• Member Since 25th Mar, 2015
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The Hat Man


Specialties include comedy, robots, and precision strikes to your feelings. Hobbies include hat and watch collecting. May contain alcohol.

More Blog Posts378

Nov
14th
2017

"The Iron Horse" AFTERWORD (New Cover? Print Version? SEQUEL??) · 12:43am Nov 14th, 2017

New cover, and an afterword. A beginning and an ending in one.  If you’ve finished the story and you have the time, won’t you please join me for a while?

At 581,426 words (the final word count minus the two joke chapters), The Iron Horse: Everything’s Better With Robots! is about the length of an English translation of War and Peace. Today, I want to reflect on the longest story I have ever written, talk about writing it, and talk about what comes next.

Sequel?

I suppose I should get this out of the way first. I’m sure it’s what a lot of you want to know first and foremost: Will there be a sequel?

The short answer: maybe.

The longer answer is that I do in fact have an idea for a direct sequel. In fact, I have many ideas I’d like to do within the same universe, but most of them are shorter side stories. As for a full-on, lengthy sequel, the main issue I have is that I’ve got a concept, but no idea of an ending, and I never write something without knowing how it will end. Without an endpoint, it’s not what I’d call a “journey.” It’s what I’d call “aimless wandering.”

Still, if I can figure that out… then we just might see The Iron Horse 2.0. :raritywink:

Now, if I write a sequel, it will be a story about Turing Test’s life and career as the Minister of Technology, but it will also focus on her other family members. For instance, it would cover how 004 attempts to join the Royal Guard and how he tries to learn to become his own pony just as Turing Test did. It would also cover explain where 002 went and force her to deal with organic ponies and her more upbeat sister. Additionally, it would explore the different factions that arose in the aftermath of the first story, including TechQuestrian splinter cells and new anti-technology groups that would antagonize Turing and the other robots. There’s lots more, but I think that’s enough for now.

As for side stories, here are some previews of possible ideas that I’ve had:

  • A romance story about Maud taking Turing to meet her parents on the rock farm (currently, this is the one most likely to be written, as I have the best start-to-finish conceptualization of it).
  • A crossover with GaPJaxie’s “Familiar” universe. (also a good probability of this happening soon… I’ve been discussing the details with the guy for a bit now)
  • A spin-off about Gadget.
  • A story covering Grace and Glory's origins in more detail.
  • A view of some of the alternate timelines from the Season 5 finale and how Turing Test and others would be affected. (I even have a title for it: “Moments of Time” [yes, of course it’s a Daft Punk song title])
  • An alternate universe story centered solely on TechQuestria, potentially as a last haven after Equestria fell to a catastrophe. As a bonus, Gadget would be a citizen of the fledgling nation instead of working for Mr. Vanderbull. (Note: this would potentially be a longer story.)

Again, these are all ideas that might happen. I am not promising that any of these will happen, though if you care to give feedback on things you’d like to see, feel free to express that in the comments.

No matter what, though, no way you’ve seen the last from Turing Test and her friends. :raritywink:

But now, instead of discussing the future, I’d like to reflect on the past.

History

Now, if someone had told me that I would ever write a book the size of War and Peace, I would have scoffed at them. And if they had told me said book would be about a robot pony, I… actually would have believed them, now that I think about it. The pony part might have thrown me, but I have been in love with robots since I was a child.

I grew up with Star Wars’ R2D2 and C3PO, the old Transformers cartoon, the Foot Soldiers from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the Short Circuit movies, and the list goes on. Books, movies, or TV shows, if it had robots, be they heroes or villains, I was instantly more interested. One might summarize my outlook quite simply: “Everything’s better with robots!” :ajsmug:

When I was in college, I even took a class called “Foundations of Cognitive Science - Minds, Brains, and Robots.” My professor, David L. Anderson at Illinois State University, expanded my whole world about the nature of being, the possibilities about the future, and in general somehow managed to make robots even cooler. (You can check out some of his online modules here, by the way, including some stuff about the Chinese Room Experiment and, you guessed it, the Turing Test.) Though it has been quite a while since I studied under Dr. Anderson, I still owe him a debt of gratitude for inspiring me. I have wanted to write a story about robots ever since.

