FimFiction Link - Short ID: 530657/horseradix
Published: Feb '23
'Horseradix' is a one thousand and eight hundred word comedy oneshot, featuring the CMC and the dangers of counting in other bases.
This fic just oozes geekness, but I mean that in a positive way. I don't think I've ever seen a fic that utilizes a concept this mundane for comedic effect and I'm happy to say it's done to a great effect here, as long as the reader is aware of what exactly a 'radix' is.
Like the title foreshadows already, the fic is full of puns and what I liked the best is that the story (though this might be partly due to its already short length) doesn't linger on its own cleverness. The humour is snappy, varied, and lighthearted. The fact that the story breaks into song in its last scene was just the cherry on top. I also found 'Apple Industries' a pretty clever multifaceted joke.
I guess the only real 'negative' I can name is that it would've been fun to see a few more interactions. In particular Pinkie would have been a good candidate imo for some counting related madness, with her using some fractional base or some absolutely ridiculous exponent. Or perhaps two ponies reading a number in completely different ways as an allusion to endianness, but I suppose there could always be a 'Horseradix 2: This Time It's Personal'.
Overall: 6/10 It's a clever and witty story with fun maths/CS oriented jokes, that, instead of trying to save the world, only set out to make the reader chuckle and does that excellently. It's unlikely to stick with you long, but it's a great way to spend five minutes if this sort of humour caters to you. Can recommend.