Fic recs, December 11th! · 1:52pm Dec 11th, 2019
Scribbler's newest reading is Silver Cloud's I Miss You!
So after this monster blog, I've got ten audiobooks before getting into adding new channels! I'm actually glad I'm going one at a time, since the first one is mostly multipart longfics, but more about that later.
H: 2 R: 4 C: 5 V: 1 N: 1
The First Duet by Ghee Buttersnaps
Reading by ScarlettBlade
Mature: Sex
Genre: Romantic Anthro Clop
Octavia and her coltfriend have been dating for four years and never had sex GEE I WONDER WHAT HAPPENS IN THIS STORY WHO WILL EVER FIGURE IT OUT
Why give Vinyl a twin brother who's dating Octavia unless you like seeing Octavia and Vinyl together but don't want to write two mares doing it for… whatever reason. And why make him this guy? Even Vinyl calls him lame! He's just so straight-laced, nervous, self-deprecating and boring. The author, to their credit, spent a lot of time setting up his history with Octavia, but I still don't know what she ever saw in him. Guh, he's a normie, there, I said it. Character choices aside, this was perfectly fine, with a bit more effort put in than your average clopfic, as I have already alluded. No weird metaphors or turns of phrase, nothing worse than perhaps not researching how hymens work. Forgivable. <.<
Recommended If You Like Anthros Doin' It
I Cast a Deadly Shadow by Horse Voice
Reading by Scribbler, et. al.
Genre: Horror
A pony takes to the dream world to get revenge on the ponies who wronged him.
Based on a data set of "basically just this story", Horse Voice is one of the absolute best at coming up with striking titles. Like, shit, look at that! Isn't that great? And it's a good portent of things to come, because this story is really great. It scared the hell out of me, because I have in the past been in Gizmo's headspace myself, for the same reasons. Nothing quite like being faced with your darkest self, right? Telling the story directly from his POV was a stroke of genius, as we get to squirm under the weight of his justifications, not to mention we get the most terrifying death scene I've ever read, spoilers. Even if you don't know who Gizmo is — the pony Rarity flirted with in Putting Your Hoof Down, also used in the comics as a childhood friend of Shining Armor, hence the first scene — this is a must read for anyone who can handle darkness in their ponyfic.
Highly Recommended
Numbers by Pastel Pony
Reading by Pony & Wolf Productions
Reading by BigAshRandomVids
Genre: Slice of Life
Filthy Rich is about to discover how wrong he is about his daughter.
Man. Crusaders of the Lost Mark was a really good episode, but I can't get over what a poor idea Spoiled Rich was. Filthy Rich is so much more tragic as a doting father who's trying to make up for a mother's absence, just like in this story. This is a really good pre-Lost Mark character study of Filthy Rich, and my only real complaint is that it simply ends with his epiphany. There's a sequel, but it's been untouched since 2014. Other than that, this was good stuff.
Recommended
Goodbye by P0nies
Reading by Scribbler
Genre: Sad
Twilight receives sad news.
This story is rather predictable. I mean, given the tags and all, the moment Twilight starts thinking about how much she enjoyed doing stuff with her mom, you know it's curtains for Twilight Velvet. But I was honestly touched by this one. It's quite heartfelt, owing a lot to the letter the elder Twilight leaves for her daughter. "Hush Now" as a denouement was maybe a little hokey, but at least this shows that life carries on after death.
Recommended If You Need Something a Little Sad
The Mane Six Meet an Alicorn OC by BradyBunch
Reading by Illya Leonov, et. al.
Genre: Parody
He's the Alicorn of Fire. He's striped red and black. And he's fourteen years old.
It's the year two-thousand nineteen A.D. and making fun of edgy red and black alicorn OCs is still hilarious. This one's right up there with Awesome Ass Hear in terms of presenting bad OCs in a canon context. God, this story is hilarious. Pitch-perfect, terribly written dialogue for our OC and his tragic and frequently contradictory backstory. (You really need to listen to the reading, GutiuSerenade was amazing!) I laughed until I cried, I love this so much.
Highly Recommended
P E T R I F I E D by Mark Young
Reading by Quill N. Lead and Animelodie
Reading by CreepyPastaSalad
Genre: Horror
Maud and Boulder are busy making new friends.
It's funny how, when this was written, I'm sure it was a surprisingly dark take on Maud's character. But after what happened in season nine, I could totally see her doing this. Now that's horror. Not a bad little piece.
Recommended If You Like Dark Stuff
The Messy Recipe of Orange Spice by Magpiepony
Reading by TheLostNarrator and Magpiepony
Genre: Dark
On this day each year, everypony leaves Granny Smith to her reminiscence of hard times past.
What I like about this story is that, dark as it is, it makes sense for it to be so. I don't think I've read any fanfics about who Granny's husband could have been. Who's to say she couldn't have had heartache in her past? This is ultimately more real-world-real than canon-real, and it gets really dark, but if you're okay with that, it's really good.
