Fic recs, March 12th · 12:51pm Mar 12th, 2014
Nothing in particular to say today. This day has been weird so far. I ate a weird orange. How are you?
H: 2 R: 2 C: 1 V: 1 N: 2
Cute Without the “E” by Regidar
Reading by Ender Brony
Pretty good reader! Decent attempt at differentiating characters, and minimal interruptions. Keeps his commentary to the end. Nothing wrong with that!
Genre: Incest Shipping
This is one of those cases when a Not Recommended/Don’t Read split would be illuminative. My recommendation here is not going to be based on any merit of the story’s, but on the fact that I am just never going to recommend incest fics. (I wouldn’t have read this if not for the reading.) So, this is about Apple Bloom going to Manehattan and having a bit of an urban crawl with Babs. There’s some good bits in here about the Apple family (admittedly, I liked the “apple thighs” thing), though these are tempered by some rather lackluster descriptions (I get the feeling this was based on the image used as cover art; there really wasn’t much of a reason to describe Babs other than to explicitly incorporate it in the text). As for the shipping, it’s a definite low point, following a “will you be my special somepony”, “I dunno, let’s sleep on it”, “okay, I guess I will” pattern. And then there’s the cousin thing, which does at least come up in the story, though it's as quickly and easily brushed past as all the other possible conflict. All I can say is, I understand why this was written, and it wasn’t written for me. Regidar’s got better stories anyway.
Not Recommended
The Gift That Keeps on Giving by Pascoite
Genre: Uplifting
Pascoite’s gonna burn a hole through the site if he keeps this up. This is from three writeoffs ago, where it took third place to my fic and another by the author himself. This is a really great piece, featuring a Pinkie Pie that I fear we will never see in the show again -- at least if the focus isn’t directly on her for an entire episode -- and a rather unexpected plot. If you like feel-good stories, you will enjoy this, no questions. The payoff is completely surprising and just wonderful.
Highly Recommended
Twilight, There’s a Ghost in Your Basement by KitsuneRisu
Reading by CaveMonkyNick
Genre: Comedy
This is a very British sort of comedy from (if I'm not mistaken) a very British sort of personokay fine he's from Singapore. It relies a lot on wordplay and droll observation for the bulk of the comedy, and boy does it deliver on that front. This is a story about ghosts and science and facing your fears, which never goes anywhere you quite expect. (It’s notably creepy in the middle, something I think KitsuneRisu is quite good at.) Really my only issues with it are that the plot is a mashup of Bridle Gossip and Feeling Pinkie Keen, and it has one of the least interesting opening paragraphs I have ever seen. (The rest of the story more than makes up for it.) This is a laugh a minute that plays well off the character choices.
Recommended
Observatory Hill by Skywriter
Reading by DeftFunk
Genre: Friendshipping
(Listen to that reading! DeftFunk went all out!) This is a rather old and well-liked story of Skywriter’s, but there are a lot of things about it that rubbed me the wrong way. First, Eclipsed Luna’s personality is played for laughs here the way it always is -- she’s loud, she doesn’t understand the modern world, she goes overboard with everything -- and this is what drives the plot and most of the comedy. Secondly, and this only happens on a few occasions, it is very awkward to present comedic situations happening to a character who is narrating. Twilight describing herself as having “flailed comedically” doesn’t quite work when in the context of her doing something that is potentially harmful; one would think she would fail to see the humor in the situation, even in hindsight. Thirdly, there’s a long action scene toward the end involving a couple of Ursas that drags out far too long. A lot of contrivances are put in the way of ending it more succinctly, and it definitely trod on the story’s pacing as well as the comedy. Fourthly, I’m really not sure what the moral is, or that it’s what’s purported in the story. I could not, for instance, help but sympathize with Luna’s anger halfway through, because Twilight spends a large portion of the story being (understandably) ungrateful. In general, I found it hard to know who to sympathize with, since everyone was wrong about something. Lastly, Skywriter doesn’t know when to use “thee” instead of “thou”; let us all breathe a sigh of relief and feel better about ourselves. Now, with that said, what’s there to like? For starters, this is a good piece of Twilight/Luna friendshipping, something I always enjoy seeing. There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes about Luna’s relationship with Celestia that I found fascinating and original. There’s also some really great world-building based around the Ursas. I was impressed with the opening, as far too often, I see stories making up something for the non-story-important mane characters to do while the others are off having their adventure, never again to be mentioned or relevant until the “So how was your day?” scene at the end. Skywriter, however, made the concert an unexpected, and amusing, source of early conflict. Though rough around the edges, this is still an enjoyable story that mostly comes down to how you prefer seeing Luna depicted in fics. That said, Skywriter definitely has better works, and I think this one shows its age, being his first published fic on Fimfiction.
