Fanfiction.net: the good bits

[technomage]

Getting back to the idea of HP-verse Marriage Law fics, here's one that's actually good: There's Always a Way

Author's Summary: "This is my response to the Marriage Law challenge after hearing about it and reading some stories... and thinking about what MY reaction would have been if I was Harry. Oneshot, complete with epilogue."

My favorite lines: "It wasn’t often that someone in my line of work finds a job that is lucrative, on the side of love and freedom, and gives one the opportunity to murder a lot of people that desperately need killing. I never expected that conducting a campaign of organized terrorism to be so morally uplifting."

[Robo Jesus]

Hey, I happen to check back in, and...ruh-roh. Touched a nerve, did I? This wouldn't happen to be your fanfic, would it Sparky?

Hitting a nerve and watching you come off like a retarded weeaboo are very seperate things. I honestly don't care whether you like it or not, but when your initial argument is "WHERE'S THE MATERIA, WHERE'S THE MAJOR ASSWHOOPING," it's hard for me to take you seriously. Now, you'd be surprised to note that I agree with you on a lot of what you're saying, but you say it like someone who's been hit in the head repeatedly with a lead pipe. I hope you get the reference.

No, I'm saying the crux of any good fanfic is to stay true to the setting, or at least acknowledge it.

Well, then you need to work on your people skills here sport, because that's what it came off as.

Stop building that strawman, fanboy, it's looking a little wobbly.

Ah yes, me point out why and how your original statements are fucking stupid beyond belief obviously makes it all strawmen and fanboyism, right?

Let me make this clear to you. A false argument should be refuted, not named. Arguments by name-calling, rather than truth and light, can generally be presumed fraudulent.

Writing an FF7 fanfic where everyone is suddenly blessedly normal except for one or two people who've been author-wanked isn't 'characterization and plot', it's lazy writing. Rather akin to Traviss' famously tiny clone army.

Agreed.

I'm not even going to dignify this with a response. It would be giving you too much credit.

You won't give a response because most of what I've said is valid, and if you were to try to fight it, even you realize just how much more stupid you would make yourself look.

Yeah, hey, there's a great idea. 'We went on a big adventure and toppled a gigantic multinational corporation, making ourselves famous beyond belief as well as making us tons of enemies! ...what could we possibly need weapons for?'

EDIT: Removed a loose tag.

Needing weapons and needing weapons in a BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENT, where there are bound to a mulititude of customers and innocent bystanders coming in and out are very seperate things. It's called context bitch. Do you know it? Or am I going to have to help you out here?

[phongn]

Let me make this clear to you. A false argument should be refuted, not named. Arguments by name-calling, rather than truth and light, can generally be presumed fraudulent.

While I am not particularly interested in your dispute with Ryoga, he is not merely "name-calling," as you put it, but informing you that you have used a logical fallacy. He might be incorrect in noting that you have used said strawman fallacy - but if he is correct, it is sufficient refutation in and of itself.

[Ryoga]

Hitting a nerve and watching you come off like a retarded weeaboo are very seperate things. I honestly don't care whether you like it or not, but when your initial argument is "WHERE'S THE MATERIA, WHERE'S THE MAJOR ASSWHOOPING," it's hard for me to take you seriously. Now, you'd be surprised to note that I agree with you on a lot of what you're saying, but you say it like someone who's been hit in the head repeatedly with a lead pipe. I hope you get the reference.

So, to sum it up: you're only getting your panties in a knot because I wasn't nice about criticizing the fanfic?

Well, then you need to work on your people skills here sport, because that's what it came off as.

Ruh-roh, sound the disillusionment alarm, fellas. I think we've got a Five-Alarm Newbie I've always wanted to say that. Thanks Kynes!

Ah yes, me point out why and how your original statements are fucking stupid beyond belief obviously makes it all strawmen and fanboyism, right?

Let me make this clear to you. A false argument should be refuted, not named. Arguments by name-calling, rather than truth and light, can generally be presumed fraudulent.

