Ponyfic Roundup 527

Read it Later story count: 91 (-1)

Words read this week: 17,002

A very low word count this time, partly on account of having only five days to read, note and write up, rather than the usual seven. Yeah, I know I ought to get a couple of weeks in advance exactly so I can ride over these bumps without too much issue, but I never seem to manage it. Nevertheless, I did get all through all five fics, and as a reminder they are:

Immortal Beginnings by Snake Staff
So Her Legacy Will Endure by PresentPerfect
Pink Geode by Faeforches
A meeting by IsaSpSp
A Girl Walks Home Alone At Midnight by Jade Ring

★: 0 | ★★: 2 | ★★★: 1 | ★★★★: 1 | ★★★★★: 1
Note: I use a skewed rating system. A fic I enjoy an average amount scores two stars.

Sounds of 2015, nos. 50 to 46

A milestone passed today, as we enter the top half of the Equestrian Trot 100 chart of most voted-for fandom music tracks of 2015. Not all of them were originally released in 2015, but that's irrelevant. The point is that the people who voted still found them worth voting for in 2015. And now I've used the year three times in three sentences (four in four, if you count the title) I think it's time to move on! The usual reminder of my inclusion rules follows:

Rule 1: Still available in the same or (1b) similar form direct from the/an original artist.
Rule 2: Available from a third party, with reason to believe the artist is fine with this.
Rule 3: So famous that it would be plain silly to leave it out.
Rule 4: Being unlisted is not, on its own, grounds for exclusion. 

Last week, I had to skip two of the five songs for non-compliance with those criteria. This week, I can improve a bit: I only need to skip one track today! I hope to get back to a full slate soon, but we'll have to wait and see on that score.

50: Scraton – Ponies
49: skipped
48: Notion – Stop the Bats (remix)
47: PrinceWhateverer ft. Rockin'Brony – Ace of my Heart
46: 4everfreebrony ft. Lil' Everfree – Otherwise

That's the introductory stuff over and done with, so it's time to continue to the section that has actual music in it...

Ponyfic Roundup 526

Read it Later story count: 92 (+3)

Words read this week: 32,686

It's been a hard week for me, but after the music post the other day, I'm feeling that I'm ready to get back into the routine of bloggishness. You'll be getting a "My Little Repeats" about the next S8 episode ("The Parent Map") before too much longer, but first it's Ponyfic Roundup time. Five stories as usual when there's no Spotlight fic to hog all the limelight for itself, and here they are:

Can't Choose Your Family by CyborgSamurai
The Heart Thief by Sharaloth
Button Squash (Or, Maud Doesn't Write About Rocks) by Rinnaul
Moonbug by Sledge115
Supper of Scootaloo Stew by Lucky Dreams

★: 0 | ★★: 1 | ★★★: 3 | ★★★★: 1 | ★★★★★: 0
Note: I use a skewed rating system. A fic I enjoy an average amount scores two stars.

Sounds of 2015, nos. 55 to 51

Back to the usual run of things now. Because this post is a day later than usual, and to space things out a little, Ponyfic Roundup will be on Friday this week. Today, though, it's time for "Sounds of 2015", in which we complete our look at the bottom half of the Equestrian Trot 100 music chart for that year. As usual, here's my summary of the inclusion criteria:

Rule 1: Still available in the same or (1b) similar form direct from the/an original artist.
Rule 2: Available from a third party, with reason to believe the artist is fine with this.
Rule 3: So famous that it would be plain silly to leave it out.
Rule 4: Being unlisted is not, on its own, grounds for exclusion. 

Well, it was always likely to happen sooner or later. After a run of full houses, this week I've come across not one but two songs that I can't find still up anywhere officially connected with their artist. As such, I'm afraid they will have to be skipped. Here's what you are getting this time, though:

55: &I ft. Giggly Maria – Dive
54: skipped
53: FritzyBeat hugs PhonyBrony ft. Chi-chi – Hush Now
52: µThunder – Make This Castle a Home (remix)
51: skipped

All right, next up comes the bit you're actually interested in, to wit the songs! Even if there are only three of them today, let's set off at once.

In memory of Entei-rah

You may wonder why I haven't posted anything here for nearly a week. The answer, I'm afraid, is a sad one. Entei-rah, a wonderful friend who I'd known for well over 20 years, succumbed to his cancer on Saturday, and I've been knocked sideways by the news. I'd known the destination was inevitable for some while now, I just hate so much that the end came so quickly. I'm going to miss him terribly, indeed I already do, but I'll always remember him as one of the absolute Good Guys.

Although furry was the place where Ent was most active, he was also a quiet but dedicated supporter of the MLP fandom. He was a regular presence with his wife at UK PonyCon each year, and he attended quite a few Worcester ponymeets – the last of these as recently as December. By that time we knew he was seriously ill and I suspect he found travelling down from Stockport tougher than he let on, but being Ent he was more concerned with making sure we all had a fun, light-hearted meet as usual.

Entei-rah and I first met way, way back in the Watership Down fandom in the very early 2000s, in the days when Yahoo Groups were still a thing. From there he moved into the furry fandom, and in the last decade he took more of an interest in Pony as well and supported that with the same energy and enthusiasm he put into all the many things he loved. As he said in his Twitter and then Bluesky profile, "Luna is best something something..."

Farewell, my friend.

Ponyfic Roundup 525

Read it Later story count: 89 (-2)

Words read this week: 23,459

Just think, it'll be spring next month. Since that's my favourite season (usually) I'm quite looking forward to it, although the English weather being what it is I expect plenty of false starts before we actually get something I could fairly call springlike. It'll certainly be quite some time before I'm able to sit outside to read ponyfic, but here's what I've read this week while firmly indoors:

My Little Red Dwarf by JimmyZD
And The Serpent Said Unto The Princess by Undome Tinwe
Under the Harvest Moon by Rangelost
Her Song by marmalado
Without Another Word by Jack of a Few Trades

★: 1 | ★★: 1 | ★★★: 1 | ★★★★: 1 | ★★★★★: 1
Note: I use a skewed rating system. A fic I enjoy an average amount scores two stars.

Sounds of 2015, nos. 60 to 56

Here we are in February, then. Almost spring in these parts, at least in theory if usually a bit less so in practice. It doesn't seem all that long since I began on "Sounds of 2015", and yet here we are, rapidly closing in on halfway in the Equestrian Trot 100 music charts for that year. Before we go any further, here's the usual reminder of the rules. At leat one of the first three needs to happen to trigger inclusion; rule 4 is an additional one that's rarely used.

Rule 1: Still available in the same or (1b) similar form direct from the/an original artist.
Rule 2: Available from a third party, with reason to believe the artist is fine with this.
Rule 3: So famous that it would be plain silly to leave it out.
Rule 4: Being unlisted is not, on its own, grounds for exclusion. 

In terms of inclusion this time, it's another week when there's a full set! The days of 2011 and 2012, when I had to skip at least one track on many occasions, seem a long way away now. Having said that, they'll probably come back to bite me next time, but that's Future Logan's problem! The list today:

60: OhPonyBoy – Only Pony
59: oodorato2 – Halloween Rocks!
58: Aviators – Dragonheart
57: Aurelleah – Forever
56: 4everfreebrony ft. Chi-Chi & Relative Pitch – Chant of Mirth

The introductory formalities out of the way, we can now proceed to the meat of the post: the actual songs! Here goes...