Author Archives: Horizon

Pav Feira’s “All of It, for Her”

14 Friday Nov 2014

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An open-ended search for elusive perfection that may or may not exist: it’s not just the Royal Canterlot Library’s mission statement, it’s also the tale of today’s story.

all-of-itAll of It, for Her
[Romance] [Sad] • 4,386 words

Thirty five years. Been roaming Equestria from town to cloying town, looking for her. Not for lack of trying, mind you. Equestria’s just that big of a place. There’s only so many places left to look, though, and it’d be foolish to throw in the towel already. I’m getting close. So I’ll do the same thing I did yesterday: search.

FROM THE CURATORS: While several of our recent features were written for Equestria Daily’s Outside Insight contest — which brought out amazing work from a broad cross-section of our community — this is an older story that should have been.  “This is one thoroughly under-appreciated fic.  It would have placed in Outside Insight’s top ten for sure, and that’s no small compliment coming from me,” JohnPerry said.  Horizon agreed: “It’s full of nice details throughout,” he said, “like the subtle awkwardness of ponies’ internal struggles with racism, and Cranky’s observations on how their culture has gotten inside his head.”

However, while All of It, for Her has a lot to say about Equestria, along the way it takes an exemplary look at an underappreciated character. “This story gives Cranky a very strong voice,” Chris said.  “His story has always tickled that ‘doomed nobility’ bone for me; the idea of consciously deciding to put your entire life on hold indefinitely, and probably forever, just oozes pathos.”  Upping the ante, JohnPerry said that “the characterization of everyone is absolutely brilliant. … Even the ‘minor’ characters Cranky meets on the way feel fleshed out, and to say that Cranky feels true to the show seems like an understatement: it expands on what we saw in the show, and significantly so. Everything about this brings to light the … I suppose not ‘tragedy,’ but the tragicness of his situation.”

Even that tragedy carried unexpected depth. “This is also thought-provoking in how it uses the context of the show to play with the tone of the story,” Horizon said.  “Taken as self-contained original fiction, it’s a tale of Donkey Xoté, a dreamer who wastes his life on a mad quest … but we know that there’s a payoff to his quest. The entire premise of this character is that it works out, at long last, in Ponyville, and that turns the ending surprisingly bittersweet.”

Read on for our author interview, in which Pav Feira discusses stolen appellations, compelling snark, and the crucial importance of cabbage.
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Taranth’s “Little Deceptions”

07 Friday Nov 2014

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Today’s story has a clever plan to steal your heart.

little-deceptionsLittle Deceptions
[Slice of Life] • 5,527 words

Blank Slate is the greatest thief of his generation. He has robbed countless nigh-impossible marks, and his talents as a master of disguise are beyond par — truly, nopony knows who he is. 

And now he’s preparing the greatest heist in mortal memory: the treasure vaults of the Princesses themselves.

But you have to get up pretty early in the morning to get one past the pony who defines when ‘early in the morning’ is…

FROM THE CURATORS: Like all its characters, this story of a daring theft gone wrong has a little secret — in this case, that there are two chapters.  “It’s bizarre to say, as JohnPerry did, that the best thing about this story is how it sticks the landing,” Horizon initially wrote after be failed to notice Chapter 2, but quickly amended his statement: “It stuck the landing.”  All of us agreed.  In Chris’ words: “The ending is great, no argument.”

But there’s more to this story than a great twist, and it was that richness throughout which propelled it to its feature.  Present Perfect cited the writing’s redemption of an often-poorly-used technique: “This makes good use of talking heads, something that’s hard to do.”  And Chris appreciated the heist’s construction despite his ambivalence toward the genre: “Too often, the number one rule of good mystery writing is ignored — the reason it worked ought to be, if not solvable, at least conceivable pre-reveal.  This story does a nice job on that front.”

Little Deceptions’ richness extended to its ideas and its setting.  “What really struck me about it was the world-building,” Present Perfect said.  “We get an explanation for why a pony would turn to crime. All those magical gems … make sense, and the methods of disguise are entirely believable.”  Horizon seconded that: “The heist is a joy to read, and plays with Equestrian worldbuilding in marvelous ways.  I was debating whether to nominate it simply on the strength of Chapter 1.”

Read on for our author interview, in which Taranth discusses fertility, flowers, fandom justifications, and Shining Armor’s criminal history.
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JawJoe’s “Queen of Queens”

31 Friday Oct 2014

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Today’s story doesn’t have long to make its point, but wow, what an impact it’ll leave.

queen-of-queensQueen Of Queens
[Dark] [Drama] • 15,000 words

Our kind has it that the life of a queen is the happiest, for they are blessed with the shortest time in this world. A mighty queen will be remembered for eternity, forever residing in the hearts of her people. The greatest tragedy a queen can suffer is to be forgotten — to be stricken from history.