Flash forward to when I became a fan of MLP. I’d written fanfiction before, but I had no intention of actually getting back into writing fanfiction for MLP, at least not at first. Yet a coalition of ideas somehow came together, and it culminated just before the fifth season, and the end result was the story you’ve read.

For a while, I’d had the desire to write a certain kind of story: one I’d like to read myself. Writing The Iron Horse fulfilled that desire.

But if I had to narrow it down, I’d say my inspiration came from a couple of sources primarily. First and foremost is this guy:

This pale fellow is Lieutenant Commander Data. He is, without a doubt, my favorite android, robot, or AI character, hands down. His episodes in Star Trek: The Next Generation, one of my favorite shows growing up, were among the best. Data’s quest to be more human made for some of the series’ funniest, heart-warming, and inspiring moments. Season 2, Episode 9, “The Measure of a Man,” is my favorite of the series. It’s on Netflix, so go watch it if you haven’t before!

And yet, Data’s episodes never seemed to leave any lasting impact, with very few exceptions. He always seems like good ol’ Data, right up until he installs an emotion chip in the first TNG movie. (I’ve got thoughts on that too, but I won’t bore you further if you aren’t fans of the series.)

Compare that to other characters who actually grew more as characters, not only in knowledge and experience, but in developing greater breadth in cognitive abilities. Though the movie is a bit silly, I have to admit that I enjoyed Robin Williams’s portrayal of Andrew the android in Bicentennial Man, based on the Isaac Asimov book (and unlike that god-awful I Robot movie, it actually resembled the source material.).

In the story, Andrew is a service android that is mentally advanced enough that, when he is given the chance to do something outside his ordinary menial labor, actually develops a greater sense of self and experiences new emotions. However, the story goes full-on Pinocchio and eventually Andrew seeks to become as close to an actual human as he can. I think if you push things that far, you lose a bit of the poignancy of an unattainable desire, and besides, robots are already pretty cool… why make a robot into a boring old human anyway?

In the end, I wanted to portray the struggle of a robot as she learns about what it means to be a living individual, but also show that robot as a dynamic, changing character. This is why, when Turing Test first appears, she’s totally stiff and robotic, but she experiences new emotions and eventually her own personality. In the “In Two Minds” arc, she says to Twilight, “Please don’t send me away,” and that’s when she really starts to become her own being with her own sense of self, and she just keeps growing from there.

In addition to Data and Andrew, of course, there were numerous other influences. I suppose the biggest influence in tone came from the song that eventually became Turing Test’s unofficial theme song: “Sad Machine” by Porter Robinson.

That sad, sweet song alone did so much to help me get a grasp on the sentimental tone of the story as well as Twilight and Turing’s relationship. Turing will always sound like the voice in that song to me, and I can always imagine her saying to Twilight, “I will depend on you.” Heck, the line “I’ll go alone, and never speak of this again” almost singlehandedly inspired the “Broken” arc, though it is named for a different song.

Other influences I feel deserve credit:

Wall-E and Eve, from Wall-E

R. Dorothy Wayneright, from Big O

Ghost in the Shell

(apologies, but this was the best image I could find that wasn’t too racy for FiMfiction but still got the whole “cyborg” thing across)

Blade Runner/Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

The song “Video Killed the Radio Star”

The documentary The Men Who Built America (in particular, this inspired Vanderbull’s character as well as the “Gilded Age” setting)

And, of course, the works of Daft Punk

There are others, but each of these contributed a lot to the overall story. I mention all these things both to give credit where it is due, and also because this answers a question some of you might have asked before:

Why are there so many reference jokes?!

