Frankly, if a trope is being flouted but is commonly so, e.g. relativity vs. most FTL, I'd rather see the pseudoscience mechanism glossed over rather than poorly explained. (If there's a good explanation, by all means use it!)
I'm reminded of a thoughtful review of one of my stories wherein the reviewer noted, " My problem was with the characters, who are really only sketches and thinly drawn counterparts, or vessels, for the author to fill past the brim with her obviously thorough knowledge of an abstruse science." Mea culpa on the characters, but...oh, God, the abstruse science is quantum mechanics, and I quit taking physics classes after honors E&M in college. I will admit I'm more comfortable with popular science than average, but my "thorough knowledge" is no more than that of an interested layperson.
In that case, the fakery worked for that one reader. I think it was the apparent confidence of the writing, as opposed to how I actually feel, which is that any day now a real physicist (or mathematician) is going to walk up to me, grab me by the shoulders, and dress me down loudly for Getting It Wrong.
If you must fake, be sure to think things through, and having done that, do it with gusto.
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Date: 2004-03-05 03:34 pm (UTC)I'm reminded of a thoughtful review of one of my stories wherein the reviewer noted, " My problem was with the characters, who are really only sketches and thinly drawn counterparts, or vessels, for the author to fill past the brim with her obviously thorough knowledge of an abstruse science." Mea culpa on the characters, but...oh, God, the abstruse science is quantum mechanics, and I quit taking physics classes after honors E&M in college. I will admit I'm more comfortable with popular science than average, but my "thorough knowledge" is no more than that of an interested layperson.
In that case, the fakery worked for that one reader. I think it was the apparent confidence of the writing, as opposed to how I actually feel, which is that any day now a real physicist (or mathematician) is going to walk up to me, grab me by the shoulders, and dress me down loudly for Getting It Wrong.
If you must fake, be sure to think things through, and having done that, do it with gusto.
My two bits.