Fic recs, October 21st: New Character Tags- Edits and updates edition! · 7:25pm Oct 21st, 2018
Oh boy, I'm finally done with these! x.x That was a lot of stories to read, between all these editions.
H: 3 R: 6 C: 6 V: 3 N: 0
Twinkleshine:
When Space Met Time by Impossible Numbers
Genre: Friendshipping
The night time had become Twinkleshine's time. But maybe time was meant to be shared.
I don't think I've ever seen pogs referenced in ponyfic before. There may be a reason for that. This is a lot of things packed into a surprisingly low number of words: character piece, exploration of friendship, plausible backstory for one of Twilight's old friends. I've seen Minuette personified as time many times, and many other times when time was explored through fanfiction, but never the universe, not like this. This was just excellent from start to finish.
Highly Recommended
Coloratura:
Just a Pony by Godzillawolf
Read by Fimfiction
Genre: Slice of Life
Two classical musicians hire Coloratura to talk some sense into their daughter.
Okay, I liked Dubstep Dishwasher as much as the next guy, but that's no reason to incorporate it as headcanon in an otherwise serious story. And damn this fic for reminding me of My Roommate Is a Vampire. Headcanons, people, use them wisely! So this, unfortunately, is mostly just an excuse to dump headcanon about Vinyl Scratch: that she's mute, how she can communicate with others, things people say about her. There's one good idea in here, and that's her relationship to Coloratura; it's better than even just her knowing Octavia or Sapphire Shores from running in similar circles. But the writing's shaky, often explainy and generally belaboring points (like Vinyl being mute; boy, Rara is thick). This is okay, in total, and might be worth a short read.
Recommended for Vinyl Scratch Fans Only
Gabby:
Winterheart by Carabas
Read by Fimfiction
Genre: Action
The worst blizzard in living history will not keep Gabby from her appointed rounds.
This is a very nice, richly written story about Gabby (and Gilda) fighting a windigo, because what else would happen in the middle of a blizzard? It may not be terribly deep, though I love all the ways it was vindicated by canon, and it has a lot to say about Griffonstone and Gabby in particular. Not to mention, the headcanon for the windigoes is pretty neat. You can't go wrong with a Carabas fic, at any rate; check this one out!
Recommended
Tender Taps:
Dance Dance Dance by Ceffyl Dwr
Read by Fimfiction
Genre: Cute Shipping
Gabby just wanted to help Tender Taps practice the waltz.
New characters: ship them. And of course, they're both kids, so this only goes so far with the 'romance'. The real centerpoint, aside from the overall cuteness, is Gabby's oblivity to everything. She's just so trusting and optimistic, it's adorable as heck. The writing is of course quite good, and you'll probably learn a lot about dancing in the meantime. Even if you're not too into shipping, this won't overstay its welcome.
Recommended
Main 7:
Wait… I Was Sexy?! by Jay David
Genre: EQG Joke's in the Title
Twilight discovers she has some admirers.
This is the very epitome of "one idea stretched to 2,500 words". You can get as much out of reading the title or the description as you can the story itself. "Everyone loves a bad girl," that's all there is here, and while I won't deny it's amusing… That's all there is here.
Vaguely Recommended
Shadowbolts:
Were We the Bad Guys? by CommissarAJ
Read by Fimfiction
Genre: EQG Comedy
On the bus trip back to Crystal Prep, Indigo Zap asks a troubling question.
This is amusing in spots, with plenty of good characterization for the Shadowbolts. I will say it goes on a bit too long, and Dean Cadence's outburst reads heavily of the author venting personal frustration with the characters, not to mention the writing is often flat and explainy. But it's a pretty realistic look at how the five girls might react to the Friendship Games, which sets them on a path to personal improvement. If nothing else, I'm pleased to say there's more to this than aping its inspiration. I've had enough of that, thank you very much.
Recommended for Shadowbolts Fans
Quibble Pants:
Stranger Than Fan Mail by Pineta
Read by Fimfiction
Genre: Epistolary Comedy
Having this read to me was a mistake; once again, Pineta tells us a story via images. And while Quibble Pants writes one of the letters that make up this story, it really wasn't worth tagging him; which is good, since he'd be the worst character in the show if not for Zephyr Breeze. <.< No, this is actually about Daring Do and the Griffon's Goblet causing an international incident, and it's hilarious. Amusingly, it's only ever fan mail -- A. K. Yearling herself never writes back -- but the sheer number of voices that write in to tell her all about what's going on never cease to impress. :)
Highly Recommended
Timber Spruce:
When by Filipino_Gal7787
Read by Fimfiction
Genre: EQG Shipping
How can Twilight Sparkle tell Sunset about her feelings?
