History Main / RationalFic

One of the first authors to use aspects of rational thinking and [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-classical_logic non-Aristotelian logic]] as the basis of their world-building and character interactions was Creator/AEVanVogt, specifically in the ''Null-A'' series. One of those authors who built upon the success of Van Vogt's works to arguably create the genre known as 'rational fiction' was Creator/EliezerYudkowsky, who wrote the Harry Potter fanfiction "Fanfic/HarryPotterAndTheMethodsOfRationality" and put his own views on the subject into [[http://yudkowsky.tumblr.com/writing The Abridged Guide to Intelligent Characters]]. A sizeable community of people who write or enjoy this type of fiction [[https://www.reddit.com/r/rational exists]] on {{Website/Reddit}}. Because [[Fanfic/HarryPotterAndTheMethodsOfRationality HPMoR]] marked the emergence (or at least, codification) of the genre, the name uses Fic instead of fiction; some fans use the terms Rational Fiction, Rationalist Fic, and Rationalist Fiction interchangeably, though most use Fiction for published/non-derivative works, and Rationalist for works that not only aim for realistic intelligence, but try to teach principles of rationality.


Rational Fics often have these tropes as their foundation:

[[index]]
* AnAesop promoting out-of-the-box thinking, resourcefulness and cautious judgement,
* FairPlayWhodunnit ([[http://yudkowsky.tumblr.com/writing/level2intelligent advice]])
* FridgeBrilliance
* {{Foreshadowing}} ([[http://yudkowsky.tumblr.com/writing/solvable-mysteries advice]])
* MagicAIsMagicA (for speculative fiction)
* SandersonsFirstLaw (for speculative fiction)
* SanityHasAdvantages
* ScrewTheRulesTheyreNotReal
* ShownTheirWork ([[http://yudkowsky.tumblr.com/writing/real-learning advice]])
* TakeAThirdOption

Tropes which are common in Rational Fic, but not as central:

* AuthorTract: If done specifically to promote rationalism.
* BlueAndOrangeMorality
* CrazyPrepared
* {{Deconstruction}} ([[http://yudkowsky.tumblr.com/writing/genre-savviness advice]])
* {{Fanfic}} ([[http://yudkowsky.tumblr.com/writing/inexploitability advice 1]], [[http://yudkowsky.tumblr.com/writing/other-universes advice 2]])
* GoodVersusGood ([[http://yudkowsky.tumblr.com/writing/moral-conflicts advice]])
* {{Munchkin}}
* OneManIndustrialRevolution ([[http://yudkowsky.tumblr.com/writing/inexploitability advice]])
* OnlySaneMan
* RageAgainstTheHeavens (if not a literal deity, then against the basic structure of the world; e.g., death)
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure
* ScrewDestiny
* SufficientlyAnalyzedMagic
* {{Transhuman}}
* ViewersAreGeniuses: Sometimes - accessibility tends to vary if you're not already versed in basic philosophy or economics.
[[/index]]

Tropes which Rational Fic deliberately avoids:

* BellisariosMaxim
* Most of ContrivedStupidityTropes, especially IdiotBall and ConflictBall
* DeusExMachina / DiabolusExMachina
* ObviouslyEvil / ForTheEvulz ([[http://yudkowsky.tumblr.com/writing/realistic-viewpoints advice]])
* TheStationsOfTheCanon ([[http://yudkowsky.tumblr.com/writing/originality advice]])
* ReedRichardsIsUseless and, respectively, CutLexLuthorACheck
* Anything in ThePlotDemandedThisIndex

The number of tropes Rational Fic attempts to avoid which are on the WritingPitfallIndex might suggest that it is some sort of universal principle of good writing, which is not the case. Even those Administrivia/TropesAreNotBad, and many Rational Fics fail to avoid them in any case, or fall into other traps (AuthorTract, InvincibleHero[=/=][[InvincibleVillain Villain]], TalkingIsAFreeAction, ex.). ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' would not necessarily have benefited from a clearly explained magic system, nor ''Theatre/TheThreepennyOpera'' from a logical DownerEnding, nor ''Film/TheDarkKnight'' from making ComicBook/TheJoker a WellIntentionedExtremist.

----
!!Examples:

You can also see this [[https://www.facebook.com/groups/rationalfic/permalink/734963876653969/ poll on the Facebook group "Rational Fic"]] where people have voted for their favorite stories. As of February 2019, the top 5 are: ''Fanfic/HarryPotterAndTheMethodsOfRationality'', ''Literature/ThreeWorldsCollide'', ''Literature/{{Worm}}'', ''[[Literature/CrystalSociety Crystal Society]]'', and ''[[Fanfic/TheMetropolitanMan The Metropolitan Man]]''.

