4.8 KiB
[META] Rational Fiction 101?
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Author: u/Jivax666 *
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URL: https://www.reddit.com/r/rational/comments/5x7yxs/meta_rational_fiction_101/
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Score: 8
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Created: 2017-03-03T03:10:21
Post:
I have a bit of an interest in rationalist fiction. I'll admit to being a skeptic in general and a giant raging science nerd. Unfortuneatly, I'm at a bit of a wall. I know where to start. I've read the tvtropes page and have read some of HPMOR. (In my defense I have ADHD and can't finish a goddamn thing.) Basically can I get some recommendations for someone newer to rational fiction, and preferably that of the shorter variety.
Comments:
u/DRMacIver [+13] (5 hours later)
Not to toot my own horn too loud, but if you wanted something short, finished, and rational, Rules of Wishing probably fits the bill quite nicely.
u/KilotonDefenestrator [+1] (6 days later)
That was a great read, thank you!
u/None [+10] (2 hours later)
[removed]
u/Roxolan [+13] Head of antimemetiWalmart senior assistant manager (4 hours later)
Slatestarcodex fiction is more "stuff that /r/rational likes" than rational fiction. Stellar, but not what OP is asking.
u/None [+1] (12 hours later)
[removed]
u/Roxolan [+5] Head of antimemetiWalmart senior assistant manager (13 hours later)
The pill stuff was much more about exploring the funniest edge cases of the pill powers (e.g. spoiler) and finding excuses to keep all the pill people together than real optimization. I'll give you the cactus thing on a technicality.
u/Frommerman [+4] (3 hours later)
Ohmygodthis. It's perfect when you feel distracted but want to read something that makes you think.
u/Zephyr1011 [+2] Potentially Unfriendly Aspiring Divinity (14 hours later)
u/vakusdrake [+9] (14 minutes later)
Have you tried all the fics on the wiki section of this subreddit? Because if not then just try that, nearly everyone else is just going to recommend things from that list, or just tell you to check the wiki yourself.
u/Jivax666 [+5] (23 minutes later)
Well it looks life I'm going to be busy for a while
u/vakusdrake [+2] (an hour later)
Oh man that stuff kept me busy for like a year, there's just so much amazing rational fiction.
u/Zephyr1011 [+2] Potentially Unfriendly Aspiring Divinity (14 hours later)
I think asking for the best things from that list is not an unreasonable request, since the wiki has a great deal of stuff not in sorted order
u/Amonwilde [+9] (2 hours later)
Try Mother of Learning. That's a fun one...
u/thrawnca [+12] Carbon-based biped (4 hours later)
It's not short though...nor finished. I highly recommend it as a story, but for the specific criteria given, maybe not so much.
u/fljared [+4] United Federation of Planets (an hour later)
Ted Chiang's Exhalation is a short story that is a solid example of the genre.
u/Zephyr1011 [+5] Potentially Unfriendly Aspiring Divinity (14 hours later)
The Metropolitan Man is a complete rational Superman fanfiction from the perspective of Lex Luthor, which I found excellent. And reasonably short for a full story, at 80K words
u/AurelianoTampa [+2] (10 hours later)
Yeah, the community wiki here has a bunch of popular ones. There are also links to our recommendations threads. Some are longer than others!
u/Ilverin [+2] (20 hours later)
u/noggin-scratcher [+1] I am a happy tree (3 days later)
For really quick single-shot stories, there's always the biweekly challenge threads (each of which links to the previous thread, so you can start from the current sticky and follow backwards in time).
Not necessarily the absolute apex best of the community's output, as it's by nature a quicker and less refined format. But usually at least interesting, and requires less commitment than diving into the lengthy serial format.