I hate reading stories by young writers anymore, because if they don't have the skill to satisfying the theoretical ideal (much older) reader, I'm gonna end up being negative about their stories, and I'm not here to discourage people from writing. :/ To wit, this needs an editor. The language use is poor, there are tense shifts (though no POV shifts, surprisingly), the narrative often feels like it's rushing to get through itself. But I was actually surprised overall. As shipfics go, this one's not too bad, hitting some good notes despite all the blushing and infatuation (which is called out for what it is, at the very least). It does a great job recasting the Twilight/Timber moments as definitely not a relationship, which I appreciated. :) And it actually made me feel bad for Timber Spruce… right up until he contemplates murder. <.< Also, the ending is not what you would expect. So, not an amazing story, but definitely a bold effort.
Vaguely Recommended
Gloriosa Daisy:
Whatever We Like? by Awesomo3000
Mature: Sex
Read by Fimfiction
Genre: EQG Random Comedy
Gloriosa really should have chosen her words better.
This is a one-joke fic about everyone at Camp Everfree taking Gloriosa's exhortation to do whatever they like in totally the wrong way. Things spiral gamely out of control after that, in fun and occasionally unpredictable ways. The tone is off in places, almost entirely the sexual parts, which seem to be pulled from a completely serious and very rushed clop fic, and not all the jokes land equally, especially the punchline. I will say I was amused to see Timber Spruce cast as straightman, and Rarity's role was pretty funny. I lol'd.
Recommended for Laughs
Garble:
Celestia vs. Garble by Rambling Writer
Read by Fimfiction
Genre: AU Comedy
Newly-minted Dragon Lord Garble declares war on Equestria. Whatever shall Celestia doooo?
This is a more comedic take on the Why No One Messes With Celestia formula, by way of dealing harshly with a character pretty much no one likes. And I'll admit, it's always fun to see that kind of thing, for all that I was disappointed she killed him; I did also get a few laughs out of this. But overall, it's a bit too enamored with its own premise, given the wacky narration at the start and in a few places in the middle, and there are references to both an Eddie Izzard sketch and a Monty Python routine, which I really could have done without.
Vaguely Recommended
Double Diamond:
A Bridge to Somewhere by Skywriter
Read by Fimfiction
Genre: Character Piece
In their darkest hours, five ponies find what they need.
This takes place as a series of interviews — what seem at first like monologues — between Party Favor, et. al. and… no points for guessing. :P This is a deep look into some exceptional backstories (for all that Party Favor's is a really fantastic way to start, Night Glider gets my vote for best), along with exceedingly good characterization for Starlight. On top of that, this is a look at desperation, and what drives people to both make and join cults. Really good writing, of course; this is everything I expect from Skywriter.
Highly Recommended
Night Glider:
In Their Town by milesprower06
Read by Fimfiction
Genre: Drama
After a year learning about friendship, Starlight returns to the town she founded.
I like how Starlight's initial nerve-wracking temerity is actually held up by canon. :) This otherwise doesn't take the same form as what we saw in the show, to no particular detriment. It consists of essentially a walk through the Our Town museum, followed by Starlight reclaiming some of her old things and a big emotional climax. Not deep, but I definitely enjoyed it.
Recommended for Starlight Fans
Sugar Belle:
A Familiar Feeling by Poptard
Read by Fimfiction
Genre: Romance/Drama
It's time for Sugar Belle to meet her coltfriend's family, and the one mare she needs to impress…
I really wish the SugarMac ship wasn't mired in the one of the absolute worst episodes of the show's run, because it's actually a pretty clever, unexpected match, and this story brings out even more depth to it. This is actually an exceptional shipfic, for all that the ship is canon, and, in terms of portraying relationships well, hits all the marks, as far as I'm concerned. The slice of life parts are likewise strong, and though the central drama sort of blows itself over, I feel like I'm okay with that, rather than a big, dramatic shouting match. I will say the writing is a bit rough, with some coyness in referring to characters, not to mention the occasional typo and explanation, but overall, I liked this, and I want to see more.
Recommended
Party Favor:
Reconstruction by Revenant Wings
Read by Fimfiction
Genre: Character Piece
Double Diamond isn't the only one having trouble breaking free of the past.
This one's actually mostly about Double Diamond, though Party Favor features a bit. Now, I've been reading a lot of post-Our Town stories here, many of them really good, so this has a lot of competition. And it does a fantastic job of portraying Double Diamond as haunted by Starlight's brainwashing. His self-doubt is amplified by the mantras about not standing out, trying to fit in. And of course, he's not the only one going through this, but it's hard to know what's in someone else's head. Unfortunately, I wish the writing was tighter. That's the comparsion speaking, I know, but there's still the fact that there's a lot of annoying repetitions (and I'm not talking the mantras). This could be better, but as it is? Honestly pretty good.
