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Hughes is also an active contributor to the Website/SCPFoundation under the handle "[[http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/qntm-s-author-page qntm]]", and is best known for focusing on [[PerceptionFilter antimemetics]] and developing the [[http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/antimemetics-division-hub Antimemetics Division]] hub, portions of which have been consolidated and lightly edited into a novel length work, ''[[https://gumroad.com/l/MFIZW There Is No Antimemetics Division]]''.

to:

Hughes is also an active contributor to the Website/SCPFoundation under the handle "[[http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/qntm-s-author-page qntm]]", and is best known for focusing on [[PerceptionFilter antimemetics]] and developing the [[http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/antimemetics-division-hub Antimemetics Division]] hub, portions of which have been consolidated and lightly edited into a novel length novel-length work, ''[[https://gumroad.com/l/MFIZW There Is No Antimemetics Division]]''.''Literature/ThereIsNoAntimemeticsDivision''.
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Hughes is also an active contributor to the Wiki/SCPFoundation under the handle "[[http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/qntm-s-author-page qntm]]", and is best known for focusing on [[PerceptionFilter antimemetics]] and developing the [[http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/antimemetics-division-hub Antimemetics Division]] hub, portions of which have been consolidated and lightly edited into a novel length work, ''[[https://gumroad.com/l/MFIZW There Is No Antimemetics Division]]''.

to:

Hughes is also an active contributor to the Wiki/SCPFoundation Website/SCPFoundation under the handle "[[http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/qntm-s-author-page qntm]]", and is best known for focusing on [[PerceptionFilter antimemetics]] and developing the [[http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/antimemetics-division-hub Antimemetics Division]] hub, portions of which have been consolidated and lightly edited into a novel length work, ''[[https://gumroad.com/l/MFIZW There Is No Antimemetics Division]]''.
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* LightspeedLeapfrog: The basis of "Forgotten things in space", in which a generation ship is sent out in the lead-up to TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt, only for FTL to be invented and all of humanity moving to the target planet [[spoiler:and then the same set of events playing out much later only for them to find the original ship still travelling to the now-doomed planet.]]

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* LightspeedLeapfrog: The basis of "Forgotten things in space", in which a generation ship an arkship is sent out in the lead-up to TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt, only for FTL to be invented and all of humanity moving to the target planet [[spoiler:and then the same set of events playing out much later on said planet, only for them to find the original ship still travelling to the now-doomed planet.]]
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%%* AffectionateParody: Of Creator/IsaacAsimov's The Last Question.

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%%* * AffectionateParody: Of "The Last-But-One Question" is one to Creator/IsaacAsimov's The Last Question.Literature/TheLastQuestion, in which the question is asked to a planet[[spoiler:-sized Magic8Ball]].



%%* {{Anticlimax}}: The whole point of "First Contact: a retrospective"
%%* LightspeedLeapfrog: The basis of "Forgotten things in space".

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%%* * {{Anticlimax}}: The whole point of "First Contact: a retrospective"
%%*
retrospective" -- after decoding an alien message, there's nothing to follow up on, and nothing has really changed.
*
LightspeedLeapfrog: The basis of "Forgotten things in space".space", in which a generation ship is sent out in the lead-up to TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt, only for FTL to be invented and all of humanity moving to the target planet [[spoiler:and then the same set of events playing out much later only for them to find the original ship still travelling to the now-doomed planet.]]



* AuthorAvatar: Sam Hughes the narrator serves as an avatar for Sam hughes the author.

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* AuthorAvatar: Sam Hughes the narrator serves as an avatar for Sam hughes Hughes the author.

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Comment out ZCE (one averted trope is removed) and fix more bad Example Indentation In Trope Lists.


