Fallout: Equestria

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Fanfiction
Title: Fallout: Equestria
Author(s): Kkat
Date(s): April 12, 2011 - December 25, 2011
Length: 620k words across more than 2k pages
Genre(s): Post-apocalyptic fiction
Fandom(s): My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, Fallout
Relationship(s):
External Links: https://www.fimfiction.net/story/119190/fallout-equestria

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Fallout: Equestria is a My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic fan fiction set in a Fallout fusion AU.

It's one of the fandom's most popular fics, and has spawned hundreds of side stories from a large number of authors; FoE itself and four major side stories are collectively known as the "Big Five."

The story is catalogued in the Library of Congress.[1]

Background

Story

Genre, tropes, tags

Development, inspiration, and narrative choices

Printing

Fannish Bookbinding

Translations

Reception

Popularity

Reviews and Comments

Good: Kkat actually did do the research of both series and blend pretty well. She did some research about the Fallout series and thought about how to put them in an MLP one that makes sense during the setting....

The characters are some good too. Velvet Remedy has some really good character development as she starts out this shelter but is a good heart healer to wise one that knew that some choices are not easy to make. Calamity and SteelHooves are kinda these veterans of the Wastelands but even then they can make bad decisions and even be caught off guard by what they find in their adventures. Xenith gives a unique view of the world through a zebra’s eyes. Littlepip the pov is only one of the main cast I have a problem with the main cast. At least at the beginning. But what I like about her is that everyone has a different option for her. Some think that she is a hero but others think she is a reckless idiot or a villain in some cases. Which is actually pretty cool. Most MCs are well-loved or dislike for no reason in both fanfics and in media so seeing people have a mix of options is refreshing. Now to the bad stuff which is small but I should tell people.

Bad: Right off the bad let’s talk about romance in this fic. Nothing really toxic but not enough chemistry between party members. Not spoiler or anything but one character spends probably two whole days talking to someone and deciding to date them. I’m all one for a bit of speedrun date in fics but this is too fast even for me.

Then there’s Littlepip’s beginning that kinda breezes through. Not so much in power but more of mortal standpoint but there are some things like that. Like she kills a bunch of ponies but didn’t really think of it for too long before deciding they were bad and therefore deserve to die. Plus while I don’t consider while I don’t like to talk about the character’s strength because that is not the point of the fic but I feel if you going for a more realistic standpoint Littlepip would have problems with some of the guns because she really didn’t train well. There could chalk it up with the author not researching and she does later give Littlepip more challenges to overcome. So you have to go through the beginning to get to that part. This brings with to this pacing.

This fic is so long and cut some of this shit out. Plus beginning wasn’t that good. Only after we deal with Topaz the fic pick up but then we kinda just waffle around until we get to the Steel Ranger and the whole Red Eye arc is where Littlepip shines as a character.[2]

Because Fallout is my favorite games series and My Little Pony is my favorite TV show. It was the first thing I ever read from the fandom and the only reason I decided to even give the show a try back in 2014. Other than liking the two properties the book is based on, it’s written really, really well and I love every bit of it. The only thing I like more than KKat’s original book is Somber’s pseudo-sequal-continuation Project Horizons. They’re both tied for my favorite book I’ve ever read and I highly recommend them to bronies and non-bronies alike. Just the fact that this one story has created its own fandom, pretty much completely separate from the rest of the fandom, is a testament to how good it is. Also most of the stories written by the Fallout Equestria fandom turn out pretty good I haven’t fully read Murky Number 7 or Pink Eyes yet but so far they’re both great.[3]

It reminded me of Harry Potter actually; the wildly selfless self-deprecating hero who blushes at their fame and doesn't see what a hero they are, the soul jars, invisibility cloaks and memory orbs, including putting the past together throughout the story via looking at memories, the allies from throughout the saga all coming together for the final fight, the part in the climax where the hero "dies" and goes to a plain where they meet a mentor figure who's supposed to be dead.

The traveling all over the place and saving people at various locations reminded me of Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Admittedly though, those are the only other two fantasy adventure sags I'm familiar with. I haven't even watched Star Wars.

One thing I didn't like so much was Fluttershy. Where in the show her victories against her fears or occasional subversions of her normal shyness are part of her appeal, in the words of someone else "it's like seeing a Disney princess fight a dragon, or an old Disney princess become a modern Disney princess." in FO:E she felt more like just an extra-frightened Snow White, someone who's like a scared little girl who everyone sees as an even cuter Shirley Temple than an actual adult.. ("If all the water in Stable Two had frozen, that smile could have melted it.")

It takes a little bit for the story to get to the point where the life-threatening danger and shooting is building up to a final destination, where you feel like you're not just going through a distracting side quest or being derailed by yet another survival situation before returning to the status quo via Littlepip's impenetrable plot armor. The most tedious moments of this for me were the couple times the story didn't even explain why Littlepip was pressing forward through the bullets of a security system until she got to the destination (Ironshod and one of the ministry's in Canterlot). There were a few times where I scrolled down a bit to see how long before the action ends and we return to the more story/character driven scenes.

