I am hoping to start a discussion about the willing suspension of disbelief in reading fanfiction and those stories that have elements that make readers think “that’s not right”, or “what was the author thinking?” or even just “WTF?.” I consider myself a reader and not a writer and my intent is not to discourage writers so I will try to be circumspect in describing my examples.

Sometimes SOD issues are with mundane matters, not the fantastic. There is a Buffy/Star Wars/Stargate Halloween multi-crossover story where the author uses a patent as a plot device to bring the Stargate characters into contact with the Buffy characters. The patent as described in the story would have been rejected and therefore in my opinion should not get the attention it gets in the story:
A.) You cannot patent part of an invention or an incomplete invention. The application as described is intentionally incomplete.
B.) The invention’s description matches the criteria USPTO uses to define a perpetual motion machine and no model was included. USPTO requires a working model to grant a patent for a perpetual motion machine.

Another suspension of disbelief issue can be when an author has a character act in a very different manner with very little explanation. There is a Harry Potter/The Mask crossover that has Hermione participating in the creation of what I interpret as a new social underclass at Hogwarts prior to her fifth year, less than a year after she created SPEW in canon. In story it is described as a prank enforced via a binding magical contract, but its effects (enforced nudity, forced gender change for wizards, the addition of a tail) all look to me to be meant as lowering the affected student’s status, dehumanizing them.

Another example of this is a Buffy/Stargate/multiple anime Halloween crossover that has General Hammond and other members of the SGC act in what should be for them be illogical and unprofessional manners.
They seemingly without reservation accept a speculative conclusion from an amateur civilian group using images sourced from a single newscast of a mysterious event - with no mention of alternate data sources being gathered, reviewed, and analyzed (Geophysical survey and weather satellite data, CCTV camera recordings that were stored outside the affected area, possible eyewitnesses via air, sea, or even highway traffic) in story.
Later in the story some of the affected Buffy characters visit the SGC. Hammond and others in my opinion inappropriately focus on Tara (who has become Mihoshi Kuramitsu.) Hammond assigns researching her to Rodney, who has taken over running the science and technology department after the in-story departure of Sam Carter. This is an improper waste of resources in my mind. Researching her required no advanced technical or scientific knowledge and needs no access to classified government information. The author seems to have this happen simply so Rodney can recognize and be disconcerted by other characters in a later chapter.

So, what do you all think? What ideas and plots cause this reaction for you? Do any of the above strike you as they do me? Let’s talk.

Kilroy
 

I have been lurking around Bob's web forums since I first read what then was posted of Drunkard's Walk II in the summer of 2002. That story was my re-introduction to fan fiction (and anime) after a several year dry spell.
I finally decided to join up to hopefully discuss some topics that I have been thinking about for a while in SF/F and fanfiction.
Personally I am in my 50s and live the Northeast U.S.

Kilroy

http://www.enworld.org/forum/content.ph ... N4gd7DF8eU

Starting the new thread with not only an "oh, that's what it is" for Voat, but a notice that we've been getting Lua errors for the last couple of hours.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

Prologue

.o0o.

All in all, Hyoudou Issei had to admit it was a pretty shitty day.

Actually most of the last year had been right down the shitter.

Maybe - just maybe - his parents had been right about how he should have studied harder at Junior High School, but the fact of the matter was that he just wasn't one of the brainy kids. So without any hope of being one of the lucky 5% to get a draft exclusion, he'd gone right from graduation into boot camp. Getting treated like a boot wasn't anything to look forward to - there weren't any oppai at all in boot - so it was totally understandable he'd have wanted to see as much as possible before getting sent off. I mean, everyone's a little perverted right. It's natural!

And basic didn't last forever. Once he was posted out to guard one of the oil rigs in a Gulf somewhere he even occasionally saw a Witch fly by! Okay, they mostly covered up their oppai but after three months with nothing but guys he had a whole new appreciation for long, bare legs and a tight behind! If Matsuda hadn't out-wrestled him for the binoculars that day he'd have probably been the one who lost his eyes looking for an up-the-shirt shot when the Neuroi were attacking!

As the last sight a man ever saw, that had to be almost worth it!

And the three of them - Matsuda with his eyes gone, Motohama deaf and Issei without his left hand (not, thank the Buddhas, his right hand!) - got to go back to school. Invalid or no invalid, going to a High School! Those fabled places of higher education where 97% of the students were female!

Surely they could get girlfriends there! They were war heroes! (Sort of). And Issei would be back on the road to becoming a Harem King!

Think positive, right!

