Gosh darn “I travel into a novel” gripes

[SSR]

(Applies to this post)

I’ve read my fair share of novels and fanfics where the mc reincarnates or transmigrates into a series they read, watched, played, etc. I honestly love these kinds of shits. See my gripe is how the fuck are these mc’s remembering everything about the plot of the series they just got thrown into, and they know exactly where all the hidden secrets and powers are.

Like I’m pretty sure the average Joe ain’t remembering hyper specific details of a complex novel off rip, and being able to recall enough information about said thing to? Yeah I ain’t buying it. Authors try to get around this by systems or having the mc be a super fan that has literally burned every single fine detail into their soul. But everything is still based around the mc remembering allat.

Again, shit ain’t sweet like that bra. I feel like we need more novels where the mc can’t remember shit about a series they consumed, not some shit where they only read like the first 10 chapters of a novel or something. Real bonafide ass memory like us real people!

Oh yeah, this applies to those travel back in time novels to. Where like the mc goes and tries to get revenge on people, my ass would NOT be able to remember all those fine details lmao.

 

[Prince_Azmiran_Myrian]

Today we learned that @SSR has bad memory.

 

[SSR]

Today we learned that @SSR has bad memory.

I didn’t say allat

 

[Cipiteca396]

I've seen both in fiction, and it makes sense either way.
There's some games and stories that I literally do know every single detail of.
There's some settings that I know literally nothing about even though I've spent loads of time consuming them.

What's really fun is seeing a speed runner or challenge runner doing seemingly perfect playthroughs over and over.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

If the MC has some form of autism or obsessive/compulsive disorder, or a photographic memory, it makes sense that they would recall everything. But otherwise, odds are some of the small details stick out while some of the larger themes and story elements do not, given human nature.
One of the first novels I've ever heard of to do this was called "Silverlock" (published in 1949) and the hero winds up transported into the Commonwealth of Fiction which contains about a dozen fictional lands (as well as some historic and quasi-historic ones like Camelot) within its borders, and he does recall some little details (though a few of them also turn out to be incorrect!), while having to be reminded of some of the bigger picture things.

 

[RecursiveDescent]

If you really want to go with a perfectly recalling mc that doesn't require them to be super invested or have a super memory you can solve this by having the system or whatever give him a copy of the novel and like a limited time to speed reread and make notes.
Even without making notes to refer to later just being able to read it again will grant most of the recalling ability you see most mcs do.
It's more difficult to forget things you know your life depends on than just passively reading a story you fully expect to forget right away (and so you do).

 

[Daitengu]

Like I’m pretty sure the average Joe ain’t remembering hyper specific details of a complex novel off rip, and being able to recall enough information about said thing to? Yeah I ain’t buying it. Authors try to get around this by systems or having the mc be a super fan that has literally burned every single fine detail into their soul. But everything is still based around the mc remembering allat.

Well there's your problem. You treat those MCs as normal. Most of em are actually on the autistic spectrum.

Can't read between the lines. Takes what is said at face value. Often fixates on a subject to the detriment of themselves and others. Often dislikes crowds, dealing with people, and may have social anxiety, while calling themselves an introvert. Likes to make lists or maps.

Sound like the MCs you reading? Yeah, they got the tism. And peeps with it are encyclopedias of knowledge in very specific areas.

 

[Nolff]

View attachment 30583
(Applies to this post)

I’ve read my fair share of novels and fanfics where the mc reincarnates or transmigrates into a series they read, watched, played, etc. I honestly love these kinds of shits. See my gripe is how the fuck are these mc’s remembering everything about the plot of the series they just got thrown into, and they know exactly where all the hidden secrets and powers are.

Like I’m pretty sure the average Joe ain’t remembering hyper specific details of a complex novel off rip, and being able to recall enough information about said thing to? Yeah I ain’t buying it. Authors try to get around this by systems or having the mc be a super fan that has literally burned every single fine detail into their soul. But everything is still based around the mc remembering allat.

Again, shit ain’t sweet like that bra. I feel like we need more novels where the mc can’t remember shit about a series they consumed, not some shit where they only read like the first 10 chapters of a novel or something. Real bonafide ass memory like us real people!

Oh yeah, this applies to those travel back in time novels to. Where like the mc goes and tries to get revenge on people, my ass would NOT be able to remember all those fine details lmao.

I've seen both in fiction, and it makes sense either way.
There's some games and stories that I literally do know every single detail of.
There's some settings that I know literally nothing about even though I've spent loads of time consuming them.

What's really fun is seeing a speed runner or challenge runner doing seemingly perfect playthroughs over and over.

You both are giving me some fresh ideas for my fanfic mind.

What if a speedrunner with the power a speedrunner has goes into the world of the weebs he never knew of?

Oooh, my senses are being tickled~

If you really want to go with a perfectly recalling mc that doesn't require them to be super invested or have a super memory you can solve this by having the system or whatever give him a copy of the novel and like a limited time to speed reread and make notes.
Even without making notes to refer to later just being able to read it again will grant most of the recalling ability you see most mcs do.
It's more difficult to forget things you know your life depends on than just passively reading a story you fully expect to forget right away (and so you do).

Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint did that.

