PP vs. The Head · 4:37pm August 15th
What constitutes a "fandom classic" these days? I've always based my vs. posts on whether or not I've heard of a story, generally, and what I've heard others say about it. But one could argue that, at this point, anything written prior to… say, 2013, that has a four-digit view count and a mostly-green thumb bar could be a fandom classic, regardless of whether anyone today has heard of it or not. Old stories just have been around long enough to develop those sorts of numbers.
What, then, can be said of a story published in 2022? Is mushroompone's The Head just too new to have "classic" status?
Before we get into that discussion, first I'd like to say a few words about the reading done by Villanilla, aka CalicoPegasus, linked directly from the story's description.
This is not, I would say, the best way to experience the story. She's got good delivery, and a solid Starlight voice, but this is marred considerably by the editing choices. First, there are a lot of sentences or parts of sentences that have had all the intervening space removed, making them rushed. Second, she's put so much reverb on her voice, I think it crosses the line into "echo". It's really hard to focus on, and after a brief shower, I elected to read the rest myself. (Although, that said, the other story on her channel as I write this sounds interesting enough that I'm going to give her another chance!)
Now. On to the review.
Forget about 'classics' for a minute.
You have got to read this story.
Like, okay, okay, I get that you might be hesitant due to the M rating and Gore tags, and that's fair. There are, if I'm not mistaken, exactly three moments where the spot where Ocellus' head was is described in great detail, and yes, it's gory. This is presented entirely to pile on the body horror, and if you think you might have a problem with that…
Honest to god, just read until the first one happens and measure your reaction from there. c_c It's so worth it, guys. This is so good.
We've got a story set between the final two episodes of the show, where Starlight is Headmare of the School of Friendship. Trixie as guidance counselor shows up, but of course the plot revolves around an adult Ocellus who's stayed at the school as a teacher. And… You know, I just realized that if you check the tags, they actually spoil the mystery. <_< Not that the mystery is the entire point — and of course, those content warning tags are very necessary — I think I'm maybe just amazed that I never noticed them till now. Weird.
Anyway, once the description happens and Ocellus shows up to her class without a head, we have a sprawling, tense mystery where Starlight can only wonder how this happened, while also dealing with the fact that her friend and former student is dead but also here, somehow.
And so we're drawn into a place where changelings, even reformed ones, are a lot more like insects than one might have assumed, where cultural crossover is a point of conflict, and where questions like "What does it mean to be dead?" suddenly become very, very pertinent. This is, if anything, a meditation on the nature of death, and when I say that, realize I mean more the substance of death, and not just "what might lie beyond the veil?" which is along the lines of what one might think when they hear a question like "what is death?"
No, in this case, we have Starlight frustrated by changeling cultural norms, as dictated to her by… Honestly, I'm not sure who the character is supposed to be, even in-story? Another faculty member? An ambassador of some kind? Minor note. But the point is, these insect-like horses are capable of, well, living without body parts, and vice versa, and because of something something Chrysalis, they don't consider a changeling dead until all of that changeling is dead. And so Starlight is put in a situation where she has to keep this headless, mobile body around, tied down to something so it doesn't bump into ponies and get goop everywhere, while she tries very, very hard to act like everything is perfectly okay when actually nothing is.
Tension is the name of the game here. The way Ocellus' body is introduced in the very first scene is… frankly, almost comedic. It stumbles into the classroom, the students are all wondering what the hell is going on, until something happens that lets them know, no, this is very wrong, and then all hell breaks loose. But from that point on, we're stuck in Starlight's mind, alongside this thing that she's been tasked with caring for, and that she has decided to pretend is not actually her former student and friend, no matter what anyone else says.
I think the fact that we're so closely involved in Starlight's mindset is what makes this work. Trixie shows up to throw a wrench in things, to try and get her to lighten up, see things the changelings' way, be more accepting of the fact that Ocellus is dead and this is just how things have to go, all to no avail. Starlight knows this treatment is wrong, she knows it, and The Body, with capital letters like that, starts to haunt the edges of her vision. It hearkens back to The Telltale Heart, really, and everything she experiences, everything she holds inside for the duration of this story, culminates in a final scene that…
Wow. Man. I was not prepared for that. It is as jarring as it is gruesome, disturbing and fascinating. What a way to end a story.
I'm not actually certain at this point if I'm not just rambling, because this is the kind of story I could ramble on about for quite a bit. c_c And all those disconnected rambles would come back to the same thesis: It's so good, you guys.
