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It's unbelievable there are Methods of Rationality fans in this thread. I've been enamored with the series as a piece of outsider art, but to find it legitimately good is indefensible. The most egregious detail I can point out is how, whenever the author needs to involve an original idea not from the books, he always uses the most generic phrases possible (Potions of Underwater Action, Cedric the Super Hufflepuff, Chaos regiment, Lucius Gladius, etc.) The prose in general is very poor, particularly the dialogue, though it is much improved from the earliest chapters. But what makes Methods so awful isn't the writing so much as the subject matter. I don't believe a "deconstruction" of Harry Potter is an innately bad premise, nor do I think writing fiction to teach science concepts is an unworkable idea. If it was handled by a different author, it could be interesting. As it is, the author promotes bad science, and freely mixes his personal pseudoscientific philosophies with legitimate teaching moments. Rationalist Transhumanism is the laughable ideology of poorly adjusted shut ins overly impressed with their intelligence. Conflating RT as a natural result of understanding science is the underlying premise of Methods, which is an insidious idea to expose to young readers as well as violating the sense of mature readers. The work itself cannot sustain its own ideology, and so the plot and characterization becomes obviously labored and bent to fit the author's intended screed. I won't even get into the complete subversion of the treatment of death - arguably one of the most important themes of the books. Having Harry snidely demolish the sniveling bitch Dumbledore for believing he wants to die someday was the point it became clear the author had no real love or affection for the heart of the series, just an autistic attachment to the universe's mechanisms. Blatantly autistic, judging from the naked self insertions early on. To give credit where credit is due, he does manage to pull off a couple humorous scenes - the bit where he attempts to use the Time Turner to brute force math problems was a particular favorite. When he builds his framework for how magic works, he's obviously put some thought into it and has some interesting ideas. And hell, I'll cop to enjoying the idea of Hogwarts Battle Academy. It has its moments, but the whole thing is built on a foundation of sand.
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Jul 18, 2012 11:08
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Calef posted:More than a few, since HPMOR is longer than the first three Harry Potter books combined. Paragon8 posted:Sounds like you avoided the theoretical debate about raping luna lovegood. Yeah, much better. Those first 3 books were poo poo without the rapes.
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Jul 18, 2012 13:12
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That fanfic, as I've said before (probably in this thread) is written by and for sociopaths and/or people with aspergers (can't decide which) and the fans of it on this forum are probably one or the other, hope this helps.
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Jul 18, 2012 13:31
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Hedrigall posted:That fanfic, as I've said before (probably in this thread) is written by and for sociopaths and/or people with aspergers (can't decide which) and the fans of it on this forum are probably one or the other, hope this helps. That would certainly explain quite a lot. Thank you. I couldn't figure out why sane people were raping a great series by thinking they could do it better then...oh...um...gee...I don't know...the bloody author of the series. 
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Jul 18, 2012 16:53
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Hedrigall posted:That fanfic, as I've said before (probably in this thread) is written by and for sociopaths and/or people with aspergers (can't decide which) and the fans of it on this forum are probably one or the other, hope this helps. It seems to be by and for people who hate Harry Potter. It sucks out all the charm and warmth of the series and replaces it with weapons-grade sperg and a liberal dose of smug. That doesn't even begin to describe the later parts where it turns into Ender's Game But With Harry Potter Characters.
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Jul 18, 2012 17:02
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I think it's fun to sperg a bit about Harry Potter and play around with the inconsistencies of the universe a bit as long as you respect the universe. I think the rough concept of Methods of Rationality had promise but as WeaponGradeSadness pointed out that it is so irreverent and distant to the source material it just seems like it branded itself with Harry Potter to get page hits or whatever. Like I get a fanfic that's like "oh hey what was book 7 like from Neville's perspective" but when you force things like gay draco/harry fic or Snape seducing Hermoinie you cross a line because that's something I feel that would freak out the content creator.
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Jul 18, 2012 23:58
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WeaponGradeSadness posted:It seems to be by and for people who hate Harry Potter.
