Fantasy Cliche: Prophecy

Many fantasy books have some type of prophecy. The Lord of the Rings boasts a prophecy about how the King of Gondor will return with healing in his hands. Harry Potter speaks of the “chosen one.” Star Wars has the one who will balance the Force. Most fantasy (and some science fiction) includes a vague prophecy…

Five Ways to Twist the Chosen One Cliche

Many, many popular books use the “Chosen One” storyline. The basic idea is that some unsuspecting, ordinary character is actually a hero (often, but not always, a prophesied hero) and is the only one who can save the world. Lord of the Rings (Aragorn), Harry Potter (Harry Potter), Divergent (Tris), Ender’s Game (Ender), and many other…

10 Fantasy Clichés and Ideas to Change Them

Walk into any book store, and you will find shelves and shelves of fantasy books. But the same clichés run through most of them, and many are so predictable that you only have to read the back cover to guess the entire plot. Now, while I don’t suggest getting rid of every fantasy clichés in…