History Main / RecursiveReality

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* ''TheFountain'' is a film about a man hunting for the {{fountain of youth}} {{who wants to live forever}}. It features the same two characters in three timescales -- 1506, 2006, and 2506. [[TrailersAlwaysLie From the previews]], you think they succeed, whereupon [[FinaglesLaw Complications Ensue]] when the girl gets sick and threatens to die on him due to Phlebotinum Failure. [[MindScrew But no]]: the past timeframe is the plot of a book about Tom as a Spanish Conquistador, told by the dying present day wife, and Tom's character [[AscendToAhigherPlaneOfExistence Ascends To A Higher Plane Of Existence]] in the future timeframe, where he bodily intervenes in the plot of the uncompleted book. Meanwhile, the present Tom ''does'' find the [[WorldTree Tree of Life]] in a research lab, [[spoiler:but it's too late to save his wife]], and the Tree in question is dying, so he plants another one [[spoiler: over her grave]] where she predicts it will resurrect her as a tree... at the end of the story, the conquistador succeeds in living forever when he stabs the bark of the tree and [[spoiler: [[LiteralGenie the immortal tree consumes him]]]]. He drops his engagement ring which was given to him by the Queen as a token of her affection, which the future Tom picks up. It turns out to be the wedding ring that the present Tom had lost.

* ''TheFountain'' is a film about a man hunting for the fountain of youth WhoWantsToLiveForever. It features the same two characters in three different timescales -- 1506, 2006, and 2506. From the previews, you merely think they succeeded, whereupon [[FinaglesLaw Complications Ensue]] when the girl gets sick and threatens to die on him due to Phlebotinum Failure. [[MindScrew But no]]: the past timeframe is the plot of a book about her husband as a Spanish Conquistador, told by the dying present day wife, and the husband's character [[AscendToAhigherPlaneOfExistence Ascends To A Higher Plane Of Existence]] in the future timeframe, where he bodily intervenes in the plot of the uncompleted book. Meanwhile, the present husband ''does'' find the [[WorldTree Tree of Life]] in a research lab, [[spoiler:but it's too late to save his wife]], and the Tree in question is dying, so he plants another one [[spoiler: over her grave]] where she predicts it will resurrect her as a tree... at the end of the story, the conquistador succeeds in living forever when he stabs the bark of the tree and [[spoiler: [[LiteralGenie the immortal tree consumes him]]]].

* TurtlesAllTheWayDown - It's an infinite regress; [[{{Postmodernism}} there is no "reality"]] except [[InTheEyesOfMadness in the mind of one character]] / {{God}} / the author. No matter how far up or down you go, [[UpTheRealRabbitHole you can't get out]]. Perhaps they AscendedToAHigherPlaneOfExistence or they're in a DyingDream. If lucky, it's a [[{{InteractiveFiction}} Multi User Shared Hallucination]], not a [[AndIMustScream Solipsistic Nightmare]]. (The name comes from a famous "[[StrawMan argument]]" for the TurtleIsland cosmology as an explanation for [[GravityIsAHarshMistress gravity]].)

* TurtlesAllTheWayDown - It's an infinite regress; [[{{Postmodernism}} there is no "reality"]] except in the mind of one character / {{God}} / the author. No matter how far up or down you go, [[UpTheRealRabbitHole you can't get out]]. Perhaps they AscendedToAHigherPlaneOfExistence or they're in a DyingDream. If lucky, it's a [[{{InteractiveFiction}} Multi User Shared Hallucination]], not a [[AndIMustScream Solipsistic Nightmare]]. (The name comes from a famous "[[StrawMan argument]]" for the TurtleIsland cosmology as an explanation for [[GravityIsAHarshMistress gravity]].)

* TurtlesAllTheWayDown - It's an infinite regress; [[{{Postmodernism}} there is no "real"]] reality except in the mind of one character / the author. No matter how far up or down you go, [[UpTheRealRabbitHole you can't get out]]. Perhaps they AscendedToAHigherPlaneOfExistence or they're in a DyingDream. If they're lucky, it's a [[{{InteractiveFiction}} Multi User Shared Hallucination]], not a [[AndIMustScream Solipsistic Nightmare]]. (The name comes from a famous "[[StrawMan argument]]" for the TurtleIsland cosmology as an explanation for [[GravityIsAHarshMistress gravity]].)

