The Best Science Fiction Character of ALL TIME - Science Fiction Fantasy Chronicles: forums

GrownUp · 27th March 2005, 04:03 PM

It is high time this was sorted out. After all, they'e been showing on (British) television interminable Top Tens and Top One Hundreds about many lesser issues, like best adverts and best music videos and best sex scenes, I mean good grief.

This is not an issue I come to lightly. Indeed, I have no resolution on the subject. Well, yes I do, Obi Wan Kenobi.

But feel free to change my mind.

We'd best do a shortlist, and then a poll, which'll result in a Top Ten.

Tsujigiri · 27th March 2005, 04:33 PM

Best in a book: Joshua Calvert (Nights Dawn Trilogy)

Best in a film: Han Solo

Best in General: Han Solo....gotta love his attitude

dwndrgn · 27th March 2005, 05:05 PM

There are so many to choose from! I'd say that from books there is a tie for me between Gabaldon's Jamie Fraser and Brooks' Panamon Creel.

From movies it would have to be The Drunken Master..oh..not fantasy or scifi. How about R2 D2.

GrownUp · 28th March 2005, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tsujigiri

Best in a book: Joshua Calvert (Nights Dawn Trilogy)

Best in a film: Han Solo

Best in General: Han Solo....gotta love his attitude

How can you say Han Solo is cooler than Obi Wan? I am tempted to take on a martial-arts-ninja stance towards you. Battle-style.

I mean Obi Wan (Alec Guinness). He just looks over in your direction and he rules. And then he has a light sabre! Han Solo has to say something before he's cool. And he never has a light sabre.

He never has a light sabre.

Tsujigiri · 28th March 2005, 11:51 PM

Because Han Solo essentially is a fairly normal guy who still manages to get the girl, helps save the universe, looks good whilst doing it, has a talking and walking carpet for a best friend and owns the Millennium Falcon.

Obi Wan by comparison trained Darth Vader, who is the real hero of the story because lets face it...Luke is a nonce

Winters_Sorrow · 29th March 2005, 02:02 AM

Not sure if this is really in the spirit of this particular thread but my fav sci-fi character was Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. An allegory on the evil men do, but a fascinating creation!

p.s. Tsuji is right - Obi-Wan is rubbish

(strike me down & I'll be more powerful than you can imagine? Did he mean in terms of wattage or something? ~"Clap-on, Clap-off.."~

)

Darken Rahl · 29th March 2005, 02:07 AM

Best scifi character, hmm..... how about Zaphod Beeblebrox? Two heads, three arms, an ego at least the size of a small moon, and he invented the Pangalactic Gargle Blaster. (Anybody got a recipe?)
Best fantasy character........ this gets tougher........ gotta go with Drizzt Do'Urden. A dark elf with a huge heart, badass blades, and a 600 pound panther from the astral plane, the ultimate hero because he is always going to have to prove himself to everyone he meets.
Best villian... me. Evil incarnate, power is all that matters.

Quokka · 29th March 2005, 02:51 AM

Paul Maud'Dib.

and from movies H.R. Giger's Alien, 2 for the price of one

eccles_1960 · 29th March 2005, 12:44 PM

Best in TV?.......The Doctor. The new one looks like a winner.
Best in film?.......Darth Vader.
Best in a fantasy book?..Cohen the Barbarian by Terry Pratchett.
Best in a SciFi book?....Shiplord Straha in the World War series by Harry Turtledove. (I really must hurry up with the review of these that I promised)

knivesout · 29th March 2005, 01:05 PM

Some of my faves:

Hari Seldon (Foundation).
Kerth Gersen (Vance's Demon Princes books).
C'Mell the Girlygirl from Cordwainer Smith's works.

Leto · 29th March 2005, 01:12 PM

My favorites belong to the Atreides females : Jessica, Alia, Chani and Ghanima. Although early novels have men as main characters, women are the real strength of the Dune novels. I personnaly think Alia was the most tragic character of this saga - with her nephew Leto II.

I also have a soft spot for the Grey Mouser from the Lankhmar serie, Tem - a transparent private eye who appear in Les Futurs mystères de Paris - and Maureen Johnson Smith Long from To sail beyond the sunset.

knivesout · 29th March 2005, 01:18 PM

I like the Mouser too, but tend to be precious about blurring between SF and fantasy.

