Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Fandom Classics Part 51: Vinyl and Octavia: University Days

To read the story, click the image or follow this link

For reasons too involved to get into up here, I've been thinking about prostate cancer recently.  And, in my thinking, I've decided that (should I ever end up getting prostate cancer), I'm going to insist that everyone refer to me as having "ass cancer."  I realize it's awfully juvenile, even for me, but I know that--for me--it would make the prospect a whole lot less scary.  I mean, how can you be scared of ass cancer?  I don't even care if it's not, strictly speaking, an accurate label.  The point is, prostate cancer is scary.  Ass cancer?  I could beat ass cancer.

On more or less the precise opposite of that note, click down below the break for my review of Dawnfade's Vinyl and Octavia: University Days.



Impressions before reading:  This fic combines two things I have no inherent interest in: ScrachxTavi, and teenification (the practice of using an established setting, such as Equestria, as a backdrop for a high-school or college drama tale).  Both of those are things I don't hate, though.  Well, I don't hate the idea of teenification vis a vis MLP, anyway--plopping a high school into Middle-Earth never failed to get my blood boiling back in my LotR fanfic days.  Anyway, point is: I'm not terribly optimistic going in, but there's nothing here screaming ABANDON ALL HOPE, YE WHO ENTER, either.

Zero-ish spoiler summary:  On their first day of class at university, Octavia--a budding cello prodigy--and Vinyl Scratch--a boisterous DJ--butt heads.  And yet, they soon find that they aren't as bad as the other thinks.

Thoughts after reading:  I have read several stories in the past which I just didn't "get."  Stories which, for the life of me, I couldn't imagine the appeal of, at least, not to anything resembling a broad spectrum of readers.  Stories which were so far removed from my interests that I couldn't see the horizon of appeal over the curvature of my own tastes.

This is not one of those stories.  I "get" the appeal of Vinyl and Octavia shipping (based on their fandom personalities, which are what we get here): it's a classic "opposites attract" angle, plus music is an easy thing for many people to relate to.  I understand the appeal of teenifying popular pre-existing characters: many, probably the significant majority, of fanfic readers are in high school or college, and there's a dual draw there: not only does it make the characters more relatable, it also gives them an easy means to explore the same issues and questions that readers that age have.  These aren't things that I have any real interest in in a story, but I have no problem understanding why lots of readers do.

This extends past story concept, and into the construction and characterization of the fic itself.  For example, large parts of this story are about characters texting one another back and forth.  Now, I happen to think that dropping modern cell phones into Equestria is a supremely lazy decision, and one which doesn't match the world's aesthetic whatsoever.  But it's appealing to a large block of readers precisely because it's something that's an integral part of their world.  I would call this--and many, many other things in this fic--a poor story decision, but a good way to appeal to a certain subset of reader.  Characters are likewise related in terms more amenable to interpretation as "teen fantasy" than "actual person:" Vinyl and Octavia's psychology teacher's methods are more "unrealistically ill-considered" than "professorially whimsical," but to think of him that way is to misrepresent his role in University Days: he doesn't exist to be a strong character, he exists to fill in the universe around Vinyl and Octavia while parodying how students think of their teachers.

Even with the most liberal reading of those choices, though, this is ultimately a very dull story.  When a reader picks up this fic, they already know that Octavia and Vinyl are going to fight a little bit at the start and then fall in love; the only question is how soon, and how far the story follows their relationship (speaking of love: at one point, this story links to a side-story/continuation which delves into their lovemaking in graphic detail.  It's very clearly marked as such, but just for the sake of repeating it: don't read that unless you're looking for straight-up clop).  That's not a horrible thing by itself, but one of the downsides of having characters built to fill roles rather than to seem real is that they rarely surprise the reader.  Despite the regular challenges which Vinyl and Octavia (and a few of their classmates) face, there's remarkably little tension in this fic.

However, there was a fair bit of light, unobtrusive comedy, which had the much-needed effect of keeping the narrative from bogging down in a bog of bogginess apathy.  The writing style here is generally unobtrusive, tending towards simple and sparse descriptions, which aids this effect, in addition to resulting in some very light reading.  Given the kind of story this is, that's absolutely the right choice.  Granted, between the light writing, the daisy-plain characters, and the lack of suspense, the end result is a novel-length fic which has the staying power of a story a tenth its length, but it also makes it a novel-length fic which is remarkably easy to read, even for someone who's not impressed by its other qualities.

