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Multiverse
Note that this article isnât fully written yet, but I figured I may as well release it anyhow.
It is theoretically possible to write a good story with a multiverse but, practically-speaking, itâs not actually possible.
Although this is a bold statement to make: there is not a single good multiverse story.
This is due to the simple fact that multiverses areâŚwell, they have everything. That means that you, as a writer, need to keep in mind literally every possibility that could ever happen which, get this, is impossible.
Letâs take a very basic multiverse concept into account: the idea that a new universe gets created every time a choice is made. Within the span of a few seconds of a conversation, you have just created hundreds, or possibly thousands or tens of thousands of new universes.
Why is this important? Stakes.
If a character diesâŚwell, it literally doesnât matter, you can just pop over to another universe and take them away. This also wonât have any negative consequences in the grand scheme of things because you hopping over and you taking them away also creates new universes. So thereâs a universe where you hopped in and never took him back.
This can be extended ad infinitum so, generally, if youâre doing a multiverse story you have to be really really freaking careful with the rules. Stories like Everything, Everywhere, All at Once are bad multiverse stories.
Now, I did say above that I donât think thereâs a single good multiverse story and thatâs technically true, because I donât consider stories with âlimited multiversesâ to be multiverse stories.
A limited multiverse is basically one in which there are some rules dictating how the multiverse works. We can technically consider Norse Mythology to have a limited multiverse, though you could also argue that Davies-era Doctor Who had a limited multiverse because traveling between multiverses was considered almost impossible and extremely dangerous. But thatâs a can of worms I donât want to get into right now.
Introducing the multiverse into a story is almost as bad as introducing time-travel, though time-travel is actually not as bad for the simple fact that you can write a good time-travel story if youâre very careful. A multiverse story is basically impossible to write well unless youâre omniscient (which you arenât and, if you were, youâd come to the same conclusion) or you limit the rules so much that itâs no longer a multiverse.