exist solely to kick off the Oversaturated World AU, but it's quite the ride, and if you like magic-fueled rainbow explosions, this is pretty much that, in text form.
Recommended
One Day I Found a Multiverse in My Pajamas by FanOfMostEverything
Read by Fimfiction
Sequel to Oversaturation
Genre: Alarm Clock
Ditzy Doo's new normal: Being flung through the multiverse to crash-land in the Everfree Forest.
I kind of hate that I can sum this story up by referencing a completely different fanfic, but come on: it's multiversal shenanigans starring Derpy. (Why do they always star Derpy?) This is fun, as fics of its sort are, and if I felt it was maybe light on the adventure and resolved itself easily, it's likely due to having read a couple others like it already. Really, it's just setting up how the multiverse works in Oversaturated World, along with the further setup in the final scene. It's still enjoyable, and Queegee in Equestria is something I've only just started to see recently, so it's fairly prescient.
Recommended for Fans of Multiversal Shenanigans
Anon-a-Miss Tip by FanOfMostEverything
Sequel to One Day I Found a Multiverse in My Pajamas
Genre: Anon-a-Miss/Alarm Clock
Ditzy Doo tries to solve a multidimensional mystery. She's not very good at it.
So here's the reason I started doing this edition in the first place. Funnily enough, I was all but ready to skip over it when I first saw it (until I noticed FOME had written it, anyway) because my god Anon-a-Miss has really been a thing recently, hasn't it, and I'm kind of sick of seeing it in the featured box! But when FOME promised me Sudsy Bubbles, well, ain't no way I'm gonna pass that up. :V This is a much better dimensional shenanigans piece than its predecessor, which was more interested in setup. That said, it's also split not quite evenly between that and the Anon-a-Miss stuff, which… Come on, fandom, that comic was complete crap, why are we so focused on it years later? D: I'm not sure if this was a reaction to said trend, but if it is, it's likely one of the few that does justice to the idea. I'm just also not sure if there's much of a reason to read this beyond certain links to certain other fics. V:
Recommended If You're Tired of Anon-a-Miss Fics
What Shy Did on Her Summer Vacation by FanOfMostEverything
Read by Fimfiction
Genre: Transformation/Horror
No one expected Twilight to turn Fluttershy into a tree. Fewer expected Fluttershy would enjoy it.
Time for that old cherry: this elevates "I'd like to be a tree" to its ultimate, and very dark, pinnacle. And actually, it does the same for The Oversaturated World itself, justifying Tree Hugger's inclusion in the original story (in the most amazing way possible) and getting into some of the nitty-gritty about how the world works now, not to mention letting us know that, no, Sunset is not a god, something I was really wondering about. But the focus is Fluttershy turning into a tree and kind of not really wanting to go back. A lot. This is what I want to see from transformation stories. The gradual way Fluttershy begins losing herself amplifies the horror inherent in her situation, a horror that is actually derived from the deepest recesses of her own soul, as the final chapter shows us. I just really can't praise this enough; this story is why you should read this AU.
Highly Recommended
Rise of the Wholesome by Masterweaver
Read by Fimfiction
Sequel to Oversaturation
Genre: World-Building
FOME is not the only author who writes for this verse! I have to start by criticizing this for being a very naked attempt at conceptualizing changelings in Equestria Girls, and how their magic works after Oversaturation. Chrysalis spends six of the seven chapters talking one-on-one with the humane seven, which didn't make a lick of sense in-universe, because I'm pretty sure she's supposed to be a teacher. Along with a former porn star. And Principal Luna's ex-girlfriend. And the leader of an orgy cult. >.> Suffice to say, I never quite got a handle on who she was. Who she becomes is nevertheless interesting, and there's a lot of really fascinating use of the setting at play here. I was equally intrigued by the author's decision to place all the 'action' offscreen; this is just about those conversations she has while trying to get a response from Sunset, which she interestingly never does. So, structurally, this has some issues, but overall, it's a successful and worthwhile look into a version of Chrysalis who isn't exactly a bad guy, but not exactly a good guy, either.
Recommended for Changeling Fans
Then Goes the Neighborhood by FanOfMostEverything
Read by Fimfiction
Sequel to One Day I Found a Multiverse in My Pajamas
Genre: Multiverse Shenanigans
Attempting to mess with space-time can have repercussions in unexpected places.