Recommended If You Like, or Don’t Mind, Comedy at Luna’s Expense
Escort Flight by georg
Genre: Christmas
Kind of out of season, I know. :C The description of the story explains it well enough: it’s a straight pony-based interpretation of a real Christmas tradition, that has the benefit of there actually being a Santa Hooves in Equestria (well, y'know, if the author wants there to be). It’s pure cuteness, with some good characters through whose eyes we see the events of the magical night. (Note that “Nocturne” is the author’s word for bat-ponies; I was confused at first, just thank god it’s not “thestral”.) One thing I can’t help thinking: this story sets up Santa Hooves, the Tooth Flutterpony (!) and the Winter Wrap-Up Rabbit as Things. Could a Rise of the Guardians crossover be around the corner? Because that needs to happen in the worst way.
Recommended
Bitter Harvest by Esle Ynopemos
Reading (part 1) by ME!
Genre: Comedy
Running jokes are like spinning plates: after you get them turning, they’ll keep spinning on their own even if you don’t keep forcing them to. All you need is to give them a little nudge every now and then, and they’ll be just fine. That’s just one of many things that came to mind as I made my way through this story. Esle has a gift for using understatement and showing, not to mention running gags, to buttress his comedy, and what results is a hilarious piece about a pony struggling with her sexuality. “But wait,” you say, eyes unfocused and unblinking, as though stricken from having stared overlong at the sun, “aren’t stories about ponies struggling with their sexuality always bad?” Yes, I would answer, because those are bad stories. What Esle has done is make there be more reasons for being closeted beyond the Earth-analogue “Well, that just ain’t right”. I won’t, of course, give you those reasons, but suffice to say a series of climactic revelations in chapter 4 had me dying. Come for the stream of consciousness denials, you won’t be disappointed.
Highly Recommended
Just a Taste by Gojira007
Reading by Scribbler
Reading by Midnight29
Genre: Episode Followup
After the events of Magical Mystery Cure, Applejack is haunted by what she learned during her time “as” Rarity and goes to Carousel Boutique to apologize. There’s just a smidge more to this story than what I’ve laid out in the last sentence, but really this is just a straight vignette exploring a single idea. It’s competent, but not deep. Thank goodness it’s not shipping, though. There are a couple vague references to “feelings” that made me think it would be, but given its length, that would have ruined it (and we’re talking about one of my favorite ships here). People who like fluffy friendshipping will get the most out of this.
Vaguely Recommended
In My Life by DeiStar
Reading by MultiFanficADay
Genre: Sad
Twilight Sparkle is dying of an unnamed disease and may not make it through the night; Celestia stops in to say a few things. The problem with this story is that it’s utterly predictable. Celestia facing the death of her faithful student is always a good setup, but this piece doesn’t make good use of it. There’s a short monologue about how many ponies Celestia has seen die, a declaration of “daughter I never had”, a single tear, Twilight wakes up at the end because authors can’t commit to anything in this fandom. Also, having seen as many stories as I have about Celestia facing Twilight’s death with quiet dignity, I couldn’t help but feel this was schmaltzy and overdramatic. I mean, that’s interference from headcanon and all, but I think those stories are also significantly better for their portrayal of a millennia-old princess.
