The Dresden Files > DF Reference Collection
The YLC (Why Little Chicago) thread
Serack:
--- Quote from: Cozarkian on November 02, 2012, 03:19:17 PM ---Of course there is a single conclusion that will solve both of these problems: whoever fixed LC did NOT do it to save Harry's life, they did it because they needed to use LC. This solves problem #1 because LC has already been used for a significant purpose that will be revealed in a future novel. It solves problem #2 because it expands the possibilities of who fixed LC beyond the paradoxical "time traveled from the future just to save Harry" candidates. Honestly, if it was time travel, I'd be much more willing to accept it as non-paradoxical if saving Harry is a byproduct of the real goal. It also makes a lot more sense if Mab fixed LC because she had another use for it beyond it being necessary to help Harry.
--- End quote ---
Oh I saw this coming after reading your first paragraph! Awesome idea, I'll add it as a #4, although I feel as though this idea doesn't exclude it being a time travel, or alternate universe Harry.
... I'll paste in what I edit into the theory posts into an edit of this post later.
Edit: The main reason why I am leaning towards the idea that this explanation for YLC has to be a part of time travel Harry's story, is that if this firing of Chekhov's gun is to take place within the story, then Harry has to be there, and unless that memory was stolen from him and he gets to flash back to it later (ala the end of GS, but that trick's already been done, and shouldn't be repeated) then the way for the reader to see all about it's cool details is for Harry to experience it. In real time... Or that is, time travel time...
Edit 2: Here's the addition to the first posts
#4 The big firing of the Chekhov's gun happened off screen
So what if the hugely important YLC reason was something that happened off screen, like when it was fixed. Maybe someone really needed LC so they somehow got down into Harry's basement and fixed it in order to use it for some hugely important reason that only LC could satisfy?
One of the reasons why I like this idea is because this means that the YLC answer happened in the same book that LC was introduced, and most of the work placing it on the mantle was done. The flip side of this though is that for the gun to truly have been fired, it should be part of the story or what's the point. So this resonates strongly for me with the theories that Time Traveling Harry (TTH) fixed LC. But here's the twist this adds. TTH's fix of LC was NOT to save his own past self's life, but rather to use it "himself" for some earth-shatteringly important reason that we didn't see in PG. #4 is my own version of Cozarkian's theory layed out in reply#78
#4 also applies doubly to something Priscellie said in my LC fix timing thread.
--- Quote from: Priscellie on April 03, 2012, 04:09:23 PM ---Still, Jim is pretty good at keeping his books lean and relevant. If something isn't necessary for a book, why put it there? The Doylist argument of "He just figured this [time travel] out and wanted to show it off" doesn't hold up to me. I don't think he'd contrive to include a "this is how time travel works" treatise in PG if time travel wasn't crucial to the events of that novel.
--- End quote ---
KevinSig:
--- Quote from: Serack on November 02, 2012, 08:11:55 PM ---Oh I saw this coming after reading your first paragraph! Awesome idea, I'll add it as a #4, although I feel as though this idea doesn't exclude it being a time travel, or alternate universe Harry.
... I'll paste in what I edit into the theory posts into an edit of this post later.
--- End quote ---
You might have missed it the original time I posted, but if you're going to be updating the first post, you might want to include that Little Chicago saw use in Love Hurts. Sure, it was an unsuccessful attempt to find the source of the mind boinking, but it was mentioned.
And I did come up with a fully expanded version of my alternate universe theory, admittedly the thread gets bogged down be people either not being able to wrap their head around what I'm trying to say. Or suggesting that time travel works exactly the same as some other media.
My own personal view from Bob's discussions, is that it doesn't & people thinking otherwise, are just being wishful thinkers.
Its just the original post mentions an alternate dimension theory, but doesn't expand on what that is & you did request I try to expand my theory.
finnmckool:
This may have been mentioned, but it could be that Jim just didn't like where Lil' Chicago was going. That perhaps it would be too good a solution just hanging out in the basement down the line. Or it could be that Jim just didn't get around to using it to it's full potential before, timeline wise, he had to burn down the house. Those would be my guesses.
Serack:
--- Quote from: KevinSig on November 02, 2012, 08:17:28 PM ---You might have missed it the original time I posted, but if you're going to be updating the first post, you might want to include that Little Chicago saw use in Love Hurts. Sure, it was an unsuccessful attempt to find the source of the mind boinking, but it was mentioned.
And I did come up with a fully expanded version of my alternate universe theory, admittedly the thread gets bogged down be people either not being able to wrap their head around what I'm trying to say. Or suggesting that time travel works exactly the same as some other media.
My own personal view from Bob's discussions, is that it doesn't & people thinking otherwise, are just being wishful thinkers.
Its just the original post mentions an alternate dimension theory, but doesn't expand on what that is & you did request I try to expand my theory.
--- End quote ---
Added your love hurts reference, and I'm reading your other thread.
Cozarkian:
--- Quote from: Serack on November 02, 2012, 08:11:55 PM ---Oh I saw this coming after reading your first paragraph! Awesome idea, I'll add it as a #4, although I feel as though this idea doesn't exclude it being a time travel, or alternate universe Harry.
--- End quote ---
Maybe I worded that part poorly. I actually agree this explanation makes it more likely it was time travel. Look at the car explanation:
Harry's car is stolen. Someone in the future warns Harry so he moves the car and it isn't stolen. The problem is the new future, the car isn't stolen, so Harry isn't warned, which means he doesn't move the car, which means it is stolen, which means he is warned, which means.... and it repeats forever.
This is the same problem that applies to LC. If LC blows up, causing someone to go back in time to fix LC, then LC doesn't blow up in the new future and nobody will go back in time, etc...
Now look at this chain of events:
1. Harry's car is stolen
2. An earthquake causes the parking garage where Harry's car is parked to collapse.
3. Future Harry wants to save his car from the Earthquake and goes back in time and moves it.
4. In the new future, Harry's car isn't stolen, but the Earthquake still happens. Thus, Harry still knows he needs to move the car and as a side effect, he gets to prevent his car from being stolen without creating a paradox.
Applying that to LC we get the same result.
1. LC blows up
2. Some other chain of events create a situation where someone needs to use LC and doesn't have enough time to build one.
3. A person goes back in time to use LC, which requires them to first fix the glitch.
4. In the new future, LC no longer blows up, but as long as the series of events in #2 still occur, then the time traveler still learns of the need to travel and gets to fix LC without creating the paradox.
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