With the Benefit of Hindsight [Lady's Library, Morning 0]

[Akh Uur Hoon]

That drew a mostly soundless chuckle, most likely joyless as well. "Especially that when the extension happens, it's usually on worse terms."

Not that early submissions are inherently advantageous.

[Dare Shah]

"I think there are a few religions and philosophies that are more optimistic about that. But it's a subject I haven't really explored because... Well, it didn't feel like a good use of my time.

Though, for how much I profess pragmatism, I confess I'm still a biological being, sum of my contradictions, and definitely not above investing myself in excess in subjects with little practical value."

[Akh Uur Hoon]

"If there is any evidence to merit that optimism, I have yet to see it." Akh left it at that. "Any interesting impracticalities of this kind you'd like to name, lady Dare Shah?"

[Dare Shah]

"I don't reveal my most shameful secrets on the first meeting Miss Hoon.

But I confess a fondness for very fictional novels and plays."

[Akh Uur Hoon]

"I wouldn't presume otherwise. As for very fictional, however, I wonder what can fit that description in an already quite outlandish reality we're facing every day. Worlds without gods, monsters or magic, where people use modron-like computing devices to simulate the one like ours?"

[Dare Shah]

"That's an interesting idea, one exploring further into depth later. Though it would require agreeing on a definition of magic first, which is not easy. When you pile up zinc and copper and end up with thunder, isn't it already magic even if not arcanic or divine in nature?

But really, all you need for a story to diverge from reality tremendously is for characters in it to act with ardor, cleverness, courage, dedication, the whole dictionary, to a degree unheard of with actual people. We tend to be an uneven mix of grand, and petty, and far too much dreadfully boring.

Paper heroes don't spend hours every week making sure their hair fall down just right for a start."

[Akh Uur Hoon]

"I suppose any contraption or clever arrangement of substances that is too sophisticated for its beholders to understand can be branded as magic, and any arcanum once studied through and through may seem mundane, but I suppose if you took deities and their interventions, including spellweave, out of the picture, what would remain would be quite unmagical."

She nodded. "But I can agree that essentialising qualities of a sentient being and making their lives consisting solely of adventures and drama is fictitious enough."

[Dare Shah]

"The idea of a world where there wouldn't be at any time the possibility of some divine power looking at your actions and having opinions about them is fascinating really.

Different authors would have very different takes on it. Some would emphasize freedom, some loneliness. Some would describe at ends the creativity required to achieve a similar level of civilization without that divine parenting, some would make it an universe in constant disarray where death is feared above all.

And, in all cases, at some point, there would be a romance and a fight, because concessions have to be made to the genre of speculative fiction. People need something that never change to use at a point of reference."

[Akh Uur Hoon]

"And someone, at some point, would invent godhood and amass enough power to enact it, with fighting and romance." Akh allowed herself a touch of irony. "The happily ever after presupposes lasting control, best ensured by belief rather than just violence."

[Dare Shah]

"Ah! Falling back into existing patterns. The curse of fantasy done wrong. Nothing as uninteresting in my opinion as starting from a wildly different paradigm and ending up with a world mostly identical to our own, or to some likewise cliché universe that has already been done a thousand times.

I don't blame authors too much for that, as they're on a deadline too, and that way they don't have to describe at length both origin and destination.

But still, what a waste of opportunity! And what muddled message! A world without the divine, yet there's still some force of destiny pushing for the birth of new deities? When your axioms contradict themselves that much, the end result is as believable as 0=1."