I’d love to tell you about my short story and novel writing, but this isn’t about me. It’s about you. That is, if you ever intend to write science fiction, read a book, or watch a movie ... or a TV show.
Repeat after me: “Holy cow! I need to drop everything and tune into this right now!”
Whether you are a writer or a reader, every story must revolve around character and character change. That’s what helps us understand ourselves and what it means to be human. Now, for this to be super useful, I will hit a few characterization basics on the way to naming some examples of my favorite characters from various books, TV, and film.
In my River of Light series, Janek Larrivay has become one of my favorite characters. Lissaya Anning (aka “Hipshot”) anchors an all-women heist crew in the same fictional universe, and I always enjoy her exciting capers. Daryle Chantree is steadily maturing and showing more leadership as a young Navy officer in my Time Wing Six series. In some ways, I want to believe these people live in an alternate reality all their own.
I also love showcasing new alien or “exotic” species. This often helps my characters understand humanity’s place in the universe. In this regard, the O.C.E.A.N. series of personality spectra can be an influential touchstone. I stumbled across this idea at MindTools. https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCDV_22.htm
OCEAN. is an acronym for Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. After that, I look for variations in Honesty and Values. Oh, and when “auditioning” new characters and aliens for a great story, I often come back to a quote from the Netflix TV series Sense8.
Character Cepheus ‘Van Damme’ Onyango said this offscreen: “Nothing good ever happens when people care more about our differences than the things we share in common.” [Sense8, Sn2.Ep10.] — and I certainly scrambled to make a note of it. Not to worry, I expect to discuss how I “design” my aliens in a future blog.
While keeping each of my characters’ flaws, misbeliefs, and evolving goals in mind, I center plot decisions on external obstacles. And I mean horrible ordeals that gradually draw out the character change or choice that lets them come sideways at the enemy with their bold and innovative, new plan of action.
Some of the universal lessons my storylines contain require conquering fear and finding courage. This often entails survival issues, learning to trust, and standing up for a cause. In most cases, my secondary characters represent some aspect of each story’s theme. In each scene, I like to track how the POV character sees him- or herself after each turning point.
Here are some examples of my favorite characters from genre fiction. With one exception: the links lead to the eBook on Amazon.
Here are some examples of my favorite characters from genre fiction. With one exception: the links lead to the eBook on Amazon.
- Donel Aspic, the Hegemony Consul in Dan Simmons’ Hyperion.
- Paul Atreides/Muad’Dib in Frank Herbert’s Dune.
- Tom Bartlett in Robert Heinlein’s Time for the Stars.
- Leisha Camden in Nancy Kress’ Beggars in Spain.
- Corwin in Roger Zelazny’s Chronicles of Amber.
- Captain Creideiki in David Brin’s Startide Rising.
- Kinnall Darival in Robert Silverberg’s A Time of Changes.
- Dua in Isaac Asimov’s The Gods Themselves (The middle third of this book is awesome!).
- Erasmus in Neal Stephenson’s Anathem.
- Garion in David Eddings’ Pawn of Prophecy.
- Herrin in C.J. Cherryh’s Wave Without a Shore.
- Karou in Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone.
- Kevin Laine in Guy Gavriel Kay’s The Summer Tree.
- Kitty McCulley in Elizabeth Ann Scarborough’s The Healer’s War.
- Elizabeth Orme in Julian May’s The Many-Colored Land.
- Koot Hoomie Parganas in Tim Powers’ Expiration Date.
- Kleph Sancisco in C.L. Moore’s Vintage Season.
- Severian in Gene Wolfe’s The Book of the New Sun series.
- Shevek in Ursula K. LeGuin’s The Dispossessed.
- Stavia in Sheri S. Tepper’s The Gate to Women’s Country.
- Pham Trinli (Pham Nuwen) in Vernor Vinge’s A Deepness in the Sky.
- Ender Wiggin in Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game.
- Luis Gridley Wu in Larry Niven’s Ringworld.
Next time: my favorite TV characters! I’d love to hear your feelings about these people and about any sci-fi novel you love.