And Then There Were None: Quickie

I just finished reading Ten Little Ni—Ten Little India—And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. This will be a quickie. I normally prefer the deep, immersive novels—especially the character studies. What I want is something to make me think, as well. Novels like these are not usually up my alley, not because they don't make you think, but because they make you think in different ways. Christie is actually a master of making you ask questions and rethink things. Even if you think you've spoiled yourself, you might end up convincing yourself otherwise later in the story. While books like these are thin in the character department, and I especially felt that way in the beginning, they are a masterclass in taking advantage of what you could call underdetermined theories. There are multiple theories that fit the available evidence, and notably, these theories are incommensurate: they cannot all be true at the same time. You need to keep reading to find more evidence to learn which theory is the correct one. Sometimes, you have hidden assumptions buried away that get pulled upon at the last moment to catch you off guard. If you think more abstractly about the structure of theories, their relation to evidence, and how often assumptions are being made in each case—then you can use this to great benefit in your own writing. You don't even have to be a mystery writer. Just think to yourself, what do your characters see, and what are their underlying assumptions about certain people, humanity, or the nature of reality? You can leverage this to create great conflict over shared experiences, even.

7/10