Spoiling the fun

[Barry Arrowsmith]

--- In the_old_crowd at yahoogroups.com, elfundeb <elfundeb at g...> wrote:
>  Jen:
> > Remember what you used to say Kneasy, about spinning theories and
> > intellectual stimulation? That it's fun and engaging? I never quite
> > got that when I first started on the board, everything was supposed 
> > to be *serious* and important in my mind then. But now I get it,
> > after a couple of years of being told my theories have holes, or my
> > speculation is wildly innaccurate, or just being completely
> > ignored.
> > If I can't be right, and won't, at the very least I can still give
> > my mind a whirl and have some fun while doing it.

>  Heh. I did the same thing when I first joined, but discovered that it was 
> the most outlandish theories that gave me the most pleasure, even when my 
> contribution is simply to debunk them. The Red Queen was right, you know.
>  Debbie
> whose schizoid approach to over-the-top theorizing is perhaps best 
> represented by Alternative Universe Fourth Man, in which Avery 
> simultaneously was and was not Fourth Man (will happily dig up the post 
> number on request)
> 

To be honest, I've never really understood why anyone would  take a work of
fantasy fiction seriously. Hell, I don't even take serious subjects seriously and 
find it almost impossible not to look for humorous potential in just about 
anything. It came as quite a surprise when it became obvious that there were 
posters with a very different approach to the books. Still, that's their problem, 
and in some ways they can be perversely entertaining - roughly equivalent to 
listening to a Flat-Earther spouting off. There were times I was severely 
tempted, I must admit - it was only board rules that held me back from 
posting irreverent pastiches of certain sub-sets of fandom.
"Father, father! How can you be so cruel?"
"Practice, m'dear, practice."

Fortunately there was plenty of stuff in the books to keep me out of mischief.
As Debbie says, the books are in the public domain and we can do with them
what we will. Look on it as a glorified game of 'Consequences'. We've been
handed a part-script and according to our inclinations can scribble ideas in 
the blank bits. Doesn't have to be true, likely or even possible, though with 
that last we're flirting with Fan-Fiction - a whole different other, IMO.

Mostly the 'rules' for theorising are unwritten but  generally understood. 
Take some unresolved canon (anywhere from one word upwards) and 
extrapolate, my boy, extrapolate! - while remaining within the confines of 
the presumed parameters of the story as they have been developed so far. 
Jo amending/adding to canon outside the books does not make Kneasy a 
happy bunny. It added to the fun when her pronouncements were nicely 
ambiguous, Delphic, even - one could interpret them as one wished, might 
even spark an idea that had never previously been  considered, starting a
whole new wild-goose chase perhaps, but more-or-less definitive statements
are very close to being spoilers IMO.

It's no longer possible (for example) to post an hypothesis about Droobles
wrappers, because a theory is a speculative explanation, and there's nothing
there to explain, not any more. It's one thing if such information is in the 
text, but something else again when casually mentioned while being 
interviewed by a pair of sycophants.

Would this snippet have come to light if the interview had never happened?
We can only guess, but my bet is yes, probably as a poll option on her website
or maybe in the 'Rumours' section. When all is said and done it isn't info that
will have a bearing on the future story-arc, for all that it restricts the range 
of subject matter available for imaginative posters to work their dubious 
wiles on.

It does bother me that Jo is indulging in info by leakage. SSS was suggesting
that she doesn't want people to go off on the wrong track IIRC. Erm...no, I
don't think so. It's unlikely that an author would deliberately insert red 
herrings and then worry about readers getting it wrong - just the opposite,
previously she seemed to derive a great deal of satisfaction at us barking
up a whole succession of wrong trees. Must say, I enjoyed it myself, great
fun. So what's changed? 

Dunno about you, but I'm getting an 'uh-oh' feeling.

Kneasy