Re: [GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion

[Kippershy]

Yes, we've been told to stop talking about things. Three times now, I think.
Twice of those times, it's because of me.

Rape is a big no-no subject.
I can't remember the other two things.

[Kippershy]

Oh? Okay, then it was only me once.
'cos the horse parts was Kim and I dunno who the hoofington poison was.
Hell, I don't even remember that one.

Could've been before I really got into posting.

[iLateralGX]

Well, I got the apartment squared away today. Nice place. Deposits are anhilating my bank account though. 700 here. 100 there. 200 there. It's like "Really?" Yes, Really. Sigh... Once I make my first pay check I'll be fine, but that's not till the 20th! Ugh... ::slumps.::

This weekend I am moving so no internets. I've got a billion things to plan for school now and I'm so stressed... sigh... sorry. I'll stop bitching. I'm trying to dedicate one hour a night to writing. It feels like I'm writing at a glacial pace... but I'll get it done. As much as it hurts, I might drop to a chapter a month. I'm sorry, but it kills me to give so little when all of you deserve so much.

Anyway, so very sorry for the drama. I hope everything goes well for everyone. First week is always a mess so hopefully... ::Crosses fingers.::

Good luck there Somber.

It's an AP English course? Hmm, those kids should have more dedication and creativity. You could have them do a creative writing exercise in writing a short story based on a popular movie or TV show and see what happens. :P

>Student writes MLP fiction
>Somber reads and approves
>Somber drops subtle MLP jokes and references
>Student confronts Somber after school to see if Brony
>Somber "Maaaaaybe...."
>Somber recommends student reads awesome fanfiction "Fallout: Equestria"
>Student returns after reading and says it was amazing story
>Somber says student should read epic side story called "Project Horizons" and mentions a forum that has crazy shenanigans that student would love
>Student obliges and joins forum
>Forum members don't reveal who Somber is
>After school ends Somber spills beans
>mfw when Somber was teacher entire time and I did not know ಠ_ಠ

[Cptadder]

That would not be a good outcome iLateralGx, public schools are hyper critical about everything to do with teachers, a good teacher is one who goes home at 7pm and does nothing but grade papers till 5AM when they come back to school. I've seen to many teachers lose jobs for bullshit reasons because parents pitched a fit.

I've also seen a teacher who was well known to be having an affair with the principle get away with nearly burning down the school because she was smoking in her classroom (Against many rules) and throwing cigarettes into trashcans. Even funnier she got her smokes by hitting up the students who were smoking and confiscating their smokes.

[iLateralGX]

That would not be a good outcome iLateralGx, public schools are hyper critical about everything to do with teachers, a good teacher is one who goes home at 7pm and does nothing but grade papers till 5AM when they come back to school. I've seen to many teachers lose jobs for bullshit reasons because parents pitched a fit.

I've also seen a teacher who was well known to be having an affair with the principle get away with nearly burning down the school because she was smoking in her classroom (Against many rules) and throwing cigarettes into trashcans. Even funnier she got her smokes by hitting up the students who were smoking and confiscating their smokes.

Oh trust me I know, I was going along with the theme of "Somber is not here, lets post anything."
That is why all of my teachers while I was in my High School IB classes said they would refuse any sort of communication via social networking until we all graduated. Now that we have though, many of my old pals from high school have sent them friend requests and whatnot on Facebook. I don't use that site at all anymore so you know, not me.


EDIT: Neil Armstrong was just announced dead. RIP first man on the moon.

[WavemasterRyx]

Okies. This is Somber 13, going to the darkside of the moon. Goodluck and Godspeed. I should be out by tuesday if my internet can get hooked up in time...

*hugs you tight* Godspeed, Somber. I wish you fair winds and following seas.

[Valikdu]

We can talk about anything we want and she won't be around to tell us to stop for three whole days?

...Cue the dolphin vaginas.

[Kippershy]

We can talk about anything we want and she won't be around to tell us to stop for three whole days?

...Cue the dolphin vaginas.

Don't tempt me.

