Fic recs, October 31st: Spooky Scary Nightmare Night edition 2: The Revenge! · 1:28pm Oct 31st, 2016
Hey guys, remember the last time I did this? Yeah, me neither, that was like four years ago. :B But once again, I have a heaping helping of horror fics, this time coming as recommendations from this journal. There was a lot of stuff I'd already read, of course, but the ones that I hadn't? Appear here. Well, with one exception: the last story was a bit on the long side and I couldn't fit it all in, but it's on my read-it-now list anyway, so it'll show up soonish. Probably. :B
And no, I don't have any dumb horror puns or spoopy music or pictures for you. I'm not a Halloween person. :B But here's hoping you enjoy these fics! Scarlet's readers have excellent taste. :D
(And if you weren't here four years ago, the "Spooky" ratings are just for flavor, not an evaluation of how scary the story actually is.)
H: 3 R: 4 C: 4 V: 2 N: 2
Shipshape's World by WishyWish
Genre: Shipping Comedy
Everyone knows the story of Shipshape isn't real.
The first chapter caught my attention immediately with a thoroughly ponified passage from "The Walrus and the Carpenter". I then started thinking that this was maybe a little too caught up in its own references. That, and Apple Bloom's accent was way overwritten. But the writing was whimsical and the overall idea pretty interesting, if not exactly the stuff of nightmares. And then the solution to the problem reared its head. See, by chanting the Shipshape rhyme into a mirror, the CMCs drag everyone into a twilit, incorporeal version of Ponyville, and I mean everyone. To get out, a pony has to find their perfect match and kiss them. And this is all well and good, I mean it's just rife with silly shipping potential. But the first pair who accomplish this feat are Granny Smith and Braeburn. And then Pinkie and Mrs. Cake. Then the Cake Twins, who are still babies. And then things go straight to Babycakes, and I just don't know why any of this had to be brought into things. Maybe it's the horrifying part? (It does at least make sense in terms of Twilight Sparkle's Secret Shipfic Folder, which this is a parody of. The worst I can accuse the author is poor decision making.) Whatever the case, I just didn't want to read anymore, which is a real shame, because my first impression was so good.
Not Spooky: DNF 4/10
Magic by Cromegas_Flare
Mature: Gore
Genre: Gluefic
After discovering the magic of Friendship, Twilight finds herself reluctant to enact the old ritual.
For some reason, I really like the cover image for this fic. <.< Unfortunately, I don't like the writing. There's a strange skew to it, most noticeable in the dialogue, but also in lines like "She had to fight for the Magic of Friendship, that is what had to be done", which overall made this difficult to follow. It doesn't help that it spends a lot of time dancing around what's going on; the entire first scene, possibly two, could have been removed and nothing would have been lost. As to the story itself, it's been a long time since a ponyfic made my stomach turn this much. D: Beyond just "there is a grimdark explanation behind Twilight's power", this depicts a filly Twilight butchering another filly and eating parts of her. It's just needlessly gross, and while the reasoning behind what's going on is at least somewhat interesting, I've got no interest in the execution. Pun intended.
Not Spooky
Fate by Rinnaul
Reading by Scribbler
Genre: 2P Dark
A strange form haunts your dreams.
From the author's note, this was originally designed as a Most Dangerous Game entry; from the tropes present in the description, that's no surprise. At it's core, this is the author taking the piss out of HTPiE (that's Human-Turned-Pony in Equestria) fics by having Princess Luna deal with the protagonist in a rather final manner. And if there's anything I'd say against this, it's that the reliance on trope familiarity to set up the story (seriously, if you don't read the description, you may get nothing out of this) robs the ending of any real catharsis. Well, and also won't sucker in readers this is directed at, who genuinely like this kind of story. >.> But I'd have really liked to see the protagonist's powers in effect, rather than be told about them later. Shoot, the more I think about this story, the less I like it. D:
Spooky If You Like Take-Thats
Smile by Rinnaul
Genre: Dark
She hurts them so she won't hurt.
This reminds me of the last Pinkie stream-of-consciousness fic I read, though at least this one's up front with its darkness. By the same token, it also doesn't sound as much like Pinkie; no surprise, really, when this is about her killing her Mirror Pool clones so her inner hurt can go away. Yet for all that I want to dismiss this as yet another Pinkamurder fic, yet another fic about how Twilight killed all those clones, there's something existential in here, the barest hint of Pinkie actually considering who she is in light of the Mirror Pool incident. And I actually like the part near the end where an intrusive thought makes her consider what she's doing. On the whole though, this is going to have low appeal, only if you're into dark Pinkie fics and gratuitous murder.
