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Fiction Filters

Trope tagging and searching for books

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Books

General tropes

This is the preferred term. Synonyms are included. You can turn off synonyms.

Narrower terms: Road trip, Found family, Epistolary, Amnesia, Slice of life, Dysfunctional family, Tragic backstory, Fish out of water, Sibling rivalry, Unreliable narrator, Back from the dead, AI character, Priests are pedophiles, Everyone is gay, Miscommunication, Resurrection, Faustian deal, Time skip, Ensemble cast, Conspiracy, Possession, Corporate overreach, Spaceship crew, Woman in a man's world, Stranger than fiction, Depressing road trip, The bad guys aren't human, The real monsters are the humans, Frumpy to fabulous, The power was inside you all along, Hot witch, Transmigration, Story-aware narrator, Plot armor, Betrayal, Crush on teacher, Close-knit community protects their own, Athletes are untouchable, Revenge, Manipulative bastard, Loosely based on a true story, Little old lady investigates, Struggling single parent, Absent parent, Cabin fever, From New York to nowhere, Apocalypse, Post-apocalypse, Time loop, Magical realism, First contact, Chosen one, Virtual reality, Fairytale retelling, Alternate past, Creepy children, Multiverse, Applied phlebotinum, The grass is always greener, Anyone can die, Body snatcher, Brainwashed, Stripped powers, Down the rabbit hole, The dragons come back, Enemy mine, Get back to the future, Femme fatale, Black widow, Baby acquisition, Politics, Coming of age, Growing up, Coming out, Generational saga, Space exploration, Terraforming, Alien invasion, Dystopia, Utopia, Looking for a new Earth, Galactic war, Symbolic megafauna, Generation ships, Overpowered main character, Android, Breaking the fourth wall, Family of choice, Roommates, Fluff, Emotional healing, Back home from the big city, Family first, Mystery plot, Band of misfits, Religious artifacts, Pandemic, Sports teams, Magical society, Secret society, Magical mystery, Survivor by coincidence, Last man standing, Science goes wrong, Science caused the apocalypse, God is just a person, Neighbors, Pets as characters, Complicated inheritance, Ghost ship, Gateways and wormholes, Playing the long game, Character blog, Childhood friends, Life swap, Transactional relationship, Interdimensional travel, Implied Autism, Fealty, Madcap adventures, Evil AI, Snarky AI, A taste of their own medicine, Evil matriarch, I'm the real victim here, Beauty and the Beast retelling, Celebrity is overrated, Be careful what you wish for, Surprise baby acquisition, Accidental baby acquisition, Doorstop baby, Dog characters, Forgotten heir

The Warrior’s Apprentice

Cover art for The Warrior's Apprentice
by Lois McMaster Bujold

Series:

The Vorkosigan Saga

Genres:

Science fiction and fantasy, Space opera

Tropes:

Coming of age, Cons and swindles, Fealty, Madcap adventures, Politics

Characters:

Character(s) with ADHD

Time Periods:

Long-Term Future

Places:

Military, Outer space

The Hands of the Emperor

Cover art for The Hands of the Emperor
by Victoria Goddard

Series:

The Lays of the Hearth-Fire

Genres:

Fantasy, Fantasy of manners

Tropes:

Fealty, Found family, Playing the long game, Politics, Unreliable narrator

Characters:

Asexual main character(s), Characters in their 50s, Characters in their 60s, Politician, Royalty

Time Periods:

Places:

Africa inspired setting, Pacific Islands inspired setting, Secondary World

Esmeraldas Blick

Cover art for Esmeraldas Blick
by Karoline Toso

Series:

Esmeraldas Blick

Genres:

Historical fiction

Tropes:

Baby acquisition, Doorstop baby, Framed for a crime, Rape, Surprise baby acquisition

Characters:

Adult characters, Child characters, Priests and Clergy

Time Periods:

Medieval

Places:

France, Paris

Minor Detail

Cover art for Minor Detail
by Adiana Shibli

Series:

Genres:

Historical fiction

Tropes:

Amateur detective, Close-knit community protects their own, Implied Autism, Kidnapping, Loosely based on a true story, Rape

Characters:

Adult characters, Autistic character(s), Journalist, Soldier

Time Periods:

1940-1949, Information Age

Places:

Israel, Palestine, State of Palestine

The Love Hypothesis

by Ali Hazelwood

Series:

Genres:

Contemporary romance, Humor, New adult fiction, Slice of life

Tropes:

Age Difference, Breaking the fourth wall, Coming of age, Crush on teacher, Fake dating, Feelings realization, Fluff, Friends to lovers, Grumpy/sunshine, Kissing to avoid suspicion, Miscommunication, Opposites attract, Pining, Playing the long game, Slice of life, Woman in a man's world

Characters:

Academic, Characters in their 20s, Characters in their 30s, College student, Scientist, Teacher

Time Periods:

2010-2020

Places:

United States, University

Shades of Milk and Honey

Cover art for Shades of Milk and Honey
by Mary Robinette Kowal

Series:

Glamourist Histories

Genres:

Fantasy of manners, Regency romance

Tropes:

Magical society

Characters:

Magic user

Time Periods:

1800-1810, Regency Era

Places:

England

Tooth and Claw

Cover art for Tooth and Claw
by Jo Walton

Series:

Genres:

Fantasy of manners

Tropes:

Complicated inheritance

Characters:

Dragon characters

Time Periods:

Victorian Era

Places:

Trade Me

Cover art for Trade Me
by Courtney Milan

Series:

Cyclone

Genres:

Contemporary romance, New adult fiction

Tropes:

Celebrity relationships, Fake dating, Life swap, Prince(ss) and pauper, Transactional relationship