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Jul 19, 2012 02:16
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I started on this Methods of Rationality and I have to admit I am hooked. I wouldn't call it good (quite the opposite), but it is interesting. It makes me wonder what the person who wrote it is like. I have a feeling he's the kind of guy who has the whole Dawkins library, with a dog-eared God Delusion but a Selfish Gene that's never been cracked open.Pththya-lyi posted:A lot of terrible fanfiction would be mediocre original fiction if people didn't feel the need to make that snarky glasses-wearing guy into Harry Potter. That's how Cassie Claire makes her living  EDIT: This guy! Just got to the point where Harry sees his bank account for the first time, and I wonder if the author talks like this in real life, or just wishes he did. I'm not sure which would be more awful. furiouskoala fucked around with this message at 10:40 on Jul 19, 2012 |
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Jul 19, 2012 10:34
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There's a neat discussion in MoR that Harry has with Snape, where Harry tries to psychoanalyze Snape and is super off base and out of his depth (it involves Lilly). That's really the only actually clever scene I remember, though.
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Jul 19, 2012 11:05
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PT6A posted:I'm pretty sure that he wasn't in the movies, based on the fact there are many Peeves scenes I am sure I would remember, and I can't remember any of them actually happening in the movies. I actually own all 8 films as a box set and watch them every now and again with the rifftrax, and no, Peeves was definitely never in the films and considering how much poo poo wasn't included anyways, it's really not that noticeable compared to something like Hermione having more than half of Ron's dialogue in most of the films. Only OotP and DH part 2 are poorer for not including Peeves, really.
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Jul 19, 2012 16:13
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Danzou posted:
While I sort of ideologically disagree with other things you said in your post, it wouldn't be productive to get into that argument. However, I do feel like pointing out that Yudkowsky clearly and intentionally writes Harry as a very poorly adjusted, angry, narcissistic boy. This, in turn, is due to the fact that Harry is more or less explicitly presented as a botched copy of Tom Riddle, or, perhaps, what Tom Riddle would have been like if he were raised by good parents. Harry has Voldemort's paralyzing fear of death, his manipulative streak, and his inability to accept losing. This is all pretty heavily implied to be because of what happened when he was a baby, and it is not usually portrayed as "good." The fact that Yudkowsky's Harry does have an impulse to help others and to do good is what makes him a good-hearted but flawed character, instead of being, well, a Dark Wizard.
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Jul 19, 2012 20:51
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I am thinking about buying all 7 Harry Potter books. i never really read them. I found the paper back edition for 76 euro's and the hardback edition for 110 euro's. I intend to re read these books every few years. They will only be put on my shelf and i like to read while lying on my bed. Which edition should i buy?
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Aug 22, 2012 11:20
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Sefal posted:I am thinking about buying all 7 Harry Potter books. i never really read them. I found the paper back edition for 76 euro's and the hardback edition for 110 euro's. The hardbacks are going to hold up better and will look nicer on the shelf, but the later books can be pretty heavy and unwieldy to read in bed (oh man, the memories of staying up to all hours reading those drat books on release night  )It really depends on whether you prefer durability and "looks nice on the shelf" or comfort.
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Aug 22, 2012 11:56
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Sefal posted:I am thinking about buying all 7 Harry Potter books. i never really read them. I found the paper back edition for 76 euro's and the hardback edition for 110 euro's. The hardback ones kind of hurt when you start to nod off and drop them on your face. On the other hand, this wakes you up and reminds you to put the book on the nightstand so you don't roll over on it in your sleep. I'm not kidding here. Even if you don't fall asleep while reading, the hardbacks are still much more durable and will stand up to several re-readings.
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Aug 22, 2012 11:57
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I think i will go with hardback edition. Thank you guys. I would prefer durability.