[O. Hinds]

EDIT: Neil Armstrong was just announced dead. RIP first man on the moon.

Pity.

re the Joke: That was banned? I thought that we just settled it and moved on. Ah well; either way, no problem, I think.

[IncoherentOrange]

>Student writes MLP fiction
>Somber reads and approves
>Somber drops subtle MLP jokes and references
>Student confronts Somber after school to see if Brony
>Somber "Maaaaaybe...."
>Somber recommends student reads awesome fanfiction "Fallout: Equestria"
>Student returns after reading and says it was amazing story
>Somber says student should read epic side story called "Project Horizons" and mentions a forum that has crazy shenanigans that student would love
>Student obliges and joins forum
>Forum members don't reveal who Somber is
>After school ends Somber spills beans
>mfw when Somber was teacher entire time and I did not know ಠ_ಠ

Reminds me of how a friend of mine wrote AppleDash for his MLA. He passed, somehow. He did a 'book oral' on FoE. He passed that somehow, too. I wasn't in the room for that, but I heard it was quite a presentation, with his friend asking questions to go along with it:

"Is it true that Littlepip is a lesbian?"

Shenanigans, indeed.

But no, Somber could not do that. Knowing how the school system is and how they label things, they'd investigate and say that Somber was producing pony porn and promoting it to his students. This is a bad thing. Remember the age of those he teaches--two years older than I am, which would be sixteen, but the point still stands--both FoE and PH contain sexual content, graphic violence, and a terribly dark atmosphere. Those underage here are those that can withstand exposure to this content without too much discomfort, or that enjoy it for their own reasons. The latter element is much more important to the story than the other two, yes, but the other two are definitely present and by no means 'excused'. Look at it from their point of view.

[Ketchup]

...Or they'd get a member of the staff to read it and show no bias against it, in which case, they'd likely say it was good and within decency standards(Because it is), and probably not fire him or get a media kerfuffle worked up.

[IncoherentOrange]

...Or they'd get a member of the staff to read it and show no bias against it, in which case, they'd likely say it was good and within decency standards(Because it is), and probably not fire him or get a media kerfuffle worked up.

It's a thing to think about; how might they react? Would they? To what extent? It's not like there's nothing objectionable in the story, but you can find such things, and even more objectional things, in stories popular with kids these days (the A Song of Ice and Fire trilogy, for example, is now very popular among youth because it's got an HBO show now. I read the first one and most of the second. I know what's in it), so why might they punish Somber for having written something of the kind? (Actually, I have the impression now that ASoIF is 'worse'.) Something to think about.

[Cptadder]

I stand more with Orange than Ketchup504, if it makes it to administration they tend to always blow things up. Look at it this way, your Administrator Responsible, if you chuck this Somber fellow out you will be at worst criticized for over-reacting and you will be able to say "I care about my students" but if you don't toss Somber out then it might turn out something horrible happens (IE some parent finds out with access to someone in the local news media) and before you know it you get burned.

Our society has a media that has spent the last fourteen years building a feedback loop where in if they find out anything about... anything then they blow it out of proportion because they need to fill news time and nothing makes for better news than a scandal and there are no media outlets that exist to let you know something is being over hyped except the comedy shows unless it's a political story in which case you automatically get help from your side alined news outlets.

Also George R.R Martin who wrote ASoIF would make a horrible teacher and yes the Game of Thrones series should have a NC-17 label on the front, especially in any scene involving Gregor Clegane or the Boltons.

Without being extreme, Martin can write scenes that while not as graphic as Cupcakes yet far... far... worse in tone because he goes not go into the Saw franchise torture porn but instead uses Hitchcock style tricks to fill in just enough of a scene to make your mind fill in the rest... and make it all to personal.

[Cptadder]

Spoilers for Chapter 33 "Black" of Project Horizon and the Bolton chapters in Dance of Dragons

Spoiler:

[iLateralGX]

Actually, I wasn't under the impression that that matters to them. They had me reading 1984 and Lord of the Flies at that age. The sexual content might be less in-your-face, but the violence and darkness in books like these are palpable. They are really the central themes to them.

