Possible fiction concept: Retroactive space-time

[Lheticus]

I just came up with what I think is an awesome idea, but it's really complicated and really, really insane. I'd like to lay it out here, and I'm seeking feedback in basically two areas: An overall evaluation of the concept as applied to a hypothetical potential work of fiction, and suggestions on how to explain it better. Well, in the words of a famous plumber with a red hat, here we go...

Basically, what would happen in retroactive space-time is that once certain things come into being or certain events occur, they will always have been or occurred. In the case of events, there can also be something in the "past" that happened long ago but in fact did not happen in a literal, physical sense--the event "occurred" very recently but will always have (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TimeTravelTenseTrouble) taken place in the designated point in the "past".

The point of this being a thing in a work of fiction is for the creation of a reality, an entire universe/multiverse that is extremely young, yet has attributes such as sentient life, civilization, etc, that take billions of years to develop in normal circumstances. As this realm expands, its inner workings, laws of physics etc become more and more complex, necessitating the addition of the retroactive past.

So...it's out there, now. I await response. :)

[BeerMug Paladin]

This idea already has a name. It's called a retcon.

But seriously, though, you'd have to have some way to distinguish between the different levels of the past. Perhaps different objects would have different levels of realness to them. Based on how close to being non-retroactive their history is, or how many retroactive objects their existence depends upon.

In a lot of time travel stories, this is essentially what characters who change history (and remember the un-modified history) experience. They come from a "real" past, and everyone else has a retroactive past as the timeline gets modified to compensate for that retroactive change done in the present.

I'm not really sure what to do with this idea beyond that.

[Lheticus]

This idea already has a name. It's called a retcon.

Well...yeah. Basically it's a retcon, but in a way that doesn't involve the fourth wall.


But seriously, though, you'd have to have some way to distinguish between the different levels of the past. Perhaps different objects would have different levels of realness to them. Based on how close to being non-retroactive their history is, or how many retroactive objects their existence depends upon.

So, what you're basically saying is that there needs to be some meaningful effect had on or some notable thing different about places subject to the retroactivity and people, places etc affected by retroactive events. That's a good point.


In a lot of time travel stories, this is essentially what characters who change history (and remember the un-modified history) experience. They come from a "real" past, and everyone else has a retroactive past as the timeline gets modified to compensate for that retroactive change done in the present.

I'm not really sure what to do with this idea beyond that.

Thanks for your help!

[BeerMug Paladin]

Sure thing.

Now that I think of it, I remember a line I read about somewhere from I think a Terry Pratchett novel: "Of course it was always there, but was it always there yesterday?"

If so, maybe he's handled the general concept in a way that works for a story. I'm not sure how it would play out in a serious sci-fi universe instead of a mildly fourth-wall-breaking fantasy universe, but I'd guess that's as good a start as any.

Of course, I've not actually read the thing that's from, so maybe the source doesn't deal with the general concept within the story, but is mostly just a joke.