The inspirations listed above ought to tell you how big of a fanboy I am of sci-fi, and how much this story was written by standing on the shoulders of giants.

In essence, The Iron Horse may have a lot of original elements that I’m proud of, but in general the story isn’t that original: there are lots of robot stories that have similar elements. I certainly didn’t plagiarize, but I also wasn’t really setting out to write the world’s most original story, either. Instead, I wanted to take all those inspirations and make this story a treasure box for all the awesome stuff I’ve grown to love over the years.

As a nod to Turing Test’s robotic forebearers, then, I threw in a bunch of little jokes as a calling card to readers who might recognize them or, if not, might take the time to check out something they’d never seen before. This is why the chapters are mostly named after songs, why real life historical figures are referenced, and why Turing and others inadvertently quote awesome movies.

In short, The Iron Horse is a love letter to a great many things that inspire me. That so many of you have likewise expressed your love for them is fantastic. The idea that many of you might keep the memory of Turing Test’s story in your hearts among such amazing works is… well, the feeling is indescribable.

I simply can’t even begin to tell you how much I appreciate each and every one of you who embraced my story. From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much.

Structure

Essentially, The Iron Horse, is written to follow two congruent storylines, each with its own set of themes. Simply stated they are what I call “The Personal/Vignettes,” and “The Big Picture/Society,” storylines.

The Personal/Vignettes
These are the chapters that are just about Turing Test’s individual struggles and her growth as a character. They generally center around her interactions with one or a few characters at a time, learning a new lesson, and experiencing a new emotion. This is what most of the story consists of, and it is essentially a coming-of-age story.

Thematically, these vignettes are generally about the need to reach mutual understanding and that we grow as people through interactions with others. Turing’s mission to make friends drives her, and to be a good friend she comes to appreciate the qualities in others and they, in turn, recognize her value as an individual as well. These experiences are often painful or trying, but through these individual struggles, Turing changes and grows and develops into a more complete person.

...Of course, beyond that simple message, that of the need to connect with others, the main goal of these stories is to be fun. And really, isn’t fun a worthy goal by itself? :pinkiehappy:

The Big Picture/Society
The Equestria depicted in The Iron Horse is modeled after the Gilded Age in America. It’s a land on the cusp of an industrial revolution, but the direction that history will take is not yet certain.

This describes the larger conflict that is mostly going on in the background surrounding Turing right up until the end. In involves Celestia’s suspicions of Turing, Umahara, and TechQuestria’s grand schemes. This is best encompassed by the two opposing forces who both act as antagonists: Celestia at the beginning part of the story, and Cobbler at the end.

Celestia of course represents the fear of technology and societal change. She’s the one who understands the awesome power of technology, but has become so overprotective of the idealized society she’s helped to build over the last thousand years that she can’t stand the idea of it being upended by technology. But, of course, change is inevitable, and by choosing stagnation, she has inadvertently done a great deal of harm.

Cobbler, on the other hand, represents the zeal we often have for change and reform, not just for technology, but for other things we hold in high esteem. Most of us would regard democracy as a good thing, but we can see the extremes that Cobbler goes to in pursuit of his goals and recognize that the cost of achieving them might be too high. His personal tragedies also blind him to the magnitude of what might happen if his actions lead to war.

Thus, we have two opposite extremes: trying to protect ponies at the cost of progress, and progress even if it means consequences for ponies’ lives.

If there is one overt message that I was trying to convey with this storyline, it’s this: “There is danger in extremes.” Both Celestia and Cobbler want what they think is best for Equestria, and both have high-minded ideals. But both are so focused on their ideals for society that they forget about the individual impact: both deny Turing’s personhood, for starters, and both ignore the consequences of their blind pursuit of their goals.