No way I'm gonna pass up reading a fic whose cover art is Sunset slapping Starlight. :V So this piece is a lot of faffing around to reconcile the events of The Cutie Re-Mark with the Oversaturated World and maybe set things up for later. It comes in three distinct parts. First, we have Sunset collapsing in class and Twilight going to investigate what the Equestrians were doing to create a high-dimensional temporal wave, and now I'm going to pause to say what is up with these stories? D: What I just wrote very precisely describes what happens in part one of this story, yet I couldn't tell you what it means. I noticed this with Alarm Clock's sequels, as well. It's like authors who enjoy multidimensional stuff will write a story to lay out their ideas and how the universe is going to function, to a point, and then just take off from there with all their crazy notions, leaving the reader to flounder behind, nodding their head and smiling and having no idea what the fuck is going on. Anyway, the second part is about Starlight realizing the true scope of what she did with that time-travel spell, then going to the human world to… be immediately forgiven? It seemed like a lot of ado about nothing to me, is what I'm getting at. The final chapter has two parts, and it's the second part that really makes this story interesting, but again, it's just setup for something later. There's no resolution here, and if I'm being honest, there's barely a story. It's not bad, to be sure, just disjointed, a collection of ideas lacking an overarching narrative or theme.
Recommended Only for Fans of Multidimensional Shenanigans
Unfriendly Competition by FanOfMostEverything
Genre: AU
Yeah, I said the AU tag was going to be assumed, but this is literally "What if Friendship Games happened in the Oversaturated World?" And aside from the obvious, we start off with things like Twilight already repping CHS in Sunset's place. (Her place in Crystal Prep is taken by Moondancer. Also, there's a little EQG-based retelling of Simple Ways and Amending Fences.) Because of that, this isn't exactly a "Friendship Games the way it should have been done", for all that Abacus Cinch is a more dramatic villain and effort was put into giving the Shadowbolts actual personalities. (That second reason alone makes this worth reading.) But this is quite nearly as insane as Oversaturated itself was, and, What Shy Did aside, might actually be my favorite entry in the 'verse canon, certainly in terms of tone-matching. Suffice to say, I've always said that FG would have been better if it had had more fist fights, and this story proves me right. :V
Recommended
Fey Breeze by Masterweaver
Sequel to What Shy Did on Her Summer Vacation
Read by Fimfiction
Genre: Fantasy
The awakening of magic in the human world catches the attention of those long forgotten.
So one big event in the last story was Indigo Zap zapping herself out of reality somehow, so thoroughly that even Derpy couldn't find her. FOME directed me to this story to find out more, and lo, the Unsaturated ride never ends. :V This isn't exactly "What happened to Indigo Zap, the story", but we do find an answer to that question and it's, uh… it's pretty disturbing! Mostly, this is an attempt to bring faeries into the realm of EQG, and it's all around creative and interesting. Sure, it's got a lot of the trappings of what I know about fairy stories (read: anything that appeared in The Dresden Files), chief among which is opacity. >.> Rarely did I feel like I had a good grasp of what was going on in this story, with character motivations (why was Zephyr Breeze important again?) and sometimes even major plot points (what was Fluttershy's pact with Seabreeze?) just completely passing me by. I did still find a lot to enjoy, most especially heroic badass Tree Hugger. Like, her role in the Oversaturated World just continues to impress me; I love the way the authors use her. If you like high fantasy and want to see someone put Breezies into Humania (aside: my biggest complaint with this story is that Seabreeze is not Swedish enough D: ), this will probably be a fun read. And hopefully, you won't get quite so lost as I did.
Recommended for Fans of Faerie Lore
Sugarcatharsis by FanOfMostEverything
Sequel to Oversaturation
Genre: Comedy
Some students at Crystal Prep actually miss Twilight…
I am so reading these out of order, I don't even. @_@ This, for instance, comes prior to Unfriendly Competition because Friendship Games, meaning I know who Sugarcoat ends up dating. (I guess? Got confirmation of it in the last story, but it just seems to have kind of happened…) I actually wish I had read this first, because this is the story that really gives the Shadowbolts actual character (and explains wtf was up with Indigo, I never could quite figure her out). Other than that, this story is weirdly paced. I mean, it's all about Sugarcoat going to CHS to check on Twilight and basically tell her she has a crush on her, in perfect Sugarcoatian style. But for all the buildup, the final scene just happens, and then it's done, and it was just somehow anticlimactic. Maybe this is one of those "journey, not destination" stories. I mean, getting to see all those wacky personalities for the Shadowbolts definitely makes that journey worthwhile!
