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A '''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dream_world_%28plot_device%29 dream world]''' is a convention of [[fantasy]] writing: an implausible, unpredictable, dreamlike setting that defies the physical laws of reality. The dream world is usually but not necessarily a character's dream. It might be a drug- or illness-induced hallucination, a virtual-reality environment, or even an actual place, such as a quirky pocket universe, alternate dimension, etc., reached by magical or technological means. It is unlikely to be logically constructed or even internally consistent.
In fantasy fiction, a dream world often presents conditions from which one or more characters wish to escape, but they must resolve certain personal problems or interpersonal conflicts (in addition to any necessary technological or magical issues) in order to "wake up" or otherwise leave the setting. Conditions and events in a dream world sometimes teach lessons to the central characters experiencing those conditions.
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Characters entering a dream world often recognize that the environment might be a dream, though perhaps an unusually realistic and complex one. Characters native to the setting often treat it as their own "reality" and see nothing at all wrong with it, no matter how bizarre events become.
Famous literary dream worlds include Shakespeare's ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (which might not be a dream) and Lewis Carroll's ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' and ''Through the Looking-Glass'' (see [[Alice stories]]). Movies like ''The Wizard of Oz'', ''The Five Thousand Fingers of Dr. Terwilliger'', ''Invaders from Mars'' (1953 version), and the laughably bad ''Robot Monster'' are all excellent examples of dream worlds featuring varying levels of conflict, danger, [[adventure]], and paranoia.
[[Image:dariadream.gif|right|frame|Daria appears in the role of amateur detective Jessica Fletcher (in an opening scene from TV's ''Murder,
==Dream Worlds in
''[[Daria (TV series)|Daria]]'' includes numerous examples of dream worlds, most of them short-lived and incidental. Brief, anxiety-provoking dreams appear in several ''Daria'' episodes, such as "[[Monster]]," "[[Ill]]," and "[[Of Human Bonding]]"; they resolve nothing except to reflect a character's inner worries.
On a larger scale, most of the ''Daria'' episode "[[Murder, She Snored]]" takes place in one of Daria's dreams, as does nearly all the content of the computer game, ''[[Daria's Inferno]].'' Each involves Daria in a quest, to either solve a murder (in the former case) or to escape from Hell (in the latter). "[[Depth Takes a Holiday]]" was certainly dreamlike in nature, with its improbable cast, settings, and happenings, but it was treated as "real" to the end. The status of "[[Daria!]]" here is subject to debate, though if it is taken exactly as is then it is an example of the [[characters as actors]] trope.
==Dream Worlds in
Many ''Daria'' fanfics include brief dreams had by one or more characters (e.g., [[Brianna Aisling]]'s "[[Nightfears]]"), but few take place largely within a dream-world context. Some fanfics have settings that appear dreamlike and bizarre but are not true dreams (e.g., "[[Deus Jane]]" and "[[Jane Unchained]]"). Unusual dreams are a major component of [[Richard Lobinske]]'s "[[A Choice]]" and "[[Nervous Dreams]]."
Dream worlds sometimes serve a broader purpose in fandom by explaining away troublesome aspects of the TV series. In "[[A Desperately Needed Ending (to 'Depth Takes a Holiday')]]," [[Kara Wild]] posits that "[[Depth Takes a Holiday]]"
===Examples===
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*[[Air Bed]] by [[Brother Grimace]]
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*
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*[[The Impossible]] by [[The Angst Guy]]
*[[Meowlody Powers]] by [[Richard Lobinske]]
*[[Mirror, Mirror]] by [[Paperpusher]]
*[[Shipping Overnight]] by [[Brother Grimace]]
*[[Wonderlane]] by [[The Angst Guy]]
*[[The Year of the Cynic]] by [[Wouter]]
==External Links==▼
* [
* [http://
* [http://www.thepaperpusher.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=33070 Iron Chef: Dream Story]
'''Stories About Actual Dreams'''
▲Dream worlds sometimes serve a broader purpose in fandom by explaining away troublesome aspects of the TV series. In "[[A Desperately Needed Ending (to 'Depth Takes a Holiday')]]," [[Kara Wild]] posits that "[[Depth Takes a Holiday]]" actually was a dream that Daria had after falling ill from food poisoning. [[MMan]]'s "[[Without a Shower]]" does the same thing with [[Daria]]'s relationship with [[Tom Sloane]]. At the extreme are stories in which the entire ''Daria'' show is revealed to be a dream world (e.g., [[Mr Anonymous]]'s "[[A Day in the Married Life]]" and [[Angelinhel]]'s "[[Padded Walls]]").
* [http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5424424/1/My_Bizarre_Daria_Dream_Fic "My Bizarre Daria Dream Fic,"] by [[FantasyChick]]
▲* "[[Daria’s Mid-Summer Night’s Dream]]," by [[Lady Love Gordon]]
▲* "[[A Very Weird Midsummer Nights Dream]]," by [[Steve Mitchell]]
▲==External Links==
▲* [http://www.outpost-daria.com/essay/gw_objectivity_free_landslide_victory.html "Objectivity Free Landslide Victory"], by [[Guy Wheatley]] (includes comments on dreamlike ''Daria'' episodes)
▲* [http://www.outpost-daria.com/essay/jt_on_crossovers.html "On Crossovers"], by [[John Takis]] (comments on dream worlds as part of writing [[crossover]] fanfiction)
[[Category: Fanwork Conventions]]
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