• Member Since 25th Mar, 2015
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The Hat Man


Specialties include comedy, robots, and precision strikes to your feelings. Hobbies include hat and watch collecting. May contain alcohol.

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Jan
4th
2016

Hats Off to 2015 - A Look Back! (Part 2) · 8:20pm Jan 4th, 2016

Yesterday I discussed some of my own success this past year as well as thanking a lot of the people who made 2015 a good first year here on FiMFiction. This time, I thought I'd discuss some of my favorite stories from my time here so far. You can already peruse my Favorites, true, and you can also see my list of Top 5 Recommendations, but I thought I'd go into a little more detail.

First off, let me establish a basic rule: the story has to have come out or updated in 2015. That leaves off some of my favorite stories, but I intend to get around to reviews of those someday soon. But in any case, this should give you all some interesting stuff to read. So, without further ado...


The Hat Man's Top 10 Favorite Stories of 2015

in no particular order

#1: Pony.exe by Blue Blaze {COMET}

This story is a sci-fi tale that takes place on Earth, rather than Equestria. The unusual premise is that Twilight Sparkle is stuck inside a college guy's computer. The story is currently incomplete and the author is undergoing some considerations about the direction of the story, but so far it is a really interesting concept. The question of whether this is the real Twilight or just an AI remains tantalizingly unanswered, hinting at first at one, then the other, and despite the fact that the story is very slow in pacing, it's surprisingly engaging and easy to connect to. The only two characters of note, thus far, are Twilight herself and the human in question, named David. David manages to be just enough of an Everyman to be relatable without being vanilla.

Oh, and if you're reading "The Iron Horse" but you haven't read this one, you might want to check it out. Just saying. :unsuresweetie:


#2: The Only Day by naturalbornderpy

Ever see the movie "Groundhog's Day?" It's a comedy about a grumpy newscaster who is stuck in a town he hates to report on Groundhog's Day. But then the next day, it's Groundhog's Day again. And again. And again. He's in a time loop that he cannot escape. Note, though, it is a comedy, and it's hilarious to see what the newscaster, played by Bill Murray, does with it.

This story does not go for laughs, save one or two. It goes for heart-wrenching tragedy. Applejack hires a new farmhandhoof. She keeps a record of the new girl's time there. Thus we see a story about a pony who is stuck in a time-loop uniquely through someone else's eyes, which is a really great take on a well-known idea. Be warned, while there is a bit of bittersweetness in here, this story is still very sad.


This may not be my favorite comedy story, but it is one of the first I read on the site when it was submitted for a contest that I also entered. Neither of us won, but I rather enjoyed this one anyway. Criminally underrated.

Ruin, the God of Destruction comes through a portal and finds himself in Equestria, set on destroying it. He finds himself in a barren wasteland which is where Maud Pie has setup camp. The two then have a conversation. Boulder is there too.

That's pretty much the plot. To say more would really give a lot away, but I'll try to be simple about what makes this story great: it's Maud being Maud. She is utterly nonplussed by this towering giant of a Horror from Beyond and just chats with him about her poetry, her life, his life, and things. It is cute, a little heartwarming, and, in my opinion, utterly hilarious. Seriously, it's under 2k words, go read it! :flutterrage:


This story is weirder than most. Now, I should state that I normally do not care for "Human in Equestria" stories with few (maybe even just one) notable exception. This, like "Pony.exe" is a Pony on Earth story, which I give a teeny bit more leeway, but is still not a favorite genre.

But "The Pony Who Lived Upstairs" is unique because it still treats MLP as a show AND a reality (apparently, first it was a show, then it became a reality, and everyone on Earth knows about it). Earth and Equestria are connected through some event that isn't really explained in detail and it really isn't important. Rather, this story focuses on a human named Ronald Pfeffer and a pony named Peach Spark who are neighbors and friends. The two swap stories about their cultures, they learn about each other, and they get into philosophical debates about the nature of coming from a reality that started off as a children's TV show.

The story is tagged as "Romance," as a warning. Ron does develop conflicting feelings and it is part of the story. I admit human on pony romance is something I normally dislike, but it's done surprisingly well here. If you just can't get past the very idea, then you might want to skip it. But if you can get past it or don't mind it all, I think this is a really intriguing, even realistic take on the subject matter.


#5: The Destruction of the Self by Cold in Gardez

This story bears some resemblance to the village displayed in the Season 5 premier, but unlike "Our Town," this plays as more of a real, actualized town. It's got elements of a Dystopia, but shows itself as a Slice of Life, albeit one of a stranger turn than most.

