Fic recs, November 29th! · 8:38pm Nov 29th, 2019

And here

Go.

H: 0 R: 2 C: 4 V: 1 N: 1

Fear No Evil by Ice Star
Reading by Illya Leonov
Genre: Not What It Seems
Celestia faces alone the newest foe of Equestria.
Unlike the last story I tagged with that phrase, while I could tell there was something going on here, I couldn't quite figure out what. This all comes down to the ending, but I was highly amused, not to mention satisfied. :3 Take that, canon!
Recommended for Laughs

After the Fall by [NAME REMOVED]
Reading by ShadowOfCygnus
Genre: Free Verse/Sad
When Fluttershy fell in love with the ground, she lost something else she loved in return.
Fully extra-canonical these days, this story is nevertheless a cutting look into what Fluttershy's life might have been, back in season two. It's got a really original backstory for her and her parents, and I very much appreciated how deeply it delves into the idea of forgiveness. I'm not sure why it was written the way it was, but it certainly led to a lyrical reading. Quite excellent.
Recommended

Best Friends Forever by TorontoFCBrony
Reading by TheLostNarrator and Magpiepony
Genre: Dark Comedy
Applejack and Pinkie Pie are best friends. Beeeeest. Frieeeeends…
I have to start by saying, I appreciate that this was inspired by the Markiplier video in the description (which is funny), and not just a straight ripoff. This goes in a different direction overall, to its benefit, and extends the joke quite a bit. That said, it's still just okay. The writing in particular needs some work, with lots of telling, referring to Mrs. Cake as "the mother of the Cake twins", and "out walls", to name a few issues. There were at least a couple jokes I laughed at. It's better than Cupcakes?
Vaguely Recommended

The Thing at the Edge of Sleep by boardgamebrony
Reading by Illya Leonov
Reading by Plagen Shiki
Genre: Horror
In the dark of Fluttershy's room are two pinpricks of light.
This is a very unusual kind of horror story. The setup is creepy, no doubt, but the meat of the story is actually Fluttershy working through a logic problem. There's something in front of her, which she can see, and something behind her, which she can hear. Which is trying to kill her? I'm not quite sure what the ending means, unless it's simply that she chose wisely, but I think this is definitely worth reading if you're up for something creepy and a little different.
Recommended for Horror Fans

Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide by RainbowFlash96
Reading by Scribbler, et. al.
Genre: Random Comedy
Having a conscience can be annoying, especially when that conscience is Pinkie Pie.
I have to say, I found this one tedious. It's a one-joke fic where the joke of "everypony's conscience is a tiny Pinkie Pie" is applied to every major character in turn. Few of them are really that funny. A few of them aren't even particularly conscience-themed scenes! Also, it fails the Luna Test. The only real positive I can find is the end scene punchline; it was at least a good reason for things to be happening. It still doesn't redeem the story in my eyes.
Not Recommended

Heritage by Freezing Point
Reading by ShadowOfCygnus
Genre: Character Piece
Cadence talks with Princess Celestia about herself.
I was a little surprised at the timing of this one; given that it starts out with Cadence wondering a lot about how to interact with Celestia, that it almost seems like they barely know each other, I figured it would fall sometime before the start of the show rather than between seasons two and three. Regardless, that placement allows the author to posit a backstory for Cadence that's pretty unique, coming as it does before even the first official novel, if I'm not mistaken. The subjects discussed, especially in the final scene, could almost make this a part of Cadence of Cloudsdale. I also liked the smatterings of imagery throughout the piece, short as it is. A shame this author left without finishing another story.
Recommended

Life Choices by UnlicensedBrony
Reading by Scribbler, Animelodie and Gina M
Genre: Philosophical
Not all lessons are equally easy to teach.
My one major complaint about this story is that it tells us what Twilight is supposed to be getting out of the lesson instead of showing her getting it. This wouldn't even be that bad, save that it comes right at the climax, the moment of realization that a reader would otherwise be going through themselves, It leaves the whole thing kind of flat, reduced to an admittedly interesting exploration of headcanon. Celestia's character is written well, it's just that one critical moment being fumbled that makes this less than it could have been.
Recommended If You Don't Mind Some Telling

LOSTPONY.txt by KannibalPirate
Reading by TheLostNarrator, et. al.
Genre: Creepypasta
Ah, creepypastas: you see one, you've seen 'em all. There are even so many "lost episode" creepypastas, like this one, they can be termed their own subgenre. And if I sound bitter about this at all, it's because I once had an SCP panned because I was falling into tropes I knew nothing about. >:B Personal trauma aside, I actually liked this. It's a good creepypasta, and even works as creepy fandom fic, owing to the mention of the narrator having enjoyed G3 as a kid. I really appreciated that. The lost episode depicted in the text is… of a kind, but still not bad. I just suggest listening to Lost's reading of it, as the formatting makes it a tad hard on the eyes.
Recommended If You Like Creepypasta