It Is Recommendsday, My Dudes #12 · 6:49pm Jun 9th, 2021
This week, our bigger name storyteller is The Hat Man, best known for why everything is better with robots (and one of the most adorable Maud ships). The story - The Spirit of Radio - actually touches on one of the themes of his better known works: technological advancement in society.
Twilight's set up the beginnings of a radio network throughout Equestria. The mechanical parts are done, but she's confronted with an Armstrong-esque issue: with this brand new medium that's likely going to revolutionize Equestria, what will be the first thing broadcast? The very first thing any pony hears from a radio in their home?
It's a momentous choice, so she gathers three musical geniuses to decide: Vinyl Scratch, Octavia Melody and Sapphire Shores. Three highly disparate personalities and approaches, tasked with finding a musical piece that will be the first universally heard. No pressure.
The story itself isn't complex (and it ends unsurprisingly), but it's a wonderful little glimpse into a momentous moment of history and three interesting characters interacting with it.
Our lesser known piece is Silent Night, Starry Night by NonAlcoholicMartini.
While the story is tagged as Vinyl, Octavia and Romance, it's... well, it stands out to me by the very unique approach to a well-trod pairing. See, the story is actually about Carol Martelé, the violinist and how she falls in love with Jingle Jolly, the phonograph enthusiast. And about the rocks in the way of their highly socially unacceptable love.
A perfect piece for Pride, it's short, adorable and packs a lot of punch that has deep resonance for issues you can probably figure out from the description. It's one of those real hidden gems of stories that has gotten far too little attention for how good it is.
New or catching up? Try Recommendsday: The Index for your story needs!
Recommendsgay lol