Author, writer, and producer Joel Eisenberg believes that when fantasy is done right, it’s not “so far out there.” Fantasy expresses great truths about who we are, where we are going, how we got here, and what happens next, he says. Archetypes and popular tropes in fantasy and sci-fi ensure that the stories stay relevant. Archetypes are typical characters, actions, situations that seems to represent universal patterns, while tropes are commonly recurring literary devices, motifs or clichés. Eisenberg refers to the continued interest in The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Flash Gordon, and Planet of the Apes as evidence that fantasy stories can thrive throughout the decades by featuring memorable, relatable characters.