Let me make something clear to you, little boy. This is SDNet, and they have slightly higher standards here than the bullshit circle-wank boards you're no doubt used to. If your entire argument is predicated on a fallacy, I'm well within my rights to point that out and dismiss it.

And since you're apparently too stupid to read your own writing or that of others, I'll spell it out for you:

My position: The fanfic no-sells everything that makes the setting unique or interesting; materia and other abilities are ignored or dismissed.
My position in strawman-verse: This fanfic sucks becuz people aren't blowing each other up with OMG ULTIMA!11

Agreed.

So, again, this all boils down to style over substance: you're pissed because I wasn't nice about how I criticized that turd. Well, get used to being angry if that's the case, it'll happen to you a lot on this board.

Needing weapons and needing weapons in a BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENT, where there are bound to a mulititude of customers and innocent bystanders coming in and out are very seperate things. It's called context bitch. Do you know it? Or am I going to have to help you out here?

See, there you go strawmanning again. At what point did I say that they had to have weapons lying all over the place ready to swing into the crowd? Do you think storage lockers are a rare and expensive item in FF7-verse? Or that Cloud and Tifa are stupid enough to start swinging away without regard for their surroundings?

EDIT: Since the newbie has as good as admitted that his problem was the tone of my post and not the content, I'm perfectly willing to have this split/HOSed/locked, so the thread can continue without this argument.

[gamesguy]

Greatest HP fic ever. Its a bit long but bloody hilarious.

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2318355/1/

[Argosh]

Greatest HP fic ever. Its a bit long but bloody hilarious.

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2318355/1/

Already mentioned.

[Vehrec]

Destiny's Child is a Sailor Moon/ Ranma 1/2 crossover. The premise is one of the oddest ways I have ever seen Ranma treated in one of these fics. And boy was I caught off guard by the end, having never seen Sailor Moon S.
The same author has another story that would have been AWESOME and probably legendary if he hadn't stopped halfway through.

Origins is one of the most interest fics I have read in the Teen Titans fandom, even if it is rather AU. Good If you have an evening to spend on the lives of a forming team . . . with no Star.

Tales from the House of the Moongives me mixed feelings. It's set after a series that isn't done yet, and it pushes a non-canon pairing. Yet it doesn't seem forced, and many people LOVE it. Also, there is a lemon version of one of the later chapters on Mediaminer. You have been informed.

Bound to Eternity is in the same style as Destiny's child, and seems to have been inspired by it. It's very slightly AU, and set in the distant future of Naruto Uzamaki's life. Some have cause to doubt the author's sanity as he really likes all three series he brings together here. He also isn't updating as fast as he used to, but is still pluging away. Sometimes.

[Hotfoot]

The Scarab THE best Buffy/SG-1 crossover. Period. "Bridges" is a close second, but this one actually feels like a well written episode of BOTH series.

Finally! A buffy-SG-1 crossover that doesn't immediatly turn the SGC into incompetent morons way out of their league, who need the uber-skilled scoobies to save them.

Thank you for showing me this

No problem. That pisses me off too--because it's always the REVERSE of what would happen. SG-1 Would never be subordinate to the Scoobies, just as the Wizarding World would not have total authority of the Slayer (or vice-versa.They'rea segregated Society for christ's sake!)

I read through about half of it, and it was pretty fair and decently conceived. However, the descriptions of reactions were a more than a little exaggerated. These are two groups that face weird and crazy stuff on a daily basis. Even at Season 4/5 (which is roughly when the fic seems to take place for SG-verse, since Apophis is still kicking), Teal'c could be turned into a three-headed eight-armed giant energy being and the most that SG-1 would do is have slightly widened eyes and a few quips. Having cartoonish responses to things that really aren't that shocking kind of deprives from the overall story. I also have to question the concept using a FAE underground, but that's just me.

[Majin Gojira]

Not every author has the genious to simply go the "I Robot, You Jane" rout. To quote

GILES: Um, thank you for coming. Uh, I need your help. (laughs nervously) But before that, um, I need you to believe something that, um, you may not want to. Uh, there's, uh... something's got into the, um... i-i-inside, um... There's a demon in the Internet.

