[BoxingGriffin]

After reading some of the posts/reviews of Robin Hobb's Farseer trilogy, I get the feeling than many people did not enjoy it because the "hero" of the story, FitzChivalry, isn't exactly stereotypical Hero material. He's hurt, sick, or being stepped on pretty much constantly. He fails to stand up for himself when he gets the shaft. He whines and sometimes doesn't make the best decisions. He doesn't even get credit for his good decisions.

But does a hero have to be the strong, the smart, and the highly acclaimed? Maybe a hero should be more true to life - more human? Certainly in this world heros get hurt, and stepped on, and sometimes don't get credit where credit is due.

What are your opinions? What exactly makes a character a hero? Does the hero have to be immune to the problems we face, or can he/she be affected just like us?

[mul]

Interesting question. Making a hero vulnerable, flawed, and unimpressive - would seem the prudent thing to do in literary terms. However, is that who you want to read about? I have relatively simple tastes - I like archtypes. An honorable, unyielding, uncompromising hero determined to do what is required of him despite the dangers to himself is mighty hard for me to dislike.

My current Top of the List hero is David Gemmell's Jerusalem Man, Jon Shannow. As far as heroes go, this character is right up my alley.

[Thom]

Gemmell really writes his heros well. Some of his heroes are good and heroic but a lot of them don't want to be an hero. Waylander, Connavar and that girl in Ironhand's daughter (can't remember her name) are good examples.

[Cygnus]

I like "heros" to be like Fitz. I feel more in tune with them than the typical hero because I'm as far from that as can be! I can empathize more with the downtrodden then the glowing and mighty. I like to see ordinary characters excel because it makes me feel better about my own chances (I know, it's silly but true!).

Before someone calls me out as a hypocrite I will say that my one exception to this rule is Thomas Covenant. That is one guy I never learned to empathize with.

[estranghero]

One man:

Caine of Heroes Die and Blade of Tyshalle.

[ChrisW]

isnt that two?

[estranghero]

Huh?

I said one man: Caine.

I like the fact that Caine can give as good as he can get against his enemies. That he can be indecisive as the next whiny hero but when it comes down to the grind, he won't be pulling his punches. That he can take punishment from gods, sorcerers, and other powerful beings and he can come back inflict a world of pain to these people and still remain very mortal.

You could say Caine's character treads the fine line between archtypes and the current literary hero (i.e. vulnerable, flawed, and unimpressive).

If you wanna know what I mean, go and read the book. http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/wink.gif

[BoxingGriffin]

Enstrang...Is that Matthew W. Stover? I've always wanted to read his stuff.

One hero popped into my head when I read your post - Cort(?) the Gunslinger from the Dark Tower books. There's a bad*** man that can take a punch and keep boxing!

[ChrisW]

oh those are two books.

[estranghero]

BG: Yup, Stover's books. Go read 'em. Good stuff.

Btw, where is Cort mentioned? Is that from Wizard and Glass? Haven't read that one yet though it's on the to-read pile.

Caldazar: http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif