Subject: Is it just me
Author:
Posted on: 2012-08-02 08:14:00 UTC
Is there an absurd amount of Sue's in the Percy Jackson series fic? Maybe I'm just looking for goodfic about the wrong characters but, it seems that about fifty percent is Sue's.
I've noticed it too. I really enjoy the series, but I don't even bother with fanfic. I think there are several things that lead to Percy Jackson fics being even more riddled with Sues than average.
One, the series is very welcoming for OCs. Demigods canonically are reasonably common and can turn up anywhere, anytime. They also tend to turn up when they're 12-16 - perfect Standard Sue range.
Two, these kids that can turn up from anywhere are already by default half-human half-(something super awesome). This is already a common Sue trait - and this is canon. It's also very easy to give these characters superpowers and/or tragic pasts.
Three, the series is geared towards exactly the age range that writes Mary-Sues the most.
And, most importantly I think, four: There is a hot single guy. Never underestimate the power this holds. Nearly all the PJO Sues I've found go after Nico di Angelo. He's a hero with a dark past and Kool Goffik Death Powerz. Think of all the Legomancers in LotR fanfic - Nico is PJO's Legolas, in this respect.
(Just putting this out there: I love Nico. I think, after Annabeth, he's my favorite character from the series. Unfortunately, the Suethors seem to share this opinion.)
As July said: if you think a character you're writing is OP, it probably is. Other words: It's really, really, really easy to screw up when writing a demigod and end up with a 'Sue/'Stu in your hands. But, as noted elsewhere, OPness does not necessarily mean Sue. Sues have more traits than just OPness.
That's what those teenagers are. So it is not unusual that you think that they are Mary/ Marty Sues. But I only watched the movies.
As a proud Percy Jackson fan: Most of the campers at Camp Half-Blood don't have superpowers at ALL. They just have, say, an aptitude for mechanics, over-average intelligence, or are good at healing.
The problem is the kids of the Big Three gods: Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. There's only supposed to be one of each in canon, and they *do* have real powers. Strong powers, but not OP by the rules of canon.
The problem is Suethors only want to write kids of the Big Three, who have all the toys that all the other characters get, all the powers (all of them), and are probably the Oracle of Delphi to boot.
... the Heroes of Olympus sequel series throws, er, all its main characters superpowers.
(Names have been changed and removed, and powers have been circuitously described, so as to avoid as many spoilers as possible)
-Percy of course is still awesome superwaterguy
-A son of Zeus who can fly (and Thalia is quite upset to learn this. "You can fly?!" "... you can't?")
-A daughter of Hades who has other underworld-related powers.
-A daughter of Aphrodite who can 'charmspeak'.
-A son of [Redacted] who has non-[Redacted]-related-but-still-ancestoral-deity powers.
-A son of Hephaestus with power over fire.
-... and, apparently, Annabeth with nothing new. But then, there's the next book to consider...
Wisdom's daughter walks alone
The Mark of Athena burns through Rome...
hS, also a fan
I was really pretty disappointed with the Heroes of Olympus series.
I really do love the Percy Jackson series, but I definitely raised an eyebrow at the idea that a sequel seies was coming out. I thought PJO ended perfectly well, wrapped up, completed, nicely ended. It didn't need a sequel series. But, as a Percy Jackson fan, of course I went and read the new books anyway.
Honestly, they read like fanfiction of the PJO series. And not particularly good fanfiction, either. The characters were flat and had powers that sprang from nowhere and the plot points felt like contrived repeats of PJO stories. I expected better, really.