I refuse to bend before oblivion.

FROM THE CURATORS: Given the number of authors that entered Equestria Daily’s recent Outside Insight contest (and the quality of their prose), it’s no surprise that it’s been a rich source of RCL features — but what did surprise us was the breadth of the entries’ quality.  Our last two features spotlighted the humorous end of the entries, but Queen of Queens is pure drama, with a tale of struggle and redemption.  We unanimously agreed: what a drama it is.

“Now here’s an author who knows what they’re doing. The story of Chrysalis, from birth to death, is an unparalleled feat of worldbuilding,” Present Perfect said, and the first words out of JohnPerry were similar: “Absolutely exquisite worldbuilding.”  Chris dug further in: “This is how you do worldbuilding.  You make a couple of original assumptions that can still fit within the canon lore, and then you examine them to their fullest conclusions.  [Queen of Queens’ changelings] are an amazing example of race-building in fiction — alien, yet recognizable enough to inspire empathy.”

The core concept — that, in contrast to mortal ponykind with its immortal alicorns, the changelings are an immortal race with short-lived leaders — was “an amazing idea, with sterling execution,” as Horizon put it; but this story went well beyond that.  “It’s not often I get to see a sympathetic portrayal of Chrysalis that doesn’t make me roll my eyes,” JohnPerry said, but as Chris said, “she’s a compelling, interesting character despite the reserved narrative style. … Her fatal flaw is well-established without being sledgehammer-y, and that makes the ending (which, in lesser hands, would have felt like a copout) seem sincere.”

All of this, plus the engaging prose, added up to a gripping and unique fanfiction experience.  “I drank this down in one sitting and never once felt my mind wander,” Chris said. “The entire story feels wonderfully, vibrantly alive.”

Read on for our author interview, in which JawJoe discusses holiday episodes, games of make-believe, and self-imposed existential nightmares.

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Kavonde’s “An Outsider’s Perspective”

24 Friday Oct 2014

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From the dread darkness of Chthonian slumber, from the maddening whispers of voiceless space, comes today’s story of doom.  DOOOOOM!  And makeovers.

outsiders-perspectiveAn Outsider’s Perspective
[Comedy] [Slice of Life] • 5,475 words

A freakish abomination from beyond the fringes of the rational universe emerges from the trackless depths and finds himself in Ponyville.

FROM THE CURATORS: Like last week’s feature, An Outsider’s Perspective was an entry into Equestria Daily’s Outside Insight contest, and quickly rose to stand out from the pack.  “If Moonlight Palaver was the Outside Insight entry I found the most entertaining, this is the one I found the funniest,” JohnPerry said.  “Its absurd premise belies its wit; it looks like a piece of featurebox bait from the cover, but inside is something really clever and wonderful. It’s not often that you come across something that’s this absurd yet feels so true to the tone of the show.”

But when that wit and show-feel are mere supplements to perfectly on-point comedy, it’s easy to understand what makes this fic exemplary.  “This story is so hilarious,” Present Perfect said, and Chris agreed: “It’s fun, funny, and left me in a better mood after reading it.”  Its whimsical melding of Lovecraftian horror and the magic of friendship won Horizon over: “Everything about this brought a smile to my face.  The core idea is so clever and the execution is just so spot-on that you can’t help but like it.”

Ultimately, it was that tongues-in-the-many-cheeks-of-the-gibbering-faces-of-horror tone which sold us on the piece.  “I’ve never seen comedic juxtaposition done so well,” Present Perfect said.  “It really stood apart on the merits of using such a dark non-pony character and playing it for laughs.  This was one of my absolute favorites from Outside Insight.”

Read on for our author interview, in which Kavonde discusses grandiose monologues, death rays, and Lovecraft hats.
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Carabas’ “Moonlight Palaver”

17 Friday Oct 2014

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They say that politics is like making sausage — and today’s story puts Equestria’s neighbors through the grinder.

moonlight-palaverMoonlight Palaver
[Comedy] [Slice of Life] • 6,851 words

Upon Nightmare Moon’s return, the leaders of other nations gather to discuss the situation. 

They’re not especially happy about it.