The story follows three different ponies throughout a day in this town. Every day, each pony takes on a new job, a new home, a new family even. Everyone is interchangeable. You could have a new job tomorrow. A new wife. A new child.

The story is presented in a calm tone with clean prose, and the mood shifts from relaxed, to somber, to jovial. It is intriguing and disturbing and funny and horrifying all at once. But, oddly enough, it's portrayed realistically and not always in a negative light. At times, it's even sweet in an odd sort of way. That Cold in Gardez managed to capture so much in so little with this concept is really impressive. The story did hang around on the feature box for a while, but if you missed it, I definitely recommend it now.


#6: The Adventures of Batsy Fluffentuft the Magnificent by ocalhoun

What can I say about this story other than this: it is very silly.

The tale - which apparently is going to be an ongoing thing now :yay: - is just what it says it is. Batsy is, you might have guessed, a batpony. Specifically, she is in the service of Luna's guard. A cloudcuckoolander if ever there was one, Batsy sneaks out one day (again), but this time during daylight hours to see how things are in Canterlot while the sun is still shining. Then she does things.

The story in this case is almost an afterthought - though there is a plot; it is not a crackfic - as the story is mostly fueled by Batsy's antics and running commentary. A lemony narrator through-and-through, Batsy is obsessed with food, craves adventure, is quite lascivious, and has her fair share of hair-brained schemes which are surprisingly successful. The story is hilarious and very light-hearted, and there are even some romantic undertones if you want more than just a silly tale about the world's ditziest batpony.


#7: The Bully is Back by HapHazred

Hap's stories keep showing up in my faves list for some reason, and I think this is one of his best. I say "for some reason" because he writes a lot of AppleDash, which isn't even one of my ships. However, he usually writes them without sacrificing a plot and somehow his fluff pieces turn into engaging reads. This story is no exception.

In truth, this story is less an AppleDash story than it is a tale about how the past can follow you. The story begins with Rainbow Dash's cloud house getting destroyed. It turns out the one who did it was doing so in an act of revenge for some pretty awful mistreatment on Dash's part when she was younger, alongside a gang of other miscreants in Cloudsdale. And it seems those old "friends" have come to Ponyville with big plans, revenge among them.

The story won't please everyone, but the themes really resonate with me. Among those themes are bitterness and the nature of holding grudges, of regret, and the fickle nature of trust. Hap does a good job making the story tense without getting too dramatic. The romance is nice and very sweet, but done without getting too saccharine.


#8: The Alpaca Prince by Aegis Shield

Remember that episode with the yaks? Well, while I liked that episode, I think almost nobody liked the yaks themselves. This is a very similar premise that somehow predated that episode, only this time the visiting dignitaries are not jerks.

The King and Prince of the bordering country of Alpacastan (ha! :rainbowlaugh:) visit Equestria. While the King and Celestia conference yeah, right, "conference", the Prince, named Cudfellow, stays with Twilight. It involves funny accents and fur that apparently has Hammerspace as a feature.

The story is cute and charming with just a little bit of romance thrown in for good measure. It also has a really great instance of innuendo that I won't spoil here, but you'll know it when you see it. I suppose I like this because I could almost imagine the Alpacas as a distinct part of the world of MLP and this does a great job of portraying them as funny without making them stupid. Not only that, it gives a glimpse into how Twilight and Equestria might be viewed from an outsider's perspective.


Another batpony story? Indeed so, but this one also has a twist - the main character is no ordinary batpony, but one that was actually raised by wild bats. The result is a very Jungle Book/Tarzan story as a batpony named Dee breaks her adoptive mother's rules and visits Ponyville during Nightmare Night. Mistaking the costumed ponies for real monsters, she nonetheless takes the risk to get a sample of the strange, tasty "fruits" they seem to be collecting.

The fish-out-of-water story is great and does a little more with the usual batpony story. Dee's perspective on Nightmare Night is great fun and everything else about her is pretty darn adorable too. There's even a sequel story that I hope Georg gets around to updating one of these days about Dee's real parents trying to find their long-lost daughter, raised by the bats.


And now we come to what I think I can label as my favorite story of 2015...

Many stories fill me with admiration. This one fills me with envy for how good it is. It is an excellent OC-centric story with great pacing, great comedy, and an intriguing story to boot.