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Aug 22, 2012 12:07
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Those prices seem awfully high. Do you have a local amazon? I can find a set on .co.uk for around 40 euros
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Aug 22, 2012 14:16
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Paragon8 posted:Those prices seem awfully high. Do you have a local amazon? I can find a set on .co.uk for around 40 euros I checked my local city for the prices and it was 10 euro's per paperback and 20 euro's per hardcover. I ordered this one http://www.bol.com/nl/p/harry-potter-hardback-boxed-set/1001004005450704/#product_judgement
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Aug 22, 2012 14:30
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JK Rowling interview: http://insider.pottermore.com/2012/10/watch-jk-rowling-answer-harry-potter.html (nothing very exciting, but it's all about Potter, not her new book) She also does a reading from the first book, and I realised that Mr Ollivander has Asperger's Syndrome. He obsesses over wand lengths and cores, and whenever he sees someone he knows he just obsessively lists specifications about their wand. Very socially awkward. edit: Also i think that was the first time I'd heard JK Rowling do Hagrid's voice. It's adorable Partway between the accent Robbie Coltrane does in the movies and Sam in LOTR.
Hedrigall fucked around with this message at 11:52 on Oct 18, 2012 |
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Oct 18, 2012 11:49
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I finally did the Pottermore thing just to get sorted. I'm a Slytherin, which was a bit of a surprise after assuming myself to be a Ravenclaw for twelve years, but I can't argue with it. If there ever were a sequel or EU or anything I'd want it to be about the Auror Office. You can still have Harry in it as he's the head and all, but mostly about the Auror squad. Basically what I'm saying is I want wizarding Law and Order.
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Oct 27, 2012 04:54
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Waffle Ho posted:I finally did the Pottermore thing just to get sorted. I'm a Slytherin, which was a bit of a surprise after assuming myself to be a Ravenclaw for twelve years, but I can't argue with it. In the wizarding world criminal justice system, the people represented by two separate but equally important groups -- The Aurors who investigate dark wizards, and the Wizengamot that prosecutes the offenders. These are their stories.
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Oct 27, 2012 17:17
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njbeachbum posted:In the wizarding world criminal justice system, the people represented by two separate but equally important groups -- The Aurors who investigate dark wizards, and the Wizengamot that prosecutes the offenders. These are their stories. This simply reminds me of that April Fool's joke where FX created a fake commercial for an Auror's television show. 
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Dec 2, 2012 19:44
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Bizarro Kanyon posted:This simply reminds me of that April Fool's joke where FX created a fake commercial for an Auror's television show. I still really want to see that TV show 
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Dec 2, 2012 22:28
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I've always thought that the biggest problem with the Harry Potter movies is that you can't read them.
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Dec 2, 2012 23:03
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reflir posted:I've always thought that the biggest problem with the Harry Potter movies is that you can't read them.
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Dec 2, 2012 23:28
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If subtitles were movies you'd create an infinite regress.
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Dec 2, 2012 23:37
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Bizarro Kanyon posted:This simply reminds me of that April Fool's joke where FX created a fake commercial for an Auror's television show. I feel like even though this could have totally been awful, it actually had some potential to be good too.
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Dec 3, 2012 19:44
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furiouskoala posted:I started on this Methods of Rationality and I have to admit I am hooked. I wouldn't call it good (quite the opposite), but it is interesting. It makes me wonder what the person who wrote it is like. I have a feeling he's the kind of guy who has the whole Dawkins library, with a dog-eared God Delusion but a Selfish Gene that's never been cracked open. Hes actually anything but. He has written a lot on philosophy (a lot of non-standard stuff though) and hardly ever discusses atheism/religion. He considers it a sort of forgone conclusion. When he does discuss it he is far more concerned with what causes religious beliefs in society/people. This should give you a general idea of his views: http://wiki.lesswrong.com/wiki/Atheism
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Dec 4, 2012 05:55
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Waffle Ho posted:I finally did the Pottermore thing just to get sorted. I'm a Slytherin, which was a bit of a surprise after assuming myself to be a Ravenclaw for twelve years, but I can't argue with it. Congratulations. I'm a bit of the opposite... I automatically assumed I was a Slytherin for many years due to my, aherm, somewhat evil tendencies. However, Sorting Hat said Ravenclaw. Perhaps it's to my advantage... No one expects a mighty dark wizard to emerge from Ravenclaw's tower. 
