Researching sci-fi cliches is like a black hole

Oops sorry, I have not posted for a few days- have been making the most of the Autumn sunshine.

Some people pointed out that some of the sci-fi cliches in the last post were tropes.

So I decided to narrow the field to Space opera plot cliches.
There were too many and I am getting sucked in to a black hole of despair rather than learning anything new.

So I narrowed down to space adventure as this is what I am planning to write, or is it a mystery?
There are still too many cliches or tropes to avoid my head is spinning and I am not able to list them here.

I have decided this is not helpful research as I am never going to avoid them all in my writing.

I tried a new tack - what is great space adventure writing?
There is not a huge amount of advice but it needs 
Big emotions
Personal stakes
Great characters
Fantasy/ sci-fi crossover
A reason it cannot be an adventure on earth.

I also found an interesting blog by Charlie Jane Anders where she mentions not using the term 'spaceship', not using warp speed and finding other ways apart from cryo-technology to expand lifespans. 

The more I read the more I think my story is a mystery adventure set in the vastness of space rather than sci-fi and that I should just get on and write it. It is definitely a fantasy / sci-fi cross over. :)
I can worry about cliches when I edit.