Author: Cold in Gardez
Description: She is as beautiful and graceful as the moon, and just as hard to reach. He is a young artist with much to learn about the world. When he accepts her challenge to create an artistic masterpiece, will he win her heart, or learn a terrible lesson in the nature of beauty and love?
The Glass Blower
The Glass Blower Alternate
Additional Tags: For the love of beauty
56 comments:
Sounds interesting
ReplyDeletemeh
ReplyDeleteIs this, can it be, Pygmalion??
ReplyDeleteTruly FiM can be crossed over with anything.
Hmm, I don't really care for Dark stuff, but I do like Gardez's work. What to do...
ReplyDeleteDamn it you guys don't comment if you haven't read it. It's amazing
ReplyDeleteDescription sounds interesting!
ReplyDelete@BruteForceFTW
ReplyDelete(Works several hours with CiG to make sure this fic is airtight)
(Sees this comment)
I'll now be rationing your air supply to people who deserve the oxygen. Seriously, this is genre discrimination at its finest.
I understand some people don't like [Dark] stories. I accept that, and I knew this wouldn't be rated as high as some of my other stuff.
ReplyDeleteI think people who do read it will enjoy it, however. I believe it's some of my best writing.
Read this on Fimfiction, really liked it and seriously felt for the main character.
ReplyDeleteThis gave me feelings, and not happy feelings either.
Nice job.
@[Bear]hobag
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I'm writing the Pygmalion crossover.
Second, how does this description resemble Pygmalion at all?
WOOHOO MORE COLD IN GARDEZ.
ReplyDeleteWords escape me, but I enjoyed this story so much that I have to say something.
ReplyDeleteThis a wonderfully haunting fairy tale. Well-written and frightening in all the best ways. This is one I'll read over and over again.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
ReplyDeleteI wish I had more than words to describe how I felt about this fic. So let's just settle with brilliant. It was an enchanting tale and I enjoyed it very much.
ReplyDelete@Cold in Gardez I guess I'd call this more [Sad] than [Dark], but, yeah, you get stung a bit by people who don't like [Dark]. It burns me when people clearly vote by personal taste rather than objectively evaluating the quality of writing. If you don't like [Dark], don't read it then complain about it, or worse yet, complain without reading it.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason the page won't load for me...Darn. It sounds interesting too...
ReplyDeleteI absolutely adored this fic. You said that this is one of your best pieces of writing, and I have no reason to disagree. Two thumbs up.
ReplyDelete@Cold in Gardez
ReplyDeleteJust, wow. You've done an amazing job. Not every author can capture emotion like you have here. Have you written anything else which is posted online?
@NinesTempest
ReplyDeleteHeh, I didn't exactly completely read the description when I posted that, to be honest. I saw the image, first two sentences, "masterpiece", "beauty and love", then I got a call and realized I had to run so my mind just filled in the rest.
Nice to hear that someone is actually doing a Pygmalion story though. This community...
Simply amazing!
ReplyDeleteThat was absolutely fantastic, not much else one can say in praise of this masterpiece.
ReplyDeleteOnly little thing that made me chuckle was the coding errors on that web page...all the apostrophe's and other characters appeared as gibberish like ̢۪ and the like, but that couldn't distract me from the perfection of the story.
Cold in Gardez: Master of emotion.
^you should add that to your already expansive list of titles.
P.S. (Grim)Dark/Sad fics are often the best ones. It saddens me that people dismiss them so easily for the simple reason of their own personal tastes rather than the merit of the piece itself. Case in point: Edgar Allan Poe, William Faulkner, and many, many more whose names won't come to me right now (for it is too filled with ponies).
Brilliant.
ReplyDeleteJust...
Brilliant.
^by 'it' I mean my brain.
ReplyDelete@Corejo
ReplyDeleteSomething went wrong with Fimfiction.net tonight, screwed up a lot of readers. The blogponies were kind enough to swap the link for a Google Documents version of the story, which shouldn't have those errors.
I'm actually reading The Contest right now. I'll get started on this in a bit. I skimmed the beginning. I sure hope this doesn't make Rarity (if it's about her) look like a horrible pony. She is best pony, after all.
ReplyDelete@Cold in Gardez
ReplyDeleteYea, I saw it changed to docs as soon as I posted that comment, but like I said, there's no need for me to reread it, the story was perfect and I was able to read past those errors after a few scroll-downs.
By the way, is there a way I can contact you or your editors for insight on my own stories?
This was quite an interesting read. Reminds me of the old versions of many classical fairy tales.
ReplyDeleteToo bad Rarity was too proud to admit the truth. I wish we could've seen exactly what Rarity saw in the mirror.
Hey, @Cold in Gardez
ReplyDeleteknighty here, just wanted to apologise for the issues on Fimfiction as your story was posted. I had to pick a time to transfer the server but no matter what time I pick it's going to be an issue for someone, so I'm sorry it had to be you.
