Fic recs, December 11th! · 5:40pm Dec 11th, 2014
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The “Magic of the Sirens” comic has not been the greatest, but there is something magical about this page. This is good on its own merits. This is just goooood.
H: 1 R: 1 C: 1 V: 2 N: 3
Tuesday by MrEnter
Reading by Akash the Reader
Genre: Time Loop
Spike’s having a bad day, but he’s getting better at it. From the image the reader used, I was kind of expecting character-destructive comedy. (I need to come up with a shorthand phrase for that.) Instead, I got what could be termed a light comedy (the angry mob is a great running gag), where Twilight is a jerk for no good reason. The best thing I can say about this is that it ends well, but to get there is a bit of a slog, and the nice resolution between Twilight and Spike requires manufacturing a conflict between them in the first place. Pinkie is written well, and the time loop thing was a pleasant surprise (that I’ve just ruined for you). But overall, I can’t say this was terribly interesting. Mostly, I was just irked by Twilight’s behavior.
Vaguely Recommended
For an Angel to Pass by Loganberry
Read by the Author
Genre: Character Death
I can’t really sum this up without spoiling it: Angel reminisces about Fluttershy after her death. Of course, if you pay attention to the narrative, you’ll realize it doesn’t sound like Fluttershy at all and likely reach that conclusion yourself. The author definitely did a good job setting each memory up so that it could be told from either character’s perspective, but ultimately, the reveal — just a single word at the very end of the story — isn’t a huge shocker, more of an, “Oh, okay, that’s what I thought it was.” Still, it’s well-written, Loganberry being an Author Worth Paying Attention To. It’s very slice of life, though, just laying out a few scenarios for reactions from the characters. Worth it if you like reading characters reminisce about the deaths of others.
Recommended for Slice of Life Fans
So… What About Us? by Dr Atlas
Reading by PegasisterReacts
Genre: Light Comedy
Discord said no horns and no wings, but what about the two earth ponies? There’s only two ways you can approach pony racism: straightforward, true-to-life drama or ridiculous comedy. This sets up a good premise and then completely fails to use it for either. I mean, there’s a point at which AJ is rattling off a list of racial slurs, yet never do the rest of her friends turn around and accuse her of being racist. Nor does anyone call Discord racist for ignoring AJ and Pinkie, which could have been a hilarious way to deflate that whole scene. These are the kinds of things I was expecting out of a story like this with a comedy tag. Instead, what we get is… an affirmation of earth pony empowerment? I honestly don’t know. This was definitely a waste of time to read.
Not Recommended
Never a Wonderbolt by SkyeSilverwing
Reading by Dr. Wolf
Reading by Scribbler, Caitbug and CassyPony
Reading by Pony & Wolf Productions
Genre: Headcanon Dump
Rainbow Dash finds out why she hasn’t been accepted to the Wonderbolts. Caught this in the featured box and felt compelled to read it. Maybe it was the promise of Spitdash, even if there was no Romance tag. I’ll say this: the central idea of this story is really good. Dash can’t join because she’s actually higher-ranking than the Wonderbolts and a “high-value asset” by virtue of being one of Twilight’s friends. It goes into things like how low-profile they were as the Element Bearers, and overall ends up being a really solid explanation for things being the way they are. That said, the devil is in the details, and this has a lot of them. It's just weird things, like the mention of Bulk Biceps, not Fluttershy, being the real handicap of their relay team, or Dash having just turned sixteen (I don’t believe that for a second), or her being overly modest, and even the statement near the end that she’s the highest-ranking pegasus in Equestria. (Again, the author seems to have forgotten about Fluttershy.) Added to that, the opening is a lengthy discussion of Rainbow’s time with the Wonderbolts up to present day, a considerable amount of wasted words, and this isn’t really much of a story, since I was able to sum it up completely in two sentences. (Also, if she’s sixteen, Spitfire should not be hitting on her. Just saying.) So while it doesn’t completely hold together, it’s the kind of story that can only get better with work, rather than needing to be torn down and rebuilt from scratch.
Vaguely Recommended
Infallible by Pegasus Rescue Brigade
Reading by ABagOfVicodin
While I mostly know him as an author of wacky clopfics (also “that weird kid I met at Bronycon once”), ABagOfVIcodin is actually a very good voice actor, and has already appeared in Scribbler’s “Heroic Tale of Heroically Heroic Heroes”. Here, he reads a fic for a channel called BogyleBronies, who do audioplays, music, and animation, and he does a good job of it. His main positive point is being able to project well, though he projects so well for the dialogue that it makes his narration seem mumbly by comparison. Still, good pacing, good volume, and even a few voices thrown in make this a worthy reading, and I'll be checking out the Bogyles in the future.
Genre: Comedy
Princess Celestia is absolutely perfect at everything she does, and it’s driving her insane. This is a marvelous comedy of not-errors as Celestia does her damnedest to ruin her day: raising the sun, making breakfast, hosting a parade, the whole nine yards. Luna serves an excellent role, doubtful but supportive, and gets in a big punchline at the end. Really, this is just a marvelous little comedy at Celestia’s expense and I loved it all the way through. This is the second time I’ve read it, even, and it was every bit as entertaining as the first.