Kinda Spooky
413 Mulberry Lane: A Report (With Annotations by Twilight Sparkle) by Starsong
Genre: Horror
After entering a strange house, a colt learns about the mysteries it holds.
At the risk of being a broken record, this is the kind of writing that makes the SCP Foundation work, a lengthy exploration of a place that's just wrong and how it effects those who study it. Even better than that, it's an excellent look at how the scientific and arcane could meld in a world like Equestria. I'll admit it's a little hard to read, both because the annotations fall prey to what any footnotes have in the history of Fimfiction, and also because it took me a bit to realize there are two sets, the italicized ones coming from Twilight, not to mention every section is first person, and though the narrators have somewhat different voices, it's not always obvious when they've switched. At least the footnotes are never more than a few short paragraphs away. But this is gripping and thrilling and haunting in all the ways I want from a story of its kind. It's really fantastic, and I can see why its name is one I've seen mentioned again and again.
Super Spooky
Gnosis by Morning Sun
Genre: Dark
Canterlot Palace runs by the grace of hundreds of ponies, cleaning, guarding and protecting not just the building, but the Princesses.
It helps that I read this once before, but if you don't know what to pay attention to, you might be confused by that tag, or the one on the story. Why is this dark? Where's the mystery? Well, take a look at the author's note and try again. The final scene maybe drives things home a little too hard, but it's still subtle enough and should catch up anyone who missed what's going on. And what's great about this isn't just the subtle mystery, but the multifaceted narrator approach. You've got no less than five of them in this story, and they each show us the main story as the background of their own. It's a really excellent way to tell something like this, and it's all around a fantastic piece.
Super Spooky
Memories by kildeez
Genre: Grimdark
Twilight is finally ready to free herself from the changelings.
This is the damn strangest shipfic I've ever read. <.< I really like how this builds its narrative through broken snatches of memory, at least at first. I'm not sure that what it builds toward is all that great. The uber-grimdark invasion Twilight's trying to forget is, well, not a great prize. It certainly doesn't help that the shipping goggles render Chrysalis into a completely unrecognizable parody of herself. Still, there's at least some merit to this, and I always appreciate attempts by this fandom to tell a story in a novel way.
Spooky If You Like Alternate Perspectives
The Last Days of Parrsboro by Eakin
Genre: Horror
A fateful visit to a Nova Scotia town brings ponies, and worse.
I was put off rather early by mentions of a "Lauren F" visiting this town, and no bones made about just what cartoon she's created. But I'm glad I stuck with it; I came into this expecting Biblical Monsters and got Lovecraft instead. :D This isn't really much of a fanfic; it's really more like Kij Johnson's "Ponies", mixing images of MLP with real-world horror. But it's, ah, it's definitely something, and I'd give it a shot if you want a dark meta look at the fandom? I think that's how you could describe this. I'm confused, but I had an enjoy.
Spooky
babytails by KitsuneRisu
Reading by Me!
Genre: Body Horror
Sweetie Belle's tail starts to fall out. It's normal for a pony her age.
The idea that ponies lose their tails like they lose baby teeth seems a goofy, lighthearted way to poke fun at our favorite marshmallow equines. Except losing baby teeth doesn't come with rules that absolutely must be followed; thus does the horror show begin. This is fantastic body horror, as Sweetie feels something happening inside her, while surrounded by an uneasy cult of silence from the adults, and Diamond Tiara as a warning for what not to do. The actual explanation for what's going on isn't as satisfying as I think it could have been, but the journey there is totally worth it. Really, you can't ask for a more thoroughly unsettling story; when I say it's Super Spooky, I mean that literally. (I just wish I could remember why I'm taking half the blame here! The mystery has been solved!)
Super Spooky
Silencing Song by Pen Stroke
Reading by Scribbler, et. al.
Genre: Ghost Story
Octavia couldn't pass up the chance to play a rare cello, commission or no. Now it's up to Vinyl Scratch to find out what happened to her.