Another character I should mention is Isaac Asimov's detective, Elijah Bailey.

Circus Cranium · 29th March 2005, 02:15 PM

(Because Han Solo essentially is a fairly normal guy who still manages to get the girl, helps save the universe, looks good whilst doing it, has a talking and walking carpet for a best friend and owns the Millennium Falcon.)

Plus he was Indianna Jones in another life.

Jay · 29th March 2005, 02:29 PM

Quote:

but tend to be precious about blurring between SF and fantasy

Agreed. Here's mine, admitedly I am not as veresed in Sci-fi as I am fantasy, but i'm working on it

Strictly Sci-Fi (no particular order):

1. Muad Dibb - Dune - by Frank Herbert
2. Soul Weintaub - Hyperion - Dan Simmons
3. Joshua Calvert - Night's Dawn trlogy - Peter F. Hamilton
4. Ender Wigins - Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card
5. Winston Smith - 1984 - George Orwell
6. Severian - Book of the New Sun - Gene Wolfe
7. tergis Cromis - Virconium - M. John Harrison
8. Sir Richard Francis Burton - Riverworld - Philip Jose Farmer
9. Genly Ai - Left Hand of Darkness - Ursula k. Leguin
10. Mahasamatman - Lord of Light - Roger Zelazny
11. Brendan Doyle - The Anubis Gates- Tim Powers
12. Steerpyke - Gormenghast - Mervyn Peake'
13. Tagomi- The Man in the High Castle - Philip K. Dick
14. Miles Naismith Vorkosigan - Vorksogian - Lois Mcmaster Bujold
15. Guy Montag - Farenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
16. Bernard Marx - Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

(Next 3 If we are calling Mieville Sci-fi)

17. Isaac - Perdido Street Station
18. The Weaver - Perdido Street Station
19. Uther Doul - The Scar
20. Wandering Jew - A Canticle for Leibowitz - Walter M. Miller
21. Kane - by Karl Edward Wagner
22. Kirth Gersen - Demon Princes - Jack Vance
23. Cugel - Dying Earth - Jack Vance

switching to TV for a moment

24. Garrick - Star Trek Deep Space Nine - (I just always thougth he was a great character)
25. Han Solo - StarWars - no explanation needed.

http://fantasybookspot.com

LancerSr · 29th March 2005, 04:22 PM

Science Fiction Character - Ellen Ripley from the Alen movies

Fantasy Character - Raistlin, twin brother of Caramon, Dragonlance Chronicles

27th March 2005, 04:03 PM	#1 (permalink)
GrownUp Registered User Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Cardiff Posts: 426	The Best Science Fiction Character of ALL TIME It is high time this was sorted out. After all, they'e been showing on (British) television interminable Top Tens and Top One Hundreds about many lesser issues, like best adverts and best music videos and best sex scenes, I mean good grief. This is not an issue I come to lightly. Indeed, I have no resolution on the subject. Well, yes I do, Obi Wan Kenobi. But feel free to change my mind. We'd best do a shortlist, and then a poll, which'll result in a Top Ten.

27th March 2005, 04:33 PM	#2 (permalink)
Tsujigiri Waiting at the Crossroads Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 1,489	Re: The Best Science Fiction Character of ALL TIME Best in a book: Joshua Calvert (Nights Dawn Trilogy) Best in a film: Han Solo Best in General: Han Solo....gotta love his attitude

27th March 2005, 05:05 PM	#3 (permalink)
dwndrgn Fierce Vowelless One Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Florida Posts: 3,663	Re: The Best Science Fiction Character of ALL TIME There are so many to choose from! I'd say that from books there is a tie for me between Gabaldon's Jamie Fraser and Brooks' Panamon Creel. From movies it would have to be The Drunken Master..oh..not fantasy or scifi. How about R2 D2.

