List of SFF Clichés

[Saeltari]

Originally Posted by Kelpie

"I have some last minute instructions to give before you embark on your quest. Information so dangerous, so secret, so important to the fate of the entire world, I shudder to think what would happen if you set out without knowing this one vital thing -- but gosh, look at the time! I'll tell you in the morning."

That is just funny.

[Saeltari]

Originally Posted by Paradox 99

Really old has-been knight with a bad temper and a face full of scars teams up with a young, voluptuous, beautiful, warrior maiden... who finds the bloke strangely attractive.

I, uhm, uhh, don't see anything wrong with this one. Ok, yes! I speak as a has been

[jackokent]

Strange, but sweet and highly principled, alien thing, that picks up english really quickly, and has some rather important moral message to impart to our hero. And just maybe, human kind can teach it a thing or two about feelings and love.

[Quokka]

I'd like to come across a short, thin character that isn't too bright, the fantasy world is full of ones who are nimble and quick-witted.

[Prefx]

The antagonist makes a speech before killing our hero, thus helping the hero save him/herself.

[Caretaker66]

Three words: "I'll be back."

[Cyril]

Space ships can only destroy things of their size or bigger; and their weakness is also proportional to their size: most imposing is the ship, easier destructible it is.

High tech laboratories in tv shows must have at least ten plasma screens by employee only devoted to display a geometrical logo screensaver.

[Marky Lazer]

Robots have feelings when you show them how to.

By the way, this is a great thread!

[Thunderchild]

There is an ancient weapon that was destroyed that the begining of time buy the good guys. The new villan has found a way to repair it and only you can stop him buy destroying/finding its parts/buying it of E-bay before they get their evil hands on it.

[Winters_Sorrow]

Fantasy
Fabulous jewel/object has incredible power which every ruler/person of importance good and evil desire. Is found by farmboy yokel, who against the odds (and boy, what odds!) manages to keep a hold of said object/jewel from powerful foes until it can be delivered to "nice" ruler.

With little or no training, said farmboy turns out to be a superior swordsman/magican due to his "natural gifts". It's be a bit more realistic if he attacked people with a shovel, if you want my opinion...

Sci-fi
Human beings are a match for any other alien race in terms of space-craft design, operation & engineering, in spite of having developed these technologies hundreds of years after them. Also nefarious aliens (usually insectoid or with slimy icky tentacles) hate us because we're so popular, but some "good" aliens (usually humanoid or otherwise 'attractive') help us against them until we earn galaxy-wide respect and love from all alien races.

Before achieving space flight & meeting other races, we cure all known disease, stop war and form a planet wide bureaucracy free of corruption.

Robots would never harm people unless reprogrammed by unscrupulous scientists/businessman (of course we would never design war robots for the army, would we?).

[I, Brian]

Humans are the most important species in the universe. Any sentient being that isn't human must be taught how superior being human is.

[Quokka]

Advanced Alien race feels the need to wipe out the human race basically just because their bullys.

Alien race with unimaginably advanced technology is unable to create a plan of attack that actually wipes out primative humans.

Luckily all alien technology is also easily understandable and preferably compatible with human technology.


five, six or(insert small number here) of the most talented, powerfull and lucky people ever to be born will either grow up in the same village or come together so quickly they virtually stumble into each other.

[Symbolt]

All the alien races in the universe speak English / intergalactic.

The story has the main hero being persecuted and in the end it turns out they are an android.

[jackokent]

Muddy, savage, wild, native woman, in fur bikini, with big hair, (who also happens to be stunningly attractive), saves hero, often from her own kind, miraculously picks up his language in form of grunts and cutsy phrases and flies off with him to his highly advance civilisation (where presumably she won't feel in the least out of her depth)

[Marky Lazer]

The kid outsmarts the nasty greedy guy that destroys the world or something else important.