Suspension of Disbelief

[Etheric1]

I suppose I could have put this topic in a more general area, but I happen to be reading a book where this is an issue, so I put it here.

My question is: Where do you draw the line when it comes to suspension of disbelief?

I'm currently reading a book that is supposed to be set in "pre-Christian England". Usually I would have no problem accepting this, but I've noticed a number of anachronisms that test my willingness to suspend my disbelief. Maybe it's nit-picking, but when the author mentioned a character playing a piano, I raised an eyebrow. I did some half-assed research on Wikipedia, and the modern piano wasn't invented until the late 1600s - early 1700s, which doesn't sound like "pre-Christian England" to me.



Once again, maybe I'm nit-picking. The novel in question is classified as "erotica" (which I would imagine is not the most research-heavy genre) but I think I'd definitely be more forgiving if the book took place in a fantasy realm instead of a particular point in history (unless it's, say, alternate history or something).

My point is that I can accept Beethoven Was An Alien Spy sort of stuff, but if someone's using a particular point in history as the setting for a novel, shouldn't they strive for at least some accuracy?

I think when you find something that stands out big time, such as the piano thing in this case, I tend to turn up the volume on disbelief, not suspend it. Some inaccuracies often do show up in writing and I can dismiss them as a minor mistake. But if it's glaring to you, that to me is noteworthy.

[Morag]

Actually, that's a lie, because I read Temple of the Twelve: Vol. 1 - Novice of Colors (I'd call it "Pagan-y spiritual fiction") and the writing wasn't that great (IMHO) but it still made me think and I ended up learning from it.

Oh, dear gods, the cover design on that book is positively awful.


(Sorry. New publisher geekery coming through.)

When the suspenders, overstrained by too much weight, snaps, and, pow, the walls of my brain are covered in splattered disbelief.

It's not my job to suspend my disbelief no matter what; it's the writer's job to make sure they provide "suspenders" that match or exceed the amount of not-so-credible they're putting in. That can be an integrated fabric of milieu/stuff (SOP for alternate/future worlds; if the writer doesn't make sure their worldbuilding is consistent, they're liable to lose me), small details that make the incredible credible, or (lots of writers rely on this because they think it'll happen by itself, but actually it's the hard way) plot and/or characterization good enough that I don't care about anomalies.

It helps if I feel that they did it on purpose and for a purpose - if the story itself really can't be told without playing fast and loose with historical (or, for SF, scientific) details, without becoming a completely different story, I don't need the story to be spectacular, I just need it to be worth telling. (Which doesn't always mean I'll like it or want to read it, but I'll critique it differently if I have grounds to think the writer did it intentionally and for a reason, than if it just looks sloppy/lazy/unintentional.)

I can suspend a lot of disbelief - if I'm given sufficient means and motivation.

I don't think genre is an excuse, either, nor that purposes like humorousness or hotness supersede the standards that would apply if the work weren't funny or erotic or whatever. Good writing doesn't cease to matter. You want to tickle my funnybone? Don't just crack jokes and string them together on a thin thread of plot; write a good story that is also funny. You want to get me all hot and bothered? Either spin me a good yarn with lots of steamy content - or don't bother with story at all, just line up the sexy tropes. (The former works better if you're not using the tropes that hit my buttons - if your yarn is good enough, I can be all, "Your kink is not my kink... but your kink is freakin' hot to read about!")

Sunflower

All of this, for me.

I think for me, the things that really throw me out of a story or just frustrate the hells out of me don't have to do with historical/weaponry/etc accuracy details (though those can drive me nuts) so much as lack of accuracy surrounding character relations or just characters in general.

For example, there was a six-book series I read where in the first three books there was a half-dryad character who was close friends with one of the main characters. At the end of the third book she (the dryad) gets her "happy ending" -- and completely disappears from the story after that. Her name isn't mentioned again in the next three books.

Which makes no sense, because a) she's close friends with one of the main characters, and b) the dude she marries is an officer in the military and they're still at war for three books. Why would they not mention her name? I'm not satisfied with her happy ending; I wanted to hear little details about how they were doing, how she was dealing with the war, if she was still helping out by getting the other dryads in on the fight, if she was having kids, etc. But no. She got married; life ends.

Aside from being a pretty offensive assumption, it's just plain inaccurate. My friends don't disappear from my life when they get married; I don't care if I am fighting in a war to save the world.


Anyway. That sort of thing really bugs me and does throw me out of the story; if the characters don't seem like real people to me, I can't believe their story.

[Finn]

I can suspend a lot of disbelief - if I'm given sufficient means and motivation.

Yes. To all of what you wrote. But this sums it up so nicely.

[Finn]

You wink, but this may in fact be why I have never found the "go on dates" model useful, effective, or even functional.

I think you have something there.

[HeartShadow]

My biggest bugaboo is whether or not the characters ever drop character for the sake of the story.

I remember that happened once in the Harry Potter books and I was just SCREAMING about how that was just dumb and he wouldn't've done that. Characters doing what they do for the plot drives me NUTS.

As far as historical details- I don't tend to notice much in the setting, so you could probably screw around with it pretty hard before I care. That said, environments are characters too, and if the environment isn't making sense .... well.

[Darkhawk]

When the suspenders, overstrained by too much weight, snaps, and, pow, the walls of my brain are covered in splattered disbelief.

I wish I could remember where I got this line, but I quote it often:

"'Suspension of disbelief' does not mean 'by the neck, until dead.'"

[victoreia]

My biggest bugaboo is whether or not the characters ever drop character for the sake of the story.

I remember that happened once in the Harry Potter books and I was just SCREAMING about how that was just dumb and he wouldn't've done that. Characters doing what they do for the plot drives me NUTS.

Just out of curiosity, who and where in which book? (Only because I've read all seven so many times....)

[Melamphoros]

Just out of curiosity, who and where in which book? (Only because I've read all seven so many times....)

Not Sunflower, but I heard many people make that claim about Deathly Hollows (the Crowning Moment of Stupid being them taking turns wearing the locket).

[victoreia]

Not Sunflower, but I heard many people make that claim about Deathly Hollows (the Crowning Moment of Stupid being them taking turns wearing the locket).

Oh, yeah. There were times when I'd just shout out to "stop wearing the bloody thing!"

[Lokabrenna]

My biggest bugaboo is whether or not the characters ever drop character for the sake of the story.

I remember that happened once in the Harry Potter books and I was just SCREAMING about how that was just dumb and he wouldn't've done that. Characters doing what they do for the plot drives me NUTS.

I started yelling at Harry back in Order of the Phoenix. I understand that he's very, very angry (and has a couple of good reasons to feel that way) but it seemed like he was angry ALL THE FREAKIN' TIME!