Hacker News Reader

Comment by wingerlang | Hacker News Reader

I've always meant to read this one, although I usually don't even like the idea of fanfics.

Reading just a bit, the constant "science!" is really off putting and I'm only half the chapter in. Just reading this [0] makes me want to close the tab. Is it this obvious and in the face throughout the whole 'book'?

[0]

> "Mum," Harry said. "If you want to win this argument with Dad, look in chapter two of the first book of the Feynman Lectures on Physics. There's a quote there about how philosophers say a great deal about what science absolutely requires, and it is all wrong, because the only rule in science is that the final arbiter is observation - that you just have to look at the world and report what you see. Um... off the top of my head I can't think of where to find something about how it's an ideal of science to settle things by experiment instead of arguments -"

View on HN

The tone changes greatly over the course of the story. The first several chapters are a lot more didactic and stilted before the humor gets going and the plot becomes gradually more character-driven and the story gets caught up in the actual events. The humor subsides further into the story as things get darker. The didactic bits don't go away entirely, but most of what remains of it through the second half of the story is inner monologue as part of the main character's problem solving process.

No. The first few chapters might sound a bit off-putting (though, personally, I like it), but it gets much, much better after chapter 4 or 5. And after chapter 10, it is just a joy to read.

If you're into audiobooks, don't miss the podcast: http://www.hpmorpodcast.com -- It is excellently read by multiple voices.

Okay, thanks. Then I'll keep reading.

One of the reasons to contact Rowling or get this officially published is that it needs some serious editing. Especially the first chapters.

Someone with the author's deep insight into almost everything should have been able to work out that you don't need to contact JKR to hire an editor.

You can find editors for hire online. Some of them are very good.

Of course, they won't be JKR or JKR's editors. They'll be ordinary professionals with a professional opinion.

I suspect that may be enough to put the author off.

I also suspect that JKR has glanced at this already. But since she's known for taking political positions rather different to the author's, I doubt first contact would be a happy experience.

> Someone with the author's deep insight into almost everything should have been able to work out that you don't need to contact JKR to hire an editor.

You need to contact JKR to know what to tell the editor (is she offended by the many criticisms of canon? the occasional political comments eg on immigration? the notorious Draco rape bit? and so on); bonus points if the editor is trusted and can help make the deal work.

There's a deal? Does JKR know there's supposed to be a deal?

You're not editing at this point, you're asking for official approval, which is a whole other thing.

You're not going to get that from JKR, or from any other high-profile author who has a professional interest in keeping their own work separate from the vast flood of fanfic that surrounds it.

But also - it's simply stupid (and irrational) to think that JKR is going to approve of political comments about immigration, or a rape scene.

She's made her political position very obvious in interviews. Why would she change it for some fanfic?

It's like trying to tell Steve Jobs that he should have made Macs run Windows, because OS X was a dumb mistake.

You are missing the point, almost deliberately, it seems.

> You're not editing at this point, you're asking for official approval, which is a whole other thing.

Official approval would almost certainly require changes, hence the need for an editor after starting any sort of negotiation. The editor is part of any deal going through. No one expects that there's even the slightest chance that MoR would be approved with no changes; there is a tiny iota of a chance that after appropriate changes are made. What is 'appropriate'? No idea. So hiring an editor before is not nearly as useful as hiring after.

> But also - it's simply stupid (and irrational) to think that JKR is going to approve of political comments about immigration, or a rape scene.

You're very opinionated for an ignorant fool. I never said it was a rape scene, and I doubt Rowling would object to the immigration part.

It seems clear that JKR is only needed for permission to publish this in book form. Since the proceeds would go to charity, that doesn't seem like an unreasonable request, although of course JKR might reject it, as is her right.

Wow I must have taken the jam out of someone's doughnut. Every comment I made today, on numerous threads, was just downvoted twice. Including this one, which doesn't seem too political?

I'm not sure JKR is the go to source for great editors. It's perfectly clear from reading the series that as soon as she had the clout, she stopped listening. Hence the ever longer books.

It's quite common for authors that achieve critical success. Stephan King even went back and published one of his older books with the material the big bad editors and publishers made him take out. Let's not even talk about Robert Jordan.

Chapter 11 was the turning point for me (for the better; much, much better), and I understand it's like that for many people.

IF you found that annoying you may prefer Daystar's remix of the first few chapters : https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9676374/1/Daystar-s-Remix-of-Ra....

But that's the funny part! The later attempts at scheming-bastardry-oriented fantasy are the bad bits.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com