History Literature / SomethingWickedThisWayComes

* AwesomeMcCoolName: "Jim Moriarty Nightshade", anyone?
** {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d by Mr. Dark, who suggests a WeCanRuleTogether of "Dark and Nightshade, or Nightshade and Dark."

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Something_wicked_this_way_comes_first_8223.jpg]]

* AdultFear: Mr. Dark [[FlawExploitation exploits]] all of the character's secret fears and desires. For example, Mr. Dark attacks Mr. Halloway's regret of being an old father, and dying before his son can grow up.

* AdaptationalHeroism: In the film, Tom Fury, the lightning rods salesman, escapes from Mr. Dark and kills the Dust Witch with a lightning rod. In the novel, he's turned into a dwarf enslaved to Mr. Dark and the Carnival and remains a passive victim for the rest of the story.

* CircusOfFear: A very influential version of this trope; most modern versions owe something to this story. The book is about 13-year-old best friends, Jim Nightshade and William Halloway, and their nightmarish experience with a traveling carnival that comes to their Midwestern town one October, and how the boys learn about combatting fear. The carnival's leader is the mysterious "Mr. Dark," who seemingly wields the power to grant the citizenry's secret desires. In reality, Dark is [[spoiler: a malevolent being who, like the carnival, lives off the life force of those they enslave]].

* [[CircusOfFear]]/[[CircusOfMagic]]: A very influential version of this trope; most modern versions owe something to this story. The book is about 13-year-old best friends, Jim Nightshade and William Halloway, and their nightmarish experience with a traveling carnival that comes to their Midwestern town one October, and how the boys learn about combatting fear. The carnival's leader is the mysterious "Mr. Dark," who seemingly wields the power to grant the citizenry's secret desires. In reality, Dark is [[spoiler: a malevolent being who, like the carnival, lives off the life force of those they enslave]].

* CircusOfFear/CircusOfMagic: A very influential version of this trope; most modern versions owe something to this story. The book is about 13-year-old best friends, Jim Nightshade and William Halloway, and their nightmarish experience with a traveling carnival that comes to their Midwestern town one October, and how the boys learn about combatting fear. The carnival's leader is the mysterious "Mr. Dark," who seemingly wields the power to grant the citizenry's secret desires. In reality, Dark is [[spoiler: a malevolent being who, like the carnival, lives off the life force of those they enslave]].

* CircusOfFear: A very influential version of this trope; most modern versions owe something to this story.
* CircusOfMagic: The book is about 13-year-old best friends, Jim Nightshade and William Halloway, and their nightmarish experience with a traveling carnival that comes to their Midwestern town one October, and how the boys learn about combatting fear. The carnival's leader is the mysterious "Mr. Dark," who seemingly wields the power to grant the citizenry's secret desires. In reality, Dark is a malevolent being who, like the carnival, lives off the life force of those they enslave.

* AdaptationalHeroism: In the film, Tom Fury, the lightning rods salesman, escapes from Mr. Dark and kills the Dust Witch with a lightning rod. In the novel, he's turned into a dwarf enslaved to Mr. Dark and the Carnival and remains in that state.

* AnimatedTattoo: Mr. Dark has tattoos that moved and mesmerized Jim and Will in ''Literature/SomethingWickedThisWayComes''. It was depicted perfectly in the film. It might be an example of AuthorAppeal considering Bradbury's [[Literature/TheIllustratedMan more famous work]].

* AnimatedTattoos: Mr. Dark has tattoos that moved and mesmerized Jim and Will in ''Literature/SomethingWickedThisWayComes''. It was depicted perfectly in the film. It might be an example of AuthorAppeal considering Bradbury's [[Literature/TheIllustratedMan more famous work]].

A novel by Creator/RayBradbury, somewhat of an expansion of "The Black Ferris", one of his earlier short stories. The story is more fantasy/horror than science fiction but still has his SignatureStyle all over it. Disney produced a film adaptation from a script written by Bradbury himself starring Jason Robards as Charles Holloway and Creator/JonathanPryce as Mr. Dark.

* BirthdayBuddies: Will and Jim were born on two different dates two minutes apart (immediately before and after midnight, October 30th and 31st) and have been celebrating together their entire lives.
-->Each year Will lit the candles on a single cake at one minute to midnight. Jim, at one minute after, with the last day of the month begun, blew them out.

* BirthdayBuddies: Will and Jim, next-door neighbors from birth, were born on two different dates two minutes apart (immediately before and after midnight, October 30th and 31st) and have been celebrating together their entire lives.

* BadassBookworm: Charles Halloway, who could also be called a [[BadassGrandpa Badass Grandfatherly-Looking Father]].

A novel by Creator/RayBradbury, somewhat of an expansion of "The Black Ferris", one of his earlier short stories. The story is more fantasy/horror than science fiction but still has his SignatureStyle all over it. Disney produced a film adaptation from a script written by Bradbury himself.

* IJustWantToBeSpecial: Downplayed with the three protagonists. Jim can't wait to grow up and enjoy the sense of freedom he's convinced it will bring. Will wants Jim's single-minded and [[TheStoic Stoic]] drive. Charles had wasted a large portion of his life ''trying'' to be what he considered "special"; now, he just wants to be young again like Will and Jim. [[spoiler: Will and Charles get over this and accept themselves well before the climax. Jim... [[TheCorruptible doesn't]].