Mini-Reviews Round 103

Happy day-before-Halloween, everyone!  In honor of the day's modern branding, let's talk about some darkfics, shall we?  My short-form thoughts on three short stories, below the break.





Stuffed Animals, by Kthecasual

Zero-ish spoiler summary:  Twilight knows that she'll be safe as long as she's got Mr. Smartypants with her.  Even when she hears that something scary is coming.

A few thoughts:  This is very reminiscent of creepypasta, both in terms of tone and event.  I appreciated that it didn't go for a needlessly gory ending, but I also felt that the ending lacked much resolution.  Those two aren't necessarily related--there are plenty of ways to end on a conclusive note without either caving to the need for viscera or losing the unnerving elements of one's story--but I'd have liked to know what, if anything, happened to the source of the creepiness in this story.  As is, the story ends with it just kind of... around, which, while obviously deliberate, left me feeling like I was missing a final scene.

Recommendation:  Fans of creepypasta as a genre will want to check this out, provided that they don't mind a bit of inconclusiveness.



The Problem with the Princess of Magic, by Feedbacker

Zero-ish spoiler summary:  Twilight can't die as long as there's magic in the universe... and as long as Twilight exists, there's magic in the universe...

A few thoughts:  This is basically "Twilight can't die," stretched out to 1000 words.  The author does a fine job creating the scene and showing how the horror of the situation eventually came to be realized, but this is still ultimately a single idea given a semblance of narrative form.

Recommendation:  If a quick take on the horrors of absolute immortality is your thing, this will certainly satisfy.  If you feel like "Twilight can't die" doesn't need elaboration absent expansion, this probably isn't for you.



I Don't Know If I'm Real..., by North

Zero-ish spoiler summary:  Pinkie floats underwater, trying to reach the surface--and to remember why she's here.

A few thoughts:  This is a very straightforward take on a psychological horror story--straightforward because the reader already knows pretty much everything that Pinkie's struggling to remember (mirror pool, clones, etc.).  Rather than let that be a damper, however, North uses that pre-knowledge to help sell the tone of despair which suffuses this story.  This story is a downer to be sure, and though the pacing is a bit too languid for my taste in the early going (granted, that's a stylistic choice), it embraces melancholy in tone and word choice throughout.

Recommendation:  If you're looking for a morose psychological horror fic, this is for you.  Readers who are burned out on "what if Twilight zapped the real Pinkie?" as a concept might not be interested, but I'd still recommend this to those who are at least tolerant of the premise as a piece of melancholia.