I remember when this story was published. I remember the instant hype that sprang up around it. I remember looking at the story page, the description and cover art, and just knowing this was something special. And two years later, I can say all that hype was absolutely worth it. It's not gonna be for everyone, but for those willing to take the chance, you will find yourself rewarded!
But of course, you don't need me telling you that, since every other fic reviewer already got to The Head before me. :V
5/5
A masterpiece of horror writing.
I forget a lot of stories, especially one-shots. I'm not proud of it. But they can often go in one ear and out the other for me.
This one I remember vividly years after reading it.
I suspect, in the most simplistic sense (which may not even be accurate), is that a story becomes a classic when two things happen: 1) enough time passes and it's still talked about (which you cannot know ahead of the time), and 2) it's a story that, after you've read it, you have a feeling it's going to last a lot longer than most others.
Unfortunately, that's a lot of mumbo-jumbo, a psychedelic, semi-religious fervor in place of scientific explanation. Then again, even the term, "classic," is controversial, as for much of literary history, that's been geared towards White Male Authors, at least in an imperialist or even colonialist perspective (perhaps post-colonialism, too). Perhaps there's irony in how that word shares much of the same roots as classism, then.
At any rate, The Head really is as good as they say it is, and it remains one of my favorite stories on this site. I suspect it does something that many horror fanfic classics do not despite them being classics - being a good story while also having the staying power of a classic. But to delve into that, and into my complicated feelings regarding classic fandom horror, would necessitate there being an entirely different blog post to respond to.
I'm so happy to see that 5/5 rating. There's absolutely no doubt in my mind at all that this is a classic. I read it rather than listened, so the audio reader issue didn't apply, but never mind that. It's a sensational story, and even if mushroompone hadn't written anything else worthy of note (which the existence of Womb alone would render a ridiculous idea) this would be sufficient for their name to be known by all. Or should be, anyway.
100% agreed. The Head is absolutely top tier.
Yeah that one was good. Thanks for recommending it!
I am genuinely awestruck by the continuing reaction to this fic.
I was inspired to write it while helping my younger sister fight a roach infestation in her crappy college apartment. I had just recently read Stephen King's On Writing, where he outlines his (utterly deranged) writing process wherein he... thinks up an idea and writes. No outline, no plan, 100% linear. He likes to "discover" the story as he goes, apparently. I figured "hey, let's give it a go! I haven't pantsed a story since 2016. This idea seems like a good way to experiment." Not exactly the formula for a particularly good fic.
I won't lie and say I didn't know it was any good—I was very proud of it, and nervous to the point that I had to have someone else physically click the button to post it. I think the greatest shock was how many people were willing to brave the content warnings and give it a go, even before the true "buzz" about it had really started. The second greatest is how many people are still talking about it two years later!! I posted the story thinking it was going to be seen as entirely unapproachable. Maybe a friend or two of mine would enjoy it, but any other readers wouldn't even consider giving it a try. The response was, and is, completely mind-blowing.
Thank you so much for your kind words and for elevating this piece to be worthy of a vs. post!! I'm so glad you enjoyed it, and I'm warmed that you've dedicated so much space to it here. I'm doubly warmed by the folks who beat me to commenting—you are all such lovely people, and your support means the world to me! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
Ooh, I remember this one. It was very good. I didn't like it at all, but I don't regret reading it.
5798709
My pleasure! :D I'm just sorry it took me so damn long, I had originally intended to read it the month it went up!
5798739
honestly, this is the kind of reaction I wanna see :O not many people can say, "yes, it's good, it's just not for me"
This was such a damn good story. One of the 'modern' classics of the fandom, certainly.
Okay, well, I can't not check out something with praise that strong! Also I somehow don't come across much compelling body horror, curious to learn from this one.
Somehow missed this in my feed until your post today remarking on you doing two of your posts on consecutive days. Good thing I checked back to see what the first of those two covered!
I really can’t add anything to this – and point of fact, I think you really got to a lot of why it’s so good and is still being talked about (looking back at my old review, you sell it much better), so pat yourself on the back bud, you wrote a fine review!
Truly one of those horror/gore fics where you just gotta read it anyway, as you note, and that we’re still talking about it nearly two years later proves it’s as classic and evergreen as one of these fics get. Which I think is a much bigger sign then mere view count – there are newer fics with higher view counts that very much acclaimed, but which still wouldn’t feel of a piece with this one’s reputation.
5798902
I've never seen it approached quite the way this does! :D