"Thou Goddess", "Wild, Sweet, and Cool", and "Flitter" · 9:23pm Mar 3rd, 2014
I have updated my primary recommendations list. A top spot has been stolen by Horizon's "Thou Goddess", displacing two other very worthy stories with its poetic beauty. There is scarcely a height of acclaim I would not believe it deserves (which is more or less the Primary Recommendations entry requirement). Perhaps this passion will fade under some future sun, but it is solid now.
As I have written this post to record all the changes this sentiment inspires, I will have a record if I regret myself.
"Wild, Sweet, and Cool" by Kwakerjak is displaced into the secondary line. I have always had an unaccountably lukewarm reaction to the story. It is excellent friendshipping. It delves unobtrusively into xenofiction at key points. It extends the world marvelously, believably, and durably. If any of that appeals to you, Wild, Sweet, and Cool is highly recommended. I cannot account for my lukewarm reaction. It is a good story, but I am trusting my instincts by moving it down in favor of a new entrant.
"Flitter" by Nyerguds goes off the list. I love changeling worldbuilding, but I already have Mendacity in the primary recommendations. I also have some quiet reservations about the world presented in Flitter. Nevertheless, and as always, losing my recommendation is not to be seen as a sign that the story has declined somehow. My recommendation slots are quite contested among the stories on the site. Flitter is thoroughly worth reading. If you like seeing changelings and emotion-eating as something other than impersonal minions spreading a zombie plague, if you like stirring stories of cultural wounds being healed, go read Flitter.
Wow, I'm hearing "read Thou Goddess" coming from every direction. I really must make a little time to see what the fuss is about.
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I think the technical term for what is being observed here is "storm of good publicity", although I flatter myself to think calling it a cacophony of fanfares apt as well.
Wow, thanks! I'm honored I've managed to come up with something so powerful.
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I'm as surprised as anyone! It literally got word-of-mouthed into the featurebox; when Bad Horse's signal boost went live (which predated CQ's and Skywriter's; if there are other blog recs out there, I'd love to know about them), it had dropped off the front page without even making the Popular Stories list.
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Also Bradel and Ghost in my email inbox, as it happens.
Anyway, that's how I wish the feature box worked. I generally only trust stuff getting in there to have an enticing description and good first paragraph, if that.
Certainly going on my to read list for next time I go on a ponyfic binge. (I am a binge reader.)
FWIW, I restrict my recommendation box(es) to "In practice, I did read this again, and again thought it worth recommending." That's why Eternal is not on there---I've only read it once---and why (if I recall correctly) Boneyard is no longer on there---it's good, I'm sure, but I didn't have a "I'd recommend this" feel to it.
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That happened to me with Height. I still owe you a monster comment on that, BTW.
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Everything on my recommendations list has been read at least twice, as well! It's not a formal rule for me, but I have to be quite passionate about something to really think it measures up to the other items listed, and that passion in turn translates to a belief that these are benchmarks and study materials for my own skills. I reread my highest recommendations in order to become a better writer.
Thou Goddess got bonus points in that concern. Part of what I loved about it was that it sent me scurrying off to do immediate research, then coming back. I enjoyed the story and I enjoyed the research it provoked. It felt epiphanic and hopeful.