History Literature / BattlefieldEarth

* MeaningfulName: Of course the hero is named Jonnie ''Goodboy'' Tyler. Among the Psychlos, Terl becomes paranoid of a new worker he recognizes as a government investigator named Jayed, a possible nod to J. Edgar Hoover and Hubbard's problems with the FBI. [[spoiler: It turns out that Jayed had been stripped of his position because of some unknown offense, and had used his skills to create a new identity and work on Earth as a miner. Terl's paranoia ultimately doesn't pan out.]]

* MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness: Soft. We know that Psychlo teleportation works by swapping two patches of space, but not how a control console manages to bring this about.

* NationalStereotypes: The Scots are all claymore-wielding kilt-wearing [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Bravehearts]], Russians [[VodkaDrunkenski drink vodka]] and still hang onto [[TheGreatPoliticsMessUp old Soviet traditions]], Swiss-Germans are all master craftsmen or ''bankers'' (in a post-apocalyptic world where most tribes have not yet rediscovered metal!), the Frenchman [[CheeseEatingSurrenderMonkeys faints at the sight of even a dead Psychlo]], the Chinese family are experts on protocol and courtly manners [[HappinessInSlavery who have been waiting for a new emperor to serve for a thousand years]], and the mongrel tribe from Africa is a bunch of primitive cannibals.

* SatelliteLoveInterest: Chrissie exists solely to love Jonnie and is given no CharacterDevelopment whatsoever. The novel even states she would kill herself without a second thought if something happened to him.

* SatelliteLoveInterest: Chrissie exists solely to love Jonnie and is given no CharacterDevelopment whatsoever.

* UnfortunateNames: Several.
** Zzt is hard to pronounce.
** Brown Limper Staffor has his disability in his name.
** [[spoiler:The Tolneps are the worst case. Two of them are named Lord Schleim and Roof Arsebogger.]]

* MadeOfIndestructium: A Psychlo gas powered drone is hit by an ATOMIC BOMB, but only gets a scratch.

* ApocalypticLog: Johnny is investigating the nuclear bunker. Next to the corpse of what was the President of the United States is one, providing a detailed description of the events surrounding the last hours of civilization.

* LostSuperweapon: When Johhny and the Scots visit the nuclear base, they convert some bazookas to fire tactical nuclear weapons.

** In the backstory, the most resistance the humans put up during the Psychlo invasion was a bunch of Air Force cadets who held out for three hours.

* CurbStompBattle: In the backstory, the most resistance the humans put up during the Psychlo invasion was a bunch of Air Force cadets who held out for three hours.

* EvilCripple: Brown Limper Staffor, who loathes Jonnie, and concocts plans to have him killed.

* InvincibleHero: Ah, Jonnie. Best pilot on the planet. Strong enough to bludgeon a bear to death with a gun and toss Psychlos around three at a time. Tactical and technical genius. Any setbacks he encounters are due to conditions beyond his control, and only temporary.

* VillainBall: As early as the first chapter it is made clear that Terl is ambitious, scheming, and well-educated, but still a dumbass, which other characters ''point out to him''.

* TooIncompetentToOperateABlanket: Most everyone in the book. Terl permanently holds the VillainBall, and Jonnie more than once makes stupid mistakes, multiple times, such as trying three times to escape an area while being watched instead of waiting for the cover of darkness.

* {{MST}}: a spork right here http://battlefieldspork.blogspot.com/

* ApocalypticLog: Johnny is investigating the nuclear bunker. Next to the corpse of what was the President of the United states is one, providing a detailed description of the events surrounding the last hours of civilization.

* HideYourChildren: We never see Psychlo "pups," since all female Psychlos sent offworld to work are sterilized first [[spoiler:so the catrists can ensure that every newborn Psychlo gets a MindControl implant. So when Jonnie he blew up planet Psychlo, it's stated that he rendered the species effectively extinct]].

* LostSuperweapon: When Johhny and the Scotts visit the nuclear base, they convert some bazookas to fire tactical nuclear weapons.
* LowCultureHighTech: The Psychlo's and the humans.
* LudicrousGibs: What happens when a Psychlo is hit by [[spoiler: [[DepletedPhlebotinumShells the ammo with a touch of nuclear material]] causing all of the breath-gas in their system to [[PinkMist violently react]].]]

* MeaningfulFuneral: At the start of the book, the lack of one for Jonnie's father is what tips us off that his fellow villagers are hopelessly passive, while Jonnie's efforts to get one show how he is a man of action.It inspires Jonnie to leave his village, setting the plot in motion.

[[Film/BattlefieldEarth A film adaptation]], covering only the first part of the book, was released in the year 2000, starring devout Scientologist Creator/JohnTravolta (who bankrolled the project) and co-starring Creator/ForestWhitaker and Creator/BarryPepper.

[[Film/BattlefieldEarth A film adaptation]] (covering only the first part of the book) was released in the year 2000, starring Creator/JohnTravolta (who personally bankrolled the project), Creator/ForestWhitaker, and Creator/BarryPepper.

* MeaningfulFuneral: At the start of the book, the lack of one for Jonnie's father is what tips us off that his fellow villagers are hopelessly passive, while Jonnie's efforts to get one show how he is a man of action. Also unfortunately an EstablishingCharacterMoment where we see him coldly bully his family and neighbors into doing what he wants.

* BizarreAlienBiology: The Psychlo are famous for the "breathe-gas" they respire and its explosive reaction to radiation, but that's only the start. They don't have lips or eyelids, but "mouthbones" and "eyebones." The top half of their skull is mostly bone, leaving their brains squished down against their spinal column, and their hearts aren't behind their ribcage, but down towards their belt buckles. Also, [[YouFailBiologyForever they are composed of viruses]].

*** The Psychlos used the added symbol in their teleportation equations to confuse and frustrate anyone trying to solve them. Basic math wasn't a problem.

* HideYourChildren: We never see Psychlo "pups," since all female Psychlos sent offworld to work are sterilized first [[spoiler:so the catrists can ensure that ever newborn Psychlo gets a MindControl implant. So when Jonnie he blew up planet Psychlo, it's stated that he rendered the species effectively extinct]].

* FalseReassurance: Terl ''tries'', bless him, but pulling this off right requires subtlety and charisma, while Terl may as well have told his would-be victims "the present I just gave you is a bomb."

* GovernmentDrugEnforcement: [[spoiler:The catrists implant all Psychlo pups with a device that either drives them to suicide or puts them in a coma if they try to reveal technological secrets. As a side effect it warps their brains to [[EvilTastesGood stimulate pleasure centers when they do evil deeds]], but the catrists are fine with that]].