Tag Archives: comedy

Georg’s “A War of Words – The Opening of the Guard”

09 Friday May 2014

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“There never was a good war, or a bad peace,” Benjamin Franklin once said.  Well, today’s story is a good piece about something that  never was quite a war.

war-of-wordsA War of Words – The Opening of the Guard
[Comedy] [Slice-of-Life] • 3,691 words

The history of war may be written by the winner, but the Royal Historian is the one who provides the notes and background to the writer.  The recent events that some have called ‘Mare Wars’ or ‘The Invasion of the Barracks’ are no exception.  The Royal Historian has painstakingly compiled this folder of notes and background material on what should more accurately be called, ‘The Opening of the Guard.’

Please remember to return the folder back to the Royal Historian when you have completed reading, in the event we gather more material that needs to be included.

– Musty Pages, Royal Historian

FROM THE CURATORS: “A War Of Words” is exactly that — a tale about a conflict in the freewheeling battleground of documentation — and we were all impressed by the life that was breathed into its letters. “The epistolary format is done well … Georg has a fine touch for jumping between just the necessary details,” Horizon said.  Present Perfect added, “What’s really great about this is the grandeur built up around bits of paper retrieved from trash cans.”

But it is, first and foremost, a comedy — and despite the gravitas of its core plot, it juggles that expertly with its lighthearted tone. “Even the serious plot [about the guards’ gender gap] … produces some unexpected laugh-out-loud moments,” Horizon said. Mix that with an escalating royal prank war, and you’ve got an exemplary fanfic: “I found myself laughing pretty much the whole way through,” Bradel said. “I’ve seen this concept pop up in the fandom a number of times, but I think this is the first time I’ve seen it executed in a way I thoroughly enjoyed.”

Read on for our author interview, in which Georg discusses the naming of cats, the massacre of words, and the breeding of typoes.

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Esle Ynopemos’ “Bitter Harvest”

02 Friday May 2014

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Denial?  Denial?  As today’s story is happy to inform you, that’s nothin’ but a river in Saddle Arabia.

bitter-harvestBitter Harvest
[Romance] [Comedy] [Slice-of-Life] • 17,919 words

Golden Harvest is not jealous. Sure, her neighbor Applejack has a life of adventure and glamor, friends who are national heroes and princesses, an appallingly lucrative share in the local fruit market, and firm, toned flanks. And sure, by contrast, Golden Harvest has been stuck with her snout in the same old muddy patch of carrots pretty much every day since she earned her cutie mark, her best friend is a dentist, and her idea for a ‘Carrot Juice Season’ never really gained much ground for some reason. But Golden Harvest is not jealous.

Not jealous at all.

She just wishes Applejack would stop being so distracting.

FROM THE CURATORS: “I just read the whole thing in one sitting,” Chris said when introducing the story to us, “and my expert analysis would be ‘this was really funny, guys!'”

This was an easy choice for a feature — we unanimously agreed on the story’s hilarity.  “I can’t remember the last time I was so consistently delighted by a long-form comedy,” Horizon said. But it had other strengths to appreciate as well, including its approach to the unrequited sexual tension that drives the plot.  “There’s way more to this story than I ever anticipated,” Present Perfect said. “Sexuality-based stories are both common and poor in this fandom, and it’s nice to finally see one that’s both funny and well thought out.  Esle has a gift for understatement and showing, and that’s where the strengths of this piece lie.”

“I also love the way the ending recontextualizes the unreliable narration,” Horizon added.

Read on for our author interview, in which Esle Ynopemos discusses clingy carrots, nuanced denial, and bitter tops.
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James Washburn’s “Telling Tales”

28 Friday Mar 2014

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Today’s story puts stories in your story, so that you can story while you … ahem.  Tune in for mythology, wit, and a public battle of oneupmareship with Pinkie Pie.

telling-talesTelling Tales
[Comedy] [Adventure] • 21,723 words

Tall Tales didn’t intend to be in Ponyville for long. It was supposed to be a brief stop on the way to the storytellers’ gathering in Connemara, and nothing more. How was he to know he’d be offered the opportunity to show southerners real storytelling? More to the point, how was he supposed to refuse? And just what does this pink pony want with him, anyway?
Now he’s shanghaied himself into performing, and must use all his skill to stay on stage, on target, and within the bounds of sanity. So gather round, pull up a bollard, and listen to some proper Equestrian folk tales.
Or watch one stallion go slowly mad in public. Either way, you’re in for a treat.

