Subtle hints in fiction?

[Sabby]

I'm reading a fantastic book series, Demon Cycle, which appears to be completely fantastical. It has the monsters and the magics and the kingdoms, and the central conflict is using long lost Wards to fight Demons which rise from the core of the planet every night. So, it seems to have both feet firmly planted in fantasy, right? Well...

They reference an older time when the Demons destroyed a greater kingdom which had weaponry that could kill hundreds of thousands. That could just be super Wards, correct? Well, the writer mentions in passing, only once, that the characters are walking over something that could be a paved road.

I love this kind of shit, where ya get only the barest insight into a settings past. Adventure Time seems to be the go to example for most.

[Inkidu]

Yep, there's no real name for it as much as I've read. Unless you just want to call it foreshadowing (though that would depend on whether it becomes an actual plot point). Though in order to double check that kind of stuff I would re-read or pay attention to future descriptions of the demons. They're often a good test of whether or not it's fantasy or a practical application of Clarke's Third Law.

There are two time's I've said holy shit while watching Adventure Time. The first was realizing it was Earth.

The second was realizing that Princess Bubblegum was probably one of the most evil Orwellian dictators in fiction.

[Beorning]

There are two time's I've said holy shit while watching Adventure Time. The first was realizing it was Earth.

The second was realizing that Princess Bubblegum was probably one of the most evil Orwellian dictators in fiction.

What's Adventure Time and who's Princess Bubblegum?

[Sabby]

Adventure Time is a kids show that looks like meaningless random nonsense with a lot of adult references. Hell, there's an episode where the main character flat out explains to the audience what tripping on DMT is like. Fans started to notice that little bits and pieces of real world items were in the scenery, where they look completely out of place, like nuclear weapons and broken TVs. There's been flashback episodes that were just after a magical/nuclear war. Basically, people made out of living confectionery and underground dwelling fire people are all mutant offspring of an apocalypse.

[Inkidu]

The most evil creature in the world is a penguin (it actually makes sense when it's explained).

[CaptainNexus616]

I watched Wallace and Gromit growing up...I believe it.



Cunning little monsters them penguins.