Why are rich and royals in fantasy or science-fiction somewhat or always the same?

The Chatters
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If you are an avid reader of fantasy and/or science-fiction, have you noticed this somewhat glaring problem?

Because to me it feels like rich character with high or very high political status or just your average rich person, a sorely limited whereas non-rich people are not…that much.

The problem is that when it comes to the main character being of royal background or of wealthy background, their story’s goal and motivation along with character goals and motivation is pretty much the same.

Then it gets to a point where you have to make the MC a non-rich/non-royal person, even though you don’t want to go that route.

Some fantasy or science-fiction stories with royals or rich MC’s break away from the common tropes, cliches, and themes, but in some odd way they still follow it just differently.

Doing the same thing just differently is still doing the same thing regardless!

Maybe I am reading WAY TOO into this, but I have royal characters who I would like to do something differently for my of my stories. Yet for Red Reign, Jorildyn, is a rich heiress who joined the Knighthood Federation to become a knight, but she is starting from the bottom with non clear direction till the story starts to pick up and shit will begin to hit the fan really bad.

Yet Jorildyn reason is somewhat like everyone else far as rich characters.

She didn’t leave her rich family, she just wanted to be a Knight and do a bit of her own thing.

She does have some slight ambitions, that I haven’t touched yet.

Anyway, what are your thoughts and feelings on this?

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In our world, the rich and powerful always lead. So that’s the only way majority of people do it because it’s really all we know in this work. So when you try to be original, it tends to go a bit pear shaped and ends with said not-rich/powerful person becoming those exact things by the end of the story. Overall, it’s exactly the same when you take away everything else.

Honestly, the only reason having the person in charge having to be rich/powerful works in my story is because I very specifically worldbuilded around that little detail :joy:

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Yeah… Like most Elves follow the same trope of Tolkien’s…

Not mine, just wait till you meet the Elves of Ralloth… Oh boy! Nothing could be so far from the expected High and Mighty of Skill, Craft and Wisdom as such of the likes of Elrond, Galadriel or Legolas…

Uncouth is the word I would use to describe these beings. And not so eager to assist in anything, at all… Not without a high bartering payment of course would they even consider it overnight, to then deny their help in the morning… Such is their ways…

SD

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This hurts me in so many ways!
LOL!
God, does the truth fucking sucks sometimes!

LMAO! :sweat_smile:

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Yeah…it does feel like elves are almost always the same regardless.

I am just realizing that.

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It’s a human thing basically :joy:

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Pretty much.
LOL!

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Because they are strangers to us. If you know 10 rich people, you can write 10 rich individuals. Without that, you’re just making guesses about how they think.

That and we don’t really know what the 1% of a nation is. Just saw that 103K is the threshold 1% in Lbs in Britain.

That’s nothing, really.

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Heh…that is amusing.

So, what you are in a sense saying is that the wealthy are worlds away from us that are practically alien?

That is true. It is just so defeating a little in terms of writing wise.

Geez, I am even more stuck. LOL!

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Well, remember that some rich people like living below their means, which means that they can live next door to you, not struggle, so you think they are middle-class, but they are rolling in money.

Some of them don’t know what poverty looks like–thry wre alien.

Some of them come from your background and rose above it.

Others are people who stumbled into money by having a passion and can’t figure out how to have a life.

So, there’s different types to write.

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Yeah…the funny thing is that you rarely see that or hear that so most people wouldn’t even think that.

LOL!

Like a a billionaire living in the suburbs? Who the hell would even consider that Joe from down the street is a billionaire?

Nobody right? LOL!

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We had a church member who was probably worth a couple of millions when we were growing up. They kept it pretty quiet. That oil company that had the African pirates that held the oil workers hostage back in the late 90s? Yeah, he was one of the upper guys in one of the two main groups. Can’t remember is he was held hostage or if it was the other group, but was some strange prayer requests for a while.

We knew he made more than he showed by what kind of job he worked and how often he sold his used cars for next to nothing to those who needed vehicles.

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Rich and royal characters should be just as nuanced, unique, and well developed as any character. However, money and power always corrupt, so there will always be certain aspects that are the same. Over-priveledge and the personalitily tropes that come with that, being the prevailing aspects.

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They definitely should.

Honestly, this is going to possibly sound a bit contradictory or controversial or both I don’t know.

I would love if things like money, power, and things of that nature DIDN’T corrupt human beings in the way that made them come out horrible and overall greedy.

I mean there’s being a little greedy then being greedy to where you are solely thinking of yourself.

This is why human beings are confusing whether fiction or reality.

Tell me about it. I just wish majority of the rich and powerful gave more of a damn about the people who are struggling out there in ways that it isn’t to boost their ego or make people think they care, but they only care when it matters to them.

Such is life…

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Really? I think I would grin like a dumbass if I met a billionaire in my neighborhood living like us and trying to blend in with the “everyday” people.

I might also be mean without meaning to.
Because I am a bit of a product of buying into the stereotype.

I would just be curious…then unintentionally mean.

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No, it doesn’t sound controversial to me. I would love it if it didn’t do that too. And honestly, there are people out there that handle it a lot better and don’t corrupt like that when they get money or power. The problem is that the next generation usually does.

When you make a lot of money by actually working for it, you know its worth and can remain humble. But when you come into money or power simply because you inherited it, you take it for granted. That’s when things corrupt.

So, even if someone who had money and power was still a good person and not corrupted, their kids usually don’t turn out as well. Now, I don’t believe in absolutes, so it’s still possible for this not to happen and by some miracle the power and money doesn’t corrupt. But it takes specific circumstances and personalities to align perfectly in order to prevent corruption. Still, that would be a very fun character to explore, someone rich and powerful who stays humble and morally sound. It would certainly break the stereotype.

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Thanks a bunch.
I would love to be wealthy or just comfortable enough to not suffer all too much.

Yet…that is a topic for another time. LOL!

Yeah, that would be hella nice and different for a change.

Your comment makes a world of sense.
When you started from nothing to gain the things you lack through hard work and not really getting that much handouts, there are times when the person or character ate a big ass slice of humble pie.

Like they started from bottom and know what it was like to struggle.

Yet for a difference in person, those people either get consume by their greed or continues eating the humble piece of the pie.

People are weird…

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Me too, honestly.

Indeed they are. But that’s part of the fun of writing. So many complex personalities that are different and unique from each other. It’s fun to explore through characters.

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I totally agree with that.
I would love to test my skills at exploring characters I don’t often write about.

I seriously need to do that for my Alagossian stories.
I mean I will always love writing about royals and rich people, but I would love to explore things about those characters in a way that would be so refreshing and different to me.

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I don’t read royalty stories because they all sound the same :stuck_out_tongue:

In The Rat Girl, I’m exploring how they can be failures and fools.

Marcus is a prince that exiled himself from fear and shame. Gavius, his brother, is no better, running away to “self search” only to leave entirely and not return until it’s practically too late to save his parents.

When they reunite, the first thing they do is scold each other for running away and abandoning the kingdom. The soldiers that were loyal to them, now refuse to follow them. Marcus says a huge lie and puts everyone in danger. Gavius doesn’t seem to take anything seriously.

MC Bethany eventually gets fed up with them.

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