The resolution of this is in Turing’s growth as an individual to eventually become a member of society, as she does in the last few vignettes with the Crusaders, the citizens of Ponyville, her play, and the “Broken” arc. Turing forms a bridge between the common pony and technology, and so she strikes the balance between these two extremes, and her election as Minister of Technology is meant to show that both understand the need for slow, cautious change and cooperation, rather than devotion to extremes. Turing Test’s two halves make her perfect for the job: she is both a pony with her own individuality, and also is technology. By balancing those two aspects of herself, she can start to heal the rift. In the end, this isn’t perfectly resolved, and it wasn’t my intention to give a definitive answer about who is “right” or “wrong.” The point was that Equestria needed a compromise.

Whew! Well, enough yakking from me on all that… it’s finally time for…

Frequently Asked Questions

First off, thanks to everyone who submitted a question. I hope you find this informative!

Q: Is there a possibility of a spin-off of Turing Test exploring the Equestria Girls world? -DanceMagicPony

A: I’ve been undecided about that for a long time. It could be a lot of fun, but I’d need a good reason for her to actually go there, and I’d also need to come up with a conflict and resolution to make the story worthwhile. I’d say it’s possible, but right now I don’t have any solidified plans. Still, that could change if the inspiration struck me! If anyone has an idea they’d like to pitch, toss me a message, and I’ll think it over!

Q: Magic conch, will Turing and Maud ever get maaaaaried~? -Zaponator

What happens with Maud now that Turing is a fulltime Canterlot pony with her new job? - LordMentat

A: The subject of marriage may come up as a matter of conjecture in the Maud x Turing fic mentioned above. While I can’t comment too much on that, I will say that right now probably wouldn’t be a good time: their relationship is still fairly new, and - to answer Lord Mentat’s question - Maud at this point in the timeline is still studying for her Rocktorate, and Turing Test has a new career as a public servant. Finding time to make a life together might be a bit difficult at this stage in their lives, but they both intend to continue their relationship and see each other as much as possible, because they both care for one another deeply.

Q: Will 001 be "adopted" by the apples?
Will 004 ever have a sense of humor?
Why won't 002-chan notice me?
Is Twilight Turing Tests legal mom?
Why didn't 002 punch the living daylights out of Cobbler when she had the chance?
WHEEEERE IS 002 GOIIIING?
-Obsi (aka Shetland)

A: In order:
-No. 001 is currently in the care of Auntie Bellum, and is very happy on the peach orchard, but she and her Auntie make regular trips to go see the Apples in Ponyville and to Canterlot to see Cobbler.
-The more he socializes, the more he’ll develop a personality, and it’s likely that he’ll develop his own emotions, including a sense of humor. However, I make no guarantees about how good a sense of humor it will be.
-Because you’re a smelly organic. And she can’t see through the 4th wall. But mostly the first one.
-No, but Twilight was considered Turing’s legal guardian until shortly after her return from the Tree of Harmony, at which point her status as an emancipated adult was made official with Mayor Mare.
-Because words hurt so much more than a hoof to the jaw ever could. 002 isn’t anywhere near as strong as her siblings, so it probably wouldn’t have done much. Though if you ask 002, she’d probably tell you that she didn’t want to touch him even to slap him.
-002 returned to TechQuestria and pilfered supplies to make a power generator that can run on wind power along with a large number of other tools and electronics. She called it her “severance pay.” Then she left and hasn’t been seen since. After that, it’s not clear, but it’s safe to say that she’s somewhere in either the wilderness or some abandoned area where she won’t have to deal with any more ponies.

Q: what is Equestria going to do about the inevitable creation of artificial super-intelligence that is able to incrementally self-improve itself and, eventually, either become the bringer of a golden age or, more likely, consumes all matter in Equestria and converts it into quills? -EverfreeSparkle

A: Well, what are we going to do when we invent that? Ah, sorry, I guess I answered your question with a question.

