Fic recs, October 13th · 1:43pm Oct 13th, 2015

In computer news, I've ordered a new power supply, which will get here theoretically by the end of the week. :/ Stuck on the laptop until then. I might actually try doing some editing, though.

Of course, the big news is my newest reading, of KitsuneRisu’s Sunset Shimmer Goes to the Zoo, done for Scribbler’s Month of Macabre!

On that note, VisualPony has released a reading of billymorph’s MMDGC winner, A World Without Kindness!

Also, Quill N. Lead (solidmario64) has released his very first reading, of RainbowBob’s What I Learned About Friendship Is! He sounds a little muffled (though his singing videos are perfectly clear), but the background music is mixed well, his pacing and Discord voice are both good, and he got Emogak to voice Twilight, which is awesome for a first vid. :D Go check him out!

Hey, derpibooru just celebrated its millionth upload!

Once upon a time, I would mock season one for dropping “My little pony” into the dialogue. But now I find myself sad that Celestia is the only one who does that anymore. Well, the princesses do, anyway. It’s just so charming hearing Twilight say it in Show Stoppers. (Headcanon exercise: what is the relationship between Mr. Breezy, the fan salespony, and the Breezies?)

Anyway, it's been a while, but I've only got five reviews because computer. :B But hey, lookit that rating score!

H: 0 R: 5 C: 0 V: 0 N: 0

Volcano by The Elusive Badgerpony
Genre: Trippy
Maybe this was what it was like to be a changeling…
No, but this final entry is literally a drug trip. Again, not very pony, but I love it, because it goes so much further than “whoa, pretty lights”. (Also, mute Vinyl Scratch!) Every bit of the imagery in this is just fantastic, and never does it focus on one sensation. I can’t think of anything else to say save that it’s worth reading, and this experiment overall was worth doing.
Recommended

Ever Let the Fancy Roam by Loganberry
Read by the Author
Genre: Character Study
Fancy Pants prepares for an evening get-together of other upper-class Canterlites.
I love Fancy Pants; he’s one of the most important characters in the show, if you ask me. The episodes that mock Canterlot’s elite are some of my favorites, and that fact that one of their own is right there, mocking along, fills me with joy. That said, this presents Fancy as a very nuanced individual. Sure, he’s done with protocol, tires of his peers, and generally prides himself on being a huge troll, but for all that he dislikes his servants bowing and scraping, he still has them. He’s still willing to rebuke them if need be. And despite his general disdain for Canterlot high-society life, he’s very much a product of it and can’t escape all its trappings. That, I think, is what makes this work. The ending left me scratching my head a bit, but I think the point was making a joke at Fancy’s expense, to show us a bit more of his human (if you will) side. Overall, definitely dodges my usual disdain for “nothing happens” slice of life fics, possibly just because I’m very much invested in the character.
Recommended

Cruel Beauty by obabscribbler
Patreon Reward for Cerulean Voice
Genre: Sad
When the moon fails to rise, Celestia is called to the Crystal Kingdom to investigate what happened to her sister.
There’s a lot I like about this. The writing is good, the story unfolds well from a cold open, and there’s lots of little touches like how Cadence fits in with the hierarchy of Equestria. Some good imagery and interesting magic, too. Some might rankle at how the events described in the past led to Luna’s downfall, but honestly, I think this all fits together on on a conceptual level. It paints a very nice tragedy in few words.
Recommended

Harissa by Orbiting Kettle
Patreon Reward for Cerulean Voice
Genre: Backstory
Ponyville knows her as a simple shaman, living in the Everfree Forest, but Zecora had lived a whole life before coming there.
This is an attempt to give Zecora an epic, tragic backstory, and I'd say it succeeds. The reason why, I think, is twofold. First, it shows us precisely the scenes necessary to tell the story and no more, presented as past-tense interspersed with present-tense italicized scenes of Zecora preparing a meal. Secondly, it never lingers on world-building. Oh sure, there’s plenty here, from settings to conflicts to magic. But never does it come out and say, “This is the ancient ritual of so and so and here’s why we’re doing it.” The narrative is content to let Zecora’s culture live on its own, and with small touches, fills us in on enough detail that we can figure out the rest ourselves. This has, for instance, one of the best explanations for rhyming I’ve ever seen. On that note, sadly, this fails the Zecora Test, though I’ve seen far worse. The writing is also a little bumpy in spots, but overall I think it can be forgiven. Certainly, it sets up perfectly the final emotional counterpoint in the last scene. This is definitely a good addition to the litany of Zecora fics.
Recommended

Thanks, Mother by Titanium Dragon
Genre: Episode Followup
Diamond Tiara couldn’t have done it without her mother’s help.
Given that TD was one of the forerunners in the naysaying-the-episode group, I was dying to know what he’d come up with the day after it aired. And, well, I like this; I wasn’t the only one waiting for the other shoe to drop at the end of the episode. That said, this is mostly just a conversation laying out how everything was a big scam, albeit with a few nice side touches. Mostly, whether you like this or not will depend on how much you wanted Diamond to be actually reformed.
Recommended

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Orbiting Kettle

Orbiting Kettle #1 · Oct 13th, 2015 · · ·

Thanks for the review, I really appreciated it

Loganberry

Loganberry #2 · Oct 13th, 2015 · · ·

Thanks for the review! I'm very happy with that; I wasn't expecting it to get an R. The ending is definitely the weakest part, but you're right about the reason for it.