Made of Phlebotinum: Difference between revisions

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* In David Wingrove's [[Chung Kuo]], the world-spanning City is made of "Ice"

* ''[[Discworld]]'' can seem ordinary enough at first glance, until it's pointed out that, without heavy duty magic involved, a flat world on the back of a giant turtle that swims through space should be utterly impossible.

** ~~The~~ ''Science of Discworld'' books go on to give the Phlebotinum a name: narrativium, which (together with chelonium and elephantigen) in fact makes the formation of flat worlds on board giant turtles and elephants not only natural, but ''inevitable''. Too bad [[Real Life|Roundworld]] lacks these ''perfectly normal elements'' and had to concoct some outlandish alternative involving big rocky balls...

** ''[[The Science of Discworld]]'' books go on to give the Phlebotinum a name: narrativium, which (together with chelonium and elephantigen) in fact makes the formation of flat worlds on board giant turtles and elephants not only natural, but ''inevitable''. Too bad [[Real Life|Roundworld]] lacks these ''perfectly normal elements'' and had to concoct some outlandish alternative involving big rocky balls...

** In ''[[~~Discworld/The Last Hero|~~The Last Hero]]'' Discworld comic, Cohen and his Silver Horde have made it their mission to bring fire back to the gods --- via a large explosive. This would suddenly remove magic from the world and cause everything to die.

** In ''[[The Last Hero]]'' Discworld comic, Cohen and his Silver Horde have made it their mission to bring fire back to the gods --- via a large explosive. This would suddenly remove magic from the world and cause everything to die.

* The Roman-based society of ''The [[Codex Alera]]'' is so connected with their Phlebotinum of Furycrafting that the use of certain techniques and technologies, such as quarrying, [[Medieval Stasis|are a lost art.]]

* ''The [[Chronicles of Thomas Covenant]].'' Then, in the Second Trilogy, {{spoiler|They lose the phlebotinum. This is way more horrific than it sounds.}}

== [[Live Action TV]] ==

== [[Live-Action TV]] ==

* Technology in ''[[Doctor Who]]'' is pure phlebotinum: the Sonic Screwdriver that can fix anything ([[Plot-Sensitive Items|unless it's deadlocked or wood]]), Psychic Paper (in the new series), Transmat teleporters, Dalek antigravity, time rings/vortex manipulators that fit on one's wrist, and of course the blue box that's bigger on the inside and travels through time and space. Despite its ostensibly scientific worldview, it's hard to think of a story that uses accurate science.

* ''[[Star Trek]]'' probably is, too. Most tools in the Trekverse don't need to touch what they're working on, just to give one example.

== [[Tabletop Games]] ==

* ''[[Eberron]]'''s [[Dungeon Punk]] world comes to mind as an especially obvious example of this trope. Without that magical-flavored [[Phlebotinum]], everything in that world would fall apart ''hard''. It's pretty much Made of Phlebotinum.

* ''[[Eberron]]''{{'}}s [[Dungeon Punk]] world comes to mind as an especially obvious example of this trope. Without that magical-flavored [[Phlebotinum]], everything in that world would fall apart ''hard''. It's pretty much Made of Phlebotinum.

** To a lesser extent, all ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' settings fit this trope. ''[[Planescape]]'' and ''[[Spelljammer]]'' especially, but even a place like ''[[Forgotten Realms]]'' is mildly Made of Phlebotinum.

** [[Ravenloft]] literally so - it's a series of artifically-created "demiplanes" floating in the misty emptiness of the Ethereal Plane. When a domain's [[Cosmic Keystone]] is destroyed, it may be absorbed by neighboring domains, or it may simply collapse into the Mists.