Fic recs, February 5th! · 6:35pm Feb 5th, 2019
This month's Flash Fiction Online includes sewing bad vibes and existential password prompts!
>tfw I have multiple threequels to read. :|
H: 2 R: 1 C: 1 V: 1 N: 0
Fruit Salad by Silent Whisper
Mature: Sex
Genre: Sexual Comedy
Scootaloo bears witness to Rainbow Dash's newest 'trick'.
This got a laugh out of me, but I couldn't shake the uncomfortable feeling throughout the whole story. Not because of what Rainbow was putting inside herself so much as Scootaloo being there to witness it. Also, it reminded me of a really disgusting fic I read years ago. Not for those averse to children being present around sex, though at least it plays her innocence for laughs.
Vaguely Recommended
Dancing in Melancholy by forbloodysummer
Genre: Sad EQG
With no voice, Adagio's last song cannot be sung.
This hits all my Siren buttons, and wraps them up in a phenomenal literary writing style that's rare to see on this site. It's about the Dazzlings coming to terms with their own newfound mortality, and Adagio in particular trying to find a way to perform one last song. But as she rediscovers the art of dance, her whole life stretches out before her, centuries spent in and out of human societies, meeting important people, inspiring, destroying, all with Sonata and Aria by her side. Then it ends in a solid gut-punch. If you like the Dazzlings, or stories without dialogue, or kinetic imagery, or just pieces about people coping with death, this is 100% the story for you.
Highly Recommended
As Told by Sunset by ChudoJogurt
Genre: EQG/Romance
Sunset tells the tale of her tattoo.
Right off the bat, this doesn't sound like Sunset. The words have that general literary storytelling vibe to them, which is not her natural speaking voice. If you can get past that, however, the story told and the way it's told are both excellent. This is short, but a whole lot has been packed in, and I'm looking forward to the next installment.
Recommended
Spectrum of Gray by Novel-Idea
Genre: Future Fic/Romance/Drama
Rainbow Dash and Applejack haven't been okay for a while now.
It's weird how seventeen-thousand words of Appledash marital issues is also my jam, and I blame bookplayer for this. But that's entirely why I was drawn to this fic, and it did not disappoint. Rainbow Dash comes back from a Wonderbolts tour to be kicked out her home by her wife, Applejack. Twilight and Granny Smith come to support the pair through a serious emotional and interpersonal hardship. And the best part? There's no resolution. Spoilers, but that's kind of how life works. All you can do sometimes to help people is come up with a plan and put your faith in them to work through their problems. Look, I know ponies for some people are just a means of escaping their own real-world issues, but escape enough and you start to lose sight of real life. And especially if you're young, you don't hear things like "love is a choice" near often enough. We don't give ourselves room to live and make mistakes and conquer obstacles; we as a society are too focused on doing things one way, a way that doesn't work for most people. We need stories like this one. The solid writing is just a cherry on top of a far more important cake.
Highly Recommended
RGRE but It Has Healthy Gender Norms by Flutterpriest
Genre: 2P AiE Romance
It's just a day for you, your marefriend, scotch and cheese puffs.
I'm probably nowhere near qualified to comment on this story, since I've never actually read an RGRE (Reversed Gender Roles Equestria, or "arr-gree") fic before, but "popular thing that sounds dumb, done better" is just too good to pass up. And, uh… I mean, without the context of the title, this would honestly be a pretty cute story. Anon and Berry Punch have fun rapport; if you ignore that one of them is a horse and the other is a sin in the eyes of god, this is a pretty good relationship writing. With the context, it's weird, because there's one mention in the middle about Rarity and her… coltfriend, I assume, with a shrug and, "That's just unhealthy." This is teaching by doing, so it may not actually get its point across to everyone, is what I'm saying. Can't fault the intent, though.
Recommended for AiE Fans
No u <3
Dancing in Melancholy was awesome and I wish someone would make a music video about it.
Thank you for the review! (In my defense... it was a weird idea that persisted, and I wrote it ages ago... but I am honored you gave it a read anyway!)
I would have, though, preferred that I knew beforehand that you were going to review it, as it isn't one of my stories I would put forward for a review.
Two lines really stood out to me for your review today.
Thank you. I feel I should have something more, but for this story? That's all I have. Thank you.
Hell yeah I love marital issues. By far my favorite /mlp/ thread. [Marital Problems] tag when?
5008571
I reviewed it because you entered Aragon's comedy contest with a threequel, and I don't read sequels until I've read the first story. Not that it was really necessary in this case, but there we are. :B
Fair warning, the next story in the series is also being reviewed, and I didn't really have anything good to say about it. :/
You have awfully good taste in siren stories
5008655
You dont like that sort of thing, so why review it? Those stories were written on a whim, and they're both old and a dumb niche idea at best. You read one, and it isnt your taste, so why read the rest just to review it negatively? I'd much rather not have those reviewed, if it's all the same to you.
5008861
Completeness.
Thanks!
5008861
Well, I can do this, and it's unorthodox, which is why it took me a while to think of.
In the upcoming review blogs, I will have a note that says I read the stories, and add them to my reviewed shelf, but all anyone will see is "review removed by author request". It's basically a nothing clause. I can send you the reviews first if you'd like (I had a few nice things to say about the third story).
And you're right, normally I would read a story, dislike it, and not pursue its sequels, I just didn't have that option in this case because of the contest.