Not Recommended
I say sir. I do say. Sir. Sir. Sir. I SAY sir. Sir, I SAY. I say! Sir! Are you accusing me of being anglo-saxon, sir? I say! Harumph! *monocle*
But I agree. Everyone should read Bitter Harvest. It's sogood.
1919703
You're definitely a Ganglo-Saxon. :V
1919711
I don't even... what? Whur? o_- Ganglo? I... I don't get it. ;__;
But just to clarify, and not that it really matters in the long run outside of knowledge's sake, but you are familiar with my ethnicity and whereabouts, yes?
Gift is amaze. Damn, if my life were more lacking in pick-me-ups, I would binge on Pasco's stuff.
'Tooth Breezie' seems better than 'Tooth Flutterpony' now that we know about Breezies, actually. But such are the perils of fanfiction!
Hey! I've committed! I killed a bunch of characters in epic battle, random betrayal or even drowned one in a questionable administration of justice!
Somehow I missed Gift, I'll fave it for later. (234 unread chapters? Might as well make it 235.)
Ghost was really entertaining, and I remember enjoying Observatory Hill and Escort Flight.
1919734
Lurk moar, noob. :V
Well, you spelled it "odour". I suppose you could be an Aussie. But I actually have no idea. HENCE THE HEDGE IN THE REVIEW. V:
1919865
You will receive your kudo in due time. :V
1919891 It's less about kudos and more about blanket statements about authors here not committing! (I know a few that need to be committed.)
1919891
I am actually from Singapore, sir, and I am a full-blooded Chinese. We use the British spelling for things here because the Brits used to sort of tromp around and sully our country before the Japanese came and they all buggered off. And then the Japanese buggered off and it was all very confusing for a while, but that's war for you.
And my humour IS Britishy because... well. I watched a lot of Mr. Bean.
So to reconfirm, yes. I am like white on rice, which is the most apt analogy you're going to get.
1919922
wtf
so many singapore D:
1919985
You're getting more and more esoteric....
1921068
Did you ever meet/hang out with Chromosome? Or BlackGryph0n when he was there? :B
1921481
No, but then again, I don't know these people. =\
Well, okay. I should expand on this. I've been around since the start in this fandom. But I don't really socialize much. I had no idea that Chromosome lived here and I didn't know that Blackie came here. Obviously, since we never talked, I never had a reason to meet up with them. I actually don't know many people in this fandom because I don't really talk much and as a result, no one really knows who I am either and I never get invited to things and what not.
Perhaps that's kinda sad. But when you live in a place like this, you tend not to EXPECT to ever get to know anyone. Everything happens somewhere ELSE, you know what I mean?
I've spent a lot of time in this fandom staying still.
Regrettably so.
1921679
You silly. :| There always seem to be Singapore meetups listed on EQD. Stop being a poop and go make some friends[/Celestia].
Yes. Stories about ponies struggling with their sexuality are always bad. No exceptions.
Heh, thanks for the recommendation. I'm very glad you enjoyed my story.
1922605
But when I go out in public they throw things at me ._.
1922888
I'm very glad you wrote it! :D
1922940
So bring a catcher's mitt must I think of everything :|
1923572
SIR YOU ARE BRILLIANT
Oh hey, you listened to my reading! Sorry about choosing a story that rubbed you the wrong way, but man, I feel like it was made for me to read, and I very much enjoyed doing so! Well, except for that action sequence with the Ursas, but ya know...
Also, yay! You read Bitter Harvest, I agree with KitsuneRisu, everyone should read Bitter Harvest. It's sogood.
Also also, I'm definitely checking out that Gift that Keeps on Giving. It sounds right up my alley!
1927259
You should read everything by Pascoite, he's pretty great.
And it is entirely possible, as you have shown, to make an excellent reading out of any story. :D I think that fic just hasn't aged well, is all.