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Hero

P

Prolixic

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Who's your favorite? (You know, good guy, the winner, the one who gets the girl/guy, the last man standing, etc.--literary protagonist.);)
 
Most of the characters Clint Eastwood plays, especially Dirty Harry and the man with no name.

It's hard to pick a favorite. Most heroes in modern fiction aren't that heroic or interesting.

I remember identifying with the Can 'o beans from Skinny Legs and All by Tom Robbins, but there was an ensemble cast in that book.

I like Samson from the book of Kings. Kind of an anti-hero.

I like the heroes in most Philip Dick books. They are always gritty and real but get mixed up in adventures. They are easy to identify with, (in some cases).
 
I'm sorry, I just left out some of my favorites.

I like Call from Lonesome Dove

and The Brave Cowboy from The Brave Cowboy by Edward Abbey. I can't remember his name though. Neat book. Kind of like the movie First Blood in theme. I read it during my Western phase.
 
Manuel O'Kelley Davis, the Moon Is A Harsh Mistress. Took the bull by the horns and did what was right. He was a pretty normal Joe, too, which is always a plus. No super powers, no super intellect, just did what needed to be done.

A close second is Corwin from Zelazny's Amber series. This guy acted like a complete reprobate but his time spent here on this Earth changed him a bit. He ended up saving the day because of it.

Perhaps my favorite Fantasy hero is Karl Cullinane from Joel Rosenberg's Guardians of the Flame Series. Read it and you'll see why...just a plain old ordinary professional swordsman who decides to end slavery in a world that puts no value whatsoever on human life...just a price. (I mean yeah, Frodo's great, and Gandalf, but you know, It's Karl...;) )
 
Looks like another conversation on this board....
What about the hero that evolves in an unpredictable way and of whic story made him 'change', 'hide'. 'disappear', not being 'coherent' with a superhero thing? Kevin Spacey in the 'Usual Suspects' and in 'Seven'? Matthew MacConaughey in 'Frailty'?

Morry
:) :)
 
Noting that this is the SF & F section, I am going to restrict my selections to:
The Great and Powerful Turtle - From George R R Martin's Wild Cards mosaic novels. Flies an armour plated VW Beetle using his mind.
Tabitha Jute - From Colin Greenland's Take Back Plenty Star freighter captain that takes on a weird crew and aliens.
 
I have just graduated with a degree in Ancient History, my dissertation was actually on heroes. Certainly in this genre one would think of Aragorn from Lord of the Rings, but I would urge anyone to read the ILiad. Certainly Fagle's translation is the best and truest to Homer's epic poem, but the story is equal to none. What makes it so interesting is that there is no real hero or villain there is just opposition/enemy. Off coarse most have a passing knowledge of Achilles, Ajax, Odysseus but it is the ill fated Trojan Hector that many, including myself, believe to be the truest example of a hero in both the modern and ancient definitions. Read the Iliad/Odyssey/Aeneid.
 
From Dune:
As for men: Duncan Idaho, Paul Atreides and his son in Dune
For women: Chani


From Perez-Reverte:
Corso
The young girl
The swordmaster
The old priest in the Sevilla communion






Morry;)
 
I wonder why you like Paul so much. I agree that at the beginning of the book he is a nice character, but as the story unfolds he is becoming more and more ruthless in his fight for the throne, isn't he?
 
Yep in Dune the 1st book... In fact for Dune I was kinda meaning the whole cycle of Dune, i.e. Dune, Dune Messiah, Children of Dune, God-Emperor of Dune, The Heretics of Dune and Chapterhouse Dune
In the next volumes Paul (2 and3) becomes absolutely fascinating... As for Duncan he is the most interesting bit of the last 3 although Leto II is an interesting obsessively present shadow as well but I really like him in God-Emperor when he is giving its humanity back to humans by retransfering authority and power in more human hands. Well that's saying it all, I love Dune...

Morry;)
 
O. K. Thanks for clearing it out, Morry. I've only lately started Children of Dune, so I obviously didn't get to the point where Paul becomes fascinating. I still don't know what to think about his new, how to say this, way of life.
 
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