It is more that Somber and kkat's work aren't "classics".

I am gonna have to say I agree with you the most on this issue. As high school students we read all sorts of things that allude toward murder or rape and sometimes outright blatantly state it. Brave New World was one of the worst offenders in this department in my opinion.


And I a stated earlier people, I was joking. I know that a student of his being here would be extremely bad news.

[WovenTales]

My AP Language class (11th grade) had me read The God of Small Things. Not as dark as Fo:E, but included a scene where a man got a youngish kid to give him a hand job, and another with heavily implied—but offscreen—incest, in addition to one or two more standard scenes. Admittedly, that was one of the most established teachers and a great candidate for the entire school's favorite rather than a newcomer, but I'd say that PH isn't worse (the sex might even be a bit less graphic, if featuring ponies), especially if it is only presented as an unofficial recommendation. Still probably not the best thing to assign, but I'd think they were stretching things if they tried to get him in trouble for mentioning outside of class that Fo:E and PH might interest a particular student. But with the mess of a legal system they follow, who knows?

[tylertoon2]

It is less that it is worse and more so that they aren't 'classic literalistically acclaimed books' (Despite the fact if they didn't involve ponies they damned well could be) or just extremely popular and "In" right now.

Honestly it is all about how well known and socially acceptable a book is. If a teacher, not just recommended, but actually assigned something like Fifty Shades of Gray (Which depicts graphic (And poorly written) sex) at most they would bat an eye. A couple intelligent people might raze a fuss but because it is so popular, no one would care.

Hell they might even be encouraged because the book has been so hyped up as edgy or whatever.

If a teacher were to give so much of a recommendation of say Fallout Equestria and a parent or student made a fuss about it, the media would have a shit-storm "Teacher Encourages Students to Read Bestiality!" "Teacher Endorses Sick Brony Fanfiction!" Whatever.

Anyway. Tread lightly Somber. But if you happen to have students who are Bronies don't be afraid to joke around and talk to them and stuff. It is always a good idea to relate to your students.

[Admiral Stoic Rum]

wait so we can fight visciously and not have consequence until tuesday? I have work at six-thirty! I won't be around for the consequences...

CptAdder, your Mother was a hamster and your Father smelled of elderberries.

[Admiral Stoic Rum]

does Somber have a 3 or 4G cell phone? because if he does and it is an android phone then all he needs is to Download FoxFi and set it up, makes your phone into a wireless hotspot and that is what I am doing right now, I am at a 3G connection because my LTE connection spazzes the people say it is a software issue but I digress my point is this, cheap internet and no waiting for activation...

[Icy Shake]

My AP Language class (11th grade) had me read The God of Small Things. Not as dark as Fo:E, but included a scene where a man got a youngish kid to give him a hand job, and another with heavily implied—but offscreen—incest, in addition to one or two more standard scenes. Admittedly, that was one of the most established teachers and a great candidate for the entire school's favorite rather than a newcomer, but I'd say that PH isn't worse (the sex might even be a bit less graphic, if featuring ponies), especially if it is only presented as an unofficial recommendation. Still probably not the best thing to assign, but I'd think they were stretching things if they tried to get him in trouble for mentioning outside of class that Fo:E and PH might interest a particular student. But with the mess of a legal system they follow, who knows?

I think it was in my senior year of high school (AP Lit.) that we had to read (Nobel Laureate) Toni Morrison's Beloved. On the first day, we were given some time to start reading it in class, but I was reading something else. After about twenty minutes, someone in the class exclaimed "Did they just have sex with a cow‽" I thought it was a joke at the time, but when I read it later, I find that that's exactly what happened. Honestly, though, if I were to choose a reason not to assign that novel, it wouldn't be because of the bestiality or the dead baby hauntings. It would be because the novel is incredibly boring, not to mention inane, and there was nobody in the cast I could find myself caring about. Frankly, the "experimental?" chapters, without punctuation or whatnot, also fell flat, impinging readability without, in my opinion, helping the tone or narrative (not that the latter could have been salvaged at that point anyway).

