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I have an idea that came from to solo pieces (That are linked) that expands the scope of further stories that use the environment that is described in those stories.
Does this expansion of scope constitute what people mean by a Universe? These further stories are linked but essentially stand alone pieces.
So, what does constitute a Universe?
Samantha
Comments
Your Universe
By linking your stories through a common theme, yes it could constitute a set Universe as long as it doesn't go against established rules made by you. Example: Magic where there is no magic. Science where the is no real science.
Examples are Steven Kings Darktower series as its placed in a realm that generally does not cross, but he has mentioned others and has hinted that he may have them become unified later.
Issac Asimov's Foundation series was at one time held separate from his other stories until he decided to unify them into one.
DC rarely ever crosses over into the Marvel Universe and so forth, so are of course their own set Universe.
That is essentially what a
That is essentially what a universe is on here, the link is either solid and directly interconnected like say SarahUK's "You Have It All Wrong" or Susan Brown's "Changes" or you can have a loosely grouped set of stories like the Whateley stories or the Bikini Beach stories. How much they are linked depends entirely on the creator.
Bikini Beach is the prime example of what you are thinking there, it started out as a grouping of stories set at the park but were independent of each other and four a while not linked until years later. It's all in how you choose to set the universe up, how linked they are is up to you but so long as there is a link even if it's subtle it is a universe all its own.
I'm told STFU more times in a day than most people get told in a lifetime
Isn't Hawkins
. . . trying to answer that same question?
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
The Hoodooverse
I think Screamin' Jay answered that question long ago:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xOyGd5bhI0
Or do you mean Hawking?
"Government will only recognize 2 genders, male + female,
as assigned at birth-" (In his own words:)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1lugbpMKDU
Is Hawkins...
... a crossover between Richard Dawkins and Stephen Hawking? Or were you referring to Jim Hawkins of "Treasure Island"?
-- Daphne Xu
Rather Close
I would say that you've come rather close. I suspect that some things called "Universes" might not be. For example, I think that "Town of Haven" described as a Universe on StoriesOnLine.net is for now a series of novels, sequels to a first. On the other hand, "Naked in School", "SRU", and "Bikini Beach" are all Universes. (I view "Bikini Beach" as part of the "SRU" universe, although Elrod might not agree.) They all have certain places that are considered the same, or common practices and programs. They all have stand-alone stories.
I think that potentially in all of them, the characters from one story could have met characters from another story, at some time at least. I think that when characters are common to a Universe, one mustn't do any damage to them -- although possibly allowed if the damage is fixed in the story. That would be especially true if the Universe is still the creator's, and the characters are the creator's as well.
It's possible that certain stories intended (by the authors) to be in a Universe might be considered rumors, legends, or even nightmares. For example, the Twilight Zone-Bikini Beach story that was begun on FM was simply a nightmare. I hope that "The Last Laugh" by Jennifer Allison was nothing more than legend or rumor. In that story, Grandmother and others conspire to gangrape a couple of transformees as punishment, allegedly having raped someone leading to her suicide. In the new reality, she was never raped and never committed suicide. One knows how rumors get around, and mutate in the process.
One probably couldn't write a story in which Grandmother, the parents, and the others are prosecuted for conspiracy to rape.
-- Daphne Xu
I think it is simple an
I think it is simple an universe is any group of stories where the characters live in the same world. As long as the characters from one story ars able to meet other characters from another story then it is the same universe. The stories can be from different genres and even set in different times as long as the history for both of those stories are the same.
I would say all the Law & Order shows, Homicide, The Wire, The X-files, Arrested Development, The Beat, The Wire and Luther are in the same universe. This is for the character of John Munch is a real person in all of those shows.
My understanding
My understanding of what a Universe is, is simply a series of stories all set within a particular reality. This to me, means they can come in a series of interconnected novels, like say the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, or loosely connected stories, like the DarkRealms Universe here on BCTS. The can span across centuries or all be set within a few minutes of one another, but there needs to be consistency in each story.
Have delightfully devious day,
The simplest explanation
Is a group of stories that share the same basic concepts that can be written by a single author or multiple authors.
Take for example you write a set of science fiction stories about space travel. All of your stories feature different characters in different parts of space and they have no interaction at all. But the way your space travel works is the same in all the stories. Say there is no way to travel faster than light but all your stories have a gate device that allows a space ship to travel form one area of space to another.