@Corejo
ReplyDeleteYou speak of editors, but I prefer the title "reviewer."
I'm always free to e-mail at [email protected], but I can't vouch for the others. Typically, Filler and I are a gift set, so if you do need something looked at, we can get it done. We're mostly based out of ponychan's /fic/ board though, CiG isn't the only guy I do edits for. You're free to come on in and chat with us at: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AuAQzDU7RlujdHRrclhMemtIT2txM19xbEtHOUQtMGc&hl=en_US#gid=0
While reading this story, I kept getting this weird deja vu. I know I've heard a story with a very similar plot before, but for the life of me I can't remember where or what it was. The mirror in particular seemed familiar.
ReplyDeleteThat aside, beautiful story. It reminded me so much in pacing, language, and everything else of a classic fairy tale. I didn't quite like this interpretation of Rarity, but the story was more than well enough written for me to put my own opinions aside and enjoy it for the stunning work of art that it is.
I've only read one of your other stories (The Contest), and while I liked it a lot, it came nowhere near this one. This is a masterpiece, and I cannot express in words how grateful I am that you took the effort to write it and share it with us.
Oh Luna.
ReplyDelete...
Just... wow.
@Cassius
ReplyDeleteAdded to email list and bookmarked. Thanks! I'll get around to this when I stop procrastinating and do these stupid papers for my history class, or perhaps before I stop procrastinating...
*Insert whining about how [dark] doesn't match the setting of Equestria, Land of Happy Endings at all*
ReplyDeletethis is amaizing! and sad. i could not stop reading, it resally is a true peace of art.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMy god that was good.
ReplyDelete@Glomkettle
It reminded me of Andersen; "The Swineherd" to be precise.
The mirror scene also seemed extremely familiar to me, so much so that I had to go back and re-read it a few times. But the only similar mirror I can think of is the one from "The Snow Queen" (Andersen again), and that was the complete opposite of this... Perhaps CiG could enlighten us?
I'm glad I checked out your work, people write good comments about it and that's what led me here. Usually I avoid [Sad] and [Grim-dark] like the plague but I do check them out only if they're well written. And this story was magnificently written, more than any other fic the suspense drew me in and kept me on the edge of my seat. Poor Rarity, wish it wasn't her and just another OC pony but what other way to get the point across of a beautiful maiden? Not that having her marks the story as any less then the masterpiece that is. I really loved this and will look into you other works.
ReplyDelete@[Bear]hobag
ReplyDeleteNeither of those seem to quite fit with what I was thinking. I almost want to say the mirror reminded me of something from an old-ish game for the gameboy color, but that seems a bit off.
Imagine you're watching a master craftsman create a dagger. The steel of the blade is like a mirror, with delicate gold inlay. The hilt is fine silver set with gleaming jewels. Beautiful and perfect in every way.
ReplyDeleteThen imagine the craftsman lifting that dagger in his hand, and in one swift stroke, plunging it into your heart.
That's what I felt like when reading this story.
And to lighten the mood, since I went and rated this five stars, you can now say that this story earned you "praise from Caesar". ;) /rimshot
ReplyDeletePretty well done. A bit OOC on Rarity's part, but it's difficult to convince most people to read 'oc only' stories.Granted, that's a reason, not an excuse, but still.
ReplyDeleteGardez man! I thought you dropped off the face of Equestria! I loved all your stories and I absolutely think you're one of the best fanfic authors in the fandom. You continue to inspire my writing.
ReplyDeletePlease finish your Light of Dawn story. All of your stuff is good (especially your comedy! comedy is damn near impossible for most people to write), but Dawn is by far the most epic and cinematic. I HAVE to know what happens, I'm so worried for all the characters safety and futures! And THAT is a HUGE compliment.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be also epic if there was a story from Rarity's point of view,there are just so many emotions involved, the torment in her soul...i would do it myself,but i'm not a writer :/
ReplyDelete@[Bear]hobag
ReplyDeleteBased off the movie more than the original mythos, so... may not be exactly what you're wanting :P
I’m glad to see so many people have enjoyed this fic. It’s definitely a step away from my normal fare, and I wasn’t sure how it would be accepted. I knew from the beginning it probably wouldn’t be as popular as some of my other works, but I felt like I had to try something other than a comedy or action story at least once, and this was the result.
ReplyDeleteSome people have asked questions about the origin of the story, or if it’s based on anything in particular. The short answer is no, there is no single story or fairy tale this is modeled on. However, it does draw from a rich tradition of fables and fairy tales.
The idea of a suitor winning a lady’s favor by presenting her with a series of ever-more-magical gifts is extremely old. [Bear]Hobag noted that Andersen’s fairy tale The Swineherd was very similar in concept, though to be honest I had never read that tale before he brought it to my attention. It’s simply a very popular trope that I decided to take for a spin with ponies.
