Crossovers That Should Not Be XVII: Post 16 threads, and what'd'ya get?

[SkyeFire]

In the spirit of the thread, Ryk Spoor (internet handle: Sea Wasp) actually has a professionally published pair of books out right now whose backstory includes a real-world instance of CTSNB: Grand Central Arena and Spheres of Influence. As a minor spoiler:

Spoiler

In a future post-scarcity society that has expanded throughout the Sol system, but not gone interstellar, a group of 'fans' decided to Play God and created their favorite characters from fiction... as real living breathing people. Grown and raised inside virtual environments designed to mold the characters into who they "should" be.
Except that many of these characters are hyper-geniuses. And their creators did their jobs too well. And the handful of 'Hyperions' who figure out that they're 'in the Matrix' stage a breakout... whose first stage is subtly convincing their creators that a Crossover would be a Great Idea....

For various reasons, including copyright issue, the CTSNB is a backstory item, alluded to carefully. But it does have real effects on the world, and there's plenty of Easter Eggs for fanboys to squee over. It also has the benefit of being quite a good yarn in its own right, with a pretty original setup that takes some time to definitely wrap your head around.