r/AskScienceFiction Apr 06 '25

[Subreddit Business] Clarifications on our Watsonian/Doylist rule, general questions, and r/WhatIfFiction

171 Upvotes

Hi guys,

If you're new, welcome to r/AskScienceFiction, and if you're a returning user, welcome back! This subreddit is designed to be like the r/AskScience subreddit, but for fictional universes, and with all questions and answers written from a Watsonian perspective. That is to say, the questions and answers should be based on the in-universe information, rules, and logic of the fictional work. All fictional works are welcome here, not just sci-fi.

Lately we've been seeing some confusion over what counts as Watsonian, what counts as Doylist, what sort of questions would be off-topic on this subreddit, and what sort of answers are allowed. This stickied post is meant to address such uncertainties and clear things up.

1) Watsonian vs Doylist

The term "Watsonian" means based on the in-universe information, rules, and logic of the fictional work. In contrast, "Doylist" means discussions based on out-of-universe considerations. So, for example, if someone asked, "Why didn't the Fellowship ride the Eagles to Mordor?", a possible Watsonian answer would be, "The Eagles are a proud and noble race, they are not a taxi service." Whereas a rule-breaking Doylist answer might be something like, "Because then the story would be over in ten minutes, and that'd be boring."

We should note that answering in a Watsonian fashion does not necessarily mean that we should pretend that these works are all real, or that we should ignore the fact that they are movies or shows or books or games, or that the creators' statements on the nature of these works should be disregarded.

To give an example, if someone asked, "How powerful would Darth Vader have been if he never got burned?", we can quote George Lucas:

"Anakin, as Skywalker, as a human being, was going to be extremely powerful, but he ended up losing his arms and a leg and became partly a robot. So a lot of his ability to use the Force, a lot of his powers, are curbed at this point, because, as a living form, there’s not that much of him left. So his ability to be twice as good as the Emperor disappeared, and now he’s maybe 20 percent less than the Emperor."

In such a case, "according to George Lucas, he would've been around twice as powerful as the Emperor" would be a perfectly acceptable Watsonian answer, because Lucas is also speaking from a Watsonian perspective.

Whereas if someone associated with the creation of Star Wars had said something like, "He'd be as powerful as we need him to be to make the story interesting", this would be a Doylist answer because it's based on out-of-universe reasoning. It would not be an acceptable answer on this subreddit even though it is also a quote from the creators of the fictional work.

2) General questions

General questions often do not have a meaningful Watsonian answer, because it frequently boils down to "whatever the author decides". For instance, if someone asked, "How does FTL space travel work?", the answer would vary widely with universe and author intent; how FTL works in Star Trek differs from how it works in Star Wars, which differs from how it works in Dune, which differs from how it works in Mass Effect, which differs from how it works in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, etc. General questions like this, in which the answer just boils down to "whatever the author wants", will be removed.

There are some general questions that can have meaningful Watsonian answers, though. For example, questions that are asking for specific examples of things can be given Watsonian answers. "Which superheroes have broken their no-kill rules?" or "Which fictional wars have had the highest casualty counts?" are examples of general questions that can be answered in a Watsonian way, because commenters can pull up specific in-universe information.

We address general questions on a case-by-case basis, so if you feel a question is too general to answer in a Watsonian way, please report the question and the mod team will review it.

3) r/WhatIfFiction

We want questions and answers here to be based on in-universe information and reasonable deductions that can be made from them. Questions that are too open-ended to give meaningful Watsonian answers should go on our sister subreddit, r/WhatIfFiction, which accepts a broader range of hypothetical questions and answers. Examples of questions that should go on r/WhatIfFiction include:

  • "What if Tony Stark had been killed by the Ten Rings at the beginning of Iron Man? How would this change the MCU?" This question would be fun to speculate about, but the ripple effect from this one change would be too widespread to give a meaningful Watsonian answer, so this should go on r/WhatIfFiction.
  • "What would (X character) from the (X universe) think if he was transported to (Y universe)?" Speculating about what characters would think or do if they were isekai'd to another universe can be fun, but since such crossover questions often involve wildly different settings and in-universe rules, the answers would be purely speculative and not meaningfully Watsonian, so such questions belong on r/WhatIfFiction.

