Nothing Is Infinite

I really like fantasy stories. I prefer to explore and study worlds where the impossible happen. Ironically, I can't stand it when those worlds don't make any sense.

My pet peeve is when there is any kind of infinity. For example, I'm totally fine with the idea that Cyclops can shoot energy beams out of his eyes. I'm bothered by the fact that he could let loose a beam that can literally clear an entire forest in seconds, but he doesn't lose 40 pounds in the process to create and release that much energy.

The stories I am attracted to, and the stories I prefer to write, are the ones that explain how the seemingly magical powers work. They are the ones that show the limit of powers, as well as the cost of using and maintaining them, due to the sheer fact that nothing can be done infinitely.

To me, the most interesting magics are the ones that use the least pseudoscience. On the subject of X-Men, my favorite mutant is Gambit, because his powers are the most believable to me. Basically, he touches things, they glow red, and then they explode when struck against something. In my mind, what he is doing is transferring energy to the molecules of the object he holds, speeding them up to the point of instability, making them release that energy violently when they pass a threshold of tolerance.

For some people, the science of fantasy (or even the science of science fiction) is irrelevant. The good story and sufficient consistency is enough to keep them happy. For me, enough inconsistency or impossibility will wreck a story, no matter how good it would otherwise have been.

As you write, consider your audience. Who are you looking for to read this? Even within the realm of fantasy or the supernatural, there are countless different preferences, of which I have one particular kind. What kind are you?