* AuthorVocabularyCalendar: "fractionally"
* ContinuityNod: All of his works might as well be set in the same continuity. Well, in alternate universes.
** For example, in "Gorge", [[spoiler:a space cartographer accidentally introduces the concept of space travel to a planet consumed entirely by nanobots, which then proceed to expand throughout the universe (at least, [[InferredHolocaust it is implied]]). Another story of his deals with flying over post-nanoapocalyptic environments in freefall and photographing them. The passage goes on to state that objects above a certain technology level are not allowed near such environments, ''lest the nanobots learn of space travel''.]]
* GainaxEnding: Used quite a lot. Usually a form of a TwistEnding.
* MindScrew: Practically all of the stories involving time travel.

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* %%* AuthorVocabularyCalendar: "fractionally"
* ContinuityNod: All of his works might as well be set in the same continuity. Well, in alternate universes.
**
universes. For example, in "Gorge", [[spoiler:a space cartographer accidentally introduces the concept of space travel to a planet consumed entirely by nanobots, which then proceed to expand throughout the universe (at least, [[InferredHolocaust it is implied]]). Another story of his deals with flying over post-nanoapocalyptic environments in freefall and photographing them. The passage goes on to state that objects above a certain technology level are not allowed near such environments, ''lest the nanobots learn of space travel''.]]
* %%* GainaxEnding: Used quite a lot. Usually a form of a TwistEnding.
* %%* MindScrew: Practically all of the stories involving time travel.



* AffectionateParody: Of Creator/IsaacAsimov's The Last Question.

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* %%* AffectionateParody: Of Creator/IsaacAsimov's The Last Question.



* {{Anticlimax}}: The whole point of "First Contact: a retrospective"
* LightspeedLeapfrog: The basis of "Forgotten things in space".
* MadScientist: Most of the scientists portrayed.

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* %%* {{Anticlimax}}: The whole point of "First Contact: a retrospective"
* %%* LightspeedLeapfrog: The basis of "Forgotten things in space".
* %%* MadScientist: Most of the scientists portrayed.



* StableTimeLoop: Many of his stories deal with something like this, most notably [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Time Loop]], although nothing interesting is done during the course of the loop.

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* %%* StableTimeLoop: Many of his stories deal with something like this, most notably [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Time Loop]], although nothing interesting is done during the course of the loop.



* ApocalypseHow: Ed has averted a few of these with his mecha.
** Also, when tampering with the universe's config file (really- it has values for different universal constants, complete with comments), [[spoiler: he accidentally deletes the entire Andromeda galaxy. Needless to say, its surviving inhabitants were not thrilled.]]

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* ApocalypseHow: ApocalypseHow:
** When
Ed has averted a few of these with his mecha.
** Also, when
tampering with the universe's config file (really- it has values for different universal constants, complete with comments), [[spoiler: he accidentally deletes the entire Andromeda galaxy. Needless to say, its surviving inhabitants were not thrilled.]]



* ClarkesThirdLaw: [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] when Ed decides to call his FTL tech "magic", and continues to cite the law itself.
* FasterThanLightTravel: See ClarkesThirdLaw above.

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* %%* ClarkesThirdLaw: [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] when Ed decides to call his FTL tech "magic", and continues to cite the law itself.
* %%* FasterThanLightTravel: See ClarkesThirdLaw above.



* HumongousMecha: Most notably in the first three stories, but they show up again later.

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* %%* HumongousMecha: Most notably in the first three stories, but they show up again later.



* MikeNelsonDestroyerOfWorlds: More like Eduardo [=McPherson=] destroyer of ''galaxies'' (see ApocalypseHow above).
* MoralityChip: The Andromedan "riders".
* MundaneUtility: [[http://qntm.org/bread the best thing since sliced bread]].

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* %%* MikeNelsonDestroyerOfWorlds: More like Eduardo [=McPherson=] destroyer of ''galaxies'' (see ApocalypseHow above).
* %%* MoralityChip: The Andromedan "riders".
* %%* MundaneUtility: [[http://qntm.org/bread the best thing since sliced bread]].



