World Building & The Potterverse / some Jules Verne's spoilers

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 167426

> Ken:
> 
> I didn't mean to say that Jules Verne gets things right more often
> than JK Rowling. The Verne example I gave was just to illustrate how
> getting the "maths" right can actively delight the average reader 
and
> not just those who read with a slide rule in one hand and a 
perpetual
> calendar in the other.


Alla:

Well, sure, yes. Because Verne specifically built the resolution 
around that twist. JKR is just not interested in that, no? I am 
trying to say that if the ultimate resolution of the books will 
depend on JKR getting the maths right and she will not, then I will 
see the comparison.


Ken:
<SNIP> 
 If Verne typically
> makes grievous "maths" errors and if they grate on you, that really
> just makes my point even if my pulling a counterexample from among 
his
> works amuses you.

Alla:

Um, actually no. My point was that those timeline errors really do 
not grate on me specifically, in fact I would say I do appreciate him 
making that error in order to get all the characters together in  the 
third book, if nothing else. I mean, he screwed with the timeline for 
the plot needs, I think JKR is doing the same thing often enough. I 
could care less as long as she is not screwing with characters 
behaving consistently ( which as I happen to believe she does 
sometimes).

And even in that situation I am sometimes wondering, whether I can 
make this argument about characters behaving consistently or not. I 
mean, those **are** JKR's creations and if she wants DD to give 
second chances to some characters and not to give to others, maybe 
that **is** what DD character is? Maybe she indeed writes consistent 
character, just much darker than I think DD is?

Maybe she revisited Ron's Quidditch insecurities in HBP again because 
he did not deal with them well enough in OOP? Hmmm, digressing. Just 
wondering if I can claim that character behaving inconsistently when 
the author is the only one in the position to know what is the 
standard for the said character consistent behaviour. I have to think 
about it.

Ken:
 I have not the experience with his work to question
> you on that point and in fact I assume that you are correct so I can
> see why you would regard Verne as an odd choice to pull an example 
from. 


Alla:

Yes, odd. Verne got a lot of things right in his books, made many 
cool scientific predictions, etc, but he made at least several 
mistakes like that I am aware of. Personally I consider them 
insignificant, but to each their own.


Ken: 
> But the example still works. And if I had known that Verne was
> generally guilty of being "maths" challenged I still would have used
> that example precisely because the irony of it would amuse those
> familiar with his work. That *is* the sort of bear I am, but in this
> case it was accidental.

Alla:

I would not make a claim of him being generally math challenged no, 
sometimes math challenged - sure and the only reason I know that is 
because I read commentaries, lol.

But as I said above, your initial example does not work for me. If 
JKR gets something wrong which is very fundamental for the end of the 
books, then it may work for me, but not now.

JMO,

Alla