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Found 1 result

  1. Fan Fiction

    I just discovered the term "Mary Sue". I was hoping we could discuss it. Then I realized that fanfic is a mycelium in this community and so it deserves a thread that focuses on it. Here is an especially succinct Wikpedia entry on Mary Sue characters. First of all, Mass Effect's Shepard is going to cause problems because you can pick your gender. As the criticism in the Wikipedia article points out, "Mary Sue" is a gendered pejorative, "Marty Sue" doesn't fix the problem, and the concept is incredibly valuable so a short-hand term like this is a good idea. "Cipher" seems like a good solution, so I'll use that term. This concept, and the small amount of context of which I have just become aware, is a particularly accessible entrance into a discussion of what fanfic is. Much like "hipsters", when I type it into Youtube's search-bar, I find an infinite scroll of derision. I'm not judging; I know that it can be fun to hate something together, but I think it is worthwhile to note how popular it is to make fun of fanfic. When I read the Wikipedia entry for "Mary Sue", I was struck by how well this concept described the tendency in action-movies and computer-games to create empowered characters that were devoid of anything but superiority and dominance. Is there a connection? Are Call of Duty, DieHard, and "A Trekkie's Tale" filling similar needs? Also, it seems obvious to me that a big part of what makes fanfic valuable is the exchange of creative agency from the author to the audience. Put simply, fanfic is for writing more than it is for reading. "A Trekkie's Tale" is lacking in its narrative, but the idea of a disempowered cipher in an established fictional world is intriguing to me. I love the idea of turning a passive medium into an impetus for a creative endeavor. Hopefully, by the end of the day, I will try my hand at fanfic.