The story is about a Changeling whose nonconformity, slight though it may be, gets him ejected from the Changeling hive. He nearly dies, but is rescued in the desert on the very outskirts of Equestria by a roaming caravan. From there, he begins to learn a little bit about pony society while in disguise, but eventually leaves the caravan until he meets an eccentric pegasus named Topaz who is doing field work as an entomologist (perfect for buddying up with a bug-pony). It's not really a spoiler since it's right in the description, but eventually this Changeling, who takes the name Idol Hooves (yes, that is how it's spelled) joins the Royal Guard, and there's at least one familiar face in there...

Those of you who've read "The Iron Horse" will know how much I like characters who are naive about society. But vdrake77's character tells his own story, and by telling it in first person, we get to see his misconceptions and the way he misses the point while figuring out what he's trying to describe. This makes the tale surprisingly engaging and even endearing as Idol Hooves stumbles his way through society while trying to keep his identity a secret and continually misunderstanding the ponies around him. It's hilarious to see his skewed perspective on pony society through the lens of a Changeling, and yet he remains easy to sympathize with and his intentions are overall good. There are many stories about Changelings that portray them in a sympathetic light, but this is one of the few that really presents a fully realized character.

Seriously, go read it; it's fantastic. :heart: It updates about once a month and chapters are generally quite short. It's an easy and engaging read, so there's really no reason not to give it a look!


Honorable Mentions:
-Pirate Mares by Jay911: Great prologue, but there seems to be no guarantee that it will update anytime soon. Go read it and bug him to write more. :ajsmug:
-I'm Gonna X Myself No Matter What I Do by Pickleless: Crackfic story about Sunset Shimmer getting stuck in a time loop of that one catch-as-hell song in Equestria Girls, but with a twist. Stupid, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me laugh.
-Artificial Friend by writer283: Creepy sci-fi story. The writing on this one is a little shaky and the updates are irregular as hell, but I find the story really interesting. "The Iron Horse" readers will understand when I say that the main character is a bit like a more manic, darker version of Gadget.
-Stony Hearts by Broadway Sweetie Belle: Pinkie Pie brings her new boyfriend home to meet the family. (Note: pre-"Hearth Breakers" so the characters aren't quite like their canon counterparts.) It's ridiculous and has a horrible punchline, but, again, it made me laugh.
-A Guide to Magic by bookplayer: A very close one for getting on my faves for 2015; the only reason I didn't is because it just leaves me wanting more. The story is about Apple Bloom considering a special acceptance to Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns for her work on potion making and Spike considering leaving Twilight's service to be her assistant. It's a great little coming of age story with sharp writing and great character and a fascinating conflict. Bookplayer has said she'd like to do a sequel, but we'll see. In any case, the story still stands well on its own.
-A Change in Three Parts by GaPJaxie: Some of you might know Jaxie for "Would It Matter if I Was?" That was less a story and more of an idea with a talking heads debate. I didn't hate it, but I do think this story is a lot better. It has an actual plot with a real character and a conflict as well as a controversial topic (one of my favorite topics, in fact - the role/ethics of science and technology!). The story is about a pony named Dust who develops a technique that allows a pony to change between the three races. We learn about her personal sacrifices, the societal fallout, and the future of such a discovery. Not for everyone, but I thought it was a genuinely interesting read.

And that's it. Give some of these other authors some love, and tell 'em The Hat Man sent you!

Next time: enough about the Past, let's talk about the Future!

Comments ( 15 )

I say "for some reason" because he writes a lot of AppleDash

because he writes a lot of AppleDash

he writes a lot of AppleDash

ct.fra.bz/ol/fz/sw/i54/2/10/31/frabz-Theyre-onto-us-9dc288.jpg

Also, if you feel like it, don't hesitate to drop some of these into the 'Submit Other People's Work Here' folder of the Goodfic Bin. I'm sure they're worth at least a look if they're not already in there. (and I think a few already are).

(also if you do that remember only 2 at a time thank you pls have nice day pip-pip old boy bye bye)

Speaking of Batsy Fluffentuft, ocalhoun is having a contest , and although I have written quite a few batpony stories, I don't think I could do justice to writing a sequel to this particular one. (Yes, this is a hint. Somebody, please. The world needs more Batsy.)

Holy hell. Number two... with a lot of far bigger names on the list. :rainbowkiss:

Thank you very much for the spot and glad you enjoyed the story. :twilightsmile:

3664288

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You know, I almost put "The Many Complications of Inter-Species Romance" on this list, but I decided "The Bully Is Back" was one I liked a little more. Still, it holds a little place in my heart.