They even met a cute girl on the flight onto the school-ship. Nishizumi-san was a definite cutie. A six, maybe a seven, and with room to grow! She seemed a little sad though and she turned down their affections! But that was one girl, it was okay. Maybe she'd have a cute older sister who'd see Matsuda's better points, or appreciate Motohama being able to assess her measurements at a glance... or even let Issei... hahahahaha...

Well that wasn't how it worked out.

But he'd had a girlfriend!

He'd had a date! It was a good date, they had snacks, they saw a movie, they walked in a park!

Her name was Yuuma and he thought he might get a kiss at the end but...

But she broke his heart.

Stabbed it right through.

Issei sighed and looked up at the stars. Was this the end? Was he going to die without ever rubbing his face against a girl's round, soft oppai!?

A shadow moved across the sky and descended into the park, illuminated by the dim lights.

Long, pale legs in Striker units. Lacy panties and above them a Oorai Academy blouse that barely constrained a luscious pair of oppai.

Was this a final vision?

If so, dreaming of Gremory Rias-san's oppai wasn't such a bad way to die. The queen of Oorai's Night Witches had the best in the school, everyone agreed on that.

Not the best, but not the worst.

Here would lie a failed Harem-King. What a shitty life.

"Looks like you're dying," she said sympathetically. There were two thumps as she removed her Striker units and then... If this was a dream, Issei never wanted to wake up! She cradled his head against her Oppai, her long crimson hair tickling his ears.

“If you are dying then, I’ll take care of you. Your life will belong to me, and you will live for me.”

.o0o.
D for Drakensis

You're only young once, but immaturity is forever.

Anyone know good sources for this? I'm looking for something Egyptian that I can use to fake up a goa'uld ship from Stargate....
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.

Alas, Jon Stewart, we wish thee well...
http://tv.yahoo.com/blogs/tv-news/jon- ... 30699.html

Since so many people have some form of shipbuilding experience..... Let's put a nice big fat contract out there that could set someone up for life, and see what people come up with. Might stir some minds into action.

-----------------------------
To whom it may concern.

Great Justice proposes the replacement of remaining frontline Zig-Fighter and Trainer units with a new model of light strike spacecraft. Proposals are therefore invited from any qualifying manufacturer or design bureau* with appropriate security clearances.

It is expected the delivered spacecraft will achieve the following:
*Homologation under Part-L requirements for combat spacecrat.
*A minimum top speed in open space of .15c
*A minimum turn time of 14 seconds at top speed.

*Projectile armament capable of penetrating 20mm waved tektite composite armour.
*Internal or external stores allowing the mounting of any standards compliant missile, gunpod, fuel-tank or supplimental sensor system.

*Mimimum combat effective range of 15 AU on internal fuel.

*Suitable sensor and navigational computer systems.

*Pilot ejection and safety systems compatible of SAFER 2017 standards.

Assuming compatibility with minimum specification Points will be scored according to the following:
*Per unit production cost of spacecraft. 20%
*Cost of operations and maintenance of completed spacecraft. 15%
*Combat simulation performance: 15%
*Handling characteristics suitable for training use: 30%
*Sensor and Electronic Warfare capability: 10%
*Survivability: 10%

A bonus equivelant to 5% of total points score will be awarded to craft compatible with existing Zig carriers.

Proposals must be received no later than March 15, 2025. It is expected that contracts for production of prototype units will be awarded on a cost-plus basis to the top three scoring manufacturers or design buraeus. These qualifying manufacturers will then be required to produce three examples of a prototype, which will compete in a fly-off competition for the final award.

Participating manufacturers may be required to sub-license the wining design under FRAND terms to other manufacturers, to meet construction demand. Where the design is provided by a design buraeu, this will be considered mandatory.

*A qualifying manufacturer or design-buraeu is one who has designed and constructed at least one spacecraft that has achieved homologation under Part-L requirements, regardless as to whether the type entered general service or not.

Full terms, conditions and technical specifications will be provided upon declaration of interest.

---------------------
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--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?

So, I saw on google that there have been plenty of studies made into the causes and results of car accidents, but there almost always seems to be one commonality between all types of accident.

Nearly all cars involved in accidents applied their brakes beforehand. That can't possibly be a coincidence, can it?

So why do we fit cars with a feature that causes them to crash so much? Do you see how much money is invested in the 'science' of braking. How much advertising money goes in to the promotion of 'braking' to the average motorist. They're killing innocent drivers for the sake of profit. An entire industry built on the murder of the motorist.

I for one want no part in it.

So I have removed the brakes from my own car. I would advise all of you reading to do the same thing. This will have the additional benefit that you will arrive early at your destination.

Don't Stop. Take them off now.
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--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?