The MC isn't good at remembering things from the novel he had read for the past 10 years (Note: The novel he read published over 3000 chapters on release). So, instead of making him a fan, the author decided to give him a copy of the novel. And that is one fine way to reward him because all the novel's copies were deleted thus making him the only person to have a guidebook.

 

[Deleted member 166076]

I've read a couple hundred different romance mangas where the MC regresses or is Isekaid into a novel. Half of them have the MC talking about how they're struggling to recall this or that. It's hardly a rare thing to see what OP wants in a story.

However, I do think it is worth noting that it's quite common for people on the spectrum to be writers, which means you're going to see a lot of writing that might resonate more with those who are also on the spectrum. When you consider a lot of people tend to love well fleshed out worlds and characters that people on the spectrum are known for creating, it means that's the sort of content that's going to be written by everyone else too. Most people just write whatever they see is popular in hopes of enjoying some of the success they see others having. Then someone who loves well written stories gets annoyed by all the badly written stories and decides to write their own, so it all ends up being one big cycle.

A reason like being a super fan, having a photographic memory, or having a system that enhances their memory should honestly be good enough, though. That shows the author put thought into why their character can remember those details. Besides, you're supposed to embrace the suspension of disbelief when reading fantasy. It's one thing if there is a lack of consistency, but something fantastical happening in a fantasy book is hardly surprising.

 

[ThrillingHuman]

What, is it that hard to know every letter of every word of a 12 million word novel that's been publishing for 4 years?

 

[foxes]

I think there's a logic to the fact that these types of trapped people have perfect memories. Back in my dandy days, I could easily remember all the secrets on a muscle memory level. And now I literally dream about some of the projects I'm working on. So it's first and foremost its own world, not the novel it's in.

 

[Zirrboy]

Good memory or not, do keep in mind that the secrets they mention are the ones they recall at all. You don't know what you don't know or don't remember.
Memory is associative, so remembering the finer details once they become relevant seems pretty reasonable to me.

 

[TroubleFait]

Also, remembering things become much more important to them than it is to you and me. Literally a matter of life and death.

 

[TheEldritchGod]

The autistic level of knowledge I have about the dumbest of fiction would absolutely astound you. If you assume fans are being targeted by Truck-Kun, rather than randos, then it would make sense they, at the very least, remember important things like... oh... WHERE THE HOLY SWORD IS HIDDEN. That sort of thing sticks with you.

 

[Bobple]

I've read enough where the mc only remembered the bare basic plot, like most would if it was something they played recently. On the other side, read plenty where the mc knows literally everything, just with their own mind or because of something else, but I also know people in real life who know pretty much everything of a story they like.

 

[KoyukiMegumi]

I’ve read my fair share of novels and fanfics where the mc reincarnates or transmigrates into a series they read, watched, played, etc. I honestly love these kinds of shits. See my gripe is how the fuck are these mc’s remembering everything about the plot of the series they just got thrown into, and they know exactly where all the hidden secrets and powers are.

Hahaha, MC, I'm writing fucked up and misremembered an event that cost her to encounter her second death and almost lost a limb on the survival run. Let's say she learned to be extra vigilant and focuses on remembering what happens to avoid them.

Like I’m pretty sure the average Joe ain’t remembering hyper specific details of a complex novel off rip, and being able to recall enough information about said thing to? Yeah I ain’t buying it.

You'd be surprised how much you remember when your life is at stake. And Heck, I've seen super fans remember the tiniest detail of something in a trivia.

 

[APieceOfRock]

Then there is me who remembers where every talisman and flask tears are in Elden Ring...

 

[Astrolust]

View attachment 30583
(Applies to this post)

I’ve read my fair share of novels and fanfics where the mc reincarnates or transmigrates into a series they read, watched, played, etc. I honestly love these kinds of shits. See my gripe is how the fuck are these mc’s remembering everything about the plot of the series they just got thrown into, and they know exactly where all the hidden secrets and powers are.

Like I’m pretty sure the average Joe ain’t remembering hyper specific details of a complex novel off rip, and being able to recall enough information about said thing to? Yeah I ain’t buying it. Authors try to get around this by systems or having the mc be a super fan that has literally burned every single fine detail into their soul. But everything is still based around the mc remembering allat.

Again, shit ain’t sweet like that bra. I feel like we need more novels where the mc can’t remember shit about a series they consumed, not some shit where they only read like the first 10 chapters of a novel or something. Real bonafide ass memory like us real people!

Oh yeah, this applies to those travel back in time novels to. Where like the mc goes and tries to get revenge on people, my ass would NOT be able to remember all those fine details lmao.

When i write my Star wars fan fiction people will actively attack mc's character in the comments about how he doesnt remember *insert hyper speficic wookiepedia article* its maddening. IRL I forget literally everything the second I hop in the shower.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

Then there is me who remembers where every talisman and flask tears are in Elden Ring...

I can't do that but I've met people who can... Heck, had a roommate who could memorize gaming charts. And not just the easy ones, he ran RoleMaster (often called "ChartMaster" by critics) and usually only had to consult the books and game master screen three or four times a session. Me, I have trouble remembering which edition a rule was in (but can often pull up the obscure ones verbatim without looking, and never find the major ones, even after consulting the index/TOC)

 

[Deleted member 84247]

How come they always follow the plot? It's never traveling into a novel and saying "nah, fuck that."