Re: In Praise of Writing that Breaks Stereotypes

From: Pete Darby <pete.darby_at_5x5qO7mAnd5epj51oxAbGtxFxadWXSmS9sbXESYxRGCKQEL3_FFUVs0FAaWIYaiQs>
Date: Tue, 2 Aug 2011 09:03:28 +0100


Classically, once he's saved the town, the hero leaves town... partly because they don;t just solve trouble, they attract it.

Heroes don't get happily ever afters.

I remember seeing something about the making of the first Dirty Harry film... where, at the end, Harry throws his magnum into the lake... yup, he's supposed to hang up his guns.

Shane can't stay in town, whether he's dying from a gutshot or not.

That's one sort of hero anyway.

On Mon, Aug 1, 2011 at 6:33 PM, Pomeroi <pomeroi_at_sOigmGbHASWVtd0TSthp8yqhcUs2jdx0mnxnGEnZytuChfBci0qhKYh0fRtHeo9F3eMWTQ.yahoo.invalid> wrote:

> **
>
>
> Hervé wrote
>
> [ ... snip, heroes are ... ]
>
> > But that makes them freaks and oddjobs in their own communities.
>
> Yes, but still you want them around. May I add some humorous insight by
> quoting Dave Henry from his long gone web-site - and yes, it is stereotype:
>
> Most game worlds have trouble explaining why anyone tolerates that
> eccentric, heavily-armed, trouble-causing group of adventurers who
> wanders around poking their noses into things all the time.
>
> It's really quite simple. Monsters exist.
>
> Your average citizen, knowing that monsters actually exist, upon hearing
> the news that a huge horrendous monster is attacking the village from
> the North has the following (sane) reaction:
>
> Gather his loved ones.
> Grab whatever valuables he can carry without being significantly slowed
> down.
> Run like blazes South.
>
> The Adventurer, on the other hand, upon hearing the same news, has the
> following reaction:
>
> Gather his fellow Adventurers.
> Grab whatever weapons he can carry without being significantly slowed down.
> Head directly North to give that monster what for.
>
> As you can see, Adventurers are clearly insane.
>
> However, when they actually defeat the monster and save the town, well,
> they're awfully nice to have around.
>
> Typical reaction to Adventurers is, at best, mixed. As long as they're
> not actively terrorizing the populace, well, it's kinda nice to know
> that they're around, just in case -- but you wouldn't want your sister
> marrying one.
>
>
>

-- 
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