The magic mirror that reveals the true nature of its viewer is also very old and very popular. The number of examples is far too long to list -- vampires who don’t appear in mirrors, villains who order every mirror or reflective surface in their castle to be covered so they can’t see themselves, etc. It’s part of a larger sub-trope of magic mirrors in general, which can have any power you want to imagine.
People who have read my other stories will note that I’m often very unkind to Rarity. It’s not because I don’t like her. In fact, she’s one of my favorites. The reason she keeps getting hurt in my stories is that I think she sets herself up for it. Although generous, she is not an honest pony by any stretch. She can be cutting and cruel and judgemental. Someday I’ll do right by her in a story; until then, I strongly recommend people check out Somber’s “Simply Rarity,” for a deeply moving take on her background and character.
Since I’m rambling, I may as well go into the details of how this story was born. It started as a pair of ideas that stuck in my head one day: a broken, crazed man stuck on some obsessive task, unable to stop; and a remarkable gift, presented to a beautiful lady, that she subsequently destroyed in a fit of rage.
The first idea became the very last scene in the story, with the glass blower working and working, obsessing over something long beyond his grasp. The second idea became Rarity destroying the mirror, after it revealed her true character within. Every other piece of the story was built on those two ideas.
Finally, the original story was very different in style. I wrote the first few scenes in an extremely florid, almost Victorian style, complete with characters speaking in iambic pentameter (i.e. Shakespearean dialogue). A small bit of this remains in one of the glass blower’s lines:
"A bird?"� he mumbled as he worked. "A hummingbird. What else could do her beauty justice? It will have wings as graceful as her mane, and a beak as sharp as her horn. Crimson breasted, and azure plumage thatched."
Fortunately, Cassius and Filler managed to talk me out of that style. I’m glad -- the story is better for it.
Gardez, has much changed since my read through?
ReplyDelete@Kurbz
ReplyDeleteOnly minor fixes I think, nothing significant.
@Cold in Gardez
ReplyDeleteI wrote this little tidbit in my list of favorites for a description: "An astounding fairy tale, hearkening back to the classics yet taking a life unto itself, full-grown and standing tall and majestic. An intricately woven story that will hold you in its magic spell."
This is the type of tale kings and emperors would request of their bards, the mystic words spoken by a mysterious hermit to travelers gathered around a fireside in the spell-laced wood at night.
To paraphrase C.S. Lewis in his praise of his friend Tolkien's masterpiece, here be beauties that burn like fire and pierce the heart like cold iron.
Only a very few of the stories I've read have been set on a pillar so high that I would say not that they SHOULD be published, but rather that they MUST be published! Much of what it found in the fiction sections in modern book stores is put to shame and seen as the babbling of mad fools when compared to a work of such tragic beauty.
Now that I've finished my The Contest review, I'll move onto the story I finished this afternoon: The Glass Blower. I thought my review wouldn't be as long, but after typing all of this, damn. Once again, I write long reviews. My mind is still getting down from the high of reading that masterpiece.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, wow. The descriptive text is amazing. The use of simile and metaphor when the Glass Blower crafted his work not only allowed me to visualize the piece, but I was stunned at the language used. Passages like "He used a polishing board as thin as paper and fine as silk to smooth them to perfection" and "after a few minutes it began to glow: first a dull red, then a bright orange, and finally a brilliant, blinding yellow-white." enhanced the writing quality with the poetic descriptions. The story is incredibly beautiful, yet heartbreaking at the same time.
I've taken many classes in glass blowing, and I'd have to say, you really know your way around describing it. When in the class for the first time, I was awestruck by the beauty of the art lain out before me, already made. I wondered what I could do to emulate such art. Unfortunately, I never got really good at it. Most of the glass art I made turned out lopsided, but like Sticks' first marionette, they were my own masterpieces. I managed to make a beautiful vase using a sparkling purple and a sky blue hue, and mixed the colors with the tweezers to give it a fiery look to them, as if the vase was burning with the purple night and the blue light of day (my attempt at poetic language).
About Rarity. I wrote a comment before I read this story found here: @Equinenox. It was somewhat of a silly lighthearted comment defending Rarity. Now that I've read this, I was touched with how you highlighted Rarity's character flaws. I want to agree, though, with a few people posting that Rarity was a bit out of character. Watching the show, I think she would've shown her flattery, and swooned over the artwork. This situation may be more for the show's children aspect. If the show were more for adults, she wouldn't have been as silly as I described, but I still don't think she would've put on such a stuck-up face when she is really drooling over the art inside (so to speak). Then again, this can all be my Generosity Goggles defending Rarity. An OC pony would've been better, but that would make it more difficult to know the character. We know Rarity's character, and we know she would act just like this (if not very close), and most importantly, we know her flaws. You highlighted those flaws to make it a sad story, and help us understand Rarity more. She is a flawed character like all of the ponies, and OCs just have a hard time getting flaws.