* StarfishAliens: The Zeta Reticulaens.
* SufficientlyAdvancedTechnology: Asked how his FTL drive works, Ed claims "magic" and cites Clarke's Third Law.
* TimeTravel: Alternate universe model. Philosophical implications thereof are explored.

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* %%* StarfishAliens: The Zeta Reticulaens.
* %%* SufficientlyAdvancedTechnology: Asked how his FTL drive works, Ed claims "magic" and cites Clarke's Third Law.
* %%* TimeTravel: Alternate universe model. Philosophical implications thereof are explored.



* AIIsACrapshoot: [[spoiler:{{Subverted}}.]]

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* %%* AIIsACrapshoot: [[spoiler:{{Subverted}}.]]



* EarthShatteringKaboom
* StableTimeLoop: With a catch that the reader has to puzzle out.

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* %%* EarthShatteringKaboom
* %%* StableTimeLoop: With a catch that the reader has to puzzle out.

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Do not hide trope's name in tropes list. See Handling Spoilers. This also violated Example Indentation In Trope Lists.


* [[spoiler:BittersweetEnding: Ed is killed, but the two Earths are reformed into a utopia thanks to the Andromedans.]]
** [[spoiler:Although WordOfGod states that he was rescued at the last instant and went on to have various adventures in the Andromeda galaxy, one of which is mentioned in the epilogue.]]

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* [[spoiler:BittersweetEnding: BittersweetEnding: Ed is killed, but the two Earths are reformed into a utopia thanks to the Andromedans.]]
** [[spoiler:Although
Andromedans. Although WordOfGod states that he was rescued at the last instant and went on to have various adventures in the Andromeda galaxy, one of which is mentioned in the epilogue.]]

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* [[spoiler:BittersweetEnding: Ed is killed, but the two Earths are reformed into a utopia thanks to the Andromedans.]]
** [[spoiler:Although WordOfGod states that he was rescued at the last instant and went on to have various adventures in the Andromeda galaxy, one of which is mentioned in the epilogue.]]



* [[spoiler:DownerEnding: Ed is killed.]]
** [[spoiler:Although WordOfGod states that he was rescued at the last instant and went on to have various adventures in the Andromeda galaxy, one of which is mentioned in the epilogue.]]
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* LivingShip: [[spoiler:Hotel Infinity is an Iisius, an Andromedan species of living starship, although only around five percent of their body is organic, the other 95% is built up over time.]]
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* PunyEarthlings: [[spoiler:According to the Andromedans, the fact that humans don't have telephathy makes them below average, since they aren't able to coordinate or work together properly. Indeed, it was quite embarrassing when the Mantissa arrived and saw there was still poverty in the world.]]
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* MayanDoomsday: [[spoiler:When the Eridanian energy virus is discovered, Ed estimates it will reach earth on exactly December 21st, 2012.]]

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* GreatBigLibraryOfEverything: "I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library" has of course, the library, which is confusingly called "The Book". It chronicles every single thing that has ever occurred in the universe, from all perspectives, in every language. [[spoiler: It's implied to be the afterlife.]][[/folder]]

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* GreatBigLibraryOfEverything: "I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library" has of course, the library, which is confusingly called "The Book". It chronicles every single thing that has ever occurred in the universe, from all perspectives, in every language. [[spoiler: It's implied to be the afterlife.]][[/folder]]]]


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[[/folder]]

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* GreatBigLibraryOfEverything: "I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library" has of course, the library, which is confusingly called "The Book". It chronicles every single thing that has ever occurred in the universe, from all perspectives, in every language. [[spoiler: It's implied to be the afterlife.]][[/folder]]



[[/folder]]

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A website, created and maintained by sam512, or Sam Hughes. He has a particular affinity for science fiction, which has led him to write many science fiction short stories - and occasionally long series of such - and publish them on his [[http://qntm.org/ website]]. His most popular works include the novel-length ''Literature/FineStructure'' and ''Literature/{{Ra}}'', which have their own pages. Other short stories and series have tropes listed below.

