Fic recs, September 24th! · 7:12pm Sep 24th, 2017
Scribbler has done a reading of ocalhoun's Get Clean!, with Caitbug and Ribon Chan!
Today's Question About the Show That Grinds My Gears: If Chiffon Swirl can change her name to Cup Cake, why in the hell is an adult pony walking around with a name like Spoiled Milk? I'm sure there's some kind of deep characterization that can be gleaned from this factoid, but it just seems like more stupid inconsistencies stemming from lazy world-building. :|
H: 0 R: 1 C: 4 V: 0 N: 0
Lingering Shadows by Yoru-the-Rogue
Reading (part 1) by Chaotic
Genre: Shipping/Tragedy
Plagued by nightmares, Princess Luna seeks the counsel of a certain shadowy prisoner.
This isn't a bad story per se, I liked it, but the more I think about it on a technical level, the more I have to admit it didn't really work. The writing is, for the most part, just fine, even good, minus a few pet phrases that keep showing up and some LUS. It's the other things that start to break down by the end, mainly the romance. It gets a good boost through the first half the story, lots of reasons for these two to connect, even despite Sombra's history. Sombra himself is characterized really well; a good half the story is him telling his backstory, which involves some fun shout-outs to Equestrian history and an origin for the Crystal Heart as fascinating as it is original. But then they take off together, and suddenly Luna's acting all silly and Sombra's questioning why he cares about her, and I'm sitting here wondering how he can feel anything, let alone love, considering what he's just spent five chapters telling us. <.< It's the kind of story that gives us the ultimate reveal of "there is love here" by having Chrysalis tell the characters that's what's going on. Along with pacing issues — there's more than one scene I felt added nothing to the narrative — is POV, and I don't mean that it hops heads. Instead, we start getting scenes from characters other than Luna after a while, and having any of those be in Sombra's POV was a mistake. Knowing ahead of time that he's using Luna robs his eventual betrayal of all dramatic impact; I mean, it would have hurt to see Luna get close to him, only to be betrayed, but it would have been satisfying in a tragic way, and still unexpected. In the end, we're left with no real solution to the main mystery — those nightmares of Luna's — and Sombra crying crystal tears, which is cheesy and a confusing place to end. There's a sequel that, honestly, I'm going to look at once it's done, because this doesn't feel like a complete story. So I'm not sure how strongly I can recommend it.
Recommended Only If You're Into Tragic Romance
Numb Lava by the parasprite
Mature: Sex
Genre: Abuse
You lie awake in your bed at night, hoping he won't show up.
So. This is a story about filly Twilight being raped by her brother. And some people out there are going to go, "Oh boy!" and get very excited about this, and those people need to fuck right off. This is not a clopfic. This is a dark and serious look at the realities of sexual abuse. Does it belong in the world of My Little Pony? Of course it doesn't; why would you ever think this was canon? But fanfiction allows the writer to express themselves through the characters they love, and this is powerful, because it's real and painful and tragic. It makes for a good comparison with, of all things, Diamond Tiara Gets Filthy, that incest fic that garnered a lot of attention a few years ago. That, too, carried with it a constant sense of "what's happening is wrong"; the main difference is, Diamond Tiara puts us in the seat of Filthy Rich, completely shattered by his daughter's ability to dominate him, yet still enjoying what happens. The reader is asked to appreciate the sexuality and eroticism even while the words of the story denounce it. This piece makes no bones about itself: you are Twilight Sparkle, these things are happening to you, and you just can't understand why. This is not prurient in the least, and that's why it's worth reading. That said, I know there probably isn't a large audience for stories of this sort; I mean, do you really want to experience this? If you say no, that's fine. But if you're willing to take the risk, the prose is excellent, editing the story made me physically ill, and the worst part is knowing that this, or something like it, has happened to the author, and continues to happen to many, many more. It's as hard to review as it is to read. If you like MLP fanfiction, stay away, but if you're dedicated to understanding the experiences of others, this is your opportunity to take a trip that leads nowhere pleasant.
Recommended
Go Nuts by ObabScribbler
Genre: EQG Comedy
A talking dog brings with it unexpected questions.
Let's follow that up with something lighthearted, shall we? With that title, description and word count the fact that Scribbler hasn't written anything in a while, how could I not read this immediately? This is a funny story that doesn't outlive its welcome. Maybe not amazing, but written well, with one or two extra jokes in besides. I had an enjoy. :)
Recommended for Laughs
6 Angry Mares by Jelly
Reading by Scribbler, et. al.