JENNY: I know.

BAM!

People seem to like the idea of "This is strange and NEW! Therefore it FLUMOXES ME!"

Weird, ain't it?

[Cosmic Average]

Full Metal Berserker

"A Black Swordsman, cursed to wander the land and destroy demons finds himself transported to a world of Sins, and alchemy. A strange crossover. Rated M for gore and violence. AU, Based vaguely on the Manga."

Tears leaked from the corners of Puck’s eyes. He flew free, unseen by the mob that was rapidly surrounding them. “I… I know. Just… Can you not kill them?”

Guts sighed, and shifted the sword, his free hand plucking out throwing knives from his bandolier. The mob slowed, and started to spread out, no one wanted to be the first to reach this terrifying man…

“I wish I could.” Guts murmured, as he looked around. There’s a lot of them, and I can’t move so well, with no leg and my arm full of grit.. Not even sure I can swing this sword right… If I was whole, maybe I could do this without killing any of them. I could get away.

But I’m not whole. And that makes it simple.

If I want to survive this, then I can’t hold back.

For a second, they stood, looking at each other. And for a few more seconds, he thought that they might back down, that they could all walk away from this, that he wouldn’t have to wade through an ocean of blood on this day.

And then, the stone caught him on the brow. Light and sharp, it had come out of the sun, blinding him until the last second. It cut his forehead, and sent him reeling for a second.

And in that second, the mob moved in, and he did the only thing he knew how to do.

And they died, and they died, and they died…

The chapters are a bit short, but so far he's updated fairly frequently, with twenty-six chapters since he began back in February.

[Cosmic Average]

Oh, sorry for the double post, but I forgot to mention that it's a crossover between Berserk and Full Metal Alchemist. It's one of the few well-done Berserk cross overs I've ever read. I guess it's also just one of the few Berserk cross overs.

[Hotfoot]

Not every author has the genious to simply go the "I Robot, You Jane" rout. To quote

GILES: Um, thank you for coming. Uh, I need your help. (laughs nervously) But before that, um, I need you to believe something that, um, you may not want to. Uh, there's, uh... something's got into the, um... i-i-inside, um... There's a demon in the Internet.

JENNY: I know.

BAM!

People seem to like the idea of "This is strange and NEW! Therefore it FLUMOXES ME!"

Weird, ain't it?

I'm not sure exactly what point you're attempting to make, but what I found distracting were the sequences where characters were described as picking up their jaws with their hands. It's one thing to be shocked by something, but when it reads like a Looney Tunes short, it's gone too far.

There is something to be said for adding in shock and confusion, but inappropriate usage cheapens the effect. It's like Law and Order: Criminal Intent. Vincent D'Onofrio has two emotional states, smarmy and irate, and he just snaps between the two, to the point where neither has any merit whatsoever. Compare that to the slow buildup of intensity that Sam Waterson has, culminating in whatever he needs to shout about.

In any case, overstating confusion has always been something that bugs me. For example, in a world where magic is a routine, every day occurance, people shouldn't be amazed by cantrips. It's like being amazed that fire comes from little sticks you can buy at any supermarket. Once you're past the age of eating your paste at arts and crafts, this should become commonplace. For example, in Star Wars, nobody is really amazed by hyperspace travel, weird aliens, or robots that care about being called names. To US, that stuff is fantastic, just as an airplane, assault rifles, and computers would be fantastic to someone from two hundred years ago.

That said, aside from that failing, the Scarab is a pretty good fanfic from what I've read so far. It managed to merge both settings together with a minimum amount of fuss, and all the characters seems to do things that they would do in their respective shows, all things considered.

[GeneralTacticus]

Not every author has the genious to simply go the "I Robot, You Jane" rout. To quote

GILES: Um, thank you for coming. Uh, I need your help. (laughs nervously) But before that, um, I need you to believe something that, um, you may not want to. Uh, there's, uh... something's got into the, um... i-i-inside, um... There's a demon in the Internet.

