One thing Monette does is use North America as the starting point for her imaginary world, rather than Europe (which, as you said, tends to be the Fantasy default). I saw one reviewer so set in the idea that it had to be Europe, that she got all up in arms about Monette using buffalo, coyotes, and alligators in her backdrop. She said they were 'obviously' not native to the imaginary region.
On the time travel thing, that's why I keep being thrown by the reviewers that seem to say that Severus has no call to be angry at Harry since Harry was just trying to prevent a paradox. If Harry had to do it because he'd already done it, then if it hadn't done it he wouldn't have had to. Harry still somewhere along the way was responsible for choosing that course of action, if he had free will. If he didn't have free will, that would seem to negate free will for the whole of the time-loop and probably the whole of the Harry Potter universe, and then no-one is responsible for anything.
This is actually a problem IRL, given that just about every bit of physics coming down the pike tells us that the universe is deterministic. I happen to be in a field where I can expect a Fate vs. Free Will debate at least once a semester (I <3 academia). What I take way from those debates is even given the (increasingly likely) probabilty that we do not have free will, we should choose to behave as though we have free will, because only if we have free will can we make that choice. I think that can be applied to your story. Snape is right hold Harry accountable for his actions, because if Harry isn't accountable for his actions, then Severus isn't accountable for blaming him.
On a more down to earth note, Harry shows none of the creativity getting around the paradox here that he showed in PoA. At the very least he could have left a note saying anti-venon and drought of living death on such and such a date would be a good idea (ala Marty McFly ^_^). But he is so focused on getting back to his own time to off Voldemort, that he doesn't even try to think up any non-paradox causing alternatives.
Ah, the shipping wars. :) I was aware of them periferally (mostly via fandom wank) but I made a point to keep away from HP fandom until I'd read DH. I wanted to form my own opinion before others' were thrust upon me. I'm liking reading through all the fic now, but I'm also have meta enjoyment coming from seeing how fandom perseptions have changed with each additional book.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2008-09-15 09:01 pm (UTC)On the time travel thing, that's why I keep being thrown by the reviewers that seem to say that Severus has no call to be angry at Harry since Harry was just trying to prevent a paradox. If Harry had to do it because he'd already done it, then if it hadn't done it he wouldn't have had to. Harry still somewhere along the way was responsible for choosing that course of action, if he had free will. If he didn't have free will, that would seem to negate free will for the whole of the time-loop and probably the whole of the Harry Potter universe, and then no-one is responsible for anything.
This is actually a problem IRL, given that just about every bit of physics coming down the pike tells us that the universe is deterministic. I happen to be in a field where I can expect a Fate vs. Free Will debate at least once a semester (I <3 academia). What I take way from those debates is even given the (increasingly likely) probabilty that we do not have free will, we should choose to behave as though we have free will, because only if we have free will can we make that choice. I think that can be applied to your story. Snape is right hold Harry accountable for his actions, because if Harry isn't accountable for his actions, then Severus isn't accountable for blaming him.
On a more down to earth note, Harry shows none of the creativity getting around the paradox here that he showed in PoA. At the very least he could have left a note saying anti-venon and drought of living death on such and such a date would be a good idea (ala Marty McFly ^_^). But he is so focused on getting back to his own time to off Voldemort, that he doesn't even try to think up any non-paradox causing alternatives.
Ah, the shipping wars. :) I was aware of them periferally (mostly via fandom wank) but I made a point to keep away from HP fandom until I'd read DH. I wanted to form my own opinion before others' were thrust upon me. I'm liking reading through all the fic now, but I'm also have meta enjoyment coming from seeing how fandom perseptions have changed with each additional book.