The Crys Saga is an excellent example of the Mary Sue syndrome, which has
been in fanfics for a long time.  In it, the author becomes the main
character in the story, usually ending up fixing the problems of the various
characters, and generally being an idealized portrait of the author.

	The article "The Three-Foot Pit and Other Stories" in The Best of
Trek #9 defines Mary Sue stories as ones in which a new character -- usually
a woman with *amazing* talents and abilities -- saves the hero's life or gets
him out of trouble; the two then inevitably fall in love.  This doesn't
necessarily mean that the "Mary Sue" character is, or is based on, the
author, although this is often implied to various degrees.

	By this definition, the subplot involving Alet in the Gundam fanfic
"Russian Roulette" would qualify as a Mary Sue story.  So would "The Big
Bang", especially when Ryan admits that he based Daved on himself.

	There's nothing inherently bad about Mary Sue stories, even though
they have become something of a cliche in the fan fiction world.  (It isn't
surprising that the idea got started in Star Trek fanfic, because it's
easy to conceive of a Mary Sue character to serve as a love interest for
Kirk.  This type of story was parodied very well in "Command Decision
Crisis" in The Best of Trek #3.)

	The best Mary Sue I've read recently was the Synaesthesia Trilogy,
a series of Doctor Who fanfics by Rebecca Anderson.

-- 
"I will chide no breather in the world but myself,                 _____
 against whom I know most faults." - As You Like It         |_____|_____
                                     Act 3, Scene 2    _____|     |
            Julian Fong: fong_jh@sunset.bph.jhu.edu