* TurtlesAllTheWayDown - It's an infinite regress; [[{{Postmodernism}} there is no "real"]] reality except in the mind of the protagonist / other character / author. No matter how far up or down you go, [[UpTheRealRabbitHole you can't get out]]. Perhaps the protagonist AscendedToAHigherPlaneOfExistence before the story even began. If they're lucky, it's a [[{{InteractiveFiction}} Multi User Shared Hallucination]], not a [[AndIMustScream Solipsistic Nightmare]]. (The name comes from a famous "[[StrawMan argument]]" for the TurtleIsland cosmology as an explanation for [[GravityIsAHarshMistress gravity]].)

* TurtlesAllTheWayDown - It's an infinite regress; [[{{Postmodernism}} there is no "real"]] reality except in the mind of the protagonist / other character / author. No matter how far up or down you go, [[UpTheRealRabbitHole you can't get out]]. Perhaps the protagonist AscendedToAHigherPlaneOfExistence before the story even began. If they're lucky, it's a [[{{InteractiveFiction}} Multi User Shared Hallucination]], not a [[AndIMustScream Solipsistic Nightmare]]. (The name comes from a famous "[[StrawMan argument]]" for the TurtleIsland cosmology as an explanation for [[DontExplainTheJoke gravity]].)

* Fictional Loop - Similar to a StableTimeLoop but with narration instead of time travel, this can take any of the above forms and turn it into a paradox, such as a pair of {{Alternate Universe}}s that [[RecursiveCanon reference]] [[DreamWithinADream each]] [[StoryWithinAStory other]], often including paradoxical event flags that prevent you from determining which version of the story "created" which, or which is [[AllTheMyriadWays the "real" story]].

* Fictional Loop Paradox - Similar to a StableTimeLoop but with narration instead of time travel, this can take any of the above forms and turn it into a paradox, such as a pair of {{Alternate Universe}}s that [[RecursiveCanon reference]] [[DreamWithinADream each]] [[StoryWithinAStory other]], often including paradoxical event flags that prevent you from determining which version of the story "created" which, or which is [[AllTheMyriadWays the "real" story]].

* TurtlesAllTheWayDown - It's an infinite regress of subcreated worlds; there is no "real" reality except in the mind of the protagonist / other character / the author. This is a variant where no matter how far up or down you go, [[UpTheRealRabbitHole you can't get out]]. Perhaps the protagonist AscendedToAHigherPlaneOfExistence before the story even began. If they're lucky, it's a [[{{RPG}} Multi User Shared Hallucination]], not a [[AndIMustScream Solipsistic Nightmare]]. This is popular with [[{{Postmodernism}} postmodernists]]. (The name comes from a famous "[[StrawMan argument]]" for the TurtleIsland cosmology as an explanation for [[DontExplainTheJoke gravity]].)

For extra [[MindScrew headache-inducing potential]], a creator might mix and match. For instance:

* TurtlesAllTheWayDown - It's an infinite regress; "real" reality is all in the mind of the protagonist / another character / the author. This is a variant where no matter how far up or down you go, [[UpTheRealRabbitHole you can't get out]]. Perhaps the protagonist AscendedToAHigherPlaneOfExistence before the story even began and is observing the entire story from without. If they're lucky, it's a [[{{RPG}} Multi User Shared Hallucination]], not a [[AndIMustScream Solipsistic Nightmare]]. This is popular with [[{{Postmodernism}} postmodernists]]. (The name comes from a famous "[[StrawMan argument]]" for the TurtleIsland cosmology as an explanation for [[DontExplainTheJoke gravity]].)

* TurtlesAllTheWayDown - It's an infinite regress, or it's all in the mind of the protagonist / another character / the author. This is a variant where no matter how far up or down you go, [[UpTheRealRabbitHole you can't get out]]. Perhaps the protagonist AscendedToAHigherPlaneOfExistence before the story even began and is observing the entire story from without. If they're lucky, it's a [[{{RPG}} Multi User Shared Hallucination]], not a [[AndIMustScream Solipsistic Nightmare]] LotusEaterMachine. This is popular with Buddhists and [[{{Postmodernism}} postmodernists]]. (The name comes from a famous "[[StrawMan argument]]" for the TurtleIsland cosmology as an explanation for [[DontExplainTheJoke gravity]].)

* The NestedStory - One of the [[OlderThanPrint oldest examples]] is ''[[ArabianNights The Arabian Nights]]''. Scheherazade [[FramingDevice tells stories]] of people who tell stories about people who tell stories, and so on.

