Avoiding tropes and fantasy cliches in Moon Hunters

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Fantasy as a genre has always fascinated me. Although for the longest time I preferred sci-fi, I began to realize that a majority of my favorite sci-fi stories all felt rooted in fantasy. Imaginary worlds, fantastic creature, and of course magic or the supernatural all permeate the fantasy landscape. The biggest problem however, for me as a reader is that it all feels tired and old, due in large part of fantasy cliches. I’ve felt for quite some time that a majority of fantasy stories all feel like the bastard child of Tolkien. Tolkien was a genius to be sure, but in my mind, the man most responsible for making fantasy part of mainstream culture, also brought ideas together into a dish that we as fantasy readers and creators have eaten from for far too long. His ideas in effect have become fantasy cliches.

When I made the decision to create and illustrate my fantasy story Moon Hunters I knew and felt in my heart of hearts that I needed to identify those tropes and cliches that most bothered me about modern fantasy. It wasn’t hard. It was far too easy in fact.

Dragons
Dragons are a pet peeve of mine. They are a global icon of fantasy, but also the most over written creature in perhaps all of history as far as I’m concerned. I don’t know if I’ll ever say NEVER to writing or creating a dragon-centric story but not with Moon Hunters, and certainly not until I have a compelling story to tell that takes the cliche somewhere new and exciting. Taking cliches and turning them on their heads is something I love to do, but I also feel we as fantasy creators or readers CAN and should create or expect new creatures. I love Game of thrones as much as the next guy, and while it’s amazing to see Daenerys Targaryen riding a dragon through the mist, or to watch when the dragons destroyed the Old Master’s fleet.. to me that’s not why I watch. I watch because I enjoy the depth of characters and the struggle between Jon Snow and the armies of the Ice King. We all know that at some point the Dragons will help the good guys defeat the Ice King. We know it. But the Ice King is a unique and brilliant creature. Something new on screen. It’s what makes Game of Thrones feel fresh to me. Yes, there are so many tropes and cliches but they throw something in there that feels fresh and original.

Orcs, Goblins, Trolls, Fairies
Secondary to Dragons, and far more frustrating to me when I read fantasy, is when I see the inclusion of such creatures as Orcs, Goblins, Trolls or Fairies. I don’t want to read that type of story. I feel cheated when I read stories that feel like they are written using the D&D Dungeon Master’s guide of creatures. In a way this has become a defining part of the story for me. Moon Hunters in effect is the story of a girl who fights monsters or fantastic beasts. I want those beasts to be exactly that… fantastic. Not rip-offs of every single typical fantasy story ever created.

Damsels In Distress
I make no secret about the fact that I am strongly influenced by Disney movies & storytelling. I’m not on the level of their amazing creative departments but I find quite a bit of inspiration in the stories they tell and worlds they create. However one of the things that drives me insane about a good many of the stories they create that center around a female protagonist is the Damsel In Distress cliche. Not every female lead needs to be a princess. Not every female lead needs to be married off or have an arranged marriage as part of the plot line. Not every female lead needs a male hero to save her or be there to assist her when the road gets tough. In Moon Hunters, the main character Lyria Two-Horns is a warrior. She is young, inexperience, and prone to being a little too cocky and over-confident. She doesn’t have wisdom of experience, but without a doubt is the most skilled candidate to become a Moon Hunter. She is not a princess, although her father does help manage the government of kingdom — and her mother is for all purposes the head Moon Hunter in charge. I wanted to create a new paradigm for the female character in fantasy. To treat her as I would a male character. What are her flaws, and how does she overcome them. She does not need to worry about her father looking to marry her off to another clan chieftain, or being sacrificed as a virgin to a dragon to save the kingdom. No. Her story centers around her overconfidence in herself and her drive getting in the way of learning patience and wisdom. She wants something so bad she is willing to steamroll over her weaknesses to get it, thereby putting not only herself but her entire kingdom in danger. These are typical to me of male characters, not female. And I felt it was high time we turned that on it’s head.

Prophecies
I love Harry Potter, Star Wars, and Dune. If I had to pick three of my favorite fantasy inspired stories these would be my four. But in all four there is some type of prophecy. The three series all have such compelling world building and stories that the prophecies generally don’t bother me, but fantasy is littered with bad stories using prophecies as a crutch. With Moon Hunters I wanted to just do away with this entirely. I don’t need it. I don’t want it. Originally I thought it might be amusing to have a prophecy attach an importance to our main character only to later on have it revealed to be just a ploy to get the character motivated. A..”Wait… I thought you said I was meant to kill the bad guy” “Oh no… I just said that because you were handy with a sword” moment. But in the end I realized. I just don’t need it. The character to me was compelling enough. Her drive to be a great warrior and eventually to fight for the freedom and safety of her people is more than enough to make her important.

Wizards
I am writing a fantasy story. Magic is a big part of that. I don’t think you can have fantasy without magic. I don’t think it’s possible really. Sure why not, but it wouldn’t be as fun. However the typical long, white bearded, wand wielding mage. No. Not doing that. Moon Hunters will have magic. Much of the magic comes from the creatures or the land. There will be magic wielders but it won’t be the type of characters you see in EVERY SINGLE story that is written post-Tolkien about magic. No bespectacled Dumbledores or ugly old witches with boiling black cauldrons.

I don’t want people feeling I have a problem with other creators using these cliches and tropes to make powerful works of fantasy. But I’m not one of those people who likes to read that. I want to see fantasy take a new turn. To find ways of creating new characters, heroes, villains, creatures that don’t fit a already pre-defined mold. Moon Hunters takes place on a different planet, with different rules, with people of different colored skin, with horns jutting from their heads. Creatures of rock that fly, and villains who are literally the darkest parts of the forest itself.

The first arc of Moon Hunters will be three issues, with the first issue coming out in the next few months on Comixology. If you are interested in fantasy but like me want to enjoy something that feels new and fresh then perhaps you might be interested in the story I have to tell. Take a moment and fill out the contact form below and sign up to get news on the status of Moon Hunters, any contests and giveaways, and be notified when the first issue is available on Comixology.

And thank you for reading.

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