Everyone loves a smart ass. Whether it’s Loki from Norse mythology or Deadpool and his wise-cracking girlfriend Vanessa, tricksters are an important archetype. In novels, they lend a sense of unpredictability to the plot and in myth they challenge accepted norms, even gender norms. They teach us that human beings can survive by their wits. That can be reassuring during a time when the use of money and power—both physical and political—are in the forefront of everyone’s minds.
Tricksters are the vehicle through which human beings question and sometimes mock authority and the status quo. They’re quintessential rule breakers and can take the place of the hero or the villain—in some cases, they occupy both roles at the same time.
