Jan
2nd
2015
Two questions · 6:00am Jan 2nd, 2015
1) Has anyone written a pony crossover of Warren Ellis' "Transmetropolitan"? (If so, where? If not, why not?)
2) For my own secret, nefarious purposes … could you recommend in comments an author that you feel doesn't get enough attention, along with a link to their user page and/or the story that you think is their best work?
For starters, I'll point to Archmage Ludicrous (36 followers), whose "That's All" was featured by the RCL; and GroaningGreyAgony (40 followers), who's written a broad range of stories full of puns and general cleverness, but "An Eventide Lament" is short, dark and punchy.
1: Not me.
2: By far, my opinion would be heliopause (73), for his story A Wake of Mist and Flame. It is hands down the best-written story I've read on this site. (You might consider 3.8k views high, but it's nowhere near as high as it deserves.) Sadly, I'd have to say it's because he's more or less out of the fandom, judging by his 18-week absence. If you'd prefer a different author, I have others I can name.
Vivid Syntax wrote For When It Rains, which is quite a good story - it made my recommended to others list. They have a mere 55 followers.
Hmm... confoundtheseponies (20) wrote the greatest crossover fic this side of Fallout: Equestria, Ponystuck; LittleSallyDigby (25) wrote one of my favorite SoL fics of all time, Roots; and WovenWord (78) wrote Wonderbolt, which is I-made-an-audio-reading-of-it tier good.
In light of the upcoming Write-Off, I'm terrified.
Two suggestions:
1) OldGreyMane (68 followers), whose story, Property of West Wind, is a Steinbeck-esque tale of a group of differs in Equestria that creates some excellent OCs.
2) TotalOverflow (51 followers) whose Free Ride on the Friendship Express is an cute story with a great 1st person narration by Sweetie Belle and a plot that could work as an episode for the cartoon.
Oh man, that second question is pretty tough. I don't think I can pick just one, so I'm just gonna go down a list of people.
We'll start with Violet CLM (117) and The Years of Ar and S.
Then we'll go to DWK (63) and Welcome to the Show.
Then Carabas (95) and Moonlight Palaver.
Then Hustlin Tom (92) and Lessons for a Benevolent Tyrant.
Then wYvern (27) and The End of a Quest.
And finally, Just Horsing Around (86) and Good Intentions.
Are we supposed to add blurbs to the story?
Hmmmmm... I'd suggest Jordanis and Snit, but a.) that's probably nepostism, and b.) he doesn't write terribly fast, Snit itself is one of those stories where the first chapter is more or less a complete story, but the rest of it is progressing reeeeeeeeeeeeeeally slowly. It's still well worth reading, but like my own unfinished masterpiece, I always hesitate a bit to send people to it, because some people get really annoying when you don't update fast enough to suit them, and I wouldn't wish that on him.
I think I'll have to say JMac and any of his Quizzical stories, but especially the second one, Thweet Geniuth. I have never laughed so hard at a story on this site, it is hilarious, heartwarming, and all around really well told. But read Quizzical first, it's a very good story too, and sets up the second one so that you fully appreciate what's going on.
Although I also have to mention CvBrony, whose AU Twilicorn story, Rites of Ascension is a REALLY fantastic epic. And I like the stand-alone side story Designing Intrigue just as well. I'm a sucker for Rarity as the dangerous, sexy spy type.
Those are fantastic questions and I predict this will be a comments section worth following. To your specific questions:
1) I sure hope so! I'm stoked on the idea, but then I'm stoked on anything satisfying a request that takes the form "Has anyone [done anything to ponify] [a thing pterrorgrine already likes]?"
2) My first thought is Versimer, who writes pony singularity fiction that isn't quite Optimalverse-esque ("Anthomania" is actually directly in the show's universe, unusually).