Star rating:


I didn't particularly enjoy this story.  I don't think it's a very good story.  But it's a story that I think a lot of people would enjoy reading, and that's not exactly a terrible thing to be.

Recommendation:  If you are in high school or college and feel like some light comedy and easy-to-relate-to situations are your sort of thing, give this a look.  I think it would especially appeal to those who don't do a lot of reading for fun--predictability is a product of experience, after all, and I could see this being a good gateway story.  But for older and/or veteran readers, or just for those who are looking to break beyond the most familiar of confines in their fiction, I don't recommend this.

Next time:  Apotheosis, by Daetrin

44 comments:

  1. Prediction confirmed! 5500 people simply have poor taste.

    You mention that this fic's predictability leads to a lack of tension. I think Bad Horse would cite this as one reason it's a mere story rather than true literature. And it's not a very good story.

    Prediction for "Apotheosis":
    Damn, this is an old one. I'd call it a 3/5 from what little I remember.

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  2. Man, I've been waiting for this review for a very long time. I've heard a lot about this story -- some people consider it a work of genius, and some say it's worse than punching your head multiple times and then reading something from Dan Brown.

    So yeah, I was also kind of expecting a similar score. I don't think I'm going to read this -- octascratch fan as I am, there's just so much of the same one can take before getting incredibly tired, and a teenager fic with cellphones is just, I don't know. It sure didn't grab my attention the first time I saw it, and I still feel indiferent.

    The fact that this is such a huge hit is just a proof that the audience of Fimfic is, after all pretty young. And hey, nothing bad with it -- as far as first reads go, I guess this one is pretty cool. But... yeah. Cell phones. I don't know why those are such a turn-off for me, but when a fic has cell phones in a story for no real reason except to make things easier (and doesn't bother with at least explaining why they are there, like, at least say that they're magical or something, I don't know) I just can't enjoy it as well as I could otherwise. Not my only pet peeve, but certainly the one that makes me feel like I'm not missing so much when I don't read this one.

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  3. This sounds exactly like what I was expecting. Also, I spotted a couple typos: "for reasons too involved to get into up here...", "Despite the regular challenges which Vinyl and Octavia... face...".

    Oh, now you're reviewing Apotheosis? After I've already gone and read it?! Eh, I ended up really enjoying it, so I can't actually be upset. Just can't believe my timing. Guess it'll be fun to discuss at least. I predict about four stars

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    1. Yeah, that's how I remember it. Of course, it was probably about the third of fourth fanfic I ever read and it was all shiny and new at the time. Still, I fondly recall some of the story elements, at that at least means it had some genuine story, which immediately bumps it up into the top quarter of all fanfiction...

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    2. That's me, always there just after the nick of time!

      Well, that would be more apropos if you'd hated it, but still. Also, thanks for the editing--it is now as if those errors never existed...

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    3. Except for my comment, of course. I suppose you could just delete it and any other comment which undermines your credibility, perpetually censoring your detractors while you amass greater power, becoming the highest authority in the world of ponyfics... but then you'd need to think of a punny title, like Pone Pot or Musterlini. Morgan Tsvangirai's first name is already that of a horse breed, but you should probably still alter the last name if you were gonna go that route

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  4. That's why I referred to this story (I think it was this one, anyway) as YA fiction, which helped me appreciate it more. Of course, I think I also "liked" it (if I can even call my reaction to it that) simply because my expectations were so low at the outset, because ScratchTavia.

    Granted, that hasn't helped with My Roommate Is a Vampire, ugh. Uuuuughhh. UUUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHH

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    1. I find it funny - in a very depressing sort of way - that fanfiction has such a negative reputation among the more general fandom, yet it's the fics "connoisseurs" might consider mediocre that get turned into so many animations, radio plays and such. Fallout: Equestria's probably the biggest exception, but I'd say even that's overrated (recently got into an argument with someone over that, actually)

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    2. I don't know about vampires, but it kinda sounds like you're turning into a zombie, Present.

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    3. The stuff that gets adaptations and fan content is the stuff which has the most interesting concepts. My Roommate is a Vampire, Fallout: Equestria, Anthropology and others all definitely have that going for them. And while it's true that they all have their own flaws, I'd argue that none of them were terrible. The worst I can say about any of the big fics that get radio or animation adaptations are that they're alright. I wouldn't even go as far as to say mediocre, because generally, if something gets an adaptation or lots of fan content, it must have something going for it. Maybe not something that you or I would value as much as everyone else, but still a merit of the work.

