# Fiction (prob. magical realism) where wishes come true? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 18, 2008, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiction-prob-magical-realism-where-wishes-come-true/464167 "2008-09-18T16:57:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiction-prob-magical-realism-where-wishes-come-true/464167/1 "2008-09-18T16:57:12Z")
I’m trying to put together a little reading list of fiction, magical realism I’m guessing, set in a world like ours but where wishes actually come true. Rationale: I’ve got an idea for a story, but I don’t want to write it if it’s already been done to death. My story would be set after a period of time when wishes came true for people, and looks at how different people deal with the fallout of their choices. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiction-prob-magical-realism-where-wishes-come-true/464167/2 "2008-09-18T16:58:23Z")
Pinnochio, Aladdin, and King Midas would be the big ones, obviously. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiction-prob-magical-realism-where-wishes-come-true/464167/3 "2008-09-18T17:01:08Z")
The Lathe of Heaven The Incredible Mr. Limpet Labyrinth most stories using the Monomyth Big The Little Mermaid ---
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiction-prob-magical-realism-where-wishes-come-true/464167/4 "2008-09-18T20:50:07Z")
Probably lots of other children’s stuff with the theme of “Be careful what you wish for.” But the one I’ll mention is Half Magic by Edward Eager, In it your wish comes true, but only half your wish, so you have to be careful how your wish is worded. Also there is a classic short story, more on the adult side, by John Collier, called “The Chaser”. What really happens when that love potion works. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiction-prob-magical-realism-where-wishes-come-true/464167/5 "2008-09-18T20:55:18Z")
These are all excellent suggestions, thanks. From here on, let’s take all fairy tales, mythology, and anything Disney has ever touched as given. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiction-prob-magical-realism-where-wishes-come-true/464167/6 "2008-09-19T00:36:22Z")
Wishes for everyone, or just one or two characters? There’s **The Master of Space and Time** by Rudy Rucker. ---
**Author:** ![Sefton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Sefton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sefton)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiction-prob-magical-realism-where-wishes-come-true/464167/7 "2008-09-19T00:50:46Z")
**Needful Things** by Stephen King and **Something Wicked This Way Comes** by Ray Bradbury both involve destroying people by making their wishes come true. The movies weren’t too bad either. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiction-prob-magical-realism-where-wishes-come-true/464167/8 "2008-09-19T01:53:10Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Wishes for everyone, or just one or two characters? The idea I have in my head is that the story is set some period of time, probably a 5-10 years, after a relatively brief period of time, maybe a year or two, when wishes came true. Some people will have indulged mightily, some will have been cautious, some will have completely abstained. Anyone who made a wish got it, so if their wish was to, say, never be broke, they’d still never be broke, they just couldn’t wish for anything new. If someone wished for a new car, they got their new car, but it’s getting old now just like any other new car. The story isn’t really _about the wishing_, though, that’s just sort of background to the story. ---
**Author:** ![Lucky\_13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucky_13/32/13209_2.png) [@Lucky\_13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky_13)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiction-prob-magical-realism-where-wishes-come-true/464167/9 "2008-09-19T02:56:55Z")
I recommend the “Dangerous Angels” series by Francesca Lia Block. In the first, _Weetzie Bat_, the title character makes three wishes, which come true. The rest of the books deal with what happens as a result of the wishes coming true. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiction-prob-magical-realism-where-wishes-come-true/464167/10 "2008-09-19T03:21:24Z")
_Rusalka_ and sequels by C.J. Cherryh features wizards who’s powers work like that; they wish, and it comes true. This makes them unpopular, and dangerous even when they don’t want to be. They find it quite difficult to **not** manipulate people’s minds, for example, simply by an idle desire that someone agree with them or do something. They have to constantly watch their own thoughts, write down anything they wished for ( their version of a spell book ), keep out an eye for unintended consequences, and hope that they didn’t wish for something without realizing it. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Sensitive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@Darth\_Sensitive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Sensitive)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiction-prob-magical-realism-where-wishes-come-true/464167/11 "2008-09-19T05:22:07Z")
Bruce Almighty does this, if only for the city of Buffalo. Ton’s of lotto winners, the pot is split to next to nothing 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiction-prob-magical-realism-where-wishes-come-true/464167/12 "2008-09-19T06:12:41Z")
You’d only need one griefer to ruin things for everyone. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiction-prob-magical-realism-where-wishes-come-true/464167/13 "2008-09-19T06:38:16Z")
There was “The Monkey’s Paw” segment of a “Treehouse of Horror” episode of “The Simpsons.” The name of course was taken from the famous short story, but the Simpsons treatment seems closer to your concept in that several people were given the opportunity to make wishes, and some did better than others. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiction-prob-magical-realism-where-wishes-come-true/464167/14 "2008-09-19T08:18:33Z")
Michael Moorcock’s _The Dancers At The End Of Time_ trilogy would seem to fit the bill: they’re not strictly “wishes”, but the surviving humans at the end of time essentially have the power to mould reality as they see fit: they essentially use this power to fuck around, throw parties, and have sex, building colossal and whimsical follies according to their current fancies/bodies/sexual orientation{s}/ongoing feuds. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiction-prob-magical-realism-where-wishes-come-true/464167/15 "2008-09-19T11:14:32Z")
I’ll second the **Rudy Rucker** book, _Wizard of Space and Time_, especially towards the end. The ‘wishing period’ is very brief, though. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiction-prob-magical-realism-where-wishes-come-true/464167/16 "2008-09-19T11:16:15Z")
> [@TWDuke](#): > > There was “The Monkey’s Paw” segment of a “Treehouse of Horror” episode of “The Simpsons.” > > The name of course was taken from the famous short story, but the Simpsons treatment seems closer to your concept in that several people were given the opportunity to make wishes, and some did better than others. I was going to suggest the original [short story](http://gaslight.mtroyal.ca/mnkyspaw.htm) (full text), as well as H. G. Wells’ **The Man Who Could Work Miracles** , both of the ‘careful what you wish for’-variety, which might not be exactly what the OP had in mind, but are worth considering, since they highlight the dangers of ‘all wishes come true’-scenarios – just one wish either going wrong or going right with destructive intent could have extremely serious consequences. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiction-prob-magical-realism-where-wishes-come-true/464167/17 "2008-09-19T15:53:50Z")
> [@TWDuke](#): > > There was “The Monkey’s Paw” segment of a “Treehouse of Horror” episode of “The Simpsons.” Yep. I was watching that episode when I got the idea. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![sleestak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@sleestak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleestak)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiction-prob-magical-realism-where-wishes-come-true/464167/18 "2008-09-19T19:15:13Z")
> [@Sefton](#): > > **Needful Things** by Stephen King and **Something Wicked This Way Comes** by Ray Bradbury both involve destroying people by making their wishes come true. > > The movies weren’t too bad either. There is also the King short story ‘Word Processor of the Gods’ which could fall into this category. Great story. Slee