Comment by rpmisms

There is a strain of science fiction where the human protagonist (usually a white male) (possibly a boy from backwoods moisture farm) saves the universe, (including all the other dumb luckless species). A notorious example is Battlefield Earth.

However in this example the contribution of the alien, not just to the whole saving the universe business, but to the actual story, the book, was huge.

It’s a description of a common Hollywood trope (or used to be), like the ‘magical negro’ [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magical_Negro].

Hard not to see once you know about them, and they are indeed common.

But what should replace it? Good Nuanced writing? Good luck with that!