Tavia said, in response to Neil:
Setting: Well the repressive Federation setting on Earth or other Inner Worlds is far more interesting (to me) than an alien spaceship with food synthesisers, a wardrobe room and a treasury.
Heartily agreed. Since fanfic is the unlived life of canon, it gives us the chance to explore background and material circumstances.
I agree I have little wish to read other people's wish-fulfilment fantasies,
Actually, even someone who is a lousy writer might have interesting wish-fulfillment fantasies.
but dooming all original characters because occasionally people choose to publish wish-fulfilment seems a little OTT ? Maybe I've been missing out, but I've never read a non-humorous overt Mary-Sue.
Harking back to the Deliverance discussion (which has now been running longer than Abie's Irish Rose) I bet that what people really object to are subconscious Mary Sues.
-(Y)