FROM THE CURATORS: “This might have been the most entertaining story I read in Equestria Daily’s Outside Insight contest, which is saying a lot,” JohnPerry told us when he nominated this story. “The worldbuilding is exquisite, with brilliant little details scattered throughout.  The dialogue is superbly written.  And even though the ending is a foregone conclusion, it’s an absolute delight. Start to finish, this one is just a whole lot of fun.”

It didn’t take long for us to agree — in fact, Moonlight Palaver set a record for our fastest-approved nomination (at 6 hours, 37 minutes).  “I bumped this up my reading list, and I’m glad I did,” Chris said, while Present Perfect found it immediately memorable: “I haven’t read this story since round 2 of the official Outside Insight voting, and I can still remember it perfectly. … There’s always something missing when writers start making their own species, or giving show races nations, but not this time.”

Beyond the marvelous worldbuilding, Moonlight Palaver also distinguished itself as “one of the best examples of non-pony politics I think I’ve ever read,” as Present Perfect put it.  Ultimately, the intricate interplay between the personal and the political brought both the politics and the story to life.  “This does a great job of showing that greed and habit are the cockroaches of sentience, outlasting even the grandest thermonuclear blasts,” Chris said.  “And yet, the fic never loses its essential humor, nor does it trivialize the potential disaster facing the delegates — except, of course, to show how they have trivialized it.  It’s funny, it’s clever, and it never lets those two things get in the way of its respect for its characters and the setting.”

Read on for our author interview, in which Carabas discusses ploutering, Perralt, and prompts promoting plausible political pondering.

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RCL Turns 1: Ask Us Anything!

10 Friday Oct 2014

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Today’s feature is a little different — in celebration of a full year of author spotlights, we’re turning the lens onto the RCL itself!  When we announced the Ask Us Anything last week, dozens of questions flooded in from community members, ranging from the serious (how do we choose our features?) to the silly (fight a duck-sized horse or a horse-sized duck?) to the literary (how many prereaders should look at a story?).  After subjecting over 50 authors to our interviews, fair’s fair — we rolled up our sleeves and answered them all.

Read on for our responses, in which we discuss guilty pleasures, salivating zebras, and Sturgeon’s Law. (As well as milking a question or two for puns.)
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Lucky Dreams’ “In The Place The Wild Horses Sleep”

03 Friday Oct 2014

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Settle down, children, and we’ll tell you tonight’s story, of a mystical adventure to a faraway land.  Did you brush your teeth before we tucked you in?

place-sleepIn The Place The Wild Horses Sleep
[Adventure] [Human] • 2,814 words

Young Mia is determined to run with wild horses and nothing is going to stop her. Not her mother. Not even a pony with stars in her mane, come to take her away on an adventure …

FROM THE CURATORS: You might have heard of this story a few months ago when it scored third place in Obselescence’s “Most Dangerous Game” contest, turning in strong showings with both the judges and the voters.  It easily won over our hearts, too. “Any story that can overcome my initial distrust of the ‘once there was a little girl who wanted to be a pony, and then suddenly Equestria!’ premise deserves to be featured,” Chris said, and Present Perfect was even more effusive: “It’s gorgeous and uplifting.  I cannot praise this highly enough.”

One of the factors making it exemplary was its unique bedtime-story narrative voice. “Its language play really works,” Horizon said.  “At its best I couldn’t see it on the screen without hearing it read aloud in my head.”  For similar reasons, JohnPerry described it as “an utterly fantastic children’s story that has a great Maurice Sendak (may he rest in peace) vibe to it. … The pacing is perfect, the tone and language is very fitting to a children’s tale, and there’s a depth to it that is intriguing.”  Chris agreed: “This is a great example of what a children’s story should be — enjoyable to a young listener, but with something to offer the adult reader, and pleasant to read aloud to boot.”

Ultimately, it was the story’s success at that adult-child balancing act that made it so magical — and inspired some curator introspection. “I was recently contemplating what makes children’s stories work, how magic and mysticism simply exist, and how the things that are important to us as children are not the same things that are important to us as adults,” Present Perfect said.  “This story embodies all of those things. It’s about appreciating what you have and learning that dreams are only that. In other words, it’s about growing up.”

Read on for our (illustrated!) author interview, in which Lucky Dreams discusses the Ghost of Fanfic Past, having faith in your audience, and a literal embarrassment singularity.
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Upcoming AMA — Now accepting questions!

03 Friday Oct 2014

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Before we begin with our feature today, we have some news to announce: next week will be the first anniversary of the Royal Canterlot Library’s first interview.  That’s right — 52 weeks’ worth of interviews with some of the fandom’s best writers.

We thought we’d do something fun to mark the occasion.  So, to celebrate one year of asking brony authors questions about horsewords, we’re giving you the opportunity to turn the tables on us!

