Flash's Library Catalog Vol. II – Mind Blowers · 12:17am Sep 29th, 2017
Flash's Notions:
Yes, the title of this blog is referencing Rick and Morty. No, I have no shame. Not while I'm on the internet.
This time around, we're taking a look at the weirdest story (my opinion) in each level of recommendation. At least, levels 3 through 9, because 2 is done and 0 and 1 are empty.
For now...
Anyway, we got a number of tales to talk about, so let's get started.
Would It Matter If I Wasn't?
by Masterweaver
Recommendation: 3/10
Scores (out of 25):
Concept: 19
Execution: 24
Characterization: 20
Technical: 25
Final: 88%, B+
Now, that is weird. Objectively, there's nothing really wrong with this story. Basic premise for those who don't want to read the actual description: Twilight thinks she's a sociopath because she doesn't have PTSD after the Season 2 finale. Fair enough. The show is very sweet and colorful and that hides the reality that a lot of the events would be really horrible to live through.
Of course, that's ignoring the possibility that a person completely lacking in empathy could live a successful, happy, even generous and helpful life. Like, Wolf of Wall Street or whatever. Go watch Rick and Morty season 3 episode 6. That'll show you what I mean.
Anyway, the real thing I don't like about this is that its a big issue with no setup, a low-level resolution, and zero real stakes. This feels like it should be a climactic chapter in a longer story dealing with the aftermath of the invasion.
That said, it's well written and psychological, which means some of you could enjoy it.
BERRYYYY PUNCH!
by Shakespearicles
Recommendation: 4/10
Scores (out of 25):
Concept: Normal, 17; Drunk, 25
Execution: Normal, 23; Drunk, 19
Characterization: uh- 5
Technical: he edited it sober, so 23
Final: Normal, 68%, D+; Drunk, 72%, C-
Shakespearicles (I believe it's pronounced like Hercules) is a good writer. Granted, at least three quarters of his work is clop... heavy, steamy...sexy...
Ahem.
Regardless, this early work of his is a perfect example of why creative types should drink and do drugs- occasionally. It's crazy, it's stupid, and objectively it's a piece of trash. But that's like trying to judge a single skit of Interdimensional Cable as a full episode (I'm on a Rick and Morty kick, sue me). Read this and laugh at a torrent of references and memes mixed with the insanity of mares drinking. Specifically, the three craziest mares in the fanon.
The One Where Maud Gets Excited
by tom117z
Recommendation: 5/10
Scores (out of 25):
Concept: 17
Execution: 18
Characterization: 25
Technical: 22
Final: 82%, B-
Pinkie and Maud switch emotions. Or something. Freaky Friday, bee-otch!
I need help.
Right, what was I saying? Oh yeah. So, Starlight became friends with Maud, so Pinkie immediately asks her to do something magical that Twilight is too responsible to do. If you told someone that back in season 1, or even season 4, I think they would've thought you were high. Twilight is not the picture of responsibility.
And yet, here we are.
The idea of two characters swapping places is as old as time itself- at least, similar stuff happens in the Old Testament, so that's a thing. This was nicely done, worth a few chuckles, but it does seem to be missing something.
I guess it doesn't have enough truly funny moments to qualify as laugh-out-loud comedy. But it also doesn't have a significant payoff for character building. Nor does it really contribute to the world apart from naming a specific type of rock.
If you're a Pinkie lover (like me), a Maud appreciator (like me), and a Starlight enthusiast (like me again), this is worth your time. Just... go in with mediocre expectations.
"Did you know that it would work, Princess?"
by Arkhivez
Recommendation: 6/10
Scores (out of 25):
Concept: 23
Execution: 19
Characterization: 25
Technical: 16
Final: 83%, B
It's been a while since I read this one, but it still gut-punches me. Basically, we on the outside can take for granted the corny nature of the show. Go back up to that first story on the list- it belongs in the same category as this one. Because here's the thing:
We know it will work. We know that, no matter how bad it gets, the ponies or magical girls will pull out a win, even if it requires a complete ex machina. We know the show's style, we know the tropes it uses, we know the TV-Y rating. We know that things will be okay.