For right now, Equestrian AI doesn’t work exactly like Earth AI. Right now, runic computing that’s advanced enough to have general intelligence, like Turing Test, develops sentience as an emergent property. Their best bet with that kind of AI is that it turns out more like Turing and less like 002, and the best way to do that is to treat them right and convince them that matter is just fine where it is, and doesn’t need to be made into quills. However, they might eventually develop technology the way we have, and then I imagine they’ll have to come up with an answer, just like we might have to.

Q: Is Robot-Pony Marriage legal? If so, how do make (sic) foal? -Dlaf rferg

A: Considering the fact that Turing Test is a legal citizen and all four princesses think of her as a friend, none of them would have any objection to Turing or any other robot marrying. After all, Mr. Vanderbull’s wife is a pony, and that marriage is perfectly legal, so interspecies romance isn’t forbidden.

As for having foals, in one respect the answer is the same for married homosexual couples in the real world: they can adopt or have a surrogate father or mother. Likewise, they can choose not to have kids at all. Now, in the case of a robot, of course, one could also just build new robots and raise them as one’s children. Now that TechQuestria is publicly known, one could do it with the right knowhow, resources, and skills, though it would be quite difficult and prohibitively expensive.

Q: Is the Care Taker the one from Star Trek: Voyager and Equestria is in the Gamma Quadrant? -lordelliot

A: No. And that’s the Delta Quadrant. :twistnerd:

Exactly who or what the Caretaker is/was is unknown. In my story “Running Free Across the Plain,” it is mentioned briefly as the being that would watch over the ancient planet and see to the survival and growth of ponies as they evolved into a sapient species. This was due to the influence of extraterrestrials who genetically altered them to become more intelligent and capable of using magic.

Granted, the Season 7 Finale busted this whole headcanon, but it also busted up a lot of other things that were canon in the comics, so I’m just going to go ahead and ignore it. :rainbowwild:

Q: is the cross over with pony.exe canon? -VShuffler

A: Nope. It was a lot of fun to write with BB, but you can just consider it a “What If” scenario with no bearing on The Iron Horse storyline.

Q: what happened with those two worshipers of Sombra? -Crazy_Scion
What happens with ... those King Sombra worshipers? -Dr Freaky
What will happen with Grace and Glory? -Starlight Nova
The glowing blue eyes chick: Ugh, she’s SO evil. Will she be stopped soon? -lordelliot
Will there be a sequel, or some continuation in the same 'Verse (Turing-Verse? Test-Verse?), because the end was a bit of a cliffhanger. Y'know, with Grace and all. -Dlaf rferg
...were Glory and Grace's abilities removed or not? I seem to remember a mention that their special powers were gone… -Obsi/Shetland

A: Ah yes, Grace and Glory… the two characters who can most easily be classified as “evil.”

Well, the main point of both scenes with Grace after the “Deep Blue” arc was that she was still around, still plotting, still scheming, and had the potential to come back. In other words, I was pocketing her in case I ever wanted to bring her back in some capacity. If a full-length sequel to The Iron Horse ever happens, you can count on seeing Grace and Glory make a return as well.

But, canonically, here’s their status:

Glory is currently imprisoned in a top-secret facility. His cell is at the bottom of said facility, a circular room where magically-enhanced chains keep him largely immobilized. The dark magic that made him nearly invulnerable was dispelled, but the alchemy that made him so strong wasn’t curable. His unnaturally boosted immune system overcompensated for the loss of his dark magic, meaning he’s even stronger than he was before, but takes longer to recover from injuries and is more vulnerable overall. To this day he has refused to say who hired him and Grace to abduct Turing Test and shows no remorse about any of his past crimes.

Grace, since “waking up,” is under very close surveillance and is undergoing extensive psychological evaluation under the care of Dr. Chaise Longue. She claims to have no memory of events prior to waking up, though there are plenty of doubts about her claims of amnesia. She also has nerve damage as a result of her last encounter with Turing Test, and is undergoing physical therapy. She is unable to walk on her own and is physically very weak. She no longer has the ability to mentally influence others through her gaze, but it’s unknown what abilities, if any, she still possesses. Celestia and Luna, however, have ordered that her institutionalization orders read “NEVER TO BE RELEASED.”

