Re: Oh, total canon Sue.

Subject: Re: Oh, total canon Sue.
Author: Goldenrod111
Posted on: 2010-04-02 05:35:00 UTC

Sounding familiar is not a guarantee of having read one of Todd McCaffery's solo books. He steals enough stuff from Anne that they seem familiar even while you read them for the first time. The one thing that he forgot to take was the cure for the dragon plague in Dragonheart. Instead, he ended it with Fiona (since when has that been a Pernese name?) and some male dragonrider declaring their love for each other. How does that help cure a plague? I understand (kind of) having that part in the middle of the book, but as the final scene? What was he thinking?</rant>

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Hello by Somariel on 2010-03-29 17:01:00 UTC Reply

Hi everyone. My name is Somariel and I'm new to the PPC boards. I discovered the PPC about a week ago and thought it would be fun to join.

Welcome! Have some lembas! (nm) by The Trojanhorse on 2010-04-02 21:55:00 UTC Reply
Welcome, Newbie! by OpinionedAngel on 2010-03-31 23:33:00 UTC Reply

Hello and welcome to the PPC Posting Boards! Here, have some chocolate and enjoy your stay.
Ohayo! by Ruin Takada on 2010-03-31 11:14:00 UTC Reply

Ohayo gozaimasu, boku no atarashii tomodachi! This is the first time I've greeted a newbie, so here's a spring lamb! With some attention and TLC, that will turn into a sheep, useful for getting dragons to pay attention when training them, for placating other fearsome beasts, and for throwing at Mary Sues in a high speed chase (the theory is, such 'perfect' beings can't deny the softness of their wool, the impulse of their own inbuilt kindness to animals, or the weight of the big lumps on their head).

Arigato gozaimashita, sayonnara!
herro! by Maudlin Hart on 2010-03-30 13:15:00 UTC Reply

Welcome to the Board! Please deposit your sanity in the provided receptacle. *indicates bucket marked "Warg Fodder"* You shan't need it here. Also, here's a shrunken head. Don't ask.
Have a Lioness! (nm) by WikiMaster on 2010-03-30 11:47:00 UTC Reply
First ketchup! by Tomato on 2010-03-30 00:45:00 UTC Reply

Welcome to the board, Somariel! I offer to you a coxcomb. It's a sort of silly hat.
Hello! by Cinnia Aine on 2010-03-30 00:38:00 UTC Reply

Welcome to the PPC! (Yes, it is very fun and insane here.) Have a sabre from the Raven Armory and a bottle of bleeprin.
Big Sib/Little Sib by Somariel on 2010-03-29 21:18:00 UTC Reply

Is anyone still doing this? I stumbled across it on the Wiki and would like a Big Sib if this is still being done.
First poke! by Neshomeh on 2010-03-29 19:13:00 UTC Reply

*poke*

I don't know what you've already read, of course, but there are a few things you should definitely make time for. First, there is the Original PPC Series by Jay and Acacia. It is our canon and that which started it all.

Second, we require that everyone read and abide by the Board Constitution, because it's nicer that way.

After that, there are several helpful documents on the Wiki designed to help acquaint newcomers with us and our habits and behaviors and general weirdness. Sedri's Guide to the PPC is particularly informative, especially when combined with the FAQ for Newbies and the Mission Writing Guide. If you do want to write PPC missions, you should also see the article about how to get Official Permission.

And that's probably quite enough to start with. {= ) Welcome! Have a bumper-sticker! *sticks one on you* ^__^

~Neshomeh

Re: First poke! by Somariel on 2010-03-29 19:19:00 UTC Reply

Thanks for the bumper-sticker! *displays it proudly*

As for what I've already read, I made sure to read everything you linked before I posted to the board, but I thank you for the information.

Welcome by Miah on 2010-03-29 20:42:00 UTC Reply

Hello! Here, have a seventeen foot long, multi-color, wool, knit scarf (curly wig not included), and a bag of jelly babies.

Please use them IRresponsibly!

What fandoms do you follow?

I mostly do tv shows for fanfic-NCIS, Stargate:Atlantis, House, Bones, Stargate: SG1. I read a lot of series, but I hardly ever read fanfic for books for some reason. LOTR, Harry Potter, Artemis Fowl, Pern and other Anne McCaffrey, Warriors (clan cats), some Star Wars, etc.

Anyway, nice to have you, what do you like?

Re: Welcome by Somariel on 2010-03-29 21:09:00 UTC Reply

Fandoms: LOTR, Harry Potter (still need to read the last two books, though), most Star Wars, Mercedes Lackey, Tamora Pierce, Anne McCaffrey (primarily Pern and Rowan/Talents), various other fantasy with a bit of science fiction thrown in.

