What are you reading?

[Brian]

Today I found out how the report abuse feature on ff.net works.

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8375256/1/Haruhi_Gets_Electrocuted

Did you know it contains Captcha?  Learn something new every day.

Mostly putting this link here so I can remember to check that the fic does get removed....

Since I suspect it will be gone forever, here's the summary information, for those with morbid curiosity:

Spoiler: ShowHide

Haruhi Gets Electrocuted! by goryskull667
Haruhi Suzumiya gets killed for being a bitch.
Rated: M - Spanish - Horror/Crime - Chapters: 1 - Words: 367 - Published: 7-30-12 - Haruhi S. - Complete

Suffice to say I think I've found a fic I like even less than 'Having Sex With Sasaki is an Awful Experience', which I really, really hate.

[Anastasia]

Drac: Yeah, I saw the chapter and threw a big what the fuck ever out. That story lost me, the author's throwing out gimmick after gimmick with no real meat.

Brian: I reported it too, hopefully it gets fried.

[alethiophile]

* alethiophile clicks electrocution fic out of morbid curiosity.

...Why did I do that?

[Jason_Miao]

Read that Deja Vu thing.  More of it than I should.

It's...pretty bad, as far as peggy sue fics go.

Really?  I didn't think it was particularly bad.  I didn't think it was particularly good, either (the writer tends to avoid anything that looks like a conflict).  It's just there.


It's not fanfic, but here's a novel I was reading: http://www.brandonsanderson.com/portal/Warbreaker  The "Get the current version" link is the actual novel (which I can confirm, because I have the deadtree version on my shelf), and there is a link to earlier drafts of it on that site as well.  If anyone has ever wondered how much a story can change between drafts and publication, wonder no more - or at least, wonder slightly less.

(I'd actually written up most of a book review on the appropriate subforum yesterday, but realized that was pretty pointless if I could just link to the actual story for people to see for themselves).

* alethiophile clicks electrocution fic out of morbid curiosity.

Doctor, it hurts when I do this.


edit:
Also, noticed when clicking around that Haigeki updated.  No further comment since I'm going to not do what alethiophile did.  Here's a link to the associated thread: http://www.soulriders.net/forum/index.php/topic,101988.msg1037434.html#new

[Dracos]

Remember when we were constantly tossing out good fics here?

I miss that :(

At least the writing board is all lively :)  We should go read and link some of those :P

[Jason_Miao]

Remember when we were constantly tossing out good fics here?

I miss that :(

Your last post linked to something by Sage of Toads, so... :p

Anyway, you have to find good fics in order to link to them. 

At least the writing board is all lively :)  We should go read and link some of those :P

Or, y'know, write.  :p

[Anastasia]

http://s3.zetaboards.com/FanFictionFederation/topic/7583867/1/

A new Ozzallos fic. It's clearly in beta, but it's posted on a public board and I enjoyed it a lot, so here we are. The premise is 'what if Ranma's hair got cut instead of Akane's, and how that could change things'. It's one of those premises that's better than it sounds, especially when you realize about the there's another canon curse in play to foul things up.

[Jason_Miao]

http://s3.zetaboards.com/FanFictionFederation/topic/7583867/1/

A new Ozzallos fic. It's clearly in beta, but it's posted on a public board and I enjoyed it a lot, so here we are. The premise is 'what if Ranma's hair got cut instead of Akane's, and how that could change things'. It's one of those premises that's better than it sounds, especially when you realize about the there's another canon curse in play to foul things up.

Just read it.  Standard Ozzallos conditions apply.

The one issue that sticks out is that it's too early in the series for Ranma to have developed an "I'm not putting up with this bullshit" attitude that's particularly anti-Akane.   As I said, standard Ozzallos, but since the setting is particularly early in the series, it seems particularly noticeable.  Still, as mentioned, it's a rough draft, so I'll wait for the final story.

I always thought that Ranma story arc was underutilized in writing, so it's nice to see another story using it.

[Anastasia]

Yeah, with the standard Ozzallos disclaimers in place?

I'm okay with it since Ranma has lots of reasons to be pissed from his PoV. He has to stay as a girl to keep the hair curse in check and it's enough to turn the early relationship towards a more poisonous orientation. The AN about perception sold the premise to me. For all Ranma knows, he has to be a girl until he finds another Dragon Whisker or for the rest of his life, whichever comes first. I can buy this souring his relationship with Akane.

Seconded with using some nice material. This arc and reversing his relationship with Kodachi is a nice touch. In particular that was the main reason I liked the second half, just letting him bounce off Kodachi and completely 180 that arc.

