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Mary Sue

If you were Mary Sue, which series would you prefer?

  • TOS

    Votes: 5 25.0%
  • TNG

    Votes: 3 15.0%
  • DS9

    Votes: 4 20.0%
  • VOY

    Votes: 4 20.0%
  • ENT

    Votes: 1 5.0%
  • NuTrek

    Votes: 3 15.0%

  • Total voters
    20
I read the whole Mary Sue series today. It was cute and funny and even had something kind of interesting to say by the end. It was nice commentary on fan fiction and even a gentle message on how to approach relationships. It was better than I expected.

The first set was stellar. I still laugh when I read it.

The second - too many franchises brought into it. Pokemon? Really? Zzz.

The third somewhere in-between.
 
Personally, I would want to just be regular me in DS9, on DS9. Maybe run a restaurant on the promenade. I don't think I'd have the energy to be a Mary Sue, and also the responsibility of being good at everything for no reason sounds daunting.

But I'd screw all that to be the Doctor's companion any day.
 
I'm too flawed and self-aware to be a Mary Sue. If you're asking where I'd be a self-insert character, probably late TNG.
 
We already had a Mary Sue in the TOS books. Her name was Piper. :p
Yes. The Piper books were arguably the only example of good Mary-Sue fiction, at least as professionally published prose. Partly because they involved a certain level of self-parody. And based on my quick look at them, the Mary-Sue webcomics appear to be nearly pure parody of the genre. Then again, the term itself originated in a fanfic parody of the genre.
 
Yes. The Piper books were arguably the only example of good Mary-Sue fiction, at least as professionally published prose.

I had a theory that Dr Evan Wilson, in the excellent novel "Uhura's Song", was either a Mary-Sue of the author, or a fond homage to Bjo Trimble (particularly the references to freckles and short stature). Eventually, I had the chance to correspond with Janet Kagan: she explained in an email that she'd never met Bjo and that Evan was actually based on... Janet's mother.

Vale Janet! How you are missed!

Years later, "Star Trek: Voyages of Imagination: The Star Trek Fiction Companion" included this interview snippet: "I had so much fun writing the second draft that, between paragraphs, I sketched out not one but two sequels. Both of them had the same guest star: Evan Wilson/Tail-Kinker/my mom. When a new editor took over the Trek series, I thought perhaps things had gone back to normal in the editorial offices, so I submitted my outline for the second time. To make a long story short, the next two Trek editors in a row wanted me to write it for them but [by then the policy was] that Trek novelists weren't allowed to bring back their own characters. So, no, there won't be any sequels: Star Trek just wouldn't be as much fun for me without Tail-Kinker."

An oft-forgotten, strong Mary-Sue style character might be Jean Czerny in "Pawns and Symbols" by Majliss Larson. I remember really enjoying that book. Kirk, Kang and Mara, plus Jean.
 
I'm okay with the thread - there's no harm in a bit of meaningless fluff now and then.

As a writer of fan-fic myself I'm very much against Mary Sue characters, but i would love to put myself - normal me - in the DS9 world.

Putting yourself in a fanfic is one thing, but making your character some genius problem solver, that saves the galaxy and everyone likes and falls in love with,,.well that's Kirk's job lol
 
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