Fic recs, April 4th: Favorites edition 2! · 12:45pm Apr 4th, 2018
The last time I did this, I found some old favorites and some stories that hadn't aged quite as well. But, with my "one story per author per blog" rule, I couldn't fit it all in. This blog, then, is a catch-up. It still isn't everything I've ever faved and not reviewed, but it's pretty close.
But first, the news!
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And check out this thing DGD Davidson is doing!
H: 1 R: 5 C: 1 V: 1 N: 0
Flutterlich by NTSTS
Genre: Dark
An accident in the Everfree takes one of Fluttershy's animal friends from her… and gives her the power to bring him back.
Remember the time when a pony could just wander into an arcane circle of standing stones in the Everfree Forest and be transformed into a necromancer? Those were the days. :V Yes, Equestria held a lot more potential for inherent darkness back around season one, and this fic takes full advantage of that giant unknown that was the world. Though not one of NTS's oldest fics (for all that they are all old), it's also not his best. Ideas tend to be repeated unnecessarily, and though all of his fics always had small typos, they kind of highlight how standard a story this is. It's just sort of a panoply of flowery descriptions of — original — dark imagery, and Fluttershy alternately acceding to her new power and quaking in fear of it. There's a solid focus on Fluttershy and Angel's relationship, which is nice, but otherwise, not much of a point to putting her through this. I will at least give it credit for sticking with the dark tag; no happy endings here.
Recommended Only for Fans of Dark Fics
Noise by Filler
Genre: Stream-of-Consciousness
Uh, I don't get it. c.c Berry Punch, like, trips the fuck out or something. I don't think alcohol is supposed to make you act like this. It's certainly different, but that's about all I can say.
Vaguely Recommended
Flutterbox by Bronystories
Mature: Sex
Genre: Sexual Comedy
Fluttershy wakes up one day to find that her vagina can talk. Nothing good can come from this.
This is a classic fic, and there's a reason for that. XD Get ready for raunchy innuendos, out-you-end-os, and every euphemism for female genitalia (other than 'quim' <.< Odd). There's always something funny going on, even if some of the jokes are a little expected. (Or maybe just old, five-digit story number and all!) It's so stupid, but it's so funny, and it has a great ship!
Recommended
Judgement by Amit
Genre: Rom-Com
Bon-Bon: Confectioner extraordinaire. Abrasive mare. Intensely homophobic. It's a good thing Lyra's not madly in love with her or anything.
It has been a long time since I read anything by Amit. This one's pretty great, though, especially if you're into LyraBon. It does show its age, with Pinkie continuously breaking the fourth wall and even making a Warhammer reference at one point. But watching Bon-Bon's slow descent into madness is enjoyable, and you really have to appreciate the ending. Of course, then there's the 'happy' ending, which is cloying by itself but utterly hysterical when you read the chapter which comes after it. Old, but clever!
Recommended
Playing Hard to Get by Vimbert the Unimpressive
Sequel to Distorted Perspective
Genre: Comedy
Eagle Eye is not exactly dealing well with what happened on the Day of Discord.
In hindsight, it's more like Distorted Perspective is the prequel to this story, setting up Eagle Eye's character and tribulations so we can have more laughs at his expense. This is funny, for all that the mantra of "but I like mares!" gets old after a while. Still, I'd rather that than your standard shipfic where X character is angsty because they don't know that they like ponies of their sex anyday. And if there's any reason to read this, it's the very end, one of the best punchlines you could ask for in a fic.
Recommended
Twilight’s Horn Warmer by midnightshadow
Genre: Sexual Comedy
Twilight just loves the new gift Rarity gave her!
Old fandom jokes? Old fandom jokes! I've never gotten tired of stories about Twilight (or her friends) being oblivious perma-virgins, though. There's really just the one joke here, and the writing needs a cleanup, but it's so much fun!
Recommended
By Celestia’s Name by SleeplessBrony
Genre: Dramedy
Twilight takes exception to her friends' language.
Interesting thing about this fic: it doesn't have any non-character tags. Aren't too many of those! (Actually, I just checked, there are over 900 of those. <.<) Anyway, this story contains the exchange "Don't you mean apple boner?" "I'll boner your apple." and if you don't think that's the greatest dialogue ever written, you can leave. :V But the reason this doesn't have tags? I imagine it has something to do with what could have been a perfectly hilarious crackfic turning into a deeper exploration of the place of princesses in rural communities. It flows so naturally from "Twilight upset because ponies taking Celestia's name in vain" to… well, I don't want to get into the details of what's going on with Applejack, but suffice to say, you'll back and wonder how it could have started out as that. Not something every writer can do.
Recommended
When I Was Thirty by shortskirtsandexplosions
Genre: Future Fic/Tragedy
Life, it seems, has flown Rainbow Dash by.
No guesswork needed to determine that when I first read this story, I was a lot closer to thirty years old than I am now. ;_; I'm closer to forty than thirty these days. That's hard to take. Almost as hard is this piece, one of the most sublime tragedies I've ever had the pleasure of reading. It's quite nearly a horror story: what if Rainbow Dash just stopped trying? She's still the best at what she does, sure, but what she does? Isn't all that interesting. And she doesn't seem too bothered by that until those around her bring it up. And she can't even put words to what's bothering her once she tries. I've never seen a story so excellently sum up a period in one's life. Ugh, argh, this is terrifying, and the real tragedy is you probably won't understand why if you haven't at least graduated from high school, or maybe college. D: Stick to your ambitions, kids, they're all you've got.
Highly Recommended
Having not yet read Noise, can you give me advice on what to do or not do for Trippy narratives?
4832657
I dunno. I think the thing which usually sinks them is too much randomness for randomness's sake. Not having any experience in that realm myself, the thing to keep in mind is usually that a trip is going to distort reality. Think dreams, which often have their own internal logic, even if they're nightmares.
Ahh, fair enough. I couldn’t really imagine writing something without any sort of internal rationale, but that could definitely be a snag, i’d Agree.
It huuurts to see that sleepless brony is still alive but not writing anymore.
4832681
I know, right? :(
Bah, I read When I Was Thirty when I was 15 and it still scared the bejesus out of me. Maybe it was because I had already given up on my ambitions, so it seemed... realistic.
I am also closer to forty than to thirty!
In the same way that I'm closer to 21 than I am to 18, or closer to 2 than 1. :E
4832800
haha ur old :V
4832758
I read it at around the same age and feel the same. It evokes the same feelings as works like "Prufrock" or Death of a Salesman with the terrifying proposition that you can end up in the same situation as Prufrock or Willy Loman or Rainbow Dash. "Scared of what's before", indeed.
4832822
I'm actually glad to hear this kind of thing. Though I'm not entirely sure why.
4832800
Git offa my lawn, yungun!