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So there are some novel "themes" that we're all familiar with. There are always a ton of these at the top of best seller lists. Things like the

-Romantic Paranormal Thriller
-(Former/Retiring Cop) out for (Revenge/His last case)
-(Near/Distant) Future, (Robots/Aliens) walk among us. One man can stop them.

Can anyone think of any others?

This reminds me of an anecdote I once heard.

Once, a group of literature scholars came together to discuss what are the common subjects of literature, and to come up with a compiled list of such topics. Many were suggested: man's struggle against fate, the inconquerable love, freedom versus oppression. As they discussed long into the night, they began to see that more and more things could be put under larger monikers: both the beauty and futility of love came under love, war and revenge under violence, and so far.

Finally, at dawn, they had come to a list that had two topics left: Life, and Death. One of the scholars looked at the list, and drew a line over Death, saying:
"Death is part of Life. Therefore the subject of literature is Life."

Nitpick: What you've listed is one genre and two plots. Themes are more what the story is about, not what's happening in it.

escushion said:

Nitpick: What you've listed is one genre and two plots. Themes are more what the story is about, not what's happening in it.

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I suppose so, these were just the kind of things I see countless variants of as I walk down aisles in book stores. Especially by popular authors like this Koontz guy.

I think you're talking about tropes. They exist in any form of storytelling, not just TV, and have been gone over ad nauseum.

Indeed. Ever read through this site?

If not, we'll see you again in a couple of months.

I think there needs to be an add-on for forums that puts some kind of warning around any link to tv tropes.

People often do have things they want to finish in a day.

Themes are universal ideas or concepts that a story is about. "For Whom The Bell Tolls" is about courage and sacrifice, for example; "Islands in the Stream" is largely about grief, to use two examples from Hemingway.

Allen said:

Indeed. Ever read through this site?

If not, we'll see you again in a couple of months.

Click to expand...

Iaculus[/QUOTE]

Ayup.