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You know that lesson you've heard, sometime, about good poll questions? Yeah, that first one on yesterday's poll does not qualify. What happened is I had another one that was slightly better, but lj ate it. Anyway, what I was trying to get at was actually a few different questions, which of course I didn't realize while writing the poll. Well, and it was supposed to be fun, not a lot of meta work. ;-)
Anyway, here are some of the questions that I jumbled into that first question. I also have to say that I am primarily thinking about established media--television, movies, published books. Fanfiction carries a whole different set of expectations.
1. Personally, I love unrealistic premises. A Stargate? Fantastic! A guy who is a genius and can learn how to do something by reading about it? Completely awesome. Sudden onset of superpowers? Bring it on!
2. I sometimes love and sometimes hate fiction where the outcome is certain. Sometimes I find it boring, overdone, and ridiculous. But good writers can make me reevaluate that reaction--even though I know the ending, they can bring me along to an emotional place that feels amazing and fresh.
3. Fiction where main characters can die is one of my absolute favorites, as long as it's not just gratuitous death. I like knowing that the rules extend even to the main cast--like knowing that Jack might not recover from the gunshot wound OMG or that the black smoke might get Kate. (Of course, the intial promise of Lost has not paid out quite the way I would have expected.)
4. I generally assume that the rules are the same as in our world unless otherwise stated--for example, in BSG where Cylons can be resurrected in a new body. I expect that humans cannot come back from the dead, although I'm willing to suspend my lack of belief if I think there's a good reason for it coming down the line.
5. Sometimes, I just want the good guys to get the bad guys, time and process be damned. I don't care if Test A takes a month to do, or if Character B, who is a forensics expert, would never actually do the interview. I want to be told an entertaining story that doesn't push too many "unrealistic" buttons, but still ends with the good guys solving the crime.
6. I hadn't really though about an artistic lack of realism in television until the season finale of House and my friend's very unique perspective on it. I always just assumed that the writers and producers screwed up when my expectations for a show were not met. I'm still not sure she's right about House being structured much more like an epic poem, but it's definitely an interesting viewpoint. And I know I've liked movies--or at least not hated movies--that are more about the mood and pretty scenery and music than they are about the plot or even the characters.
7. Fourth-wall breaking! I am probably one of the most enthusiastic fans of internal commentary. Self-referential humor done well is so much fun! Of course, it can also be really, really bad, but I tend to love it anyway.
So...feel free to answer one, some, all, or none of these questions.
Also, I have to say that some of the fill-in answers are hilarious.![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
likethesun2, I agree that it's probably a good thing most television/movies don't deal with literary criticism. Hah! pcrackenhead, I knew you'd tick (check) that box. *grins*
Anyway, here are some of the questions that I jumbled into that first question. I also have to say that I am primarily thinking about established media--television, movies, published books. Fanfiction carries a whole different set of expectations.
- Do you enjoy fiction with unrealistic premises? (Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror)
- Do you enjoy fiction where the outcome is certain?
- Do you enjoy fiction where main characters can die?
- Do you enjoy fiction where it is expected that the "rules" are the same as our reality? (i.e. no one comes back from the dead)
- Do you enjoy fiction where a satisfactory resolution takes precedence over realism? (i.e. some crime dramas)
- Do you enjoy fiction that doesn't necessarily make realistic sense, but has a greater artistic or emotional mood/resonance?
- Do you enjoy fiction that bends/breaks the fourth wall (is self-aware and comments on itself)?
1. Personally, I love unrealistic premises. A Stargate? Fantastic! A guy who is a genius and can learn how to do something by reading about it? Completely awesome. Sudden onset of superpowers? Bring it on!
2. I sometimes love and sometimes hate fiction where the outcome is certain. Sometimes I find it boring, overdone, and ridiculous. But good writers can make me reevaluate that reaction--even though I know the ending, they can bring me along to an emotional place that feels amazing and fresh.
