Batman Gambit/Literature: Difference between revisions

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** And that's just the first book in the trilogy. The second two continue on in this tradition.
** And that's just the first book in the trilogy. The second two continue on in this tradition.
* [[Bram Stoker (Creator)|Bram Stoker]]'s original novel ''[[Dracula (Literature)|Dracula]]'', where the Count's master plan to infiltrate England and spread his vampire curse was only foiled by the [[Deus Ex Machina]] of asylum doctor John Seward [[Contrived Coincidence|just happening to be the former student of]] [[The Professor|Professor Van Helsing]], the only person who'd recognise a vampire attack and know exactly what to do. Dracula's meticulous setup and coverup of his lairs and his later manipulation of Mina as a weapon against his pursuers was only matched by Van Helsing's [[Out Gambitted|counter-plan]] of hypnotising her to deduce the Count's location.
* [[Bram Stoker (Creator)|Bram Stoker]]'s original novel ''[[Dracula (Literature)|Dracula]]'', where the Count's master plan to infiltrate England and spread his vampire curse was only foiled by the [[Deus Ex Machina]] of asylum doctor John Seward [[Contrived Coincidence|just happening to be the former student of]] [[The Professor|Professor Van Helsing]], the only person who'd recognise a vampire attack and know exactly what to do. Dracula's meticulous setup and coverup of his lairs and his later manipulation of Mina as a weapon against his pursuers was only matched by Van Helsing's [[Out Gambitted|counter-plan]] of hypnotising her to deduce the Count's location.
* [[JRR Tolkien (Creator)|JRR Tolkien]]'s ''[[The Lord of the Rings (Literature)|The Lord of the Rings]]'': as explained on the [[What an Idiot]] page, Gandalf used one of these to distract Sauron from the true location of the One Ring, convincing him that Aragorn had the Ring and was planning to use it against him. Of course, the whole thing was a diversion to allow the hobbits to enter Mordor unnoticed.
* [[JRR Tolkien (Creator)|JRR Tolkien]]'s ''[[The Lord of the Rings (Literature)|The Lord of the Rings]]'': as explained on the [[What an Idiot!]] page, Gandalf used one of these to distract Sauron from the true location of the One Ring, convincing him that Aragorn had the Ring and was planning to use it against him. Of course, the whole thing was a diversion to allow the hobbits to enter Mordor unnoticed.
** This becomes the basis of the free people's entire strategy after [[There Are No Coincidences|Pippin looks into the palantir]], premised entirely on the assumption that [[Evil Cannot Comprehend Good|Sauron would assume]] that his enemies would try to use the ring against him rather than try to destroy it.
** This becomes the basis of the free people's entire strategy after [[There Are No Coincidences|Pippin looks into the palantir]], premised entirely on the assumption that [[Evil Cannot Comprehend Good|Sauron would assume]] that his enemies would try to use the ring against him rather than try to destroy it.
** Sauron has one that fails big time in ''[[The Silmarillion]]''. In it, the Numenoreans (think Atlanteans) march on Sauron with such a massive force that Sauron's minions flee and he's captured. Of course, being the master manipulator that Sauron is, he goes from prisoner to advisor to the king in only a few years. As the king is near death's door, Sauron manipulates him into making war on Valinor, the land of the Valar (minor gods, essentially). The plan was simple, trick the Numenoreans into attacking Valinor so Sauron could watch them die spectacularly. He didn't anticipate that the Valar would lay down their power before Iluvatar (God), and ask him for aid. Iluvatar made the world round, made Valinor inaccessible except to certain individuals (namely the elves), and sunk Numenor into the sea. Sauron didn't even see it coming, and was swallowed under the ocean. When he emerged, he could no longer take a pleasing form again.