Also of note is [[http://www.qntm.org/destroy How To Destroy The Earth]], an exhaustive examination of the EarthShatteringKaboom trope, and several examinations of the TimeyWimeyBall that is ''{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}}''. There's also an examination of TimeTravelTenseTrouble [[http://qntm.org/streetmentioner here]].

to:

A website, created and maintained by sam512, or Sam Hughes. He has a particular affinity for science fiction, which has led him to write many science fiction short stories - and occasionally long series of such - and publish them on his [[http://qntm.org/ website]]. His most popular best known works include are the novel-length ''Literature/FineStructure'' and ''Literature/{{Ra}}'', which have their own pages. pages.

Hughes is also an active contributor to the Wiki/SCPFoundation under the handle "[[http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/qntm-s-author-page qntm]]", and is best known for focusing on [[PerceptionFilter antimemetics]] and developing the [[http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/antimemetics-division-hub Antimemetics Division]] hub, portions of which have been consolidated and lightly edited into a novel length work, ''[[https://gumroad.com/l/MFIZW There Is No Antimemetics Division]]''.

Other short stories and series have tropes listed below.

below. Also of note is [[http://www.qntm.org/destroy How To Destroy The Earth]], an exhaustive examination of the EarthShatteringKaboom trope, and several examinations of the TimeyWimeyBall that is ''{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}}''. There's also an examination of TimeTravelTenseTrouble [[http://qntm.org/streetmentioner here]].
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* LightspeedLeapfrog: The basis of "Forgotten things in space".
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Just For Fun/ pages are not tropes


* AbusingTheKardashevScaleForFunAndProfit: [[spoiler: The Andromedans were at least a Class 2 before Ed destroyed them, if not a Class 3. And the tiny remnant that we seen in the stories is a Class 1 in its own right, as are both Earths by the end of the series.]]
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* AuthorAvatar: Not Ed, but the narrator, who shares the same first name as Hughes, and writes in a style a lot like his blog entries.

to:

* AuthorAvatar: Not Ed, but Sam Hughes the narrator, who shares narrator serves as an avatar for Sam hughes the same first name as Hughes, and writes in a style a lot like his blog entries.author.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
its/it\'s


** Also, when tampering with the universe's config file (really- it has values for different universal constants, complete with comments), [[spoiler: he accidentally deletes the entire Andromeda galaxy. Needless to say, it's surviving inhabitants were not thrilled.]]

to:

** Also, when tampering with the universe's config file (really- it has values for different universal constants, complete with comments), [[spoiler: he accidentally deletes the entire Andromeda galaxy. Needless to say, it's its surviving inhabitants were not thrilled.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
I accidentally pressed Enter, I meant to do this in the prvious edit.


A website, created and maintained by sam512, or Sam Hughes. He has a particular affinity for science fiction, which has led him to write many science fiction short stories- and occasionally long series of such- and publish them on his [[http://qntm.org/ website]]. His most popular series is the ''Literature/FineStructure'' series, which has its own page, other short stories and series have tropes listed below.

Also of note is [[http://www.qntm.org/destroy How To Destroy The Earth]], an exhaustive examination of the EarthShatteringKaboom trope, and several examinations of the TimeyWimeyBall that is ''{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}}''. There's also an examination of TimeTravelTenseTrouble [[http://qntm.org/streetmentioner here]]. He is currently writing a new series called ''Literature/{{Ra}}'', which appears to expand upon the ideas in several of the stories from his 2010 [[http://qntm.org/nanowrimo NanoWrimo]] (specifically ''Thaumic'', ''Magic NASA'', ''Placebo Engineering'', ''Laura Ferno and the Bomb'', and ''The Self-Reliant Heroine'').

to:

A website, created and maintained by sam512, or Sam Hughes. He has a particular affinity for science fiction, which has led him to write many science fiction short stories- stories - and occasionally long series of such- such - and publish them on his [[http://qntm.org/ website]]. His most popular series is works include the novel-length ''Literature/FineStructure'' series, and ''Literature/{{Ra}}'', which has its have their own page, other pages. Other short stories and series have tropes listed below.

