History Main / InstructionalDialogue

* Most of ''SophiesWorld'' is taken up by a dialogue that summarizes the entirety of Western philosophy from the Pre-Socratics to Sartre.
%% * [[DavidWeber David Weber]]

This is a work of thinly disguised (or sometimes entirely undisguised) nonfiction, written as a dialogue. Usually these dialogues feature a MrExposition, who either [[CharacterFilibuster explains the topic]] to TheWatson or debates it with a StrawLoser. In either case, MrExposition's partner is supposed to be bringing up the objections or points of confusion that [[AudienceSurrogate the reader]] [[ViewersAreMorons might have]].

[AC: Television]

* ''GodelEscherBach'' starts each chapter with a dialogue like this, between Achilles (TheWatson) and the Tortoise (MrExposition). They're modeled on a similar dialogue, "[[http://www.ditext.com/carroll/tortoise.html What the Tortoise Said to Achilles]]", written by Creator/LewisCarroll (in which Achilles is more of a StrawLoser, though he comes round in the end).

* Creator/MichaelCrichton loves this trope.

* [[DavidWeber David Weber]]

* Creator/MichaelCrichton loves this trope

* [[MichaelCrichton Michael Crichton]] loves this trope

* ''HowToTeachPhysicsToYourDog'' by Chad Orzel is a quantum physics popularization featuring the author himself as MrExposition with [[TalkingAnimal his dog]] Emmy playing TheWatson.

* ''GodelEscherBach'' starts each chapter with a dialogue like this, between Achilles (TheWatson) and the Tortoise (MrExposition). They're modeled on a similar dialogue, "[[http://www.ditext.com/carroll/tortoise.html What the Tortoise Said to Achilles]]", written by LewisCarroll (in which Achilles is more of a StrawLoser, though he comes round in the end).

* [[MichaelCrichton]] loves this trope

* [[MichaelChrichton]] loves this trope

* [[MichaelChriton]] loves this trope

[[AC: Anime and Manga]]

* {{Manga/Liar Game}} ends up teaching you huge amounts of psychology and game theory as [[MrExposition Akiyama]] explains his strategies.

* {{Manga/LiarGame}} ends up teaching you huge amounts of psychology and game theory as [[MrExposition Akiyama]] explains his strategies.

* {{Manga/LiarGame}} ends up teaching you huge amounts of psychology and game theory as [[Mr.Exposition Akiyama]] explains his strategies.

* NealStephenson loves to deliver the {{Infodump}} in his novels this way, in ''{{Anathem}}'' and ''{{Cryptonomicon}}'' in particular. ''{{Anathem}}'' even has appendices containing bonus InstructionalDialogue for people who didn't get enough of it in the main text.

This is a work of thinly disguised (or sometimes entirely undisguised) nonfiction, written as a dialogue. Usually these dialogues feature a [=~Mr. Exposition~=], who either [[CharacterFilibuster explains the topic]] to TheWatson or debates it with a StrawLoser. In either case, [=~Mr. Exposition~=]'s partner is supposed to be bringing up the objections or points of confusion that [[AudienceSurrogate the reader]] [[ViewersAreMorons might have]].

* ''GodelEscherBach'' starts each chapter with a dialogue like this, between Achilles (TheWatson) and the Tortoise ([=~Mr. Exposition~=]). They're modeled on a similar dialogue, "[[http://www.ditext.com/carroll/tortoise.html What the Tortoise Said to Achilles]]", written by LewisCarroll (in which Achilles is more of a StrawLoser, though he comes round in the end).
* ''HowToTeachPhysicsToYourDog'' by Chad Orzel is a quantum physics popularization featuring the author himself as [=~Mr. Exposition~=] with [[TalkingAnimal his dog]] Emmy playing TheWatson.
* Galileo's ''Dialogue Concerning The Two Chief World Systems'' combines the two forms; Salviati ([=~Mr. Exposition~=]) is given both a Watson (Sagredo) and a StrawLoser (Simplicio). The Pope thought Simplicio was a caricature of himself, which was really bad news for Galileo.