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:{{Anime}} & {{Manga}}]]
* ''Manga/ThePromisedNeverland'', smart kids use their brains and reasoning to escape from an orphange who are raising them as beast to slaughter.

* ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'', Giant man-eating humanoid monsters lurk outside the walls. Answering the question of who built the walls, where and what these titans are, and what is inside the basement opens more and more doors to complex world that's as brilliant as it is grim.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fanfic (multi-chapter)]]
* ''Fanfic/HarryPotterAndTheMethodsOfRationality'', the TropeCodifier.
* The Animorphs fanfic ''Fanfic/AnimorphsTheReckoning'' is a finished AU where "Visser Three is competent, the Yeerks are moving rapidly, and the Animorphs are actually trying to win (but are inexperienced and unprepared)."
* There have been several rationalist takes on the ''Franchise/{{Naruto}}'' Universe, including, alphabetically:
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12365690/1/Chasing-the-shadow Chasing the Shadow]]'': A ''Franchise/{{Naruto}}'' fanfic with a more sensible cast of characters and fewer plot holes. (Ongoing)
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9311012/1/Lighting-Up-the-Dark Lighting Up the Dark]]'': A rational ''Franchise/{{Naruto}}'' fanfic. (Currently on hiatus)
** ''Roleplay/MarkedForDeath'': A {{Manga/Naruto}} quest about a group of missing nins. Sometime, players' plan turned out to not be so great, and thus severe negative consequences can result.
** ''[[https://needtobecomestronger.wordpress.com/2016/10/17/chapter-1/ The Need to Become Stronger]]'': A rational ''Franchise/{{Naruto}}'' rewrite in the same vein as HPMOR.
** ''[[https://wertifloke.wordpress.com The Waves Arisen]]'': A rational ''Franchise/{{Naruto}}'' fanfic.
* ''Fanfic/{{Luminosity}}'', a ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' fanfic by Creator/{{Alicorn}} featuring a more self-aware protagonist.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{My Little Pony|FriendshipIsMagic}}: Fanfic/FriendshipIsOptimal'': A researcher with a brilliant new A.I. design gets an offer she can't refuse for building that A.I. into Hasbro's forthcoming ''Equestria Online'' game. SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome occurs and keeps occurring and occurring and occurring.
--> "There seem to be a lot of bronies on Blog/LessWrong. This is a trap to sniff them out." -- [[http://www.fimfiction.net/index.php?view=group&group=1418 Less Wrong FimFiction Group]]
* ''Fanfic/PokemonTheOriginOfSpecies'': A Franchise/{{Pokemon}} fanfic. [[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue Red's]] goal isn't to become a Pokemon master, but rather a respected Pokemon researcher.
* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9380249/1/Rationalising-Death Rationalising Death]]'': ''Manga/DeathNote'' fanfiction trying to show what more realistic standards of reasoning would allow the main characters to achieve.(All but one chapter was taken down in 2016 for a rewrite.)
* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9658524/1/Branches-on-the-Tree-of-Time Branches on the Tree of Time]]'': A ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}'' fanfic which demonstrates the real power of time travel.
* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9915682/1/The-Last-Christmas The Last Christmas]]'': rational!SantaClaus meets [[BlueAndOrangeMorality neutral!genies]].
* ''[[http://makefoil.com/ The Tragedy of Prince Hamlet and the Philosopher's Stone, or, A Will Most Incorrect to Heaven]]'': Featuring ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'' with utilitarian ethics.
* ''Fanfic/ScarsSamsara'': Rational!Scar kills his brother to attain immortality, [[MoralityPet adopts Simba]] and becomes the new ruler of the Pridelands, but the Kings of the Past take vengeance from beyond the grave.
* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8379655/1/Hogwarts-Battle-School Hogwarts Battle School]]'' tries to show combat among wizards a bit more realistically.
* ''[[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/300693/shears Shears]]'' is a retelling of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic with a rationalist, neurodivergent Twilight Sparkle.
* ''Fanfic/HeroesForEarth'' is a ''WesternAnimation/CaptainPlanetAndThePlaneteers'' fanfic that takes all the heroes and villains of Captain Planet and makes them act rationally in their pursuance of their goals, whether that be in fighting for environmentalism, as with the heroes, or in taking on their enemies and getting profit, as with the villains.
* ''[[https://www.fimfiction.net/story/141894/clydes-tales Clyde's Tales]]'' is {{Fractured Fairy Tale}}s meets ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic''. An eminently sensible earth pony named Clyde Pie winds up in the middle of numerous fables, myths, and fairy tales--and completely derails them just by being smart and level-headed. It's an open collaboration, so the exact level of rationalism varies from writer to writer, but one of the submission rules is:
-->The story should feature a sensible Clyde as the protagonist. Clyde's actions are the focus of the story, and Clyde is never left holding the Idiot Ball.
