Mary Sue

This article refers to the concept in modern literary criticism. For either part of the given name or real or fictional people named as such, see Mary and Sue.

Mary Sue, sometimes shortened simply to Sue, is a pejorative term used to describe a fictional character, either male or female (though male characters are often dubbed "Larry Stu" or some other rhyming male name), that exhibits some or most of the clichés common in fan fiction, making the character itself something of a cliché. Although the term itself is not limited to fan fiction, its origins lie in the name of a character from a 1973 Star Trek fanzine parody entitled "A Trekkies Tale", and its most common usage today is within the fan fiction community or in reference to fan fiction. Characters were originally labeled as "Mary Sues" for being portrayed in an overly idealized way and lacking noteworthy or realistic flaws.

The definition today has widened considerably to encompass most clichés found in fiction — such as having a tragic past or being shown as instantly likable — and especially that the character in question acts as a wish-fulfillment fantasy for the author who created it. These authors are sometimes referred to as Suethors, a portmanteau of "Sue" and "author," though this usage is not universal within the fan fiction community. While "Mary Sues" are usually unintentionally written as such, some authors deliberately create them as a form of parody.

While the term is generally limited to fan-created characters, canon and original fiction characters are also sometimes criticized as being "Mary Sues." Wesley Crusher is probably the best-known example of this. In play-by-post role-playing games, many original characters are also criticized as being "Mary Sues" if they dominate the spotlight or can miraculously escape a near-impossible predicament (usually with an unlikely saving grace).

It is important to remember that affiliating a character as a "Mary Sue" is an entirely subjective process and personal decision, typically made by people — paid critics and non-professional readers alike — who generally disapprove of what they believe to be overused plot devices or stock characters found in most amateur fiction, and that not all fan-made characters would necessarily qualify as a "Mary Sue" by everyone's criteria.

Furthermore, not every Mary Sue is automatically vilified by his or her fanship/readership. Indeed, well-known characters like Michael Moorcock's Elric and Hideo Kojima's Solid Snake--who are either fairly obvious Sues or else admitted avatars for their creators, respectively--are loved in spite of, or perhaps even because of, their relative Sueness. Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling admits that the character Hermione Granger is based on herself when she was younger. However, the character still has a fan following (especially among female fans) that rivals the titular character. The overall presentation of these "Positive Sue" characters as having genuine foibles, as well as their sympathetic personalities, contributes to this unusual aspect.

Etymology

The term "Mary Sue" was coined by Paula Smith in 1973 for her parody story "A Trekkie's Tale," published in her fanzine Menagerie #2. The main character was Lieutenant Mary Sue ("the youngest Lieutenant in the fleet—only fifteen and a half years old"). The story poked fun at what Smith considered to be unrealistic adolescent wish-fantasy characters appearing in Star Trek fan fiction of the period. The term has since been applied to non-canon characters in a variety of contexts, and this usage has been used in the wider literary world. David Orr, in a review of online fan fiction websites FanFiction.net and Godawful Fan Fiction for The New York Times Book Review, wrote:

When you've had your fill of slash, gen, and 'ship fiction ([fan fiction] terms for various character entanglements), when you groan at the arrival of each new "Mary Sue" (a ludicrously empowered author proxy)...

Originally, in the Star Trek fan fiction community, "Mary Sue" described an original (non-canon) female character who had a romantic liaison with an established canon character, particularly if she possessed unrealistic or unlikely (and often exotic) traits above and beyond those expected of a character in that particular series, or a conventional author surrogate. Later, however, the concept was expanded to include almost any author surrogate character or highly idealized character who plays a major role in the plot, especially those who upstage the canon characters and monopolize the spotlight. The term gained wider use outside of the Star Trek fandom in the late 1990s and the 2000s (primarily on the Internet), and has seen usage in reference to non-fan fiction in the mainstream media.

