Which one do you believe "it's just bad storytelling" or "there's no reason why any element is bad in itself"?
I'm just, uh, just feeling kinda... truthsome right now. And, uh... life's just too damn short for ifs and maybes.
Mal ,'Heart Of Gold'
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§ ita § - May 25, 2013 7:40:56 am PDT #24513 of 30000
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.
DavidS - May 25, 2013 7:41:47 am PDT #24514 of 30000
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."
Would you write a story that ended, "...and it was all a dream."?
DavidS - May 25, 2013 7:45:16 am PDT #24515 of 30000
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."
Which one do you believe "it's just bad storytelling" or "there's no reason why any element is bad in itself"?
They're not exclusive. I do believe it's bad storytelling and should be avoided.
That doesn't that you couldn't subvert the trope or do something with it.
Amy - May 25, 2013 7:49:18 am PDT #24516 of 30000
Because books.
Not just that way, no. But look at The Wizard of Oz. Essentially, it was all a dream, and I don't see a lot of people complaining that they feel cheated because of it.
I'm just saying there's an exception to every rule.
Tom Scola - May 25, 2013 7:56:20 am PDT #24517 of 30000
Remember that the frontier of the Rebellion is everywhere. And even the smallest act of insurrection pushes our lines forward.
I always hated the ending of TWoO, ever since I was old enough to watch it all the way through without getting scared of the flying monkeys. Especially since I knew the book’s ending was different.
Amy - May 25, 2013 8:01:18 am PDT #24518 of 30000
Because books.
Which makes you the exception to the rule of no one complaining about it, I guess.
le nubian - May 25, 2013 8:06:18 am PDT #24519 of 30000
"And to be clear, I am the hell. And the high water."
Upon contemplation, I think when the "it is all a dream" is at its most outrage-provoking for me is when the author does not leave sufficient clues or character development to lead to this conclusion. But I suppose that is true for anything I read. I hate when any shit is just dropped on me, seemingly from out of nowhere, if it is a conventional narrative. I hate that about murder mysteries, science fiction, etc. Hell, I lost my shit over deus ex machina in high school, so this is an old issue for me.
Wizard of Oz (the movie), is pretty straightforward with its indicators about WTF is going on. At least for an adult. For a kid, after we are so thoroughly traumatized by flying monkeys, I think we welcome a revelation that none of the shit was real.
Jessica - May 25, 2013 8:06:37 am PDT #24520 of 30000
And then Ortus came and said "It's Ortin' time" and they all Orted off into the sunset
Yes, obviously I meant the cheapest and most literal possible interpretation of "It was only a dream!" because I just don't know what good writing is. t /eyeroll forever
billytea - May 25, 2013 8:07:53 am PDT #24521 of 30000
You were a wrong baby who grew up wrong. The wrong kind of wrong. It's better you hear it from a friend.
I hate when any shit is just dropped on me, seemingly from out of nowhere
Also remarkably relevant to the Wizard of Oz.
DavidS - May 25, 2013 8:17:49 am PDT #24522 of 30000
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."
Also remarkably relevant to the Wizard of Oz.
Ba-dump bump!
I'm with Tom. I've always resented the ending of the movie version of The Wizard of Oz.