On Story Scores

[CWatson]

I was reading on TVTropes about the dreaded Eight-Point-Eight--a review that is wildly positive or wildly negative in comparison to what everybody else says, leading to intense fan backlash. This took me then to the Four-Point Scale trope, which is about how most people are scared to use the full extent of the rating scale for fear of offending the work's creators. These tropes primarily relate to professional reviewers, who have more to lose if they offend the wrong people (such as their livelihoods), but it got me to wondering nonetheless. And so, curiosity in hand, I began looking at the vote distributions here on Literotica.

That took a while, because the site's search engine was clearly not designed for this kind of intensive use. (Possibly a deliberate decision on L&M's part?) But once I finished wading around, I found some interesting things.

Literotica allows readers to vote on a 5-star scale; the absolute lowest a story can score is 1.00, and the highest 5.00. (If an author has decided to hide their story's ratings, that story is displayed with a rating of "x.xx" and treated as rating 0.00, meaning you have to wade through them first--even though the site tabulates the scores, since some of those x.xx stories are followed by a Red H!) Assuming statistics play out properly, the average story should rate at 2.50, with very few on the 1.00 range and equally few at 5.00.

Now, because of the relative unwieldiness of the search engine, I didn't bother taking down perfectly accurate numbers; I don't know exactly how many 5.00 stories the site has, for example (though I wouldn't trust such numbers anyhow; a story rated 5.00 is one that has only been read 20 times), and while I could've noted how many exact 1.00s we have, I frankly couldn't be arsed to. Instead, with the help of some guesstimating (the search engine displays 20 stories per page, so 20-story clumps became my smallest unit of measure), I came up with the following figures.

• If you go to the Search engine and just immediately press the magnifying-glass button, without entering any actual criteria, the engine will serve up every story the site owns: "243011 stories found (approximately)".
• The number of 4.50s and up we have (IE the vaunted Red H) is more in the vicinity of 29,000. Since 4.50 and up represents the top 12.5th percentile of the site, we'd expect about that percentage of stories to be in it... and, as it turns out, it's 11.9% of the site's content. Not bad.
• The number of 1.00s we have, on the other hand, is about 100. The number of 2.00-and-lower stories we have is just under 500. Even better, many of them belong to a single author, Samuelx. This man has a somewhat-terrifying 1486 submissions to his name... and, furthermore, is single-handedly responsible for 381 of the 2.00-and-unders that grace this site.
• I have no idea what the median is, but I'm guessing it's up in the 3.00s or maybe even 3.50s. Likewise, I have no concrete evidence towards a standard deviation, but I'd wager it's in the realm of 0.25 points.

In the end, I expected the data to show more bias than it does. If you have a Red H on your story, you're certifiably good (for now, at least). But if you don't, all bets are off, because while people on Literotica are good about voting up the stories that are excellent, they do a bad job at voting down things that aren't. (Especially given the consistent vote-bombing against Samuelx. Clearly someone thinks he sucks, but given that this person has not taken consistent action against any other author on the website, it seems clear to me Samuelx has been made the victim of some sort of vendetta. Whether his writings merit that vendetta is something I choose not to comment on.)

So, what's the lesson to be taken away? It's this: If you've scored less than 3.0, your story sucks, because basically no one ever votes that low. --Actually, no, here's a better lesson: Fuck scores. The reading public at Literotica are incapable of handing out accurate ones anyhow, so don't trouble yourself over it. Write what you write, enjoy it, have fun with it, and don't apologize to anyone.

This has been CWatson. Thank you and good night.


[EDIT] I figured out how to find the median score (divide the total number of stories by 2, and then again by 20. Then skip to that page in the search results. This may be done most easily by editing the URL in your browser instead of using the page's buttons). It's 4.33.

 

[LordMhoram]

I was reading on TVTropes about the dreaded Eight-Point-Eight--a review that is wildly positive or wildly negative in comparison to what everybody else says, leading to intense fan backlash. This took me then to the Four-Point Scale trope, which is about how most people are scared to use the full extent of the rating scale for fear of offending the work's creators. These tropes primarily relate to professional reviewers, who have more to lose if they offend the wrong people (such as their livelihoods), but it got me to wondering nonetheless. And so, curiosity in hand, I began looking at the vote distributions here on Literotica.

<snip>

For me, I would not bother to vote on a story I felt deserved less than 3. Furthermore, stories I've begin reading that I would rate at 3 or lower I don't usually even finish reading. Something that bad makes me want to move on to find a story I'll enjoy; I'm reading for pleasure, not to be a critic.

Therefore, I would mostly only vote in a "positive" sense, giving a 4 or 5. Seldom would I stay with a 3 long enough to get to the end where the voting is conveniently located.

I'm just not that motivated to tell someone I think their story sucked. If you can't say something nice (or at least constructive)....

My 2 cents.

 

[Etaski]

Nice deduction, there, Mr. Watson. Was it elementary? (Okay, sorry, that was bad....). But really, I find your analysis of what the scores may actually say about the readers' voting (non)habits very interesting--but also agree that they really do mean jack squat in the end. Sometimes you just caught someone in a good/bad mood.

Echoing LordMhoram here, it's similar for me:

I barely even start a story that would seriously warrant a 1 or 2. I go elsewhere quickly. Voting doesn't even become a consideration (hey, I'm trying to get off here, and this is killing the mood!).

A story that fairly warrants a 3 I may make it through to the end, or I may not. It depends entirely on if there's anything that distinguishes the story. And if I do make it to the end...also 50-50 that I would vote at all.

4's and 5's...I just want to let the writer know that I probably got off on the story, or at the very least genuinely smiled. Sort of my own "Thanks! Was it good for you, too?".

If I'm in a *really* good mood, I'll actually leave a comment.

Only twice did I read through a really bad story to vote "1" and leave a comment---and near as I can tell, I was plainly in a bad mood. It also would've struck a "personal offense" chord with me (sometimes just in its preposterous premise, not any particular act that I deem "sick"--and with fantasies, that's saying a lot. I have a worse reaction when someone insults my intelligence as a reader) so apparently I wasn't trying to get off in the first place.

(So I'd wonder why I was reading erotic stories while scowling anyway...? Like I said...twice in 9 years I did that.)


Those numbers at least reflect my own voting patterns.

 

[lovecraft68]

I tend to ignore looking at a score before I read it. Erotica is very subjective. I have read stories and been like "whatever" and when I look it has a 4.7+. Some of my favorites are in the low 4's so I never let a score bias me.

I found this out looking through the incest top lists when I started here back in 2009. I read many of the top stories and although some warrented a good score and vote many did not appeal to me. More so than any category "stroke" scores in incest. I enjoy actual stories.

The voting is also subject to trolling. incest gets a lot of one bombs out of malice as does loving wives (LW is worse) on the other hand when a story has many chapters scores go up because you are down to a core readership and getting much less in the way of 3/4 votes.

However with no offense meant to SamuelX to have that many low stories I do have to question talent, and that might make me shy away.

But the sytem is skewed to the higher scores for sure. I personally have only left a couple of one votes and only because the thing was terrible plus tons of misspellings and looked like something a 14 year old would write. Most of the time I leave it be, but I do usually give 5's if the story held me until the end.

A lot fo readers do that which surprises me that only less than 20% of stories here have the red H. I think Many Feather/Selena Kitt, and Alwayswantedtoo hogged them all up. They are the anti SamuelX

In the end the only pattern ,is there is no pattern.

 

[soflabbwlvr]

Thank you for your analysis, CWatson. However, there is one factor that you did not analize, and that is story category. In short--as LC68 alluded to--scores are heavily skewed by category, even more so than by author. I have taken a non-scientific survey on three occasions in the past two months, and the results have been fairly consistent. The lowest scores, and by extension, the fewest red Hs, are found in Loving Wives. The highest scores, and the most red Hs, are in Non-human. The disparity is almost comical. (Romance, Gay Male and Incest/Taboo trail Non-human at the top, while Exhibitionist/Voyeur and Anal round out the bottom three). There are too many authors on Lit. for me to believe that the best are somehow concentrated in Non-human. Rather, it seems to me that either the readers are less demanding, or the trolls simply don't bother to read and vote on those stories.

Personally, my voting pattern is similar to Lordmoram and Etaski: if I am reading a story that is heading toward a 1 or 2, I click away without getting too deep, and long before the opportunity to vote arises. I may or may not register a 3, depending on whether I have time to read anything else. I will always leave a 4 or 5 when merited, and most 5s are accompanied by a comment unless I am pressed for time.

Only once have I ever given a 2, and in that case the story was headed for a 3 until the author ruined it at the end.

 

[lovecraft68]

Thank you for your analysis, CWatson. However, there is one factor that you did not analize, and that is story category. In short--as LC68 alluded to--scores are heavily skewed by category, even more so than by author. I have taken a non-scientific survey on three occasions in the past two months, and the results have been fairly consistent. The lowest scores, and by extension, the fewest red Hs, are found in Loving Wives. The highest scores, and the most red Hs, are in Non-human. The disparity is almost comical. (Romance, Gay Male and Incest/Taboo trail Non-human at the top, while Exhibitionist/Voyeur and Anal round out the bottom three). There are too many authors on Lit. for me to believe that the best are somehow concentrated in Non-human. Rather, it seems to me that either the readers are less demanding, or the trolls simply don't bother to read and vote on those stories.

Personally, my voting pattern is similar to Lordmoram and Etaski: if I am reading a story that is heading toward a 1 or 2, I click away without getting too deep, and long before the opportunity to vote arises. I may or may not register a 3, depending on whether I have time to read anything else. I will always leave a 4 or 5 when merited, and most 5s are accompanied by a comment unless I am pressed for time.

Only once have I ever given a 2, and in that case the story was headed for a 3 until the author ruined it at the end.

You hit both on the head with non human. The trolls seem to leave it alone which surprises me. Some of the stories there that feature things like Centaurs/Minotaurs those types of creatures walk a fine line with bestiality and I am surprised the "moral" trolls here have not hit on that.

As for the consistent high scores? Well their readers vote and are very supportive unlike a lot of other categories. Also Non human runs along the horror lines and horror fans by nature are fiercely loyal.

Many categories the fans are flat out fucking lazy. They have no issues taking the time to send an e-mail demanding the whereabouts of the next chapter but can;t take two seconds to click off a vote.

All you need to know about the dedication of the NH crowd is to look at every monthly contest where it paces 1/2 out of three and it is beginning to win every them contest as well. This years winter winner was Gay male, but featured a different race hence the winning score.

and all you have to do to see the dedication of the LW crowd is see the amount of vile comments and the average score of 3. something from all the one bombs.

 

[oggbashan]

SamuelX - I have just read a couple of his stories, one with an H and one marked under 2.00. I have read many worse stories than his.

It isn't the writing, the spelling or the grammar that got those stories marked down. He is a technically competent writer. Plotting? Not so good.

The low marked one had no sex. So what? Several of my submissions have no sex. Others have implied sex but no actual sex. Yet they aren't marked down as viciously as SamuelX's stories.

I think that his work is unpopular for two main reasons:

1. He writes about black people having a relationship with black people, and
2. He is black and bi.

1 limits the audience but should be obvious from the titles, and 2? Is there racism at work?

I don't think that there is real justification for SamuelX being the worst-rated author on the basis of the content and how he writes because there are so many others who are appalling writers. I can only conclude that he is a troll target because of his color and because the stories don't fit trolls' expectations of what black people should do.

 

[sr71plt]

(If an author has decided to hide their story's ratings, that story is displayed with a rating of "x.xx" and treated as rating 0.00, meaning you have to wade through them first--even though the site tabulates the scores, since some of those x.xx stories are followed by a Red H!)

I don't think that's how the x.xx rating works. First, the author can turn off ratings, in which case they would tabulate and they won't show. Second, If the author hasn't turned off the ratio, the story reports as x.xx in the first several hours after it has posted until the next rating update comes through. The instances where you see an x.xx and a red H is third instance that can happen. The author can turn off the rating at any time. This instance is usually where the author has turned off the rating after the story has gone hot, thus freezing it. I don't think the system continues tabulating rating in this instance, though, as the voting has been turned off by the author.

 

[sr71plt]

SamuelX - I have just read a couple of his stories, one with an H and one marked under 2.00. I have read many worse stories than his.

It isn't the writing, the spelling or the grammar that got those stories marked down. He is a technically competent writer. Plotting? Not so good.

The low marked one had no sex. So what? Several of my submissions have no sex. Others have implied sex but no actual sex. Yet they aren't marked down as viciously as SamuelX's stories.

I think that his work is unpopular for two main reasons:

1. He writes about black people having a relationship with black people, and
2. He is black and bi.

1 limits the audience but should be obvious from the titles, and 2? Is there racism at work?

I don't think that there is real justification for SamuelX being the worst-rated author on the basis of the content and how he writes because there are so many others who are appalling writers. I can only conclude that he is a troll target because of his color and because the stories don't fit trolls' expectations of what black people should do.

