Is the masquerade necessary?

[jimmy olsen]

In a lot of science fiction/urban fantasy set in the present day aliens and monsters are kept secret from the public because "they can't handle the truth". I think this is nonsense. Sure there may be some rioting at first, but people are flexible.

Being able to direct the entire strength of the nation/world against the problem whether it be the Grays or Werewolves or whatever is far better than countering them with just a handful of elite agents who have to keep everything they do secret.

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Masquerade

[CountDeMoney]

Go flush your head in the nearest public toilet, please.

[HVC]

you give people way too much credit.

[Ed Anger]

I like when they mow my lawn.

[jimmy olsen]

you give people way too much credit.

Then vote yes

[Josquius]

Yes. It is necessary to create a fictional world which is relatable yet exciting for the viewer.

[HVC]

you give people way too much credit.

Then vote yes

korea has made you all uppity. i miss old mild mannered tim

[Eddie Teach]

IRL- no. In fiction, Josq brings up a good point.

[derspiess]

I vote the Seedy option.

[Eddie Teach]

[PDH]

I was torn between the Turtledove option (Tim is smashed under a falling Byzantine Empire) and the Stirling option (Tim is killed by a gratuitous lesbian), then I decided to vote for the Gor option (Tim gets run over by MB in a Humvee).

[jimmy olsen]

Yes. It is necessary to create a fictional world which is relatable yet exciting for the viewer.

Eh, it's equivalent to something like faking the moon landing. Covering up the Grey invasion or the supernatural is just not plausible, I can't relate to it.

[Eddie Teach]

A world with monsters lurking in the shadows is more relatable than one with them in the open.

[Razgovory]

Yes. It is necessary to create a fictional world which is relatable yet exciting for the viewer.

Eh, it's equivalent to something like faking the moon landing. Covering up the Grey invasion or the supernatural is just not plausible, I can't relate to it.

They covered up the 1847 military coup, the death of Crown Prince Edward in 1877, Finnish-Swedish war back in 1956.

[jimmy olsen]

A world with monsters lurking in the shadows is more relatable than one with them in the open.

Most works of fiction set in the present don't have a handful of monsters lurking on the fringes of civilization.  They have full blown international conspiracies covering up suspicious deaths all over the place.