Fic recs, October 26th! · 1:36am Oct 27th, 2023
Albi was recently in an accident and could use some assistance! I'm very glad I hadn't yet posted this blog today!
Lotus Moon has done a reading of boardgamebrony's The Thing at the Edge of Sleep!
And VisualPony has done readings of InkRose's Zecora Eats a Pear and Jonesly's Aftershocks, I Swear!
H: 1 R: 5 C: 4 V: 1 N: 3
EXCLUSIVE: Where Are the Rainbooms Now? by Dubs Rewatcher
Reading by VisualPony
Genre: EQG Comedy
It's been two years since they graduated. What are they up to?
Once again, Dubs Rewatcher brings a hilarious fic. Did you know he's a real journalist? Probably not relevant. This is just a quick string of short scenes, most of which take the piss out of the Humane Six (Sci-Twi doesn't make an appearance), and all of which are just so intensely funny. I was also impressed at how much is crammed into each, especially Applejack's! It's like, a whole lifetime's worth of drama and regret. Or at least two years' worth.
Recommended
Hidden Feelings by paxtofettel
Reading by Agent0Fluffy
Genre: Shipping/Drama
Ponyville's most fashionable mare is unable to express her feelings to the pony she loves, the smart young mare from Canterlot.
You can tell this is an old fic — well, it's got a four-digit story number, but that's not important — not only because it introduces us in great detail to both Rarity and the Carousel Boutique, but because it starts off with basically, "a boutique shaped like a carousel… what's up with that?" Never seen any story be so perplexed by the existence of horse-a-round house before. Anyway, you like that really awkward summary I wrote up there? It's intentional. The writing in this story is so awkward and simplistic, it's almost comical. I was definitely low-key expecting a punchline, that's how bad it is. And the underlying story, once you get through all the introduction, is just a very, very basic confession. I realized about halfway through that the note in the description about this being a request was telling; I get the sense that the author's heart just was not in this. It shows in the lack of effort both in the execution as well as not trying to make the story any more original. I hate to pan the entire thing, but that kind of tell is pretty killer. Though points for Twilight calling Rarity a worse liar than Applejack, that was funny.
Not Recommended
Flutters' Secret by Flutterprincess
Reading by VisualPony
Genre: Slice of Life
After Twilight asks Fluttershy about her past, she runs off in distress. What could she be hiding?
Credit where it's due, this gets all the points for originality. I've never seen this particular secret of Fluttershy's before. That being said, this is also the author's first story, so it leaves something to be desired in terms of execution. Mostly, the sequence of events just did not seem to me to be something people would actually do? I kind of don't want to get any deeper than that, just in case anyone wants to try the story themselves. It's not much of a mystery, though, so don't expect you'll have anything to figure out before you're just told what's going on.
Vaguely Recommended
Rainbow Dash's Confession by StripyFlash
Reading by Agent0Fluffy, MuseScript and Fluffy Craft
Genre: Shipping
After a day of pranks that may have gone too far, Rainbow Dash comforts her best friend.
Well, here's a cute old fic that mines Griffon the Brush-Off for every last ounce of ship fuel! It has a certain delightful awkwardness about it, as a comfort scene just suddenly snowballs into kissing out of nowhere. Very clearly someone's first attempt at writing romance, but not too bad for it. Though Pinkie's feigned homophobic reaction to Rainbow's confession is not, and never was, funny, so YMMV a bit.
Recommended for Shippers
Pinkie Pie Organizes the Library by The Engineer Pony
Reading by VisualPony
Genre: Random Comedy?
The question mark is there because despite as goofy as this story is, the author didn't use those tags. And I have to wonder why! Don't take that as any kind of warning, though. If you like stories about Pinkie being Pinkie, this delivers. It's even based around making a joke out of a canon scene!
Recommended for Pinkie Fans
Her Prince by FlameingToast
Reading by Agent0Fluffy
Genre: Shipping
After seeing Rarity run crying into her house, Twilight goes to check on her.
I would compare this unfavorably to Rainbow Dash's Confession, though the only thing they really have in common is going from a heartfelt comfort scene directly into kissing at the drop of a hat. Worse, this starts off with an entire scene that has absolutely nothing to do with the eventual plot. The main part could have been greatly expanded if we started with Twilight seeing Rarity in tears; no attempt to explain why she was out of her castle was necessary. And expansion is what this needs, because aside from the very abrupt shift to shipping, the writing in this is pretty simplistic, akin to how one might tell a story off the top of their head. Everything's matter-of-fact and straightforward, and it doesn't fit the action at all. You can't really get into deep, emotional dialogue if everything's this flat. So, while hardly terrible, I don't feel this really works.
Not Recommended
Zecora's Life Story by Homage
Reading by VisualPony
Genre: World-Building
Ohhh boy. It was not that long ago I read not one, but two very good poem stories, one of them about Zecora. Going into this one, I had just a tiny inkling of hope that perhaps there would be a third. Alas. This is the sort of story that makes me appreciate those others so very much. If you ignore that this is trying to be poetry and just read the words, it's not too bad, giving us some solid Zebrican world-building. But the writing itself is just horribly tortured: meter, rhyme, word choice, all strangled in an attempt to tell Zecora's story in her own voice.
Not Recommended
Beautiful by RarityEQM
Reading by Agent0Fluffy
Genre: Shipping
Rarity shows Applejack her own beauty.