He must write--or have written--a lot of degrading stories, because in my early years of reading/writing here, I saw that his stories got a lot of challenges for even being posted here on the basis of what was called "totally disgusting" content. He may have acquired a gaggle of knee-jerk trolls early on.

 

[PennLady]

He must write--or have written--a lot of degrading stories, because in my early years of reading/writing here, I saw that his stories got a lot of challenges for even being posted here on the basis of what was called "totally disgusting" content. He may have acquired a gaggle of knee-jerk trolls early on.

I read a few of his but stopped because they are not very well-written, and they're almost all the same. First-person narrated essays with no dialogue and nearly all seem to be about a person of one race dominating another. He may have a bunch of trolls just b/c he puts out the same thing, it seems, just moving a few words around. But you'd think people would pick up on that and get bored but I guess some people have too much time on their hands.

 

[lovecraft68]

SamuelX - I have just read a couple of his stories, one with an H and one marked under 2.00. I have read many worse stories than his.

It isn't the writing, the spelling or the grammar that got those stories marked down. He is a technically competent writer. Plotting? Not so good.

The low marked one had no sex. So what? Several of my submissions have no sex. Others have implied sex but no actual sex. Yet they aren't marked down as viciously as SamuelX's stories.

I think that his work is unpopular for two main reasons:

1. He writes about black people having a relationship with black people, and
2. He is black and bi.

1 limits the audience but should be obvious from the titles, and 2? Is there racism at work?

I don't think that there is real justification for SamuelX being the worst-rated author on the basis of the content and how he writes because there are so many others who are appalling writers. I can only conclude that he is a troll target because of his color and because the stories don't fit trolls' expectations of what black people should do.

The black on black is an interesting point. The only main stream interest in black males on this site is if they are degrading white women in LW stories. Or are the stereotyped hung stud in the interracial category.

As for Black and Bi that is an interesting (and rare) combo, or at least to admit it. There is still very much the whole "down low" thing with black males afraid to admit they have bi tendencies.

I give him credit for plodding along. Although I don;t get caught up in scores, it would be pretty disheartening to have those numbers over and over again.

 

[lovecraft68]

I read a few of his but stopped because they are not very well-written, and they're almost all the same. First-person narrated essays with no dialogue and nearly all seem to be about a person of one race dominating another. He may have a bunch of trolls just b/c he puts out the same thing, it seems, just moving a few words around. But you'd think people would pick up on that and get bored but I guess some people have too much time on their hands.

I agree. I mean yes, he may have some dedicated trolls, but I checked out a couple of his things, and they are very poorly written. I can say that because I am not really fussy over grammar or style, so for me to be like "this sucks" it has to.

I know there are people here who disagree, with this, but readers here can discern good and bad writing and just because they are reading on a free porn site don;t want to be out right insulted.

 

[lovecraft68]

I don't think that's how the x.xx rating works. First, the author can turn off ratings, in which case they would tabulate and they won't show. Second, If the author hasn't turned off the ratio, the story reports as x.xx in the first several hours after it has posted until the next rating update comes through. The instances where you see an x.xx and a red H is third instance that can happen. The author can turn off the rating at any time. This instance is usually where the author has turned off the rating after the story has gone hot, thus freezing it. I don't think the system continues tabulating rating in this instance, though, as the voting has been turned off by the author.

I think, but don;t hold me to this. That you can freeze a story at a certain rating and keep the H. The downfall is you won;t be seen in any of the top lists.

I was told this by someone who says SuperheroRalph does this whenever one of its stories gets the H. They then freeze it before the trolls or non alt voters find it and bomb it.

 

[oggbashan]

I agree. I mean yes, he may have some dedicated trolls, but I checked out a couple of his things, and they are very poorly written. I can say that because I am not really fussy over grammar or style, so for me to be like "this sucks" it has to.

I know there are people here who disagree, with this, but readers here can discern good and bad writing and just because they are reading on a free porn site don;t want to be out right insulted.

Well-written is a matter of taste, but I doubt whether the low ratings are caused by his writing style. I have read far worse writing on Literotica, that has much higher ratings.

Really dreadful writing doesn't get many votes because the readers don't get to the end.

 

[lovecraft68]

Well-written is a matter of taste, but I doubt whether the low ratings are caused by his writing style. I have read far worse writing on Literotica, that has much higher ratings.

Really dreadful writing doesn't get many votes because the readers don't get to the end.

