Annoying Fantasy Trends

[Orius]

And a horrible one indeed...

That goes without saying. How could a cross between those two be anything but bad?

 

[Gez]

About the "Chosen One" syndrom, here's an interesting take on it.

 

[Abisashi]

Plot types don't bother me, stupidity does.

I hate when characters refuse to sacrifice 1 innocent child to save 10,000 people. Their excuse is always, "how can we know the potential of one child?" or shomething similar. How can they know about everyone in the city? I hate that so much. Down with Deontology, Utilitarianism forever!

I hate when the main character spends a lot of time in denial about the fact that they are the chosen one. Thomas Covenant especially, but it shows up with every chosen one. If you've got to do something, do it right. And if it's all a dream, why not just play along? It will make the dream more fun.

I hate it when heroes make the wrong choice, but it still works out for them. AKA the girl/world dilemma; the hero saves the girl, and still manages to save the world, too. I want to see heroes suffer for their stupidity and realize the error of their ways.

 

[Planesdragon]

I hate when characters refuse to sacrifice 1 innocent child to save 10,000 people.

That's not stupidity, that's morality. It's also consistency of character.

I want to see heroes suffer for their stupidity and realize the error of their ways.

Methinks you just don't like heroic fantasy. Heroism is, in modern form, being shown two opposite choices and choosing a third. The Spider Man movie's "save the girl and the busload of kids" captures it perfectly.

 

[Black Omega]

This is a general complaint, though R.A.S. is the one who's done this the worst of the books I've seen lately. If the bad guys are attacking the good guys with an overpowering army, allow the bad guys to win a battle here and there. Don't give me scene after scene of the good guys wining skirmishes, then cut to the command post where they are saying "The situation is dire, the bad guys are winning."

I gave up on R.A.S. after the book with the drow attacking. There was a scene where human knights helping were running into the Drow elite and R.A.S. commented that the humans would have had no chance if it was one on one, but they were badly outnumbered. Later they cut back to the scene and somehow the same humans are holding their own and the losses are even.

 

[Templetroll]

Stampy-footed and vicious but cute and sexy yet ('lovably') annoying fiery-haired princesses.

hmm...

Weapons with overly cheesy (wince-worthy) names, too.

Ah, anything with an overly cheesy name.

So really my bane in a fantasy novel would be a vicious, cute, sexy, 'lovably' annoying, stampy-footed, fiery-haired princess called Willowblossom or Elfstar or whatever, wielding a hugely powerful awesome magical kewl legendary Piece O Death that goes by the name of Whisperdeath or some such.

Yeh. That'd do it.

Oh, too the cutesy wittle critters that waddle/paddle/flap/sproing/bound/etc. around for no other reason than to score 'cute points' with potential marks, ah readers that is.

I don't know if the story would be any good, but I'd love to see the cover for it! especially with a heaving bosom on that "...vicious, cute, sexy, 'lovably' annoying, stampy-footed, fiery-haired princess called Willowblossom or Elfstar or whatever, wielding a hugely powerful awesome magical kewl legendary Piece O Death that goes by the name of Whisperdeath or some such."