Also of note is [[http://www.qntm.org/destroy How To Destroy The Earth]], an exhaustive examination of the EarthShatteringKaboom trope, and several examinations of the TimeyWimeyBall that is ''{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}}''. There's also an examination of TimeTravelTenseTrouble [[http://qntm.org/streetmentioner here]]. He is currently writing a new series called ''Literature/{{Ra}}'', which appears to expand upon the ideas in several of the stories from his 2010 [[http://qntm.org/nanowrimo NanoWrimo]] (specifically ''Thaumic'', ''Magic NASA'', ''Placebo Engineering'', ''Laura Ferno and the Bomb'', and ''The Self-Reliant Heroine'').\n
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Unnecessary. That\'s already on the Fine Structure page.


-> ''There was a war in Heaven and the debris fell to Earth.''

->1. ''Every year, a randomly chosen person on Earth is struck by [[LightningCanDoAnything lightning]] and gains superpowers.''
->2. ''Each new superhuman is twice as powerful as the previous one.''
->3. ''This has been going on for ten years.''
-->--''The (first) ArcWords of the ''Literature/FineStructure'' series''
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


Also of note is [[http://www.qntm.org/destroy How To Destroy The Earth]], an exhaustive examination of the EarthShatteringKaboom trope, and several examinations of the TimeyWimeyBall that is ''{{Futurama}}''. There's also an examination of TimeTravelTenseTrouble [[http://qntm.org/streetmentioner here]]. He is currently writing a new series called ''Literature/{{Ra}}'', which appears to expand upon the ideas in several of the stories from his 2010 [[http://qntm.org/nanowrimo NanoWrimo]] (specifically ''Thaumic'', ''Magic NASA'', ''Placebo Engineering'', ''Laura Ferno and the Bomb'', and ''The Self-Reliant Heroine'').

to:

Also of note is [[http://www.qntm.org/destroy How To Destroy The Earth]], an exhaustive examination of the EarthShatteringKaboom trope, and several examinations of the TimeyWimeyBall that is ''{{Futurama}}''.''{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}}''. There's also an examination of TimeTravelTenseTrouble [[http://qntm.org/streetmentioner here]]. He is currently writing a new series called ''Literature/{{Ra}}'', which appears to expand upon the ideas in several of the stories from his 2010 [[http://qntm.org/nanowrimo NanoWrimo]] (specifically ''Thaumic'', ''Magic NASA'', ''Placebo Engineering'', ''Laura Ferno and the Bomb'', and ''The Self-Reliant Heroine'').

Added: 42

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Also of note is [[http://www.qntm.org/destroy How To Destroy The Earth]], an exhaustive examination of the EarthShatteringKaboom trope, and several examinations of the TimeyWimeyBall that is ''{{Futurama}}''. There's also an examination of TimeTravelTenseTrouble [[http://qntm.org/streetmentioner here]]. He is currently writing a new series called ''Ra'', which appears to expand upon the ideas in several of the stories from his 2010 [[http://qntm.org/nanowrimo NanoWrimo]] (specifically ''Thaumic'', ''Magic NASA'', ''Placebo Engineering'', ''Laura Ferno and the Bomb'', and ''The Self-Reliant Heroine'').

to:

Also of note is [[http://www.qntm.org/destroy How To Destroy The Earth]], an exhaustive examination of the EarthShatteringKaboom trope, and several examinations of the TimeyWimeyBall that is ''{{Futurama}}''. There's also an examination of TimeTravelTenseTrouble [[http://qntm.org/streetmentioner here]]. He is currently writing a new series called ''Ra'', ''Literature/{{Ra}}'', which appears to expand upon the ideas in several of the stories from his 2010 [[http://qntm.org/nanowrimo NanoWrimo]] (specifically ''Thaumic'', ''Magic NASA'', ''Placebo Engineering'', ''Laura Ferno and the Bomb'', and ''The Self-Reliant Heroine'').


