06-12-2013, 10:11 AM
(06-12-2013, 07:49 AM)Lou Wrote: But for science fiction to be good, and for fantasy to be good the stuff that goes on has to internally consistent. The "rules" of the universe need to explained or at least made apparent.Rather than say science fiction "has to be internally consistent", I'd say the author has to respect the reader. I would actually say that "explaining" or "making apparent" the rules of the universe is the worst thing an author can do, but there's no way to judge whether the rules are "internally consistent" without doing so. However, "respect" is determined by a case by case basis so that's a poor standard as well.
Once a rule is proclaimed by an author, breaking that rule clearly disrespects the reader/viewer. Though, it is kind of silly to have rules explained to the audience, for the simple reason that usually doesn't happen in real life. Some things are generally accepted (e.g., the sun will rise in the west, what goes up must come down, etc.), but does anyone have a clear idea what causes gravity? Nope. Telling someone how magic works is the equivalent of telling them where gravity comes from or how the universe came into being. It also totally ruins the sense of wonder inherent to the fictitious universe.
Regarding science fiction, I think the best rule of thumb is that an author is allowed to break one major rule of the universe per book/show, but can bend all the rest. One of my favorite science fiction books is The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester. In the book, humans have a natural ability to teleport, which has no real internal consistency. But since that was the only universal rule clearly broken, it worked out fine.