Recommended for Shadowbolts Fans
Swirled by Masterweaver
Genre: Character Piece
I don't think I've ever seen EQG Screwball before. This takes place around Unfriendly Competition, part before it, part after, and all of it nuts. Well, it's actually fairly sad, our main character is in an asylum and regularly visited by family members, as well as the things only she can see. It maybe goes a little overboard with the weird names for those things, but what I got out of it was the ridiculous amount of interconnected family ties among main characters. Just, trust me, if you've been reading these stories, this will floor you. And, I dunno, it was thoroughly interesting.
Recommended
Silicon Tiara by FanOfMostEverything
Read by Fimfiction
Genre: Sci-Fi
Trust Diamond Tiara to teach computers how to fear.
One thing I notice about a lot of these stories is they tend to be centered around ideas like "what if [CANON EVENT] happened in the Oversaturated World?" or "what is X character's role in the Oversaturated World?" This one fits into the latter category, but when you're dealing with characters like the CMCs, who don't have pre-established roles in Equestria Girls to begin with, the effect is somewhat lessened. Diamond Tiara as software whiz? Sure, why not, you don't even need an AU to justify it. So this is different and interesting, but if it's got one problem, it's pacing. It seemed to me that major plot points were just kind of sped over, or outright ignored, and the whole thing comes off as compressed. The idea, I'm pretty sure, is that the materials used to make computer parts come from rocks that are now alive, because magic, and this changes how computers work in the world. Except that very fundamental idea is only posited in the description, its treatment in the story so subtle as to be nonexistent. There's a lot of really cool concepts in this story that just aren't considered in any great depth, so this may leave sci-fi fans feeling a tad underwhelmed.
Recommended If You Don't Mind Fast Pacing
Multifaceted by SaintAbsol
Side-Story to As Horns and Halos Surround You
Read by Fimfiction
Genre: Shipping
Sometimes, honesty needs a little help.
I'm not sure I'd read Horns and Halos yet when I added this story to this list. How fortuitous! And what an intriguing concept to port over to the OW. Unfortunately, I found it didn't quite play out as interestingly as it could have. You're going to have to have read Horns and Halos to understand what's going on here, but if you have, then there's nothing new about the concept save "they're human". Worse, the shipping tag gives away the entire plot: this is just a mutual love confession, aided by the Honorable Recorders. So in the end, there's not really anything to recommend, unless you're somehow more interested in EQG than MLP. It was a worthwhile experiment, at least.
Vaguely Recommended
And for those who care, I'm not really sure what's coming next. My audiobook list is now fully alternating Winged T. Spears and not-Winged T. Spears, so I think I'm gonna clean it out and fill it back up with new readers. I'm reading a big story for one thing, I've got two more big stories to read for another thing, and then there's a third thing I keep forgetting about so D:
That's what I'm sayin'
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What actually is this Oversaturated thing?
I'll be honest, I have been dreading this blog since you started reading Oversaturation. I'm equal parts proud of this setting and all too aware of its shortcomings. The generally positive reception comes as a tremendous relief. Thank you for taking the time to look over my madness.
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An AU that started by asking why EqG humans have cutie marks, then spiraled out from there to a ludicrous degree.
I had no idea this was a thing, but now I am very curious.
If you're looking for new readers, Captain unstoppable was just asked for permission to do a reading of "Pillow Talk" by a group that so far has only animations posted to their YT channel, but they want to branch out. Who knows, they might turn out to be good.
Oh, and that cover art of Sunset slapping Starlight is a Batman meme, in case you didn't know.
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So, the one thing I want, and am hoping exists but won't be surprised if it doesn't, is a story exploring religion in this universe.
It needs to start with the question, "Is there religion in Equestria?" When Sunset traded acceptance of magic for the secrecy of icons, did she do so out of arrogance? "They're just cutie marks, what's the big deal?"
What I really want to know is, what is Sunset's life now? She's trying to live as a mortal while being anything but, but she's surrounded by worshippers. She refuses to be called a god, but what is a god? And are there any clergy of the old guard religion who don't appreciate their usurpation? For that matter, what the fuck was even up with that religion in the first place?
...I expect a first draft on my desk by Friday. :V
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I know. :V
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It's something I've hesitated to explore, in part because of the minefield I'd be skipping through and in part because religion hasn't been a major part of my life. Funnily enough, there is one story that appears to draw some inspiration from the Oversaturated World (though not part of it) that's doing an amazing job of exploring the religious angle, along with a lot of questions that spurred me start this project in the first place: McPoodle's On Getting to the Bottom of this "Equestrian" Business. Still ongoing, but you may want to keep an eye on it.
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I dunno if we're friended on Discord, but if we aren't, we should be. >.>