* ''Fanfic/ToTheStars'' depicts a society set in the far future of ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'', when magical girls managed to turn from outcasts plagued with the need to maintain TheMasquerade and a horrible attrition rate to a massive benevolent organization guiding humanity into a golden age... and then having to take on the responsibility for the entire humanity as an AlienInvasion occurs. Much introspection happens as all the main characters have to struggle between the reasonable solution and what they feel is right - a choice made even harder [[EmotionalPowers if your powers and your very existence is tied to your emotions]].
* ''Fanfic/TheWorldIsYourOysterTheUniverseIsYourNamesake'' does a take on WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse. (Discontinued/Long hiatus)
* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11141625/1/A-More-Perfect-Union A More Perfect Union]]'' A Fallout 3 fanfic with a rationalist protagonist.
* ''[[http://archiveofourown.org/series/118552 Parting the Clouds]]'': An Animorphs AU in which Cassie is recast as a rationalist. Is over 200k words as of this writing.
** Parting the Clouds manages to stay much closer to the source material than ''The Reckoning'', and have rationalist characters (especially Cassie, but others too), while retaining the specific setup and world of Animorphs as originally laid out by the books. One of the better rationalist stories in that it shows actual downsides to rationalist thought (such as the Animorphs acquiring less morphs since Cassie reasonably believes there may be a limit to the number of morphs). Good at showing the internality of rationalism, and how a setting can have rational characters without needing to be overhauled or majorly altered.
** Also one of the few Rationalist Fics to have a character 'have' blind spots, recognize them, and realize that it will take extended time and effort to change them. Realistic about the power of unhelpful cognitions in a way many other stories gloss over.
* ''Fanfic/CodeGeassThePreparedRebellion'' is a take on Franchise/CodeGeass where many characters are smarter and more rational than normal.
* ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/series/602557 Homestuck rationalfics]]'' is a ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' AU where Trollian couldn't access other universes and the kids discover an interesting exploit in the alchemy system. Currently includes ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/8797225 Rain of Frogs]]'' and ''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/3398243 Collision]]''.
* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}: [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12275245/1/Batman-Extinction-Burst Extinction Burst]]'': Characters lean more towards psychology than their fists to solve problems.
* ''Fanfic/TheMetropolitanMan'': A Superman fanfic with a rational (but still paranoid and sociopathic) Lex Luthor (who, among other things, posits the scientific improbability that a HumanAlien actually ''can'' exist (because of such things as being statistically impossible that a planet can replicate Earth so much as to allow humanoids to be the dominant species) as one of the reasons why he distrusts Superman... [[spoiler:he's not completely wrong, by the way, and the explanation (and what a Kryptonian actually looks like in this story) is pretty scary]]).
* ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'', a MegaCrossover that started as simply between ''Literature/HarryPotter'' and ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'', is written at least partially in this style (it helps that the magic is drawn heavily from ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles''), with [[Creator/NimbusLlewelyn the author]] noting that his main interest was in exploring the consequences of mixing worlds, with the reactions to the premise (Thor was James Potter, as part of a first run at the whole humility thing), and the reactions to those reactions, driving the plot. Additionally, it ticks most of the rest of the boxes for a fic along these lines; {{Foreshadowing}} and, to a lesser extent, FridgeBrilliance, abound, the most successful characters deploy out-of-the-box thinking, and the most successful character of all, resident MagnificentBastard Doctor Strange, practically redefines CrazyPrepared and takes a very coldly rational approach to matters (despite, or even because of, being at least slightly mad). However, we say 'partially', because the author also repeatedly emphasising that he writes characters as people, and they are therefore as prone to doing stupid, irrational things, because that's what people do - however, they always have some personal reason for such actions, meaning that generally ItMakesSenseInContext.
* ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/series/936480 A Song For Two Voices]]'' is a rationalist take on the Literature/LastHeraldMageTrilogy.
* ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/16182518/chapters/37814111 Consequences]]'', a Tokyo Mew Mew fanfic describing possible effects of not only changing the heroines' DNA, but also the war. While perhaps not as serious as some of the other examples, it still has a more realistic take on the anime.