      Besides which, I think a lot of the really high-quality stuff that "connoisseurs" praise so much would be difficult to adapt in the same way. I think, say, Variables would lose something if it were translated into an animated medium.

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    4. The worst I can say about any of the big fics that get radio or animation adaptations are that they're alright.

      My Little Dashie
      , how soon thou art forgotten.

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    5. My Little Dashie was actually among a list of titles I'd considered dropping, which also included Past Sins

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    6. Okay, fair point. I'll cop to forgetting MLD. But even then, I'll still contend that it's technically not just another mediocre fic. Well, it is, but you have to judge it by its peers. If we hypothetically count generic wish-fulfillment HiEs with bland protagonists as a subgenre, then the bar is set much lower, and MLD's relative quality skyrockets. It is a mediocre fic, but it gets attention because it's still the king of its own little corner of mediocrity, if that makes sense.

      Okay, it doesn't make sense, but bear with me here. I'm trying to find a way to admit I'm wrong without changing my opinions any. It's an old political strategy that I'm trying out.

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    7. Actually, no, that makes a lot of sense. :O

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    8. It does indeed make sense,but it works under the assumption that people care about this corner of mediocrity. That people actually want to see generic wish-fulfillment HiEs with bland protagonists.

      ...Which might actually be the case judging by how often they pop up.

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  5. There are plenty of ass cancers; I believe the proper term for prostate cancer would be "peepee cancer." ;)

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  6. I certainly can't think of ass cancer without thinking of The Man Who Could Sit Anywhere.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHKiGl02NmU

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  7. "Ass cancer". Now there are two words that I never expected to see here.

    But, yeah, high school antics. Just gonna say, I don't get the appeal. I went to high school too, and even while I was there, the last thing I wanted in fiction was to see characters in a high school setting. You say that there are Lord of the Rings high school fics, and the very concept just baffles me. If anything, I consumed fiction to get away from the misery that is the British educational system.

    It's escapist fantasy, right? Or at least, it can be. So why would you want to make it resemble real life? Isn't the whole point of Lord of the Rings its magical, unique world completely unlike our own? How does throwing in a high school in any way improve it? High school AUs are somehow even worse in this regard, invalidating the original world to build one centered around one of the most boring concepts imaginable.

    With MLP, I kind of get it. Kind of. The show is built in such a way that slice-of-life and adventure are both possible in its setting and neither feel out of place, which is rare. A high school story in MLP's world isn't out of place either, especially not post-Equestria Girls (though I tend to draw the line at giving ponies technology they've never been shown to have before, unless its the point of the story). But even then, I still don't get it.

    Maybe it's just me. Maybe people who liked high school feel differently, and I'm only saying this because to me high school was a huge waste of time I had to go through before I could attend college to learn things actually relevant to my chosen career path. But even if I did like high school, I'd still say I don't understand the appeal of making escapist fiction more resemble my real life. I don't want to read about my real life. My real life is boring and I'm not that interesting.

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    1. I could not agree more. I've always been baffled by people that want to read things that are very true to life, even if it is a life far removed from our own. For example, I get nothing from read East of Eden. I already struggle in real life. Why do I want to read about people struggling during the Dust Bowl? Just to reinforce that we all struggle and then (sometimes) get through it? I'm not that interested. I'd rather go to another world and read about events I cannot personally experience.

      However, I refuse to believe in your miserable British educational experience. In my mind, the UK is a wonderland of awesomeness, and I will not be swayed from that! Except for your chocolate bars. Some oddness there. I had a Twirl bar and an Aero the other day. They were both very odd.

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    2. Ugh. I mean The Grape of Wrath. Shows you how much I like Steinbeck. His stories bore me to tears.

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    3. I always thought those fics were for kids who hated their high school experience, but wanted to live out a fantasy version of it where they're either the popular kid or the "outsider" who's actually popular and talented, just not in a traditional role like jock or cheerleader (in which case those ones get their comeuppance for being such jerks)

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    4. You're preaching to the choir, Danny. Middle-Earth High is its own subgenre, and it is one of the saddest subgenres you can find in LotR fics. There are more stories about teenage versions of the nine walkers (never mind them age gaps!) than any person can reasonably be expected to process without losing a little of their faith in humanity.

