4 ms·

I was not aware that there is an Atlas Shrugged-length Harry Potter fanfiction about rationality. Learn something new every day!

petesergeant 4y ago
It’s a very, very entertaining read, although it loses its way and loses steam a bit as it goes on
- SiempreViernes 4y ago
  I think the first chapter is really fun, then it loses steam and by something like chapter six it has fukky jettisoned the promise chapter one sets up and it is strictly in "ok to terrible" territory for the rest of it.
khazhoux 4y ago
YMMV. I tried to finish it based on a strong trusted recommendation, but could not get past the insufferable author-inserts, and the unpleasant and unbelievable hero character.
- flangola7 4y ago
  What's the name of it?
  - karaterobot 4y ago
    Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality. I'm glad such a thing exists, but I could never work up the interest to read it myself. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter_and_the_Methods_of_Rationality https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter_and_the_Methods_o...
    - pksebben 4y ago
      wait, really? I scrolled right past someone posting about "Harry Potter rationality fanfiction" and thought, "huh, oddly specific burn but it's chuckle worthy". it's an actual thing? This is a joke, right? tongue in cheek or something. Or should I go get some Brawndo to water my basil...
      - HDThoreaun 4y ago
        It's not only a thing, it's almost 2000 pages long.
- kimixa 4y ago
  I too didn't finish it - assuming it's "Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality". I got caught up by the multiple times the main character made sweeping assessments of things with insufficient information, and just happened to be right by accident (or author fiat I guess). The main characters figure things out by Thinking Really Hard, and experimentation is only ever done to prove they were right all along to other characters. That's an arrogant character who keeps falling into the right answer, not a scientist.
  - SamReidHughes 4y ago
    It went above your head.
    - operatingthetan 4y ago
      It went above their head because it was poor writing in their view? Why would you think taste in writing has anything to do with their ability to understand the points the writer was trying to make? This seems unecessary and you are probably capable of coming up with a more interesting response.
      - SamReidHughes 4y ago
        It was supposed to be a flawed protagonist.
        operatingthetan 4y ago
        It's commonly thought (and obvious) that Yud wrote the book about himself so I doubt it. It doesn't really fit the rationalist playbook either, they take themselves excessively seriously.
        SamReidHughes 4y ago
        The character's author-insert aspects are self-parody.
- favaq 4y ago
  Really, you found it surprising that a book written by the insufferable author of the insufferable blog LessWrong is insufferable?
idlewords 4y ago
It's not just Atlas Shrugged-length, but Atlas Shrugged-quality!
- precompute 4y ago
  I disagree, Atlas Shrugged was much better, used an original premise and had an interesting phrase throughout ("Who is John Galt?"). HPMOR is really garbage-tier. It's parasitic on another series, doesn't have much in the way of a good story, and quite legitimately makes shit up. There are much better HP fanfics (and indeed books) written by people that are not as "smart" as Yudkowsky and also didn't have an agenda to push.
SiempreViernes 4y ago
It's not really about rationality past the first four chapters or so, after that I don't really know what its about but when part of the plot is helping Voldemort break people out of azkeban then rationality is clearly not an important theme.

petesergeant 4y ago

It’s a very, very entertaining read, although it loses its way and loses steam a bit as it goes on

SiempreViernes 4y ago
I think the first chapter is really fun, then it loses steam and by something like chapter six it has fukky jettisoned the promise chapter one sets up and it is strictly in "ok to terrible" territory for the rest of it.

khazhoux 4y ago

YMMV. I tried to finish it based on a strong trusted recommendation, but could not get past the insufferable author-inserts, and the unpleasant and unbelievable hero character.

flangola7 4y ago
What's the name of it?
- karaterobot 4y ago
  Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality. I'm glad such a thing exists, but I could never work up the interest to read it myself. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter_and_the_Methods_of_Rationality https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter_and_the_Methods_o...
  - pksebben 4y ago
    wait, really? I scrolled right past someone posting about "Harry Potter rationality fanfiction" and thought, "huh, oddly specific burn but it's chuckle worthy". it's an actual thing? This is a joke, right? tongue in cheek or something. Or should I go get some Brawndo to water my basil...
    - HDThoreaun 4y ago
      It's not only a thing, it's almost 2000 pages long.
kimixa 4y ago
I too didn't finish it - assuming it's "Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality". I got caught up by the multiple times the main character made sweeping assessments of things with insufficient information, and just happened to be right by accident (or author fiat I guess). The main characters figure things out by Thinking Really Hard, and experimentation is only ever done to prove they were right all along to other characters. That's an arrogant character who keeps falling into the right answer, not a scientist.
- SamReidHughes 4y ago
  It went above your head.
  - operatingthetan 4y ago
    It went above their head because it was poor writing in their view? Why would you think taste in writing has anything to do with their ability to understand the points the writer was trying to make? This seems unecessary and you are probably capable of coming up with a more interesting response.
    - SamReidHughes 4y ago
      It was supposed to be a flawed protagonist.
      - operatingthetan 4y ago
        It's commonly thought (and obvious) that Yud wrote the book about himself so I doubt it. It doesn't really fit the rationalist playbook either, they take themselves excessively seriously.
        SamReidHughes 4y ago
        The character's author-insert aspects are self-parody.
favaq 4y ago
Really, you found it surprising that a book written by the insufferable author of the insufferable blog LessWrong is insufferable?

idlewords 4y ago

It's not just Atlas Shrugged-length, but Atlas Shrugged-quality!

precompute 4y ago
I disagree, Atlas Shrugged was much better, used an original premise and had an interesting phrase throughout ("Who is John Galt?"). HPMOR is really garbage-tier. It's parasitic on another series, doesn't have much in the way of a good story, and quite legitimately makes shit up. There are much better HP fanfics (and indeed books) written by people that are not as "smart" as Yudkowsky and also didn't have an agenda to push.

SiempreViernes 4y ago

It's not really about rationality past the first four chapters or so, after that I don't really know what its about but when part of the plot is helping Voldemort break people out of azkeban then rationality is clearly not an important theme.