* ''Fanfic/AThingOfVikings'' is a ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon'' Alternate History/Alternate Universe fanfic which drops the events of the first HTTYD movie into Real Life history in the 1040s AD and lets things ripple out from there. And with a small pagan Norse tribe suddenly having the equivalent of an ''air force'' when the most advanced military technology in the world is Greek Fire, history is in for a major upset, with political, diplomatic, military, economic and religious factors all combining to create an intense stew of cascading consequences, especially since Hiccup is still the accepting genius boy from canon... who will ''end you'' if you threaten his people. Each chapter is headed by an epigraph featuring in-universe text from the setting's hypothetical future, charting out the changes far past the realm of the fic itself, and allowing the author to show their work without infodumping.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fanfic (oneshot)]]
* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10503877/1/The-Amazing-Peter-Parker The Amazing Peter Parker]]'': In which Peter Parker dedicates his life to fighting death after losing his beloved uncle Ben.
* ''Fanfic/ScarsSamsara'': The first chapter of Scar's Samsara is a oneshot which follows a rational!Scar as the villain protagonist. Other chapters were later added to expand on the premise, but the first chapter can still be read as a stand-alone story.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* The ''Null-A'' novels by Creator/AEVanVogt. Considered a major influence. Used as a slogan Alfred Korzybski's phrase, "The map is not the territory."
* ''David's Sling'' and ''Earthweb'' by Creator/MarcStiegler, in which debate-tracking systems and prediction markets respectively are central to the plot.
* ''[[https://web.archive.org/web/20031208231459/http://www.vanemden.com/books/neals/jipi.html Jipi and the Paranoid Chip]]'', a 1997 short story by Neal Stephenson in which a paranoid rogue AI is carefully made to examine its own reasoning over a text channel.
* ''Literature/TheFableOfTheDragonTyrant'' by Nick Bostrom, an allegorical polemic against death and in favor of anti-aging research.
* ''Literature/TheCambistAndLordIron'' by Daniel Abraham, both a fable of wit and a demystification of the nature of value and exchange.
* ''Literature/{{Blindsight}}'' by Peter Watts
* ''Literature/ForgingDivinity'' by Andrew Rowe. The characters, especially Jonan, display rational behavior and optimize their abilities.
* ''Literature/SecondApocalypse'' by R. Scott Bakker. One of the primary characters, Anasûrimbor Kellhus, is the scion of an isolated sect who have spent millennia making themselves into beings of pure logic.
* In ''Literature/EdenGreen'' by Fiona van Dahl, the title character is an amateur evolutionary biologist struggling to learn more about an alien needle symbiote that has infected her best friend, as well as the needle monsters invading their city. The book is peppered with her methodical thought processes and lists of questions about what she finds.
* A number of stories by Creator/ScottAlexander, including ''[[http://squid314.livejournal.com/324957.html The Last Temptation of Christ]]'', ''[[http://squid314.livejournal.com/336195.html The Girl Who Poked God with a Stick]]'', ''[[http://squid314.livejournal.com/293753.html The Story of Emily and Control]]'', ''[[http://squid314.livejournal.com/284970.html Soul Cancer]]'', and
* ''Literature/{{Unsong}}'', a serial novel about numerology, copyrighted magic protected by UN agencies
* ''[[http://slatestarcodex.com/2013/05/27/transhumanist-fables/ Transhumanist Fables]]'', [[DarkerAndEdgier Darker, Edgier]], and more {{Transhuman}}ist versions of common fables. Watch out for {{Spoof Aesop}}s.
* ''Literature/ThreeWorldsCollide'' by Creator/EliezerYudkowsky, a story about StarfishAliens and ethics in the future.
* ''[[http://yudkowsky.net/other/fiction/the-sword-of-good The Sword of Good]]'' by Creator/EliezerYudkowsky
* ''Literature/FineStructure''
* ''Literature/{{Ra}}'', where magic is the unholy combination of particle physics, fluid dynamics, and bizarre programming languages.
* ''Literature/CityOfAngles'', taking place in a twisted and dreamlike mirror of urban reality.
* ''Literature/FloatingPoint'', a world InsideAComputerSystem populated by living [[ArtificialIntelligence A.I.]]
* ''Literature/SagaOfSoul'', a rational take on a MagicalGirlWarrior [[TokyoIsTheCenterOfTheUniverse defending Tokyo]] from the MonsterOfTheWeek. It constantly flips the DeconReconSwitch in showing how seemingly superfluous elements of the genre can make sense.
* ''Literature/ShadowsOfTheLimelight'' by Alexander Wales.
* ''Literature/MotherOfLearning'': a young mage gets stuck in a time loop and focuses on figuring out what's going on rather than playing at being a hero.
* ''Literature/{{Pact}}''. A dark UrbanFantasy. The main character discovers upon the death of his grandmother that he has inherited the fortune, and bad karma, of a notable and hated family of demon summoners. Behind the Main/{{Masquerade}}, the world is dominated by human magical practitioners and supernatural "Others", who in order to gain and maintain power (and indeed survive) must play according to (and find loopholes in) the very specific magical laws of the universe.