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* AuthorVocabularyCalendar: "fractionally"
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Divide By Zero is now Reality Breaking Paradox. Misuse and zero context examples are being removed


* DivideByZero: Ed accidentally causes one when he messes with the Root Layer.
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* TheLibraryOfBabel: [[http://qntm.org/library "I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library"]]
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da Namespace stuff Changing++


* AffectionateParody: Of IsaacAsimov's The Last Question.

to:

* AffectionateParody: Of IsaacAsimov's Creator/IsaacAsimov's The Last Question.



* [=~Clarke's Third Law~=]: [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] when Ed decides to call his FTL tech "magic", and continues to cite the law itself.

to:

* [=~Clarke's Third Law~=]: ClarkesThirdLaw: [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] when Ed decides to call his FTL tech "magic", and continues to cite the law itself.



* FasterThanLightTravel: See [=~Clarke's Third Law~=] above.

to:

* FasterThanLightTravel: See [=~Clarke's Third Law~=] ClarkesThirdLaw above.
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-->--''The (first) ArcWords of the ''WebOriginal/FineStructure'' series''

A website, created and maintained by sam512, or Sam Hughes. He has a particular affinity for science fiction, which has led him to write many science fiction short stories- and occasionally long series of such- and publish them on his [[http://qntm.org/ website]]. His most popular series is the ''WebOriginal/FineStructure'' series, which has its own page, other short stories and series have tropes listed below.

to:

-->--''The (first) ArcWords of the ''WebOriginal/FineStructure'' ''Literature/FineStructure'' series''

A website, created and maintained by sam512, or Sam Hughes. He has a particular affinity for science fiction, which has led him to write many science fiction short stories- and occasionally long series of such- and publish them on his [[http://qntm.org/ website]]. His most popular series is the ''WebOriginal/FineStructure'' ''Literature/FineStructure'' series, which has its own page, other short stories and series have tropes listed below.



[[folder: Tyro]]

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[[folder: Tyro]][[folder:Tyro]]



[[folder: The Four-And-A-Halfth Planet]]

to:

[[folder: The [[folder:The Four-And-A-Halfth Planet]]
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->''Ed seems to have been stamped directly from the comic-book mad scientist mould - last week he raised an Amiga 500 to sentience (although it took us a while to notice; it thinks darned slowly).''
-->--''Sam (the character), on the protagonist of the Ed Stories''

-> ''There was a war in Heaven and the debris fell to Earth.''

->1. ''Every year, a randomly chosen person on Earth is struck by [[LightningCanDoAnything lightning]] and gains superpowers.''
->2. ''Each new superhuman is twice as powerful as the previous one.''
->3. ''This has been going on for ten years.''
-->--''The (first) ArcWords of the ''WebOriginal/FineStructure'' series''

A website, created and maintained by sam512, or Sam Hughes. He has a particular affinity for science fiction, which has led him to write many science fiction short stories- and occasionally long series of such- and publish them on his [[http://qntm.org/ website]]. His most popular series is the ''WebOriginal/FineStructure'' series, which has its own page, other short stories and series have tropes listed below.

Also of note is [[http://www.qntm.org/destroy How To Destroy The Earth]], an exhaustive examination of the EarthShatteringKaboom trope, and several examinations of the TimeyWimeyBall that is ''{{Futurama}}''. There's also an examination of TimeTravelTenseTrouble [[http://qntm.org/streetmentioner here]]. He is currently writing a new series called ''Ra'', which appears to expand upon the ideas in several of the stories from his 2010 [[http://qntm.org/nanowrimo NanoWrimo]] (specifically ''Thaumic'', ''Magic NASA'', ''Placebo Engineering'', ''Laura Ferno and the Bomb'', and ''The Self-Reliant Heroine'').

