Tropes are akin to stereotypes, except they are in reference to literature. As the book explains in its additional content, the rhetoric of some stories makes one feel as if we have already read it, even if we haven’t before. Damsel in distress, hero on a quest, magical characters that help you on your journey, and even the roles of characters in a fantasy world have been so overused that you already know where everything is going to end. Not original, and not cool.
This book aims to explore tropes to turn them upside down or actually give them a better perspective. The staff that curated the book even lists the stories and their tropes to help the reader understand every aspect of the narrative. The editors included pieces of poetry, sci-fi, fantasy and horror, not focusing on just one storytelling genre nor confining tropes to only one type of fiction. It is very entertaining to read the pages of non sequitur stories. Not one is alike another.
Take a look at the content pages and let me know what you think! I was very impressed with the quality of the writing and the twists and turns the stories took to represent global diversity and inclusion of all types of genders, age groups and races. That is the magic of writing to combat tropes, you have to use everything in your arsenal to build a complete and meaningful picture of the characters and events. There is something for everyone in its pages. A nice change of pace for avid readers, who like me, are tired of the same types of developments and endings.
Enjoy!
Mrs. Enginerd - Nerd Whisperer 