Neither Inferno nor Odyssey was exactly sunshine and lollipops either, and in addition to 1984, Animal Farm, and Lord of the Flies, I read Brave New World as one of a list of choices—I think in my sophomore year. It wasn't too violent, but I certainly think there was enough sex to raise some hackles.

So yeah, as tylertoon and others said, it's all about the degree to which the mainstream has accepted the work as art, or at least relevant. No surprise to anyone there. And of course teachers much tread lightly with their students, but not because of the legal system. It's rather the fact that there are far too many parents (and sometimes busybodies who aren't even really connected to the schools or students) in America with too much free time and nothing better to do than harass public schools over stupid bullshit. I don't even think you can really blame the administrations (on this issue), because just going public with an accusation is enough to raise a whole shitstorm for everyone involved, and the resources aren't there to deal with that with any kind of regularity.

[Cptadder]

Icy shake is correct, being a public school teacher is much oddly enough like being a woman living alone in the 1600s where all it takes is a one person yelling "Witch" and before you know it your gone and no one will say your name, evidence or no evidence because once you've attracted the public's attention guilty or not guilty you are automatically labeled as guilty and can never be proven innocent.

[Icy Shake]

I liked Odyssey and 1984. Animal Farm infuriated me and I refused to read Lord of the Flies after looking up the cliff notes.
My english teacher, being the awesome teacher she was, she handed me The Count of Monte Cristo, which would become my favorite book and I've now read it at least six times or so.

Somber, if/when you read this comment, please let your kids have a second choice if they just can't take any more of these horrible literature classics. You'd be that much more awesome if you did.

Yeah, I liked Odyssey, enough that I chose the Iliad as one of the books to read over the next summer. I don't really remember too well how I felt about Animal Farm, since I read it in middle school, but I think I preferred it to 1984 which I found sort of slow and a little confusing (I think that was mostly around some time-jump point in the plot), which is much how I felt about Flies.

Out of other assigned or assigned-from-list books, I loved Inferno (ended up reading Purgatorio and Paradiso as well, but sadly I screwed it up and read versions from three different translators ), Catch 22, A Tale of Two Cities, and probably some others I'm forgetting at the moment. I really did enjoy Tom Jones, but it was a little longer than necessary (the same is probably true of Tale, but to a lesser extent). I can't remember if there were any of Shakespeare's plays I really liked other than Hamlet; I do remember feeling a little sickened over The Merchant of Venice, though, but then it's not the fault of the play that the morality of 400 years ago didn't translate well to the modern day. Dandelion Wine pretty much kept me from seeking out any of Ray Bradbury's other work for several years, and when I did read Fahrenheit 451 and some of his short stories, the similarities sort of soured the experience for me.

As for the alternate book idea--I think it depends on the situation. If the class is focused on more seminar/discussion-style teaching, then having everyone on the same page is pretty important, but you might be able to pull it off. For purely lecture-based classes or those focusing on written responses, I absolutely agree, as long as they cover the same bases in terms of class content. I'm sad to confess I've never got around to reading Count.

[O. Hinds]

There's also The Jungle. And Frankenstein.

[Derpmind]

About the Killing Joke discussion, for anyone who forgot or wasn't around at the time: I don't remember what exactly the discussion was about, nor do I care to look it up, but basically it was about if Somber's use of Killing Joke's powers was consistent with it's original depiction as written by Kkat. Somewhere along the line pretty much everyone agreed that Killing Joke was ambiguous enough originally that it's effects on the group in Ch. 37 were believable enough. Also, too awesome to not have happen. The reason that the topic became 'banned' is that Necro refused to drop it even when everyone else wanted to move on and talk about other stuff. Necro continually kept making extremely large posts about how Somber was contradicting canon, (and some other stuff that I forget,) and these posts goaded many others into counter-arguing against him. It went on for days, and considering how fast we move through topics that's saying something. Eventually Somber told Necro to stop it, and it's been over since whenever that was. Nothing similar has occurred since. Necro has since been significantly less evil since the incident, and the rest of the thread has moved on.

