Good Stories You Are Probably Missing · 6:28pm Oct 13th, 2012
So, as we've all probably learned by now, the feature box sucks and is, by and large, only ever full of uninteresting short form "comedy". With that in mind, here are some stories you all should be reading:
No Light by Vargras (Teen, [Dark][Adventure])
To the average pony, Equestria is an idyllic country, a place of peace and serenity. Not all is as it seems, however. Beneath the surface, dark secrets run rampant - secrets that are forcibly kept out of the public eye, secrets that divided the nation over a thousand years ago, and secrets that were never meant to see the light of day.
One pegasus, in a moment of curiosity, will soon discover that some hearts can be darker than any night, and that within the shadows, there is no light.
Vargras is a fantastic author, one of the best we have around here. He has written some of my favorite adventure fics and one of the few straight-up shipfics I've ever really enjoyed. No Light is a new adventure story centered around a pair of extremely engaging OCs in the Canterlot Royal Guard, one of which is a member of Luna's mysterious Night Guard. Vargras has been putting together a richly detailed backstory for the Night Guard ("opliptera" in his univere's jargon) that started with What Must Be Done. Two chapters in and No Light is already shaping up as one of the most exciting, fast-paced and well-written adventure stories I've seen in the fandom.
Flight of the Navigator by Blueshift (Everyone, [Adventure])
Sweetie Belle has found a new friend. A star pony who claims to have fallen from a comet and who needs help with a very secret mission. Normally Sweetie Belle would tell an adult, but you're allowed to trust star ponies, aren't you?
The star pony isn't the only thing that fell from the sky. Somewhere in Equestria is a box. A very special, very dangerous box. A box which could end the world if it
ends up in the wrong hooves.
A box which Scootaloo has just found...
A sci-fi adventure story? Starring Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle? What sorcery is this?!
This one was featured on EqD but didn't get, in my humble opinion, nearly enough attention. There's not much to say about it that isn't either already in the description or a spoiler, so just know that Blueshift, while an inveterate comedy writer, is already demonstrating a good mastery of suspense even just two chapters in. Like No Light, this one is barely started; we've been waiting since August for chapter 3, but it doesn't appear to be canceled or on hiatus yet, so you might as well go get in on the ground floor.
A Special Blankie by Yipyapper (Everyone, [Slice of Life])
Applejack left her childhood blanket in Appleloosa with Bloomberg, choosing to keep the memories rather than the physical object. She winds back up with it, although not on terms she would have liked.
Bit of a change from the previous two, Yipyapper wrote a short SoL fic centering around the relationship between Applejack and Apple Bloom, and AJ's own personal history. This story is full of warm fuzzies and is also strongly grounded in the show; the entire story is driven by a brief subplot from Over a Barrel. It is everything slice of life stories should be and it's a quick, worthwhile read.
The League by Za Raapini (Teen, [Comedy][Slice of Life])
Ponies playing basketball? In a professional league? On Draft Day Slam Dunk sees his dreams being crushed right in front of him, and he ends up saddled on the laughingstock of the league–The Los Andaluses Kickers. Gritting his teeth against a perceived injustice, he will try to do everything he can to show Equestria he doesn't belong on a team that dwells in the basement year after year.
Another one that was featured on EqD but sank like a stone, The League has everything - everything - going against it. It's a sports fic, it stars an OC, it's a long-form SoL. Thing is, it works. Sure, the story about an up-and-coming athlete fighting against the odds for his big shot isn't exactly a new one, but what is? Za Raapini presents an image of a professional sports world that works in the context of the show and gives a fascinating glimpse into what basketball might be like for our favorite four-legged candy ponies. Slam Dunk's an engaging protagonist and the supporting characters are all interesting and well-rounded in their own right. Even if (like me) you don't like sports, you should give this one a shot.
So that's my short list of recommendations. There's lots of other good fics out there, like Mendacity and Flash Fog, but these are some that I think are not getting nearly the attention they deserve. Anyone else have any hidden gems they'd like to share?
I would like to see Shades of Grey get a little more attention. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who is even reading it. It moves a tad slowly, but it's interesting.
Darkest Hour would be another recommendation for a decent story that hasn't gotten very many views.
Darkest Hour is pretty good, I can vouch for it as well, and it definitely deserves more views.
Someone else who shares my opinion of the featured box, at last. It has degenerated into practically nothing but clopfics and bait-and-switch comedy, from what I can tell. These look good; looks like my reading list has some new material.
No love for me, Cyanide? Absolutely disappointed.
I... I thought we were like best friends... with all the tildes and the cherry blossoms and the flashing backgrounds... but nope... it appears that was all for naught...
I'm going to go cry in my corner now. ;~;
Anyway, on topic: I completely agree that the featured box is shit. Will good stuff ever go up there? Ehhhhh, I don't know; it's much too hard to get a well-written fic that delves into the history of Equestria, or that spans across the entire world up there. Instead of those great ideas, we got... well, shit.
Whatever, I'll keep praying to the writing gods that a fic savior will come sometime soon.
No clop?
"Flight of the Navigator" was on the feature box. That's why it's on my "Read Later" list. dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/shrug_Rainbow_Dash.png dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/shrug_Luna_apple.png
I really like basketball, but I'm hesitant towards reading The League. I mean, it's an all-OC, underdog, sports fanfic? Why's it even an MLP fanfiction in the first place then? How does the fact that they are ponies change anything?
420292 I agree, Shades deserves a lot more attention
420634
I actually felt the same way through the first chapter, it really feels like the pone is tacked on. By chapter three, though, it's actually become a fun exploration of how basketball would work in (a somewhat expanded but still recognizable version of) the FiM world.
Yeah, The League is great. I remember when Za told me the idea and I was like "Man, this is going to be VERY HARD TO SELL." But it turned out great so far, I totally second that recommendation.
The Marshmallow Problem.
420292 Thanks for the shout out DJ!
If I might add to the list:
ACT OF WILL by Present Perfect. Probably my favourite short story right now. Written in 'letters to Celestia' format, it does a marvellous job of capturing emotion and imagination with a minimum of force and an efficiency of time.
The Detective and the Magician by Bad Horse. Fetlock Homes meets Trixie. The ONLY Trixie story I've read where the author actually knows how to use her. Really well written stuff.
-Scott