Connotations

As one can see from its usages noted above, the term carries the strong connotation of wish fulfillment. Because of this, it is commonly associated with self-insertion, the literal writing of oneself into a fictional story. However, a true self-insertion is a literal and generally undisguised representation of the author; many characters referred to as "Mary Sues" are not literal self-insertions, though they are frequently said to be a "proxy" or stand-in of some sort for the author. The generally negative connotation of the term comes from this very "wish-fulfillment" implication; the "Mary Sue" is seen as being a poorly-developed character, too perfect with too few genuine faults to be a sympathetic or three-dimensional characterization, existing in the story only to satisfy the author's ego.

The term is also often associated with over-the-top character features, such as exotic hair and eye colors, mystical or superhuman powers greater than those of the other characters, exotic pets, possessions or origins, or an unusually tragic past. These associations are due to their commonplace occurrences in wish-fulfillment stories. However, it should be noted that even a character that lacks most such features can be seen as a "Mary Sue" depending on the perspective of the critic.

The term is also somewhat more broadly associated with characters who are exceptionally and improbably lucky, far beyond what can normally be considered realistic; the good luck may be in such common things as romance ("Mary Sue" always gets her man), adventure ("Mary Sue" always wins a fight or knows how to solve the puzzle), and popularity -- with the "right people" seeming to gravitate toward the character. The connotation in this sense is not just characters for whom everything eventually ends up happily ever after, but rather characters who meet very little significant challenge or resistance in attempting to achieve their goals. "Everything goes her way" is a common criticism regarding "Mary Sues," the implication being that the character is not sufficiently humanized or challenged during the course of the story to prove interesting or sympathetic to the reader.

Sub-concepts of or relating to "Mary Sue"

Frequent subtypes or sub-subtypes of perceived "Mary Sues" will be named on the fly using certain patterns. Two of the most common methods of doing this are listed below:

• The ! convention. Generally this is a one-word description of the character as portrayed in a particular story, set against the word "Sue" with a ! symbol, e.g. rebel!Sue (to denote a rebellious character seen as a "Mary Sue"). For "canon-Sues" the symbol is usually preceded by the canon character's name. It may also be used to ascribe traits to non-Sues. This convention is limited to online use.

• The - convention. Used less frequently (in part due to less freedom, as the ! convention allows for multiple descriptors; for example, goth!alien!rebel!Sue), but still used nonetheless in some areas of fandom.

"Angsty" Sue

This subconcept of the "Mary Sue" comes in two common variations. The first is a character who is constantly depressed and has an unnecessarily tragic past, frequently involving such things as child abuse, rape, or abandonment of some sort. She often feels guilt for something that happened in the past, even though it is usually not her fault, which gives her the ability to feel bad about something without having done anything wrong. Generally, if she doesn't commit romanticized suicide, then only the love or close friendship of one or more canon characters can convince her that she is not responsible for a tragic or horrific childhood or event that was not truly of her making. Sometimes the horrific past is used just to gain sympathy from the reader, and Mary Sue doesn't show most of the signs of clinical depression.

The other version of "Angsty Sue" has a tragic past, but rather than crying about it seeks revenge for what's been done to her family/home village/civilization, etc. She is thrust into the spotlight of the story while doing so. The writer uses her past not merely as a device to gain sympathy, but also to claim moral superiority and justification for her actions; as such, this type of "Angsty Sue" rarely has any guilt at all; after all, she hasn't done anything wrong.

Anti-Sue

Some authors make an extreme effort to avoid making their character into a "Mary Sue." The results of such attempts are sometimes referred to as "Anti-Sues." The key difference between a well-developed character and an "Anti-Sue" is that the deficiencies of an "Anti-Sue" are similarly over-the-top as the positive qualities of a "Mary Sue."