FROM THE CURATORS: Art as a statement on art: as previously mentioned, a tricky balancing act.  But Telling Tales pulls it off with flair, giving us a remarkable look at the interplay between storyteller and audience.  “What sets this apart is the narrative voice — and I mean voice,” Benman said. “It perfectly captures the style of someone telling a tale aloud.” Horizon agreed: “The narrator’s voice was indeed remarkable.”

Telling Tales is also exemplary because it works on multiple levels — which was reinforced for us when we started discussing its strengths.  Chris dug in deeply: “The setup is an irate traveling storyteller getting harassed by Pinkie, but what’s really great here are the stories themselves, which show an incredible range and reflect multiple storytelling traditions.”  But Benman disagreed: “I liked … the really cool metanarrative of the storyteller using the tales to flail at his own problems … which utterly gets the main cast even though they’re mostly in supporting roles.”

Read on for our interview, in which James Washburn discusses nuclear friendship detente, petty victories, and the historical accuracy of a war waged over a bull.
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RedSquirrel456’s “No Quixote Here”

28 Friday Feb 2014

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There is a lot to like in today’s story, but the protagonist is not one of those things.

no-quixote-hereNo Quixote Here
[Comedy] [Slice-of-Life] • 13,804 words

Following a most unpleasant encounter at one of Canterlot’s great parties, Prince Blueblood decides that he is tired of everyone thinking that he is a lazy, empty-headed ponce. He decides the only solution is to have a grand adventure and reinvent himself, becoming the good, dignified, heroic Prince that everypony expects him to be.

The only problem is he’s a lazy, empty-headed ponce.

FROM THE CURATORS: “This story is an excellent illustration of the principle that tragedy + absurdity = comedy,” Horizon said — and we were all impressed by the balance it struck between the two.  “Never do the more serious scenes feel out of place,” Chris said, “and Redsquirrel does a good job of keeping even the more serious moments of the fic full of gentle levity. … While deflating Blueblood is the comic equivalent of shooting fish in a barrel, it’s no less funny for that.”

We also appreciated the solid deconstruction of Blueblood’s character, which dances on the edge of pathos without ever making him truly sympathetic.  “The interactions between he, Celestia, and Shining Armor all carry an air of realism that sells the entire fic,” Chris said.  Horizon agreed: “The supporting characters’ reactions to Blueblood speak volumes.”

Read on for our interview, in which RedSquirrel456 discusses the comedy inherent in flaws, and what distinguishes Blueblood from the show’s other antagonists.
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xjuggernaughtx’s “Diary of a Pliant Tyrant”

31 Friday Jan 2014

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On the heels of an episode bringing everyone’s favorite draconequus into Season 4, today’s story is a reminder of what we all love about fanfic — how it can embrace and extend the show, and explore the depths of the characters we enjoy.

pliant-tyrantDiary of a Pliant Tyrant
[Comedy] [Slice-of-Life] • 16,437 words

It’s funny what an idle slip of the tongue can lead to. When Discord makes an off-hand comment to Fluttershy about the mental diary he kept when encased in stone, she begs him to continue it. She says it will be “therapeutic”, but he’s sure it’ll be a real bore. But who can resist those puppy-dog eyes and a bribe of fresh cookies? Grudgingly, he takes up a pencil to document his thoughts and experiences in his new life. A life among his old enemies. A life he never wanted.

FROM THE CURATORS: Like Pinkie Pie, Discord is one of MLP’s most difficult characters to write well — all too often he’s inserted as a soulless source of randomness or an excuse to break the fourth wall.  This fic (which is the sequel to Diary Of A Silent Tyrant, but works beautifully as a standalone story) earned its feature based on one of the strongest characterizations we’ve collectively seen anywhere in the fandom.

“I heard pretty much the whole story in John de Lancie’s voice as I read it,” Vimbert said.  “Discord’s voice is pitch-perfect,” Present Perfect added.  “The characterization of Discord is remarkable,” Horizon agreed.