Characters:

Athlete, Billionaire, Characters in their 20s, Characters with eating disorders, Chinese American main character(s), College student, Straight main character(s), Trans woman side character

Time Periods:

2010-2020

Places:

California, College

The Duke Who Didn’t

Cover art for The Duke Who Didn’t
by Courtney Milan

Series:

The Wedgeford Trials

Genres:

Victorian romance

Tropes:

Childhood friends, Friends to lovers, Secret identity

Characters:

Characters in their 20s, Chinese diasporic main character(s), Entrepreneur, Nobility

Time Periods:

1890-1900

Places:

England

The Goblin Emperor

Cover art for The Goblin Emperor
by Katherine Addison

Series:

The Goblin Emperor

Genres:

Fantasy, Fantasy of manners, Gaslamp fantasy

Tropes:

Assassination, Dysfunctional family, Fealty, Forgotten heir, Mystery plot, Politics

Characters:

Character(s) with PTSD, Characters in their late teens, Introverted main character(s), Royalty, Straight main character

Time Periods:

Places:

Secondary World

Banana Fish, Vol. 1

by Akimi Yoshida, Matt Thorn (Translator)

Series:

Banana Fish

Genres:

Conspiracy thriller

Tropes:

Betrayal, Conspiracy, Fish out of water, Hostage situation, Organized crime

Characters:

Adult characters, American main character, East Asian main character(s), Gangster, Photographer, Teen main character(s)

Time Periods:

1980s

Places:

New York City

You Could Make a Life

Cover art for You Could Make a Life
by Taylor Fitzpatrick

Series:

Genres:

Contemporary romance, Romance, Sports fiction, Sports romance

Tropes:

Friends to lovers, Men loving men, Sports teams

Characters:

Adult characters, Hockey player, New adult main characters

Time Periods:

2000s, 2010-2020

Places:

Canada, Toronto

A Hero Born

by Anna Holmwood (Translator), Jin Yong

Series:

Legends of the Condor Heroes, The Condor Trilogy

Genres:

Family saga, Wuxia

Tropes:

Arranged marriage, Band of misfits, Coming of age, Dysfunctional family, Fish out of water, Playing the long game, Shoot first ask questions later, Time skip

Characters:

Adult characters, Child characters, Daoist priest, East Asian main character(s), Martial artist, Oblivious hero, Teen main character(s)

Time Periods:

Jin Dynasty, Southern Song Dynasty

Places:

China, Mongolia

Anyone But You

by Jennifer Crusie

Series:

Genres:

Contemporary romance

Tropes:

Age Difference, Bonding over dogs, Dog characters, Friends to lovers, Neighbors, Pining

Characters:

Characters in their 30s, Characters in their 40s, Divorced main character, Doctor, Straight main character(s), White/European diasporic main character(s)

Time Periods:

1990s

Places:

Ohio

A Marvellous Light

Cover art for A Marvellous Light
by Freya Marske

Series:

The Last Binding

Genres:

Fantasy of manners, Gaslamp fantasy

Tropes:

Dysfunctional family, Enemies to lovers, Grumpy/sunshine, Magical mystery, Magical society, Men loving men, Secret society

Characters:

Characters in their 20s, Mage, Queer main character(s), White/European main character(s)

Time Periods:

1900-1910

Places:

England

Infomocracy

Cover art for Infomocracy
by Malka Ann Older

Series:

Infomocracy

Genres:

Near future science fiction, Political thriller, Science fiction

Tropes:

Corporate overreach, Dystopia

Characters:

Time Periods:

Short-Term Future

Places:

Peter Cabot Gets Lost

Cover art for Peter Cabot Gets Lost
by Cat Sebastian

Series:

The Cabots (Cat Sebastian)

Genres:

Historical romance

Tropes:

Grumpy/sunshine, Men loving men, Only one bed, Prince(ss) and pauper, Road trip

Characters:

Characters in their 20s, New adult main characters, White/European diasporic main character(s)

Time Periods:

1960s

Places:

United States

Spelunking Through Hell: A Visitor’s Guide to the Underworld

Cover art for Spelunking Through Hell: A Visitor's Guide to the Underworld
by Seanan McGuire

Series:

InCryptid

Genres:

Urban fantasy

Tropes:

Interdimensional travel

Characters:

Ageless or immortal characters, Bounty hunter, Mage, Straight main character(s), Warrior, White/European diasporic main character(s)

Time Periods:

2010-2020

Places:

Alternate dimension, Fictional planet, Michigan

The Devil You Know

Cover art for The Devil You Know
by Kit Rocha

Series:

Mercenary Librarians

Genres:

Post-apocalyptic fiction, Science fiction romance

Tropes:

Corporate overreach, Dystopia, Found family

Characters:

Time Periods:

Short-Term Future

Places:

American South

The Long Game

Cover art for The Long Game
by Rachel Reid

Series:

Game Changers

Genres:

Contemporary romance, Hockey romance, Sports romance

Tropes:

Coming out, Enemies to lovers, Long distance relationship, Rivals to lovers, Secret relationship

Characters:

Bisexual main character(s), Closeted main character(s), East Asian main character(s), Hockey player, Russian main character

Time Periods:

2020-2030

Places:

Boston, Montreal, Toronto
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This is an academic research project on crowdsourced tagging and building a vocabulary for fiction.

How does this work?

  1. Add books to our database, if the book you want to tag isn’t already there. You can import your books from StoryGraph or Goodreads if you want to save time.
  2. Add tags to the books. Your tag set is your own, and you’ll be able to come back and edit it if you want. Other taggers can’t view your tag set or overwrite your tags.
  3. View the book, and use the tags to see what other books share your favorite tropes and characters!
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