In today’s interview, Chopper’s Top Hat discusses authorial flirting, sideways Cardassian, and a classic Trixie tale that’s all about reversing our expectations.

The Liar
[Sad] [Adventure] • 5,572 words

The magician’s art lies in the act of misdirection. This is true even in a world where magic exists. Trixie has mastered the art, but how much of her act is true magic, and how much is an illusion? And what if that same question applies to her entire life?

Discover the truth about Equestria’s most Great and Powerful showpony, in a story told in a most unconventional manner…

FROM THE CURATORS: Today’s story is a blast from the past in two different ways — not only was it written in the earliest days of the fandom, but it was also one of the first stories that the Royal Canterlot Library ever voted to feature.  We shelved it for years due to being unable to locate the author, but having recently stumbled across Chopper’s Top Hat again, we’re pleased to unearth this classic for modern audiences.

Given that history, it’s quite fitting that this story digs into Trixie’s backstory with a unique backwards storytelling style.  “I still love this for one simple reason: it takes a narrative device which could easily backfire, and uses it cleverly and effectively,” Chris said.  Former curator Benman agreed — “The gimmick works as intended, which is really impressive, and it’s actually necessary to telling this particular story” — and Present Perfect also concurred: “It builds up … and the gimmick works with that; it wouldn’t have the same effect read chronologically.”

One thing we did disagree on — which speaks well for the quality of the story — was which part we enjoyed the most.  “The first chunk is really cool.  The reverse chronology thing keeps adding new information that illuminates and recontextualizes the previous content,” Benman said, while Horizon took the opposite tack: “It all felt necessary to give the ending its powerful thematic closure.”  Chris, meanwhile, appreciated the act of reading it: “Figuring out how the story hangs together is really the fun here.”  Overall, it added up to quite a solid package, as Horizon noted: “It has aged really well.”

(Today’s story can be found here, but first, continue below the break for our author interview.)
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