Sunday Salon: The Mary Sue Effect

I learned a new term yesterday. I was discussing with my husband the book I was reading and mentioned that one of the supporting characters, who seemed to dominate the story at times, shared the same profession as the author and was nominated for a similar award. It worked very effectively in the book and did not seem at all out of place in the sense of pulling me out of the story. I liked the character quite a bit actually--favored her over the main character, in fact. It didn't even cross my mind that this could be the author's way of inserting herself in her own book. I am not sure that she did, mind you. It is just that the coincidences seemed many.

Self-insertion and author surrogacy are not new to fiction. Both are literary techniques in which an author inserts a bit of themselves into their own story. In the case of an author surrogate, an author creates a character that is a reflection of the author by way of personality, ideas, and beliefs. It is not always a conscious effort, however. Self-insertion is much more direct in that the author writes him or herself into the story, more often as a minor character although this is not always the case. Sometimes it is obvious and other times it is more covert. Both can be quite effective if used appropriately.

I wonder how much of the old adage "write what you know" comes into play in situations like this, if at all. I imagine it would be difficult to divorce oneself completely from the story that is being written. I inject a little bit of me in everything I write, even when I am not consciously doing so. However, that is not quite the same thing as self-insertion or author surrogacy. That would be an entirely different topic.

The term my husband introduced me to is the Mary Sue Effect, which is most often relegated to describing an effect that occurs in fan fiction. It is a pejorative expression really, and encompasses the idea of self-insertion and author surrogacy in an extreme way. It is a brand of wishful thinking on the author's part that stands out, is often over the top and pushes the envelope when it comes to suspension of disbelief. That's a generic definition anyway.

The author of the book I was reading yesterday may have inserted herself in her own book (she bases her main character on a real life person and so it would not be too much of a stretch to believe), but I would not go so far as to call it a case of the Mary Sue Effect. It was not over the top in any way and did not seem out of place or forced, despite the fact that the character did take a leading role in the the story as it unfolded. And, not knowing the author, I cannot say whether she is anything like her character or not other than in occupation.

I had never given much thought before to such things as self-insertion and author surrogacy. It was just one of those things that came up in casual conversation. Isn't it interesting, the directions are thoughts and discussions can take us?

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I have just began reading Penelope Przekop's novel, Aberrations, about a young woman who suffers from narcolepsy. Angel longs to know the truth about her deceased mother and what she discovers is much different than she ever imagined. I am already entranced. Here's a sample to whet your appetite:

My father is a liar. He claimed to name me Angel the day my mother died. He said it was because God sent me to save him, but as the years passed he shriveled up anyway into a wad of sadness and self-pity. The likes he told about her death became my foundation--they were the kind that anchor little girls when they don't have a mother. [pg 1]

I am also starting a suspense/thriller novel called Rabbit in the Moon by Deborah and Joel Shlian. This particular novel is taking me to China, where Dr. Lili Quan returns at the insistence of her dying mother. Touching on the cultural revolution during the late 20th century and the search for the secret to long life, Rabbit in the Moon promises to be an intriguing tale. I am looking forward to reading more.

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Week in Review:
Review of Loose Girl: A Memoir of Promiscuity by Kerry Cohen
Review of Death Without Company by Craig Johnson
Booking Through Thursday: Beginnings. It's all in the first line.
Off Topic Chatter
General Bookish Talk: Saturday Randomness

New Additions to the TBR Collection:
Good-Bye and Amen by Beth Gutcheon
The Chicago Way by Michael Harvey
The Boat by Nam Le
Stream of Death by Bill Stackhouse


I hope everyone has a great week. It is hard to believe August is just around the corner. Happy Reading!