* ''Literature/{{Twig}}''. A GenreBusting {{Biopunk}} novel, set in Alternate History 1920s and focusing on the Lambs — a group of biologically augmented adolescents, experimented on by the biotechnological Academy and working as its spies/investigators. Each member of the group has specialized enhancements, most of them related to their minds. Working as a team, they effectively combine their abilities and creativity to solve problems. The protagonist specializes in social engineering, and frequently uses real-world psychological tricks in the course of achieving objectives.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:TV Series]]
* Played with on Abed's InUniverse horror tale on the ''Series/{{Community}}'' Halloween episode "[[Recap/CommunityS3E05HorrorFictionInSevenSpookySteps Horror Fiction In Seven Spooky Steps]]", as well as showing (InUniverse and out) why the NecessaryWeasel exists: in his attempt at defying all of the typical Slasher film tropes (specifically those labeled under TooDumbToLive), Abed instead makes the story utterly boring by having the characters rationalize aloud ''why'' they shouldn't be doing things that could trigger those tropes, then not doing those things... and then doing ''absolutely nothing else'' (seriously, the escaped mental patient just becomes an InUniverse WhatHappenedToTheMouse). Understandably, everybody else on the study group is frustrated and irritated after hearing it. This also deconstructs the concept of the Rational Fic to begin with; there are valid reasons that "illogical" things can happen in stories, and the fact that a story is rational doesn't automatically make it ''good''.
--> '''Annie:''' Ugh! Do these people ever die or what?!\\
'''Abed:''' ''[Spooky voice]'' Eventually... once it had been... '''earrrrrrrrned!!'''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* ''ComicStrip/{{Fleep}}'': The main character wakes up in a phone booth buried under concrete and has to figure out how he got there and how to escape.
* ''Webcomic/{{Freefall}}'': A lighthearted exploration of the nearer reaches of mindspace, becoming more serious as it goes.
* ''Webcomic/StrongFemaleProtagonist'': Alison Green, a collegiate ex-superheroine, tries to discover just what she wants out of life after coming to the realization that superheroes can't really make a difference in the world.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* ''[[https://twitter.com/HardSciFiMovies HardSciFiMovies]]'' on Website/{{Twitter}} - deconstructing famous plots in 140 characters.
* ''WebOriginal/KeitAi'': The [[https://www.fictionpress.com/s/3206139/ original fiction version]] of ''Keit-Ai'' has been described by an anon on the [[https://warosu.org/lit/thread/S8863909#p8866015 Literature Board]] of Website/FourChan as an "underrated gem" of rational fic.
* ''Literature/HeroesSaveTheWorld'': Across the world, one hundred adolescents unexpectedly find themselves in possession of superpowers, running the gamut from conventional to world-breaking to annoyingly limited. But despite the diversity of powers, certain patterns emerge, and as the Children begin to find each other, they realize that the world itself may be in great peril.
* ''Literature/TheTalesOfPaulTwister'': A geek from modern-day Earth gets dropped into a StandardFantasySetting. He'd really prefer to live in the modern world, but he can't get home, so he starts trying to [[GivingRadioToTheRomans introduce the principles of modern technology]] into the world in which he finds himself. Except [[SubvertedTrope he can't really do that]] because, being a child of the modern world, [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome he has only the barest understanding of how technology actually works,]] so [[DoubleSubversion he gets actual scholars and craftsmen to work with him on developing the necessary principles.]] (Plus a bunch of epic fantasy stuff also going on which he gets dragged into the middle of.)
* ''[[https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AmkG/judge-on-a-boat/master/judge-on-a-boat.txt Judge on a Boat]]'' A candidate traveling to her final exam to become a Judge is stranded in a lifeboat and must keep their little society from falling apart under great stress. In this future society, basic rationality training is required to be a Full Citizen, and the Judges are moral arbiters thoroughly trained in rationality.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Podcast]]
* [[https://soundcloud.com/rationally-writing/sets/rationally-writing Rationally Writing]]: A podcast by rationalist writers [[http://www.daystareld.com/ Daystar Eld]] and [[http://alexanderwales.com/ Alexander Wales]] giving advice and analysis of writing and stories.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Video]]
* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-77cUxba-aA Twisted]]'': rational![[Literature/{{Aladdin}} Jafar]]... the musical.
* ''WebVideo/MyLittlePonyTheMentallyAdvancedSeries'': a DeconstructiveParody of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' with protagonist ranting on about methodology of social sciences.
* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olEbwhWDYwM Hell No: The Sensible Horror Movie]]'' a fake trailer for a movie in which the characters short-circuit the horror by making sensible decisions.
[[/folder]]

