I had a vague idea for a third (yes third) book, but its set in a post-apocalyptic world. Would this be a good idea or should I portray it differently? Sorry if this is in the wrong forum section, I thought it fit best here, either that or general.
Not really. Just like stories situated in the present or the past aren't cliche even though countless books take place in big historical events, or just some time in the present.
From the link above, it looked like cliche and cliched are both going to be OK with most people. "Though cliche came into English as a noun, it retains its French form -- and that form is a past participle, perfectly happy to be used as an adjective. English is full of such French words, some used as nouns (divorcee, souffle, negligee), others as adjectives (passe, flambe)." The adjectival "cliche" seems to be dominant in usage now, if the graph at the link above can be believed.
I don't think it would be cliche at all depending on how you write it. Even a "cliche" idea could be original depending on the perspective you put on it.
Post apocalyptic stories are a dime a dozen, just like vampire stories and zombie stories and two guys want the same girl stories and dragon stories and dystopia stories and [fill in the blank] stories. But that isn't a problem if you write the right story. It's how you write it, what you make of it, what story you tell with the world you want to tell it in that matters.
"By now, I think, "so cliche" seems normal to a lot of younger speakers and writers." It's fingernails down a chalkboard to me. Damned whippersnappers.
I don't think it's quite a cliche, but I do think it's becoming rather tired. Unless you can do something interesting, like displaying one that isn't a post-nuclear, burned landscape or something.
People who enjoy post apocalyptic stories won't care if post apocalyptic stories are cliche because they enjoy those stories. They only care as to whether or not it's a good one. The only people who are going to complain and think "not another pos apocalyptic story?!" Are going to be people who don't really read those stories all that much. It's like if I complain about there being yet another fantasy story even though I love fantasy. Though I might have a problem with certain types... But not because it's fantasy. Just worry about writing a good story.
Man I hope not because I'm writing one. I mean you can claim any setting is tired and overdone 'cause we've all read tons of high fantasy books with elves and urban fantasies with vampires and sci-fi schlock with robots and forehead aliens. Write something good. Try to approach it from an uncommon angle, sure - hey, my apocalypse was caused by freaky abominations from beyond space and time. But mainly write whatever you want as long as it's good. No pressure, right?
Post apocalypse genre...there's sport to be had here. You could write an entertaining piece and be very successful just heaping in every so-called '.........' can't say the word, it's very tiresome. So we have nuclear bomb, zombies, a filthy chap who whips ladies bottoms and then a wizard boy scarred over the forehead all crammed into a rubber dinghy, the Pacific plus coconut head, when an enormous shark, call him Paws, a shark with mittens, swallows the dinghy and the skipper says 'There she blows, the horror, the horror,' END.
I don't think the setting in and of itself is a cliché. Perhaps having a rag-tag group survive a war between two tribes or something could be. Either way, these novels have a huge fanbase, so if you manage to throw something fresh in the mix and write it well, I'm sure it will find readers.
I thought I double posted earlier because the forum glitched out but now I don't see my original post, which was: It doesn't matter how cliched something is percieved to be, you can always make it unique. The possibilities of what that "post-apocalyptic" world could actually be are endless.
I feel that in nearly every sense at least someone will feel your story is cliche, but those type of people might also be idiots. If someone is interested in that type of theme they are going to enjoy your story regardless of whether they've seen a story like it many times before. That's why high fantasy and spaceship sci-fi books still sell, a 'cliche' idea doesn't necessarily devalue the concept.
