4815882

Title: Machina

Tag: [Sad] [Alternate Universe] [Sci-Fi]

Views: 699

Pitch: What lengths will someone go to to be considered "real"? Reminiscent of the story of Toby, son of Doctor Tenma, who created a robot to replace his little boy only to discover there could be no true substitute, this is from the robot's PoV. All it wants is to be a good replacement robot daughter to its "father". The struggle is a tearjerker. I reviewed this a while ago myself, so check that out if you want.

Link: Machina

http://www.fimfiction.net/story/295303/looking-back
by
Tacoma

Tags: Random, Slice of Life
Description: The Mane 6 decide to get together once again, but the usual hang out isn't enough, as Twilight proposes they go back in time to relive some of the greatest moments in time, but when things go wrong, they go back in time in an unexpected way.

Title: babytails

Tags: [Horror] [Mystery]

Views: 847

Pitch: There is a moment once in every pony's life when the time comes to shed one's baby tail. Don't worry, sweetie. It won't hurt.

Link: https://www.fimfiction.net/story/286337/babytails

More pitch: It's pushing the views count a bit close to maximum, but the story still isn't getting nearly the love it deserves. From the writer of Dust and Harmony, it's a shining example of how to make body horror nauseating, disquieting and genuinely terrifying - all of it within the confines of a Teen rating, no less. I normally don't like this sort of stuff, and the fact that I do - in fact, it's my favorite story out of his collection so far - is a testament of the work he's put into it.

4918292
This user has been banned from Seattle's Angels for breaking the only rule that actually gets enforced. Come on, guys. Less of this.

Title: The Wealth of the World by very trustworthy rodent
Tags: [Dark]
Views: 331
Pitch: The story is a parable, along the lines of Lord of the Flies and similar stories, in which a group of ponies fed up with the greed and excesses of their society set out to build their own utopian society. As the [Dark] tag implies, they fall well short of their goal. The story itself is beautifully written, with a narrator whose voicing transports the reader back in time to the period of human history which the story aims to evoke. The story has its flaws (setting the story in Equestria does not add much to the story, and the story unfolds somewhat predictably), it is nonetheless a well written piece that considers some important ideas.

Title: Fly Before You Run by Lucky Dreams
Tags: [Slice of Life]
View: 776
Pitch: This is the story of an eleven-year-old Rainbow Dash learning how to be independent and responsible when she's charged with babysitting for a baby Scootaloo. While one might just consider this Scootalove fluff, it does a nice job of fleshing out an interesting backstory for Rainbow Dash and exploring her thoughts and feelings throughout the piece. As with many of the author's other stories, Lucky Dreams really captures the voice of a young child through the narration.

4859308
So, uh, both the story and the author appear to no longer exist.

4960624
That user has changed their name to JP Sanders. The story was deleted.

Title: Five Minutes in a Balloon

Tags: Adventure, Comedy, Random

Views: 321

Pitch: So this a pretty old story, but it's really short and packed with so much delightful humour, the first part might seem off putting due to the wall of text, but it's the only real problem with the writing/formatting. I don't even think the author is even still active here judging by how long it's been since he was last on, but the story is still wonderful and makes me laugh after rereading it, so it's a shame just how little attention it got.

Title: Librarian Twilight Sparkle, Tutor of the CMC by SoloBrony

Tags: [Comedy][Random][Slice of Life]

Views: 337

Pitch: One day Twilight Sparkle comes to the realization that her status as a princess may be keeping her from gaining new friends. This being Twilight Sparkle she goes on a crusade not just to appear non-threatening to her subjects, but to use her new status as the Princess of Friendship is solve as many friendship problems as possible.

It's going to be a ride.

Link: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/308687/librarian-twilight-sparkle-tutor-of-the-cmc

Title: Wires

Tags: [Gore][Alternate Universe][Adventure][Dark]
Views: 504

Pitch: Quick summary: it's about Shining Armor leading an army of ponies to an unforgiving, frigid country north of the crystal empire on a peacekeeping mission. And boy, if you're looking for a super-violent, grungy, trying-way-too-hard-to-be-edgy story, then... you should probably look elsewhere. Because with this story all you'll get is tremendous characterization, an immersive setting, and a buildup that is just ohhhhhh so tense and ooooohhhhh sweet god, the buildup.

Oh! And this story also has an endless supply of.... how did Professor Plum so eloquently put it again?

"WOOOOOOORLD-BUUUUUIIIIIILDIIIIIIING"

Y'know, if you're into that sort of thing.

Link: https://www.fimfiction.net/story/256233/wires

He's Back! by jm0914
dint let the tags fool you it is not a comedy it has grate action and sadder scenes.

