The Grand List of Overused Science Fiction Clichés/Section III: Overused story events and plot devices: Difference between revisions

# [[File:Vraagteken.svg|9px]][[File:Delta-shield.svg|11px]] The availability of firearms notwithstanding, swordfighting returns as a significant method of combat.

# [[File:McCormick Sleep.svg|15px]][[File:Delta-shield.svg|11px]] A [[Tomato Surprise|Big Surprise]] awaits the reader/viewer at the end of the tale:

## [[Adam and Eve Plot|The man and woman who flee from a doomed civilization and start rebuilding on the third planet of a medium-sized yellow star are named Adam and Eve.]]

## The alien children, slaves, or pets are really the parents, masters, or owners.

## [[Ancient Astronauts|An ancient civilization was actually founded by space aliens.]]

## [[Beethoven Was an Alien Spy|A major historical figure (Jesus, Einstein, Lincoln, Elvis) was really a space alien.]]

# [[File:McCormick Sleep.svg|15px]][[File:Delta-shield.svg|11px]] Telepaths [[Power Perversion Potential|use their power to achieve a heightened sexual experience]].

# [[File:Green tick.svg|12px]] Telepaths are regarded as witches or lunatics, and are [[Burn the Witch|dealt with accordingly.]]

## [[Never the Selves Shall Meet|Meeting yourself in the past is always considered "A Very Bad Thing."]] Rationale will vary though, with a 75% chance of invoking one of the Laws of Thermodynamics. For works after 1991, there is a 50% chance of "[[Butterfly of Doom|the butterfly effect]]" and/or "chaos theory" being the rationale.