And then there’s one last tricky question…

Q: Is there going to be a print copy? -Circuit Breaker

A: The short answer is that I’m looking into it. I’d have to think about how folks might purchase one and exactly what means to publish a print copy. There are means and methods, but depending on how it’s executed, it could get a little pricy.

The biggest problem is the sheer SIZE of the story. A lot of online publishers wouldn’t even allow a story of that size to be printed as one book, for instance, so it would probably have to come in two different volumes or else I’d have to make the text EXTRA tiny. Then there’s the question of the illustrations: I love them, but they’d add extra cost.

But right now, I’ve got an idea of what I might do. The site The Book Patch might be a good option because there’s no minimum number of copies to order (a lot of other sites have a minimum of 25). The downside is that they don’t seem to offer hardcover copies, which kinda sucks, but beggars can’t be choosers. The new cover Greenfinger redesigned also has a text version that would fit on a 6x9 book…

...so I’m thinking two 6x9 paperbacks with around 620-ish pages each might be possible for relatively cheap. Even with that, though, a 2-volume print of the book would cost folks between $30-40. Note that this is an at cost estimate; I have no intention to make any money off of this. That might be a bit costly for some of you, so I might need to gauge interest in this.

Just tentatively, based on that information, how many of you would still be interested in a copy?


There’s one more thing to say, and though I know I’ve said it before, I feel that I ought to say it one more time:

Thank you. Thank you so very much for reading, for commenting, and for supporting the story. I truly believe that the story would not have become such a success without all the wonderful people who contributed to it and encouraged me to keep going through thick and thin. Each of you is a part of Turing Test’s journey, too, and I hope to see you all there as she takes her next steps, whenever they may be.

Now and always, you have my eternal gratitude.

Sincerely,
The Hat Man

Comments ( 35 )
  • A spin-off about Gadget.

Yes, please. :raritystarry:

4724872
Yeah, kinda weird, but I thought it would be fixed by now.

Still, thanks for commenting! I’m glad you enjoyed it! :twilightsmile:

Just goes to show that many things can inspire great works. Not to mention the knowledge you can gain from putting effort into researching our inspirations.


A smidge of an idea. The story itself has ended very nicely with almost everything worked out.

Instead, why not make little slice of life bits to satisfy those who wish for a continuation of the Iron Horse if you really wanna.

Just a suggestion.

I can't wait to see what other gems you have in store for us! On the subject of Equestria Girls, I'd like to think that if she did go over, she might find her counterpart is a Siri-like app. But it's hard to draft a story out of one fragment of an idea like that, and I can't see it going very far, so probably not.

Also, yes, I would be very interested in a printed copy, hard or paper backed.
(Though I'll admit I was a little confused at first since the underlining of that question led me to assume it was a link to a poll.)

Personally, I was thinking a trilogy, but so long as it's on the bookshelf to my immediate left, I don't care.

Ha!
On your recommendation, I decided to re-watch the Star Trek: TNG episode "Measure of a Man", and I found a secret reference that no one (judging by my quick checking of the pertinent comments) caught.

When Riker refuses to argue for the prosecution against Data's humanity/sapience, Captain Louvois states:

"Then I will rule summarily based on my findings. Data is a toaster."

You sneaky little author, you.

Would you have to make a deal with Hasbro if you ever decide to make a printed copy of the story? (For the record, if you pull it off, you certainly have my money).:raritywink:

I like the new art. :)

"A crossover with GaPJaxie’s “Familiar” universe. (also a good probability of this happening soon… I’ve been discussing the details with the guy for a bit now)"
...Oh. Dear.
Oh, not for the readers, who I expect would have a good time... but I'm a bit more worried about the characters. Still, quite a number of ways you could take that. :)

"A view of some of the alternate timelines from the Season 5 finale and how Turing Test and others would be affected. (I even have a title for it: “Moments of Time” [yes, of course it’s a Daft Punk song title])"
Hm, interesting.