Star Wars...mostly by Miah on 2010-03-29 23:35:00 UTC Reply

Have you read the X-Wing series? I have several other Star Wars books sitting on my to be read shelf, but I haven't gotten around to them. I don't want to start not at the beginning of a series, and somehow I always seem to end up with books 2 and 3 of a trilogy, or some such nonsense.

I have read the Han Solo Trilogy several times, the Corellian trilogy, and the original Han Solo trilogy. The books for episodes 1, 4, 5, and 6 and the books that are set just after each of those. And of course the whole X-Wing series. My favorite quote of all time comes from there.

"Pretty," Donos said. "What do we blow up first?" Star Wars X-Wing: Solo Command, Aaron Allston.

I love that. It seems like something that would fit DoGA pretty good.

Unless there has been a new Talent book come out this year then I am up on them. I am still behind on Pern, though. I have only read two of the ones Todd McCaffrey has been in on. I liked the one about the watch weyrs. Though, I have heard that some people didn't like that the focus was not on the dragons.

Re: Star Wars...mostly by Somariel on 2010-03-30 18:49:00 UTC Reply

Yes. I've read everything that was published before NJO, as well as NJO up through Balance Point.

Re: Star Wars...mostly by Elcalion on 2010-03-31 03:08:00 UTC Reply

Welcome, by the way. Have some chocolate-covered profiteroles and a pet mongoose.

I'm not a huge fan of NJO and what they did after NJO in Legacy of the Force annoyed me, but I rate the Zahn trilogy and (most) of the X-Wing series as my favourite Star Wars books by far. Not such a fan of Allston's novels apart from Starfighters of Adumar - generally prefer the Stackpole ones.

Elcalion, welcoming

Re: Star Wars...mostly by Miah on 2010-03-31 16:52:00 UTC Reply

I'm kind of the opposite, I liked the Wraith Squadron Allston books a bit better. I haven't ever gotten up to the NJO books. I keep meaning to, but there are so many series out there to read that it keeps getting pushed back.

Todd McCaffrey by Neshomeh on 2010-03-30 05:29:00 UTC Reply

I liked Dragon's Kin, personally. Dragonsblood not so much. I couldn't bring myself to read any of his other ones, especially the one that re-uses the dragon plague plot. He really kinda failed the first time, between the awful genetics and the questionable time-travel thing and the Redwall-esque Conveniently-Placed Plot Device. {X P

~Neshomeh

Re: Todd McCaffrey by Miah on 2010-03-30 14:58:00 UTC Reply

I think I may have at least started that book. I don't think I finished it.

Re: Todd McCaffrey by Goldenrod111 on 2010-03-31 04:43:00 UTC Reply

You didn't miss much. I, unfortunately, have an annoying lack of ability to stop partway through a book. If it wasn't published and accepted as canon, it is the kind of story that could be getting a visit from the DoMS. I'm not sure how far you read (or how much I remember), but the main character seemed like a borderline Sue, there was no lack of Cute Animal Friends, the initial stolen plot of a dragon's plague was, to my knowledge, not solved at the end of the book, the weyrwomen and weyrleaders' order of dominance has been switched from the original trilogy, and Todd has also stolen the idea of sending a group back in time to train before threadfall. I enjoy the series, especially the later books, but this is not a good addition to it.

Oh, total canon Sue. by Neshomeh on 2010-03-31 04:57:00 UTC Reply

Complete with Tragic and Noble Sacrifice at the end, if I remember right. *gags*

Have you attempted any of his other books? Like I said, I've been too leery of another disappointment.

~Neshomeh

Re: Oh, total canon Sue. by Goldenrod111 on 2010-03-31 22:27:00 UTC Reply

I think you are talking about Dragonsblood? I was actually talking about Dragonheart, but, now that I have looked them up, they both seem to deal with a plague. Dragons certainly seem susceptible for a creature designed for resilience, don't they? I have read everything in the series, but, sometimes luckily, don't remember everything in it. If I remember correctly, Dragonheart is the worst, and I think that I remember that I wasn't impressed by Dragonsblood. Despite not remembering much of Todd's books, I would recommend staying with the ones before he took over. He just doesn't seem to be as good with Pern. Anyway, have you read anything else by Anne? I have read and mostly enjoyed the first Doona, Petaybee, and Acorna books. The Petaybee one, at least, even seemed to be slightly better than Pern.