[Brian]

standard Ozzallos disclaimers

Got it.  More of the increasingly transparent wish fulfillment of Ranma turning into a girl.

Will pass, thanks.

[Jason_Miao]

I'm okay with it since Ranma has lots of reasons to be pissed from his PoV. He has to stay as a girl to keep the hair curse in check and it's enough to turn the early relationship towards a more poisonous orientation.

More pissed than, say, the ultimate weakness Moxibustion when they thought the map was destroyed and he thought he'd permanently lost an entire lifetime of effort?

But even putting aside a grudge-holding Ranma as being OOC, him being pissed at Akane in particular doesn't feel like it makes sense.  If Ozzallos really wants to have Ranma focus his anger on someone, why not write him as focusing his anger on Ryouga, the one who is arguably the most directly responsible for the situation?  The Ryouga introductory arc takes place so early in the series that even if Akane's personality is the anime-derived hyper-insane Akane who will mallet at the drop of a hat, she still hasn't had the time to make such a generally bad impression.  This incident can't be the "straw that broke the camel's back" on his opinion of Akane when there hasn't been enough time to accumulate straw in the first place.

[Anastasia]

I'm okay with it since Ranma has lots of reasons to be pissed from his PoV. He has to stay as a girl to keep the hair curse in check and it's enough to turn the early relationship towards a more poisonous orientation.

More pissed than, say, the ultimate weakness Moxibustion when they thought the map was destroyed and he thought he'd permanently lost an entire lifetime of effort?

But even putting aside a grudge-holding Ranma as being OOC, him being pissed at Akane in particular doesn't feel like it makes sense.  If Ozzallos really wants to have Ranma focus his anger on someone, why not write him as focusing his anger on Ryouga, the one who is arguably the most directly responsible for the situation?  The Ryouga introductory arc takes place so early in the series that even if Akane's personality is the anime-derived hyper-insane Akane who will mallet at the drop of a hat, she still hasn't had the time to make such a generally bad impression.  This incident can't be the "straw that broke the camel's back" on his opinion of Akane when there hasn't been enough time to accumulate straw in the first place.

Well yeah, but if the relationship's just starting, it also means it's easier to sour in the first place. There's less attachments keeping him from taking this in stride from Akane, less fondness and less baggage. Something really bad to Ranma (in his PoV) happened, Akane said something dumb and it blew out of proportion. They're teenagers, I can accept that. Their personalities and the unhappy pressure this situation puts on Ranma prevents them from easily making up and then circumstances push them further apart (Kodachi).

Just my two cents. I'm really not trying to white-knight this fic, even though it feels like I am. >_<

[Dracos]

http://s3.zetaboards.com/FanFictionFederation/topic/7583867/1/

A new Ozzallos fic. It's clearly in beta, but it's posted on a public board and I enjoyed it a lot, so here we are. The premise is 'what if Ranma's hair got cut instead of Akane's, and how that could change things'. It's one of those premises that's better than it sounds, especially when you realize about the there's another canon curse in play to foul things up.

Hmm, some interesting bit. 

Like:
Ranma getting stressed in the absence of a way to deal with the hair curse.
Ranma taking a hard angle with the earlier threats.

Kinda amused:
Ranma glancing off Kodachi in a friendly way
Nabiki/Ranma being non-antagonistic

Dislike:
Keeping it secret?  Why?  It's obvious even.


Truthfully, I think folks rambling on Ranma being harsh is kind of missing that Akane is played up as more harsh too.  Kinda painfully so.  I'm gonna guess that "We're strangers now" isn't canon.

Really the weakest part is how much RSE holds a grudge and how quickly RSE concludes 'oh shit'.

[thepanda]

I'm gonna guess that "We're strangers now" isn't canon.

It is.

This RSE is way over reacting. In the canon he didn't tell anyone about he curse because he didn't want Genma to steal the dragon whisker. With the whisker destroyed there is no reason at all to not tell everyone.

The 'hardline' thing doesn't feel anything like how I'd expect him to react.

[Jason_Miao]

I'm really not trying to white-knight this fic, even though it feels like I am.

And I'm not trying to slam this fic, even thought it feels like I am.  There are some neat parts to it as well.

Truthfully, I think folks rambling on Ranma being harsh is kind of missing that Akane is played up as more harsh too.  Kinda painfully so. 

When a writer plays up a character to have a negative trait grossly in excess of the cannon, then spends large portions of the fic tearing down that character in a fashion that doesn't even advance the story or plot in any appreciable fashion, it's clearly character bashing.  I don't give any other story a pass for pointless bashing, so why this one?