* Physicist George Gamow wrote a series of short stories, ostensibly about a man named Mr. Thompson but actually about quantum mechanics and relativity. Half of them are instructional dialogues where Mr. Thompson is playing TheWatson to a [=~Mr. Exposition~=] generally referred to only as [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep the Professor]]; the other half are Mr. Thompson's dreams about what would happen if the physics described in the dialogues was noticeable on a human scale.
* ''Flatterland'' by Ian Stewart in large part is a series of dialogues between Victoria Line (TheWatson) and the Space Hopper ([=~Mr. Exposition~=]) about various forms of geometry. It helps that they're traveling through all the geometric spaces that the Space Hopper is trying to explain...

* Galileo's ''Dialogue Concerning The Two Chief World Systems'' combines the two forms; Salviati ([=~Mr. Exposition~=]) is given both a Watson (Sagredo) and a StrawLoser (Simplicio).
** The Pope thought Simplicio was a caricature of himself, which was really bad news for Galileo.
*** And it might as well have been just so. Galileo and Pope were close friends, but had some falling-out shortly before this publication. Still, Galileo got off extremely lightly for such an offense, so their friendship still could've paid out.

* Most of ''SophiesWorld'' is taken up by a dialogue that summarizes the entirety of Western philosophy from the Pre-Socratics to Satre.

* ''Sophie's World'', most of the novel is taken up by a dialogue that summarizes the entirety of Western philosophy from the Pre-Socratics to Satre.

saddam hussein vs polpot

This is a work of thinly disguised (or sometimes entirely undisguised) nonfiction, written as a dialogue. Usually these dialogues feature a [=~Mr. Exposition~=], who either [[CharacterFilibuster explains the topic]] to TheWatson or debates it with a StrawLoser. In either case, [=~Mr. Exposition~=]'s partner is supposed to be bringing up the objections or points of confusion that [[AudienceSurrogate the reader]] [[ViewersAreMorons might have]].

----
!!Examples:

[[AC: Literature]]

* ''GodelEscherBach'' starts each chapter with a dialogue like this, between Achilles (TheWatson) and the Tortoise ([=~Mr. Exposition~=]). They're modeled on a similar dialogue, "[[http://www.ditext.com/carroll/tortoise.html What the Tortoise Said to Achilles]]", written by LewisCarroll (in which Achilles is more of a StrawLoser, though he comes round in the end).
* ''HowToTeachPhysicsToYourDog'' by Chad Orzel is a quantum physics popularization featuring the author himself as [=~Mr. Exposition~=] with [[TalkingAnimal his dog]] Emmy playing TheWatson.
* Galileo's ''Dialogue Concerning The Two Chief World Systems'' combines the two forms; Salviati ([=~Mr. Exposition~=]) is given both a Watson (Sagredo) and a StrawLoser (Simplicio).
** The Pope thought Simplicio was a caricature of himself, which was really bad news for Galileo.
* Plato's writings about Socrates are probably the UrExample, and certainly the TropeMaker.
* This is part of the concept for the HeadFirst books. Even if the speakers happen to be abstract objects.
* NealStephenson loves to deliver the {{Infodump}} in his novels this way, in ''{{Anathem}}'' and ''{{Cryptonomicon}}'' in particular. ''{{Anathem}}'' even has appendices containing bonus InstructionalDialogue for people who didn't get enough of it in the main text.
* Physicist George Gamow wrote a series of short stories, ostensibly about a man named Mr. Thompson but actually about quantum mechanics and relativity. Half of them are instructional dialogues where Mr. Thompson is playing TheWatson to a [=~Mr. Exposition~=] generally referred to only as [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep the Professor]]; the other half are Mr. Thompson's dreams about what would happen if the physics described in the dialogues was noticeable on a human scale.
* ''Flatterland'' by Ian Stewart in large part is a series of dialogues between Victoria Line (TheWatson) and the Space Hopper ([=~Mr. Exposition~=]) about various forms of geometry. It helps that they're traveling through all the geometric spaces that the Space Hopper is trying to explain...

[[AC: Video]]

* The classic geometry video "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVVfs4zKrgk Turning A Sphere Inside Out]]" is narrated like this.

----