Recommended
Somno Captis by Flint-Lock
Reading by Scribbler
Reading by Lotus Moon
Mature: Gore
Genre: Horror
Twilight can't afford to sleep. Not while it's still out there.
You know that old adage about not showing the monster? I think we need to make it a habit to append "unless it's really fucking scary" on the end. Because the monster in this story is so shown that it's on the fucking cover art. Seriously. You can get a real good look at it in the reading's thumbnail; I recommend feasting your eyes on the damned thing while Scribbler reads the description alongside all the sound effects. I think what makes this story work is two things. First, a good portion of the horror comes before we meet the monster, showing up in Twilight's chant of "I'm so tired", her apprehension, and the fact that she's clearly losing her mind. The second is that the horror is actually existential. That monster is death (and failure) made flesh. It's a very personal kind of hell for Twilight, and the reader is jammed right into the corner of her mind to watch her go through it. Suffice to say, that's not an image I'll soon forget.
Recommended
Of Rotten Apples and Putrid Pears by Magpiepony
Reading by TheLostNarrator, et. al.
Genre: Dark/Sad
Apple Bloom's parents aren't dead, just missing, and she's gonna find them.
Look at that setup. Is there any way that setup can end in anything but tears? No, no there is not. But this was neither as dark nor as gross as it could have been. What Apple Bloom finds is not what she wants, of course, but it's actually a little better an outcome than perhaps even she realizes. That said, I thought the writing wasn't as strong as in Orange Spice, though I did appreciate Apple Bloom's stubborn naivete. This is absolutely the kind of dumb scheme she'd cook up.
Recommended for Fans of Dark Fics
A Different Kind of Mentor by Jay David
Reading by VisualPony
Genre: Episode Followup
Nightmare Moon imparts a few choice words on Twilight Sparkle.
So this takes place during The Cutie Re-Mark, in Nightmare Moon's world, and I can't help but think that it was a big waste of time. I mean, it's Nightmare Moon, from a world where Twilight wasn't the Element of Magic, getting to talk to the one pony who could have stopped her attaining the position she has today, and the best she can come up with is "you will one day pray not for friendship, but for power"? And she literally tells Twilight at one point, "You are either very brave or very foolish. Or both." Like. cliched much? Between the disappointment and the merely adequate writing, I'd say not to bother with this one.
Not Recommended
My Little Pony: Friendship Quest by Magpiepony
Reading by TheLostNarrator and Starry Flame
Genre: Video Game Creepypasta
I'd been enjoying the My Little Pony: Friendship Quest game, until the update with Snuzzle…
In many ways, this is a pile of creepypasta tropes: glitchy graphics, game characters acting like people, the game becoming too real, you name it. But I liked it? I guess I like the identity of the 'glitched' update that starts the narrator's trouble. Also, picking a pony named Snuzzle to be the 'monster' is pretty flippin' genius, lemme tell ya. This was fun.
Recommended for Creepypasta Fans
I'm Digging a Hole by Strawberry Sunrise
Reading by Neighrator Pony
Genre: Horror
Applejack digs a hole.
Oh boy, I've been waiting to read this one since it came out! :D First thing I want to mention is the Comedy tag: I wouldn't quite call this a dark comedy, but there are a lot more funny bits than you might expect, and the narration is light and whimsical, considering Applejack is being forced to dig a hole via a cursed shovel. The ending was… missing something? But the twist in the middle is the real meat of the story, and I couldn't help but mentally compare this to SCP stuff.
Recommended
Growing up wild will I ever be free? by Midnight29
Reading by the Author
Genre: Poor, Pathetic Scootaloo
Alone in the Everfree Forest, Scootaloo awaits the end.
Huh, I did not know Midnight29 also wrote fanfic! Granted, this is her only one. I, uh, hope she keeps writing. <.< The title and description obviously need work, while the body of the story is packed with ellipses and a notable dearth of paragraph breaks. As for the story itself, you name it, it's there. Scootaloo's abusive, alcoholic father (who severely damaged her wings when she was little) killed her mother and disappeared, so she's been living on her own for a while now, but it seems her number's finally up. And just when hope appears on the horizon, it is snatched away at the last minute. I just… At least it's better than Final Dreams of Filly? It sounds alright when she reads it.
Vaguely Recommended
Yeah, there were some great Magoween stories this year. And that's coming from someone who doesn't usually like horror.
Aw shucks, thanks PP!
Oh dear... I cannot tell a lie: While most of my titles are original, this is not one of those. It comes from, of all things, a unit response line from the game Red Alert 2. I had thought for years that it would make a catchy title before I ever came up with this story concept.
5167676
You chose well, in that case. :B
5167676
I knew it sounded super familiar! Man, that game takes me back.
Snuzzle you say?
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The very same!