StarChan: But there's another trope she used, that of 'good vs evil' which seems to be another of those ingredients for success, unfortunately. (Unfortunately because it confirms an age-old us vs them type of thinking we should have outgrown.)
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4. Keep it simple.
Yes and no. While it is true that there is a 'good vs. evil' conflict that isn't all
that complex, it's not as simple as it appears at first sight either. There are some clichéd characters, but I wouldn't say that on the whole the novels promote an "us vs. them type of thinking we should have outgrown". They actually go out of their way to show that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, that there's good in who you thought were "them/evil", and bad sides to the behaviour and thinking of "us/good". And most characters do have reasons for what they're doing. On the other hand, sometimes you just can't relativize anymore, sometimes it
is "us vs. them", not for who "they" are but for the inexcusable things "they" choose to do.