Things are going from bad to worse in the real world, with post-con blues for some of us on top of that, so how about we take another trip to the magical land of Equestria?
Read it Later story count: 183 (-4)
Largely because of UK PonyCONLINE and its associated time-sinking, this is going to be another minimal edition of Ponyfic Roundup. Today's two fics are:
Oxygen Factory by Liquid Truth
Never Stop Smiling by DustyPwny
★: 0 | ★★: 1 | ★★★: 1 | ★★★★: 0 | ★★★★★: 0
Note: I use a skewed rating system. A fic I find average scores two stars.
Oxygen Factory by Liquid Truth
OCs and Celestia
Random/Slice of Life; 2k words; Jul 2020; Teen
Something here I don't see much any more: a fic idea that's entirely new to me, but that fits really nicely with old-fashioned Equestria. Remember the scene back in S1 when the ponies were freaking out over things happening all by themselves in the Everfree Forest? Well, maybe that also implies even oxygen has to be distributed by ponies. Weather is, after all! It's worse when one pony has lost the ability to breathe unconsciously due to an industrial accident. All a bit strange, but the [Random] tag covers that and I did smile at this – though be warned, it'll do your head in a bit too. A little gimmick with character names seemed rather pointless and irritating, but the concept is fun and something you could imagine happening in a less-for-kids version of the show. Newly retired Celestia coming to sort things out at the end is pleasant, if little more than that. A nice read, though. ★★★A lot of ponies take breathing for granted. A factory makes sure that stays so.
Never Stop Smiling by DustyPwny
Twilight, Pinkie Pie and Cadance
Romance/Sad; 3k words; Feb 2014; Everyone
Twilight is in hospital (we never find out why) and Pinkie comes to visit her. She decides that Twi would benefit from being outside and comandeers a wheelchair from another patient. They chat for a while, then we get another scene set many, many years later. Twilight is thinking about her friends, and Pinkie in particular; Cadance comes and has a chat. This is a quiet, simple piece and there's nothing you're likely to find startlingly new – one quote used is somewhat overdone by now. It was written in honour of the author's father, but without that personal connection this is similar to a lot of fics about change and renewal. Nothing wrong with it, barring a bit of LUS, and it will probably click with some. Just not really with me. ★★Change has always been a common theme in the world. Even the things we hold dear to our heart can change at the universe's whim.
Next time on Ponyfic Roundup: stories reviewed should include ocalhoun's On Wings of Love. Because I could do with some Scootalove reading right now.
Oxygen Factory is pure surrealism. I think the names thing is just to point out that everything is not all right, as if you need an extra reminder. :)
ReplyDeleteI guess so. That bit didn't land for me, though. Quite a lot of the rest did. :)
DeleteAn oxygen factory! My gosh, why didn't I think of that? That's a brilliant idea for Equestrian worldbuilding, and yet I never once considered it. I'm filing that away for later.
ReplyDelete"Because I could do with some Scootalove reading right now."
There is so much Scootalove, and yet there is never enough Scootalove. :)
I'm startled nobody has written this before, but I suppose that's the way with so many brilliant ideas.
DeleteMaybe I should do a Scootalove edition one of these wee-- er, mon-- er, sometime.
For some reason the concept of needing an oxygen factory creeps me right out.
ReplyDeleteI suspect that was at least partly the point. The author is doubtless cackling away!
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