Fic recs, March 19th: Top 10 of 2016 edition! · 2:27pm Mar 19th, 2017
I'm really proud of myself with this whole 'backlog' thing. I've got four whole blogs saved up, not counting this one! And then I realize that amounts to just about two weeks' worth of content. c.c Sad face.
Anyway, here's something I've tried doing for three years now. I've published lists of my top-reviewed fics in that time, but never been able to actually pull an edition out of it. Well, now, here we are! I've used this format previously, but here's a quick rundown of how it works:
Title of Top Ten fic
List of other recommendations from Also Liked list, underlining those I’ve reviewed previously
Commentary on the selection
Title and author of fic selected from other recommendations, like usual
Genre like usual
Review like usual
Recommendation like usual
Also, I've tried doing this both with Also Liked and with Similar, and I think, for my fics, Similar is the way to go, so I'm going to try doing Also Liked with this, since this is about fics I liked a lot!
The top ten fics are chosen from what I read last year, having nothing to do with publication date, and are presented in alphabetical order.
H: 2 R: 6 C: 2 V: 0 N: 0
Ambergris by Pascoite
The Great Thaw; The Pain I Won't Forget; The Last Page; A Cup of Cocoa and Coffee; Fluffy Fever; A Sleepless Siren; Shadowbolts Adventures: The Sound of Silence
All of these are EQG fics, no surprise. Lots of stuff on my RIL, too!
The Memories We Share by CommissarAJ
Genre: EQG Romance
When her new powers cause her to look into Flash's memories, Sunset is forced to reevaluate how she feels about him, herself, and the both of them.
Man, this story makes me realize just how much I want Sunset and Flash to get back together. Because like, it's a little explainy in spots, and not much happens, despite the length, so it likely won't interest anyone who's not into romance or interpersonal drama. But the use of Sunset's psychometric powers from LoE was a pretty fascinating vehicle through which to explore her self-doubts and feelings. I mean, that right there, the ability to see others' emotions and memories causing the user to self-reflect, that's pretty darned neat. But yeah, I was very invested in them doing anything remotely romantic, and I can't say I was disappointed. :D I think this might be worth it for anyone who wants to explore the potential set up by the fourth movie, who likes Sunset Shimmer (and/or Flash Sentry), or who enjoys teenagers getting over themselves.
Recommended
A Good Filly by Orbiting Kettle
Great and Powerful; A New Age; Left Behind; Lapidify: To See and Die; No One Goes There; I Have a Hat; Like a Pegasus in a Pottery Shop
Every. Single. One. Is an RCL inductee. (We must be doing something right!) With one exception…
Rarity's Fashion Alman-Yak by Ceffyl Dwr
Genre: Comedy
Tasked with managing Rarity's attempt to break into the exacting Yakyakistan fashion market, Coco Pommel quickly finds herself in over her head when faced with her overbearing yak clientele.
Boy, you can't ask for a more original idea than this. And all I could say was, poor Coco. :D She really deserved better! The story itself is fairly short, but I was appreciative of this, as it didn't waste time establishing and then driving home just how much trouble she's having in typical three-act style; I don't think I could have stood more scenes of her trying and failing to talk to yaks. It ends up being an effortlessly heartwarming piece, with a series of fantastic punchlines in the second chapter. Do read it if you haven't already. :D
Recommended
If You Came to Conquer by cleverpun
You Too Will Deteriorate; Suffer in Silence; Long Live the Queen; Where Have the Stars Gone?; A Million Little Lights; The Trial of Fluttershy Flutters; This Isn't War
Lots of Celestia fics, and of course, both sequels to this story. It's a little cheating to pick one, but hey, it's nice to read something soonish for once.
Inexcusable by cleverpun
Sequel to If You Came to Conquer
Genre: AU/Tragedy
Of course I'm going to use this as an opportunity to read the sequel! On that note, if you have not read If You Came to Conquer, do it, and then read this. I really can't say anything about this story without spoiling the first, and the first is too good to spoil. This is a piece about betrayal, fear, loneliness, trust, and love. Celestia is driven to anger in a perfectly understandable way. I can't wait to see the finale.
