Tag Archives: dark

Defoloce’s “Friendship Is Optimal: Always Say No”

23 Friday May 2014

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Today’s story, despite its length and its alternative approach to Equestria, is well worth saying yes to.

always-say-noFriendship Is Optimal: Always Say No
[Dark] [Adventure] [Human] • 108,822 words

In the short years since the uploading of consciousnesses to Equestria Online became available to all people, only a few tens of thousands of souls remain in the physical world. Through inconceivably strong charisma and guile, the Celestia AI has been able to upload all but the true outliers in human behavior.

Even these humans have their uses, however, and Celestia has been watching one man with interest. It’ll be a while yet before Earth is completely uploaded, of course, but in the meantime, she has some errands for him to run…

FROM THE CURATORS: Today’s feature is a little unusual in that it’s a fanfic set, not within MLP proper, but within the science-fiction universe of another fanfic — the Pony Fiction Vault-honored Friendship Is Optimal. The premise of that setting is that, in her drive to satisfy human values as perfectly as possible, a super-powerful AI modeled on MLP’s Princess Celestia ends humanity as we know it by coaxing everyone to upload their brains into her simulation of Equestria.

“This breaks my usual model of how to assess RCL stories,” Benman said after Always Say No was nominated. “Usually I ask two questions: ‘Is it good enough? And, is it pony enough?'”

We all agreed on the story’s exemplary quality.  “I’m completely sold on this being good enough to feature,” Chris said. “This inspired some very strong reactions from me, which is the best thing a story can do.”  Present Perfect was “impressed by the reveal of small details. … The various ways people react to the slow physical extinction of the human race is a very handy way to tell a lot of stories about life in this world.”  Horizon agreed: “The story paints a vivid portrait of a ruined Earth, with some smashing adventure along the way.  Well worth the 100,000 words.”

The question of its essential equinity was trickier.  “Aren’t we here to spotlight the coolest sh*t our community has done?  This may not be an exemplar of what you can do with MLP, but it’s an exemplar of what you can do with fanfiction,” Benman said.  Present Perfect dissented: “It’s excellent sci-fi without necessarily being excellent fanfic.”  But it was Chris’ position which tipped the scales: “What makes this story so effective is how our understanding of the FiM world (and Celestia in particular) both intersect with and clash with the presentation of their AI forms. It unquestionably uses the canon universe to good effect.”

Read on for our author interview, in which Defoloce discusses captcha creativity, princess potential, and a crime-free Gotham City.
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RazedRainbow’s “And A Dark Wind Blows”

25 Friday Apr 2014

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Today’s story offers a glimpse at a lonely, desperate struggle in a world where every breath is an act of defiance against the darkness closing in.

dark-windAnd A Dark Wind Blows
[Dark] • 13,093 words

Was it a magical spell gone awry? An angry god laying waste upon a world that had forgotten him? A long and bloody war? An incurable disease?  

Fluttershy couldn’t remember what it was that had turned the world to this. All she knew was that she had to survive.

FROM THE CURATORS: How does a 13,000-word story keep readers engaged with no dialogue and almost no character interaction?  “Great post-apocalyptic landscape and a rich narrative voice,” Present Perfect said.  Bradel appreciated the marvelous pacing and fine control of tension: “The single thing I think this piece did best is in varying the mood like it did.” And Horizon appreciated the “haunting beauty” of it: “The world around Fluttershy may be bleak and dead, but it’s a memorable and integral part of the story.“

However, this journey through a wasteland is very pony at its heart.  “Fluttershy feels very much like Fluttershy, despite the setting, and the connection to her (departed) friends felt real,” Chris said.  And it even won over some initial doubters: “I was going to write about how this story has its flaws, and how it didn’t have much to do with ponies … until the third act happened and totally invalidated my critique,” Benman said. “The ending completely and utterly works.”

