Pony Stories 700

Again, I’ve possibly read far too much pony fan fiction. So I should get back to more serious literary works! Which is why I’m re-reading the Narbonic webcomic. Does that count? I’m saying it counts. Now for six of the shortest reviews of ponyfic I’ve got in my backlog.

• Relinquishing by Chris
• Sunset Shimmer is Perfect by DrakeyC
• Electra Complex by Majin Syeekoh
• The Random Royal Funeral by Darth Link 22
• The Friendship Contest by Seventh Heaven
• “Shining? You Think Mom And Dad Might’ve Been Kidnapped By Ninjas?” by naturalbornderpy
• Littering by Teal

 

Non-Pony Story: Colony

Colony by Max Florschutz

I wanted to like this a lot more than I did. Once again I trip over the fact that I enjoy this author’s pony fan fiction a lot more than their original fiction. Anyway, I do enjoy science fiction and the premise of this one, both stated and implied between the lines, are things I enjoy. The first couple of chapters that introduce the characters and the world? Pretty dang awesome. My main complaint is that the rest of the story doesn’t really live up to the promise of the beginning. At least for me. I suspect it is another round of I saw things in the beginning that the author didn’t think about or thought were minor bits instead of the major focus I wanted them to be.

I’ve got a lot of nitpicks here and there about the story, but this is closer to a review than an analysis and I don’t want it to be a rant piece either. I’ll just mention that I thought it was an okay story before I read another sci-fi book that had a nearly identical premise in a lot of ways that I enjoyed a whole lot for the same reasons I didn’t enjoy Colony.

I will, however, compliment the things I enjoyed. The three main characters were really neat. I’ll probably check out the sequel to the story when it comes out four or five years down the line just because I liked the characters so much. The world in general? Mid-future high tech with megacorporations and AI? Lots of fun. Basically a cyberpunk world without the cloak-and-dagger or dark back alleys filter on top of it.

So, loved the beginning, the middle kind of dragged, and the third act was something of a disappointment. Yet I loved the world and the characters and so rarely see a story take place almost entirely underwater. So anyone who likes Science Fiction stories should definitely check it out.

 

Pony Stories 699

Huh. Next post is Pony Stories 700. Jeeze. That’s a lot of pony fan fiction to have read. Anyway, more intro blurb. Haven’t done anything with the big master review list for the last couple of days. Still feeling semi-decent, depression has retreated, but most of my creative energy such as it is has been tabletop rpg stuff. Might be running a D&D type game for my weekly gaming group sometime in the near future so I’ve been focused more and more on that. At this point just revamping my basic game reference book of blogposts I like so I can print out a new version. As well as houserules for Fate Accelerated to bring in more towards the old-school part of things. It’s been really nice to have actual creative inspiration to do stuff.

• Best Friends, Too by shortskirtsandexplosions
• “WHERE IS IT!?” by Majin Syeekoh
• The First Death Of Twilight Sparkle by naturalbornderpy
• Page Two by Trick Question
• The Wrong Side of History by Orbiting Kettle

 

Pony Stories 698

So, today I went into Boston for an errand and honest to god I used my experience playing Fallout 4 to navigate at one part where I didn’t remember where I was going. I’m not sure if I should be proud or shamed at that. Anyway, pony.

• An overly hesitant Pinkie by SecretAgentPlotTwist
• Morning Light by RadiantBeam
• Burn Stuff by alexmagnet

 

Pony Stories 697

Sleep schedule messed up, so missed a day. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

• At the Riverside by Pascoite
• Sic Transit Gloria Mundi by MrNumbers
• Mares in Pairs by Trick Question