What's the meaning of Shared Universe?

Discussion in 'General Chat' started by Touch Me, May 7, 2018.

  1. Touch Me

    Touch Me Active Member

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    If somebody knows about the term "Shared Universe" or the meaning of it, please explain it to me. I think that we ran into(Past Tense not typo) this term mainly in wuxia and xianxia novels ( I just call them chinese web novels though :D ), and there's another question in my mind, is there any criteria to a novel to be listed as having "shared universe" with another novel? Or maybe the author must be the same person to be listed as such or it is really/actually not necessary'able.
    Если кто-нибудь знает о терминне "Общая Вселенная", объясните мне пожалуйста его значение и суть. По-моему/Я думаю мы натыкались на этот термин в основном в уся и сянся новэллах (хотя я просто называю их китайскими вэбками :D ), и у меня тут ещё один вопрос, есть ли какие-нибудь критерии для новэллы, чтобы она считалась как имеющая "Общую Вселенную" с другой новэллой? Или может быть автором должен быть один и тот же чел, чтобы считаться таковым или это не обязательно?
     
  2. replay

    replay ★Milk and Honey smelling Merchant★

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    well. . . .

    just imagine the galaxies being labeled as universe. . . .
    and there you have it. . .
     
  3. Touch Me

    Touch Me Active Member

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    Any other opinions?
     
  4. 222222

    222222 12121212121212121212121212121212121212121212121212

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    If Monkey D. Luffy can appear in Naruto's village, then that means they shared the same universe.

    Even if he doesn't appear, but if there is a possiblity of him appearing (over space and time), same thing.
     
  5. lnv

    lnv ✪ Well-Known Hypocrite

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    Shared universe means they take place in the same universe. It could be on the same planet, it could be a different planet, it could be in an alternate timeline, many years later/prior or the like, but they all share one universe. It is not limited to CN novels, shared universes exists in all kinds of things. Take Marvel or DC superheroes. Batman and Superman are different stories but share the same universe.
     
  6. Delusion

    Delusion Dark lord

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    Just like how mc of OEM later comes in TTNH, it is shared universe.
     
  7. alexfilia

    alexfilia Bromance & Fluff <3

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    Basically if 2 novels of the same author have the same setting (either ancient ,modern etc..) they tend to share universe ...like the characters from the first novel may appear in the second
     
  8. m4gnus

    m4gnus Well-Known Member

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    it means that the 2 stories happen at the same Universe albeit at different Timeline
    the best example for this is ISSTH, Renegade Immortal and Pursuit of truth which share the same story universe
    There is a chance that a character from that other story will make a cameo appearance
     
  9. Touch Me

    Touch Me Active Member

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    Alright, thanks for everyone, it seems like I was right in my conjectures, and again thanks for help))
     
  10. Khatulistiwa

    Khatulistiwa An Egg Eternal

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    Be careful to not mistake it with Crossover, to be a Shared Universe the stories need to be canonically proven to be so.
     
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  11. Zerak

    Zerak Well-Known Member

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    it depends on the book. sometimes people put the Shared Universe on novels of the same author that have similar cultivation systems but thats not what ts meant for.

    but the proper meaning is when the 2 novels litrily share the same universe but occur at different times or at the same time with a different MC. a good example is the story being set many years after the first one such as invincible saint salaryman where the authors previous novel was set in the same world and there are some references to it in the newer one.

    another example would be that they occur at the same time as the main story but you don't really need to read them as they won't affect the main story and if they are short sometimes they can be classified as side story (though usually side story involves the the MC in some way) well what i mean is that side story can also go under the Shared Universe category example:
    https://www.novelupdates.com/series...achigatte-iru-darou-ka-gaiden-sword-oratoria/
     
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  12. Zerak

    Zerak Well-Known Member

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    oh ya also some sequels can go under the category of Shared Universe like https://www.novelupdates.com/series/the-legend-of-the-dragon-king/ it is a sequal but its really far in the future of the original and doesnt involve the original chachters much (from the discription i still iddnt read it) so dispite it being called a sequal you dont really need to read the original to get it so its technicly under Shared Universe.
     
  13. Grassroot

    Grassroot Well-Known Member

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    Generally shared universe tags with the novel by the same author and the MC from the novels have a little or lots connection
    Like the tags, they shared the same universe
    Lets bluntly make an example from Er Gen novel
    ISSTH
    AWE
    Renegade immortal
    Pursuit of the truth
    Against heaven
    They live in different timeliness but they'll meet at some point
    Or you're a MC of earth in 2029
    That guy over there is a MC from planet of the Apes 2080
    When you are dead in 2078 your granddaughter become homeless and kidnapped by the apes, but saved by that guy ever there in 2085
    That mean you shared the same universe with that guy over there , although you guys never met
    LoL, just some bullsh1t from me
    Hopes you enjoyed it
     
  14. Touch Me

    Touch Me Active Member

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    Yeah I understood, like it's preferable to first read the 1. Douluo Dalu(Prequel)(the story about Tang Sect's Tang San reincarnating in the Douluo Continent) and then read the sequel of it which is 2. Douluo Dalu: Legend of the Divine Realm(Sequel) and then read the sequel of sequel 3. The Legend of the Dragon King(Sequel of the sequel)
     
  15. daildaros

    daildaros Well-Known Member

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    It's literally what it means, they all in the same universe. What another explanation you need?
     
  16. OddJobs

    OddJobs Daoist Spendrift

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    Is it real? Spoilers pls :cookie:
     
  17. Touch Me

    Touch Me Active Member

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    And guys where the $ given by bank of NU can be spent?
     
  18. Ixcez

    Ixcez Intergalactic Xanthic Custom Error Zone

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    I would say the best example and the one that is the most correct in it’s label ”shared universe” is the stories written by Fang Xiang, World of Cultivation and The Avalon of Five Elements.
    WoC is the first one and is set several thousands years before AoFE, but they are happening in the same world just at different times. WoC is about spiritual power and how it is slowly drying up, AoFE is about how the spiritual power has dried up and humans are trying to use another power, elemental power, while some are trying to force the return of spiritual power into the world. So in this case they happen in the same world just the stories unfols at different times in the world timeline.

    Compared to most other novels that has a previous MC pop up once or twice and because of that get’s the shared label.
    For criteria the only criteria is that a previous or future work of the author or another auhor is mentioned or included in some way is enough for the shared label a lot of times.
     
  19. Xane

    Xane Well-Known Member

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    I'd like to think it means they're at least connected in some way. Have a shared power system, have a shared world history, maybe have cameos or snippets of information about the characters of a joined story.

    What's the point of it being a shared universe if they're not connected? You can have 2 different stories and say "Hey they're in a shared universe but they're on opposite ends so they're completely different."
     
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  20. Shub-Niggurath

    Shub-Niggurath Well-Known Member

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    Actually the best example of a shared universe are the newspaper in the real world, they all follow the same timeline and happen in the same universe.
     
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