Fic recs, April 1st! · 11:34pm Apr 1st, 2015
I kinda forgot that no one reads my non-rec journals, so if you've got any interest in participating in my Patreon, please go check out my last post and give me some ideas for it.
I don’t think I mentioned this previously, but I got saved having to listen through a massive audiobook recently. Spyman342/Lucero the Pegasus (I’ve hit the part of his channel where he changed his name) read a story called The Seasons, and after hearing the description, I realized it was just a novelization of Jackle App’s classic Seasons EP. And while Jackle apparently gave it his blessing, I wasn’t too interested in reading the same story, but told with a bunch of OC’s. So there’s that.
Do yourself a favor and go read this post.
And since I hate April Fool’s Day, have a creepy, unsettling video before you click Read More:
H: 1 R: 5 C: 0 V: 3 N: 0
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo Go to a Movie by Neutral Milk
Reading (part 1) by FFFluttershy169
Genre: Ponies Do X
After being forbidden from seeing the summer’s hottest movie, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo decide to sneak in.
This is a very fluffy story, light on the real comedy, and if you’re not into fluff, you won’t get much out of it. That said, there are a couple good jokes, notably one involving Big Mac at the start and a fakeout in the middle. The ending, while it comes out of nowhere and requires POV switching, is hilarious, but also unrelated to the rest of the story. I never quite understood the drive to sneak into adult movies when you’re a kid, but at least the two of them learn their lesson.
Vaguely Recommended
Lockheart: Visit by TheLostNarrator
Reading by Scribbler, et. al.
Genre: Psychological
A pony in a mental hospital receives a visit from a friend.
We live in charmed times, as the fic readers start writing their own stories en masse. Nekonyancer just released the first chapter of his story, I hear GutiuSerenade is writing something, and Lost Narrator comes out swinging with an intense, emotional look at how self-harm and depression affect not just the patient, but those around them. I’ve never honestly understood ‘cutting’, why it’s such a widespread phenomenon, and I have a hard time reconciling it — well, the idea of mental hospitals in the first place, which is a problem not entirely relegated to this story — with Equestria, but that’s about the worst I can say for this piece. I know from personal experience that stories with a tight focus on mental illness will gain a lot of traction with readers, and hopefully this will as well. And more than just exploring what having this condition is like, this piece shows us the effect of being in a mental hospital on a person’s dignity, and how dealing with a disease like depression is difficult from the outside as well as inside. Attacking the idea from multiple angles like this takes some talent, and this is what helps this story stand out. The best thing I can say about it? I’m glad it’s part one of a trilogy (according to the endnotes of the reading), because it’s not often I read a slightly un-pony story about OCs and want to know what happens next. I think it’s the slight undercurrent of friendship that I picked up on in this story; I want to see if it resolves in the end.
Recommended
The Laughter I Choose to Be by Trick Question
Genre: What If
It’s time for Pinkie to tell her friends where she gets her weird abilities.
A lot of this feels like standard Pinkie backstory, but the fact that something about it is a little off — why is she being this expository? — should clue you in that something else is going here. During the writeoff, I didn’t see the twist coming at all, and it plays out so very well, standing above other, similar ideas. This is totally worth the read!
Recommended
All In for Sugar Cookies by FuzzyFurvert
Genre: Thriller
FF posted this new collection of stories, and since they include a bunch of old writeoff entries, I figured I’d go ahead and give ‘em a whirl! (Also he needs to name the chapters properly, goshdarnit!) This one’s about Twilight trying to lead an evacuation on account of Pinkie acting really, really weird. It’s obvious that, despite being the longer version of the actual writeoff entry, this hasn’t been edited much. (To be fair, the collection description warns of this.) It’s just a really strange piece, not particularly comedic or dark, but sort of trying to be both? I don’t honestly know what else to say about it.
Vaguely Recommended
Riverdream at Sunset: A Manuscript by GroaningGreyAgony
Genre: HiE
There’s something to be said about chasing the ghosts of the past, of being mired in the glories of old while ignoring all the potential of today. I for one really appreciate when people are not only able to perfectly imitate writing styles current in past eras, but when they do so in service of colorful talking ponies. To wit, this much-lauded piece, presenting itself as a manuscript written by an Irish lord, and dealing with a “fantasy” he had while rowing down a magical stretch of river. It is no mere HiE. Just imagine a Victorian traveler coming to Equestria and being generally bemused by all he sees, as he might in Africa or China. I think it’s just the collusion of “ponyfic” with “all that stuff I read in college” creating a sort of eternal wonderment within me. (You can see I’m even picking up on it, good lord.) And this is all done in the name of world-building! (I very much appreciated the references to Lost Cities and The Midnight Run.) This just does everything right that you could possibly do, and I shudder a bit because I know it won’t be for the casual reader. Still, if you’re an English major, don’t pass this up, you’ll adore it.
Highly Recommended: Top Fifteen
Dance of the Rainbow by Masterweaver
Reading (part 1) by Lucero the Pegasus
Genre: Family Fic
Rainbow Dash needs AJ's barn for a secret reason.
