[jenna]

This is an example from a film, but I thought it was relevant. I was having one of my regular Vin Diesel-a-thons last night, and when I was watching Pitch Black this struck me as a good example of how you can give readers (or viewers) information and let them work things out for themselves. The movie opens with the following monolouge:

They say most of your brain shuts down in Cryo sleep... all but the primitive side... the animal side... No wonder I'm still awake. Transporting me with civilians, sounded like 40, 40+. Heard an Arab voice, some hoodoo holy man, probably on his way to New Mecca.. but what route? What route? Smelled a woman , sweat , boots, tool belt, leather, prospector type. Free settlers, and they only take the back roads. But here's my real problem... Mr Johns.. blue eyed devil. Planning on taking me back to slam, only this time he picked a ghost lane. Long time between stops.. long time for something to go wrong..."

See the way that they throw little clues like New Mecca, Free Settlers, civilians, ghost lane, and let you work things out for yourself? You get a pretty good idea of what sort of universe the movie is set in right from that opening monologue. And to clarify, you don't see much on the screen except for people asleep in chambers. This is what I would be aiming for as far as setting up a world for readers, rather than relying on putting information in a glossary.