"Troll Bridge" is a Discworld short story by Terry Pratchett, featuring the aging barbarian Cohen the Barbarian, who seeks to prove his mettle by fighting a troll under a bridge, only to find the troll is a family man with a dissatisfied wife and a bored son, subverting the classic fantasy trope. Published in 1992 for the anthology After the King: Stories in Honour of J.R.R. Tolkien, the story is a humorous and poignant deconstruction of fantasy tropes, exploring themes of aging and changing times, and was adapted into a fan-funded short film.
Description:
"Troll Bridge" is a Discworld short story by Terry Pratchett, featuring the aging barbarian Cohen the Barbarian, who seeks to prove his mettle by fighting a troll under a bridge, only to find the troll is a family man with a dissatisfied wife and a bored son, subverting the classic fantasy trope. Published in 1992 for the anthology After the King: Stories in Honour of J.R.R. Tolkien, the story is a humorous and poignant deconstruction of fantasy tropes, exploring themes of aging and changing times, and was adapted into a fan-funded short film.