This is discussion archived from a time before the current discussion method was installed.
Isn't I, Robot a collection of short stories? There are some common threads, but it's far from a serialized novel like Foundation.
ralphmerridew: I, Robot is a collection of short stories, but they were originally published in separate magazines over the course of 10 years. Also, I moved the Das Boot example to Naïve Newcomer.
I've also heard this referred to as "cabbaging". Schlock Mercenary called it that in a strip that's findable with Google. —Document N
Haven: Calling the House example a case of assuming Viewers Are Morons is a little extreme - more like Viewers Aren't Doctors in this case. (Well, most viewers, anyway.)
Volouscheur: I'd say it's at least partially justified anyways - House tends to behave like he's surrounded by morons most of the time anyways, whether it's medically related or not.
Haven: I forgot about all this. Anyway, that bit seems to have sprouted some natter, so I just rooted it out. In hindsight it's pretty obvious the bullet wasn't saying anything the main example didn't and was just there for a Take That! at scriptwriters who dare to assume their audience needs to have specialized medical terminology explained to them.
- House also frequently has characters explain even simple medical terms to other doctors so the watchers understand what the hell they're talking about, regardless of how out-of-character it would be for doctors not to know the terms.
- To be fair, House also repeatedly mocks his underlings for it. Also, he needs the exchange to function, as visible when he's deprived of a team.
- Played with in an episode where the team is being filmed. Chase begins to do this but the other characters call him out on it.
- Doctors sure better explain to patients just what in the name of Sam Hill is going on inside of them.
- House also frequently has characters explain even simple medical terms to other doctors so the watchers understand what the hell they're talking about, regardless of how out-of-character it would be for doctors not to know the terms.
What about Jonathan strange and Mr. norrell? susana clarke does this all the time in the footnotes (as we all know from out classrooms...)
-Mago
Madrugada: I've sorted the examples by media; if someone could check over the games, anime, and manga and comic books sections to make sure that I've got everything in the right place, please? Sometimes I have to guess at whether a particular example is from the series or the game.
Broken Chaos: The various headers are wrong, I'll go fix them now (i.e. Televsion -> Live Action TV). ...Annnd done. Also shuffled a few around that seemed to be in the wrong category. (For future reference, categories generally are Live-Action TV, Film, Literature, Video Games, Anime/Manga, Comic Books, Webcomics, New Media/Web Original/etc. (this last one seems to be very... vague as to what is used for what).)
There are still some in the wrong category.
The dollhouse quote I reference is
Boyd: Do we really want to wake this guy up? Adelle: Mr. Langton, have you no charity? We are working to re-unite a desperate family with their... wayward loved one. Boyd: And by 'wayward', do you mean that they've been looking for him ever since he skipped his last bail hearing? Adelle: A bail hearing over a minor matter which has since been resolved. Boyd: And by 'resolved', do you mean... Adelle: Yes, yes... a judge was bought off. There is no need to continue to translate me.
And I don't know if it's in the right place or if I worded it very well. So feel free to move and rewrite!
Johnny E: Do we have a trope for what might be considered an inversion of this - one character feels the need to Infodump to another on something the audience would definitely be familiar with, in order to emphasise it's strangeness in-universe? For example, in Neuromancer, Molly explaining to Case how organic steak is made, and thus why it is so expensive.