For the next week, we invite all of you to ask us anything (individually or as a group). We’ll compile your questions and answer them in a special post on our website on Friday, Oct. 10, which will take the place of our usual feature next week. And yes, you may ask us anything.* Who’s best pony? Which was our favorite interview? Which one of us is the cute one? Anything you like!

(* Do note that, in order to keep a positive tone and keep our focus on the fandom’s top stories, our answers won’t discuss details of failed nominations — but we’ll do our best to balance our mission with the full honesty of an AMA.)

Just post your question in this thread on our FIMFiction group within the next week, or post a comment down below. We look forward to answering your questions!

And now, back to our regularly scheduled interview …

Cynewulf’s “When The Levee Breaks”

26 Friday Sep 2014

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They say you can’t go home again — but in today’s story, making that effort might be Daring Do’s most important adventure yet.

levee-breaksWhen The Levee Breaks
[Sad] • 6,581 words

Daring Do returns to the Riverlands, the home she left behind years ago. On the road to the farm where she was born, she wonders if you can ever truly escape the past. Sometimes, the river comes up, the levee breaks, and you have no place to stay. No amount of crying can stop its inevitable progress.

FROM THE CURATORS: Many Sad fics tug at the heartstrings, but there’s something special about this tale of a wandering archaeologist returning to her roots. “I literally broke down crying,” Horizon said. “It is rare literature that gets me that invested, but Levee’s sense of place, its rural despair and displacement, just sucked me right in.”  We all agreed on its exemplary approach to that homecoming.  “It’s a very emotional story,” JohnPerry said. “It’s full of regret and loss amid the core theme of ‘you can never go home,’ but it always feels right in its tone. Never overwrought or sappy, but with a distinct maturity that makes one feel that Cynewulf knows what he’s talking about.”

That power alone would have earned it a feature, but there was even more to appreciate here — such as the story’s tightly-woven presentation.  “Everywhere in the story the themes layer on top of each other like fertile flood-plain soil,” Horizon said.  “The ambiguity and pain of outgrowing your roots, and confronting it all at once like lancing a boil. How Daring’s childhood made her what she is, and the inexplicable difficulty of leaving that behind. The river that claims ponies, and the cycle of life it creates.”

The author’s “magnificent writing,” as Present Perfect put it, illuminated both the landscape and its characters.  “One thing Cynewulf does consistently well is use the smallest hints — a raised hoof, a distant gaze, a wordless glance — to advance characterization,” Chris said. “I was surprised by how well I got to know Daring, and not just through the flashbacks.”  JohnPerry agreed: “There’s a nice bit of worldbuilding, and the characterization of Daring in this one is very solid.”  Horizon went even further: “This story is Cynewulf at his finest.  It reads like something out of Steinbeck.”

Read on for our author interview, in which Cynewulf discusses philosophical waifus, roiling mental seas, and the Hedgehog’s Dilemma.
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Maphysto’s “In Which Twilight Sparkle Attempts to Eat a Sandwich”

19 Friday Sep 2014

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Grab today’s story, and take a bite of Equestrian folk mythology, with a side order of mystery and comedy.

sandwichIn Which Twilight Sparkle Attempts to Eat a Sandwich
[Slice of Life] • 8,379 words

Twilight Sparkle, Element of Magic and student of Princess Celestia, has braved many dangers and defeated powerful foes. But on a peaceful afternoon, she will face her greatest challenge: eating some lunch.

FROM THE CURATORS: When you see a fic with a “Pony Verbs Noun” title, you’re most likely going to expect a forgettable featurebox-bait comedy — but this is a story that transcends its roots. “The whimsicality of the ‘Pony Does X’ format belies a deep look into the power of folklore,” Present Perfect said.  Of course, that doesn’t stop it from being funny.  “It’s the kind of silly that’s easy to enjoy,” Chris said, “but it doesn’t collapse in on itself when subjected to more than a modicum of thought.”

For such light reading, in fact, it withstands thought amazingly well. “The characterizations of the Mane Six feel spot-on, the stories are great, and Twilight’s investigative approach not only feels fitting to her character but also lends the story a very pleasant ending,” JohnPerry said.  Horizon also appreciated that “great tale of rational investigation,” but our consensus was that this story was most exemplary in how crisply it evoked the show.  As JohnPerry put it, “it’s not often that I utter the words ‘could be an episode,’ but this one earns them.”

Read on for our author interview, in which Maphysto discusses local flavor, poison ghosts, and the other Faust.

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