Mary Sue On The Case

by Toni L.P. Kelner

Do you know Mary Sue?

I've noticed during recent online conversations that one of the most common criticisms I see of the work of new science fiction and fantasy writers is that their protagonist is a Mary Sue. And if nobody else tells you, there are a slew of online Mary Sue litmus tests to make sure that your protagonist doesn't fall into that trap. So what's so bad about Mary Sue?

According to Wikipedia, "Mary Sue, sometimes shortened simply to Sue, is a pejorative term used to describe a fictional character, either male or female (male characters are often dubbed "Gary Stu", "Marty Stu", or similar names), that exhibits some or most of the clichés common to much fan fiction. Such characters were originally labeled "Mary Sues" because they were portrayed in overly idealized ways, lacked noteworthy or realistic flaws, and primarily functioned as wish-fullfillment fantasies for their authors, often very young and unsophisticated."

So, if I wrote a Star Trek story in which an idealized version of myself came on board the Enterprise crew and proved herself as a heroine of note to the bridge crew, I would have been guilty of this writing faux pas. Not that I would ever have imagined such a thing...

Okay, I admit it. I created a Mary Sue of my own. Several, in fact. I sent them off to explore the galaxy with Kirk and Spock, fight the Sheriff of Nottingham, charm a noble pirate captain, join U.N.C.L.E., and even visit the doctors of M*A*S*H.

But I was young, then. Now I'm far more mature. Just look at my Laura Fleming series. Laura--Laurie Anne to her family--is nothing like, Toni--Toni Leigh to my family. Sure she's a North Carolinian living in Boston, but I was born in Florida before moving to my family's home state of NC and I live in Malden, which is seven miles away from Boston. Laura is a computer programmer, while I was a technical writer. Her family is large and eccentric, while mine is merely large, unless you count the cousin who kept his money in a washing machine or the one who ran with a biker gang until she found the Lord. Our physical differences are striking--she's a full TWO INCHES taller than I am.

Hmm... Maybe she is a bit of a Mary Sue... So why didn't the editor gag when I wrote the books, and why was this never a criticism in the reviews of the book? As far as I can tell, mystery writers LIKE Mary Sue.

Okay, they're not crazy about the flawless Mary Sues who are loved and adored by all, but mystery readers don't seem to have any problem accepting an author taking parts of her own background and fashioning characters and stories around it. Look at archeologists Elizabeth Peters and Dana Cameron, who write about archeologists; Dick Francis, who has more than a passing acquaintanceship with horse racing; and investigative reporter Hank Phillipi Ryan, who writes about--you guessed it--an investigative reporter. And there are many, many more. Nobody accuses them of writing Mary Sues.

It hardly seems fair. So why does it happen that way?

I think it comes down to three things:

The first is the sense of scale. Most mysteries are theoretically based on reality, or at least closer to it than fantasy and science fiction worlds. So even if I idealize myself, I'm going to make myself taller, thinner, younger, and wittier. I'm not going to make myself the only surviving wielder of the Chatreuse Flame, destined to save the universe.

Second, part of the appeal of science fiction and fantasy is visiting new worlds and witnessing new situations. I don't know about you, but I'm a creature of this world. I don't know that I could convincingly fit any version of myself into a whole new world, no matter how much taller, thinner, younger, and wittier I was. I'd have to make so many changes that the character would no longer be recognizable as me, and therefore, not a Mary Sue at all.

Third, part of the appeal of mysteries is exploring unknown corners of this world. Mystery readers like learning about archeology from Cameron and Peters, investigative reporting from Ryan, and horse racing from Francis. (While it is certainly possible to research these milieus and convincingly portray them, it's a whole lot easier if you already know what you're writing about.)

So while the fantasy and science fiction writers are working extra hard to create characters who've never heard of The Brady Bunch, we mystery writers can write about folks who can sing along with the theme song. Mary Sue is on the case!

Comments

[alyson]

I LOVE THE BOOK THE MIRROR!!! i was very disapointed when i found out that it was never made into a film. someone needs to do something about that. even though she wrote with such detail, with the making of a movie, it would help me, and many others, enjoy it much more!