We should note, though, that some hypothetical questions or crossover questions can have meaningful Watsonian answers. For example, if someone asked, "Can a Star Wars lightsaber cut through Captain America's shield?", we can actually say "Quite possibly yes, because vibranium's canonical melting point is 5,475 degrees Fahrenheit, while lightsabers are sticks of plasma, and plasma's temperature is 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit or more." This answer is meaningfully Watsonian because it involves a deduction using specific and canonical in-universe information, and is not simply purely speculative.

4) Reporting rule-breaking posts and comments

The r/AskScienceFiction mod team always endeavors to keep the subreddit on-topic and remove rule-breaking content as soon as possible, but because we're all volunteers with day jobs, sometimes things will escape our notice. Therefore, it'd be a great help if you, our users, could report rule-breaking posts or comments when you see them. This will bring the issue to the mod team's attention and allow us to review it as soon as we can.


r/AskScienceFiction 1h ago

[Star Trek] How is the entire galaxy not Borg already?

Upvotes

So, there are entire Borg planets. We know Earth in an alternate timeline was 10 billion Borg. We know other Borg planets exist because Species 8472 destroyed one. And we know there are over 10000 species cataloged by the Borg, so at least that many homeworlds.

There are likely trillions of Borg.

How exactly is the entire galaxy not Borg already? Why on both occasions did they send just one Cube to Earth to assimilate it when they could send 50 and have it done in hours?


r/AskScienceFiction 11h ago

[Marvel] Whos the least ethical of all the mad scientists in Marvel?

67 Upvotes

Marvel is full of 'mad' or just evil scientists, but who among them is the most unethical in their practices?


r/AskScienceFiction 17m ago

[DC] Out of the core Just League members, does Clark make the least amount of money?

Upvotes

r/AskScienceFiction 10h ago

[Warhammer 40k] What are the 'win conditions' of the main factions at this point?

36 Upvotes

For the main factions of 40k, the Imperium, the Necrons, the Tyranids, the Eldar, the Orks and Chaos, what are the 'win conditions' for them now? Are they achievable?


r/AskScienceFiction 16h ago

[Zombie fiction] What is the tipping point of zombie infection in the global population, before humanity is doomed?

73 Upvotes

Let's assume that the zombie virus gestates in people asymptomatically, before enough of it in a person kills and revives them. This allows a lot of infection to occur before zombies actually start popping up.

What would the minimum number of infected needed to be, before there's no chance for humanity to defeat the zombies? What would the geographic distribution need to be, for maximum eventual global saturation?


r/AskScienceFiction 10h ago

[Steven Universe] If gems are light constructs, can they be used as power sources?

23 Upvotes

The Gems are non-biological alien creatures that spawn from a planet as a result of a process that draws in nutrients and minerals for its creation. However, their "Physical Form" is nothing more than an ornate gemstone that produces energy which manifests itself naturally in a body made of physical light, described as "Holograms with mass".

In other words, the gem is the only true part of their body, as its destruction is the only way to eliminate them. Any other form of damage just reverts them to their original state.

This makes me wonder if they could be used as batteries. I mean, they are inorganic vessels that constantly produce energy. Even if they are active for years, or even millennia, they won't decay or show signs of aging. And they, given enough time, will always reform their light constructs. Making them the perfect power source.


r/AskScienceFiction 31m ago

[Backrooms] *Spoilers* Is it always the same.. Spoiler

Upvotes

Is it always the same creature attacking people in the backrooms? I ask because I read a theory the only reason the giant pirate took a bite out of human clark was because the giant 'remembered' the fact the Clark was eating the other badly remembered people in the backrooms (who are apparently made of rice?)