Title: The Last Link
Tag: Adventure
Views: 426 -- Thumbs: 48 up, 2 down.

The Last Link weaves a both a high flying adventure through the skies of the Equestrian frontier, as well as a technical breakdown of how tragedy occurs. The protagonist, a Pegasus pilot named Featherprop has a narrow window to deliver a mystery shipment by Royal warrant to the edge of civilization.
Link to story found here.

I joined this group to reccomend this story and one other. The other isn't pitched, despite being a masterpiece, because it's total view count is well above your threshold.

Here, have two.

Title: Prisoner of War
Tags: [Alternate Universe][Human]
Views: 2,967*
Pitch: Probably the best human soldier protagonist in any story on the site, and an awesomely unique and engaging premise for a worlds-collide story.
Link: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/252793/prisoner-of-war
*I know this is well above the recommended view count, but it is stretched out over a year since the story first started. It should reach completion within another month, and it really deserves ten times as many views as it has.

Title: Blackacre
Tags: [Gore][Adventure][Alternate Universe][Dark]
Views: 665
Pitch: Like the one indie alternative punk band that shows up to the rap battle, this story does MLP just a little bit differently. A fascinating world-spanning story told in an unorthodox style. I'll quote my review blog about it:

I strongly suspected sometimes while reading it that this was a professional author doing a writing exercise, and I still wouldn't be surprised if that was the case... there is a sense that every choice the author made was purposeful and thought through, and looking back over the wider story once you come up on the end makes you feel like you've been following a mouse on a breakneck chase through a maze, but then you stand up and see that the mouse was drawing a picture with its footsteps.

Link: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/123244/blackacre
Since the style of this story is so far removed from what any of us are used to in this age of literature, some people might turn Blackacre away from pure culture shock, so I don't expect it to be loved by everyone who tries it. Literature buffs, however, probably will.

5086404
I'm afraid the first story is notably above our limit, yeah. We've featured stories over 1k views a couple times, and I think we even once featured a story sitting on around 1,500, but that's really the furthest we can stretch, so I don't see the former getting a feature from us any time soon.

The latter, however, has me intrigued. I shall check it out when I next find the time.

5086409 Please do. I'm sure Prisoner will pick up its own momentum once the sequel starts, and I can push the author to put it in more groups. But poor Blackacre has just been sitting around 500 views for two years.

Title: The World Within the Web
Tags: [Adventure] [Alternate Universe] [Dark] [Human] [Mystery]
Views: 131
Pitch: It isn't too often that we see something completely original in idea and setting anymore, but I find that this story has a uniqueness that can really draw you in. There are no ponies, Human or otherwise, but they are a driving force in this world. This is the World Within the Web, where Fandoms are Nations, whose cities are dedications to the Wonders of their Source. But just as in the World Beyond the Web, there is trouble brewing between the Fandoms here.
Link: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/312711/the-world-within-the-web

While the idea behind the story may not appeal to everyone, I constantly find myself being reminded of the classic works of High Fantasy, from how well the world is developed, to how the characters interact. Also, because it doesn't actually use the characters from the TV show that brought us all here, there is a high chance that we could find it on our bookshelves one day. This, I believe, is a great advantage for this story, a fanfiction free from the shackles that bind the standard fanfic.

Title: The Wayfarers
Tags: [Adventure][Dark][Gore][Dark][Comedy][Romance][Drama]
Views: 412
Pitch**: The story of a small group of travelers bound by fate, trekking along in a setting that only-too-realistically recalls tales of the Old West. Very atmospheric, great character-building, and an established writing style that I think makes this one deserving of a space in this group.
Link: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/211433/the-wayfarers

Title: Why You Should Be Scared of the Dark
Tags: [Dark][Gore]
Views: 195
Pitch**: While the story is declared cancelled, it is actually a collection of short horror that didn't make it past two. Possibly the best horror short story I've read on this site is included in this cancelled collection. The title tale, "Why You Should Be Scared Of The Dark," does creepy atmosphere, tension-building, and a particular fear of the unknown just right, in my humble opinion, and that single chapter alone I think earns it a spot here.
Link: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/132856/why-you-should-be-scared-of-the-dark

Can confirm 5084690. I've read through The Last Link and it's a gripping story with a vivid sense of place.

