History Literature / TheToughGuideToFantasyland

* GalleySlave: The only reason that galleys seem to exist in Fantasyland. If a male character is enslaved, chances are he'll probably wind up chained to an oar as one of these.

* GiantFlyer

* LampshadeHanging
* LeftJustifiedFantasyMap

* PunctuationShaker

* TarotMotifs

* VainSorceress

* VirginSacrifice: The preferred form of Sacrifice among evil religions, which features ritual rape and disembowelment as part of the ceremony.
* VirginityMakesYouStupid
* WhenTreesAttack

* CityOfCanals

* EncyclopediaExposita

* NoPeriodsPeriod: "Female Tourists should note that they will not menstruate during the Tour.

* STDImmunity: "Both sexes will be glad to know that sexually transmitted diseases are unknown."

Jones later wrote a novel called ''Literature/DarkLordOfDerkholm'' set in the Fantasyland described in the ''Tough Guide'' and deconstructing it further by revealing it's really nothing like the guidebook at all and it's all put on (very reluctantly) for the benefit of the tourists.

* CorruptChurch: The land of the Religious Feudalists are ruled by one of these.

* NoPeriodsPeriod

* RescueSex: The entry on slavery mentions beautiful female varieties of slave and how they are rescued from [[SexSlave sexual slavery]] by a Conanesque male character, who is rewarded with no-holds-barred sex, and then [[NotStayingForBreakfast abandons them in the middle of nowhere]].

* {{Turncoat}}: Which is only people who turn ''against'' you. People who come over to your side are only doing what is right. Notable in that coats do not exist in Fantasyland (cloaks, instead, are the preferred form of outerwear), but turncoats do.

* Tradesnark: The Guide puts a superscript OMT (Offical Management Term) on words or phrases that are, in the author's opinion, particularly overused in [[ExtrudedBookProduct Extruded Fantasy Product]].

* MorePredatorsThanPrey

* VirginSacrifice: The preferred form of Sacrifice among evil religions, which features ritual rape as part of the ceremony.

* ButNotTooWhite: A character's goodness can be judged by their tan.
* CircleOfStandingStones: Described as the entry point for tourists into Fantasyland.

* AManIsNotAVirgin: Or as the ''Virgins'' entry put it: '' Nobody wants a male Virgin at all. Young boys, yes, but there is no stipulation about Virginity. In fact, some experience is preferred.''

* AManIsNotAVirgin

This piece of MetaFiction by Creator/DianaWynneJones [[AllMythsAreTrue pretends that pretty much all of the fantasy stories ever told -- well, most [[StrictlyFormula modern genre fantasies]], anyway -- took place in a place called "Fantasyland"]], and that the creators of the stories are the [[LiteraryAgentHypothesis "Management"]] who arrange for the audience to go on "tours". With this setup, an extensive list of fantasy tropes is presented as if to a tourist visiting another country and thoroughly {{deconstruct|ion}}ed. It also pretends that the stories are statistically representative of "Fantasyland," and thus concludes that the most common type of meal is stew, that cities are composed mainly of alleyways, and that the ecology and economy of Fantasyland are severely screwed up.

This piece of MetaFiction by Creator/DianaWynneJones [[AllMythsAreTrue pretends that all of the fantasy stories ever told took place in a real place called "Fantasyland"]], and that the creators of the stories are the [[LiteraryAgentHypothesis "Management"]] who arrange for the audience to go on "tours". With this setup the list of fantasy tropes is presented as if to a tourist visiting another country and thoroughly [[{{deconstruction}} deconstructed]]. It also pretends that the stories are statistically representative of Fantasyland, and thus concludes that the most common type of meal is stew, that cities are composed mainly of alleyways, and that the ecology and economy of Fantasyland are severely screwed up.

!!This book includes examples of:

'''NB:''' As the whole point of the book is to list and deconstruct as many fantasy tropes as the author could identify, it's a fair bet that any fantasy-related trope known to this wiki gets some kind of coverage. But among the tropes definitely included (and, pretty much to a one, [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] and [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]]) are:

* ArabianNightsDays: The "Fanatic Caliphates" setting

* TheBlacksmith: A good source of allies

!!!As the whole point of the book is to list and deconstruct as many fantasy tropes as the author could identify, it's a fair bet that any fantasy-related trope known to this wiki gets some kind of coverage. But among the tropes definitely included (and, pretty much to a one, [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] and [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]]) are:

* RedShirt[=/=]MauveShirt: The Serious Soldier.

* BeautyEqualsGoodness / ColorCodedForYourConvenience / AlwaysChaoticEvil: Jones pretty much comments on ''all'' the UnfortunateImplications found in "Tolkienesque" fantasy

* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: See above.

* GladiatorGames: The other common fate of male characters who get enslaved. GladiatorRevolt is how such characters get free.

!!!Among the tropes included (and, pretty much to a one, [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] and [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]]) are:

* BeautyEqualsGoodness / ColorCodedForYourConvenience / AlwaysChaoticEvil: She pretty much comments on every form of UnfortunateImplications found in "Tolkienesque" fantasy

* ColorCodedForYourConvenience

* CrystalDragonJesus: The One God variety of Religion, if a male god is used. Even if his worshipers see him as benign, they tend to hate women and magic users (and witches, who are frequently both) and fall into {{Knight Templar}} territory at their very worst.

* DistressedDamsel: Entry number one on Princesses consists of one word - "Wimps."

* DragonRider

* EvilChancellor

* FantasyWorldMap
** [[spoiler: Take a look at the map ''upside down''. Run the place-names through an anagram generator while you're at it.]]

* GladiatorGames: The other common fate of male characters who get enslaved.
** GladiatorRevolt: How such characters get free.

* RescueSex: The entry on slavery mentions beautiful female variety of slave and how they are rescued from [[SexSlave sexual slavery]] by a Conanesque male character, who is rewarded with no-holds-barred sex, and then [[NotStayingForBreakfast abandons them in the middle of nowhere]].

* WeirdTradeUnion: She questions if the assassins' and thieves' guild are the only ones existing in Fantasyland.

** [[spoiler: Take a look at the map ''upside down''.]]

Wynne Jones later wrote a novel called ''Literature/DarkLordOfDerkholm'' set in the Fantasyland described in the ''Tough Guide'' and deconstructing it further by revealing it's really nothing like the guidebook at all and it's all put on (very reluctantly) for the benefit of the tourists.

* ButNotTooWhite: Character's goodness can be judged by their tans.

* CrystalDragonJesus: The One God variety of Religion, if a male god is used. Even if his worshippers see him as benign, they tend to hate women and magic users (and witches, who are frequently both) and fall into {{Knight Templar}} territory at their very worst.

Wynne Jones later wrote a novel called ''TheDarkLordOfDerkholm'' set in the Fantasyland described in the ''Tough Guide'' and deconstructing it further by revealing it's really nothing like the guidebook at all and it's all put on (very reluctantly) for the benefit of the tourists.

* OlderThanTheyThink: The book, in both its concept and style, is awfully similar to this very wiki.

* {{Turncoat}}: Which is only people who turn ''against'' you. People who come over to your side are only doing what is right. Notable in that coats do not exist in Fantasyland, but turncoats do.