You are viewing a single thread.
View all comments View context
3 points

because he’s just going to do whatever he wants regardless of what you wish for.

ding, ding ding and there in lies the inherent issue with genies. People only think they’re doing what you wish. Their goal is to creatively screw you over.

permalink
report
parent
reply
15 points

I mean sure, but assuming that he doesn’t have to abide by the wish in question in any way pretty much voids the point of this entire post right?

At this point in the argument, on your logic, the post itself might as well be “Make a wish, it doesn’t matter what. A malevolent genie is going to arbitrarily screw you”

So then what’s the point?

permalink
report
parent
reply
9 points

This is a fascinating world building question. Genies are supposed to be magical, extremely powerful beings, but they only become interesting when bound by rules - either set by the limitations of the world, or of their magic.

A “fuck you I do what I want” genie isn’t interesting because there’s nothing to figure out in the context of the world the genie inhabits. And that world’s context and structure ultimately dictates what makes sense to an audience, and what seems jarring or out of place.

The way a genie fulfills wishes and how it tries to worm out of it can tell you much of the fictional world it inhabits!

permalink
report
parent
reply
10 points

This is exactly my point. The genie, and by extension this post, isn’t interesting unless the genie is bound by his own magic somehow. So why assume he is not?

permalink
report
parent
reply

Asklemmy

!asklemmy@lemmy.ml

Create post

A loosely moderated place to ask open-ended questions

Search asklemmy 🔍

If your post meets the following criteria, it’s welcome here!

  1. Open-ended question
  2. Not offensive: at this point, we do not have the bandwidth to moderate overtly political discussions. Assume best intent and be excellent to each other.
  3. Not regarding using or support for Lemmy: context, see the list of support communities and tools for finding communities below
  4. Not ad nauseam inducing: please make sure it is a question that would be new to most members
  5. An actual topic of discussion

Looking for support?

Looking for a community?

Icon by @Double_A@discuss.tchncs.de

Community stats

  • 10K

    Monthly active users

  • 5.9K

    Posts

  • 319K

    Comments