Decade Dissonance: Difference between revisions

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* Gotham city and Metropolis both reflect the style of their hero: Dark for [[Batman]] and shiny and optimistic for [[Superman]]. A common saying about the two cities within DC was that Metropolis was [[Big Applesauce|New York City]] in the daytime, while Gotham was New York at night. The Animated Series for both [[Batman: The Animated Series|these]] [[Superman: The Animated Series|shows]] even cross over, however Superman ended up visiting Batman at night (and Bats usually took the night with him to Metropolis).

** Mind you, there is some overlap. For instance, Metropolis has a rough area called Suicide Slum where a few street level superheroes keep themselves busy with small time crooks.

*** In [[Batman: The Animated Series]], this was deliberately done to make the time period of the show difficult to pin down (and to [[Getting Crap Past the Radar|get real guns past the censors]]).

* Gyro Gearloose makes this possible in the Scrooge McDuck universe. The comics are set in a vague, 1960s-esque world, but the [[Mad Scientist]] is able to bring any and all technology that would otherwise not be available for the stories.

** In ''[[Warhammer 40000]]'' different planets within the Imperium can have massively different technology levels and cultural views. Examples range from "feral worlds" with mostly medieval technology (save what's imported from other planets), to planets with fairly modern-looking cites (except with more skulls and statues) to dystopian hive worlds where the entire populace lives inside enormous plasteel towers surrounded by uninhabitable wasteland.

*** They actually stated in one ''White Dwarf'' that they'd created a fictional universe where you can have rock-waving barbarians and antigravity tanks on the same battlefield.

** The Hollow World CD&D setting has a similar patchwork feel to it, for pretty much the same reason: it was designed by the Immortals to preserve favorite cultures which were dying out on the planet's surface, and they used really powerful magic to make sure these cultures [[Status Quo Is God|would neither mix nor change]].

* There's plenty of this in ''[[Rifts]]'', where a rural community with no technology to speak of ([[Schizo-Tech|save for a laser rifle or two gotten from somewhere else]]) can be less than 50 miles away from a large city full of people with mass communication, hover vehicles, [[Giant Mecha|giant robots]], and other futuristic gear. Not to mention communities built on magic. The "no tech sharing" angle is implicit with the Coalition States; they use their superior technology to lure in other communities, either through force, coercion, or more subtle methods. But it doesn't explain why benevolent places like Lazlo aren't sharing the wealth.

*** Amish acceptance of technology is based on the effect it has on their community, particularly if the device would prevent them from being self-sufficient. Running a compressor using purchased fuel and using air power (aka "Amish Electricity") for appliances is fine, but paying a monthly bill for electricity is not. Some tech like solar panels and pay-as-you-go cell phones are accepted on these grounds, while many Amish are happy to pay for a ride to work in a car.

** Another rather blatant example is the differences between South Korea and its neighbor North Korea. North Korea is sandwiched between South Korea and China, two industrial nations with healthy economies. In comparison, North Korea has literally zero electricity usage and infrastructure, and outside the capital, you'll only find farmland and military bases. To put things in perspective, [http://tizona.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/north-korea-is-dark.jpg this is what North Korea looks like at night compared to its wealthier neighbors].

* [[Inverted Trope|Inversion]] along the US-Mexico border; the US side is mostly barren while the Mexican side will have development. Played straight in some places, outright averted in others. [http://www.hispanicallyspeakingnews.com/notitas-de-noticias/details/a-view-of-the-us-mexican-border/13612/ In this picture, right side is Mexico.]