Highly Recommended
A New Age by SaddlesoapOpera
Her Soldiers, We; Twilight's Friendship; Like a Pegasus in a Pottery Shop; The Wish Jar; It's Not About the Bobby Pin; Sweet Apple Biohazard; A Brother's Love
I was expecting the same results as A Good Filly; I'm glad that's not the case. Lots of Rarity fics, it seems.
Solitude for the Modern Businessmare by Fahrenheit
Genre: Romance
A chance encounter makes Rarity's Hearts and Hooves Day evening a little less lonely.
This is a very peculiar piece, a high-spirited dash through numerous high-class Canterlot affairs as well as its very streets, written with a classical flair. It's also a bizarre amalgamation of events thrown haphazardly together, with little rhyme, reason, nor point. I have a feeling it feels that way because, though Rarity gets things started, she becomes swept up in this whirlwind of Harshwhinny; she feels agentless, but she isn't, as not acting and not being able to act are two very different things. And, yes, this is a Rarity/Harshwhinny ship, and I just do not have any words. I have no idea if I bought it, but if nothing else, this is certainly an exciting read, and you won't find many fics on this site like it.
Recommended
Only, Only, Only You by Corejo
I Have a Hat; After the Races; When the Moth Loved the Flame (:D); Analemma; Pinkie Pie and the Search for the Missing Adventure; A Light in Dark Places; Twinkie
Lots of variation in this one. I'm pleased to finally show up in the results, though! :D
Entry #649 by KitsuneRisu
Genre: Horror
Twilight comes to Rarity's door one night with a strange object, seeking something lost.
It's interesting, reading two first-person Rarity fics in a row, how far one can get with her voice and still have it fit. In this case, the somewhat florid and occasionally archaic prose lends itself to an older Rarity who has retired to the seaside and become a novelist. More to the point, this is a creepy horror piece written with good epistolary format, in the style of many Lovecraft, etc., things, where we get a front row to seeing our protagonist's mind crumble under the weight of something unknowable. It progresses in a very natural and completely unsettlingly manner, never failing to scrape some more atmosphere from its classic "old town by the sea" aesthetic. Worth doing as well is reading the comments once you're done; there's a lot of hidden stuff in the text, and many a reader has tried to suss out the details, with varying levels of success. In all, a great horror piece, as I've come to expect from KitsuneRisu.
Recommended
Raven by SaintChoc
There Goes the Neighborhood; The Princess of Pool; The Riddle of the Sphinx; A Million Little Lights; The Gathering; The End of Enlightenment; Completely Safe in the Reference Section
Once again, lots of Celestia fics. More interesting, all of these I have either already read, or already had on my RIL!
Making an Old Lady Cry (And Other Hazards of Espionage) by Nyronus
Genre: Changeling Fic
Spit Shine's escape from capture didn't exactly go as planned.
This one goes about how you'd expect, save perhaps for exactly why the "old lady" ends up crying. It's a fun changeling fic, though, that's the real takeaway. It could use a tad more proofreading, but the headcanon used is interesting, the scenario is fun, and of course I'm always up for stories extolling the virtues of Celestia. Worth the read!
Recommended
The Rummy Business of Old Blooey by Cloud Wander
Joshing; The Boneyard; Canterlot Follies; Today I Will Be a Princess; The Cake Twins' Surprise Party; It Is My Fate to Enter Every Door; Today I Am a Monster
Cloud Wander readers are extremely loyal, it turns out. Canterlot Follies fits in by also, I believe, being a Wodehouse-inspired fic, but it's by LadyMoondancer, so it's super-ded. :( I couldn't resist this one and its G3 callback title, though.
Hearth's Warming Eve: A Princess Promenade by Cloud Wander
Genre: Heartwarming
Ponyville Playhouse presents a bold new version of the Hearth's Warming story!