I think a few of these selections are already in or have been submitted for the Goodfic Bin, but I'll give it a look and perhaps make a few recommendations. Of course, there are already so many still-pending for reviews. Some written by men. Who like hats. About robots.
Notice me, Hap-senpai!

But yeah, in all seriousness, you're right. Some of these really need more love. :twilightsmile:

3664870 Yeah. And poor Winter is down with the flu. : C

I've moved myself temporarily to the non-self-subs for the time being until I can get it back under 100 (or until I get bored). Truth be told, there are a few less than it looks like, since we often get re-submissions and several are already in the folders/in both folders, so the actual numbers are a bit lower. Still high, though.

I remember getting through the first chapter to yours a while ago, but it's been so long I need to go through it again. I think it came up around exam time for me, so I timed reading it pretty poorly. Whoops. I'll get on it again eventually.

3664900 Is he? Aw, that sucks.

But yeah, I'm mostly kidding around anyway. I'd love for it to get accepted, but I realize you all have tons and tons of work to do and my story in particular is pretty large. You can take your time, and I'll keep writing it. :coolphoto:

3664330 I'm not sure how I feel about writing fanfics about fanfics. :twilightsheepish:

Still, it's worth thinking about, so thanks for letting me and anyone else reading the blog know about it! Who knows, maybe I'll even try my hand at it after all.

3664539 Um, well... the list is titled:

The Hat Man's Top 10 Favorite Stories of 2015
in no particular order

So, just for perspective, I consider all of these my top 10 for 2015, but the list isn't in any order. #2 isn't objectively better or worse than any other one. Still, it's a wonderful story and I totally consider it worthy of a top 10 spot. :twilightsmile:

3665157 Well, that's what I get for not reading the whole title. :applejackconfused:

Still, damn cool to be included on the list! :yay:

Oh wow, I'm still a little shocked to have been included on this list. I hadn't seen that one with Maud and it was an adorable tale.

I'm really glad you're enjoying Changeling so much! That little fic has taken on something of a life of it's own, but I'm enjoying the feedback everyone is giving me. Hopefully when I (eventually) get caught up to the actual show timeline and start the alternate view of things, I can keep things interesting and the comedy flowing.

3670274 Delayed response is delayed. :twilightsheepish:

But seriously, I cannot praise that story enough. To hear that you're planning to play the long game with it makes me happy too, as it means I'll get to enjoy it for (hopefully) a long time to come! (And I also appreciate the fairly regular updates. That's always welcome in fanfiction.)

I hope to talk to you again soon! :twilightsmile:

Tx for the list. Found it in pony.exe coments.
Picked up some stories from it too.

3785623 Glad I could help! And yeah, "pony.exe" is great. Blue Blaze and I are also fans of each other's work, which is pretty awesome. Thanks for stopping by! :twilightsmile:

As far as "The Bully is Back" is concerned...yeah, no. I mean, it was well-written, no doubt about that, but it had an INCREDIBLY unsatisfactory ending. I mean,

The townsponies still don't entirely trust Rainbow, even though she, ya know, HELPED SAVE EQUESTRIA SEVERAL TIMES OVER, Wallflower is still wallowing in his own misery and refusing to forgive her...NOT my idea of a good ending. And you know what pissed me off the most? When Twilight said she and Applejack weren't going to try and convince Wallflower that Rainbow had changed because some things "couldn't be fixed"...Seriously, Twilight? You're the Princess of Friendship, for Chrissakes; ACT like it! And she said that was something she had to learn as a princess...from who, Princess "Incompetent" Celestia? Think for yourself, you brainless yes-mare! Why the hell couldn't she have given the townsponies a scathing "Shaming the Crowd" speech to get them to come to their senses? And honestly, with Wallflower, sometimes ya gotta beat something into someone-sometimes literally-when they refuse to see what you're trying to get across....

Oh, hello... After reading "The iron horse" I've decided to travel your blog. 'Thas been slightly over 5 years now... Since you've posted its first chapter... Many blog entries there!

It is surprising (and coinciding) you read "I'm gonna X myself...": I stumbled upon it on my own... and had laughs!..

Also it is you, who's pointed me to some stories. I wonder, how they're doing.

"The changeling of the guard" is good. I should probably return and reread it: maybe, it's been updated... Maybe, I'd say you said "hi".

Also: Cold in Gardez. I read some of his stories. But that was some time ago... probably in the end of 2016... Should I revisit him? Emotions... dwelling in his stories...

"Batsy Fluffentuft"... How is it doing, I wonder.

And the others too...

Let us see what you've hidden in your posts, meanwhile...

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