I was thinking about this the other day.
Old and Horrible Cliched Tropes That, Done Well, Never Cease to Make Me Happy -- And That My Enjoyment Of May Very Well Get Me Banned From Polite Society Forever:
Amnesia. I know it's so overdone -- but I love it when characters get amnesia, or have their memories wiped, or forget a former life, and I enjoy watching their discoveries as they realize their innate abilities and who they really are -- slowly, or in fits or spurts. I love this when done with characters who have already been established -- that's why Voyager's episode "Workforce" succeeded as well as it did. This also makes me the only person on Earth who doesn't mind that Booth's brain surgery left him with amnesia at the end of the last season of Bones -- as long as it's handled well! Don't bother with the amnesia plot if you haven't adequately established the character before, though -- I won't care one bit.
Prequels. I want to know where the characters came from, what made them the way they were, and all of the things that surround them and their decisions -- hence, I simply adore great prequels. My favorite example of this is Lois McMaster Bujold's Cordelia's Honor. Seeing Mom and Dad Vorkosigan in action gives you yet another window onto Bujold's hero, Miles. Likewise, after you've read Brian Jacques' Redwall, it's nice to read Mossflower and meet Martin The Warrior in action. The Star Wars prequels, mind, do not apply to this category.
The Lost Heir, or Being Bootstrap Bill. It's better if the lost heir or hero doesn't have magical assistance, a "destiny," or a mentor -- I love seeing the lost prince clawing himself back to power by his own bootstraps. Done well, it's pure, unadulterated gratification. Martin's Daenerys is heading in this direction. Anji, who isn't really "lost" but is presented so through Kate Elliott's writing, is extremely smart and capable and also falls under this category. Another book that did a bootstrap story incredibly well is Paula Volsky's "Illusion," where Eliste vo Derrivalle shows the reader that she's more than just another pretty face. (I gave away that book in a garage sale, once, and I've always regretted it, as it's now out of print and I would love to read it again.)
The Paper-Bag Princess. Do a strong, realistic heroine well, and you have me at "hello." Ellen Kushner's The Privilege of the Sword is the most recent book I've read where this applies.
Time Travel. I've loved it since I first read A Connecticut Yankee in middle school. Done right, time travel is affecting and fascinating, and makes for some wonderful storylines you can't get anywhere else (as in Connie Willis' Doomsday Book or the better Doctor Who episodes). Done wrong (I'm looking at you, Star Trek), it makes you want to tear your eyeballs out. But done right? It's really great.
What cliche tropes will you admit to enjoying, if they're done quite well?
Amnesia. I know it's so overdone -- but I love it when characters get amnesia, or have their memories wiped, or forget a former life, and I enjoy watching their discoveries as they realize their innate abilities and who they really are -- slowly, or in fits or spurts. I love this when done with characters who have already been established -- that's why Voyager's episode "Workforce" succeeded as well as it did. This also makes me the only person on Earth who doesn't mind that Booth's brain surgery left him with amnesia at the end of the last season of Bones -- as long as it's handled well! Don't bother with the amnesia plot if you haven't adequately established the character before, though -- I won't care one bit.
Prequels. I want to know where the characters came from, what made them the way they were, and all of the things that surround them and their decisions -- hence, I simply adore great prequels. My favorite example of this is Lois McMaster Bujold's Cordelia's Honor. Seeing Mom and Dad Vorkosigan in action gives you yet another window onto Bujold's hero, Miles. Likewise, after you've read Brian Jacques' Redwall, it's nice to read Mossflower and meet Martin The Warrior in action. The Star Wars prequels, mind, do not apply to this category.
The Lost Heir, or Being Bootstrap Bill. It's better if the lost heir or hero doesn't have magical assistance, a "destiny," or a mentor -- I love seeing the lost prince clawing himself back to power by his own bootstraps. Done well, it's pure, unadulterated gratification. Martin's Daenerys is heading in this direction. Anji, who isn't really "lost" but is presented so through Kate Elliott's writing, is extremely smart and capable and also falls under this category. Another book that did a bootstrap story incredibly well is Paula Volsky's "Illusion," where Eliste vo Derrivalle shows the reader that she's more than just another pretty face. (I gave away that book in a garage sale, once, and I've always regretted it, as it's now out of print and I would love to read it again.)
The Paper-Bag Princess. Do a strong, realistic heroine well, and you have me at "hello." Ellen Kushner's The Privilege of the Sword is the most recent book I've read where this applies.
Time Travel. I've loved it since I first read A Connecticut Yankee in middle school. Done right, time travel is affecting and fascinating, and makes for some wonderful storylines you can't get anywhere else (as in Connie Willis' Doomsday Book or the better Doctor Who episodes). Done wrong (I'm looking at you, Star Trek), it makes you want to tear your eyeballs out. But done right? It's really great.
What cliche tropes will you admit to enjoying, if they're done quite well?