"Anti-Sue" traits include physical unattractiveness, mental illness (including sociopathy and psychopathy), noticeably lacking in power relative to other characters (if even competent at all), being generally disliked by others or never interacting with them, cowardice, and other unflattering characteristics or personality traits. While characters who can arguably be described as "Anti-Sues" have proved popular in some fiction, especially in modern times (see anti-hero), at other times they may be perceived to be as bad or even worse than "Mary Sues." The "Anti-Sue" is often viewed as merely another cliché stock character, especially if he or she still manages to take the spotlight away from the canon heroes.

Canon-Sue (in fan fiction)

The term "canon-Sue" (also written as canon!Sue) or "Possession Sue" is used to describe canon characters who are changed significantly from their original canon characterization and sometimes even divorced from their original context completely. Such characters are seen as having been heavily idealized to the point of being more of a stand-in for the author's wish fulfillment than being the original canon character.

Characters most frequently labeled "canon-Sues" often develop the typical traits of a "Mary Sue" with little precedent or explanation, a process sometimes called "sueification." Some examples are the discoveries of tragic pasts and abilities superior to other canon characters, the elimination or romanticization of flaws, and being antagonized by characters disliked by the fan-author while befriended by canon characters liked by the author, or by an original character created by the author.

If the "canon-Sue" deviates enough from the original, it can be referred to as an act of "canon rape." The term is also used when a significant (and disliked) change has been made to the canon world or characters, such as when a former hero is vilified or a usually-chaste canon character is easily seduced by a fan-created "Mary Sue" character.

One way fan-authors excuse "canon-Sues" is by claiming that the story takes place in an alternate universe (AU) - for example, in the fan-author's "What If" interpretation of the world, the heroes are villains. However, the premise of AU is that each character's basic personality remains the same, even though the circumstances, setting or alignment may have changed.

Canon Sue (in original source)

A "canon Sue" may also refer to a character whose canon portrayal itself is seen as a "Mary Sue," rather than a character who has been altered in fan fiction. Typically, this refers to a character accused of being overly idealized or having other traits traditionally associated with fan fiction "Mary Sues," such as being "special" by having a gratuitously tragic past, unrealistic skills, or a seeming inability for the character to do wrong. Characters such as Wesley Crusher and Amanda Rogers in Star Trek: The Next Generation have been criticized as being "Mary Sues." Even Ensign Garrovick has some Sue-like characteristics.

Gary Stu/Marty Stu/Larry Stu

A male "Mary Sue" may be referred to as a "Gary Stu" [1], "Larry Stu" [2], or a "Marty Stu" [3]. References to male characters being a "Gary Stu" (or similar masculinized term) are less common than those to female Mary Sues; this is probably due in part to the variety of masculinized permutations of the term (as opposed to the single feminine form), though it may be due to other reasons as well, such as the feminine dominance of many fiction sites, a history of male writers' preference for focus on plot elements and technical details rather than emotional content and character development, or simply the zeitgeist of recent years; little if any statistical research seems to have been done regarding this.

Parody Sue

This "Mary Sue" is intentionally created for a parody. Her vast repertoire of skills and lack of personality are emphasized in a humorous way and generally, one of two things happens in the story:

• She succeeds and everyone in the canon universe falls under her buxom charms.
• She fails, either because there are too many other "Mary Sues" fighting her, because an original character (whom she has failed to instantly befriend or defeat) interferes, or because the canon characters see how uninteresting she really is.

Self-Insert

Self-insertion is used to describe clear (and usually seen as indisputable) cases where the author has directly inserted a version of him- or herself into the story in lieu of a wholly or even partly original character, generally going so far as to use the same name or pseudonym for character and author. Though some author surrogates are common in fiction, such as Stephen King in his Dark Tower series, Philip Roth in several of his novels, or Steve Gerber and Chris Claremont in their respective final issues of Man-Thing, self-inserts in fan faction are frequently seen as the most blatant "Mary Sues," especially when heavily idealized. The more that is known about the author the more easily such self-inserts can be identified, based on resemblances. Some online fan fiction archives have a ban on any story which involves self-insertion, especially sites which disallow any fan fiction involving a nonfictional person, such as FanFiction.net.

