Fic recs, January 16th! · 4:18pm Jan 16th, 2017

Scribbler's newest reading is Sunny Skies All Day Long.

It's long-winded, as skirts tends to be, but I recommend reading his newest blog post, about how he got into the fandom and started writing End of Ponies. Maybe it's just because I got into the fandom at about the same exact time, but I certainly enjoyed the nostalgia trip. :D

So this one's got a few more "I just read them" things in it than usual. :B My recent focus on writing has come to an abrupt end, leaving me with another SCP that's, eh, not doin' too hot. :( But also lots of free time! So read below for reviews of Majin Syeekoh's Solving for Death, We Are Stars! Floosh! Shine, Young Backwards Baseball Cap! by Super Trampoline, errant's Paparazzi, and a few other stories that both make sense and are not clopfics! :V

H: 2 R: 1 C: 5 V: 0 N: 1

Solving for Death by Majin Syeekoh
Reading by Scribbler, et. al.
Genre: Dark Comedy
Starlight accidentally kills Twilight, but that's okay, she can deal with this.
What a crazy fic. It's chock full of Syeekoh's trademark goofiness, with Starlight reacting in entirely the wrong way to having killed Twilight, and a fantastic running gag about a fork. Then in the middle, something intriguing happens, and this gains a lot of heart on top of the silliness. It's worth considering that the reactions of Starlight to the situation really do fit her character: she's done the impossible before, and she's been shown to resort to magic as a first solution to anything. In the end, this is a very fun piece, and definitely some of Syeekoh's best work.
Highly Recommended

We Are Stars! Floosh! Shine, Young Backwards Baseball Cap! by Super Trampoline
Genre: Experimental
I was not about to read the previous story without reading this one too, which came out right around the same time and has a title I just cannot comprehend. I still can't, actually. I think this is an exercise in word salad. It was certainly interesting, combining non-sequiturs, random language, inline images and bizarre use of BBcode. It's got rather a lot of typos, but given what it is, who's to say they weren't intended? I dunno, just go read it, it's different.
Recommended

Private Show by Liquid_Rainbows
Reading by Scarlett Blade
Mature: Sex
Genre: Clopfic
Alone on the road after losing everything, Trixie repays a stallion's generosity.
This is a pretty standard clopfic, all things considered. I did notice, though, that it starts out like your standard sad Trixie fic, but then she "gets an idea" and suddenly, sex. The Romance tag gets more of a workout than the Comedy, which is kind of cute; though frankly, I didn't get the punchline. All in all, this is just okay.
Recommended If You Like Clop

Applejack and Spike: Poker for Two. by appletini
Reading by ShadowOfCygnus
Genre: Friendshipping
Applejack and Spike's weekly poker game is interrupted by rain.
This is very similar to Dragon Bucking, in that it's an early (specifically, pre-Spike at Your Service) fic putting two characters together who didn't really share any particular relationship. In this case, I'd almost label it "painfully slice of life"; I zoned out a couple times during the reading and didn't miss much. But there's at least some light humor that keeps the "painful" part at bay. Not much happens, but if you want a cheerful, light fic to read, this will satisfy.
Recommended for Slice of Life Fans

Rebirth Into Brotherhood: A Gilda Story by LiamNeighson
Genre: World-Building
Returning to her home for the first time in five years, Gilda finds herself alienated from her culture.
I'd have called this "Gilda Redemption", except that this story doesn't seem to think Gilda has anything to be redeemed for. She starts the story hurting at the loss of her only friend, and that's just the first of many problems with this piece. They range from structural — bad POV, repetition, explaining — to stylistic, the latter being the most problematic. Because if there's one thing this does well, that makes it worth reading, it's the world-building. The griffin culture designed here is fascinating, drawing from numerous Native American cultures and presenting a conundrum in that Gilda was marked with purple feathers to show wisdom, instead of the red feathers of a warrior, like her father. But there are a lot of inconsistencies within it, not the least of which is using "brotherhood" in an explicitly matriarchal society. It doesn't help that most of the world-building is straight-up told to us through the characters' inner thoughts. It helps even less that there's a romance angle with an OC griffin, who comes off as your standard wish-fulfillment character. Try as it might, this story's kernel of a good idea is just wrapped in too much of a bad package, and I wouldn't suggest it unless you're really into griffins.
Not Recommended

Paparazzi by errant
Reading by Scarlett Blade
Reading by Dr. Renegade
Mature: Sex
Genre: Public Sex
When two famous musicians' rare day out is interrupted by a tabloid photographer, Octavia is determined to keep him from ruining their date.
This was a lot of fun, as I hoped it would be. :D The thing that got me is it's Octavia who decides to perform lewd acts in public. This is after a scene where Vinyl waits impatiently in line for ice cream; she's the one you'd expect to do something crazy like this! If you're not interested in "horn jobs", this may be a letdown, but for something saucy and silly, it's worth it.
Recommended If You Like Clop

Sunset Shimmer the Siren Slayer by Chinchillax
Reading by Astro-Brony
Genre: EQG Crackfic
The sirens are back, and it's up to Sunset Shimmer to save Canterlot High!
Two problems with this story: it kind of doesn't make sense if you think about it too hard, and the big reveal is in the description. Thankfully, this is more than a one-joke fic, and it never misses an opportunity to do something absurd. If you don't mind knowing more about what's going on than the characters do, this is a ride from start to finish. :D
Recommended for Laughs

You're a Lesbian, Spike! by Lise Eclaire
Reading by Scarlett Blade
Genre: Comedy
During his coming of age birthday party, Spike learns something shocking about himself.
This is admittedly a one-joke fic, but the joke is pretty funny considering it doesn't make any sense, but no one really questions the logic, or lack thereof, behind it. The best part, to wit, is Spike finally realizing that Rainbow's right. This was written for one of those "Fuck This Prompt" contests Rage Reviews runs, and while I don't know what prompt might have gotten fucked, it seems like it might have been "Spike gets all the mares". Which is to say, if you don't like the idea of Spike, even aged-up, having at least some kind of relationship (in the background) with multiple ponies, you may not appreciate this. But, well, I generally don't, and I thought it was funny. :B I guess the punchline is lesbians.
Recommended for Laughs

Dance by Martian
Reading by ShadowOfCygnus
Reading by Luvlessi
Reading by VisualPony
Genre: Uplifting
In her free time, Apple Bloom likes to wander the orchards and dance.
This is a lovely little piece that celebrates the joy of doing while fully understanding the fear that can come with having an audience. Oddly, it made me think of that season six episode (whose name I can't remember because it was very forgettable), despite being couched in Show Stoppers. Applejack shows up near the end to be the Best Sister Ever, and it's just marvelous. Add to that a strong command of language, and you've got a real winner.
Highly Recommended

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Scootaloo96

Scootaloo96 #1 · Jan 16th, 2017 · · ·

You're getting through quite a few of these lately

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Author Interviewer

PresentPerfect #2 · Jan 16th, 2017 · · ·

4384871
That'll come to an end rather shortly, as I have a 12-chapter audiobook on the horizon. But when most everything I listen to is a one-shot that takes less than half an hour, I can get through two stories a day, no sweat. :3

Scootaloo96