ETA: Versimer has 14 followers. They're not very active, although I'm optimistic about future updates to "Anthomania". (I would start with "Post-SingulariTwi", though, as it's a one-shot.) It seems like there's a pretty close relationship between overall level of activity and number of followers once you get to double digit follower counts, at least among those I follow, but maybe I'm seeing patterns where there aren't any. Versimer certainly merits more attention, though.
I've felt from the moment I read what this guy wrote he's vastly underrated. Strongbolt Stonewing(9), and wrote Beasts and Beings: Stories of Equestria's Inhabitants. It's hilarious.
The recommendation I make:
Every time anyone asks for recommendations is ponichaeism (41 followers) and The Mare in the High Castle. And I don't even like Philip K. Dick all that much!
Mike
StalkerPony (97) This dude is great at horror!
Regina Wright (79) Has some astonishingly great stories that have barely any likes or comments.
2695283
Jesus, C, these are people you're talking about, not potato chips! You gotta have only one!
Pony Transmet? Oh, that would be something I'd love to see.
Can the main character be named Argembarger Jerusalem?
2695270
My secret, nefarious plot did not actually involve the upcoming writeoff.
However, any plan that can inspire terror before I even think it up can't help but be a good one. What exactly were you terrified about? I should totally do it.
2695377
I thought you were going to try to find an authorial style you liked and then replicate it as nearly as possible during the WriteOff to confuse everyone to no end.
Hmm... this guy might be too well known for this post. I'm in the midst of going through every one of DuncanR's stories in sequence. 176 followers.
I've only read the oldest four so far, but of those, Appletheosis is pretty awesome. Make sure it's the correct Appletheosis if you read it - the one by DuncanR.
EDIT: Rofl, I totally did not know Appletheosis was already on the RCL schedule when I wrote this comment. xD
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As I read that last sentence it was like I was watching a commercial and the commercial man was pointing at the screen and smiling his commercial man smile and giving me a thumbs up. As he told me to make sure that if I was reading Appletheosis by DuncanR to make sure that it was the one by DuncanR
...
sorry i'll go to sleep now
2695483
Just wanted to emphasize it because there's another Appletheosis by someone else ^^;
Bliss Authority has only 15 followers, but I'm a huge fan of A World, Reflected.
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That's over 700 followers and over 15k views. I don't think that qualifies for "not enough attention"
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Archmage is the ur-example of what you're looking for. :B
2695305 Congrats, I'm pretty sure you've got the lowest number in the thread. (For our purposes, I think we can score like golf.)
Oi, you guys, my read later list is sweating uncontrollably.
For two, I am a permenent fan of Alligator Fists' sole story True Colors. However, xe does not seem to be around anymore (offline 121wks).
Kegisak has a nontrivial amount of attention (292 followers), but I'm saddened by how little attention The Colour You Bleed gets in comparisson to "fandom favorites" such as Anthropology, Eternal, or Yours Truly.
Luna-tic Scientist writes kickass sci-fi. I can't gauge how xe's doing on views/attention.
If I had a shelf of "stuff I recommend", I'd sort it by views and point you to the end.
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A site search for that word procures no stories by that title and two authors with it in their name: Archmage Ludicrous (who horizon linked) and Archmage Ansrit. Discriminate pls.
Also, from that search: some chap named Chaotic Ink has a story (Requiem for the Kirins) that looks like it could be good, if it ever progresses.
2695747 In proportion to the quality of the story? I think it's still quite under-rated. But that is the reason why that wasn't my first pick.
I pulled these from my favorites list, picking only authors that have a number of followers in the double digits:
To Ms. Yearling
To be fair I provided the prompt for this one, although I would've recommended it either way:
Pinkie Pie Writes a Stern Letter
Okay, technically, Shahrazad has 100 followers, but I can't help it:
A Roll in the Hay
2696086
I was agreeing with his promotion of Archmage Ludicrous.
mylittleeconomy (47), who is somehow managing to write a witty, enthralling pony-based economics textbook. He said somewhere that he thinks his first story is his best work - I'd disagree but it's definitely the proper starting point.