I felt ultimately let down by this story, and I have to wonder why, since my expectations going in were... weird. I mean, given that title and description, it was obvious Dash was doing some kind of secret dancing she didn't want anyone to know about, right? Her ruse in chapter 1 was transparent! And yet she stuck to it, and it turned out that she was just embarrassed by her family. So we get a fun look at where Rainbow might have come from that jibes with my headcanon and features a shout out to previous gens. Buuuut then there were four chapters left and not much to do with them. A couple minor conflicts resolve as quickly as they're set up. I felt the various morals were thin, and the jokes as well. I left with a sour taste in my mouth. I just don't know what went wrong.
Vaguely Recommended
On the Edge by The Letter J
Reading by Scribbler, Gina Moravec and Chance Taylor
Genre: Crackshipping
Twilight escapes yet another stuffy ball, only to find a kindred spirit on a balcony.
Most of the fun of crackshipping is getting two disparate characters together in a circumstantially believable way, and this story accomplishes that brilliantly. It’s even more impressive when you consider that this was inspired by a game of Twilight Sparkle’s Secret Shipfic Folder, putting even more constraints on the author. The story overall is fun and funny, and not only provides some backstory for Iron Will, but also delves into Twilight’s inability to dance and what that does to her psyche. It’s definitely a lot more than you’d expect from something easily described as “crackshipping”. (If you’re worried about mushy stuff, there really isn’t any. Sorry to the two TWill shippers out there.)
Recommended
The Jump by KrisSnow
Genre: Philosophical
Peter confronts the CelestAI on the nature of uploading.
After reading Riverdream at Sunset, I of course watched GroaningGreyAgony and added all his stories to my RIL. I discovered he’s written a number of FiO stories, among them one that is apparently about hating the Celestia AI, which I can totally get behind. He claimed it was inspired by this fic, so I thought I’d give it a whack, and I’m glad I did. This is an existentialist look at one of FiO’s core ideas: does destroying the brain destroy the self? It’s admittedly more highbrow than some might prefer, with deep discussions of philosophy and science, but especially in light of Always Say No, I very much appreciated it. It probably helps that Peter isn’t meant to be an archetype (he’s a politician, which already takes him off the Everyman level). If you’ve got any interest, even passing, in the Optimalverse, check this out.
Recommended
An Unexpected Love Story by Magpiepony
Reading by Indubitably Ponified
Reading by TheLostNarrator, et. al.
Genre: Shipping Comedy
Applejack’s Hearts and Hooves Day takes a turn for the worse when she notices a voice in the sky narrating everything she does.
This got off to a bad start with some Cheerimac. It wasn’t just that it ignored any potential fallout from the H&H Day episode (I still maintain that it was traumatizing and they wouldn’t be likely to get back together anytime soon), but lauding it for what happened. Thankfully, that fades into the background as the story focuses on Applejack, and ultimately becomes a non-issue. What really impressed me about this is just how the fourth-wall breakage is used. We’ve all seen stories where ponies, usually Pinkie, sometimes others, can hear the narrator and interact with it, and I’ve largely grown tired of them. But this story works because the narrator never interacts directly with AJ. Those other stories are irksome because there’s something of the self-insert about them. But here, while the narrator could be considered a character, it is defined solely by its power over Applejack and determination to use it to ship her with Rarity. What follows is everything I look for in self-aware, snarky shipping comedies, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Recommended
WAIT
NO APRIL FOOLS JOKE?
THINK AGAIN BUSTER
I BROKE MY RULE OF ALWAYS POSTING THE REC JOURNAL FIRST
BOOM HEADSHOT
TROLD U GUD god I hate this day
I approve of SweetieSpoon
2933964 Same here. SilverBelle happens to be one of my favorite ships.
Anyway, it looks like you found some interesting stories this time, PP. I'll be sure to read some of them when I can.
Ah, Mustlovefrogs. A very fun artist with some fascinating ideas. I'd never have thought of making Octavia and Silver Spoon sisters.
It's always weird when I see a story recommended, go to it, and find out that I've already read it. This happened two or three times with this blog alone.
And there's no shame in not participating on Gullibility Day. Heck, I haven't been this genuinely productive in months, even if one story is dedicated to fibrous nuggets.
Hmn, I think I'll take a look at the Pinkie fic and that HRT15 fic.
2934007
I've been following her for years, she was a major influence in the PCA. :B
Also, you post is funny because I'm pooping while reading it. :D
Huh. They posted a 4th one. Huh.
I am so not an English Major. I think modern English departments do more harm than good if their goal is to produce decent, enjoyable writers rather than copy-editors and critics. But I frikkin' love Lord Dunsanay's work* and so Riverdream at Sunset is one of my top favorite stories. It gets the honor of being one of the very few HiE stories that don't disgust me. (For what that's worth.)
I was a little dubious when reading the set-up section set in Ancient Greece, but what a pay-off when it's used to give an absolute sensation of dread just because Celestia noticed the narrator!
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* No kidding. By an interesting coincidence, I am working on an edition of The Dreamer's Tales, illuminated in early medieval style.
That art style looks familiar... any chance it's an artist from the PCA?
2934592
That tiny thread of dread at the end is one of the many things that really make this story work.
2934645
See also 2934348.
What's wrong with how I name chapters, PP? It said "All In" Writeoff entry!
2935006
I actually had to go to the writeoff site to figure out what the hell the story title was! D: At least put it in the chapter text?
2935864 I honestly didn't remember the title, just the prompt. I'll track down the titles for the others so you don't have to do as much leg work if you review those.
2936448
olol
At least I'm not the only one.