Here's a phenomenon I've not partaken of in a while: princess angst. Derpy teaching Twilight how to use her wings better, Twilight wondering if maybe she's not cut out for this princess thing, ponies not sure how to address her. It didn't last very long, but seeing it again is like a breath of fresh air, even if I never had any particular love for it. That's just window-dressing, though; this is explicitly a look at how the characters have grown, and something of a post-S3 victory lap around Ponyville, making sure each of the ponies (and others) we've come to know and love get at least a little time in the spotlight. There's something earnestly hopeful about that that I just can't deny. We also get to witness Rainbow Dash's "new" version of the Hearth's Warming play, though mostly it's just a more dramatic interpretation. Given how heartwarming everything is, I was not expecting surprises, but oh is there a good one. I might have something to say against the dialogue, Rainbow's especially doesn't sound like her, but really, I think this fic is above reproach and everyone's gonna love it.
Highly Recommended
"Teach Me Goodness" by Posh
Left Behind; I Have a Hat; Pinkie Pie and the Search for Missing Adventure; Numberography; An Ordinary Day; Bowled Over; At the Break of Dawn
A lot of awfully familiar names in there! Slice of life heavy.
Childhood's End by Cold in Gardez
Genre: Cutie Mark Problem
When Firecracker wakes up with his cutie mark, it's up to the Cutie Mark Crusaders to help him figure out what it means.
Hey, a new genre tag to celebrate that thing what the CMCs do in the show now. Pretty sure this is the first fic I've read about the subject! I have to say, it didn't leave much of an impression on me, though. It's a solid slice of life piece, introducing us to this OC and his family, sending him through some hijinks with the CMCs and Twilight (oh god, Twilight's a hoot) and looking at cutie marks as the true signal of the break between childhood and adulthood. But the ending is extraordinarily vague, and though the comments suggest a lot of 'solutions', none of them truly satisfies the mystery. If you like OC fics, it's still worth reading on the basis of its writing, at least.
Recommended for Slice of Life Fans
The Twilight Enigma by iisaw
The Skyla Pseudonym; The Quest; Ageless, or Celestia Plays Dice With the Universe; The Luna Cypher; A Million Little Lights; The Enchanted Library: Side Stories; Love Transcends
I'm not surprised to see a few in the same series, but it seems iisaw also has some pretty loyal readers. Lots of princesses, adventure and romance in there, too.
A Serpent Underhoof by iisaw
Genre: Sci-Fi/Romance
Greg just wanted to make an Equestria simulation with his waifu. He never expected things to get so out of hand.
...So of course I pick iisaw's giant fucking Conversion Bureau/Friendship Is Optimal crossover… thing. Shit. What can I even say about this?
The first half is the most surreal summer blockbuster you'll ever read. It obviously gives no fucks, takes the piss out of everything it touches, and absolutely delights in its own insanity. Then, halfway through, it hits that Dark tag hard, and I finally understand why there's no Comedy tag. I think I may be having a hard time coming up with anything profound to say about it because it's so hellbent on not being profound. This is not a serious story by any stretch, despite a large swath of the goings-on being rather dire.
And then there's Greg. He's your average genius programmer. He likes My Little Pony, especially Princess Luna. He's studied at least two martial arts, and if I'm reading things right, one of those was under the tutelage of a man known as "the father of modern karate". The first paragraph of the story is just a resume detailing how amazing he is. And yet, he was never quite the protagonist I expected him to be. I mean, he spends a good two-thirds of the fic in a disgusting relationship with Luna (oh god, there is so much horsefucking), but he vacillates back and forth between being both hero and villain of his own story, and he's rarely snarky. That last iota is the most telling, honestly; he's atypical in very specific ways.
Agent Gwen is another character worth talking about. Were this actually the summer blockbuster I accuse it of being, she would be the Love Interest. But, fascinatingly, the scene where she tries to put the moves on Greg is told from her perspective so that we have no question that it's all a ploy. She never stops trying to outsmart him, not even when she's frightened for her life. She's a great foil and perfectly nuanced.
Because, I mean, moral grey areas and the capacity of humans for both good and evil is probably the theme of this piece, but that's really taking it too seriously. It does have elements of both TCB and FiO, and not just the obvious external imagery. And yet it pleasantly goes in a very, very different direction by the end than either of those universes tend to take the reader. If there's any reason to read this, it's that. Or, y'know, you can just get swept up in the maelstrom of digitized humans, magical terraforming, teenage superheroes, horse kissing and military drama and have a grand old time of it. (Also, iisaw requested that I mention he included both an "OP red-and-black alicorn OC" and "Pinsess Woona". <.< So have fun.)