Reading by Voz de Suenos
Genre: 12 Angry Men Adaptation
Six mares sit down to discuss the fate of an accused zebra.
That's right, it's a story so old, it's only available on Equestria Daily! :O Yet also on my RIS! I mention the oldness not just because it's amazing this story got a reading, but because it hasn't aged too well. This on top of it hitting a lot of 12 Angry Men's major plot points directly — I checked out a synopsis of the movie before reading this, being otherwise unfamiliar with the original — and you might be left wondering if there's anything to like. Well, for starters, it's a clever adaptation, essentially "what if Bridal Gossip was a courtroom drama?" Second, it's a good AU, a slightly more modern Equestria, but with recognizable characters. The characters are definitely the highlight here, and with good reason, because none of them are named until the end of the story. (Granted, it's easy to figure out who's who with the reading, but the point is, the author got the voicing right.) Twilight is organized, Rainbow Dash is belligerent, Rarity is prim and calculating, Applejack is by turns overbearing and more than reasonable, Fluttershy is Fluttershy. Then there's Pinkie, and I get why she's portrayed this way. Her character is basically "what she did in Bridal Gossip, turned to eleven". It makes sense, but it's also just weird to see her being the out-and-out racist. <.< This gets me back to that whole "didn't age well" thing. This came out before season two, so there was all of one season to draw from for characterization and setting, and there are plenty of tired show references. Still, as a blast from the past, this was a good read, and the audiobook is fantastic. This is the perfect kind of story to be made into a radioplay. :D
Recommended for Fans of AUs and Courtroom Drama
Dragon Greed Is Good by Snuffy
Proofread by Me
Genre: Adventure/Comedy
Luna sets out to solve Equestria's currency crisis by investigating its biggest trade company.
This is a story I think will be best enjoyed by those into bureaucratic and, most especially, economic comedy. The central mystery is kinda given away early on, and since the plot involves Luna going from place to place to get answers, it's never quite engaging on that level. Still, it's fun, something in the vein of Tonight I Shall Be Laughter, given the hapless secretary who unwillingly accompanies Luna on her gallivant. There are some wicked jokes, and though the mystery is given away, I thought it was clever. (Why does the "maverick cop who doesn't play by the rules" archetype fit Luna so well?) This should be a fun read for anyone looking for something lighthearted.
Recommended
My favorite hypothesis there is that she comes from a family of incredibly wealthy cheesemakers.
>Bridal Gossip
Man, you read a lot more shipping into that ep than I did.
Ah, Lingering Shadows - I was surprised to see that one here!
How funny to see 6 Angry Mares. Back in the day, Jelly was one of only three authors to turn down an invitation to the Vault; he/she didn't think the story was worthy.
4677551
There is zero shipping in that fic. c.c
4677646
Good to know that trend didn't just start with the RCL, then...
Six Angry Mares was pretty enjoyable, but I feel like the story is one that would work better 1) as its own thing, set on Earth and 2) as a movie than a short story. Granted, part of the nagging sense of offness that I feel towards it is likely that I watched so much Law & Order growing up that the story has my brain looking for a police procedural/courtroom drama, and I'm just getting the jury side.
As for "Numb Lava"... That was excellent. The prose was perfect, and did so much to help develop the atmosphere, running from intense and oppressive to detached and cold earlier on when the focus was more external, and through that brief flare-up of rage at the end. I can't think of the last time I've read something which developed such a strong tone and held it for so long, for all that it evolved and jumped within that.
The circling around of Twilight's thoughts was well done, and has me thinking of times when I've had the same kind of pattern of moving in and out and around an idea without end, wishing it would go away and I could escape to sleep, or if not sleep at least something else, sometimes achieving it for a moment but quickly dragged back--though thankfully not for the same reasons or on the same topics as her. Similarly, one of the better instances of direct dissonance between knowledge and feeling I've read in a while.
Oh, and of course the use of 2nd person is on point.
The Equestrian "Boy Named Sue."
(Fun fact: While Johnny Cash made the song famous, it was written by Shel Silverstein.)
Because it requires a marriage and you don't get to choose your new name, your partner's family does.
4677551
I finally get this comment. >.<