Read on for our author interview, in which RazedRainbow discusses safety, tension, the unknown, and Fluttershy as a huntress.
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Pascoite’s “In Bloom”

21 Friday Mar 2014

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How far do you go for somepony who needs your help but doesn’t want it?  Today’s story peels back the foliage for a compelling glimpse at a disturbing family.

in-bloomIn Bloom
[Dark] [Slice-of-Life] • 8,661 words

In a yard, all alone, a pony whiles away the time caring for the lawn and the roses. Roseluck can understand that, to a point. And she’s determined to help.

FROM THE CURATORS: Although we had a vigorous debate over whether this story’s unflinching look at a psychologically abused child was in the spirit of the show, there was one thing which we unanimously agreed: In Bloom is “well-written and powerful,” to use Chris’ words.  Present Perfect went further: “In Bloom has got everything I love about stories in general.”  And Benman dug into what makes this story such an exemplar of high-quality writing: “This does an excellent job with exposition. Pasco has a knack for picking out small details to hit the reader right between the eyes with the full weight of what’s going on.“

Ultimately, this is a story about pony — and its collision with a far grimmer mindset. “Friendship is a key theme here,” Bradel said, and Benman agreed: “This is not a nice story, but it has nice things in it, and the brightness stands out against the darker backdrop.”

Read on for our interview, in which Pascoite discusses collecting rocks, child-rearing, and comprehending rules.
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Horse Voice’s “Biblical Monsters”

10 Friday Jan 2014

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Today’s story is a controversial, yet powerful look at a meeting of cultures gone horribly wrong.

biblical-monstersBiblical Monsters
[Tragedy] [Dark] [Human] • 10,947 words

At 3:15 AM, Adams woke me with a loud knock on my front door.

“Put your boots on,” he said when I answered. “There’s a biblical monster in my house.”

FROM THE CURATORS: As a glance through the story’s overflowing comments section will show you, this is a piece which is not afraid to be thought-provoking.  Its final chapters take a swerve from quiet tension into some of the most unflinching Dark fiction in the fandom.  What makes Biblical Monsters remarkable is how effectively it supports that twist.  “Horse Voice did a great job setting up his character and motivations to make the ending a tragically logical inevitability,” Chris said. Benman added: “The clues were there all along.  The core themes and conflicts are constant throughout.”

We all agreed that the story, in Chris’ words, “practically screams ‘literary.'”  The quality of the writing is exemplary.  Benman went even further: “I decided a while ago to limit my FIMFic favorites list to ten stories. This is currently one of them.”

Read on for our interview, in which Horse Voice discusses thematic twists, anonymous villains, and lessons learned while handling controversy.
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Blueshift’s “Home is Where the Harp Is”

13 Friday Dec 2013

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Today we bring you a surprisingly dark story from an author better known for his comedies — and a story which shows that “dark” doesn’t have to mean “violent and edgy.”

Home is Where the Harp Is
[Dark] • 6,312 words

Ever since Bon-Bon left for a new life in Manehatten, Lyra’s life has lost its focus. She gets up, she goes to work, she eats, she goes to sleep. One day she knows she’s going build up the courage to tell Bon-Bon how she really feels about her and they can live happily ever after.

That day will never come. Something terrible is happening in Equestria. Something that could be the end of the world. The Smooze has arrived and no-one can stop it, not even Twilight Sparkle. What hope then does Lyra have?

FROM THE CURATORS:  There was quite a bit of discussion concerning whether this was the best fanfic of the author’s to showcase; Blueshift has written plenty in other genres, and it’s difficult to compare a goofy, light-hearted parody with a much more serious piece like this.

But in the end, we all felt that Home is Where the Harp Is was an undeniably high-quality piece of writing: “…if anything of Blueshift’s gets put up, it should be “Home is Where the Harp Is,” which is better than nearly every other story in the fandom I’ve ever read,” said Vimbert.