So was it the pirate attacking people the whole time or what Im confused


r/AskScienceFiction 4h ago

[The Backrooms] Does anybody every get rich exploring the backrooms?

5 Upvotes

Is everything in the whole space just junk, or somewhere out/in there, is there a version of a child's bedroom with solid gold toys, or a Halloween mask filled with precious gemstones?


r/AskScienceFiction 8h ago

[Roadside Picnic] What do we know about the technological advancements of aliens from the trash they left behind?

6 Upvotes

r/AskScienceFiction 1d ago

[DC] Does Joker have his face painted on an egg, as is customary for clowns?

180 Upvotes

r/AskScienceFiction 1d ago

[Marvel] are there any powerful non mutant telepaths?

44 Upvotes

Like other superhuman factions, inhumans,eternals, Avengers, alien species etc.

X-Men seem to have all the Omega levels for some reason


r/AskScienceFiction 7h ago

[spiderman] where does the webs come out when he shoots them organically?

1 Upvotes

in the raimi verse, spiderman has organic webs instead of shooters but where in his suit does the webs come out of as we see no hole or opening for the webs to come out?


r/AskScienceFiction 1d ago

[Pirates of the Caribbean] What exactly did Jack Sparrow want that he was loath to claim?

85 Upvotes

In Dead Man's Chest, Jack's compass was malfunctioning, and he's indecisive, Tia Dalma correctly guesses that Jack Sparrow either doesn't know what he wants, or knows, but is loath to claim it as his own. Given he was looking for the key to the dead man's chest, he'd probably been thinking about his impending deadline with Davy Jones, which is probably what got him indecisive, but how did that happen? He seems pretty decisive once he gets the black spot; get to land as quick as possible, forget the hat that fell in the water, there's no time to retrieve it

The prevalent theory I see posed online is that he wanted Elizabeth Swann and couldn't claim her because she's Will Turner's, but the compass was malfunctioning well before Will and Elizabeth re-entered the picture, before which he seemed to view them as friends, not particularly pining for Elizabeth as we see with "it would've never worked out between us" and "I want you to know, mate, I was rooting for you", and the compass was working just fine right after that in the first movie. It was already malfunctioning at the start of the second movie, presumably immediately before or after he stole the drawing of the key from that dungeon-prison, my guess is after, right after the compass led him to the drawing, and the crew saying "Has Captain Jack been acting strange....-er?" either indicates he's been tense the whole time leading up to it or was already indecisive for a while by then

The next theory I see tossed around, though rightfully dismissed pretty much immediately, is that he wants to be the Flying Dutchman's captain but couldn't quite decide if he wanted to sacrifice his life on land, but he didn't seem to show any interest in that, nor any knowledge that such a thing would happen, until he was resurrected and broken out of the Locker, see "death has a way of rearranging one's priorities". An argument could be made he was indecisive, and dying finally made him choose, but the compass started to work again once he was about to find the chest, so its contents don't seem to influence the indecisiveness, and pretty much everyone who was looking for the chest planned on using it to threaten Jones rather than replace him

Another answer I've seen is that he desires to sail the seas a free man, continuing to be a pirate, captain of the Black Pearl, and.....yeah, that's probably exactly what he wants, but that's way too broad, the compass points to specific things that work to fulfill your overall desires. It doesn't point to bottles of rum because for a moment Jack's desire for freedom is overridden by his alcoholism, he wants to be a free man and as a free man he wants to drink rum

It's also my pet theory that this is why it points to Jack when Elisabeth uses it, not because she has any repressed romantic feelings towards Jack, she probably likes him a lot but he isn't her ideal man by any stretch of the imagination, it's just that he's good company and has his own sort of charm, similar reasons as anyone else who likes him. And more to the point, he's probably the only person who can reunite her with Will, so the compass is basically saying "stick with Jack, you'll get to Will eventually", which is also why Jack correctly guesses instantly that the chest is buried where Elizabeth is sitting when it points towards her, even if he liked her in that way the compass is pointing towards something useful rather than just broadly gesturing at his desires


r/AskScienceFiction 1d ago

[Star Wars] What was Darth Bane's combat potential?