Re: Oh, total canon Sue. by Miah on 2010-04-01 00:11:00 UTC Reply

I love the Petaybee trilogy. I have read most of the Acorna books, the Talent series, and the shell people books. I own most of the Pern series, except the newest ones. The more you all talk about the Dragonsblood book, the more it sounds familiar. I guess that I did read the whole thing. It just was not memory worthy. ;)

Re: Oh, total canon Sue. by Goldenrod111 on 2010-04-02 05:35:00 UTC Reply

Sounding familiar is not a guarantee of having read one of Todd McCaffery's solo books. He steals enough stuff from Anne that they seem familiar even while you read them for the first time. The one thing that he forgot to take was the cure for the dragon plague in Dragonheart. Instead, he ended it with Fiona (since when has that been a Pernese name?) and some male dragonrider declaring their love for each other. How does that help cure a plague? I understand (kind of) having that part in the middle of the book, but as the final scene? What was he thinking?</rant>

Have I got the right one? by Miah on 2010-04-03 07:30:00 UTC Reply

I was thinking that his involved a lowish ranking Harper stuck up in Fort Hold. Thread was about to start falling and the whole schtick for can not let the dragon riders help was that the dragons will not die from this, but the weyr folk will, and it will wreak havoc with the weyrs ability to fight thread. Let me think for specific incidents...

The preschool age child of the Lord Holder lives, but the teenage daughter that the low ranking Harper liked died. She was the reason he was up there. They had been fooling around, and he was due to get yelled at or something along those lines.

Once people start getting over it, they are starving, and the Harper boy gets a message to the weyrs to have them bring food supplies, and the dragons do air drop missions.

Re: Have I got the right one? by Goldenrod111 on 2010-04-03 19:58:00 UTC Reply

That sounds like the summary (I don't remember enough of the book itself) of Dragon Harper. I was talking about the solo book he wrote even more recently, Dragonheart. In that one, the dragons are suffering a plague again which is believed to be carried by fire lizards again, so a group of young dragonriders goes back in time again. A little originality wouldn't hurt, Todd.

I have't read it. Only the watch weyrs and Harper guy. (nm) by Miah on 2010-04-04 02:50:00 UTC Reply

I've read a lot of hers, yeah. by Neshomeh on 2010-03-31 22:48:00 UTC Reply

And yeah, I was talking about Dragonsblood.

I haven't read the Doona books, but most of the rest--though just the original ones, like you say. Acorna lost my interest pretty quickly after she switched co-authors, and I can't be bothered about the Twins of Petaybee stuff.

I particularly liked the Freedom series, particularly disliked the Crystal Singer series. The early Talent books are pretty good, and even the later ones aren't bad. It's easier to overlook a canon Sue when half the cast is the same, I guess.

As for Pern, I've read the lot up to Todd, and I'd agree with you. I might also add that The Skies of Pern is unnecessary, too. It just... didn't do it for me. Masterharper of Pern was the last really great one.

I do love Pern, though. The world is just too cool, despite the occasional writing failures that happen to it.

~Neshomeh

Re: I've read a lot of hers, yeah. by Goldenrod111 on 2010-04-02 05:24:00 UTC Reply

I'll check out the Freedom series if I remember. I think I remember enjoying the less dragon-oriented books more. Variety is the spice of life, I guess. I agree that Pern is a great world. My favorites are the one where life seems to continue beyond the books, and I like the Fourth World series (mostly unremarkable, though I like the feel of the final book) for the same reason. Canon Sues do seem to be more difficult to find when most of the cast is borderline. Acorna (at least in the book I read) didn't seem incredibly different than most female main characters in Pern, but her Sueishness is more obvious.

I did it again! by Miah on 2010-03-29 20:43:00 UTC Reply

I keep forgetting to go back to the top post before I reply. *eyeroll*

Hewwo! by MAXinsanity on 2010-03-29 18:58:00 UTC Reply

Did you expect to get something from me, too?

Re: Hewwo! by Somariel on 2010-03-29 19:11:00 UTC Reply

Other than a hello and a welcome? No.

Welcome, new friend! by doctorlit on 2010-03-29 18:06:00 UTC Reply

Help yourself to your favorite venomous arthropod! You may...not...need gloves!

Re: Welcome, new friend! by Somariel on 2010-03-29 18:16:00 UTC Reply

Venomous arthropod? Could you please explain?

Arthropods are pretty much "bugs." by doctorlit on 2010-03-29 18:43:00 UTC Reply

For venomous varieties, there's spiders, scorpions, bees, centipedes, etc. Take your pick!

Re: Arthropods are pretty much "bugs." by Somariel on 2010-03-29 19:11:00 UTC Reply

Ah. I'll take some spiders, then.

Welcome. Here's a tall ship. by Khajidu on 2010-03-29 17:27:00 UTC Reply

Fair winds!
Allo, Have a Tribble. by Severniae on 2010-03-29 17:10:00 UTC Reply

They come in Red, Blue, Green or Orange, take your pick!

Re: Allo, Have a Tribble. by Somariel on 2010-03-29 17:13:00 UTC Reply

I'd like a blue Tribble, please.