h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

" even if you're making up a whole universe (and I really wish you would think twice about that), if you're in the habit of lying about the way humans behave, you'll have a very shaky universe, even if it's made up of adorable sentient jelly babies." [Dmitri]

I won't touch jelly babies with a ten-foot pole, but otherwise I see the merit in your reasoning. The thing is, even the most imaginary universe needs to have laws that no one, not even the author, is allowed to break.

But now I'm starting to worry about your aside about wishing your readers would think twice (meaning decide not to?) before concocting imaginary universes.

Let me end this post with a thought: much of what you see around you started as an idea in someone's head. Chances are, a lot of those ideas were dismissed at first. Let;'s take that glass of milk, for instance. the first peraon who decided to drink cow's milk was probably scolded by his (or her) mother for doing anything so unsanitary. Eventually, more people drank cow's milk without dying, and their mothers reluctantly allowed as how it probably wasn't as unsafe as they had thought. Take paved roads, or stock market shares. There as a first time for everything, and it was often an uphill struggle to get people past the narrow ruts they were in.

Imagination is what gave us the world we have, and it will give us whatever future worlds are in store for us. So, dream big, everyone. You have every right to invent imaginary universes. Just be sure, always, to have some consistency. Even flights of fancy follow their own aerodynamic principles.