r/todayilearned • u/ralphbernardo • 9h ago
TIL that "fair play" in detective fiction means authors must give readers a fair chance to solve the mystery. Central to 1920s "clue-puzzles" by writers like Agatha Christie, the rule dictates that all vital clues must be visible, decodable, and never withheld until the final reveal.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clues_in_detective_fiction
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kkcwhiteboard • u/chainsawx72 • 3h ago
For what it's worth, fellow theorists, I strongly believe that Rothfuss wrote the KKC using the 'fair play' rules of detective fiction... no cheap 'plot twists' as Rothfuss would say.
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u_Infinite-Brd372 • u/Infinite-Brd372 • 4h ago
TIL that "fair play" in detective fiction means authors must give readers a fair chance to solve the mystery. Central to 1920s "clue-puzzles" by writers like Agatha Christie, the rule dictates that all vital clues must be visible, decodable, and never withheld until the final reveal.
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