There's no suspense if the bigger army wins. It's somewhat expected. The only way that you could build suspense regarding the bigger army is if you incorporated some factor that would make it seem like the bigger army had no chance - such as millions of sword-wielding knights against two aliens in flying saucers with laser guns.
Political correctness is the pettiest form of casuistry.
ἡ δὲ κἀκ τριῶν τρυπημάτων ἐργαζομένη ἐνεκάλει τῇ φύσει, δυσφορουμένη, ὅτι δὴ μὴ καὶ τοὺς τιτθοὺς αὐτῇ εὐρύτερον ἢ νῦν εἰσι τρυπώη, ὅπως καὶ ἄλλην ἐνταῦθα μίξιν ἐπιτεχνᾶσθαι δυνατὴ εἴη. – Procopius
Ummaka qinnassa nīk!
*MySmiley*
ἡ δὲ κἀκ τριῶν τρυπημάτων ἐργαζομένη ἐνεκάλει τῇ φύσει, δυσφορουμένη, ὅτι δὴ μὴ καὶ τοὺς τιτθοὺς αὐτῇ εὐρύτερον ἢ νῦν εἰσι τρυπώη, ὅπως καὶ ἄλλην ἐνταῦθα μίξιν ἐπιτεχνᾶσθαι δυνατὴ εἴη. – Procopius
Ummaka qinnassa nīk!
*MySmiley*
Ever notice how in fantasy books the smaller army always wins?
- 20/09/2009 01:01:18 PM
1222 Views
Re: Ever notice how in fantasy books the smaller army always wins?
- 20/09/2009 01:17:00 PM
840 Views
Well, usually the bigger army are the invaders. Defence tends to have an edge
- 20/09/2009 04:38:45 PM
877 Views
It's an essential plot device
- 20/09/2009 04:41:04 PM
882 Views
Yeah but...
- 20/09/2009 07:38:36 PM
845 Views
I don't quite agree
- 21/09/2009 01:22:45 AM
789 Views
I'm sitting here trying to think if I've read any books like that...
- 21/09/2009 01:40:08 AM
718 Views
Fail. 
- 21/09/2009 04:43:24 AM
933 Views
- 21/09/2009 04:43:24 AM
933 Views
Hrmm...guess Miéville failed to follow the script then *NM*
- 20/09/2009 07:48:29 PM
300 Views
and a lot of others. But there's a rumour somewhere that it's not the size that matters... *NM*
- 20/09/2009 07:53:41 PM
297 Views
It's still a valid point, even if one author doesn't "follow the script." *NM*
- 25/09/2009 12:34:48 AM
352 Views
Re: Ever notice how in fantasy books the smaller army always wins?
- 20/09/2009 08:45:48 PM
984 Views
That, and...
- 20/09/2009 09:08:48 PM
844 Views
Nineteen Eighty-Four, baby!
- 20/09/2009 10:37:05 PM
778 Views
That is not even fantasy...
- 21/09/2009 12:00:48 AM
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IT ISN'T?! *NM*
- 21/09/2009 01:42:16 AM
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Yeah, didn't your dad tell you about the double ungood days of the 80s? *NM*
- 21/09/2009 01:52:46 AM
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Doubleplusungood.
- 25/09/2009 02:09:27 AM
777 Views
Oops, sorry. Probably a thoughtcrime to put a space in. Rebellious waste of... pixels? Space? *NM*
- 25/09/2009 04:26:14 PM
340 Views
I agree. 1984 is not SF-F. *NM*
- 25/09/2009 12:36:46 AM
327 Views
All books should have a point, IMO. Otherwise, what's the point in reading them.
- 25/09/2009 04:32:43 PM
855 Views
Nineteen Eighty-Four is unquestionably Science Fiction. *NM*
- 26/09/2009 04:12:47 AM
378 Views
No, it's not. ScyFy does not lay claim to anything and everything that takes place...
- 26/09/2009 07:05:59 AM
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It's a novel which heavily relies upon futuristic technology. How is it not Science Fiction? *NM*
- 28/09/2009 01:43:23 AM
320 Views
I read it years ago and I don't remember any futuristic technology except...
- 28/09/2009 04:16:21 AM
826 Views
I would say that if a story uses that sort of thing, it has a science fiction element.
- 28/09/2009 05:20:39 AM
625 Views
Because you don't have to root for the huge army that's supposed to win.
- 21/09/2009 04:38:22 AM
798 Views
Pratchett makes much of this. *NM*
- 21/09/2009 04:11:04 PM
349 Views
"You can take our lives, but you can never take our freedom!" "...wrong!" *NM*
- 21/09/2009 11:02:25 PM
282 Views