"From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much."
You're quite welcome. :)

"For right now, Equestrian AI doesn’t work exactly like Earth AI. Right now, runic computing that’s advanced enough to have general intelligence, like Turing Test, develops sentience as an emergent property. Their best bet with that kind of AI is that it turns out more like Turing and less like 002, and the best way to do that is to treat them right and convince them that matter is just fine where it is, and doesn’t need to be made into quills. However, they might eventually develop technology the way we have, and then I imagine they’ll have to come up with an answer, just like we might have to."
By the way, did you ever read a novel called "The Two Faces of Tomorrow" by James P. Hogan?

As for ordering copies of the books, though... I don't know. Probably not, sorry, unless maybe you need one more person to get them made at all and can't find anyone else. If all I'd be doing is getting physical copies for myself, well, that's nice, but unfortunately money's tight enough for me at the moment that I'm hesitant to do that for a story I could reread online for free (not counting internet and electricity, but I'd be paying those anyway).


4724937
Well, there are the Fallout Equestria printings, and I know iisaw has print versions of some of their works. Not sure of the details, though.

A: No. And that’s the Delta Quadrant. :twistnerd:

D'oh! I knew I should have googled that. :facehoof:

Also, I don't see how the season 7 finale busts that basic premise. Did I miss something? :unsuresweetie: Just like in Jurassic Park, aliens will always find a way. :derpytongue2:

4724872
I've never had that happen on mobile or desktop. :trixieshiftright: Weird.

4724937
I'm not sure it's actually strictly legal to write a fanfic in the first place, with the way copyright law has gotten. Practically speaking though, as long as you stay small, you're not making a profit, and you're not purporting to be endorsed by the brand you're working with, the brand's company (Hasbro in this case) is probably not going to care. However, because of stupid non-disclosure agreements that get forced on people, you might not ever hear about it when someone is sued. It's all a legal gray area.

And thank you for writing this wonderful fanfic.
If you go for a sequel, take your time. I know it will be great!

  • A romance story about Maud taking Turing to meet her parents on the rock farm (currently, this is the one most likely to be written, as I have the best start-to-finish conceptualization of it).

Oh, the tragedy. I can't help but think of it turning out this way:

Cloudy Quartz drew herself up and pointed to the door with one hoof. "I shall not have my daughter cohabitating with a common ore!"

"She's not an 'ore," said Maud. "She's refined!"

4725009

Cloudy Quartz drew herself up and pointed to the door with one hoof. "I shall not have my daughter cohabitating with a common ore!"

"She's not an 'ore," said Maud. "She's refined!"

Oh. My. God. :rainbowderp:

That’s BRILLIANT!!

If I credit you for that joke, can I use it?! :pinkiehappy:

4725035 Only if you find a place for the coffee pot joke. :pinkiehappy:

Everything is better with robots. You did very well with this story, I have read literally thousands of fan, fim, and published fiction just this past year (everyone needs a hobby). On this site alone, out of over 700 stories, and hundreds in progress (I really like reading) I have only 37 favorites, since I joined a couple years ago.

Guess where dear ol' Turing Test sits.

4725009
That comment is so perfect that I read it had to read it four times.

Thank you for the afterword - it was very informative! :twilightsmile:
And I would not worry about the Seasobn 7 finale - the TuringVerse is already an AU! :raritywink:

I'm so glad to have been a part of this story. It's neat to see where all your influences come from. Also you and your damned Daft Punk! JK I love em too. Fun fact, Big O was one of the shows I grew up on, and Dorothy was always my favorite character.