** Sauron has one that fails big time in ''[[The Silmarillion]]''. In it, the Numenoreans (think Atlanteans) march on Sauron with such a massive force that Sauron's minions flee and he's captured. Of course, being the master manipulator that Sauron is, he goes from prisoner to advisor to the king in only a few years. As the king is near death's door, Sauron manipulates him into making war on Valinor, the land of the Valar (minor gods, essentially). The plan was simple, trick the Numenoreans into attacking Valinor so Sauron could watch them die spectacularly. He didn't anticipate that the Valar would lay down their power before Iluvatar (God), and ask him for aid. Iluvatar made the world round, made Valinor inaccessible except to certain individuals (namely the elves), and sunk Numenor into the sea. Sauron didn't even see it coming, and was swallowed under the ocean. When he emerged, he could no longer take a pleasing form again.
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* In Juliet Marillier's ''[[The Sevenwaters Trilogy|Heir to Sevenwaters]]'', the plot is structured around a quest to retrieve a missing baby which turns out to be {{spoiler|engineered by the villain to lure his son into a trap, since he knew that the kidnapping would make the baby's older sister go after him, and that the son would accompany his love interest}}.
* In Juliet Marillier's ''[[The Sevenwaters Trilogy|Heir to Sevenwaters]]'', the plot is structured around a quest to retrieve a missing baby which turns out to be {{spoiler|engineered by the villain to lure his son into a trap, since he knew that the kidnapping would make the baby's older sister go after him, and that the son would accompany his love interest}}.
* Henry organizes one of these in ''[[The Secret History]]'', in his plans for Bunny's murder and, later, the main characters' staying out of jail. This involves relying on his knowledge of his friends' habits and weaknesses to get them to do exactly what he wants them to do. He also uses this to lay the blame on other people, like Cloke Rayburn--but Richard is horrified when he finds out that {{spoiler|Henry came very close to giving his name to the FBI.}}
* Henry organizes one of these in ''[[The Secret History]]'', in his plans for Bunny's murder and, later, the main characters' staying out of jail. This involves relying on his knowledge of his friends' habits and weaknesses to get them to do exactly what he wants them to do. He also uses this to lay the blame on other people, like Cloke Rayburn--but Richard is horrified when he finds out that {{spoiler|Henry came very close to giving his name to the FBI.}}
* For [[Arsene Lupin]], the ''Hollow Needle'' mystery was pretty much all a Batman Gambit at the expense of the young amateur detective Isidore Beautrelet. Numerous others happen throughout Lupin's adventures but this is pretty much the biggest one.
* For [[Arsène Lupin]], the ''Hollow Needle'' mystery was pretty much all a Batman Gambit at the expense of the young amateur detective Isidore Beautrelet. Numerous others happen throughout Lupin's adventures but this is pretty much the biggest one.
* The Moth-kinden of ''[[Shadows of the Apt]]'', being an entire race of [[Manipulative Bastard|Manipulative Bastards]], pull a rather nice one of these. The inhabitants of Tharn know [[The Empire]]'s going to annex them at some point; not being a warlike people, they gamble everything on getting one particular man installed as Governor, as just about the only Wasp who's {{spoiler|Inapt -- like all Moths. Their agents have already got to him and cut a deal: if the Moths teach him magic}}, he'll let them get on with their lives as if the Empire had never even noticed them.
* The Moth-kinden of ''[[Shadows of the Apt]]'', being an entire race of [[Manipulative Bastard|Manipulative Bastards]], pull a rather nice one of these. The inhabitants of Tharn know [[The Empire]]'s going to annex them at some point; not being a warlike people, they gamble everything on getting one particular man installed as Governor, as just about the only Wasp who's {{spoiler|Inapt -- like all Moths. Their agents have already got to him and cut a deal: if the Moths teach him magic}}, he'll let them get on with their lives as if the Empire had never even noticed them.
* ''[[Halo (Video Game)|Halo]]: Ghosts of Onyx'' has some insurgents deliberately letting ONI learn of their nuclear weapons stockpile so that they can set a trap. It almost works too, if not for {{spoiler|the insurgents not knowing about Kurt's near-prescience.}}
* ''[[Halo (Video Game)|Halo]]: Ghosts of Onyx'' has some insurgents deliberately letting ONI learn of their nuclear weapons stockpile so that they can set a trap. It almost works too, if not for {{spoiler|the insurgents not knowing about Kurt's near-prescience.}}
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