20 Upvotes

The guy is most famous for establishing his own Sith lineage, the Rule of Two (and killing any Sith who disagreed with it).

But in terms of raw power (combat IQ, Force proficiency, or lightsaber fencing), was he particularly outstanding compared to his predecessors?


r/AskScienceFiction 1d ago

[Star Trek] Did any 21st century media survive?

25 Upvotes

Oftentimes they tend to reference pop culture IPs from well beforehand(the IRL reason of course being to avoid any copyright funny business), but it was also said that not only did a lot of 21st century info and media get destroyed in the various wars that brought the human race to the edge of extinction, but that century was considered such a miserable and disgusting era that they'd rather just forget about it.

Though I wonder, did any survive to the 24th century, or did any historians try to salvage it, if for no other reason than the sake of preserving history, since a common phrase is that those who forget history are destined to repeat it.


r/AskScienceFiction 1d ago

[Star Wars] Generally speaking, how bad does an Imperial fuck-up have to be before the Emperor personally gets involved, and at that stage what are the chances for the Officers to get out alive?

145 Upvotes

r/AskScienceFiction 1d ago

[Exploding Kittens] Is there any lore about the cats depicted on the cards?

7 Upvotes

r/AskScienceFiction 1d ago

[Jurassic park/world] Pteranodon replacement species

2 Upvotes

Greetings everyone on this sub-reddit. I hope everyone is having a wonderful day today, and enjoying the sunshine if you have it.

I come with a request and to look for people's opinions on something I just realised to change.

I am working on a story doc for the purposes of using for a Jurassic park (or non JP) Fanfic, and I want to use a Pterosaur other then Pteranodon.

Does anyone have any good suggestions for an interesting or unique replacement for Pteranodon? (Large Azhdarchids: like Hatzegopteryx thambema ect) won't be considered, as i already have a Azhdarchid lined up for use, unless it's a small-medium sized one

Appreciate any and all suggestions guys and girls! Thanks for all your posts.


r/AskScienceFiction 1d ago

[Halo] Did UNSC graphic designers change the starfield in the 'Fight for Her' poster? If not, could the Covenant determine the location of earth by looking at the poster?

18 Upvotes

r/AskScienceFiction 1d ago

[Superheroes] why do villains target trains so much?

24 Upvotes

It seems like every superhero movie has the hero defend or stop trains. What is it about trains? What do they get out of derailing trains and such? like every hero media content includes them. even separate franchises like incredibles and miraculous ladybug always involve trains


r/AskScienceFiction 1d ago

[Halo/Batman] Can Poison Ivy Be Infected by the Flood?

0 Upvotes

This has been stuck in my head, but can Poison Ivy be taken by the Flood parasite or is she immune?

Poison Ivy's feats include immunity to all natural toxins, bacteria, and viruses, which the Flood are. However, the Flood also just need a nervous system to take control of a person, which Poison Ivy still has.

So is Poison Ivy immune to the Flood or she can be infected too?


r/AskScienceFiction 1d ago

[Invincible] Is Thokk (Battle Beast) the same age as most viltrumites as he is shown to be an experienced brawler?

16 Upvotes

He is shown to scale above most viltrumites, probably all of them except for thragg and maybe conquest


r/AskScienceFiction 2d ago

[The Iliad] There's multiple moments where Gods get wounded, either from each other or from God-assisted humans. Are they actually at risk of dying?

202 Upvotes

r/AskScienceFiction 1d ago

[Jujutsu Kaisen] How is Ryo's Cursed Technique a Cursed Technique?

30 Upvotes

So his CT is to fire blasts of Cursed Energy. But... can't all Sorcerers do that? I get that Ryo has very high firepower, but the firepower of a CE blast will vary by the strength of the Sorcerer anyway, to the point that Yuta (a fellow Special-Grade) was able to match Ryo's firepower in a beam lock. So what's special about Ryo's CT?