The story made me think about the line between villains, heroes and those who are neither; how heroism, specifically of the kind shown in FO:E, is inherently morally risky and there are probably a lot of times people choose not to be heroes just to avoid the risk of becoming villains.[4]

The Fallout Series and My Little Pony are two things that are very special to me. So, hearing that someone created a fanfic crossing the two together, that was something that I had to see for myself. At first glance, I wasn't sure what to make of Fallout: Equestria. One thing is of course to be admired in Fallout: Equestria is how ambitious it is. These were two radically different franchises design for radically different demographics, but you can clearly see the author’s love for the both franchises and their attempt to create the best of both worlds....

Fallout: Equestria does many things right and wrong, and one of it being the plot. The story is a mixture of the four main Fallout Titles, the plot is well thought-out and coherent, but it does fall flat at times. The story also incorporates a back story of Littlepip learning how the Equestrian Wasteland came to be. This involves the mane six taking on government jobs, and go through their perspective and tells the story of their actions during the war. This Pre-War arc becomes a more compelling story than the problems in the present and I became far more interested in the mane six’s adventure than the adventures of Littlepip.

The characters are all lovable in their own way, every character in the story feels dynamic and mixes well with Littlepip, and this is what drives her the development. Each character Littlepip interacts with results in this moral dilemma that makes her question the meaning of what it means to be good and evil. This takes the story on an emotional and psychological ride and makes you question the “tragic hero†archetype,and makes you ask yourself. “were their actions really just.†This is was really drives Littlepip’s journey even if it’s main plot falls short of what it could have been.

One thing you have to be wary of is that this is a very dark book, involving many graphic and gruesome scenes about death, blood gore and disembodiment, alcohol and drugs, rape, and explicit sexual themes. There is nothing subtle about this fic, everything is dark and depressing and it rarely lightens up, especially further down into the story. So be worn.

When I downloaded the PDF, the first thing I noticed is that the book was over 2000 pages long. This is a slow read, and the main reason why it can be so slow is that because Kkat took so much time to describe every last detail in every single room, and there are a lot of rooms.The amount of detail can bore a lot of readers and can make them feel like the story is dragging on. This kind of writing is an acquired taste that can make or break the story, but it’s the amount of detail that it creates such an a fleshed out and vivid world. The book becomes slow, but the world feels so alive. This is one of the many praises I have to give to Kkat for making such a beautifully diverse world.

Fallout: Equestria is a gem, with some scratches here and there, but it’s incredible atmosphere and interesting character’s shines, and shines brightly. If you like My Little Pony and the Fallout Series then, check this out. This is one fanfic that you wont forget.[5]

If there is any one work of literature to define Bronies to any outsider, it is Fallout: Equestria. All the elements of the fandom are outlined in this. The message that peace and love will overcome is a universal one, but one championed by the My Little Pony show. The fandom also expresses its love for other stories, such as video games, through their fanfiction. This is just one video game that many Bronies have latched onto.

The Brony surrogate in this fanfiction is displayed through all characters, but especially the enthusiastic Littlepip. Littlepip is always the first to go into a situation and wants to investigate out of sheer curiosity, much like how most Bronies were introduced to the show in the first place. Here narration out of bias is many fans’ defense of the show.

The Brony fandom as a whole is outlined, defined, and expressed through this long fanfiction. While it may have been unintentional, the message is there, regardless. Ultimately, the measure of a well-written story is one with several interpretations. The mere implication of this message in the story is a sign something was done right. Brony fandom has its doctrine in this masterpiece. Kkat expressed themselves well.[6]

Recursive fan works

Fanart

Audio book

Fanfiction

The Big Five

The Big Five refer to Fallout:Equestria and 4 major side stories

  • Project Horizons by Somber is the story of Blackjack, a security mare from the tyrannical Stable 99, who uncovers a sprawling conspiracy when she's forced out into the Equestrian Wasteland. Project Horizons is widely known as being a darker-and-edgier take on the FoE setting; at one point it was one of the most popular side stories and spawned several sidefics of its own, but has become increasingly divisive over time.
  • Fallout: Equestria - Murky Number Seven by FuzzyVeeVee is about Murky, a pegasus slave trying to escape from the industrial hellscape of Fillydelphia.
  • Heroes by No One, a story about an earth-pony mercenary, Silver Storm, who becomes entangled in factional struggles in the city of Dise.
  • Fallout Equestria: Pink Eyes by mimezinga, one of the earliest FoE side stories, in which a foal wanders the Equestrian Wasteland searching for her mother.

Other

Meta/Further Reading

Resources

Notes

References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ "Fallout: Equestria Review". Archived from the original on 2023-02-19.
  3. ^ "Why do you like Fallout Equestria so much?". Archived from the original on 2023-02-19.
  4. ^ Finished Fallout: Equestria the other day: Thoughts and Review
  5. ^ "Fallout: Equestria Review". Archived from the original on 2023-02-19.
  6. ^ "Fallout Equestria: A Fanfiction Justification for the My Little Pony Fandom". Archived from the original on 2023-02-19.
Related Concepts, Fandoms, Terms, Fanworks
See also
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