For Good/Shout-Out

As the main page formerly said: Hooo boy. This trope could seriously use a page just for Breakaway – we won't even mention the one-shots and the roleplay arc! The author seems to have an unhealthy love of making tributes to her favorite stories – the list just expands with each new chapter.

CS Lewis topics are a recurring shout out, such as the Walden Media Narnia films and Perelandra Avenue and Park.
Star Wars is another recurring shout out.
- Windy once echoes Wedge's reaction to the Death Star: "Look at the size of that thing."
- Zomega is also said to have a dash of Talon Karrde and Mara Jade thrown in - this becomes more obvious when you consider that one of Zomega's occupations is information brokering.
- Speaking of Mara Jade, Warp is apparently familiar with the character.
- Windy Terrik's name... Windy, a Tatooine friend of Luke's, and Booster Terrik, a blustery but loveable smuggler chief.
- Speaking of names... Hayden Shaw. Hayden Christensen and Sebastian Shaw, two actors who portrayed Darth Vader...
Sherlock Holmes.
- Erin's email address is jb_sherlockian, a tribute to Jeremy Brett, generally known as the definitive Sherlock Holmes. Dorm-team 76 even watches the show in one chapter.
- In the same chapter, Benedict Cumberbatch and Sherlock are also discussed.
- Robert Downey Jr is also mentioned, providing a supposed Berserk Button for the previously unflappable Ricki.
Star Trek. Chapter 10 of Breakaway takes the thing and runs with it; the chapter title is even "The Next Generation"!
- Erin and Ricki end up discussing what TOS characters they and their dorm-mates resemble.
- Chapter 11 is ridiculously Trek-heavy, right down to Erin, Windy, and Ricki making quips and references – even during a simulation! – including calling the First Officer “Number One”.
- The similarities are lampshaded by Erin's thoughts: Why bother fighting it? If their lives paralleled a science fiction classic from a thousand years ago, so be it.
Indiana Jones is Indy St. James's hero and the source of his name. Indy's real given name is Jim. That's right: Jim St. James.
Eda-Ji-Kep puts Erin in mind of Teal'c from Stargate SG 1. Yes, this lampshades the fact that "Eddie" is an Expy of Teal'c.
Ghost in The Shell Stand Alone Complex. Zomega intentionally resembles the Major, and Erin sings one of the anime's songs.
- Not to mention the fact that Zurg is a full-bodied Cyborg and that cyberbrains are actually a staple of the Zeretaen race.
We're not even going to get into Erin's songs. We'll just say "Enya" and call it a day.
Nor are we going to touch the quotes. Nope.
- Okay, just one. Erin and Mira quote the 2005 Pride and Prejudice film.
Oh, and Erin is probably a TV Troper. She knows waaay too many tropes by name.