The Tropes of Fantasy Fiction

by Gabrielle Lissauer

Overview

Comparing various fantasy fiction stories, this book shows that it is not the tropes and cliches that make a story good or bad but how the author applies them. The book also explores the concept of text versus meta-text--that is, when the story's world and character actions contradict the reader's expectations based on the tropes being used. Covering authors from Mercedes Lackey and Brandon Sanderson to Christopher Paolini and Stephenie Meyer, the author finds that it is the nature of tropes and the language used that make a fantasy story, for bad or good.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786478583
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	01/22/2015
Pages:	220
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Gabrielle Lissauer has presented papers at various conferences, including the American Literature Association, WorldCon and San Diego Comic Con, and she has written articles for different online magazines. She lives in Los Angeles, California.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Preface
Introduction
One. Changing the Story
Two. A Matter of Perception
Three. The Power of Stories
Four. Magic of Fantasy, Fantasy of Magic
Five. Not What You Think It Is
Six. Heroes and Protagonists, Villains and Antagonists
Seven. No Man Is an Island
Eight. Fairies and Dragons and Dwarfs, Oh My!
Nine. Through the Looking Glass
Ten. The Fundamentals
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index