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From: bnw@SDCSVAX.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: deus ex machina
Message-ID: <2348@topaz.ARPA>
Date: Sat, 22-Jun-85 00:02:09 EDT
Article-I.D.: topaz.2348
Posted: Sat Jun 22 00:02:09 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 24-Jun-85 06:37:41 EDT
Sender: daemon@topaz.ARPA
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.
Lines: 30

From: crash!bnw@SDCSVAX.ARPA

>And then of course, there is the deus ex machina. That beloved
>ending of science fiction, more used than anything. In mainstream
>fiction, it's tough to get away with that kind of ending (we don't
>believe in gods falling out of the sky anymore... sigh). Where the
>writer paints himself into the proverbial corner and voila! Here
>comes the zygomatic thundercruncher's unknown power in all its
>awesome majesty, which of course the villain didn't know anything
>about, since we all know that a villain couldn't see a deus ex
>machina if it came up and bit him, even when it's been telegraphed
>in screaming semaphore for fifty pages. It's either that, or write a
>sequel.
     The Good Guys and the Bad Guys have been fighting a terrible war
for years.  The Good Guys are winning, but the Baddies are clearly
going to fight on, costing countless lives on both sides.
     Happily, the Good Guys have invented The Wonder Weapon.  The 
order is given by True Harry the Great, leader of the Good Guys, and
the terrible force of The Wonder Weapon is unleashed on two cities
of the Bad Guys.  Overwhelmed by this new force, they surrender at
once.
     Good Guys--U.S.A.         Bad Guys--Japan     Year--1945 A.D.
 
     Just thought I'd point out that deus ex machina shows up in 
real life.  (Sadly, however, we've also been doing sequels as often
as possible.)
                                                 /Bruce N. Wheelock/
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