Quote:
Originally Posted by DMcCunney
Thinking about it a bit more, the late SF writer, editor, and critic Damon Knight talked about first and second order idiot plots...
So while it's not specific to SF, and can apply to any work of fiction, you have to guard against idiot plots. If the plot hinges on what the protagonist doesn't know, it better require more than simply talking to other characters to repair the lack.
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My friends and I discuss this issue a lot... it seems most television and movie dramas these days depend on nothing but lack of communication. Nobody's really a good or bad guy... they're just all afraid to share, and as a result, all Hell breaks loose.
Lack of communication creates conflict. (Maybe we should add that to the Rules of SF thread... or maybe not.)
Look at the TV show
Lost... simple honest communication between all parties would have ended that show in about nine episodes. I think it's a telling statement about our society today, unfortunately.