Loophole Abuse/Literature: Difference between revisions
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** In ''Throwback'' a genetically recreated prehistoric human becomes a football player. In this case any "humans only" rules don't apply because before the story began the recreated cavemen fought for their civil rights and were legally recognized as people, even though they are technically not the same species as most humans.
* In [[Lois McMaster Bujold]]'s ''[[Vorkosigan Saga]]'', it is a frequently cited legal precedent that there ain't no rule a horse can't be a count's heir (or at least, there wasn't in Lord Midnight Vortala's time). If a horse's ass can be a Count, why not the whole horse? On the other hand, there Ain't No Rule against a Count hiring 2000 chefs, equipping them with Chef's knives and sending them after his enemies (Each Count can only legally have 20 of his own troops, total). The Emperor was not amused.
** The interesting thing is that the case of Lord Midnight is an ''important'' precedent, not a frivolous historical footnote -- as absurd as the idea of a Count appointing his favorite horse as his heir was, the fact that he got away with it established in Barrayaran law the precedent that a Count may designate someone who is not a blood descendant as his heir. Which precedent averted at least two future succession crises in Barrayaran history.
** The POW camp in the short story ''Borders of Infinity'' applied this trope in a rather nasty manner. So many square meters per inmate? An opaque, luminous force shield encloses that much open ground and field latrines. No periods of darkness for over twelve hours? No darkness at all, ever. Water? Everyone gets a cup along with their clothes and a bedroll (the taps by the latrines work most of the time). Access to medical personnel? Plenty of medics mixed in with the general population, but they mentioned nothing about equipment. Food? A pile of ICRC-equivalent compliant ration bars (one per inmate) appear at a random location on the camp perimeter twice per day. No solitary confinement for more than 24 hours? <insert bitter laughter here> No beatings or rapes by guards? No guards....
* Ain't no rule that a chicken can't be mayor. This one is from the book ''Herb Seasoning'' by Julian Thompson. Said chicken actually understands English and can write in (no pun intended) chicken scratch, but she's really being used as a figurehead for a conman. Long story, just read the book. Oh, and there Ain't No Rule that says the cure for depression can't be a mixture of eel slime and aspirin. Applied topically, of course.
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