They don't.
And this story starts out very cute and sweet and entertaining in that way. But then it hits you with this really big moment where you remember why the ponies are heroes, and why we look up to them.
I feel like this is a great story to read if you're trying to recenter yourself. But if you're in a happy mood, go read something else. This is... just a little too much. Maintain the saccharine story for a while longer.
Also, I don't know if the author is at fault or FimFic's new formatting crap, but there are some things that can make this hard to read. Just ignore that.
Benign Providence
by Haysit T Ganaram
Recommendation: 6/10
Scores (out of 25):
Concept: 24
Execution: 13
Characterization: 25
Technical: 15
Final: 77%, C+
Okay, so I technically already reviewed this. I figure this is a good place to stick it into the catalogs, though. Even if it means two stories from this level.
This never really delivers on the promise in the description, title, or image. It doesn't do anything with Gummy- he's not the real focus. This story is mainly about Celestia and Twilight, mostly Celestia. It shows her interactions with the ponies- how she's familiar, yet ever so slightly distant. She knows about them. She doesn't know them. Upon reflection, that makes it a bit sad rather than funny.
Still, there are some amusing bits, and you'll likely enjoy reading it. It doesn't quite fit the continuity of the show, but if not for the season 7 premiere it would've fit right in.
Extra Hour in the Rock Pit
by Sketcha-Holic
Recommendation: 7/10
Scores (out of 25):
Concept: 25
Execution: 17
Characterization: 25
Technical: 22
Final: 89%, B+
Another one without a damn thing wrong with it. And a criminally under-viewed one, I'd say. Not that my two-cents will do much to bolster it at this point, but still.
Firstly, this is not porn/clop. Get your mind out of the gutter. Secondly, this is fairly fun. Both Quibble and Rainbow Dash are so in-character that I can read it in their voices. While this absolutely does not take place in the episode (Quibble likely would not have behaved the way he did for most of the episode if it had happened), it is nevertheless a well written and well characterized story.
My only real problem is a simple lack of a punchline. It's a shaggy dog story without an ending. Or worse yet, it could be a shoot-the-shaggy-dog story. Fluttershy hates those, I bet. Anyway, enjoy some time with quirky characters, but don't read into it too much.
Recommendation: 8/10
Scores (out of 25):
Concept: 25
Execution: %$@*&?!{]\#
Characterization: 23
Technical: ... I'm just gonna give this a 23, too, and call it even
Final: only judging three categories here... it's about a 95%, or A
Hey, you know what's really fun? Making your brain hurt!
…
What, that's not fun for you? Sorry, because this story truly lives up to the “mind blowers” idea.
Basically, Twilight finds a cool rock. She takes the rock home with her. The rock slowly rips apart the veils between dimensions causing her to slip ever closer to madness as she begins to view things her mind cannot hope to comprehend- at least, that's how I understand it.
Side note about dimensions, and how I view them- the first 3 are easy enough. The 1st is a line. Literally. The 2nd is a plane made of infinite lines next to each other. And the 3rd is a space made of infinite planes on top of each other. Get how that works?
The 4th is where it gets tricky. Technically, the 4th is time. But our human perception of time seems to prevent us from moving through the 4th dimension in any direction but forward. Maybe someday...
anyway, higher dimensions get much trickier. But since nature is fractal and the number 3 is found everywhere, I realized that the descriptors of the first 3 dimensions work on the higher ones, too.
The 4th dimension is a timeline. The 5th is a time-plane made of infinite timelines, all parallel (more or less). Basically, they're timelines that share similar events. The 6th dimension would be a time-space, different from space-time. Space-time is the substance of the universe. Time-space is infinite stacked time-planes.
