S · H · O · W — Content Classification Standard for Narrative and Creative Works
SHOW is a four-axis content rating for books, audio, film, and interactive narrative. Instead of one collapsed grade, a work carries four independent scores — so a reader knows exactly what they're holding before they buy it.
Fourth Wing — SHOW S3 · H5 · O2 · W4
S3 (Spice — Explicit): anatomically clear intimate scenes. H5 (Heat — Wildfire): the relationship is the spine of the story. O2 (OMG — Dim): on-page violence, dark themes with restraint. W4 (WTF — Edgy): mildly transgressive dynamics.
Same scale, opposite corner of the library:
All Quiet on the Western Front — SHOW S0 · H1 · O5 · W3
No sexual content, minimal romance, maximum darkness, moderate transgression. One vocabulary covers both — that is the point.
| Axis | Name | Range | Measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | Spice | 0–6 | Physical explicitness — on-page intimacy and detail |
| H | Heat | 0–5 | Emotional temperature — longing, romantic intensity |
| O | OMG | 0–5 | Darkness of tone — peril, grief, violence, psychological weight |
| W | WTF | 0–10 | Transgression — taboo dynamics, wildness of choices |
Every axis is independent. A closed-door romance can carry maximum Heat with zero Spice. A grief memoir can carry OMG 5 with no sexual content at all. Collapsing these into one number destroys the information audiences need.
Full level tables, the calibration reference set (twelve titles from The Notebook to American Psycho), content tags, and display formats are in the specification. The one-page cheat sheet has every axis and level on a single screen.
Look for the inline format on listings and author sites: SHOW S3·H4·O2·W5. Ratings carrying the R8rly Compass mark are community-verified on r8rly.com — where no rating can be purchased, suppressed, or altered by payment.
Rate your own work at publication using the level tables — most authors land their scores in minutes because the calibration set anchors every axis. Display the inline string on your listings; apply for R8rly verification when you want the Compass mark.
Implement SHOW under CC BY-SA 4.0 — attribution required, no fee, no permission needed. The axis framework and level vocabulary in the specification are the complete implementation surface. "R8rly Verified," the Compass mark, and Tier A "Verified Explicit" certification remain platform-administered.
| Standard | Function | Repo |
|---|---|---|
| SHOW | Content classification of finished work | you are here |
| VEIL | Generation authorisation for AI-assisted sessions | shares the S·H·O·W axes |
| SCRIPTS | Experience rating | coming to this org |
Current: v2.1 (July 2026). Full history in the specification.
The SHOW Standard · Created by Modern Media Mastery & LMDC · held in trust by r8rly.org · verified on r8rly.com
Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Free to use, implement, and build upon. Attribution required; derivatives share-alike. The R8rly platform mark, Compass mark, and "R8rly Verified" designation remain protected and require platform certification.