They changed up the prophecy in this story, neither can reside in the same world or something like that.

 

It might not mean much as a post but I would like to register that I like this fic a lot. Certainly one of the best fics I've ever read.

I would give a 5/5 rating and I cannot understand how it is in the "The Recycling Bin".

I'm curious as how you guys evaluate. Is this not well written, original, interesting?

Is the evaluation being biased? Because I'm not sure if this should be bin material.

Can someone explain to me why this one was so lowly evaluated?

I'm a long time fanfic reader, I do read this forum for a long time and I'm a member for a shorter time. I'm sorry if I cannot understand, maybe because I'm still learning english, or different cultural setting upbringing, but I would like to understand.

Thanks for the attention and sorry for my english.

 

For a few reasons, really. First of all, the people at DLP (including myself, but I won't say 'we' considering my very-recent incursion into the crowd) are highly critical. The Library contains only the best.

Secondly, the idea of a smart Harry with a scientifically oriented father/mentor is one that has been used quite a few times before, which makes the story a little less original than it could be. Granted this fic is rather unique, and the plot so far has been…different, but originality is highly valued in this community.

Thirdly, there are some plot-holes and inconsistencies. If you read through the entire thread you'll see what I mean. But as someone pointed out quite recently, the idea of stunning and Obliviating the Aurors so that they don't know that Harry killed a Dementor doesn't entirely hold with what we've been told with respect to "a more powerful wizard telling you that you're not ready to know some things yet". Granted there could be other reasons, such as avoiding unnecessary attention and hence sparing Harry the public exposure, but the apparent reason is inconsistent with some earlier parts of the story.

Fourth, while the plot may be quite original it's also at times hard to follow and does not display a clear red-line. Personally I find this only increases the entertainment-value of some stories (this is one of them) but I also see how it could lower the rating for many others. At the moment, the story seems to revolve around Harry teaching and attempting to redeem Draco, and the little tiff between Draco, Hermione and Harry in their roles as Generals. Certainly there is some form of advancement of plot -anyone with a pair of eyes can see this- but it's highly divergent and crawling forwards. We're up to chapter 44 and have just passed the Christmas break, really. While it doesn't make the story less enjoyable, it sets a very slow pace and makes for a plotline that some readers can have understandable difficulties enjoying.

At least those are my opinions: But don't take me as the definitive answer to this question. Someone with more experience in the community and criticizing fanfiction in general would probably be more apt to answer your questions.

Finally, you should understand that a three-star-rating on DLP is pretty much equivalent to the best-of-the-best on sites like FF.net (where it seems reviewers have disgustingly low standards sometimes) and that this story is well liked, but not flawless or original enough to quite make it into the Library.

EDIT: added last paragraph and corrected grammar and spelling errors.

 

Generally, early on it proved itself to be a love it or hate it fic among the DLP membership, and with the rating system being what it is it's difficult to escape the bin if you get a lot of 1s and 2s. Unlike most of the other stories around 3, there has been a high dispersion of ratings for this story and plenty of other people have given it 4s and 5s.

Most of the people who dislike it are significantly turned off by its debatable preachyness, its constant shifts in tone, its sweeping revisionism, and its lack of a well defined plot (less of a problem after 150k words or so). For some people this makes the positive aspects of the fic completely unenjoyable, while some can either forgive or ignore such issues in light of the stronger points.

At this point the fic is actually a very good example of Bin material, in that it isn't expected to appeal to the majority of the DLP audience but does appeal to a significant portion of it.

 

Well spoken - didn't I say someone could do it better?
I would give you a thumbs up, but I don't see the button that's supposed to be present anywhere in the thread or post. Guess you need a certain post-count or something before you can do that.

 

Well, thanks for both of the answers.

Teapot, you said that "the idea of a smart Harry with a scientifically oriented father/mentor is one that has been used quite a few times before". My point here is that we have a whole new threat for time travel for example. Most of the ideas accepted in the library does not have an original starting point.

Alas, I'm not here to criticize your explanations Teapot and Rhys. I could understand then both and I didn't know the ratings worked like that.

I never voted on this fic and still does not know how to do this. But even with all its defects I could not give anything even remotely less then top marks.

Maybe I'm too easily impressed?

I do read a lot of fanfics though, since hp3. I've learned/unlearned english almost from scratch just from reading fanfics. My point is that, to me at least, this is easily top5.

Sorry for getting a bit offtopic.

 

Absolutely, there is a section devoted solely to time-travel (if that is what you meant; it was a bit unclear due to your wording). Personally, I also think this story deserves a spot in the Library, but as Rhys pointed out it is very dependent on the ratings, and these do vary. As for how to rate: In the top-right corner of the thread there are some stars. Clicking on these allow you to give your own rating of the thread (and since this is a story-thread, by extension the story itself).