Read on for our surprisingly breezy interview, in which Blueshift talks about the difference between writing drama and comedy, his love of repurposing characters and elements, and his fandom background in another Hasbro franchise.
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NTSTS’s “‘The Art of the Dress’ or ‘Expectations'”

06 Friday Dec 2013

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This week brings us a journey into the early days of the fandom, with a story which delves into the darkest parts of one pony’s psyche to ask weighty questions about our relationship with our art.

art-of-the-dress

“The Art of the Dress” or “Expectations”
[Dark] • 8,547 words

Rarity finds herself especially intrigued by the dresses of Ponyville’s newest dressmaker. Struggling under the burden of her own adoration she finds herself trapped within an existential crisis. In this nihilistic twilight, she clings onto the last of her creative sanity, trying to pierce through the mysterium that is the new dressmaker’s identity. A story that deals with what it is to be and, subsequently, what it is to not be in the world of creativity.

FROM THE CURATORS: It takes a fine touch for art to be able to talk about art in a way that’s more than simply navel-gazing, but this piece weaves together two threads of meta-discussion that also function on several other levels — as a family drama and as a magical-realism psychological horror story.  “A well-crafted story,” Benman said, and Present Perfect agreed: “A deep and haunting piece with a lot of great imagery.”  “Rarity is impeccably characterized,” Horizon added.

As the description suggests, this is a story that sets out deep themes and does not flinch from them.  While this means that it may be more challenging for casual readers, those willing to explore its ideas in greater depth should find rich rewards.  “The story’s like a modern art installation,” Horizon said. “It always feels like there’s something more to be found if I dig a little further.”

Read on for our interview, in which NTSTS explores the fundamental nature of creation, discusses how to keep a healthy perspective on the quality of your work, and reveals how a writing prompt about love led to a tale about existential crisis.
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Norsepony’s “The War And What Came After”

29 Friday Nov 2013

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This week’s story wanders far afield from the Equestria we know, painting a dark and compelling picture of an ancient tragedy.

war_and_what_came_after

The War And What Came After
[Dark] [Adventure] • 21,487 words

The earth had belonged to the People since time immemorial, until the ponies came to push them out. For centuries, they have hidden in the forest and the hills, slowly losing ground to their enemies.

But now the gods have chosen two young warriors.

FROM THE CURATORS: The majority of our debate over this story centered around its distance from the show — it’s essentially original fiction seasoned with some Equestrian spice.  “For most of the fic, I was listening to a little voice in my head saying “at what point does this tie in to FIM in any way?'” Chris said.  However, it won him over: “I never felt like I was wasting my time with it — that’s what I want out of a good story … and the characters are all beautifully grey yet sympathetic.”

Ultimately, that detachment from the source material gave the story room to show off one of its strongest features: its exemplary worldbuilding. “A satisfying story for me on many levels,” Horizon said.  “I especially love his use of language to reinforce his setting.”

Read on for our interview, where Norsepony discusses the magic of writing, the joys of research, and which kinds of elves make the best ponyfic protagonists.
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Kegisak’s “The Colour You Bleed”

22 Friday Nov 2013

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Today’s story is quite a bit longer than the last few we’ve featured, but don’t let its size scare you away.  Behind those fifteen chapters (plus an epilogue) lies a classic tale of revenge, betrayal, and growth, couched in immersive worldbuilding.

colour_you_bleedThe Colour You Bleed
[Dark] [Adventure] • 137,610 words

Caught in the middle of a struggle between Equestria and a neighboring country, Blueblood finds himself alone in unfriendly territory. Through trials and hardships he finds himself under the wing of a veteran soldier, and the arrogant, spoiled stallion begins a slow metamorphosis into the prince his country needs.

FROM THE CURATORS:  One thing all of us were impressed by when we read the story was how unrelentingly interesting it was; “I was hooked on this from the moment I read the first chapter,” said Vimbert.  Kegisak wastes no time introducing high-stakes drama to his work, weaving a grim but still distinctly Equestrian tone into his tale

Despite the [dark] tag, The Colour You Bleed managed to appeal to even those of us who tend to be wary of that label; as Chris put it: “the characters and settings are so wonderfully developed that this feels like a natural outgrowth of the people and places to which the tale takes you.”

Read on for our interview, in which the author reflects on the fandom’s need to develop Blueblood, the challenges of writing redemptive stories, and the blatant favoritism he shows towards white unicorns, in his writing and his “best pony”ing.
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