I suppose you're right. If someone is reading for pure stroke they are skimming for the "good parts" and don't pay attention to those distracting things commas and correct spelling

Honestly grammar does not get to me too badly. My own grammar needs a lot of work. What my pet peeve is, is spelling. an occasional typo or two is one thing we all let things slip through. But when it is constant and reads wrong.

"I grabbed her around her waste" EWWW!

I mean, pay attention!

 

[ScouriesWorld]

Sam, a Bostonion, and one time friend of poor, now departed Freddie,is not popular with a certain group of readers (led by killermuffin, dixieclee and their clique) who invariably vote down his stories. Presently he’s studying in Canada and many of his stories are now set there.

He's now also a THREADMASTER of a popular picture thread in GBland.

He was the third winner of the MANU Award and here was what A.I.R. wrote when he won it:

http://vitaraclub.gr/userpix/184_450pxStatue_of_a_Satyr_1.jpg
the [size=+2] MANU [/size] award

He’s LITEROTICA’S most prolific author and has published 1235 submissions on the site. And he’s done it as a black man! One of the few true black voices we have on the site. And he’s done it in spite of all the racial hate that’s been thrown at him. It’s always been fine for white, middle aged ladies to write about interracial sex here but apparently that doesn’t apply to our friend Sam. Everyone hates him for calling it as it is – who gives us the real lowdown on black cocks and white pussy – not some sanitized, white washed version. He in fact is perhaps the most authentic voice we have here on LITEROTICA, he’s:

[size=+4]

SamuelX

[/size]

 

[ScouriesWorld]

The number of 4.50s and up we have (IE the vaunted Red H) is more in the vicinity of 29,000. Since 4.50 and up represents the top 12.5th percentile of the site, we'd expect about that percentage of stories to be in it... and, as it turns out, it's 11.9% of the site's content.
I figured out how to find the median score . It's 4.33.

While the percentage of stories that receive the “vaunted Red H” as you call it presently runs around 11-13% the historical figures are somewhat different. You might be interested in these owlwhisper figures (these are all stories on the site up to 2008).

As you can see some years (ie 2005, 2006) 50% of the stories recieved Red H's!

http://www.literotica.com/images/illustratedstories/2009/2009_02/owlwhisper_literoticanumbers_04.gif
​

 

[TxRad]

Scouries, crawl back over to your fake list threads and your fake contest thread and let the grownups talk. As usual, most of what you say is half truths and/or lies. There is no such thing as a Manu award except in your pea brain. The only A.I.R around whistles through the holes in your head.

No clique is out to get anyone. If there was, the plug would have been pulled on you years ago. Try reading some of his stuff instead of running off at the mouth without any idea of what you are talking about. LC68 has the right of it. Poor spelling, no grammar, and poor if any punctuation, is his main problem. Not to mention his in your face attitude.

Like Freddie, he writes it and just tosses it out there without even thinking about editing. It might not be the right way but it is their way. To each his own.

 

[CWatson]

For me, I would not bother to vote on a story I felt deserved less than 3. Furthermore, stories I've begin reading that I would rate at 3 or lower I don't usually even finish reading. Something that bad makes me want to move on to find a story I'll enjoy; I'm reading for pleasure, not to be a critic.

I think you've hit the nail on the head. I'm naturally a critic (okay, let's be blunt--I'm a heartless perfectionist asshole), and it's sometimes hard for me to remember that not everybody feels the same way. My feeling is, if you're going to do something, why not do a good job of it? Well, the people who write 2- and 1-star stories don't feel the same way--as evidenced by the fact that they wrote 2- and 1-star stories--and telling that to them won't change anything. Though, being the heartless perfectionist asshole I am, I try anyway.

 

[CWatson]

Thank you for your analysis, CWatson. However, there is one factor that you did not analize, and that is story category. In short--as LC68 alluded to--scores are heavily skewed by category, even more so than by author. I have taken a non-scientific survey on three occasions in the past two months, and the results have been fairly consistent. The lowest scores, and by extension, the fewest red Hs, are found in Loving Wives. The highest scores, and the most red Hs, are in Non-human. The disparity is almost comical. (Romance, Gay Male and Incest/Taboo trail Non-human at the top, while Exhibitionist/Voyeur and Anal round out the bottom three). There are too many authors on Lit. for me to believe that the best are somehow concentrated in Non-human. Rather, it seems to me that either the readers are less demanding, or the trolls simply don't bother to read and vote on those stories.

You're absolutely right, and it definitely warrants more investigation. I think your analysis of the differing standards is spot-on, especially given LW's reputation as a category. Having said that, the search engine is so difficult to use in these circumstances that I hope you'll understand if I plan to leave those researches for later.

