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PRAISE_OF_ONES_ENEMIES

                                   June 19, 2004

The tropes of action adventure fiction...

Commonly recognized is
"the reluctant hero":
The main character has
to be recruited/
wooed/convinced to take
up the problem.
                                                 Both elements
Less commonly recognized:                        are present in
"The praise of one's enemies".                   spades in "The     (whatever
                                                 Glass Key".        that means)

At some point in the story, there
will be a confrontation scene
between the hero and villain, and
the villain will say:                               GLASS_KEY

  "Oh, you're *good*,
  all right."

Or perhaps:

  "I didn't realize I was                  I mentioned this
  up against someone like                  thought to Dangerbaby,
  *you*."                                  and she immediately
                                           reeled off a number of
Or:                                        Saturday Morning
                                           Cartoon versions:
  "I won't underestimate
  you again."                                 "I didn't expect you to
                                               survive this long!"


     So, at the core, the essence of
     "men's" action adventure fiction
     is fantasies of confirmation of       SUPERHERO
     self-worth...

     Which is essentially the same as
     the essence of "women's" fiction,
     just in a different form.



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