This has been a Project Horizons historical broadcast. Because remembering the forum comments on a story based off of another story that is a history of a fictional dark future of a world that is closely portrayed in a popular cartoon show for children in another dimension inhabited by two-legged monkey people (who always wear clothes) is complicated, but also somewhat entertaining.

[Nightfire]

Didn't edit this however this was a nice little thing i did for my OC Ranger as he talks of his lonely life XD

Spoiler:

I get bored sometimes :P Don't even know why im posting it here, however i have no other place to do so.

[222222]

About the literature, I rather enjoyed Lord of the Flies. I never read Animal Farm or 1984. I felt that Jane Eyre was really nice, until I fell behind and had to read the last third of the book in one night. Brave New World was alright, I'd say above average. I disliked Ray Bradburys The Martian Chronicles as a whole because of how disjointed and contradictory the stories are, but I liked them individually well enough. I liked the Sun Also Rises quite a bit. But my all time favorite book I read for Language Arts was Heart of Darkness. I just loved it. The only thing I really disliked was a play called The Rhinocerous, but even that may have been because we read it out loud in class. But yeah, Heart of Darkness, great book, highly recommend. Also, to be honest, I don't think FOE or PH are school appropriate really because they spend too much time being blatantly entertaining and cool, and not enough time being abstractly metaphorical.

[OneMoreDaySK]

@Swicked
It is a rather simple book, but you didn't mention the minor details of how each animal dealt with it, as well as the corresponding groups IRL Russia.

As for books:
Odyssey
Illiad (translated from Latin)
Tom Sawyer
Huckleberry Finn
Catcher in the Rye
1984
Brave New World
Things Fall Apart
Atlas Shrugged (skipped the monologue)
Canterbury Tales
Waiting for Godot
Lord of the Flies
Fahrenheit 451
and a bunch more. Currently reading Complete Collection of Sherlock Holmes.

As for Project Horizons, probably not the best subject for kids, especially since parents might complain. There's always that one parent. But methinks it'd be an interesting look in a psych class.

[O. Hinds]

Atlas Shrugged (skipped the monologue)

Ah yes, the monologue. For those of you who don't know, Atlas Shrugged contains a speech that was, if I remember correctly, some forty pages long in the edition I read. I, too, skipped it, and I don't expect that I missed much.

[Ketchup]

Necro hasn't been around lately.

[Guest]

Lessee, assigned books.

-Fahrenheit 451 was better when I read it as a fourth grader than when I read it in high school freshman English. Bradbury himself was apparently not a huge fan of the book, or something. I liked it as a story well enough, but centering a week of classes around it felt extremely preachy. Preaching to the choir, in my case, but still. "BOOKS ARE GOOD OKAY." Ya, got it.

-A Tale of Two Cities soured me on Dickens. The only interesting character (to me, at the time) was Carton, and there were whole chapters in which he was absent. The other characters, and the plot, were far from engrossing.

-The Things They Carried. Big, big fan of this one. It's not the perfect book, but it was a great read and actually gave us some interesting things to talk about in class.

-Catcher In The Rye. Eh, it was fine. I didn't hate it, like some classmates, and I didn't love it like others.

-Great Gatsby was one I enjoyed. It was a fun read, and the characters were interesting to me.

-Lord of the Flies was fine, but I couldn't help feeling as though other horror stories had probably done what it did better.

-Song of Solomon was a pretty cool book. I enjoyed reading it. Analyzing it was less of a good time, in part because everyone - myself included - was still very awkward about the sex. Also, peacocks.

-The Yellow Wallpaper: I ADORED this. Getting to read good psychological horror for class? Yes, please!

There were plenty of others, of course, from Shakespeare to Things Fall Apart, but those were the first to come to mind. If Somber could swing getting the class to read House of Leaves, that'd be pretty cool - I enjoyed that one in a college course on non-traditional fiction and poetry. It's friggin' long, though, and expensive, and somewhat graphic. And weird. But cool. Doesn't always work, but when it does, it's really cool, IMO.

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