JENNY: I know.

BAM!

People seem to like the idea of "This is strange and NEW! Therefore it FLUMOXES ME!"

Weird, ain't it?

Actually, I think the reaction of a group like SG-1 (which has, AFAIK, never encountered vampires or any of the other specific things the Scoobies have, even if they've seen things on a par with them for weirdness) would be more along the lines of Oz: "Actually, that explains quite a lot." It might be new information, but it wouldn't be particularly shocking.

[phongn]

The same author has another story that would have been AWESOME and probably legendary if he hadn't stopped halfway through.

Vengeance and a Half was going strong ... and then he seems to have stopped writing :/

[Darkmind]

Maijin, can I ask if you have reread Jedi Harris and the sequel, The Terran Jedi, since your first look? It has changed a lot since the first draft, as it were.

[Majin Gojira]

I haven't had the chance to (to be honest, I forgot to).

Currently occupied with other things, so...probably later this week...maybe. I may forget again.

[Majin Gojira]

AHA! I Found it again!

An X-Men/Fullmetal Alchemist fanfic that, so far, refuses to suck!

[Darkmind]

The reason I ask, Maijin, is that Jedi Harris is not a Xander-sue at all. He learns how to use the Force slowly and after a few stumbles, not to mention a fight against the Dark Side. And the first chapter has been rewritten - for example Kenobi doesn't ignite his lightsabre when Willow first approaches.
And hey, it was started a long time ago - I wrote that first chapter waiting for a plane in Luxembourg Airport.

[Majin Gojira]

When I originally read it, it was developing into one very quickly from my perspective. (Simply Forumla Xander + Powers = Suck in 98% of cases).

Secondly, It's MAJIN, damnit! M-A-J-I-N. Just one "i"! Con Sarnit!

[Darkmind]

Oops, sorry Majin. I'll try not to misspell your name in the future. I'm not sure that Xander's progress is that fast - he's given a very low ability in the Force at first - moving pencils break him into a sweat - and it isn't until the fifth chapter that he gets any real usage out of it. Even then he's only at Padawan level, if that. He doesn't get to Jedi Knight status until later on, when he trains in the desert, and he doesn't get his lightsabre until even later still.
I wrote it so that he had to work at it quite hard - there's no instant Jedi powers from the off. And you're right, most stories that grant him instant powers are bloody awful. They never start from a logical point of departure.

[Xon]

Copy & paste is your friend for names, or the quote button.

Speaking of "Jedi Harris", when is the next chapper going to be out? If you need some betas there should be a few around here

[UCBooties]

Out of fearful curiosity, did any of you ever read a fan-fic on FF.net entitled Harry Potter and the Staff Draconis? I wrote it in the months before Order of the Phoenix came out and I was wondering if anyone had read it. I think at this point that it is probably a rather immature work, but I was wondering what anyone else thought, or indeed, if anyone had read it at all.

Harry Potter and the Staff Draconis

[Darkmind]

Xon, I'm writing the next chapter of The Terran Jedi now. Hope to get it finished soonish, but no set date yet. Sorry, but real life has been a pain. Again.

[Prozac the Robert]

In order to keep things going (and because I enjoyed reading it) I recomend: Grey Maiden I: Philosopher's Stone. It's an AU where Harry isn't rased by the Dursleys. The reason I like it though is that it's a Harry in Slytherin story which isn't stupid. Most importantly, he doesn't become best friends with or fall in love with draco malfoy.

[technomage]

Here's a good read Tempora Mutantur Et Nos Mutamur In

Long title, and I have no idea what it means, not to mention an author's summary that is deliberately obtuse, but it's still good. To summarize: The Federation gets a major wakeup call, and then the Federation grows a pair. Not to mention, this story has the best explanation I've seen for the Federation's transformation from the ass-kicking capitalist democracy of TOS to the emasculated communist state of TNG.