28th March 2005, 11:51 PM	#5 (permalink)
Tsujigiri Waiting at the Crossroads Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 1,489	Re: The Best Science Fiction Character of ALL TIME Because Han Solo essentially is a fairly normal guy who still manages to get the girl, helps save the universe, looks good whilst doing it, has a talking and walking carpet for a best friend and owns the Millennium Falcon. Obi Wan by comparison trained Darth Vader, who is the real hero of the story because lets face it...Luke is a nonce

29th March 2005, 02:02 AM	#6 (permalink)
Winters_Sorrow Unreg. Mutant Moderator Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Tyne and Wear Posts: 2,689	Re: The Best Science Fiction Character of ALL TIME Not sure if this is really in the spirit of this particular thread but my fav sci-fi character was Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. An allegory on the evil men do, but a fascinating creation! p.s. Tsuji is right - Obi-Wan is rubbish (strike me down & I'll be more powerful than you can imagine? Did he mean in terms of wattage or something? ~"Clap-on, Clap-off.."~ )

29th March 2005, 02:07 AM	#7 (permalink)
Darken Rahl Intrepid Voyager Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 51	Re: The Best Science Fiction Character of ALL TIME Best scifi character, hmm..... how about Zaphod Beeblebrox? Two heads, three arms, an ego at least the size of a small moon, and he invented the Pangalactic Gargle Blaster. (Anybody got a recipe?) Best fantasy character........ this gets tougher........ gotta go with Drizzt Do'Urden. A dark elf with a huge heart, badass blades, and a 600 pound panther from the astral plane, the ultimate hero because he is always going to have to prove himself to everyone he meets. Best villian... me. Evil incarnate, power is all that matters.

29th March 2005, 02:51 AM	#8 (permalink)
Quokka wandering Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Australia, Western Australia Posts: 1,191	Re: The Best Science Fiction Character of ALL TIME Paul Maud'Dib. and from movies H.R. Giger's Alien, 2 for the price of one

29th March 2005, 12:44 PM	#9 (permalink)
eccles_1960 Chocolate Monster Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 41	Re: The Best Science Fiction Character of ALL TIME Best in TV?.......The Doctor. The new one looks like a winner. Best in film?.......Darth Vader. Best in a fantasy book?..Cohen the Barbarian by Terry Pratchett. Best in a SciFi book?....Shiplord Straha in the World War series by Harry Turtledove. (I really must hurry up with the review of these that I promised)

29th March 2005, 01:05 PM	#10 (permalink)
knivesout cheap,flashy little crook Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 2,998	Re: The Best Science Fiction Character of ALL TIME Some of my faves: Hari Seldon (Foundation). Kerth Gersen (Vance's Demon Princes books). C'Mell the Girlygirl from Cordwainer Smith's works.

29th March 2005, 01:12 PM	#11 (permalink)
Leto Outside Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 2,332	Re: The Best Science Fiction Character of ALL TIME My favorites belong to the Atreides females : Jessica, Alia, Chani and Ghanima. Although early novels have men as main characters, women are the real strength of the Dune novels. I personnaly think Alia was the most tragic character of this saga - with her nephew Leto II. I also have a soft spot for the Grey Mouser from the Lankhmar serie, Tem - a transparent private eye who appear in Les Futurs mystères de Paris - and Maureen Johnson Smith Long from To sail beyond the sunset.

29th March 2005, 01:18 PM	#12 (permalink)
knivesout cheap,flashy little crook Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 2,998	Re: The Best Science Fiction Character of ALL TIME I like the Mouser too, but tend to be precious about blurring between SF and fantasy. Another character I should mention is Isaac Asimov's detective, Elijah Bailey.

29th March 2005, 02:15 PM	#13 (permalink)
Circus Cranium Registered User Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Rhode Island Posts: 467	Re: The Best Science Fiction Character of ALL TIME (Because Han Solo essentially is a fairly normal guy who still manages to get the girl, helps save the universe, looks good whilst doing it, has a talking and walking carpet for a best friend and owns the Millennium Falcon.) Plus he was Indianna Jones in another life. __________________ http://www.hoaxthenovel.com

29th March 2005, 04:22 PM	#15 (permalink)
LancerSr yet another unlikely hero Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 5	Re: The Best Science Fiction Character of ALL TIME Science Fiction Character - Ellen Ripley from the Alen movies Fantasy Character - Raistlin, twin brother of Caramon, Dragonlance Chronicles

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