Came here to make a rec of my own, though, after doing some judging for Scribblefest:

An Ordinary Day
Tags: [Slice of Life]
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/314691/an-ordinary-day
Views: 73
This both promises and delivers pure, unadulterated Slice of Life, and I can't remember the last time I was so engrossed by a story in which nothing of consequence happens. This is due primarily to the vivid and sensual descriptions littering the piece — "The friendlier floorboards creak good mornings all along her way towards the bathroom"; "The gentle kiss of the sun" — and beautiful passages like "Even though she flies so little, even though she is so weak, she is still a pegasus, and the sky will always love her. Above, above and west, and west, the cottage drifts below." If there is one reason to read this, it's for the way it dances with language. It's almost like a prose poem.

It's marred by a lot of easily fixable typoes at odds with the beauty of the language, and some folks might be thrown off by some arguably gratuitous inclusions (like the borderline platonic Flutterdash shipping, and the changeling friend with the world's most awesome name), but ultimately everything worked for me. This deserves a lot better than to have my attaboy be the story's only comment.

Pasting for Pasco so we can pick at these later. I removed the duplicates I know of, but double check the rest of them as you take a peek:

Analemma by Miller Minus
A Light in Dark Places by Lucky Dreams
What is Left by OnionPie
This One Time at Band Camp by Arbutus
A Candle in the Sky by Lucky Dreams
So Her Legacy Will Endure by Present Perfect
Persephone by Present Perfect
The Chance of a Lifetime by PortalJumper
Music for the Mare in the Moon by dragonjek
The Night Rages On by Overload
The Legend of the Scorpion Queen by cursedchords (was better before the author removed the framing device)
Night Rose by Grand_Moff_Pony
Something Magical by Dark Avenger
Inquiry by Rao the Red Sun
Fly Before You Run by Lucky Dreams
Being Neighborly by JMac
Applejack and the Garden of Eden by Oroboro
Queen by CDRW
Dear Diary: Sunset Shimmer's Best Friend by Piquo Pie (He's done a lot of revision to improve the story, but when he finally added the last chapter, it changed away from diary format, which had been more suited to his writing style. I agree with the change of format, but that last chapter was still pretty rough, and I haven't seen a revision from him in a while.)
Pinkie Pie and the Quest for the Missing Smiles by Venates
Machina by Kanzlerin Maud
Lost by OleGrayMane
Ciphers by Grand_Moff_Pony
Silent Night by Fabby
The Longevity Theory by Venates
Chill by FloydienSlip
Guardian Angel by SparkBrony
Mistakes Best Not Remembered by Sorren
Fermentation by Orbiting Kettle
Tables Have Turned by JoeShogun
Restless Couriers by Cadejo Jones
A Dragon's Age by BlazzingInferno
Lose Yourself by Sweater Weather
Song of Thunder by Zodiacspear
Coco's Gift by Miranda Laufeyson
The Sun's Torment by TheAshenKnight
Blur by Fire Gazer the Alchemist
An Orphan's Curiosity by Vertigo-01
Sundowner Season by Cherax (I thought the writing was wonderful in this, but I never bought into the romance or either AJ's or Rarity's motivations behind why Rarity was taking her trip. I spent a long time reviewing this one.)
Daring Do & the Rookie Editor by Naughty_Ranko
One Hell of a Party by Loganberry
Another Slice of Pie by The Fool
You Cannot Give Up Again by Selbi
Pictureframe by AdrianVesper
The Nightmare Omen by TheKissoftheVoid
An Apple by Another Name by Sky McFly
Heartbreak by ArgonMatrix
The Path to Paradise by TheCrystalRing
For When it Rains by Vivid Syntax
A Bed of Roses by Half the Battle
Their Hearth's Warming by ThunderChaserCreate
The Person in the Mirror by Quicksear
Run from Here by HerpDerp
Life is Not Fair by Slate Sadpony
Closing Time by MalWinters
Paper Boats by Enter Madness
The Cookie Cadet Caper by Lapis-Lazuli and Inky J

That is indeed a large list. I have some time, so here's a couple more:

Title: The Winding Northward Road
Tags: [Adventure]
Views: 80
Pitch: This is an adventure in its purest form: adventure for adventure's sake. The protagonist, an OC by the name of Hayfever, realizes she hasn't seen much of anything outside her hometown, and leaves on hoof for the edge of Equestria. The story is presented to the reader in the form of her journal entries, and most are accompanied by a poem which summarizes the day's events. It's witty and satisfying, not to mention only one of a handful of times I actually enjoyed poetry. In short: a unique tale that shouldn't be missed.
Link: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/306299/the-winding-northward-road

