New cover art · 1:31am Sep 28th, 2015
I have to two sets of special thank you to give out.
The first goes to dimfann over on deviantArt, for creating the image in question that eventually was used for the cover of Matters of Lesser Interest. It's really beautiful, and I think it captures the essence of these stories well: Ponies (and changelings!) being themselves. No battles, no politics, no nonsense, just tea.
The second goes out to nightwalker for finding and recommending the image in the first place. He's taken to the Matterverse (as it is known internally) with a level of devotion usually reserved for Google interns who haven't caught on yet, and I'm not totally sure where it would be today without him.
Now, I'm going to talk about shared universes for a little bit, so you can skip that part if you like. Unless your username is "nightwalker." Then, it's mandatory.
I like shared universes; a "universe" as it would be understood for one or more stories, that has multiple authors contributing to. The Lunaverse is one of the prime examples of this.
I like the idea of the shared universe. Hell, I've written several stories in the Skitchverse, even if activity around there has been slow lately; perhaps that's to be expected, since it only has one author writing in it other than myself. Let me tell you why I like the idea of a shared universe.
It's because, dammit, there are a lot of stories to tell in any universe. More than could reasonably be explored by a single person in anything less than a lifetime. Having more than a single author makes it practical to explore more of those stories, and makes it possibly to more easily explore a wider variety of stories. Let's take the Skitchverse as another example. The stories written by GreyGuardPony have a style that's in line with the main canon of Friendship is Magic — even if several of the small and key details are very different — while the stories I've written have a style that's more in line with old pulp comics and detective stories — the stories of Doc Savage, Sherlock Holmes — and golden age science fantasy — the stories of the Shadow and the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I don't write stories like Guardy does, but I like to read them, and he doesn't write stories like I do, but (I assume) he likes to read them. A shared universe allows us, after a fashion, to do both.
What brings this up is the following: I like nightwalker's work. He doesn't have a lot of it, and I don't know if this is because he doesn't write much, or if he just doesn't have anything to tell us (I can't imagine the latter being true at all). If you haven't, please go check out what he's got; he deserves the coverage (he's also an excellent cook; I assume). I wanted to take a moment to recognize him for his contributions to the Matterverse, and his dedication to making it the best it can be, even if most of the time I likely make him feel like a Google intern.
With all that in mind, I lastly want to say to nightwalker that, while the Matterverse isn't very big, should it strike you right, I think it's at least big enough for more than just me.
Aw, you are entirely too kind.
The picture was something I had come across a while ago that I thought would be perfect given the character of Flapjack, but had saved and neglected to mention to you until just recently. I'm glad the author was fine with you using it. Now to scare up some appropriate cover art for the main story!
I have a section devoted on my home page to what I consider underrated stories for a reason. Too often with the volume and churn that goes through this place, wonderful stories get lost or cast by the wayside, never to be given the attention they deserve while populist drek attracts fame too easily at times I feel. So when I come across something that strikes me as particularly good but woefully unappreciated, I try and get it some attention where I can. I urge any who might read this to check out those stories I've linked and give them the attention they sorely deserve.
In regards to the Mattersverse, that you had the characters so well realized, PhycoKrusk, their voices so perfectly distinct, and the world so wonderfully expanded (I have been meaning to steal your dating system and use it somewhere) was what attracted me so much to it. I'm quite glad we've been able to work as we have on it.
As to what you said about Shared Universes, I have had a little experience with them and just recently had a good thing happen.
BTW, you never did tell me what you thought of the pancake recipe I sent you.
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I haven't said anything about it because I'm still trying to work out the optimal substitution of flour for Cinnamon Toast Crunch®. Because I do things like that.
I've actually expanded the world even more since I first started A Matter of Interest, and even more since I last updated it (although you should take that worth its literal weight, since The Unicorn and the Stranger and the upcoming The Stranger Among Friends and The Strangers of Ponyville are all set in the same universe and also count as expansions). The update to MoLI will include some of those expansions, but there's a lot more than just that. I may have created stuff I might never use. If only I had someone to help me write all those stories.
Someone who also writes, and likes the Matterverse.
Maybe someone who walks at night.
Wink wink.