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Writing the Unbelievable

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I once wrote something pretty far out there. Actually, a lot more than once. One online reviewer found that particular tale entertaining but criticized its “supernatural” elements. That left me scratching my head.

What supernatural elements? I had taken pains to explain the farfetched stuff with real-world underpinnings. Science, you know. Sure, I was asking the reader to suspend disbelief and enjoy the ride, but every little detail was possible within current scientific theory, if not practicability. So let me take time here to lend scientific credence to almost anything you can imagine and write.

Merriam-Webster’s dictionary yields the following definitions for “supernatural:”

1: of or relating to an order of existence beyond the visible observable universe; especially: of or relating to God or a god, demigod, spirit, or devil

2a: departing from what is usual or normal especially so as to appear to transcend the laws of nature

2b: attributed to an invisible agent (as a ghost or spirit)

Much of what I write could be labeled supernatural by the “existence beyond the visible observable universe” definition. Webster’s elsewhere relates “visible” to that seeable with the naked eye. By that reasoning, if I can’t see oxygen, oxygen must be supernatural. I would argue that it ain’t.

The second definition, 2a, seems like a cop-out, a handy way to label anything not readily obvious and explainable as “supernatural.” Definition 2b is weak, too. Although I might attribute the pile of dirty dishes in the sink to an invisible agent, it seldom works. Trust me.

So maybe the supernatural is just a misunderstood or misrepresented aspect of the natural.

Astronomers theorize that we can’t see a vast part of the stuff that makes up the Universe. Is dark matter “supernatural?” What about gravity? It’s measurable but is it observable? Is gravity supernatural? If it is, by not drifting off into space, we all practice and invoke the dark arts of gravity in sinful abandon.

I’ve ladled mumbo-jumbo about telepathy onto some of my scribblings. It’s fiction, I’m allowed. Granted, there’s not really any credible scientific evidence for mindreading, telekinesis, prescience, and the like. What some claim as evidence is mostly parlor tricks practiced by charlatans and hucksters, and easily exposed as such. But physics doesn’t specifically rule it out either. Brain waves occupy a narrow range of the electromagnetic spectrum, like visible light, infrared light, ultraviolet light, and radio waves. And waves can be detected and manipulated.

What about mystical, magical realms? The stuff of fantasy, the stuff dreams are made of? When physicists performed the double-slit experiments with light in the early 20th century, causing photons to seemingly exist in different positions simultaneously as both particle and wave, it appeared to transcend the “laws of nature.” But rather than rend their garments and sacrifice goats, physicists reexamined assumptions. Quantum theory was born. Now, if a photon can exist in more than one position, so can other particles. Hence, the idea of parallel universes. If parallel universes exist, one very close to our own might be a fantasy world in which Ben Affleck is the greatest actor of our time. But some universes you just wouldn’t want to live in.

Anyway, in fiction, you make your own rules as to what’s believable. If you’ve established a framework in which anything can happen, then anything can happen. F. Scott Fitzgerald can’t have Jay Gatsby flying around on a broomstick in the Chapter Eight if he hasn’t already sold us a world in which broomstick-flying is a thing. J.K. Rowling can do it because that’s the world she creates from the start. If someone complains about the supernatural aspects, mumble something about superconductors and wormholes and let it go at that. Life’s too short to be derailed by the unimaginative.

Follow Ken Pelham:
Ken Pelham’s debut novel, Brigands Key, won the 2009 Royal Palm Literary Award and was published in hardcover in 2012. The prequel, Place of Fear, a 2012 first-place winner of the Royal Palm, was released in 2013. His nonfiction book, Out of Sight, Out of Mind: A Writer’s Guide to Mastering Viewpoint, was named the RPLA 2015 Published Book of the Year. Ken lives with his wife, Laura, in Maitland, Florida. He is a member of the International Thriller Writers. Visit Ken at his website. And check out his timeline of fiction genres.

4 Responses

  1. Jerry Tabbott
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    Ummm… sorta. There are still reasonable limits to which you can stretch real science, and authors should carefully police themselves.

    Carl Sagan, in his book “The Demon-Haunted World,” made a strong case for why we needed to respect real science in writings. Too many people no longer understand that science cannot automatically do whatever they want it to, and there are politicians more than willing to make bad decisions based on promises they can’t keep because they treat fantasy as equal to science.

    • Ken Pelham
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      Jerry, thanks for the comments. Yes, there are limits but if the fictional premise is established and not violated, story takes precedence. Most readers understand that a compact exists between reader and writer in the world of fiction and are willing to suspend disbelief for the sake of story.

      But we must draw the line at nonfiction or anything claimed as “true.” That has a much higher standard of reality. Sagan’s The Demon-Haunted World is a book I highly recommend, by the way. Thank you for mentioning it!
      –ken

  2. Danielle Cook
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    Telepathy is real. I have experienced it firsthand. My mother also did on many occasions. One example, in the early 1960s, when I was a child, we lived on an Air Force Base in Missouri. One night my mother woke up screaming and roused the household. She told us her brother had been in an accident and was dying. He was calling for her. My father attempted to calm her down and said it was a nightmare. Then, not more than 45 minutes later, the phone rang. It was a military base in Savannah, GA. It seems my uncle had been in a military airplane crash and was burned over 80% of his body. He was in intensive care, not expected to live and calling out for his sister. My parents immediately left for Savannah on a military plane.
    When my mother entered her brother’s hospital room, she was devastated to see that he was burned so bad his eyelids were fused shut. Before she could utter a word, he somehow roused himself from the morphine and mumbled “sis, you came’. He died a few minutes after. I think what causes dis-belief in telepathy is that in the real world, it is likely spontaneous and unexpected. My mother and I have experienced telepathic incidents through the years but never could purposely communicate via telepathy nor “bend spoons.” Telepathy IS real. It is not a stretch to think the future will expose us to an alien species who communicate this way or enable our own species (using neural implants?) to harness this ability.
    I enjoyed your article and look forward to reading more.

  3. Ken Pelham
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    Danielle, thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts. Such unexplained incidents as the one you describe speak to a truly mysterious universe.
    Best wishes!
    –ken

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