To make it clear another way, the 4th dimension is like watching a movie in a series. The 5th dimension is like watching a very high number of possible versions of that movie- TV cut, directors cut, extended edition, with-deleted-scenes version, theater edition, collectors edition in 4K, alternate ending, audio commentary, etc. The 6th dimension, on the other hand, is watching every possible version of that movie, ever.
To carry that into higher dimensions, 7th would be watching all versions of all the movies in that series. 8th dimension would be watching every version of every movie in that movie's genre. 9th dimension is watching every version of every movie ever.
And the 10th dimension is where things get funny- in the 10th dimension, you're still watching that movie, but you're watching versions that never existed. Impossible versions. At dimension 11, you're watching movies that never existed- something like My Little Pony vs Transformers: The Movie (2014). Gods, I wish that one was real.
In any case, the 12th dimension seems to be the upper limit, because the 12th dimension is watching everything. All possible things. At some point, you'd watch a movie of yourself watching a movie of yourself watching a movie-and I'm gonna stop. It's like that one scene in Spaceballs, how's that?
Anyway, I hope this helps somehow. Maybe the original story still won't make sense, but now you might get why it doesn't make sense. Why it can never make sense.
Chess with Pinkie Pie
by The Engineer Pony
Recommendation: 9/10
Scores (out of 25):
Concept: 25
Execution: 24
Characterization: 23
Technical: 24
Final: 96, A+
Where to start with this... Firstly, Pinkie. I love Pinkie. Like, really. If real world me ever gets sucked to Equestria (and turned into a pony along the way)? After I manage to get my life in order, I'd set about trying to woo Pinkie.
Well... okay, honestly, I'm not sure how it would go down, because she's so 
and I'm usually so 
or 
. But I'd get close to her in as non-creepy a way as I could!
Ahem. But in the case of this story, It really just makes me wonder. Are Pinkie Pie and Pinkamena Diane Pie really that separate? If so, how does that work? Is Pinkie actually crazy?
I dunno.
I can say that the basic premise of the story, even after the twist ending, really connected with me. I love playing chess, but I can never find an opponent. And I hate playing against the computer- it's either too smart or too dumb.
This story is short and simple, but it made me think, and it is a bit chuckle worthy. It's also a bit sad, and there's a bit of tension in the game itself. And at the same time, like a lot of things involving Pinkie, it does make me smile.
Something for your real world bookshelf...
State of Fear
by Michael Chrichton
This is the guy who wrote ER. Anybody remember ER? No?
Jeez. Okay, um. How about Timeline? Congo? The Andromeda Strain.
Okay, seriously?
He wrote freaking Jurassic Park.
Now you recognize the name, doncha?
Sigh.
Okay, so this book posits that climate change and whatnot is just a big scare tactic by the government, media, and various lawyer groups to keep the populace content. It is fiction, but the narrative is very capable of making you believe it.
I dunno if I believe it. I don't believe we humans are going to kill the entire Earth and every living thing on it, but we're probably doing some damage.
In any case, the book has some people willing to go all Valentine (Kingsman reference, yes!) in order to convince the world to be afraid. Only they're not using a hate plague, they're trying to do something even crazier. Seen a trailer for GEOSTORM lately? That movie looks cool. Anyway, the book is cool, too. It'll make you think, which for some folks seems like a rare occurrence. Hopefully those words don't apply to any of you!
We gotta protect the trees, but even Ah ain't fanatical about it. Well, not much. Look, it was just one song about bats, alrigh'? The books' good! Now get off mah farm 'fore Ah buck you instead o' the trees.
-Applejack, Element of Honesty-
A fascinating read. I've also read conflicting journal studies cross-referencing the increase in Equestrian populations with a rise in environmental disasters. I... still have no conclusion. But I've fought rare magical creatures as often as I've saved them, so I suppose it's all about balance? No, Spike, it's not that simple... I'm sorry, can we do this another time? What do you mean that's enou-
-Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship-
