Lately all my ideas have involved some sort of prophecy or other, but my mind balks when I consider setting them in a fantasy world. I want to do something more modern--if necessary, an urban fantasy--but I don't know how to make wide-scale prophecy (as in, everybody knows about it) work in a modern world without majorly diverging from credibility. Any ideas?
I think this really isn't as hard as it may seems. The key is to not overthink it. Look at world religions, especially the Judeo-Christian Traditions if you want to see the effects of prophecy in a modern context. Perhapse this prophecy was part of some ancient tale that began in the stone age of your fictional universe, and has ove rthe millennia, become just a story. Maybe there's another world of spiritual or supernatural that is waiting to be unleashed and the advanced scientific society doesn't believe it or thinks they can handle it on their own without said prophecy. perhapse the science of the modern era or the society of the era is part of the prophecy? There numerous storyline events and opportunities with such a concept.
Yeah, I don't think it's really that hard either. I mean, say you have a fictional plane fly into a fictional building (please, absolutely no disrespect here meant) and in the smoke, which everyone sees because it's on TV, a giant demon appears and says "I doom thee to a thousand years of HELL!"... Yeah, well, everyone would know about that for sure. Maybe you could research some apocalypse-style movies, or some major historical events, like WTC or Pearl Harbor. Disasters tend to be things everyone knows about, and IMHO, the perfect setting for a major prophecy.
Hah, Vayda, that's funny, though horrible out of context... ^__^ LoH, I think I might be able to do something with a religious prophecy... maybe indulge in the invent-a-cult urge that I put on a back burner months ago? The hint of a plot that I have involves my would-be evil overlord attempting to cultivate/genetically engineer children who fit the requirements to be the "chosen one", so it'll take a bit of tinkering. Thanks, guys.
You could do something involving a news program. Almsot everyone sees them, so a recourring phrase could link into that sort of thing. My mid just went blank when I was thinking that. Strange.....
for the "Modern" part, an urban fantasy where there are Elves and Dwarves hiding in the midst of normal every day humans, and yet somehow apart. A sort of Somebody Else's Problem Field. Something like The Dresden Files' Chicago, or Torchwood's Cardiff (seriously, how no Normals not notice the insane abundance of Weevils? For that matter, how do weevils buy those leather jackets?) Putting a prophecy into that kind of world is easy. Though, big enough and you shake the Normal's view of the world.
Like people have said, there's plenty of ways to do it. Most "prophecies" are religious based though, so just develop something from that. It doesn't have to be a modern prophecy, it could be an old one that has only just been discovered or is coming to the light again..
Maybe you could do it via a chain email or viral video...that would be VERY modern... Edit: OMG myspaceprophet!
No. Just no. I have the feeling my body will reach a core temperature of over nine thousand degrees and I will exploding, killing everyone in a ten mile radius if that is ever used as a plot point. EDIT: Actually, I can't think of anything more likely to be used by the Forces of Darkness. Though, even Evil has standards.