Once again, I find myself reading a Pen Stroke fic and focused entirely on the problems with the writing. The opening scenes are just fine, setting up a nice, creepy atmosphere, even if the various pauses and some of the dialogue seem designed specifically to ratchet up the scary factor. Once Octavia is 'captured', however, and the focus shifts to Vinyl, it turns into more of an action thriller, yet somehow manages to plod pedantically through its every turn. There are copious editing mistakes, as well. As for the plot, it's not too bad. As I said, the opening is spooky, and the ghost story, while something I've seen before, shows itself well. I'm not sure how I feel about action hero Vinyl Scratch, but there are some exciting spots here and there. The monsters are cool, I appreciate the particular dynamic of Octavia and Vinyl, and the ending is pretty great. It's just a question of can you weather the journey to get there?
Spooky If You Don't Mind Editing Mistakes
Wub Meh Hard by Doc Crowl
Reading by immunetogravity57
This guy's a little mumbly, and it's just his narration; the dialogue was just fine, and I even like his Octavia voice. The breathing effects in the first scene kind of covered up his reading, though (oddly, all the sound effects are feminine, while his voice is very obviously not; it was just kind of weird), and there are a couple missed false starts. Otherwise, though, this was a really good reading, so he'll go on the list. Unfortunately, he seems to have stopped reading fanfiction five months ago. :|
Genre: Horror
A quest for the perfect creepy venue for her new album release party leads Vinyl Scratch and Octavia to a terrifying fight for their survival.
I apparently read this before and didn't vote! Or it might be more correct to say that at one point, two or three years ago, either this site's voting record wasn't as stable as it is today, or it was purged. Either way, I assumed I had listened to this, which is why I went out and found the reading, but given its recentness, I doubt it's the one I heard, if indeed I heard one at all. Anyway, the first scene of this story really threw me off. I mean, Octavia running from a manic Vinyl Scratch, getting chills down her spine she Vinyl calls her "Tavi"? That sounds like comedic anti-horror to me. But once she start writing, it was easy to take everything seriously, and I'm glad I did. Sure, an abandoned asylum doesn't exactly fit the show, and the Nightmare Moon connection barely even makes sense (it leads us to an Agentless Luna scenario, but at least does so in a slightly more interesting way than usual), but the end result is two ponies stuck in a horror movie, and it's really effective. Lots of great atmosphere, some creepy imagery and catchphrases, and Octavia taking her turn as an action hero. Seriously she's really awesome and gets an amazing one-liner during the climax. :D Totally worth it if you need some horror!
Spooky
Jackie by BronyWriter
Genre: Drama
Rarity goes to Twilight for help regarding Sweetie's imaginary friend.
Why are imaginary friends so rife for horror potential? We must all become scared of kids after a certain age or something. This delivers well on its premise, but Rarity's characterization threw me. I mean, her being a drama queen is one thing; her being tense and irritable because her sister's behavior has taken her to her wits' end is another. But she's hysterical about everything in this story. And just when I was ready to write it off because of that, I got the first hints that this was, in fact, intentional. Granted, once this comes to light, the story takes its sweet time getting to its end, not to mention there's a lot of bureaucratic drama that waters everything down. No big reveal ever comes, though at least the backstory is apparent from the details. Still, this is about three chapters of drama in between two chapters of horror: an odd blend, but hey, points for mythology.
Spooky If You Like Drama
The Carnivore's Prayer by Cold in Gardez
Genre: Tragedy
The gryphons were once friends with ponies. They would later change their fate.
This doesn't exactly belong in a horror collection, being something more along the lines of Rinnaul's Predator, but lordy is it dark. And I suppose there's a bit of existential horror toward the end, as seen through the eyes of our protagonist. But what this is is some really solid S2 world-building which funnily enough lines up some with what we would see later of Griffonstone. They're more animalistic and brutal in this story, of course, but a picture is painted of an aerie of griffons who care nothing for one another. Beyond that, well, there's lots of gore, but this doesn't revel in it in quite the same way as Predator. The ending is pretty chilling, horror or no. Totally worth the read.
Spooky
I Spoke to Ms. Smarty Pants Today by BronyWriter
Reading by TheLostNarrator, IMshadow007 and itsannachloem
Reading by Snogwritts
Genre: Dark
Some toys don't appreciate being given away.