* ''Fanfic/HarryPotterAndTheMethodsOfRationality'', the TropeCodifier. COMPLETE.

** ''[[https://wertifloke.wordpress.com The Waves Arisen]]'': A rational ''Franchise/{{Naruto}}'' fanfic. COMPLETE
* ''Fanfic/{{Luminosity}}'', a ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' fanfic by Creator/{{Alicorn}} featuring a more self-aware protagonist. COMPLETE.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{My Little Pony|FriendshipIsMagic}}: Fanfic/FriendshipIsOptimal'': A researcher with a brilliant new A.I. design gets an offer she can't refuse for building that A.I. into Hasbro's forthcoming ''Equestria Online'' game. SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome occurs and keeps occurring and occurring and occurring. COMPLETE.

* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9658524/1/Branches-on-the-Tree-of-Time Branches on the Tree of Time]]'': A ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}'' fanfic which demonstrates the real power of time travel. COMPLETE.
* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9915682/1/The-Last-Christmas The Last Christmas]]'': rational!SantaClaus meets [[BlueAndOrangeMorality neutral!genies]]. COMPLETE.
* ''[[http://makefoil.com/ The Tragedy of Prince Hamlet and the Philosopher's Stone, or, A Will Most Incorrect to Heaven]]'': Featuring ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'' with utilitarian ethics. COMPLETE.
* ''Fanfic/ScarsSamsara'': Rational!Scar kills his brother to attain immortality, [[MoralityPet adopts Simba]] and becomes the new ruler of the Pridelands, but the Kings of the Past take vengeance from beyond the grave. COMPLETE.

* ''Fanfic/HeroesForEarth'' is a ''WesternAnimation/CaptainPlanetAndThePlaneteers'' fanfic that takes all the heroes and villains of Captain Planet and makes them act rationally in their pursuance of their goals, whether that be in fighting for environmentalism, as with the heroes, or in taking on their enemies and getting profit, as with the villains. COMPLETE.

* ''Fanfic/TheMetropolitanMan'': A Superman fanfic with a rational (but still paranoid and sociopathic) Lex Luthor (who, among other things, posits the scientific improbability that a HumanAlien actually ''can'' exist (because of such things as being statistically impossible that a planet can replicate Earth so much as to allow humanoids to be the dominant species) as one of the reasons why he distrusts Superman... [[spoiler:he's not completely wrong, by the way, and the explanation (and what a Kryptonian actually looks like in this story) is pretty scary]]). COMPLETE.

* ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/series/936480 A Song For Two Voices]]'' is a rationalist take on the Literature/LastHeraldMageTrilogy. COMPLETE.

* ''[[https://web.archive.org/web/20031208231459/http://www.vanemden.com/books/neals/jipi.html Jipi and the Paranoid Chip]]'', a 1997 short story by Neal Stephenson in which an paranoid AI is pushed to examine its own reasoning.

--> '''Annie:''' Ugh! [[EightDeadlyWords Do these people ever die or what?!]]\\

* ''Literature/TheFableOfTheDragonTyrant]]'' by Nick Bostrom, an allegorical polemic against death and in favor of anti-aging research.

* ''Fanfic/HarryPotterAndTheMethodsOfRationality'', the [[TropeCodifier Genre Codifier]]. COMPLETE.