Title: Villain Cube Understands
Tags: [Comedy], [Equestria Girls], [Random]
Views: 330
Pitch: This story includes one of the best OCs I've ever seen. See, for the first time, Twilight and company must deal with a villain who isn't truly evil: he was born one, and has never known anything else, though that doesn't stop him from pondering why that is. He is Villain Cube, and he understands what they're going through. It can't be helped if things just spontaneously burst into flames when he's around. Yes, this is exactly as funny as it sounds. Also includes EQG Pinkie going nuts in Equestria.
Link: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/320305/villain-cube-understands

Title: Hyperportentia
Tags: [Slice of Life]
Views: 758
Pitch: I'm a fan of this author, and this is one of his more entertaining works. It explores what happens when Destiny is an actual thing that can be medically diagnosed.
Link: https://www.fimfiction.net/story/215631/hyperportentia
Anything else you’d like to say goes here: I'll just put this quote from the description here, because it doesn't appear in the story and it is really funny:
Hy•per•por•ten•tia noun \hī-pər-pȯr-ˌten-t(ē-)ə\
1. congenital fate disorder where the affected receives a disproportionate number of visions, prophecies, or warnings of the future directed at them.
2. severe pain in the butt.

Hearts holing hooves do that one

5145313
Those both sound interesting. I shall be checking them out.

5168692
We featured that author one round ago, so it may be a little while until we do so again. Still, will take a look.

5176570
You're gonna have to give us more than that, I'm afraid. Please use the template provided.

5176593 where is it ???

5178448
It's the very first comment in this thread. You have to skip over it in order to comment here.

5178453 I did sorry

476633
Title: Dusk Falls
Tags: [Dark] [Drama] [Mystery]
Views: Shameless to admit, this story has 1,295 views
Pitch: The reason why I'm recommending this story is because -- even though I've only read the first chapter -- the story has a mixture of world building, unique dialogue and tone, and great characterization. The story is written in first person, and with the tone it uses the story makes it feel like Celestia has actually lived for thousands of years, the world building offers a vivid and imaginative enviroment, and the characters are just completely believable. I give this story eight Spike Mustaches out of two Unsure Sweetie Belles' (so far).

Link: Given above, but here it is anyways: https://www.fimfiction.net/story/223509/dusk-falls

4809557
Goddammit, Plum! Where is that from? I have to know!
I need ponies, bro.

5204431
Self promotion is banned. And now, so are you.

Have a nice day.

5206881
I'm afraid we're unable to feature mature stories in site-posts.

Title: The Night That Never Finds the Day
Tags: [Sad] [Slice of Life]*
Views: 168
Pitch The title and the short blurb about it does not do this story any favors. The story takes place around the Crystal Empire. Princess Luna is attending a poetry reading because she feels at home among the crystal ponies. They are trying to adjust to modern Equestria much like her. She is listening to poetry when she gets an internal signal that Celestia is starting to have a nightmare. She is interrupted after she leaves by a message stating that she is needed in the Crystal Castle immediately. When she gets there she finds out that a northern watch tower was destroyed by flames and that they signaled they were getting attacked by a monster. She sets out to investigate.
It is important to note that the story is not complete but it still worth reading. The author just updated the story last month so it hopefully will be completed.
Link:http://www.fimfiction.net/story/277007/the-night-that-never-finds-the-day
* This story should probably changed to Adventure but Slice of Life works very well for the first chapter.

Title: A New Age
Tags: [Dark][Drama]
Views: 119
Pitch: Wonderful and intriguing story told via exchanges of letters before and after the age of Discord. Subtle but incredible world building is hidden between the lines. Deeply flawed but very interesting characters are seemingly, with the best of intentions, paving a road to a dark hell. I NEED to know what these ponies are planning and what it will all lead to, and I hope all of you will too!
Link: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/322500/a-new-age

Title: Cant
Tags: Horror
Views: 477
Pitch: A quirky, off-kilter horror story that starts out funny and creeps up on you bit by bit. Not one for jump scares, it instead insinuates a lingering sense of obsession to set the reader on edge. This pitch is in no way filled with puns.
Link: https://www.fimfiction.net/story/332084/cant

Oi, ye buggers, ya need more recommendations!

Title: Only, Only, Only You
Tags: Romance, Sad
Views: 354
Pitch; I'm a strong critic of poetry, with very high standards for anything metric and/or rhymed. With that said, this is one of the absolute best poems I have ever read in this fandom. Along with exquisite form, it recasts the story of Nightmare Moon and Luna as a wholly believable love story, something I've not really seen before. It's all-around fantastic.
Link: https://www.fimfiction.net/story/329054/only-only-only-you

5282691
We can't feature our own stories

5283265
Are you sure? <.< Is Corejo becoming one of those fingers-in-all-the-pies kinda guys?

5283629
I'm pretty sure core helped bake this particular pie

5283664
I'll believe it when I see it :|

5284508
That's where I come in!

Uh... damn. I know Core is one of the original eight (along with Scribblestick, Casca, alex, Pav, Sock, the former angel formerly known as the angel formerly known as Nietzsche, and (I think?) Sessalisk), but I thought this would be easier to prove. His first set of reviews was in Round 5, and you can also crosscheck the date of his membership against mine (I joined literally on day 1, so I should be at the back of the list right before Scribb, Wanderer D, and the banned list).

