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From our friends at TV Tropes, Disability Superpower, the idea that a character with a disability gains something that makes up for (or exceeds) the missing ability. This happens all the damn time in fanfic, and usually by replacing the disability with some other nearly equivalent new ability that no one else has. It's like having the terrible shock of knowing you can never sugar your tea again, but then being handed some Sweet-N-Low that also gives you the ability to fly.
And on that note, here's my reviews for the magical curses in two Harry Potter fanfic stories that cause a main character to be unable to speak:
"Beyond Words" by Steppenwoelfin
Author's summary: "...Voldemort curses Harry during the final battle, and Harry consequently loses the ability to speak and becomes mute. Dumbledore assigns a most reluctant Severus Snape to teach Harry how to overcome this obstacle by means of non-verbal spells, sign language and a lot of training and iron discipline. During their lessons, they slowly learn to respect each other…and more." [Pairing is HP/SS, rating is M.]
"A Thousand Beautiful Things" by Duinn Fionn
Author's written summary: "Draco Malfoy struggles with changed fortunes, shifted alliances, an ugly war, and an unusual spell, with the help of a concerned professor, an insightful house-elf, and an unexpected Gryffindor friend. Rating - R Pairing - HP/DM"
I'll cut this real soon now for possible spoilers, though I'll try not to cover anything that's not laid flat out in the summary or first chapter. I just want to say before the cut that I was amused enough by both of these stories to read them. I liked "A Thousand Beautiful Things" much better than "Beyond Words," most especially for its treatment of this trope, but I didn't think "Beyond Words" was unreadably bad. (And in fact some things in that story unrelated to the trope were quite interesting.)
Anyways, ( Here there (might) be spoilers )
So, anyone else have an example of a pair of stories, or books, or movies, that are on "the same subject" but one is much better than the other?
ETA: I've thought of a name for a particular treatment of disability-- when one character is permanently injured in an accident or act of violence, and it's clear that none of the characters have ANY previous experience with that disability, and perhaps that no one in the entire world does, so they have to come up with, from scratch, ways for the character to deal with their limitations. I think this particular treatment should be called "Re-inventing the wheelchair."
And on that note, here's my reviews for the magical curses in two Harry Potter fanfic stories that cause a main character to be unable to speak:
"Beyond Words" by Steppenwoelfin
Author's summary: "...Voldemort curses Harry during the final battle, and Harry consequently loses the ability to speak and becomes mute. Dumbledore assigns a most reluctant Severus Snape to teach Harry how to overcome this obstacle by means of non-verbal spells, sign language and a lot of training and iron discipline. During their lessons, they slowly learn to respect each other…and more." [Pairing is HP/SS, rating is M.]
"A Thousand Beautiful Things" by Duinn Fionn
Author's written summary: "Draco Malfoy struggles with changed fortunes, shifted alliances, an ugly war, and an unusual spell, with the help of a concerned professor, an insightful house-elf, and an unexpected Gryffindor friend. Rating - R Pairing - HP/DM"
I'll cut this real soon now for possible spoilers, though I'll try not to cover anything that's not laid flat out in the summary or first chapter. I just want to say before the cut that I was amused enough by both of these stories to read them. I liked "A Thousand Beautiful Things" much better than "Beyond Words," most especially for its treatment of this trope, but I didn't think "Beyond Words" was unreadably bad. (And in fact some things in that story unrelated to the trope were quite interesting.)
Anyways, ( Here there (might) be spoilers )
So, anyone else have an example of a pair of stories, or books, or movies, that are on "the same subject" but one is much better than the other?
ETA: I've thought of a name for a particular treatment of disability-- when one character is permanently injured in an accident or act of violence, and it's clear that none of the characters have ANY previous experience with that disability, and perhaps that no one in the entire world does, so they have to come up with, from scratch, ways for the character to deal with their limitations. I think this particular treatment should be called "Re-inventing the wheelchair."