3. Fiction where main characters can die is one of my absolute favorites, as long as it's not just gratuitous death. I like knowing that the rules extend even to the main cast--like knowing that Jack might not recover from the gunshot wound OMG or that the black smoke might get Kate. (Of course, the intial promise of Lost has not paid out quite the way I would have expected.)
4. I generally assume that the rules are the same as in our world unless otherwise stated--for example, in BSG where Cylons can be resurrected in a new body. I expect that humans cannot come back from the dead, although I'm willing to suspend my lack of belief if I think there's a good reason for it coming down the line.
5. Sometimes, I just want the good guys to get the bad guys, time and process be damned. I don't care if Test A takes a month to do, or if Character B, who is a forensics expert, would never actually do the interview. I want to be told an entertaining story that doesn't push too many "unrealistic" buttons, but still ends with the good guys solving the crime.
6. I hadn't really though about an artistic lack of realism in television until the season finale of House and my friend's very unique perspective on it. I always just assumed that the writers and producers screwed up when my expectations for a show were not met. I'm still not sure she's right about House being structured much more like an epic poem, but it's definitely an interesting viewpoint. And I know I've liked movies--or at least not hated movies--that are more about the mood and pretty scenery and music than they are about the plot or even the characters.
7. Fourth-wall breaking! I am probably one of the most enthusiastic fans of internal commentary. Self-referential humor done well is so much fun! Of course, it can also be really, really bad, but I tend to love it anyway.
So...feel free to answer one, some, all, or none of these questions.
Also, I have to say that some of the fill-in answers are hilarious.
likethesun2, I agree that it's probably a good thing most television/movies don't deal with literary criticism. Hah! pcrackenhead, I knew you'd tick (check) that box. *grins*
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no subject
Date: 2008-05-21 10:07 pm (UTC)From:1 Do you enjoy fiction with unrealistic premises? (Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror)
Yes. I love it a great amount. My imagination knows no bounds, and with sci fi and horror all things are possible. One of my big pet peeves are people claiming various scientific theories aren't possible (on SG-1). See, scientists with that attitude never make the big break-throughs. ;)
2 Do you enjoy fiction where the outcome is certain?
Well, it depends on authorial intent. Are they just telegraphing the ending too strongly and ruining the story? Or are they deliberately revealing the ending? In something like a romance novel, you sort of know that the couple will end up together, and it's the journey that counts. And that rings true for me across all genres.
3 Do you enjoy fiction where main characters can die?
Yes, but I'd rather my favorites live. I find it incredibly depressing when a character I've become very invested in dies. If I know a book ends that way, I might even procrastinate on finishing it. So, maybe I lean more toward 'no'. Hmm.
4 Do you enjoy fiction where it is expected that the "rules" are the same as our reality? (i.e. no one comes back from the dead)
Sure. I really have no preferences in this area. A universe where all the rules are different is fine as long as they're not unduly complicated and hard to remember. Rules same as ours is fine too.
5 Do you enjoy fiction where a satisfactory resolution takes precedence over realism? (i.e. some crime dramas)
Yes, unless it's something I'm incredibly knowledgeable in. Otherwise I'll probably not know the difference. And when I do I'm usually willing to allow latitude for story-telling and time/resource restrictions. Make it entertaining and I'll forgive almost everything.
6 Do you enjoy fiction that doesn't necessarily make realistic sense, but has a greater artistic or emotional mood/resonance?
Yes. Very much. I have great admiration for writers who can accomplish this.
7 Do you enjoy fiction that bends/breaks the fourth wall (is self-aware and comments on itself)?
Yes. If it's well done. I like the narrator format, both in fic and in movies. (Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang with Robert Downey Jr is an excellent example of this and how well it can work.)
no subject
Date: 2008-05-22 04:40 pm (UTC)From:Yes. This is very different from a clumsy author revealing what's going to happen later on.
For me, main characters dying really depends on the book/movie and the mood I expect to get out of the book/movie. If I have the expectation that things aren't going to go well, I'm more likely to be okay with a character I like dying.
Interesting about the narrator format. Do you enjoy first person outside of fanfic, then?