Apparently, this review is so long, I have to split it into two posts. I hope you're reading all of this because I avoid filler when I can.
ReplyDeleteAnother point I wanted to put somewhere, but I didn't know where: I want to compare Rarity with the Femme Fatale archetype of old myths and fairy tales. She captivates others with her beauty, but only causes broken hearts. Not all FF characters are James Bond villains. Aphrodite counts as one.
This paragraph was originally about 2 missing commas in the last paragraph, but I'm omitting that. You can find them. Now it's a question. How come Sticks saw marionette strings attached to himself in the mirror? I know he loves making them, but does it mean he's a puppet? I went back to reread his speech, and he seems to be a very independent guy, so I want to know if there is any symbolism there.
One last thing. I'm going to agree a LOT with one particular comment over at the fimfiction page. >>40997 This story NEEDS a human version. Not because this story doesn't fit with ponies, but because I want to share it with my non-brony family and friends who want nothing to do with ponies. My mother would love this story because she took the class with me, and the teacher would probably love a copy as well. It seems like such a story that would go well as a human fairy tale set in Renaissance Era England. Once finished, I fully intended to go through, and cross out the "pony overtones," and replace them with humans, but now I think that would be impertinent to dismantle a story like that to fit my agenda. I only ask that you either make a human version of this story, or give me permission to do the deed mentioned above. I know I don't need to ask you, but a story of this caliber (perfection) cannot be dismantled without the artist's permission.
This story is beautiful and would be an amazing fairy tale I would shorten to tell around a fire for children. When reading, I was imagining myself holding a picture book with beautiful illustrations, flipping page after page, and reading the text. I really want to illustrate this into one, but alas, I have no drawing talent. Anyway, I think I've covered everything I wanted to say. I'll be awaiting your reply if you decide to make one. If it isn't obvious enough, I'm giving this story a 5-star. There is little doubt in my mind that this story will reach a 6-star in no time unless people see the sad tag, and low-rate it. Due to these two stories I just read, I'm bumping your other one-shot stories to the top of the list. Expect more long-winded reviews from me in the near future.
@Equinenox
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the long-winded review! It's heartening to see my story made enough of an impact that people took the time to write a response to it.
I do agree with critics who say that Rarity's actions are a bit out of character, at least as we see in the cartoon. Everyone in the cartoon is kind and pleasant, after all, as one would expect from a children's show. The Rarity in this story deviates from that, and is more like the Rarity I would expect in a fairy tale -- still the Spirit of Generosity, but also a human (or pony) with her own flaws, in particular her flaw of pride.
I hadn't planned on re-writing this story as a non-pony story, but now I may have to reconsider. Several people have asked for it, and it's honestly something I considered during the writing process. More than any of my other stories, this is only a 'pony' story to the extent that it features unicorns, earth ponies, hooves, etc. Unlike my other stuff, there is nothing about this that couldn't be replaced with humans. Even the characters are entirely my own creation (minus Rarity, but as was noted, the Rarity in this story is virtually my own creation as well). So yes, it could be de-ponified pretty easily.
The difficulty lies in the fact that writing pony stories is very easy for authors, because so much information is already known by the reader. The reader knows what unicorns are, knows that they have magic, knows what cutie marks are, knows who Rarity is, knows what Canterlot is, etc. If I take those things out, suddenly I have to come up with new ways to explain things to the reader. It adds a level of difficulty.
Anyway, I'll think about it. I have a few writing projects I'm working on, and if this turns out to be fairly simple I may squeeze it in.
Finally, as to the rating, I'm not expecting this to fare well. People don't like sad stories, generally, and this story was pretty abusive of Rarity. When I wrote it I knew this would probably happen.
While this story has been out for a while I've been meaning to read it, the pic really solidified that feeling. Now that I have read it all I can say is that this is a very well put together story, and I personally feel that it is quite alright to stray away from the sometimes overly optimistic and perfect world that normally plagues Equestria.
ReplyDeleteI read this way back when it was new.
ReplyDeleteI saw this referenced in the recent Q&Neigh as well as on FiMfiction...
I just wanted to say It still holds a powerful place in my memory, even after half a year!
@richfiles Same here. It's one of the 'SUPER-FAV's in my list of best pony fics.
ReplyDeleteIt's one of those I would love to buy if it were made into an illustrated book.
It's a perfect fairy tale.
@Cold in Gardez Let's face it, considering the slew of hyper-grim-darkness we've seen since this story was first posted, it's incredibly tame by comparison! It's becoming rare to find a dark or grimdark story that doesn't veer the characters far outside their canon character now-a-days. Especially all the Tyrantlestia fics. Most people writing those don't even try to follow the show's Celestia.
ReplyDelete