Fanfic Spotlight #15 · 10:33pm Dec 14th, 2014
Hi all, and welcome back for another issue of the EFNW Fanfic Spotlight. As we head into the holiday season, hopefully everyone will be finding some more time to relax and read, and what better place to start than with curated pony fiction!
This week, Twilight is tempted by the Nightmare, our heroes are forced to question who they are, and Luna fights for equal rights in a cyberpunk future.
And the Temptress Came Unto Her
by device heretic
Words: 11,538
Complete: Yes
Recommended by Asylum1388
This fic is hard to classify in terms of genre. It can best be described as a Psychological Thriller, but can’t truly be shoehorned into a single genre. It starts out with everyone’s favorite lavender unicorn being visited in the night by a former nemesis, and all goes downhill from there.
Powerless without her former host, Nightmare Moon visits Twilight in a dream with the intention of merely talking. She offers Twilight the power to have whatever she wants, but is quickly rebuffed. Not satisfied with a “no”, Nightmare begins picking away at Twilight’s psyche, playing on her hopes and fears, leaving Twilight buckling beneath the relentless assault.
While the story suffers a bit in the middle with a few over-used clichés, it tops itself off with a well-written ending to become an overall well-balanced fic.
Who We Are
by kits
Words: 18,828 Complete: Yes
Recommended by Silver Flare
Twilight receives a letter from Princess Celestia, thrusting her into a struggle to discover which of her closest friends is not what she appears to be.
This story is a gem among gems, a true dissertation on trust, mistrust, and friendship. Set and written just after the season two finale, this story has aged incredibly well over the last couple of years. Those of you who have been around awhile might already know this tale. If you do, give it the once-over once again. You may find, like me, that it still tugs hard at the heartstrings. And if you somehow managed to miss this dazzling story you owe it to yourself to read Who We Are immediately. With minimal distractions.
This author makes excellent use of narrative structure, pacing, dialogue, wit, cannon, pony tails, breakfast trays, light shipping, garden hoses, and chocolate chip muffin chip muffins (just go with it 
) to tell an emotionally dark and. . . important story. Yes there is a shipped pair, but this isn’t a shipping story. If anything, the relationship is only there to add necessary depth and texture to this emotional and somewhat philosophical piece of art.
Even if you're sick to the teeth of changelings and this story violates your OTP six ways from Sunday, you need to give Who We Are a shot.
Transistance
by ToixStory
Words: 32,739
Complete: Yes
Recommended by Xepher
If I had to describe this story as a recipe, it would be "Almost Human" meets MLP, with just a touch of Snowcrash, and a good dollop of Bladerunner. The author does an amazing job of capturing the feel of near-future cyperpunk, while not losing the pony spin on things. Harmony-class AIs, sentient androids, cyberpunk Luna, and everything else you'd expect is here for the ride, as Luna fights for the rights of manufactured beings.
After I originally read this a few weeks ago, I went back and forth on whether it qualified as a "favorite" to me. I liked it, but there are some definite weak points in the plot as well (which I expound upon in my comments on the story itself.) However, a week later, I realized I was still thinking about it and I smiled. After all, good stories aren't just the ones that make you happy, or wrap everything up with a pretty little bow. No, the good stories are the ones that stick with you and make you keep thinking, long after you've finished them. This one does just that.
Beyond the questions it raises though, the aspect I enjoyed most was the excellent description. This is a sci-fi future, and the author does an amazing job of not letting you forget that. The sights, sounds, and smells all come together to make this read a very visceral experience, and kept the movie in my head running in high definition the whole way.
And that's it for this week. We'll see you back here next weekend. In the meantime, let us know what you thought of our selections, and suggest some stories of your own to share!
Have fun,
--Xepher, Asylum1388, Silver Flare
A good batch of stories! Thanks for the reminder to bump Transistance up on my reading list. I think I'd been waiting for it to be complete, but it's been complete for a long while now, so I don't know what I was waiting for.
2653566 I'd be curious to see what you think of it once you finish it. As I said, it was one that really stuck around in my head.