And here's another one I read previously! And given I was able to find a reading of it on Lost's channel, it's anyone's guess why I didn't review it back then. c.c And it may be that I just read a horror story with a similar premise (this one features a living doll, which is always cruise control for creep, but the 'imaginary friend' angle is the same in both) by the same author, but this didn't really do anything for me. I won't say it's bad, but it might be the copious killings that kept it from having much of an effect, horror-wise.
Sorta Spooky
Twilight, Revised by Vimbert the Unimpressive
Genre: AU/Mind Control/Dark
Twilight only has love for and the desire to serve her princess: Nightmare Moon.
As a fetish, mind control is one thing, but too often you see lonely meatsacks including it in their self-insert fantasy romances, since they have no other way to get someone to like them, them being that repulsive and all. Have I mentioned I have a low opinion of mind control? But a fic like this, which shows the horror inherent in the act: that's what I want to read. And not only do we get to recoil in terror, first watching Nightmare Moon all but literally rape Twilight's mind, but then we get to see how fucked up Twilight ends up being once it's over. And then she turns into the most perfectly unreliable narrator I've ever seen; not a thing she experiences can be taken at face value, making the rest of this a pleasantly thrilling mystery. The Romance tag shouldn't even be taken as a red flag: the magic in this story relies somewhat on Twilight having feelings for Celestia, but beyond that, it's yet another aspect to the unreliable narrator and the emotions forced upon her. Also: really good first-person mental breakdown, and it all ends in a strong look into Twilight's character. My complaint? It's full of Star Wars quotes and various other lines from other sources. I can't even identify half of them, but they're there, they're impossible to ignore, and they kind of ruin important scenes. Ignoring that, though, it's easy to see how this ended up in the Pony Fiction Vault oh-so long ago. This is the damn strangest story I have ever read, but darned if so many parts of it aren't really good.
Spooky
Shipshape's World gets its horror badge primarily for the ending, though...
4278635
Can't scare me if I don't get there! :B
4278637
Pffft, you just have no shipping guts. :)
Twilight: Revised was a huge disappointment to me. I went in expecting a dark and fascinating ride with an eventual happy ending. When I saw the ending he delivered I basically demanded he add a the tragedy tag, because holy fuck, everything was broken forever. Fics like this are why we need tags, even if the author feels like it spoils their ending.
4278638
They are called standards, sir. >:V
Aw.
But nah, didn't really expect much positive on that one. It was dashed off for the contest and then dropped in favor of the sadfic. I mean, I know how I'd do it now — an extra three-, maybe four-thousand words of Slice-Of-Life where everypony just loves our Gary Stu hero, but everything is noticeably more and more strained as the scenes go on. Then wake him up and Luna does her thing. I just haven't been interested in going back and tackling this idea again. Though I may use the idea of that draining chamber again later as a place for Celestia and Luna to have stashed another Sealed Evil In A Can (though in this case, less "Sealed Evil" and more "Sealed So-Insanely-Powerful-We-Didn't-Know-What-Else-To-Do-With-Him-And-Trusting-Him-Is-Out-Of-The-Question... In A Can").
Same thing wound up happening for my actual contest entry, the Celestia/HiE sad friendship one. I had ideas for expanding it out and actually developing their connection before letting the human fall ill, but just haven't felt like going back to the old idea.
As for Smile... Yeah. Single sitting, stream-of-consciousness writing, done in maybe 20 or 30 minutes, tossed at... possibly Cromegas, maybe another friend, for a look-over, and then posted. I keep thinking people rate it highly just cause they're happy it's not Cupcakes again.
Fucking "Baby Tails", man. I had to skip parts of it.
(And you're responsible because of a blog, and a bootleg toy. There should be a link in the story yo).
4278681
imgs.xkcd.com/comics/standards.png
4278683
That is precisely how that idea would work best.
4278688
No, just a vague disparaging of my name at the end. D:
Christ, I've only been pushing people to read Babytails for approximately forever. Easily one of his better works.
It's always interesting to find something I read years ago in one of these. Time to reread The Last Days of Parrsboro.
4278749
Reading things other people read years ago is my specialty. :V
4278779 That and inspiring the greatest Majin Syeekoh justification(s?) the world has ever known or will ever know.
Why it's your fault.
Although Imgr pics no longer embed properly, you can still get at the pic in the blog if you right-click, copy image location, and paste it into a new tab.
4278912
Well shit.
I remembered the toy, just not the challenge. This is what I get.