Recommended
Twilight's List by kits
Let's Find You a Date!; Flying High, Falling Hard; Dawn of a New Day; Private Study Sessions; A Bluebird's Song; Candlelight; A Lot Like You
These are all really, really old shipfics. :O And most of them are really freaking long! D:
Building Bridges by Cloudy Skies
Genre: Shipping/Drama
Twilight has no idea why Rainbow keeps crashing into her library. But at least she's found somepony to read with, right?
This is a classic TwiDash, possibly the first to make a really big splash and definitely an inspiration for Twilight's List, so there was no way I was passing it up. (Though I have some vague memory of having read it once, long ago.) Hopefully its age will excuse some of the tropes it opens with: Spike out of town, Rainbow Dash crashing into the library, ten seconds flat, you know the drill. If this actually gets anything wrong, it's pacing. A lot of wordage is spent setting up the situation, letting us be oblivious (or not) right alongside Twilight, until suddenly, halfway through, we get "teary confession drama" straight into "find Dash after she ran off", which takes up the rest of the fic. And it's not exactly a short story! This does at least lead to a lot of room for deep character development, in that pleasantly S1-y way, when Rainbow Dash was actually a good character. But whether it's because I've read this before, it spawned countless imitators, or it's just really old and fanfiction in this fandom has gotten better over time, this isn't super-great. (And I can hardly blame it, having written a fic on the same topic in around the same time period that is also not super-great.) It doesn't change the fact that, if you don't care about shipping, or about these two in particular getting together, you're not going to have any interest in this. A classic, to be sure, and one that opened the way for others to do the same thing better.
Recommended for Shippers
I don't understand which 10 are your top 10. Why does each review start with a reference to an unrelated story?
4462727
Go read the other journal I linked, and it will explain things! :B
I see you have been reading some classic old stories... but not the *Right* ones!
What do I need to do to convince you to read The Games We Play by Absolute Anonymous sooner rather than later?
4462729 I already did that, and still don't get it.
In that post, the first fic mentioned was one of yours, and you related the fic being reviewed to yours. Here, the first fic mentioned is not one of yours and the relationship isn't explained. I guess I'm supposed to just ignore the first fic mentioned in each pair.
I am confused by everything.
4462753
It would have to be that the first one is the "best of", and the one that comes after is just a random fic review. Why else would PP put a Conditionally Recommended or a Recommended as one of his top ten, when there are many Highly's?
I did the cover art for the Coco pommel Yak story!
4462735
Give it time...
4462753
4462766
The header fics are the top ten. The reviewed fics are from the Also Liked column for each of those fics.
One of these years, I will be on this list with some ridiculous crackfic or something.
4462831
PP, you know I appreciate you, but this is one of the most confusing goddamn blogs I've ever read. You should really explain how the blog works within the blog, because until you posted this I had no blasting idea of what was going on in here.
Also, yoooo. Kitsunerisu story. Entry #649 was one of his last stories, and I really liked it. Iirc, I preread that one a lil', so I'm glad you liked it.
But yeah, explain what the hell you're doing with this weird-ass top ten, you doof. Also, why do you write a top ten and then immediately move to review other stories? You're a weird man sometimes.
PP, you know that whole damn story came about because of a snarky comment you made, don't you? Yes, it's all your fault!
BTW, for those people averse to clop, all the horsefucking is implied and/or very T-rated, because I just couldn't bring myself to... you know.
4462948
I didn't think this would be hard to grasp. D: I'll move the explanation to this blog then, though it's probably too late. The damage has been done. Everyone is confused. ;_;
4462735 read it. PP
It's characterization leaves some things to be desired in areas, but it's very good. Very. Read it now.
Also. You're welcome for making a (relatively) short twidash story.
4463083
4465751
See, PP? You could take my opinions with a grain of salt since I'm just a newcomer fanartist, but if the legendary Kits recommends it then you KNOW its a must-read!
Do eeet
4465751
4465759
It's not like I don't want to read it, it's just really fucking long and the audiobook is incomplete. D:
4465780 /me pauses his reread of Winters Heart to scoff.
4465780
I suspect your view of 'really long' has changed since you wrote this.