McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft
Your Pet Urban Fantasy Cliche Peeves
Snowleopard:
"But why a spoon, Cousin?"
"..Because it's dull....and it will HURT MORE!!!"
Sully:
--- Quote from: o_O on May 12, 2013, 02:11:30 AM ---
FWIW it's an absolute beeyotch to come up with a close-combat weapon better than swords - and then you run into the Everyone And Their Auntie Is An Expert problem telling you that they Know Olympic Sabre Fencers Who Would Mincemeat Your LaserHalfStaff/PlasmaAssegai Wielder. With A Spoon.
--- End quote ---
I actually do know somebody who fenced in the olympics. Multiple olympics, even. He did Epee though. 8)
I'm more referring to the stories where it's 'all out war for survival!' And the front line troops bring spears? At least give them a muzzle loading rifle with a bayonet or something.
You know, like they used 300 years ago. When cavalry carried pistols with their sword.
edit: I should say that while swords are fun, I subscribe to the Indiana Jones School. As does the olympian above, lol.
vultur:
--- Quote from: Sully on May 11, 2013, 03:39:51 AM ---I dislike how traditional/outdated/slow to evolve some things are. Swords being the primary weapon of (non-magical)conflict, etc
--- End quote ---
Given a society of immortals, it doesn't strike me as implausible, really. Supposedly part of the reason WWI was so pointlessly bloody was that the commanders tried to fight it like nineteenth-century wars, with a set of tactics that were on their way out even in the American Civil War. Now multiply that by lifespans four or five times as long (like Dresdenverse wizards) or thousands of years long or practically forever (vampires).... Also, a fast pace of innovation is really more the exception than the rule, taking human history as a whole.
The bigger problem to me is, in a lot of UF settings where the supernaturals have theoretically been around for ages, why did they ever let humans develop technology? The Dresdenverse has a powerful human organization which doesn't depend on technology for its power (the White Council), but lots of settings don't. If the supernatural world is mostly werewolves and vampires and maybe faeries ... it should still be ruled by those beings, and humans would never have gotten a chance to develop technology.
Sully:
--- Quote from: vultur on May 13, 2013, 12:26:04 AM ---Given a society of immortals, it doesn't strike me as implausible, really. Supposedly part of the reason WWI was so pointlessly bloody was that the commanders tried to fight it like nineteenth-century wars, with a set of tactics that were on their way out even in the American Civil War. Now multiply that by lifespans four or five times as long (like Dresdenverse wizards) or thousands of years long or practically forever (vampires).... Also, a fast pace of innovation is really more the exception than the rule, taking human history as a whole.
--- End quote ---
That's tactics, not adoption of technology.
--- Quote ---The bigger problem to me is, in a lot of UF settings where the supernaturals have theoretically been around for ages, why did they ever let humans develop technology? The Dresdenverse has a powerful human organization which doesn't depend on technology for its power (the White Council), but lots of settings don't. If the supernatural world is mostly werewolves and vampires and maybe faeries ... it should still be ruled by those beings, and humans would never have gotten a chance to develop technology.
--- End quote ---
Oh, and the muses just struck.
OZ:
--- Quote ---Also she has no romantic life because she's essentially asexual and considers the whole idea vaguely icky and something that makes people behave stupidly
--- End quote ---
This sounds very much like Adele Mundy in David Drake's RCN series. Admittedly this is science fiction rather than urban fantasy. The funny thing is if I were just to read your description, it sounds unappealing but Adele is one of my favorite characters.
--- Quote ---However, if there is say 1 or 2 monsters, well that might not change the world anymore than your average pyscho/serial killer does. I mean one vampire could probably get by unoticed, now hiding an entire vampire civizaltion is bit different.
--- End quote ---
Have you read Dan Wells' John Wayne Cleaver trilogy? It's young adult but I would still highly recommend it.
My pet peeves in writing are more general than just UF but they still apply. I hate stories that are driven by the stupidity of the main character(s) unless they are humor or children's stories. I hate stories where the only reason that the protagonist manages to win is because the clearly superior villain keeps them around to alleviate boredom.
I agree with those that are tired of stories about The Chosen One or where the whole story revolves around a cryptically worded prophecy. I am tired of vampires that literally live off blood rather than the life force that blood symbolizes thus allowing them to get blood from blood banks or in bottles or in small amounts that do not hurt the victims. I am tired (and I have mentioned this elsewhere) of werewolves living in packs and large portions of the stories dealing with pack rules. I am tired of ancient magical beings with great knowledge and power suddenly realizing that the love of their life is an angsty teenage slacker with poor social skills and questionable intellect.
That is not to say that I haven't read good stories that have used these tropes. I am just tired of them.
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