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Dec 5, 2012 22:11
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I was originally put into Hufflepuff, even though I wanted Ravenclaw. However, I had a spare account so I got sorted into Slytherin... Seems quite apt, really! Love Slytherin now. My fanart: Look at Me. with Snape and Harry http://sabenerica.deviantart.com/art/Look-At-Me-331799507 Art for the sake of making art.
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Dec 6, 2012 04:34
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For years, I thought I was a Ravenclaw because I'm a huge nerd who attaches an almost sacred significance to learning for its own sake. I even got Sorted into Ravenclaw when I joined an LJ Harry Potter community, all based on my answers to the community's Sorting questionnaire. Even though I'm a bleeding heart, I thought I was a poor fit for Hufflepuff because I'm so lazy. But apparently my desire to help people and be a good person overwhelms my lazy braniac tendencies, at least in the Sorting Hat's eyes (folds?).
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Dec 6, 2012 04:52
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Pththya-lyi posted:For years, I thought I was a Ravenclaw because I'm a huge nerd who attaches an almost sacred significance to learning for its own sake. I even got Sorted into Ravenclaw when I joined an LJ Harry Potter community, all based on my answers to the community's Sorting questionnaire. Even though I'm a bleeding heart, I thought I was a poor fit for Hufflepuff because I'm so lazy. But apparently my desire to help people and be a good person overwhelms my lazy braniac tendencies, at least in the Sorting Hat's eyes (folds?). The problem is that Hufflepuff isn't defined at all except they are "loyal" and apparently where all the unsortable kids go. I feel like JK needed a fourth house, she had good, evil, and smart, and she needed the fourth house for the "other kids". I will say that that the one fan fiction story (Dumbledore's Army and the Year of Darkness) does a much better job of describing hufflepuff's strengths than JK did.
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Dec 6, 2012 22:21
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njbeachbum posted:The problem is that Hufflepuff isn't defined at all except they are "loyal" and apparently where all the unsortable kids go.
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Dec 6, 2012 23:17
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I'm a Hufflepuff on Pottermore.  If I had to characterize Hufflepuffs, I'd say they're the sort of people who always think of the good of the group, whereas Gryffindors seem to have an individualistic streak and Slytherins and Ravenclaws don't seem to care about that.
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Dec 6, 2012 23:36
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njbeachbum posted:I will say that that the one fan fiction story (Dumbledore's Army and the Year of Darkness) does a much better job of describing hufflepuff's strengths than JK did. Now you've caught my interest. Do you have a link to this fiction, assuming it's free to read? I once referred to fanfiction as "a lot of pointless rabble" in a fit of anger... Perhaps I will eat my words.
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Dec 7, 2012 00:04
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First make sure to look up what rabble means and then ask yourself whether it applies to people or to words. The defining characteristic of Hufflepuff is diligence, by the way.
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Dec 7, 2012 00:27
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reflir posted:First make sure to look up what rabble means and then ask yourself whether it applies to people or to words.
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Dec 7, 2012 00:30
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If you count words as things your ontology is hosed up.
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Dec 7, 2012 00:32
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Dumbledore's Army and the Year of Darkness. It's pretty interesting, but can be a little overly grimdark in places.
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Dec 7, 2012 02:28
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zachol posted:Dumbledore's Army and the Year of Darkness. It doesn't help that the author is apparently a psychopathic scammer. Allegedly.
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Dec 7, 2012 03:55
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VanSandman posted:It doesn't help that the author is apparently a psychopathic scammer. Allegedly. I dunno, I never found the accusations particularly believable. No matter the truth, it doesn't affect the story, anyway. (I enjoyed it quite a lot, grimdark or no)
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Dec 7, 2012 04:47
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