Fic recs, December 2nd! · 4:44pm Dec 2nd, 2019
VisualPony has done a reading of billymorph's A Curious Case of Immortality!
And Illya Leonov has read Device Heretic's Thunderstruck!
I was looking through my Youtube channel yesterday and discovered I have a copyright claim by Hasbro on one of my videos! I wonder how long that's been there. It's not a strike against the channel, and I guess it's because I used a screencap as the thumbnail, no matter how edited it might be. Well, they're welcome to all the non-existent ad revenue the 300-some views on that video have generated, says I. XD
I hit a milestone in this one!
H: 1 R: 4 C: 6 V: 0 N: 1
First Defender by Cesar
Reading by Scribbler, Goombasa and Flame Lionheart
Genre: Cute
Twilight runs afoul of bullies. It's a good thing she has her brother on her side.
Yaknow, I can't imagine a cutie mark story for Shining Armor that doesn't involve him saving his sister somehow. So this fic does exactly what it needs to do. It's maybe a little melodramatic by the end, but otherwise I can't complain.
Recommended
Binding by shortskirtsandexplosions
Reading by GutiuSerenade
Reading by Lotus Moon
Genre: EQG Horror
Twilight receives a message from the blank pages of a book.
What a concept. If I'd known what this story was about, I'd have read it a lot sooner! shortskirts has always had a way with making things creepy; here, what's impressive is that, between introducing the scene and giving us the sinister twist, there's a scene of just Twilight and Spike talking, doing future fic stuff, setting the time and world and so forth. Yet it somehow doesn't undo the effect? This was really good.
Recommended
Just Dodge! by DannyJ
Genre: Thought Experiment
Lyra Heartstrings is pretty sure that, in Discord's shoes, she could have avoided the Elements of Harmony the second time.
Here's an oldie-but-goodie. Lyra bets Discord she could dodge the Elements of Harmony, he sends her back into his body during the end of Return of Harmony, she slowly goes crazy trying to win. While I wanted this to be a lot funnier (though there is one really hilarious scene), I like it a lot for what it is. The writing is strong, and Discord especially is very well voiced. I appreciated the end, when Lyra, frustrated and being driven mad by chaos magic, crosses a line and changes the effect of what the Elements do. And of course, if you look through the comments, you'll see hundreds of fan theories about what else Lyra or Discord could have done. It's always cool to see a story inspire people that way. So, if you're not one of the twenty-two-thousand (!!!) people who've laid eyes on this story, you should probably go change that!
Highly Recommended
The Night Watch's Red Tape by LightOfTriumph
Reading by Midnight29
Genre: Comedy
Looking to make a few bits, Pinkie Pie joins the Night Guard. There's just one proviso…
Oh boy, the T-word, how I've missed you. >:B Ignoring that gross oversight, this was fun. The writing is… methodical, almost pedantic. We get a run-through of what each of Pinkie's sisters is like, for instance, and when we're introduced to the Night Guard Captain, she's given a full description. Granted, it involves more than just visual appearance, which is good, I just felt like it was too much all at once. That said, she's a pretty fun character, and though I went back and forth for most of the reading, I even decided Starless Night was a good name. Beyond that, it's a little bit Pinkie shenanigans, a little bit bureaucratic red tape, and a lotta bit batpony headcanon. (It was at least original.) So, not bad a story, all told.
Recommended for Batpony Fans
Twilight Sparkle vs. Exercise by JapaneseTeeth
Reading by Scribbler and Gina M
Genre: Slice of Life
Now that she's a princess, Twilight feels like she should set a good example for the ponies of Equestria. Time to get in shape!
Geez, this story has ten thousand views. o.O Well, it's a pretty nice little piece. There's no good advice about exercise, per se, but there is in regards to being a good role model. Not as funny as the Comedy tag might have you suspect, but otherwise, not objectionable.
Recommended for Slice of Life Fans
The Deep by Mystic Mind
Reading by Illya Leonov, Scribbler and Luna Farrowe
Genre: Dark
Rarity descends.
I'm not quite sure this works as horror. Most of the story involves us watching Rarity sink into the deep ocean, admittedly something which terrifies me, but we're regaled not with the terror of being trapped under tons of water with no way out, but with wonder at the sheer audacity of life which dwells down there. Rarity alternates between panic and staring dreamlike at her surroundings, taking them all in. Then we get to the "what's really happening" part, and while I like the setup, I'm not sure it all quite makes sense? (Not to spoil anything.) To say nothing of the fact that the punchline is dropped like we should have been expecting the buildup the whole time. At least I didn't have to spend the whole time wondering how Rarity got into her predicament.
Recommended If You Like Strong Imagery
One Last Bit of Angst by Rawtooth
Reading by Scribbler, Agent0Fluffy and Caitbug
Genre: Dark/Shipping
Pinkie's been having dreams about her again.
There's not a whole lot to this, but I have to say, it paints a pretty good, not to mention nuanced, picture of Pinkie trying to deal with death. Not easy to portray. Also, like I always say, if it spawns a good reading, you know the dialogue is done right.
Recommended for Shippers
Revelations by Fire_Starter
Reading by Midnight29
Genre: Emotional
Discord has an uncomfortable epiphany.
I don't think I've ever said it before, but here's a pet peeve I've had for ages: If your story mentions chocolate milk, cotton candy or anything else that appeared in Return of Harmony while not being set during that time, you are doing Discord wrong. Repeating old tricks goes completely against his inherent m.o. That's not why I disliked this story, though it certainly set the right tone. The writing and plot are simplistic. I do appreciate the optimism in Celestia's plan, that Discord would eventually realize the truth about himself after being reformed, but regardless, the execution here was something of a letdown. The author's first story, though, and fairly old, so I'm sure they've improved.
