Familiar · 1:50am Sep 27th, 2017
So you might notice that this story is at the top of the Feature Box:
And I don't say this often, but in this case I'll say it straight out: It deserves to be there.
There's something very special about good science fiction. And it's that it doesn't happen often, even in circles as creative as ours. There are a lot of great stories here, I wrote a ton of them myself but very few that get you on many levels. Great authors obviously vary on their approach and can't be encased altogether into a single category... you can say, for instance, that Bad Horse and Lucky Dreams are without question great authors, but you would not put them in the same category of "greatness". Each has their own—Cold in Gardez is amazing in a different way than Dromicosuchus; just like Burraku_Pansa differs greatly from Arad, Monochromatic and Ether Echoes; Wanderer D and Neil Gaiman; ShortskirtsandExplosions and Imploding Colon, Bradel and BookPlayer; and so on and so forth. We just know they write incredible stories and are humble to boot.
They are the humblest. Especially that Wanderer D guy. Anyway...
GaPJaxie wrote the type of story that gets you there if you weren't awesome already, and firmly reminds everyone why you're already there when you are: A story that turns what we know into something new, unique and deep... something that makes you think about what you read and accept its reality as a solid world despite the huge separation from the canonical. There are tidbits of information floating there that hint at the greater story behind what made that world what it is, along with non-intrusive world building that draws you in.
I'm not going to say that a lot of stories that get featured have no business being there, I'll just state it in a roundabout way, but this proves that at least some that do wholly deserve the attention.
Well done, Jaxie.
Yeah...
...no
4679585 You mean... "Yeah... HELL YEAH!"
4679587
I mean no. I read the first few paragraphs. Same old pedestrian run-of-the-mill fluff that always floats around the feature box these days, nothing special or unique about it. If you like it, that's okay, but I'm gonna pass.
+1
I've recommended this story to my sister who isn't even that into ponies. The exchange went like this:
"Want to read a bit of pony fan fiction about grief and Asimovian roboethics?"
"Is the first law of Ponibotics 'A ponibot may not injure a pony or, through inaction, allow a pony to come to harm?'"
"That actually comes up, yes."
"I'm in."
4679598 If you say so, but establishing something normal and relatable that would in this sense appear as pedestrian to you is a good technique to drive future plot points with more potency, so if you really feel that way I can respect that, but a few paragraphs is not enough to see what the story did starting with a very strong ending to the first chapter.
And to think, on day 1 Jaxie was worried about the vote ratio. What a goob. He definitely kicked ass with this one.
The original WriteOff version was great, but the extra 2k words or so in the are final draft here really send it above and beyond.
4679602
Don't be to fussed about him. Anyone with "My Little Dashie" In their top ten favorites has a level of discriminating taste that mere mortals like us can never hope to understand.
4679598
Yeah, you uh... kind of need to get more than a few paragraphs into it to get the point. It's not really... like. The character the first few paragraphs are about isn't even the main character of the story. She just kind of does the introduction.
Y'might need to read a little more than that is what I'm saying.
4679600
It totally does! Twice, even. Twilight follows that rule when she treats RD's cut, but breaks it when she allows RD to fly even though it's dangerous.
Also, my reaction to this entire post:
vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/4/44/Twilight_Excited_S2E3.png/revision/latest?cb=20130223110104
4679607
People like you are the reason I'm leaving this site.
4679613
Sorry, I guess I can be to rude, my bad.
4679615 Yeah, let's keep it level, if 4679613 doesn't like it and/or he has MLD in his top 10 it's not for us to dictate what he should or shouldn't like/appreciate. I can only say he might want to give it another chance, but ultimately he will like it or not on his own terms.
4679598
The story is deeper than the first few paragraphs, which are from a particular character's point of view. The real hook is actually in the last line of the first chapter. It may not be a story that you "like," but it has the potential to make you think, and that sets it apart from typical featured fluff.
Hear, hear!
This story is one of the most fantastic I've seen here in quite a while. It deserves all the praise it can get.
4679598
Ah, hmm. You... didn't read to the end of the first chapter? When the huge twist takes place? You didn't notice that Cloudchaser is the robot in that chapter, but Twilight is the robot in the picture? Because if you didn't read to the end of the first chapter, you didn't discover that it torches all of those fluffy fics you hate so much and stamps down the ashes.
I wanna hear more about this Wanderer D guy you keep talking about. He sounds handsome.
4679598
Wow.
4679739
There are rumors that he vizits this site somethimes.
I'm never going to read this as it's very much not safe for ferret (Author gave me the cliffs notes) and i knew that when he came to me with the long description when I responded with vehement discomfort he was pleased.
Not sure why you slashed out Imploding colon and SSaE. I mean they're obviously very different authors
Dark and Sex Tag, one or the other, sure, some adult stuff, or smut, respectively. Both, not with a tactical nuke. It wouldnt matter if it was stephen king, or Terry Pratchett.
Burned once on that combo, never again. It may be great, but that combo isn't worth touching for all the money in the caimans.
4679999 It's Teen rated.
4679807
🔫
I hear he's some dude that found out he can torment people by writing TSC and never finishing it!
4680020
It may be, but that tag combo is always going to be a no-go outside some very unique settings.. It's nothing against you, or the story. I have no reason to doubt its not a great scifi story. Heck knows those are rare enough, especially good ones. But its a matter of the tags, which I will decline on, but appreciate that you are showcasing what could be a great story.
It's a good thing to see, and doubly so for getting coverage. But have a great day none the less.
4680142 Gotcha, just making sure
4680142
4680181
This is a strong argument for not tagging stories. Because he's not wrong! 99% of the time [Dark] + [Sex] means you're in for some kinky stuff. I also avoid that combo. But in this case the [Sex] tag is for one, entirely off-screen sexual encounter.
4680658
Exceptions happen like in noir, or a very dark fantasy world that is clear to you as a reader out of the gate. You are warned clear of the gorn in the latter. And noir always mixes sex and dark themes, just not directly as per the case in the sense given.
Still, that is a fair why of the tags being as they are. Thank you for explaining the differing nuance.
Thank you so much for highlighting this amazing fic. I would have overlooked it otherwise.
4679598
As pretty much everyone pointed out, reading just the first few paragraphs and then judging the entire work was a pretty bad idea. Reminds me of the review of Fallout Equestria that didn't even bother to read more than a chapter or two.
If someone were to read the first few paragraphs of Lord of the Rings and then sum up the entire first book as "boring slice of life fluff", you can imagine that everyone would jump down their throat. Now in the defense of said imaginary reviewer, the first few paragraphs of LoR are pretty boring. Tolkien's work is rather infamous for how slow a start it has. However things must be judged as a WHOLE, not simply in part. Try to remember this next time, unless you enjoy the taste of your own foot.
4680658
As for you, I'm with several other people, there really should be more of this. That being said I've zero clues as to what you could make to expand on the rather interesting, and horrifyingly dark, world you created.
4679600
Agreed. It does kind of tread on how a strict obedience to that law might actually harm both the robot (if sentient?) and the pony even whilst strenuously attempting not to.