* Stable Fictional Loop - Similar to a StableTimeLoop but with narration instead of time travel, this can take any of the above forms and turn it into a Paradox, such as a pair of {{Alternate Universe}}s that [[RecursiveCanon reference]] [[DreamWithinADream each]] [[StoryWithinAStory other]], often including paradoxical event flags that prevent you from determining which version of the story "created" which, or which is [[AllTheMyriadWays the "real" story]].

* TurtlesAllTheWayDown - It's an infinite regress, or it's all in the mind of the protagonists / character / author. This is a variant where no matter how far up or down you go, [[UpTheRealRabbitHole you can't get out]]. Perhaps the protagonist AscendedToAHigherPlaneOfExistence before the story even began and is observing the entire story from without. If they're lucky, life turns out to be a Multi User Shared Hallucination, not a [[AndIMustScream Solipsistic Nightmare]] LotusEaterMachine. This is popular with Buddhists and [[{{Postmodernism}} postmodernists]]. (The name comes from a famous "[[StrawMan argument]]" for the TurtleIsland cosmology as an explanation for [[DontExplainTheJoke gravity]].)

For extra [[MindScrew headache-inducing potential]], a creator might mix these.

* The Recursive Simulacrum - Building a ship in a bottle, on a ship in a bottle, basically. Someone creates an artificial world, be it a computer simulation, [[{{Cyberspace}} virtual reality]], pocket universe or a miniature planet. Then someone in ''that'' world creates another simulacrum. Bonus points if an inhabitant of the last simulacrum builds another one, or the original creator's world turns out to be a model itself.

* Transfictionality - Suppose RecursiveCanon (a copy of the work itself, or a related work by the same author) shows up within the work. Then it turns out to be ''real'', because the author of the {{story within a story}} (who may or may not be [[LiteraryAgentHypothesis the author of the actual work]]) is, in fact, [[AGodAmI God]] of his own [[{{Mythopoeia}} sub-created universe]]. May result in FridgeHorror if the in-story author has a CreatorBreakdown. See also RageAgainstTheAuthor.

Compare with most OtherworldTropes, particularly [[ShapedLikeItself Recursive Reality]], AllTheMyriadWays, where the importance of all these alternates is downplayed by the assertion of a "real world", [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment Recursive Reality]], and UpTheRealRabbitHole, where the "prime" level of existence is called into question. The latter is often paired with [[OverlyLongGag Recursive Reality]] for its [[MindScrew headache-inducing]] potential.

RecursiveCanon is a specific subtrope where the work postulates its own existence ''in-story'', or the real life author also exists ''in-story'' (allowing the characters to [[WhoWritesThisCrap criticize it or the author]], of course.)

Not to be confused with LiteraryAgentHypothesis, wherein the work postulates its own existence, or the existence of a fictional author, ''in real life''. (as "researched" by the real author.)

RecursiveCanon is a more specific subtrope where the work postulates its own existence ''in-story'', or the existence of the real life author ''in-story'' (allowing the characters to [[WhoWritesThisStuff criticize it or the author]], of course.)

RecursiveCanon is a more specific subtrope where the work postulates its own existence ''in-story'', or the existence of its author in-story. (allowing the characters to criticize it or the author, of course.)

* Transfictionality - Suppose RecursiveCanon (a copy of the work itself, or a related work by the same author) shows up within the work. Then it turns out to be ''real'', because the author of the {{story within a story}} (who may or may not be [[LiteraryAgentHypothesis the author of the actual work]]) is, in fact, [[AGodAmI God]] of his own [[{{Mythopoeia}} sub-created universe]]. May result in FridgeHorror for the characters if the in-story author has a CreatorBreakdown. See also RageAgainstTheAuthor.

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* External Gazer, one of the "Snake Tales" included as a bonus in MetalGearSolid2: Substance, revolves around the use of the virtual reality system that is the in-universe explanation of the "VR Missions". It turns out that not only does it work by [[spoiler:locating a parallel universe matching the training scenario and projecting the user's consciousness into the appropriate inhabitant of that universe]], it's also possible for the "simulations" to be nested. Plus, they're nested such that [[spoiler: the player must exit the nested simulation as though exiting that component of the game itself]]. It pretty much bends the fourth wall into the shape of a Klein bottle.

** In yet another episode, Bender gets a software upgrade for compatibility with the model 1-X robots, which he experiences as a simulation of a situation that culminates in willingly seeking assistance from a 1-X robot.