* ''[[https://nickbostrom.com/fable/dragon.html The Fable of the Dragon-Tyrant]]'' by Nick Bostrom, an allegorical polemic against death, and in favor of anti-aging research

The genre can in some respects be thought of as a type of ScienceFiction in which the sciences are things like game theory, bayesian reasoning, cognitive psychology, behavioral economics, social choice theory, information theory, computation, complexity, and other fields that affect the way we form beliefs, make decisions, or solve problems in general.

The genre can in some respects be thought of as a type of ScienceFiction in which the sciences are things like game theory, bayesian reasoning, epistemics, cognitive psychology, behavioral economics, social choice theory, information theory, computation, complexity, and other fields that affect the way we form beliefs, make decisions, or solve problems in general.

The genre can in some respects be thought of as a type of ScienceFiction in which the sciences are things like game theory, bayesian reasoning, cognitive psychology, behavioral economics, social choice theory, information theory, computational complexity, and other fields that have influenced the way we make decisions or solve problems in general.

The genre can in some respects be thought of as a type of ScienceFiction in which the sciences are things like game theory, bayesian reasoning, cognitive psychology, behavioral economics, social choice theory, information theory, computational complexity, and other fields that have affected the way we make decisions or approach problems in general.

The genre can in some respects be thought of as a type of ScienceFiction in which the sciences are things like game theory, bayesian reasoning, cognitive psychology, behavioral economics, social choice theory, information theory, computational complexity, memetics, and so on.

* The Animorphs fanfic ''Fanfic/AnimorphsTheReckoning'' is a currently ongoing AU where "Visser Three is competent, the Yeerks are moving rapidly, and the Animorphs are actually trying to win (but are inexperienced and unprepared)."

* ''Literature/TheTalesOfPaulTwister'': A geek from modern-day Earth gets dropped into a StandardFantasySetting. He'd really prefer to live in the modern world, but he can't get home, so he starts trying to [[GivingRadioToTheRomans introduce the principles of modern technology]] into the world in which he finds himself. Except [[SubvertedTrope he can't really do that]] because, being a child of the modern world, [[RealityEnsues he has only the barest understanding of how technology actually works,]] so [[DoubleSubversion he gets actual scholars and craftsmen to work with him on developing the necessary principles.]] (Plus a bunch of epic fantasy stuff also going on which he gets dragged into the middle of.)

* ''WesternAnimation/{{My Little Pony|FriendshipIsMagic}}: Fanfic/FriendshipIsOptimal'': A researcher with a brilliant new A.I. design gets an offer she can't refuse for building that A.I. into Hasbro's forthcoming ''Equestria Online'' game. RealityEnsues and keeps ensuing and ensuing and ensuing. COMPLETE.

-->-- [[Creator/EliezerYudkowsky Eliezer Yudkowsky]], on [[http://lesswrong.com/lw/3m/rationalist_fiction/ Rationalist Fiction.]]

You can also see this [[https://www.facebook.com/groups/rationalfic/permalink/734963876653969/ poll on the Facebook group "Rational Fic"]] where people have voted for their favorite stories. As of February 2019, the top 5 are: ''Fanfic/HarryPotterAndTheMethodsOfRationality'', ''Literature/ThreeWorldsCollide'', ''Literature/{{Worm}}'', ''[[Literature/CrystalSociety Crystal Society]]'', and ''[[FanFic/TheMetropolitanMan The Metropolitan Man]]''.

* ''Manga/AttackonTitan'', Giant man-eating humanoid monsters lurk outside the walls. Answering the question of who built the walls, where and what these titans are, and what is inside the basement opens more and more doors to complex world that's as brilliant as it is grim.

* ''FanFic/PokemonTheOriginOfSpecies'': A Franchise/{{Pokemon}} fanfic. [[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue Red's]] goal isn't to become a Pokemon master, but rather a respected Pokemon researcher.

* ''FanFic/ScarsSamsara'': Rational!Scar kills his brother to attain immortality, [[MoralityPet adopts Simba]] and becomes the new ruler of the Pridelands, but the Kings of the Past take vengeance from beyond the grave. COMPLETE.

* ''[[FanFic/TheMetropolitanMan The Metropolitan Man]]'': A Superman fanfic with a rational (but still paranoid and sociopathic) Lex Luthor (who, among other things, posits the scientific improbability that a HumanAlien actually ''can'' exist (because of such things as being statistically impossible that a planet can replicate Earth so much as to allow humanoids to be the dominant species) as one of the reasons why he distrusts Superman... [[spoiler:he's not completely wrong, by the way, and the explanation (and what a Kryptonian actually looks like in this story) is pretty scary]]). COMPLETE.