Well, if you think you're too easily impressed all I can say is that you should read more, better fanfiction. The DLP Library is an excellent place to start

 

While even its detractors would admit the story has enjoyable aspects, the reasons are many why several of us are not gushing over it. They can be found in the earlier comments in the thread, but include: the author's raping of elements of canon (see Taure's comments on transfiguration), his meandering for twenty-odd chapters without a hint of plot, inconsistency in the writing, several of his characters being so far out of character as to be unrecognizable, his apparent disrespect for the source material (admitting to not even having read more than a couple volumes of the series), and his using the story and the fanfiction vehicle as a podium to preach his gospel of rationality rather than a chance to write an engaging story.

Any one or few wouldn't be so bad, but taken all at once, it makes for a story that is appropriately placed in the Recycling Bin alongside other controversial tales (Inverarity's Alexandra Quick series, SerpentSannin's Knowledge is Power, Miranda Flairgold's A Second Chance at Life are three such stories, though Inverarity's series is improperly placed).

I'm sure, based on his stated dislike for the site, that Yudkowsky isn't exactly staying up nights worrying about how we evaluate his story. On a personal note, I have a hard time enjoying a story if I dislike the author, though in this case I rated well before I had formed an opinion of him (I remember rating it a 3 or 4). That the author is a blatant review whore and apparently a rather unpleasant individual with a god complex (as evinced by his author notes and blog comments) doesn't make him very likable.

 

I was a little blinded by what I like in the story.

I do have some perspective now.

I agree with your points. I would still give it 5/5 though. But then, that's my personal opinion.

I understand now why some people would not like it.

Thanks everyone and sorry for not reading all the 28 pages of post =/ I just read some.

 

Bloody well said, man.

@LightLess: That's almost alright. Not everyone can be as awesome as some DLP members.

Next time, though, read the whole thread before asking why some people don't seem to like something. Chances are you'll find out.
And if you're still rating it 5/5 you obviously have not understood the points that have been made in this thread, sorry. 5/5 stories belong, unquestionably, in the Library. I stated above that I think this story does, but it's with a hairsbreadth of marginal, and more for the entertainment value than due to it being an excellent story.

Re-read, re-consider, re-post.

 

I was about 20 chapters behind on this and finally got caught up. And I don't really have anything to add that's not been said before a few hundred times in this thread. Yes, it fails in a great many ways of the things we expect from a Harry Potter fanfiction. Yes, we're a quarter of a million words into this and still miring through first year. Yes, it'll never be a seven year finished plotline with this volume of depth throughout all the years. Yes, it often presents intellect and intelligence as incontrovertible facts that are more than a little gray in reality.

I'm sure I could agree with a dozen more annoyances, complaints, and just fucking frustrating aspects of the story.

But that doesn't change the fact that I'm really enjoying this and looking forward to more. "Genius" as a character description and vital plot element I've never seen done this well or compelling. The fact that its polarizing and inspires so many negative responses just adds to the amusement.

 

I won't name names (don't worry, you're not one of them) but there are a few members on this site who can't seem to not rub me the wrong way when I see their posts, but I rather enjoy their fics.

I try to keep those things separate. I don't like fic-unrelated things intruding upon my enjoyment of a fic . . . which is why I've tried, for the most part, to ignore all'yall's negative comments about the fic. I enjoy it and I shall continue to enjoy it until something happens in the fic to cross the boundaries of my enjoyment. It stepped mightily close with that stupid song-fic bullshit at the sorting, but has receded since then.

 

Word. This whole thread is almost as amusing to read as the fic itself.

 

A little off-topic, but this thread has 166 votes so far., I can't think of any others off the top of my head which have reached this sheer mass of voters - a few WBA fics have been given a fair few, iirc, but nothing like this.

Recycling Bin, Library, or a small pile of ash on the floor, this should be kept around, if only because it's been a topic for so much debate.

 

Santi's has 151. Also, I vote we drive up the number of votes on that story just so that this one fades away into oblivion as it deserves.

 

A Second Chance at Life by Miranda Flairgold has 229 votes, 3.29 average.

 

I'm going to chime in.

I dislike the author's attempt to blend philosophy with humor. I wish he'd chosen one route or the other, because as it is the tone is just too certain. How can I take deep introspections about the natures of life and death seriously when they're punctuated by comedically fainting elite auror trios?

I'm frustrated with the development of Neville. I liked his initial distaste for Harry, and I think that making him Harry's protege has destroyed his character.

And for one reason or another, this story is almost certainly going to prove to be a massive train wreck.

All the same, I look forward to this story's updates more than almost any other. Unlike most of you, I love all the canon reversal he's done, and the scientific experimentation sequences in particular. It's possible that because I share some similar philosophic inclinations with LessWrong, I cut him some slack for the story elements in which he unquestionably falls short. I like The Methods of Rationality because it challenges me to think.

 

To me it seemed pretty clear that Quirellmort surprised them and dropped them like rocks before they knew what happened.

 

Is anyone else annoyed with the moniker Quirellmort? Every time I see it I mentally cringe.

 

Better a Quirellmort than a Bumbleduck, I always say.