Unrelated to this article: The book is now available in both e-book and dead-tree formats. I have set up a page for links to where you can buy the book, and I will add more as they become available--I should have Amazon and Kindle Store in the next week or so, and hopefully B&N, Nook Store, and Apple Store by the end of the month.
Discovered this story by way of Mark Reads. It's a Nebula award-winning short story by a professional writer published by one of the biggest names in the business, Tor. It is also quite recognizably a My Little Pony darkfic, and possibly among the first, seeing as it was written somewhere between "Applebuck Season" and "Dragonshy."
A really, really dark fic. As in "I didn't sleep last night because of the sad" dark.
Trigger Warnings: Animal cruelty, bullying of an individual by a large group, bullying among young girls
"Ponies"
Aaaaaaaagh. *reads first few paragraphs of story* AAAAAAAAAAGH. *stops reading*
ReplyDeleteI went back and read the rest shortly after posting the previous thing. "Huh," I said. "That was really messed up. But I wonder why it hit Froborr so hard?" Then I went to work. About halfway through my shift this story snuck up behind me and kicked me right in the gut. Felt so sick I had to run to the bathroom in case I threw up.
DeleteI got about as far as Harrison. Sorry I just can't go there right now.
ReplyDeleteI *completely* understand. I am not kidding about this story destroying me, nor about it needing trigger warnings.
ReplyDeleteOof. Right there in the stomach. I've read worse, but oof.
ReplyDeleteIt's visceral, that's for sure. A sadly accurate social allegory, and the kind of story that makes you so enraged that you want to go out and make the world a better place just as a personal screw-you to the villains.
ReplyDeleteI just wish the story hadn't felt the need to repeatedly pause itself and spell out the allegory for us.
Because that's what makes it an allegory, rather than a metaphor.
DeleteMaybe a metaphor would have worked better.
DeleteIronically, the big-print labels made it harder for me to parse what it was about. I thought the names for TheOtherGirls were supposed to be jabs at internet usernames.
"Wait -- I remember you!"
ReplyDelete-- "Babs" Seed at the best Summer Sun Celebration ever
...I don't get it?
DeleteAlicorn Sunny is the prior form of Celestia, Sol Invictus (recall Osiris, destroyed and remade as Horus). Barbara is the prior form of Babs Seed.
Delete