Tweet of the Day: Little Darlings and Why They Must Die…for REAL
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It is very common for “species” in spec-fiction to wear hats, be they the logical hat, the warrior hat, the hippie hat or the diplomatic hat.
This guy left his at home or added a feather to his cap, either way he deviates from the norm. The trope serves as the answer to several problems with the Planet of Hats syndrome. First off, if the race/species is sentient that means that somebody has to deviate from the norm. It may also mean that there is more to the culture than what outsiders see or are allowed to see. And stereotypes wear thin in no time, especially if a member of the hat wearing group has joined the main cast.
Of course, the problem might not be the hat itself, nor the wearer but the person watching from the outside. There might be more to the hat than meets the eye, and a good writer can wring a lot from the character by exploring what is under the hat.
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Ah, you have set me thinking, Ralfast, about hats and identities and suchlike…a blogger after my own heart, thank you…
Mission accomplished.
I have noticed that too, specifically with fantasy RPGs and…well…fantasy everything. We need a trope-breaking hammer.
Tropes are not bad, and you can always subvert them, play with them or simply smash them to bits!