Most hated fantasy cliches: What do you think?

[Mythopoet]

And another thing, love scenes that are just bad timing. Like, I'm not going to be in the mood after being chased by evil overlords through half the freaking forest; exhausted, sore, hungry, scared, my clothes are torn and wet... But wait, my handsome knight is by my side and the fire is crackling romantically with rat meat roasting over it...

Yes...let's bone.

I mean, I'll cuddle if I'm scared but seriously, realism!

OMG, YES!! I very nearly forgot I was reading on a kindle so badly did I want to throw David Gemmel's Legend against the wall when this EXACT thing happened right in the beginning! Only a man would imagine a natural progression from "I hate you" to "you saved my life" to "take me, my hero!" within a period of hours.

 

[Yora]

I can not accept Chosen Ones. It's just not going to happen.

 

[Orior]

I know what you mean when you talk about cultures that should not have anything in common with Earth but that looks too similar to the Roman Empire and other ancient cultures. It is obvious that as humans we have to take after something that we have seen or that we want to see. Also, it is very hard to connect with a reader that does not find anything in common with their own world in the story.
In my opinion, you should get a delightful mix of history, culture and imagination. For example, Romans are good, but what if some of them, randomly, were born with wings? What if they could conquer new lands because they could fly? And you can go from there.
I know it's boring to read things that look like a history book, but history can really be inspiring and interesting, especially for Readers.
Anyway, if there is a story completey undetatched from earthly cultures, I would love to read that.

Orior

 

[TheCrystallineEntity]

My stories would kind of count for being completely unattached to earthly cultures, since they take place in other universes with lots of magic and stuff.

 

[Miles Lacey]

I think one of the most tiresome cliches that often doesn't get a mention in these cliche lists is when people create worlds that are supposed to be different but the morals, family structures and domestic set-up remain basically the same as here on Earth.

Does anyone bother to consider that if you change one thing in a society that other things are also going to change? If Islam had emerged in a tropical environment rather than a desert environment would women be required to cover themselves up from head to toe as is the case in many Muslim countries? If most people in a world are bisexual wouldn't this change the very make-up or definition of the traditional family? If all genders were equal in the world being created wouldn't this also change many of the institutions and social "norms" that exist largely because of the (false) notion that women are somehow weaker or inferior to men?

Just something worth thinking about.

 

[Laurence]

I think one of the most tiresome cliches that often doesn't get a mention in these cliche lists is when people create worlds that are supposed to be different but the morals, family structures and domestic set-up remain basically the same as here on Earth.

Does anyone bother to consider that if you change one thing in a society that other things are also going to change? If Islam had emerged in a tropical environment rather than a desert environment would women be required to cover themselves up from head to toe as is the case in many Muslim countries? If most people in a world are bisexual wouldn't this change the very make-up or definition of the traditional family? If all genders were equal in the world being created wouldn't this also change many of the institutions and social "norms" that exist largely because of the (false) notion that women are somehow weaker or inferior to men?

Just something worth thinking about.

For me, as a straight western man, this works thanks to wish fulfilment. I’m more likely to read the story of a man who settles down with a kind, badass woman and fights bad guys with his nuclear family of heroes because that’s essentially my dream. I don’t have the hero part in my life so need to at least connect by some of the lifestyle and culture.

I can see how this would be lame if you’re part of the minority though and there’s obviously a limit as to how similar the worlds cultures can be without being boring.

 

[TheCrystallineEntity]

<If most people in a world are bisexual wouldn't this change the very make-up or definition of the traditional family? If all genders were equal in the world being created wouldn't this also change many of the institutions and social "norms" that exist largely because of the (false) notion that women are somehow weaker or inferior to men?>
Indeed, those are questions I've either considered or subconsciously had in mind when "discovering" [as Tolkien would say] my books.

 

[Miles Lacey]

For me, as a straight western man, this works thanks to wish fulfilment. I’m more likely to read the story of a man who settles down with a kind, badass woman and fights bad guys with his nuclear family of heroes because that’s essentially my dream. I don’t have the hero part in my life so need to at least connect by some of the lifestyle and culture.

I can see how this would be lame if you’re part of the minority though and there’s obviously a limit as to how similar the worlds cultures can be without being boring.

My criticism is of people who write stories where they have created a world where they have made a fundamental change such as doing away with a faith like Christianity or have changed the megafauna of their world but they don't think about the ramifications - or potential - of what they have done. Instead they just assume that the institutions such as marriage and the state and cultural things like wardrobes etc will remain pretty much the same as in our world.

I find it tiresome because it's bad world building and it shows a complete lack of imagination.

 

[TheCrystallineEntity]

My criticism is of people who write stories where they have created a world where they have made a fundamental change such as doing away with a faith like Christianity or have changed the megafauna of their world but they don't think about the ramifications - or potential - of what they have done. Instead they just assume that the institutions such as marriage and the state and cultural things like wardrobes etc will remain pretty much the same as in our world.

I find it tiresome because it's bad world building and it shows a complete lack of imagination.

This kind of thing has bothered me for years. The way I see it, humans are like honeycombs--change a significant thing about them, or their culture or history, and it's like a domino effect. A lot of writers seem to ignore this with alarming frequency.

 

[Skybreaker Sin K'al]

Well, this isn't exactly a cliche of fantasy storytelling, but I hate it when they print really large hardback books in big font size. Got some copies of Eragon like this, just a complete scam. Use smaller font and less paper, please. It just makes the book far easier to get through.

 

[Miles Lacey]

Well, this isn't exactly a cliche of fantasy storytelling, but I hate it when they print really large hardback books in big font size. Got some copies of Eragon like this, just a complete scam. Use smaller font and less paper, please. It just makes the book far easier to get through.

The ones that are hardback with large font are generally intended for people who have eyesight issues. As the population ages the number of books that'll be like this will increase. Of course you can always go for the paperback versions because the font in those are smaller and use less paper. They're also a lot cheaper (at least here in New Zealand that''s the case).