I'm back, motherfuckers. :V I'll bet this sumbitch ain't one of yours!

Title: Twilight Is Annoyed
Tags: Dark, Tragedy
Views: 217
Pitch: A dark, off-kilter take on immortality angst that uses minimalist, chanted sentence structure to evoke Twilight's shattered mind and overwhelming loneliness.
Link: https://www.fimfiction.net/story/288667/twilight-is-annoyed

Title: Butterscotch
Tags: [Drama] [Romance] [Sad] [Slice of Life]
Views: 358
Pitch: Twinkie is a difficult ship. This story follows the decline of a Pinkie/Twilight relationship from the internalized perspective of Pinkie in a series of short reactions to events and thoughts. If you like angst, this is your thing.
Link: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/288802/butterscotch

After reading this story, I pretty much just started reading all of Ceffyl Dwr's stuff. They are sadly underrated.

Title: The New Crop by xjuggernaughtx
Tags: [Alternate Universe][Dark][Slice of Life]
Views: 963
Pitch: A look into a dystopian, alternate Equestria, where Big Mac must box to make ends meet. While the story is much more violent than the typical MLP fic, the realism of the story ensures that the violence is neither celebrated nor gratuitous. While the story does a great job establishing a dark, gritty atmosphere, the characters and their values remain familiar from the show. Despite acting as Mcintosh's opponent in the ring, Blueblood isn't really portrayed as a villain; rather, the crowd—and the broader social forces that force Big Mac, Blueblood, and other like them to fight for a living—are the real antagonists of this story.
Link: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/222112/the-new-crop

Title: The Egg Thief by OleGrayMane
Tags: [Alternate Universe][Mystery]
Views: 229
Pitch: Dusty Stone and Wry Derby are appraisers hired to sort through and inventory a bunch of old storage rooms in the basement of Canterlot castle. But when Dusty stumbles upon a collection of rare eggs, his attempts to find out about their origin lead him to discover a plot decades in the making. As with many of OleGrayMane's works, this story does a wonderful job of creating and characterizing its cast of OC ponies. The story also does a good job with generating suspense and mystery with the origin of the eggs. The one major flaw with the story is that it ends a bit abruptly, leaving many questions left unanswered.
Link: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/166989/the-egg-thief

Title: The Millennial Vault by Door Matt
Tags: [Dark]
Views: 473
Pitch: When an ancient vault opens after being sealed for a millennium, Twilight leads a team of archaeologists and reporters to investigate what's inside. While not the most creative setup for a horror story, Door Matt executes the horror elements well, building suspense throughout the piece and punctuating them with some quite intense moments.
Link: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/236479/the-millennial-vault

Title: Numberography
Tags: Adventure, Comedy
Views: 85
Pitch: Clover the Clever tells her daughters a bedtime story about the time Star Swirl the Bearded learned to count higher than eight. A marvelous piece set in Equestria's early days, this world-builds and fabulizes with equal aplomb. The story-within-the-story is the kind you might actually find in Equestria, reinforcing notions of Harmony while painting Star Swirl as larger than life. Clover herself gets some good characterization, and the nature of her family is pretty exciting in and of itself.
Link: https://www.fimfiction.net/story/207281/numberography

Title: I Love Friday Nights...
Tags: Comedy, Random, Slice of Life
Views: 129
Pitch: I recommend this story, because it is very funny and shows how RD is trolling xD
Link: https://www.fimfiction.net/story/334302/i-love-friday-nights

Title: Secrets among Pegasi
Tags: Alternate Universe, Dark, Sad
Views: 89
Pitch: On hiatus, but this story is heartbreaking, shows the risks of eating disorders
Link:https://www.fimfiction.net/story/335675/secrets-among-pegasi

Title: The Sun Never Sets
Tags: Gore, Adventure, Dark, Drama
Views: 360
Pitch: I would love to see more people reading this story.
Link: https://www.fimfiction.net/story/331799/the-sun-never-sets

*Goes to recommend a fic, notices that it's 10 views over the limit.*
Well.... buck.