#distant star

As the sun sets over Equestria a deep disturbance snakes its way out from the castle. The roots of something evil had taken over the land, stretching under every city, every village, every home, every inch of the country. Zecora was right, even the princess could feel it now. A evil force slowly crept to the capital, or... was it already in the castle walls? When the princess was left alone, it all settled in. Everything felt wrong, the deep darkness she had been too tired to notice had permeated every particle in the air, despite the barrier she had put up... despite all the protection she provided whatever evil her comrade had predicted was already here, somehow. Maybe her sister brought it? Maybe she hadn't put the shield down soon enough? perhaps when she let Shining armor leave he let it in, he didnt teleport like her new guest had and rather she briefly opened part of the bubble. Or maybe it was the stress of everything...

She wasn't sure, there was no way she could be. She hadn't slept in over a week, locked up in her court room trying to reengineer the potion with her aids... perhaps her sister was right, she had been away for too long. Her sister was wrong about one thing though, her dreamwalking was a tool for harm, Celestia knew it almost imminently. Now put under a timer of only 48 hours, all her decisions matter. What steps does she have to take to try to stop the inevitable. Perhaps her new confidant may have a solution...

Across Equestria this disturbances was felt, in Moondancer in the arctic of what used to be the Unicorn mountain range. Across all the members of S.M.I.L.E who now are lost in what to act on. In Orchard Blossom and all her companions as they set up to rest for the night, knowing now that nopony would be getting as sleep. It was felt within the home of Octavia, however this feeling would be one of demise to the crazed doctor. It was felt in the sky, the ocean, the deepest parts of the everfree forest. Even far away in Griffinstone the creeping dread was beginning to settle in. It was felt within Roseluck and Cheerilee, however unknown to the other the feeling felt almost familiar to the mare. And that same feeling of familiarity was felt in Daisey. How had it not even been two weeks, and everything had fallen apart.

Until a few years ago, this book would have probably driven me nuts and I would have left it a review similar to the infamous one star review of Waiting for Godot. I see that it did frustrate a fair share of reviewers, and I can see why.

I can’t recommend this book in good conscience, but this was probably the most relatable thing I’ve read all year, and it sums up my 2025 (and my 2014 and my 2020) perfectly. I guess living through a fascist coup really elevates your literary game, at least when it comes to trying to describe the ugly, surreal experience of living through a fascist coup.

Anyway, I truly wished more people right now internalized this point Bolaño makes: If you watch people live out their fascist fantasies and you do nothing to stop them, that may not make you the same, but you’re both still sitting in the same sinking boat.

Pixel art for today based on videogame Space Quest IV for computer system IBM PC MS DOS. Quest from company Sierra. Adventures in space. With your newest 386SSX2, 486DX2. It is about your luck, as I can say. Adventures in time. And science fiction. Adventurer Roger always at the radio! It is not worse than a exciting TV Series about space type Babylon 5.