"Demigod" beings

[rhoenix]

This is two-parter, as I'm considering throwing in a race of this sort in my fiction, but there's another avenue that would work just as well to justify certain events being set into motion.

1. Do you like the "uberwank" beings being in a story, and if so, why?

2. If you do, do you prefer them to be mysterious and "deity-like" or do you prefer that they be quantified at some point?


My answers, to start things off:

1. Sometimes - if there's a genuine point to doing so, and you're not just invoking "Intelligent Design"/deus ex machina to get an idea to work.

2. I'd prefer they be quantified at some point, with a history (usually quite a long one) that explains how they got from "non-uberwank" to "uberwank" status. Even if this is the case though, I'd prefer they fulfill the "jester" archetype of sorts - questioning the main character's view or something else rather than just doing the "Poof! You and your ship are now a whale and a potted plant" thing.

As a corrolary to my answer for 2., I felt that the Q in ST were an interesting idea, but very, very badly used and written, because quite a few stories about the Q involved them basically showing off, with rarely a visible reason.

[Ford Prefect]

I am not a proponent of using the word 'wank' to describe something which is very powerful, but rather to use it to describe something which is out of context for the universe wherein the being/object resides. A good example is the Suncrusher. Star Wars may be a powerful universe, however the concept of a near indestructible starfighter sized craft that can obliterate a star stretches it just a wee bit.

That said, I don't mind the power level of anything, so long as it accompanies a compelling story and is not the main focus of the story itself. Of course, it becomes harder as power level increases, but if you can pull it off, more power to you.