Literary tropes can be defined as ideas and metaphors that repeat over time. Much like memes, tropes are infectious and tend to create a standard. Watching the film The Watch last night and re-watching Star Trek: Into Darkness this afternoon helped me recognize some key sci-fi tropes that have defined the genre.
I spent the afternoon at the theater with The Maricopan. he hadn’t seen the new Star Trek movie, so I decided to take a second look. The film takes place early in the rebooted lore, after Starfleet has made contact with the Klingons but prior to hostilities between the two. I studied those interactions and thought long and hard about the games I’ve played and shows I watch. It seems there is a common trope there that includes war-driven alien races and insects that don’t know when to quit.
Ender’s game, Aliens, The Watch, Independence Day, Starcraft, Starship Troopers and many more all feature bug-like aliens bent on the destruction of mankind. These bugliens are a classic trope that reflect the inherent fear we have of colonization and infestation. Bugs are creatures we pick on, but what if the bugs not only outnumbered us (as they do) but were large enough to represent a significant threat?
The other threat is the war race. Not necessarily bug in origin, classic sci-fi and new alike feature a war-driven race. Star Trek has its Klingons, Mass Effect has its Krogan. All are the same concept–orcs or orclike creatures driven by competition.
These tropes are fresh in my mind as I design my fantasy novel. See, you need to know the past so that you do not repeat it.