Top Ten Characters in Alternative Reality Fiction. Compiled by ARWZ Editors
Voting in our latest Top 10 list of the Best Characters in alternative reality fiction was any character's game. The votes were split across a wide range of choices, and among multiple characters in favorite books and films. ARWZ readers and associates nominated nearly three hundred of their favorite protagonists, anti-heroes, sidekicks, villains... not to mention those who defy categorization. Alternative reality fans from all over the world placed their votes for the most complex, unique, iconic and fascinating characters, voicing their opinions toward this final list. Participating voters were drawn both from ARWZ readership and from the membership of our Associate Pages. Our thanks to all participants.
Each voter submitted a list of no more than ten characters. Ranked votes were weighted according to the numerical rank assigned to each novel or trilogy (1. got 10 points, 2. got 9 points, etc.). Some voters preferred not to rank their lists, and the characters of their lists were attributed five points each. Voters were also invited to provide commentary on the characters included in their lists. As much as possible, that commentary has been included for the Top Ten. But the discussion doesn't end there. If you would like to comment on this list, please feel free to join the discussion on our forums, or to send us a Letter to the Editor with your comments. If you would like to participate in our latest Top Ten List, to be published on ARWZ Literary Zine in a future feature article, please visit the official ARWZ Top 10 page to see what we're woking on next.
"One of those characters who forever changed and influenced all of the speculative fiction genres, in particular fantasy, that came after him. There is a bit of Hamlet to Elric in that he is a tragic royal who forsakes his kingdom. Despite all the awful things he does at the behest of his evil sentient sword Stormbringer and his patron diety the duke of chaos Arioch, somehow you can't help but like Elric. Which is a very dangerous thing to do, as Stormbringer prefers the souls of his friends most!" - ljim2000
"Conflicted and torn with self-loathing he stands out from the pack of self-assured brawns-over-brains sword and sorcery adventurers as a character with an enduring depth and appeal." - criminalenglish
"Gandalf is a figure that is seen as above most others. However he remains extremely humble and never shows his true power and is always someone who the characters thoughout the story look to for guidance" - Cooryn Folcoer
"If your first impression of Gandalf was from Peter Jackson's film adaptation, and if you have no intention to read the books in the near or far future, I would now like to ask you to reconsider your decision. You won't regret it" - itsacthing
"He now represents the archetype of the fantasy wizard" - Shehzad
"You have to love an assassin who lets you know why you're about to die!" - Doug Gogerty
"Stover has written some of the best SF/F books in the last few years. Both books [Heroes Die and Blade of Tyshalle] feature Caine, and there is nobody who depicts action better currently and although that by itself means nothing, the emotionaly introspective Caine is a powerful mixture of the two" - Jay Tomio
"One of the most complex, multifaceted and downright, kick-ass cool characters I've had the pleasure of reading" - Shehzad
"Cosmic terror at its finest. He truly shows us that man is of no consequence" - Deena Warner
"C'thulhu is the ultimate archetype for all that is alien and inhuman and impossible for us to really understand. As influences go, look to his tentacled face and body and find the aliens in countless later science fiction stories and movies, look to his cult and find the basis for many a horror tale" - ljim2000
"Fitz is such a great and believable character [because] his story is told as if he's the main character, although he's technically a minor one. We have a bastard stablehand to show us what he thinks happened. Fitz doesn't marry a princess, win a war single-handedly and get crowned as a loved king like so often happens with fantasy stories that start with an outcast boy. Fitz is not perfect. He loves and fears and makes mistakes and is stubborn and doubts himself just like any of us." - Mervi
"He's deeply flawed. He's relentless in pursuing the paths that he deems 'correct' and he's as stubborn as all hell. He's essentially naive and somehow, despite all the incredible ordeals he survives, a part of that innocence always remains with him. He is the truest 'everyman' character I have ever come across. Whether it be abuse, love, self torture, foolishness or ignorance, most people will find something in Fitzchivalry to connect strongly with." - jesic
"A tormented little wretch who mutters to himself in the dark, Gollum nevertheless manages to evoke sympathy from many readers with his loneliness and loss. Although clearly insane by any normal standards, he has one thing that he can rely on, his precious. Gollum loves the small ring he received on his birthday beyond all else, and when we leave him in the dark at the end of the chapter, his cries of betrayal and loneliness echoing through the goblin tunnels, we cannot help but think of those times that we have felt that same sense of loss" - omikapsi
"An understandable, likeable, unlikable character" - Alicia GA
"Love him or hate him, you've got to admit that Gollum is a thoroughly interesting character and one can't help but feel for him" - itsacthing
And by popular demand, we have decided to print further results of the vote for the sake of reader interest:
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