Have you ever seen a scene where there’s build-up of tension in a film, a moment is about to happen, a character is about to defeat a demon, monster, or other threat in a cliche manner, only for the tough character to get wrecked?
I want a book like that. I want a book where an individual, a group, a society, or even a civilization loses in a scenario where they were supposed to win. But the good guys failed.
It is usually shown in a funny manner, being a satire of the trope of an unstoppable action-hero, but I want something more serious. Pessimistic even, or just matter of fact.
I don’t need it to be pessimistic, but the request, by nature, isn’t exactly nice I suppose.
I was thinking about this yesterday. There’s always media where a hero or group of heroes that save the day or win. Someone makes the ultimate sacrifice and it ends up okay in the end.
I want something that subverts that. Something where it all went wrong. In the small ways, in the biggest of ways. A Murphy’s law of fates kind of story.
Bonus points if it isn’t a horror book–at least not in an outright sense–variety would be fun!
by SpaceGhost1992
1 Comment
Might not quite be what you’re looking for, but I think *Childhood’s End* could be a shout. It’s certainly not your usual alien invasion story.
More along the lines of what you’re looking for is *War of the Worlds*.