• The_Walkening [none/use name]
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    edit-2
    2 years ago

    Why should I automatically think plot contrivance/god from the machine are always bad? They can exist in a story and be okay if the story overall is good/entertaining (though I'll give you that when they're bad, they're pretty bad - e.g. any movie set in the era of telephones that bores you into being aware that major plot points can be solved with a phone call ).

    • robot_dog_with_gun [they/them]
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      2 years ago

      well for one thing we already called it a contrivance.

      god from the machine is bad because it's nakedly from the machine. it's low-effort it's not clever. it's non-s equitur

      like, taste is subjective or whatever, but our hegemonic culture I think rightly disapproves of a writer solving a plot problem by having somebody show up who had nothing to do with the whole rest of the story or having some random event happen.... unless it's carefully done as a subversion of expectations like having some family drama and then they all die in an earthquake and there's some point being made.