Oh damn. This is just a vignette, but as a Rarijack shipper, it is goddamn amazing! I've never seen someone do this in a story, not to overhype it. It's a pretty simple concept, really, it's just a question of putting it to paper and making it work! And boy does it work! Also, now I know what the "EQM" in the author's name meant, something I've always wondered about. :) Highly Recommended for Shippers
Recommended
Wet Paint by Silent Whisper
Reading by VisualPony
Genre: Dark
At the Canterlot Art Museum, there is a painting, painted by an art student of all ponies. But there's something just so… unusual about it…
For being so short, this rather blew me away. I honestly don't want to say too much about it! You'll likely also be thrilled by the highly visual imagery in the very first paragraph — not just describing how things look, but how colors are perceived by the eye. By the end, they're even seeing things that aren't there! I will say I'm a bit iffy on the victim list, and the description does a bit more than its share of heavy lifting, but in the name of keeping the story short, it works so damn well!
Highly Recommended
C'mon Rarity! by Vera_The_Pegasister
Reading by Agent0Fluffy
Genre: Rom-Com
Applejack and Rarity's first date has a bit of a rocky run.
Why ship Rarity and Applejack, I hear some of you ask. They're so different, they're just going to be causing drama the whole time. Well, yes. Yes, they are. And that drama is great. :) And even better, once the drama is over, you get an even sweeter makeup. So it goes with this fic, which is just a wonderful time. AJ and Rarity are just chock full of personality, both of them giving their A-game, and so it perfectly encapsulates what I love about this ship. I'll admit, I was surprised this was only their first date, but hey. Why not? Why not have them start at 110%? That's what makes them a fun pairing, after all!
Recommended
Flash Sentry by shortskirtsandexplosions
Reading by VisualPony
Genre: EQG
Flash Sentry is a normal boy going to normal high school.
Okay first things first: It took reading the comments, but I'm pretty sure this was from the one April Fools' Day where a bunch of authors wrote stories and posted them on each others' accounts. In this case, skirts and Cold in Gardez did the swap. So that's a thing, not that I'm sure it's necessary to understand the story. No, instead, having it on the appropriate account lets you know something's up. Everything about this story screams "things are perfectly normal, don't look behind the curtain" and that's precisely what's going on. I think it makes a statement about how life at Canterlot High tends to go for everyone who isn't in Sunset's cadre of friends, not even her ex. There is one part of one sentence, placed masterfully about ⅚ of the way in, that changes everything, yet is never explained, and it was precisely the shoe I was waiting to see drop once I realized just how eminently plain the writing was. Like, the kind of writing that screams "everything is normal, don't look behind the curtain".
Recommended
Sparkling Diamonds by CleverlyDmented
Reading by Agent0Fluffy
Genre: Shipping
Twilight hadn't meant to say the words. They just… slipped out.
So this is an interesting way to approach shipping, given that not only does it happen in medias res, but the first half or so is just Twilight's thoughts about an extended kiss. Beyond that, there isn't much that makes this stand out, but at least it's got something.
Recommended for Shippers Only
Solace in Unexpected Places by Wubtavia
Reading by VisualPony
Genre: Comedy
Chrysalis hasn't exactly had the best luck in her schemes.
This calls itself slice of life. I call it comedy because a lot of time is spent lightly mocking Chrysalis' past efforts, in a way I enjoy. One could perhaps rightly say it's a bit of everything, since that's not the point of the story. Regardless, this is a fun post-season-six short. It was nice to see something quite so irreverent while also not being entirely silly.
Recommended
If Great Things to Small Ones Could Compare by Cynewulf
Reading by Agent0Fluffy, Optic Rainfall and ThunderspeakVA
Genre: R63 Shipping
Relaxing during a storm one evening, Dusk Shine is surprised by a knock at his door.
Sometimes, you just wanna see stallions kiss each other, and that means you gotta make your own stallions. Sometimes, that means OCs; sometimes, it means rule 63. Because, y'know, hipster twink Fluttershy is an entire mood. And Cynewulf did a solid job making them familiar as characters, but definitely different since they're both dudes. Also, the pacing in this is a strong point, giving the story room to breathe so we can get used to these two instead of jumping straight to a confession. Though it's maybe got a little too much room, since there's time for a diverting daydream about Butterscotch trying to socialize with a bear, not to mention a reference to Would It Matter If I Was? (Published barely a week before this story!) But if nothing else, the story successfully demonstrates why these two would be into each other, so if you want a calm, relaxing, light romance, this is definitely a keeper.
Recommended for Shippers
Thank you so much! Honestly, Wet Paint was a speedwrite, and I couldn't think of a better victim for the first one while editing and polishing it, not to play that role at least. I'm glad you liked it! It was one where I tried to see how much I could say without outright saying it, and how many ways I could describe colors.
5752390
oh yeah, that all definitely worked :D
What a lovely young pegasus
Well, a couple more to add to my list. An electronic version of the ever-growing pile of books on my physical to-be-read shelf.
I need to find someone to pay me to read. I mean, I still wouldn't ever finish either stack,* but I'd get a lot further along.
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* Which is okay by me. How sad would it be to completely run out of books you want to read before you croak?
5752512
I have previously been paid in books!
...This seems somehow self-defeating :B
5752553
I'd call it a win-win situation, but certain possible biases of mine come into play there!