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1[[quoteright:349:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/archer_5.png]]
2
3A novel by Creator/DianaWynneJones. The protagonist's father--an author--is visited by a mysterious figure, apparently sent by someone called Archer, who demands that he write two thousand words of gibberish.
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5While investigating, Howard and his sister Awful learn that their town is secretly controlled by seven mysterious siblings -- Archer, Torquil, Dillian, Hathaway, Shine, Erskine, and Venturus -- at least one of whom seems to be thinking in terms of "tomorrow, the world".
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7Adapted as a TV mini-series in 1992.
8----
9!!Tropes include:
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11* AmbiguouslyGay: Torquil. Has a great love for theatrical outfits (eyeliner included), shopping, and disco dancers. This trope is even more true for the TV miniseries.
12* AmnesiacDissonance: [[spoiler:Venturus spends over a decade in a new identity, with no memory of his former self. When he starts encountering evidence of what he used to be like, he doesn't approve.]]
13* DumbMuscle: The Goon. [[spoiler: Except [[ObfuscatingStupidity he's]] [[GeniusBruiser not.]]]]
14* FountainOfYouth [[spoiler: Venturus]].
15* HappilyMarried: Hathaway and his wife Bess, as a deliberate contrast to the other siblings who all live alone apart from their minions, servants, or robots.
16* HoistByHisOwnPetard: [[spoiler:Archer's fate is ultimately sealed by the typewriter he enchanted.]]
17* LargeAndInCharge: Shine. [[spoiler: Erskine as well.]]
18* LittleMissSnarker: Awful - when she isn't screaming instead.
19* LukeIAmYourFather: Only with siblings.
20* ManOfWealthAndTaste: Archer, more so in the miniseries than the book.
21* MacGuffin: The 2000 words. [[spoiler: They do nothing, Venturus set them up to mislead the others and to give his adoptive father tax-free income.]]
22* MagicalSeventhSon: Although all the siblings are magical, the seventh son is supposed to have twice the gifts of the others.
23* MeaningfulName: Venturus, its meaning isn't mentioned in the book but the tv series has Quentin translate it as "he who is to come" in Latin.
24* MouthyKid: Awful.
25* MuggleFosterParents: [[spoiler:Quentin and Catriona, to Howard/Venturus.]]
26* NiceGuy: Hathaway is the only one of the siblings who comes across as a completely decent person, although some of the others are trying to improve.
27* ObfuscatingStupidity [[spoiler: Erskine]].
28* OvernightAgeUp: When Howard and Awful visit the home of Venturus, which is in the future, they're both temporarily aged up into young adults until they leave.
29* PortalToThePast: A door in the museum turns out to be a portal. Handy.
30* RewritingReality: Archer enchants a typewriter to do this.
31* RiddleForTheAges: What exactly are the seven siblings and where are they from? Quentin describes them as “wizards” and Awful calls Dillian an “evil enchantress” but they never refer to themselves in such terms or use the word “magic” to describe their powers. There’s a vague implication that they might be aliens, but that’s all we’re ever going to get.
32* RuleOfSeven: Several things to do with the seven siblings.
33* SecondaryCharacterTitle: Neither Archer nor the Goon are the lead character. The Goon plays a large role but the protaganist and viewpoint character is Howard.
34* SheIsAllGrownUp: Awful when Venturus’ temple turns her into an adult. Erskine likes what he sees, and Howard is extremely taken aback.
35* StoutStrength: Shine, who runs around with a ''rocket launcher'' at one point.
36* {{Stripperiffic}}/HellBentForLeather: Shine. She's somewhat fatter than your usual Vamp, though.
37* TakeOverTheWorld: Most of the siblings have this as their goal as soon as they can leave the city.
38* TomatoInTheMirror: [[spoiler:When Howard finally tracks down Venturus' lair and learns where he's been hiding all this time.]]
39* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Shine and Dillian.
40* TooSpicyForYogSothoth: Dillian is easily able to use her magic to charm Howard and Fifi, but Awful is simply too... awful.
41* WhamLine: [[spoiler:"You finished now? Or do we go around another thirteen years?"]]
42* WhereDoesHeGetAllThoseWonderfulToys: While Archer's wonderful toys wow everyone else, they only manage to piss Quentin off, since he realizes (correctly) that they were paid for with redirected taxes.
43* {{Zeerust}}:
44** Venturus' ship-building robots have voices that sound like mouth organs.
45** Everything in Venturus' futuristic temple and spaceship deliberately evokes this, since they represent the childlike Venturus' romanticized sci-fi ''view'' of the future.

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