Crowdsourcing: Cliches in SF, Fantasy, and Horror: Plots, Characters, Situations

For my creative writing book for Abrams Image—a definitive illustrated guide to writing speculative fiction—I'd like a running column in one of the chapters of cliches. I can't possibly list them all, so if you'd like the chance to contribute an attributed entry, please comment here. A couple of sentences describing the cliche followed by dash and your full name. In other words:

A man in a bar meets a mysterious woman. They go back to her place. She turns out to be a werewolf/vampire/serial killer. — Jeff VanderMeer

Yes, there are lists out there and I have my own list, but this is more fun.

Thanks! I'll take them through this upcoming Thursday.

Crowdsourcing: Cliches in SF, Fantasy, and Horror: Plots, Characters, Situations originally appeared on Ecstatic Days on September 17, 2011.