That magnificent voice is wrapped in a solid plot arc about redemption and friendship, with plenty of hilarious and poignant moments along the way.  It’s lengthier than the average short story, but “it was never not interesting,” Present Perfect said.  “The story has a lot of unexpected heart at the end,” Vimbert added.

Read on for our interview, in which xjuggernaughtx discusses Pinkie Pie protectiveness, MLP’s life-changing effects, and how to get into Discord’s head.
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Insert Pen Name’s “The Fight for Cranberry Hill”

17 Friday Jan 2014

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Today’s story is breezy, lighthearted, and utterly endearing.  Moreover, it’s a perfect complement to the winter season in which we’re now embroiled, and a refreshingly fun look at childhood–and the tribulations which spring therefrom.

cranberry-hillThe Fight for Cranberry Hill
[Comedy] [Slice of Life] • 9,539 words

It’s winter in Ponyville, and Diamond Tiara is queen of the Hill. Can the Cutie-Mark Crusaders cast her from her snowy fortress?

FROM THE CURATORS: “It’s a happy story about happy ponies doing happy things,” said Ben, and sometimes that’s all a story needs to be.  All of us noted its native sincerity, resulting in a fic which is pleasantly satisfying without being cloying.  Moreover, we found it to be genuinely funny: “The foals’ earnest delivery of war-movie clichés is just the right amount of absurd,” said Horizon, and although Present Perfect was less eloquent, he concurred.  “All the war jokes are amazing,” as he put it.

Read on for our interview, in which Insert Pen Name discusses his standards for what he publishes, waxes nostalgic about his childhood, and reveals how he deals with memes in his works.
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Bob From Bottles’ “An Imaginative Performance”

25 Friday Oct 2013

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This Friday brings us a story which is both light and lighthearted, but don’t mistake its whimsy for ephemerality — there’s more here than meets the eye.

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An Imaginative Performance
[Comedy] • 24,578 words

It’s once again time for Ponyville’s annual school performance. This year, it’s a musical retelling of a story about what it means to be a hero. With curtains only minutes away from rising, each student is finding their own way to deal with the pressures of being on stage. Some have no fear at all, while others are just hoping to get the night over with. A few even distract themselves by pretending the audience is doing something silly. Then, there’s Apple Bloom, who imagines everything happening on stage is real, regardless if it makes sense or not. 

FROM THE CURATORS:  All of us noted how funny the story was; no surprise, considering it’s a comedy.  “It’s solid humor,” observed Vimbert; “this one has great comic balance… it might be his most consistent [story],” added Chris.

But what really set this apart for us was the way that it meshed that comedy with an unerring sense of its characters.  As Horizon put it: “This is exactly the sort of misadventure the CMCs would get into, in exactly the way they would do it, and the humor is in service of a moral ripped straight from the show.”

Continue down to see our interview, where Bob delves into his somnambulent inspiration, his use of lyrics, and the origin of his name.
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Skywriter’s “Princess Celestia Hates Tea”

11 Friday Oct 2013

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We’re pleased to inaugurate the Royal Canterlot Library’s weekly story features with a look at one of the fandom’s iconic, most-beloved comedies.

princess_celestia_hates_teaPrincess Celestia Hates Tea
[Comedy] • 8,536 words

Seriously, a lot.

FROM THE CURATORS:  Normally, during our selection process, we take sides and discuss a story’s merits and flaws — but this one won a rare unanimous approval.  So what makes this story of a revealed secret and an escalating misunderstanding so exemplary?  First of all, it’s simply hilarious. “My poor boyfriend (who was just trying to get to sleep) was kept awake for some minutes thanks to my gales of laughter from this story,” Vimbert said. “This is fantastic in every way.”

Part of that comes from its unexpected depth. “It draws its humor,” Horizon said, “from … letting everyone’s plausible behaviors draw them into the most ludicrous possible situation.  Then, just when you think you’re done, it punches you in the gut with an insight about one of the show’s deepest characters.”

Read on below the break for our interview with Skywriter — where he offers a theory about his story’s unexpected popularity, and shares his personal feelings about tea.

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