 

[estragon]

Horses for courses, as they say at the races. Readers gravitate to the genres they like (or hate, as in LW).

And as has been beaten to death and back to life, votes are almost completely random, with no obligation on any reader's part to vote or comment, or to be fair, helpful, constructive or anything else if they do take the trouble to vote or comment.

Thanks for the statistical analysis, but I don't see it leaves any of us the wiser.

 

[lovecraft68]

I think you've hit the nail on the head. I'm naturally a critic (okay, let's be blunt--I'm a heartless perfectionist asshole), and it's sometimes hard for me to remember that not everybody feels the same way. My feeling is, if you're going to do something, why not do a good job of it? Well, the people who write 2- and 1-star stories don't feel the same way--as evidenced by the fact that they wrote 2- and 1-star stories--and telling that to them won't change anything. Though, being the heartless perfectionist asshole I am, I try anyway.

I agree with you to a point. But where I stop short of the one bomb is sometimes I find myself thinking "what if that is the best they can do?" What if this person puts this up and is proud of it? I really hate to crush a sincere effort. Of course when it's hundreds of stories and there is no attempt at improvement then I go along with you.

When I started here I barely knew what a comma was and caught some negative remarks. But many were prefaced with "great story but.... editor!" so I sought some help, started looking at some things on line, and now consider myself passable. I still make mistakes that a real grammar nazi will always find, but I believe my stuff is very "readable"

But I took it seriously enough to make the effort. I came here to get better. Some people are just out for fun.

 

[lovecraft68]

I want to add a little more to some voting being the reflection of a soft category. Sci-fi is also high scored, and I think it is an easy target audience.

I was looking at an authors page yesterday. They had about 3 dozen stories in 4 or 5 categories. They had only two H's and both were in sci-fi and high scores of over 4.7.

Now discounting their two lw stories (that category gets blasted so bad I never hold the author to those scores) but in the other 4 categories there was nothing higher than a 4.3 and many were 3 something.

Yet sci'fi was 4.7 am I supposed to believe that this author just happened to improve for those 2 stories? did they try harder, or suddenly just "light it up?"

No they are soft there. Just like Non human, it's like there is an unwritten law that those stories can't be low voted. Erotic horror on the other hand seems to be more discerning there are a lot of H's but more along the 4.5 range than the endless 4.8's seen in NH.

Sometimes I have this uncomfortable feeling that NH, especially the endless Jaz cullen wannabee vampire spinoff stories are being read by the underage kids that twilight is geared toward. I of course have no evidence of that, but it really is a strong gut feeling.

 

[soflabbwlvr]

You're absolutely right, and it definitely warrants more investigation. I think your analysis of the differing standards is spot-on, especially given LW's reputation as a category. Having said that, the search engine is so difficult to use in these circumstances that I hope you'll understand if I plan to leave those researches for later.

You have already done more than is required, especially given the enormity of the data base and the limits of the tools. If you do choose to devote more time to this project, I will look forward to seeing the results.

 

[soflabbwlvr]

I want to add a little more to some voting being the reflection of a soft category. Sci-fi is also high scored, and I think it is an easy target audience.

I was looking at an authors page yesterday. They had about 3 dozen stories in 4 or 5 categories. They had only two H's and both were in sci-fi and high scores of over 4.7.

Now discounting their two lw stories (that category gets blasted so bad I never hold the author to those scores) but in the other 4 categories there was nothing higher than a 4.3 and many were 3 something.

Yet sci'fi was 4.7 am I supposed to believe that this author just happened to improve for those 2 stories? did they try harder, or suddenly just "light it up?"

No they are soft there. Just like Non human, it's like there is an unwritten law that those stories can't be low voted. Erotic horror on the other hand seems to be more discerning there are a lot of H's but more along the 4.5 range than the endless 4.8's seen in NH.

Sometimes I have this uncomfortable feeling that NH, especially the endless Jaz cullen wannabee vampire spinoff stories are being read by the underage kids that twilight is geared toward. I of course have no evidence of that, but it really is a strong gut feeling.

I also found Sci-fi a soft topic. In the first two samplings, sci-fi scored just below Non-human. In the third, however, it was closer to the mean. For that reason, I didn't list it amongst the highest categories. I don't pretend that my limited analysis is scientific or definitive, but it has convinced me that some categories are judged more harshly than others, and that Non-human is the softest of the soft.