scrape_r_rational/data/cache2/2msenk.md

## Hey there r/rational! Who wants to write a rational/rationalist fanfic for the Polar Express?!

* Author: u/libertarian_reddit *
* URL: https://www.reddit.com/r/rational/comments/2msenk/hey_there_rrational_who_wants_to_write_a/
* Score: 2

* Created: 2014-11-19T17:39:55

### Post:

A while back one of my favorite writers on this sub, Alexander Wales(writer of much loved " The Metropolitan Man"),wrote a Christmas story about Santa Claus called "The Last Christmas." This gave me a desire for more Christmas based rational/rationalist fiction. Seeing as Christmas is just around the corner, I thought this would be a good time to ask for a rationalist's take on *The Polar Express*. The movie is full of little nagging questions that beg to be answered and the main character is already a skeptic; It all fits perfectly for this sub. I would love to see what could be done with this story. Imagine just what sort of secrets are held aboard the train cars of *The Polar Express*.

ps. Just found an interesting bit of fan-fic of *The Polar Express* about [the conductor meeting the hobo.](http://archiveofourown.org/series/30968)

### Comments:

> **u/dokh** [+3]  *that which can be destroyed by the truth should be* (4 hours later)
> 
> I haven't seen the movie, but I have read the book.
> 
> The book has a time skip between the end of the story and a last-sentence coda that's *begging* to be filled in by the rationalist fic. There are no plot holes along the road to him having his magic bell which rings with a sound audible only to those who believe in Santa, a fact that proves it to be magic (and can be tested on his friends who are skeptics, to prove it's not really just an age thing). The presence of the bell, of course, is most readily explained if his experience on the train and at the North Pole is entirely real.
> 
> But this raises a truly fascinating question: why, if Santa is real, do his parents not believe? Where the hell do they think the presents come from? Is their model of reality supported by any evidence at all? If not, how did they come to possess it, when presumably they were believers as children? But if so, what is that evidence, and how can it be reconciled with the actual existence of Santa?
> 
> Anyone who has answers to this has a truly compelling story on their hands of a child who, before the book itself even began, believed in putting his thoughts about Santa to the test, applying this tendency to the above questions.

>> **u/scruiser** [+3]  *CYOA* (21 hours later)
>> 
>> > But this raises a truly fascinating question: why, if Santa is real, do his parents not believe? Where the hell do they think the presents come from? Is their model of reality supported by any evidence at all? If not, how did they come to possess it, when presumably they were believers as children? But if so, what is that evidence, and how can it be reconciled with the actual existence of Santa?
>> 
>> If you are looking for a coherent answer for a story, may I suggest the mechanic from Wildbow's Pact. The supernatural exists and has a regular effect, however events are retroactively rewritten in the memories of people so things seem mundane.  The innocent (i.e. children) are immune to this affect, but only because they will rationalize and reject the memory as they turn into adults anyway.
>> 
>> Consider the case of Santa giving every child an extra gift: The mom sees an extra gift and assumes the dad gave it.  The dad sees an extra gift and assumes the mom gave it.  If they asked each other, they might think the other lying or joking about not giving it.  If they really asked and trusted each other it might seem out of place... and then they would rationalize it as being a gift left-over from the previous year, or they might fabricate a memory together of one of them buying it.  For poor families it is even easier, the gift must be a donation from the local church or charitable organization.  The veil that conceals magic from the mundane might even alter their receipts to contain an extra gift if they really looked for it.  Only someone who is really observant and really trusts their memory might realize the existence of the supernatural from evidence that always seems explainable by the mundane.
>> 
>> The experience with the bell could act as a catalyst that draws the protagonist into a supernatural world, as they refuse to rationalize it as something mundane or to just accept magic as is.  From there, you could cross it over with your own original setting or with an existing setting with supernatural rules that are similar enough.

> **u/MadScientist14159** [+2]  *WIP: Sodium Hypochlorite (Rational Bleach) Eventually. Maybe.* (53 minutes later)
> 
> I think someone already wrote a rational!polarexpress, but it was less "magic is real, work out its rules" and more "weird shit is happening, how do I explain this?".
> 
> [SPOILER:](#s "It's a dream.")

>> **u/None** [+2]  (3 hours later)
>> 
>> Ohhh I'd forgotten about writing that! I repost it sometime – thanks for reminding me!

>> **u/libertarian_reddit** [+1]  (an hour later)
>> 
>> I'm definitely looking for a "magic is real story." One that can explain all the plot holes from the film without it being a dream as well.

>>> **u/eaglejarl** [+2]  (4 hours later)
>>> 
>>> Well, I've got another 17,000 words to write for my first Kickstarter but, once that's done....
>>> 
>>> ;>

>>>> **u/Solonarv** [+2]  *Chaos Legion* (a day later)
>>>> 
>>>> What do you *do* that lets you have so much time to write?

>>>>> **u/eaglejarl** [+2]  (a day later)
>>>>> 
>>>>> The first large-fraction-of 2YE was written while I was holding down a full-time job.  I resigned back in April 2014 and have been on sabbatical since.  I traveled around the northeast USA and went to Australia, writing while traveling.  My current goal is to write enough that I can actually start to make some notable passive income from it.  
>>>>> 
>>>>> Also, I'm currently planning to move to Malaysia so that I can reduce expenses while I work on this.  Although I might end up moving to my sweetheart's city instead; the rent there seems to be only slightly more than in George Town, Penang.

>>>> **u/libertarian_reddit** [+1]  (5 hours later)
>>>> 
>>>> I'm more interested in the end of 2YE right now man.

> **u/None** [+2]  (3 hours later)
> 
> >The movie is full of little nagging questions that beg to be answered
> 
> Suggestions?
> 
> Also, let me take the chance to remind you that the only way to get something done …

>> **u/libertarian_reddit** [+3]  (5 hours later)
>> 
>> Also, who's the hobo? How are the children chosen? Why does the train have to get to the north pole for Christmas? The conductor mentioned it was necessary for the train to arrive or Christmas wouldn't work, I'm paraphrasing. Why doesn't the main character, who's supposedly such a skeptic, ask more questions? I'm sure there are plenty more questions to be asked by those far more qualified than I to write this story. Also another commenter mentioned the problem of the boys parents not believing in Santa and where they think the presents come from.

>> **u/libertarian_reddit** [+1]  (4 hours later)
>> 
>> I would do it myself, but I tend to never finish anything like this and I have finals coming up so yeah...

> **u/alexanderwales** [+2]  *Time flies like an arrow* (a day later)
> 
> This reminds me that I meant to go back and edit *The Last Christmas* into a better story before Christmas 2014 rolls around ...

>> **u/libertarian_reddit** [+2]  (a day later)
>> 
>> I thought it was pretty good.

>>> **u/alexanderwales** [+2]  *Time flies like an arrow* (a day later)
>>> 
>>> I think it's pretty good, but I also think that it could be better. I decided to write it a week before Christmas, and set Christmas as my deadline, and I don't think the speed did it many favors. But I'd have to reread it (and reread the reviews) to see where I can make changes to make it better.

>>>> **u/libertarian_reddit** [+1]  (a day later)
>>>> 
>>>> I suppose that the story could be fleshed out a little more and lengthened considerably.

---