Spoilers really can destroy the intrinsic value of a book or movie. People like to figure out the mystery for themselves, especially if they’re mystery stories. Spoiling the story is like taking the game controller away from someone and making them read cheat sheets. The adventure is still there but it’s not so fun when they’re not involved.Some writers make spoilers work for them, though. They’ll tell the reader or viewer what’s going to happen, but leave them in suspense about how or why or when. Douglas Adams with “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”, William Goldman with “Princess Bride”, and J. Michael Straczynski with Babylon 5. But they have to be very good writers. Instead of spoilers, they can be called teasers.Boody could have given teasers to build up anticipation for the surprise without revealing the whole thing, but he blurted it all out and spoiled everything.
Spoilers really can destroy the intrinsic value of a book or movie. People like to figure out the mystery for themselves, especially if they’re mystery stories. Spoiling the story is like taking the game controller away from someone and making them read cheat sheets. The adventure is still there but it’s not so fun when they’re not involved.Some writers make spoilers work for them, though. They’ll tell the reader or viewer what’s going to happen, but leave them in suspense about how or why or when. Douglas Adams with “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”, William Goldman with “Princess Bride”, and J. Michael Straczynski with Babylon 5. But they have to be very good writers. Instead of spoilers, they can be called teasers.Boody could have given teasers to build up anticipation for the surprise without revealing the whole thing, but he blurted it all out and spoiled everything.