Discussion Main / TheWormGuy

I'm not sure. The titles to me are most helpful when they point to a key and memorable instance of the trope involved, regardless of the recognition factor. However, that's a personal perspective, unrelated to any site-wide drives.

This title, for example - I didn't recognize the worm guy reference, but after the first few paragraphs was caught up with the gist of it, and found the story to be instructive in what this trope is about. Worm guy studied worms, tiny ground-dwellers (perfect symbolism for that which is overlooked by most), and the name itself represents worm guy's name being forgotten.

I guess as an alternative this could be titled, "Metaphorically Myopic Scientist Saves The Whole Damn Day After Terrible Ordeal Whereby They Are Abducted Into Some Military Or Other Hierarchical Institution Only To Be Ignored For What Seemed Like Hours".

Military people collecting oddball, esoteric-focus scientists only to ignore them right up until they "I was right all along!" their way into success perhaps is maybe too specific.

It really is a frankentrope, isn't it. Composed of "Science Hero" + "Unlikely Hero" + "Wise Council Ignored" + "Reluctant Mad Scientist" (see the neutral will-work-for-food-and-funding "morality") + some kind of military abduction, no-civilians-anymore, post-WWII "homefront" mentality.

There is a fine line between enough specificity to be a trope distinct from others, and too much specificity to be a trope worth mentioning, but I guess I would cut out at least one main criterion (or demote it to defining some sub-trope), whether that be the military abduction part, or the "turns out to be correct" part. Perhaps it could just be about scientists being absconded away into larger institutions in situations of dubious consent.

One last try at renaming it:

"Suddenly Relevant Special Interest Captive Scientist"

"Scientist As Pokémon For Institutions"

"Battle Boffins"

"The Worm Guy II"