Not Recommended
A Wallflower in Bloom by TheNewYorkBrony
Reading by ScarlettBlade
Mature: Sex, Fetish
700th Review of 2019!
Genre: Comedic EQG Porn
Sunset accidentally learns Wallflower's deepest secrets and takes advantage of them.
I don't think this is a good way to get into a BDSM relationship, but otherwise, I found this amusing. Using Sunset's powers for discovering hidden crushes and fetish is kind of funny, for all that I wished she'd been a little less eager to try them out. I mean, she was a horse! People forget that. :P But if you don't mind, you'll probably get a kick out of this.
Recommended If You Like Queegees Doin' It
Discord in Gotham by Jabberspike
Reading by Scribbler, et. al.
Genre: DC Comics Crossover/Comedy
Mr. Mxyzpltk brings Discord to Gotham to prove once and for all who is the better mischeif maker.
Part of me wants to believe this is a sequel to that story where Batman cures everyone in Arkham with ponies. <.< While not amazing, this was certainly amusing, and will very much be worth your read if you ever wanted to see two spirits of chaos going at it. Or Discord vs. the Joker.
Recommended for Batman Fans
A Wolf at the Door by Regidar
Reading by TheLostNarrator, Chaotic and Caitbug
Genre: Horror
Apple Bloom is home alone when she hears a strange voice at the door.
This story is quite unique. It's terrifying to read before the 'monster' is revealed, but once it is, the question stops being "is Apple Bloom in danger?" but how, and why. Suffice to say, this was ultimately nothing like I expected.
Recommended
To Be Remembered by MrSpartan
Reading by Scribbler and Goombasa
Genre: Dark Adventure
Twilight and Spike journey to the Badlands to explore the ruins of an ancient, forgotten civilization.
Huh. I already read this once, and downvoted it. o.O And the reading's from 2013? What the fuck is going on here? Well, whatever it is I initially disliked about this story, it at least doesn't come out in the reading. A quick check of the writing looks good, too. Granted, Twilight and Spike live through a number of narratively convenient but otherwise implausible visions that were as hokey as they were unnecessary, but that really isn't enough to pan this. This is not the only story to posit pony society being built on the ruins of our own; it might not even be the first one. But it's got strong imagery and a good look at human civilization from the outside. Consider that downvote rescinded!
Recommended
I remember Just Dodge!
Fic was dope.
This needs to be chiseled into stone somewhere.
I still like to go back over the comments of Just Dodge! from time to time. There were some real interesting discussions in there.
5163992
I'm honestly surprised the story didn't inspire a wall of "ways Discord dodges the Elements" fics, a la Would It Matter If I Was? Was all the speculation seriously contained to the comments? :)
5164050
Ah yeah, I remember thinking up ways to beat the magical death beam myself. Even if the story itself wasn't good (it was), there's surely something to say for a piece of writing that makes one want to expand on it. It's almost surprising there isn't a "Dodgeverse" group or something, honestly.
5164050
Pretty much. I think it's because normally you get response fics and fixfics like that when people aren't satisfied by the original story and want to express their thoughts or correct it. But Just Dodge! is, itself, kind of a fixfic for a small issue many people had with the show, so most people were probably satisfied enough with it as-is (which might sound arrogant, but given the rating and aforementioned lack of response fics, I feel reasonably confident in saying so).
The way the comments turned out may also have had something to do with it. A lot of people were speculating ideas for solutions, but most people's solutions wouldn't have worked by the story's rules anyway, and other commenters would tell them so. I remember RealityCheck had a few things to say, and if anyone would've written a response fic, it would've been him, but I guess the discussions he had with other commenters convinced him otherwise.
Occasionally, particularly later on, I'd hear a more creative solution which would've actually worked, and in those cases I do say so and congratulate them, but I guess there's not much impetus to write that idea out in fic form if the author already confirms or denies your idea's viability in the comments. Not to mention Just Dodge! takes place in a larger continuity with a lot of background lore and underlying rules, which I would desperately seize on any opportunity to ramble about in the comments. Generally not something which encourages recursive fanfic, since like all fanfic, it thrives on vagaries and grey areas.
5164174
There actually is! Well, kinda. It's called the Borderworld. I've not had any other authors write anything for it yet, and I've not written anything else to do with time loops and such, but most of my fics are in continuity with each other, and I've written a lot of lore essays and background material in the group's forums. So if you ever wanted to know who the fuck Agamarath is and why he eats time, there actually is an explanation for that.
Wow, I forgot to comment about this one. Good thing I'm a narcissist who frequently checks your google doc full of reviews and ctrl+f's my own name to get them dank dopamine hits when (re)reading the various reviews you've left over the years!
This one is an interesting one, and born from the fear and horror that comes from being too strong around things so much weaker than you; I don't remember if it was a pillbug or a starfish but I had accidentally crushed something beneath my stupid fucking clumsy human hands at an age that was far too old to be excusable and it haunted me. I swear it was only an attempt to appreciate them closer. I shouldn't have picked them up. These words my dumb teenage ass wrote mean little to that being which is no longer alive. Perhaps Hell is knowing what you've done can never be undone. I dunno. It seems so stupid now, but then again so does everything.
5744902
lol same5744909
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