Let’s say you build a bridge. You build the nicest on-ramp, you put the nicest lamp posts, the nicest pavement, and the most beautiful railings in the history of bridges. And the bridge ends on a cliff. There might be some nice views on top of the bridge to nowhere, but it’s a bridge to nowhere.
That’s a work of fiction with a bad ending. A work of fiction is a work, not a person, so where it leads to is very much an integral part of the work.
Let’s say you build a bridge. You build the nicest on-ramp, you put the nicest lamp posts, the nicest pavement, and the most beautiful railings in the history of bridges. And the bridge ends on a cliff. There might be some nice views on top of the bridge to nowhere, but it’s a bridge to nowhere.
That’s a work of fiction with a bad ending. A work of fiction is a work, not a person, so where it leads to is very much an integral part of the work.