Villain-Sue

Traits of the "Villain-Sue" include replacing, befriending, or being romantically involved with the canon villain, defeating canon characters with ease, having frequent suicidal thoughts (but despite these, not killing herself), being secretly redeemable, having a tragic past that somehow excuses her adult transgressions, and letting the canon characters live when she could kill them — not out of bad qualities such as wanting to see them suffer, a desire to have all of them as prisoners at once, or wanting to gloat, but because she really isn't that bad.

Sometimes a "Villain-Sue" becomes a hero (usually close to the end of a story), saving the characters from a much worse menace. Once she is a hero, the canon characters rarely question her motives and accept her a member of the group.

Litmus Tests

Tests known as "Mary Sue Litmus Tests" have been written to help writers (especially inexperienced ones) gauge whether or not their character is a Mary Sue, as well as bring the Mary Sue concept to writers' attentions. These tests list traits commonly associated with "Mary Sues," and matching more traits results in a higher score. Once the score is high enough, the character is said to be a likely "Mary Sue."

Most tests include a disclaimer noting that even characters with extremely high scores can be executed well enough not to be considered a Mary Sue, and that the test is primarily meant as a guide for better characterization.

Many writers believe that many of the older Litmus Tests are too strict, finding that they make not only popular fictional characters out to be Mary Sues, but also real life people. One method of bypassing this problem is to put a favorite fictional character through the test, and then aiming your own Original Character to have a lower score.

Parodies of "Mary Sue" in the media

As the concept (and term) has increased in usage over time, it has started to become referenced parody in the mainstream media:

• The writers of the television cartoon series Duckman make the occasional reference to Mary Sue. In the 4th season episode "Aged Heat 2: Women in Heat" a cute, sweet blonde character named "Suzie" is introduced who takes over Duckman's fame, fortune and attention.

• In the "Superstar" episode of the fourth season of TV's Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the wimpy character Jonathan casts a powerful spell in order to "recreate" the Buffyverse so that he becomes its ultimate media star, sex symbol and superhero. The episode's credits were even altered to feature Jonathan (actor Danny Strong) as the show's focal point and star.

See also

• Author character
• Author surrogate
• Fan fiction
• Fanzine

External links

Origins/history

• The Affirmation Some fans believe this to be the story that Paula Smith was thinking of when she wrote "Trekkie's Tale".
• A Historical Perspective on Mary Sue: Issues and Trends A chronological description of how the concept has been approached in fan fiction communities, particularly Star Trek, since its inception.
• "Too Good to be True: 150 Years of Mary Sue" Essay
• "Whatever Happened to Mary Sue?" An article that discusses how the concept of the Mary Sue has evolved over time.
• The Mary Sue Society Site contains a detailed explanation of Mary Sue, as well as essays and links, including examples of how Mary Sues appear in specific fandoms.

Additional essays

• Mary Sue, Who Are You? a humorous essay on Mary Sues
• Self-Insertion and Mary-Sueism examines the difference between a Mary Sue and a character based on the author - and why there often is none.
• The Original ANTI "Universal Mary Sue Litmus Test" examines the difficulties in making a universal Mary Sue Test.

Mary Sue "Litmus Tests" online

• The (Original) Mary Sue Litmus Test (for Gargoyles fan fiction) The first Mary Sue Litmus Test published on the Internet.
• The Universal Mary-Sue Litmus Test A non-fandom-specific Mary Sue Litmus Test.
• The Original-Fiction Mary Sue Litmus Test A test for characters in original fiction.
• Another Original Fiction Mary-Sue Litmus Test Another test for original fiction's Mary-Sues.

References

• Verba, Joan Marie. Boldly Writing: A Trekker Fan and Zine History, 1967–1987. Mankato, MN: FTL Publications, 1996.