Recommended
Timberwolves:
In the Dark of the Wood by KingMoriarty
Read by Fimfiction
Genre: Action
Applejack runs for her life through the Everfree Forest.
AJ in danger because of timberwolves? Totally reasonable. As she runs through the forest, taking them out when she can, the scenes of high-paced dark action are cut with flashbacks to her wrestling with the deaths of her parents because of — you guessed it — timberwolves. It's a perfectly reasonable explanation, and I like a lot of the details that go into the backstory. Then you get to the end and… You just won't see that coming. @_@ Well, it's a tale of personal catharsis, all right!
Recommended
Zipporwhill:
Scootaloathe by FanOfMostEverything
Read by Fimfiction
Genre: Comedy
Scootaloo has only just met her, but she is absolutely determined to destroy Zipporwhill.
This is weird. Laugh-out-loud funny, but it kind of only makes sense after you read the A/N. I will say I was a little disappointed by the ending, but only because it wasn't quite as over-the-top as all the buildup led me to believe it would be. This is still a fun comedy with a lot more jokes than I was cognizant of at the time.
Recommended for Laughs
Ruby Pinch:
The Sibling Situation by Samey90
Read by Fimfiction
Genre: Random Comedy
Dinky is pretty sure she didn't have siblings yesterday…
This is a riff on Cart Before the Horses and the appearance of a Derpy-colored colt in her car for the derby. There's also a bunch of riffing on other 'inconsistencies' regarding background ponies, and in some ways, that's all this is. Granted, it goes to some way-out-there places, and I was highly amused by the surreal familial comedy, a la my story Those Awful Rumors 'Round Town. :) I like when people write about the things I write about. This was amusing!
Recommended If You Like When Things Make Sense Are Internally Consistent
Svengallop:
Restoring Agency by FanOfMostEverything
Genre: Comedy
After the debacle in Ponyville, Princess Twilight Sparkle makes Svengallop an unexpected offer.
Boy, this was not what I expected at all. I really don't want to give away just what the offer is, but you'll need to know about EQG stuff to get the most out of this. Guh, it's not possible to direct this at people who will enjoy it, because they'll likely know what the deal is before going specifically because I directed them there! D: Heeeeeeelp!
Recommended
Glad you liked Winterheart!
Sorry to create a recommendation paradox.
Glad you liked the stories, though.
4956152
I was going with the first recommendation, because you were definitely trying to make things in the show make sense, but then I realized, that story does not make sense and went with the more honest opinion. XD
Weird Behind-the-Scenes Fact: originally, When Space Met Time was going to be a comedy-adventure time-travel story. They make a time machine (by accident) for a science fair and end up getting chased by the Time Police for warp-driving without a license.
The idea was cut due to... time constraints.
Glad you got some laughs out of my fic, but yeah, mature romance stuff definitely ain't my specialty, as you can tell.
I guess I was just going for whatever comedy I thought was shocking and crazy enough.
Also it's Awesomo3000, not 2000.
Thanks for reading and reviewing my fic! I wrote that and another Starlight story during a bout of Season 5 finale fever.
Sums up Jay's entire body of work...
Eggs plain
4956196
So... Sunlight Sliders.
4956189
It all works until backgound ponies realise it doesn't make sense. Then comes the existential crisis.
4956198
Oh heck. :O I'll make sure to give you an upgrade!
4956214
Hard to Say Anything is yet another wrong-headed attempt to show kids what romance is like, that fails in a spectacular fashion at providing anything like a good model of a relationship.
4956214
What's Sunlight Sliders?
I'm guessing a fic, but don't wanna make assumptions.
EDIT: Never mind. Found it with a quick search. Carry on!
Ooh, When Space Met Time sounds great (and looking at the title had me thinking of Minuette of "Time Being" :V).
And you recommending epistolary? Sign me up.
Whatever We Like sounds like it could be fun, might try squeezing that in for a laugh sometime. Similarly The Sibling Situation.
I object to "A Bridge to Somewhere" because while it's great, using a new character tag post as an excuse to read Skywriter is cheating and also waiting way to long to read Skywriter. :P
I don't have much inherent interest in Sugar Belle, but you sell it pretty well as overcoming/missing the issues associated with both her episodes.
Well, I guess I'm willing to extend you and FoME 2k words worth of trust on something you can't actually describe without giving the game away. :V
4956224
Big oof.
But, fair.
4956228
#explainastoryplotbasly
4956303
Aw, damnit. Is this my own Billy and the Cloneasaurus?