Highly Recommended
Prisons by 314
Reading by DuncanR
VA PEOPLE WHO READ THIS BLOG: GO BUG THIS GUY IF YOU NEED A TIREK, HE’S PERFECT. In all honesty, this should be a ‘maybe’ or even a ‘no’. Despite doing a fantastic Tirek voice, despite remembering that ‘fic reading’ used to mean ‘dramatic reading’, and despite making an excellent first reading complete with music, I really couldn’t hear him. This is powered-down Tirek, and while not mumbling per se, he’s not in a state for projecting. I had to go read the story myself. And yet, I want more, so he’s got a Youtube subscriber now. :V
Genre:
Tirek gets a visitor, one who’s more interested in the rocks of Tartarus than anything else. The whole reason DuncanR read this story is that he reviewed it on his blog, and I can’t really say anything about it that he hasn’t already said. It’s got some word repetition issues, and ‘sun-butt’ is a little out of character for Tirek. In fact, Tirek’s vocabulary is shaky throughout. But this is just a marvelous read, if only for the author’s audacity in throwing these two characters into a situation together. It edges up on crackshipping (the author invokes the word in the note, even, though there really isn't any romance). The sheer absurdity of this scenario is just whimsical as hell, and I very much enjoyed reading it. You might want to consider listening to the reading, of course.
Recommended
Love Drunk by LightningBass94
Reading by Dr. Cobra and Brelia
Mature: Sex
Genre: PWP
Twilight and Vinyl Scratch have been friends for a while, but after a drug-fueled party, they take that to the next step. I don’t want to come down too hard on this, because it’s apparently the author’s first fic, but it certainly feels like one. Twilight is described as “knowing how to party”. She goes to Vinyl because she needs someone who’ll listen and apparently her friends won’t? The setup is very transparently meant to get them into bed as fast as possible. There’s drug use, which is something I’ve seen mercifully little of in ponyfic. (My initial thought of “Shouldn’t Twilight know better?” was quickly answered with, “No, no she wouldn’t.” Unless, of course, she did actually know how to party.) This contains the least-sexy phrase I think I’ve ever heard in a clopfic: “she sucked her joint”. It’s overall a mess, and I can’t even recommend it for the clop, because it’s just there. They go through the motions, it's very clinical and matter-of-fact, they wake up in the morning, the end. I hope the author’s kept trying, erotica is definitely not the best place to start when attempting writing.
Not Recommended
Scootaloo’s Cloud by ScooterFiction (story no longer available)
Reading by Hero541
Genre: Scootalove
Scootaloo wonders what clouds look like from above, and Rainbow Dash obliges her. There’s really nothing else to this piece. There’s no story, and though it’s nice seeing Dash being responsible and motherly (well, up until she abandons a flightless filly on a cloud), the whole point is just to watch Scootaloo react with childish glee at her first cloudwalk. It’s the kind of thing you read when you’ve had a shit day and just want a reminder that joy exists in the world; otherwise, there’s no point.
Not Recommended
Brother by Martian
Reading by Dr. Wolf
Reading by ShadowOfCygnus
Reading by Midnight29
Genre: Drama
Big Macintosh brings his little sister home. The first half of this is so cute it hurts, just a string of scenes with Big Mac pulling a sleigh and AJ being a bubbly four year old. I was all set to discount it as fluff, but things eventually take a turn: Big Macintosh starts succumbing to frostbite. It’s handled really well; I’ve researched the subject myself. What comes of it is a heartwarming story of devotion and sibling bonding that is anything but fluffy. I do question some of the author’s choices in the writing, namely the repetition. On the one hand, it’s placed well, but on the other, continually describing AJ as “a bundle of blonde and freckles” and her voice as “bright and piping” are such unique phrases that they really stand out, despite being powerful imagery in their own right. Still, like the cute first half, they help the ending be powerful. This is a good example of how cute doesn’t have to be pointless.
Recommended
Yeah, it's been... weird. Not the biggest fan.
You left the genre tag off of "Prisons".
My favorite awful clop line remains “Allowed me to sheath my entire man sword into her”, though the least sexy has to be either ”red and irritated cunt” or "drooling ponycunt".
(edited to add one I forgot about)
That Magic of the Sirens comic page has some awkward writing...
Yep, that's For an Angel to Pass's biggest flaw. If I were writing it now, I'd probably drop any pretence of mystery and make it a pure SoL atmosphere piece. It's mostly there in the first place because I wanted to write a pro-Angel story, rather than my having anything deep and meaningful in mind.
2646860
The newest page just makes no fucking sense at all. I only read it because I obsessively click all the comic previews on EQD and am unable to figure out what they are ahead of time.
2646882
Eh, I couldn't figure out a genre for it anyway. :B Does anyone even read those?
2646931
I don't think the artist is a native speaker.
2646931
I think Jack-a-Lynn is German.
2647680
2647695 That would explain it. However, given the number of awkward stories by native speakers I read here, I'm never sure if it's unfamiliarity with the language or just bad writing. Cute art, though, and that Sonata/Aria argument could be pretty amusing with some more polish.
2647699
Yeah, his art seems to be pretty good, but his writing leaves something to be desired. And so does the subject matter. I mean, shipping? Really? Come on!
2647712
2647680 You hear that, PP? Everyone's officially tired of shipping. Give it up.
I'm always left wondering why these artists never team up with writers. I see tons of great looking comics with terrible writing. Such a waste. I mean, think of what the team that did Double Rainboom could have put out with a good writer. It pains me inside...
2647816
I tried convincing artists to recruit writers years ago, but no one was interested. (Of course, I'm not the best at PR.) The only thing you do is be Rated Ponystar and commission artists to illustrate your stories.
*hypothermia
2648965
Yeah, that's what I meant. :O I remembered the research and forgot the word!
This is just...neat! I keep forgetting other people can see the things I upload.
In my defence, it was supposed to be the elderly, wheezy Tirek instead of the big, buff one. I got all my inspiration from Bane, from "Batman: Dark Knight Rises"! Can you tell?
I believe the official term is "Friendshipping". As far as I know, it originated in the MLP:FIM community.
2651787
Nah, I think friendshipping existed before, in the murky, stinky milieu known as capital-F Fandom. :B Also yes, I got that.