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    5. @xjuggernaughtx

      Twirls and Aeros are alright, but I much prefer Ripples and Bubbles, both by Galaxy. Now THAT is some quality chocolate.

      @Oats

      Personally, I don't see it. I mean, if people are miserable in high school, why would they want to live out an indealised version of... Shit. Okay, I see your point. But if anything, that just makes it worse, because now there's a layer of wish fulfillment in play as well!

      @Chris

      A subgenre? And it has a name? Are you being serious with me now, Chris?

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    6. My theory is simply that most people don't have much imagination, so they need something that similar to their own experience to connect to a story. They just don't feel that emotional connection with the characters without the just-like-my-life setting.

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    7. I can't stop picturing a series called Shire High, with each hobbit family acting as a different clique and for some reason Aragorn's there. Oh, and Treebeard's a techno playing DJ!

      I have a feeling Chris has somehow read worse

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    8. Out of morbid curiosity, I searched for Middle Earth High. One of the first results promises a "Bilbo Baggins x Torin Oakenshield" pairing. I refuse to go any further.

      Also, DJ Treebeard would totally play Psy Trance.

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    9. @cityofdoors

      This makes the most sense to me as an explanation for this madness, so I'm adopting it as my new theory too.

      @Oats

      Now I kind of want to hear Chris tell us about all the worst LOTR high school fics he ever read, just to see if he has read worse.

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    10. Chris, we DEMAND that LOTR high school stories be the new category on this blog. I mean, those hobbits rode ponies, right? It's tangentially related!

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    11. I'm sure the internet doesn't need one more trainwreck-searcher; I'll stick to what I'm doing, thank y'all very much.

      If you want to read that BilboShield story, knock yourselves out--I've definitely read worse, and you can definitely find worse without looking too hard, if for some reason you want to (though that does certainly sound like... well, like something).

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  8. All I could think of the entire review was "I can turn scary-ass cancer into scary ass-cancer" a la http://xkcd.com/37/

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    1. Man, I haven't read xkcd in forever! Ponies have ruined me

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  9. Yeah, this is exactly what I expected.

    Hey Chris! I think you might be interested to know that I found another regular fanfic reviewer.

    Word of the Day: Prodigee.
    Which, by the way, both Dictionary.com and Macmillian got nothing on.

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    1. I'm assuming that's because he meant prodigy: a highly talented child or youth.

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    2. That reviewer is confusing. Why do they have reviews listed that don't have reviews? O.o Also, they haven't reviewed anything I've read, so I can't evaluated them but dammit one of my stories is slated for review, I have to follow them D:

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    3. What worries me is the propensity for giving out 10's. That doesn't exactly bode well in my book.

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    4. Yeah, this reviewer is pretty bad. Their posts are full of errors and emoticons. Also, they don't so much highlight good writing as praise anything with passable grammar:
      "My Overall Rating for this story is 10 out of 10, I found nothing really wrong with it."
      That's not how reviews are supposed to work.

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    5. You guys are probably right. I didn't take a good look at it, I just glanced saw a handful of reviews and remembered that Chris was, at least at one point, looking for other reviewers.

      And yes, I am also assuming he meant "prodigy" but on the off-chance that he didn't...

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    6. Ugh, I had it mixed up with "protegee" in my head, I guess. Better go learn to spell...

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    7. I think it's a good portmanteau for a prodigious protegee. :3 Or a prodigy at their apogee...

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  10. Yeah, I agree with you, most of the appeal for this story has to come from the familiarity of the situations rather than any newness or challenging concept. But, people like to read that kind of thing, and at least it wasn't humanized pretending to be ponies.

    You should review one of mine, Chris. Pull off the kid's gloves and be ready to break your mind.

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    1. The Three Sisters seems like a good candidate. Pretty short, too... Dammit, my queue just got longer! -_-

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    2. Weird, I'm not seeing a star rating for that fic, but it made EqD before those were removed

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    3. Nah, it got in after those were gone. Only TER (5) and TSC (6) got star ratings there.

      Also, I don't know if I want Chris to go over my unedited drivel. :D

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    4. Just read it. Pretty good, but it feels more like something for Chris' mini-reviews than a fandom classic and I'm sure you've written better since. Even if Chris doesn't review it, you should still do some editing; I noticed a typo that someone already pointed out in the comments almost fifteen weeks ago!

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