How AU is too AU?

[yahtzee63]

This could be a huge ol' meta question, but what I am actually asking is, if I wrote an XMFC story in a setting so remote that it would absolutely require changing character names, as in all of them, would it throw you out of the story too much? There would be a handy reference guide in the notes

Comments

[redbrunja]

if I wrote an XMFC story in a setting so remote that it would absolutely require changing character names, as in all of them, would it throw you out of the story too much? There would be a handy reference guide in the notes.

Yes. That would make me back button, most likely. I just don't have the patience to learn a new set of names to go with characters I already know, especially because I feel like I already know what their name is "really" supposed to be.

[yahtzee63]

That's a no vote. OTOH, I am feeling more and more drawn to this story, so I might just have to accept a lower-than-usual amount of readers.

[anonymous]

That makes me think something like a Pern AU, and I do find the names a bit off-putting in that situation. I'd rather the requirement for the formalised name structure was just ignored and the characters kept their real names. I can't follow which character is which easily when they have different names. If it's something more extreme, and the name changes are absolutely required, I'd probably just read it as if it were original fiction.

[yahtzee63]

It's a historical thing where I really, really think real names aren't going to wash, at all. OTOH, the mutations thing is absolutely critical, so it's not original fic either. Well, we'll see.

[counteragent]

I would totally read it.

[yahtzee63]

I appreciate it, hon. But I need to see if anyone who's not one of my good friends would read it too!

[spatz]

I have read those kind of AUs before, but I rarely saved one. The name thing makes it too disorienting to want to re-read. Although, sometimes I even have issues with that in genderswap when a re-name is too different, so I think it has more to do with how similar the names look/sound. Like, Dean -> Deanna, Harold -> Haraldr, or John -> Joan, but not John -> Vannus.

[yahtzee63]

Alas, for it is a historical thing where real names just ... aren't going to work.

[yahtzee63]

Yay! That's one!