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Because you don't have to root for the huge army that's supposed to win. Seriana Sedai Send a noteboard - 21/09/2009 04:38:22 AM
It happens in scifi too. I've noticed that the "good guys" always have the smaller army and somehow miraculously they win against the huge evil army. Not to mention that there are not that many battles that the "good guys" lose anyway. It does make it more dramatic but it is getting kind of over used. Here are some examples.
Star Wars
Eragon(like four times or something!)
Lord of the Rings(sort of)
First battle in the Temeraire series(forgot what it was called)
etc.
There are so many examples. Pleasae tell me some books where this doesn't happen. And also how you feel about constantly reading smallerV. Bigger and smaller winning.

Lord of the Rings absolutely, not sort of is how I read it.
But yeah, I don't think it's overused if it's what makes it interesting and involves you. There is something in people that makes us root for the underdog or for people struggling to do the right thing. If the evil isn't super powerful or really overwhelming there is nothing interesting. There is a reason so many Fantasy and Science Fiction hero's are orphans, it's the same idea.
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Ever notice how in fantasy books the smaller army always wins? Murtach74 - 20/09/2009 01:01:18 PM 1341 Views
Re: Ever notice how in fantasy books the smaller army always wins? Dunja - 20/09/2009 01:17:00 PM 950 Views
Well, usually the bigger army are the invaders. Defence tends to have an edge AgentOrange - 20/09/2009 04:38:45 PM 985 Views
It's an essential plot device Tom - 20/09/2009 04:41:04 PM 981 Views
Yeah but... Murtach74 - 20/09/2009 07:38:36 PM 958 Views
I don't quite agree Tom - 21/09/2009 01:22:45 AM 914 Views
I'm sitting here trying to think if I've read any books like that... Brian - 21/09/2009 01:40:08 AM 844 Views
Fail. Seriana Sedai - 21/09/2009 04:43:24 AM 1042 Views
Agreed. Tom - 21/09/2009 04:59:39 AM 929 Views
Well there are plenty of authors not in their right minds Brian - 21/09/2009 05:49:22 PM 859 Views
True. Seriana Sedai - 21/09/2009 06:50:43 PM 941 Views
Hrmm...guess Miéville failed to follow the script then *NM* Larry - 20/09/2009 07:48:29 PM 347 Views
and a lot of others. But there's a rumour somewhere that it's not the size that matters... *NM* jh - 20/09/2009 07:53:41 PM 344 Views
It's still a valid point, even if one author doesn't "follow the script." *NM* Joker - 25/09/2009 12:34:48 AM 397 Views
Re: Ever notice how in fantasy books the smaller army always wins? Handel - 20/09/2009 08:45:48 PM 1105 Views
That, and... Napoleon62 - 20/09/2009 09:08:48 PM 951 Views
Nineteen Eighty-Four, baby! Ghavrel - 20/09/2009 10:37:05 PM 886 Views
That is not even fantasy... Napoleon62 - 21/09/2009 12:00:48 AM 887 Views
IT ISN'T?! *NM* Ghavrel - 21/09/2009 01:42:16 AM 375 Views
Yeah, didn't your dad tell you about the double ungood days of the 80s? *NM* IndigoAjah - 21/09/2009 01:52:46 AM 362 Views
Doubleplusungood. Ghavrel - 25/09/2009 02:09:27 AM 857 Views
Oops, sorry. Probably a thoughtcrime to put a space in. Rebellious waste of... pixels? Space? *NM* IndigoAjah - 25/09/2009 04:26:14 PM 390 Views
I agree. 1984 is not SF-F. *NM* Joker - 25/09/2009 12:36:46 AM 373 Views
Who knew? ¯\(°O)/¯ *NM* Ghavrel - 25/09/2009 02:07:19 AM 359 Views
I... don't know what those symbols mean. *NM* Joker - 26/09/2009 07:04:13 AM 385 Views
All books should have a point, IMO. Otherwise, what's the point in reading them. IndigoAjah - 25/09/2009 04:32:43 PM 960 Views
Nineteen Eighty-Four is unquestionably Science Fiction. *NM* Ghavrel - 26/09/2009 04:12:47 AM 420 Views
No, it's not. ScyFy does not lay claim to anything and everything that takes place... Joker - 26/09/2009 07:05:59 AM 856 Views
It's a novel which heavily relies upon futuristic technology. How is it not Science Fiction? *NM* Ghavrel - 28/09/2009 01:43:23 AM 367 Views
Because it doesn't have lasers or time-travel in it IndigoAjah - 28/09/2009 02:15:18 AM 862 Views
I read it years ago and I don't remember any futuristic technology except... Joker - 28/09/2009 04:16:21 AM 955 Views
I would say that if a story uses that sort of thing, it has a science fiction element. Ghavrel - 28/09/2009 05:20:39 AM 740 Views
Wheel of Time? Werthead - 20/09/2009 11:52:36 PM 870 Views
I have not found that to be always true IndigoAjah - 21/09/2009 12:52:00 AM 839 Views
The smaller army doesn't always win Tashmere - 21/09/2009 02:47:07 AM 857 Views
Because you don't have to root for the huge army that's supposed to win. Seriana Sedai - 21/09/2009 04:38:22 AM 914 Views
everybody loves an under dog *NM* random thoughts - 21/09/2009 03:51:12 PM 377 Views
Pratchett makes much of this. *NM* Camilla - 21/09/2009 04:11:04 PM 396 Views
"You can take our lives, but you can never take our freedom!" "...wrong!" *NM* Ghavrel - 21/09/2009 11:02:25 PM 334 Views
Exactly what I was going to say Floffe - 27/09/2009 02:55:02 PM 1042 Views
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