Fanfiction Spotlight #47

Good Evening everypony! It's snowy down here where I live, so it's a perfect night to curl up and read some quality pony fiction!

As a reminder, we've got the Everfree NW Scribblefest 2017 running! Check this out for the details! As always, we've got a little bit of everything for you this lovely Sunday evening!

Silver Flare read a story where Starlight Glimmer accidentally kills Twilight with tableware. Xepher read a human in Equestria story that actually was enjoyable, and had a character that was very well written in her excitement to meet ponies. And I read a cute little shipfic that honestly did a wonderful job showing and not telling what it is like to be in the middle of a relationship, and why Monday mornings should be illegal.

---- Review by Silver Flare ----

Solving For Death

by Majin Syeekoh
Words: 3,024 Complete: Yes
Recommended by Silver Flare

Remember the opening scene in No Second Prances, where Starlight Glimmer helps Twilight set the table, but she uses magic to do it really fast? What if Twilight hadn’t ducked quite fast enough?

Yes, this story starts off pretty dark. Twilight Sparkle dies in the first scene. What brings some much needed levity is the Starlight that’s been written here. She’s completely and utterly confident that this problem is a temporary one. She blows off Spike’s emotional response and, when Celestia shows up, Twilight’s pupil confidently reassures her that she’ll fix everything if she can just find the right spell. It’s a strange sort of flavor for a one-off, but this Starlight reminds me of season two Twilight in all the best ways. And in the end, we get a little more depth and emotion than the premise promises.

All in all, this was a fun read I wouldn’t hesitate to read again. ‘Snarky, confident magic students diving into the impossible’ could fill up my favorites list and you won't hear me complain. Glim Glam is really growing on me. Although, to be completely fair, Celestia had the best moment in this story. You’ll know it when you read it. And you should totally read it.

---- Review by Xepher ----

Friendship is Sufficiently Advanced

by Cordial Nova
Words: 22,648 Complete: No
Recommended by Xepher

Sci-fi Human-in-Equestria!

I am almost certain that phrase triggered some sort of Pavlovian response in you, dear reader. Are you subconsciously drooling for something you love, or skipping immediately to the next review? Well, if it's the former (and it now is, because the rest left) then you'll love this one.

That said, it's obvious we've seen this trope before. Far-future sci-fi civilization "discovers" Equestria? Been there, done that. But just because something isn't unique, doesn't mean it can't be good, and this is definitely one of the better takes on the idea. First off, I want to highlight the detail in the non-FiM parts of this story. The author, Cordial Nova explains this story is a crossover with the original SF story he writes as a "day job." I admit I've read none of that, but... I think it's helped this story fantastically, as there is a pervasive sense of depth and background in everything non-pony. The ships, the technology, and most especially the characters; all are given a level of detail most fan-fic only authors would give up an arm (or at least a pinkie) for.

With some actual sci-fi chops to back it up, Cordial Nova has been able to make a proper science fiction story here. Most stories in the HiE genre do one of three routes: "Yay ponies!," "I'm a gruff, stubborn dude," or "WTF?" This one falls more in the first category, but... it gives a good reason for it. The main character is believably written as a "first-in scout." Her job is literally to find new civilizations, and she loves her job. It's not "yay ponies" because ponies are cool, but because ALL new things are cool. That doesn't mean things are always smooth though, or that she doesn't have her own flaws. These are shown as well, and the character comes across as far more balanced (and therefore enjoyable to read) than usual.

I want to back up there and stress the "believably written" part. This is key to this whole story actually working in the genre: The characters are believable. They aren't naive idiots, but they aren't needlessly grumpy ***holes either. Instead, the "human" side of the equation is provided by a well-crafted civilization that is able to produce curious, well-balanced, sane people. I am reminded of (and I have no doubt this is intentional on the part of the author) Iain M. Bank's wonderful "Culture."

Oh, and there are footnotes. So. Many. Footnotes. And as Sir Terry Pratchett taught us, all stories are better with footnotes!

---- Review by Heartshine ----

Through the Thin and the Thick

By ShadowblazeCR
Words: 2,030 Complete: yes
Recommended by: Heartshine

Ever wonder what it would be like if Monday mornings were outlawed? I do. Usually at about 6:10am when my alarm goes off the first time.

In this cute shipping story, Soarin’ and Rainbow Dash are waking up on a Monday morning like so many others, but also unlike so many others. This morning was the morning after they’d become engaged. Which made waking up, doing normal adult pony things like going to work all the more frustrating.

I really liked how well ShadowblazeCR wrote a ‘couple’ that has been together for quite some time. He does a wonderful job making it seem like Rainbow and Soarin’ have worked out a lot of their major issues, and that the idea of the two of them getting married is something that they’d both enjoy. It’s an example of a shipfic that works in a little over 2000 words. You get just enough information to know what has happened up until this point, and the character interactions fill in the rest. It’s a cute, short read, and I really enjoyed it.