With the space travel in your stories all following the same rules and using the same devices they are connected and can be considered all in the same universe.
Same goes for magic or any other plot device you use in a story. If you use the exact same device in other stories and follow the exact same rules, then they are in the same universe even if they take place during vastly different time periods.
We the willing, led by the unsure. Have been doing so much with so little for so long,
We are now qualified to do anything with nothing.
You answered your own
You answered your own question:
If the stories are linked, how can they -not- be in the same universe?
Ummm,.....
"The universe is a spheroid region 705 meters in diameter."
*giggles*
Sorry could not resist!
>i< ..:::
Oh Noes! Hypatia's trapped in a diminishing bubble universe!
I hope it doesn't crush 'er!
Fly into the light, Littlewings!
"Government will only recognize 2 genders, male + female,
as assigned at birth-" (In his own words:)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1lugbpMKDU
What happens...
... if you walk 360 meters from the center of the universe? Or throw something that far? Maybe you have to dig or chainsaw through something at the edge of the universe. What happens then?
-- Daphne Xu
Time Dilation
You or your projectile never gets there; time slows down and mass increases.
(Definitely not the same concept, but it made me think of Clarke's mobius-strip universe (in "The Wall of Darkness") that has no "other side" when you reach its edge. )
Eric
That definitely could be what
That definitely could be what happens. I think there's a three-dimensional volume version of the two-dimensional Mobius strip.
-- Daphne Xu
There are many such ones.
One of them is called bottle of Klein (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klein_bottle).
Klein Bottle
Ah, yes. The Klein Bottle was what I was thinking of. The name just escaped me. Not that I know anything about the bottle, mind you.
-- Daphne Xu
Oh, heaven's no...
Daph hever nits the lotteb. She's not as thunk as we drink she is... :P (Sorry, luv. Just couldn't resist. You DID kinda leave yourself open.)
Still love ya like crazy, though!
*Kisses Always*
Haylee V
Okay, I thtepped sight into
Okay, I thtepped sight into rat.
-- Daphne Xu
100 Proof ...
... that you shouldn't drink and right (hic) a blog response.
But one musht...
... grink when drading 400 Nexams. One khant help ith. (Twipth and shtumbleth.)
-- Daphne Xu
Thanks for the feedback
I can only hope that I don't hit an
Black Holes (doh!)
Samantha
As Chrissy Sagan might say?
Love, Andrea Lena
Good or bad?
For me as a reader, a universe is a turn off. It means there will be background I'm expected to know, but do not, so I'm unlikely to follow the story. So I will never intentionally read a universe story.
As a writer, I have a series of stories set in the same town, using transformation products from the same (fictional) company. But every story is standalone so that any new reader can step into it. If they enjoy that story, they can find others. But they will never be left in the dark because they haven't read another of my stories.
In order to reduce repetition in each story, I have introduced the pamphlet: a description of the transformation products so that new readers can click on the link at the appropriate part of the story and read it, whilst others can continue with the story.
True
It's true that many stories in a Universe require the reader to know and understand background, in order to understand and enjoy the story. I would like to think, on the other hand, that some stories in a Universe are genuine stand-alone ones, that can be understood and enjoyed by someone not familiar with the Universe. Even if she doesn't get some of the references obvious to one in the know, she might still enjoy the story.
-- Daphne Xu
That is a very interesting take
and one well worth considering. Thanks for taking the time to post it.
I agree about the potential for stories set in a Universe to be a bit of a turn off. I don't think I have managed to complete a Whatley story yet.
Thinking about it, Universe is probably the wrong thing to call what I have in mind. Oh well, back to the drawing board.
Samantha
A Universe, or Storyverse....
I would take a guess at a definition, that you have a series of stories that are linked by common elements and use the same 'framework' (rules). Stories can be stand-alone, or there can be a set of serial stories covering an overarching story (Elf Sternberg's Pendor stories is an excellent example of this, as are the MORFS universe stories).
Everyone here may have their own take on it, and that's fine too.
Allow me to add to the confusion
And then, you have anti-universes and parallel universes, like Leila and I were trying to create in Mandela. The stories are linked, but will, once Leila gets well enough to write again, cross over into several other established universes, even if only briefly. Mandela is meant to be a pseudo-omniverse, and thus encompasses and shadows (or overlaps) every other universe. That is its nature, to bring chaos to order.
*Kisses Always*
Haylee V