And as for that physical print if the book, I'd buy a copy for sure! Or at least, I'd try.

👋 +1 on the physical copy. I need to add to my library, there's currently only one book on the shelf (Past Sins)! :pinkiehappy:

Mr. Man, if you set up a Patreon, I will put down $30 right now as a deposit against the potential of a future book.

4726700 I can't help it! She smelted my heart with her magnetic personality! You can't fight density, Mother! She's mine!

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Thanks! That’s very helpful information!

I would definitely buy a printed copy of this story.

I'd be interested in a printed copy!

So, maybe as a sequel, a sort of story with small chapters about day to day through the seasons?

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It would most likely be a slice of life story focusing on episodic going ons with Turing Test, her new life as a functional adult, and her family as they come into their own.

Please note that I haven't committed to doing said sequel, and won't unless I can envision how it would generally go from start to finish.

But there will be more stuff with her soon, regardless. :raritywink:

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Oh, I can see the possibilities...

I was one of the first people to see this blog, but I never got a chance to reply until now.
I support:

  • A romance story about Maud taking Turing to meet her parents on the rock farm (currently, this is the one most likely to be written, as I have the best start-to-finish conceptualization of it).
  • A spin-off about Gadget.
  • A story covering Grace and Glory's origins in more detail.
  • A view of some of the alternate timelines from the Season 5 finale and how Turing Test and others would be affected. (I even have a title for it: “Moments of Time” [yes, ofcourseit’s a Daft Punk song title])

As for the physical copy, I am HIGHLY interested. the only problem I would likely have to get for my Birthday or Christmas, as I don't have money.
Signing out and waiting, VShuffler42
(P.S. You answered my question! :yay:)

Kind of late, but I think I'd be interested in a print version.

I'd be interested in a printed copy. Also, spin-off about Gadget? Yes, please!

With all the references you made in this 'novella', I was agast that there was not one for Pinocchio. But the abundance of kickflank other references made up for that . . . I guess :scootangel:


Also, add me to the list of interested parties for a print copy. :heart:

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'novella'

Pfft! Yeah, that's a laugh!

I was agast that there was not one for Pinocchio. But the abundance of kickflank other references made up for that . . . I guess :scootangel:

There wasn't really a conscious decision not to reference it. In fact, I didn't realize until you said something that I hadn't. However, I suppose it's because Turing typically expresses a wish to be more like her organic counterparts but not necessarily a desire to no longer be a robot. That, plus the whole Pinocchio angle is a bit overdone in such stories. We have the Spielberg/Kubrick collab A.I. to blame for that, in particular.

Would I want a print copy? Seeing as I have two hardbacks (done by Starscribe) and six or seven paperbacks (by Goldfur), I would have to say hell yes!

It took me the better part of 5 or 6 days to read this, and I consider it time well spent. A while back, I read The Iron Ho-Ho-Horse, but now I'm going to have to reread it again, in the light of having read the base story. Heck, I'm going to have to go through ALL your stories now.

Hopefully you can take a peek at mine and see if any of them are any good. I like them. Your opinion may vary (but I hope not).

Thank you for what you have done and what you will do. I like it.

This meatbag unit would enjoy a physical copy of this story.

the dream chapter at the end worried me that you were going to go full-pinnochio on TT.
Don't get me wrong, the idea was sweet, but as she discovered, it was too sweet, too pure. Call me a cynic, but in some small way I would have preferred TT die, not because she's dead, but because of her giving her all and more, a sacrifice worthy of statues, parades, scholarships/trusts/grants, buildings, and/or a national holiday.

That being said, wouldn't it be interesting if Twilight later on has a daughter of her own that has steel-grey fur? Faust given reincarnation, the meddling of harmony, or maybe she merely decides to honor TT by naming her flesh&blood daughter after the unorthodox hero.

Are you absolutely sure that GlaDOS didn't influence a certain surly robot's personality?

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