* ''FanFic/ScarsSamsara'': The first chapter of Scar's Samsara is a oneshot which follows a rational!Scar as the villain protagonist. Other chapters were later added to expand on the premise, but the first chapter can still be read as a stand-alone story.

* A number of stories by {{Scott Alexander}}, including ''[[http://squid314.livejournal.com/324957.html The Last Temptation of Christ]]'', ''[[http://squid314.livejournal.com/336195.html The Girl Who Poked God with a Stick]]'', ''[[http://squid314.livejournal.com/293753.html The Story of Emily and Control]]'', ''[[http://squid314.livejournal.com/284970.html Soul Cancer]]'', and

* ''WebVideo/MyLittlePonyTheMentallyAdvancedSeries'': a DeconstructiveParody of MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic with protagonist ranting on about methodology of social sciences.

* Played with on Abed's InUniverse horror tale on the ''Series/{{Community}}'' Halloween episode "[[Recap/CommunityS3E05HorrorFictionInSevenSpookySteps Horror Fiction In Seven Spooky Steps]]", as well as showing (InUniverse and out) why the NecessaryWeasel exists: in his attempt at defying all of the typical Slasher film tropes (specifically those labeled under "TooDumbToLive"), Abed instead makes the story utterly boring by having the characters rationalize aloud ''why'' they shouldn't be doing things that could trigger those tropes, then not doing those things... and then doing ''absolutely nothing else'' (seriously, the escaped mental patient just becomes an InUniverse WhatHappenedToTheMouse). Understandably, everybody else on the study group is frustrated and irritated after hearing it. This also deconstructs the concept of the Rational Fic to begin with; there are valid reasons that "illogical" things can happen in stories, and the fact that a story is rational doesn't automatically make it ''good''.
---> '''Annie:''' Ugh! [[EightDeadlyWords Do these people ever die or what?!]]\\
'''Abed:''' [`Spooky` voice] Eventually... once it had been... '''earrrrrrrrned!!'''

* The Animorphs fanfic ''Fanfic/AnimorphsTheReckoning'' is currently ongoing.

* ''[[FanFic/AnimorphsTheReckoning The Reckoning]]'' is an ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' AU where "Visser Three is competent, the Yeerks are moving rapidly, and the Animorphs are actually trying to win (but are inexperienced and unprepared)."

* ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/series/936480 A Song For Two Voices]]'' is a rationalist take on the Literature/LastHeraldMageTrilogy.

* ''Manga/AttackonTitan'', A world of giant man-eating humanoid monsters may not sound like

The number of tropes Rational Fic attempts to avoid which are on the BadWritingIndex might suggest that it is some sort of universal principle of good writing, which is not the case. Even those Administrivia/TropesAreNotBad, and many Rational Fics fail to avoid them in any case, or fall into other traps (AuthorTract, InvincibleHero[=/=][[InvincibleVillain Villain]], TalkingIsAFreeAction, ex.). ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' would not necessarily have benefited from a clearly explained magic system, nor ''Theatre/TheThreepennyOpera'' from a logical DownerEnding, nor ''Film/TheDarkKnight'' from making ComicBook/TheJoker a WellIntentionedExtremist.

* ''Fanfic/WithThisRing'' is ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'' self-insert story where a person from our world becomes an Orange Lantern and then is constantly using that power creatively. It's very long and incomplete.

One of the first authors to use aspects of rational thinking and [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-classical_logic non-Aristotelian logic]] as the basis of their world-building and character interactions was Creator/AEVanVogt, specifically in the ''Null-A'' series. One of those authors who built upon the success of Van Vogt's works to arguably create the genre known as 'rational fiction' was Creator/EliezerYudkowsky, who wrote the Harry Potter fanfiction "Fanfic/HarryPotterAndTheMethodsOfRationality" and put his own views on the subject into [[http://yudkowsky.tumblr.com/writing The Abridged Guide to Intelligent Characters]]. A sizeable community of people who write or enjoy this type of fiction exists on {{Website/Reddit}}: https://www.reddit.com/r/rational. Because [[Fanfic/HarryPotterAndTheMethodsofRationality HPMoR]] marked the emergence (or at least, codification) of the genre, the name uses Fic instead of fiction; some fans use the terms Rational Fiction, Rationalist Fic, and Rationalist Fiction interchangeably, though most use Fiction for published/non-derivative works, and Rationalist for works that not only aim for realistic intelligence, but try to teach principles of rationality.