Bejeweled (she/her)
We can do that.
Sandbox.Batman Can Breathe In Space up for review.
[Edit: I like scifi...]
Edited by crazysamaritan on Sep 17th 2020 at 10:27:53 AM
Link to TRS threads in project mode here.![]()
The sandbox is no fun to read. It doesn't have any of the "energy" that Main has. The science paragraph is halfway between morbid and boring, and is just too long. I think modifying Main's description a bit would be a better approach than a rewrite.
Is it OK if I put my draft below yours on the sandbox?
I prefer YXZ's version as the other one spends too much time talking about Real Life.
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard FeynmanI would like paragraph 3 of draft 1 to be moved/copied on draft 2 after paragraph 2. Give the trope namer a mention and what this trope isn't.
How about for the Laconic, something like, "This character can inexplicably survive in space with little to no protective gear"
Or just "This character can inexplicably survive in space".
I want to address the "See Also" section from ~JXZ, because there are some specific problems I have that are carried over from the old description.
- "since breathing while underwater or in a solid block of ice isn't really a big deal either." —> this is repetition of The Needless, a trope common to both BCBIS and SNDS. I'm thinking this means HF is also a subtrope, but that's outside of this thread's scope. Relevant to this trope, Harmless Freezing only occurs when Space Is Cold, anyway.
- Art Major Physics —> is a redirect to Artistic License – Physics, which is supertrope to Space Does Not Work That Way, which makes it redundant to list both ALP and SDNWTW. Only the more specific subtrope should be present.
- Space Is Air —> applies to vehicles/things using the (nonexistent) atmosphere to bank and turn, but not speaking to one another, already covered by Space Is Noisy.
- Both Needless and SDNWTW claim this is a Sub-Trope, so I like to have that explicit in this trope's description.
Edited by crazysamaritan on Sep 18th 2020 at 2:23:00 PM
Link to TRS threads in project mode here.Did you mean to ping ~JXZ?
How about using bits of both
Find yourself in space without a spacesuit? Not a problem! Those supposed hazards of the "unforgiving" vacuum of space just never show up. Ordinary people can breathe just fine in space, and you can take a spacewalk in your underwear if you don't mind being a bit chilly. For those worried about oxygen, the most you'll need is an oxygen mask, but an upside-down fishbowl on your head will often do in a pinch. You don't need a "can-breathe-in-space" power, it doesn't need to be explained, and you certainly don't need a spacesuit. It makes you wonder why astronauts bothered with them in the first place.
In Real Life, space exposure is dangerous. Suffocation is the greatest concern, followed closely behind by your internal fluids boiling away due to the low pressure and radiation from high-energy wavelengths that the atmosphere normally absorbs. People can theoretically survive in space for a minute or two, given medical assistance afterwards. It is actually recommended to not hold your breath, as the internal pressure could cause your lungs to rupture.
Superpowers bring a different message. This trope is about unjustified resistance to space exposure; if a character has powers that could plausibly give them resistance, then it's not this trope. While it is surprising for Batman to breathe in space (unless he's wearing a Bat-spacesuit), Superman isn't an example because his survival can be excused due to Kryptonian durability and resistance to everything. Bruce Wayne, however, is wearing a mask attached to an oxygen tank and completely ignoring the realistic swelling and heating/cooling that would actually occur if someone imitated it.
Sub-Trope to The Needless, because the character is somehow protected from dangers that would be lethal to human beings, and to Space Does Not Work That Way, because these outer space inaccuracies are in service of the story. Compare Space Is Noisy, where sound is conveyed via vacuum in the same way as sound is conveyed through atmosphere, allowing the characters to talk to one another. Contrast Explosive Decompression, where being exposed to a vacuum will quickly make you explode due to the air inside your body trying to expand and fill the void. Don't be surprised if the writers use both tropes in the same work.
A work featuring this trope falls on the softer edge of Mohs Scale Of Science Fiction Hardness.
Edited by Tabs on Sep 18th 2020 at 12:11:14 PM
If there's no objections/suggestions by Monday, I'd say you'd be safe to swap your version in and cutlist the sandbox.
Link to TRS threads in project mode here.Hey, things have happened.
My one concern right now is about the sub/supertropes. Basically, while The Needless does name Batman Can Breathe in Space as a subtrope and vice versa, under the agreed upon definition, this seems wrong. The Needless is, as best as I can tell, about characters which have the explicit ability to survive without some normal human need - that is, it's about superpowers or alien biology, which we decided to not include under Batman Can Breathe in Space.
See The Sleepless and Bottomless Bladder for examples of characters that don't have an explicit ability to ignore a human need, and may imply the need without requiring it.
Link to TRS threads in project mode here.
Crown Description:
"Split" and "soft-split" are mutually exclusive.
