I checked out a book from the library today entitled "The Tough Guide To Fantasyland" by Diana Wynne Jones. Ostensibly this is a comedy guidebook to a fantasy kingdom, done in the style of a Rough Guide or Fodor's type book. What it actually is, under the surface, is an excellent dictionary of fantasy cliche, essentially skewering all the overused bits of fantasy novels (such as how you can tell someone is of royal blood if they have violet eyes, how any city of canals is ruled by a thieve's guild, and any time you approach a nunnery you will find it has been recently sacked leaving one survivor). I heartily recommend it for anyone trying to keep their own fantasy fresh and original, as well as anyone who wants to laugh at the conventions of fantasy novels.
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