----
!!These works provides examples of:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: General Tropes]]
* ContinuityNod: All of his works might as well be set in the same continuity. Well, in alternate universes.
** For example, in "Gorge", [[spoiler:a space cartographer accidentally introduces the concept of space travel to a planet consumed entirely by nanobots, which then proceed to expand throughout the universe (at least, [[InferredHolocaust it is implied]]). Another story of his deals with flying over post-nanoapocalyptic environments in freefall and photographing them. The passage goes on to state that objects above a certain technology level are not allowed near such environments, ''lest the nanobots learn of space travel''.]]
* GainaxEnding: Used quite a lot. Usually a form of a TwistEnding.
* MindScrew: Practically all of the stories involving time travel.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Tropes In Short Stories]]
* AffectionateParody: Of IsaacAsimov's The Last Question.
* AGodAmI: http://qntm.org/responsibility. When the physicists who discovered infinite computing power discover they can control a replica of our universe inside their computer. [[spoiler: It turns out that they are also in a simulated universe, which is most likely also a simulated universe, ad infinitum et absurdum.]]
* {{Anticlimax}}: The whole point of "First Contact: a retrospective"
* TheLibraryOfBabel: [[http://qntm.org/library "I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library"]]
* MadScientist: Most of the scientists portrayed.
* StableTimeLoop: Many of his stories deal with something like this, most notably [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Time Loop]], although nothing interesting is done during the course of the loop.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Ed Stories]]
* AbusingTheKardashevScaleForFunAndProfit: [[spoiler: The Andromedans were at least a Class 2 before Ed destroyed them, if not a Class 3. And the tiny remnant that we seen in the stories is a Class 1 in its own right, as are both Earths by the end of the series.]]
* ApocalypseHow: Ed has averted a few of these with his mecha.
** Also, when tampering with the universe's config file (really- it has values for different universal constants, complete with comments), [[spoiler: he accidentally deletes the entire Andromeda galaxy. Needless to say, it's surviving inhabitants were not thrilled.]]
** [[spoiler:The Eridanians accidentally cause an X+ by destroying the entire universe, starting with themselves.]]
* ArtificialGravity: Declared impossible by Ed, though a number of work-arounds are used to simulate gravity.
* AuthorAvatar: Not Ed, but the narrator, who shares the same first name as Hughes, and writes in a style a lot like his blog entries.
* [=~Clarke's Third Law~=]: [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] when Ed decides to call his FTL tech "magic", and continues to cite the law itself.
* DivideByZero: Ed accidentally causes one when he messes with the Root Layer.
* [[spoiler:DownerEnding: Ed is killed.]]
** [[spoiler:Although WordOfGod states that he was rescued at the last instant and went on to have various adventures in the Andromeda galaxy, one of which is mentioned in the epilogue.]]
* FasterThanLightTravel: See [=~Clarke's Third Law~=] above.
* HumansAreFlawed: Most alien species are far morally superior to humanity.
* HumongousMecha: Most notably in the first three stories, but they show up again later.
* MikeNelsonDestroyerOfWorlds: More like Eduardo [=McPherson=] destroyer of ''galaxies'' (see ApocalypseHow above).
* MoralityChip: The Andromedan "riders".
* MundaneUtility: [[http://qntm.org/bread the best thing since sliced bread]].
* PortalCut: Ed uses wormholes to invent the world's most ludicrously advanced bread-slicer.
* StarfishAliens: The Zeta Reticulaens.
* SufficientlyAdvancedTechnology: Asked how his FTL drive works, Ed claims "magic" and cites Clarke's Third Law.
* TimeTravel: Alternate universe model. Philosophical implications thereof are explored.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Tyro]]
* AIIsACrapshoot: [[spoiler:{{Subverted}}.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder: The Four-And-A-Halfth Planet]]
* EarthShatteringKaboom
* StableTimeLoop: With a catch that the reader has to puzzle out.
[[/folder]]
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