Science Fiction and Fantasy Tropes /Cliches

A

Ark

Adventurer
I've been thinking recently about the type of tropes/cliches that you find in science fiction and fantasy. This is mainly because of Prometheus but also other things. Basically, I’m done with science fiction where humanoid aliens or aliens with human level intelligence are a major part of the plot. It’s become such a mainstream cosmetic feature of science fiction that for a writer to use it, to me suggests laziness and lack of creative talent.

What are your most hated sci-fi/fantasy tropes?
 
The fact that 9/10 fantasy worlds are Middle-earth rip-offs. Some of the writers penning works in such settings are still bloody good writers, but I do tend to roll my eyes at the now bog-standard land of elves/dwarves/men (almost always exhibiting the same clichéd personality types as well). If I pick up a fantasy book in a shop and it has the words "elves" or "dwarves" in the blurb I tend to put it right back down again.

I realise it isn't as easy to be original these days with the high level of media saturation, but I wish more people would take a leaf out of Tolkien's book and develop their own takes on real-world mythology (Neil Gaiman springs to mind as an example of someone who does this well) rather than taking a leaf out of his books literally.
 
ayase said:
I do tend to roll my eyes at the now bog-standard land of elves/dwarves/men (almost always exhibiting the same clichéd personality types as well).
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Would that be Wise and Stoic/Irritable but loyal/Noble but tragically corruptable? :wink:
 
Genkina Hito said:
Ark said:
Genkina Hito said:
Do you read Lovecraft?
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Was that aimed at me?
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Yep. I got the urge to ask after reading,

Ark said:
I’m done with science fiction where humanoid aliens or aliens with human level intelligence are a major part of the plot.
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I have to confess, the only science fiction I've ever read is the Hunger Games Trilogy and a Collection of Isaac Asimov's short stories.
 
I second that, Lovecraft has some great sci-fi stuff pick up the "Call of Cthulu and other stories" penguin modern classics book, it's a good read.

As for sci-fi tropes I hate... bit of an odd one but real guns. 90% of games and films that aren't Star Wars or Star Trek have realistic, projectile weaponry (I blame you James Cameron...) I want to see more laser guns in games and films, more interesting and bizarre stuff than "space shotgun" , "space bazooka" etc.

it's something of a superficial one, but I think in terms of the mordernising of sci-fi it's a worthwhile one. Sci-fi these days tends to be the near future, certainly never more than 1000 in the future, I'd like to see more interesting sci-fi films than a slightly jazzier version of now.

Of course sometimes this realism is good for the film and makes it relatable, but I miss wackier sci-fi tropes.

Genetic manipulation is also a fairly tired topic, especially R.E. super soldiers gone wrong.
 
I guess an annoying fantasy trope which filters through to science fiction as well is the main character being "The Chosen One", at least when it's used as a Deux Ex Machina. When it's actually a developed as part of the story (as in Avatar: TLAB) and isn't just used to resolve things quickly, it's not too bad.
 
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