In a discussion in sartorias‘s journal a while back, I admitted that vampires don’t work for me, much of the time, because bad boy characters (which vampires don’t have to be, but often are) just don’t do it for me. I can appreciate a well-written bad boy intellectually, but personally prefer good boys.* The steady, quiet, reliable guy who doesn’t pretend to be anything more than he is, doesn’t need to tell anyone how tough or dangerous he is, who you know is going to be there when you need him, who has your back emotionally and not just physically, who may be flawed in all the usual human ways but is nonetheless trying to be a decent guy and do the right thing and may wind up being an idiot or hurt people accidentally, but tries not to do so on purpose.
When I read Twilight I had no interest at all in Edward, but was instantly drawn to Jacob Black. (If he becomes a bad-boy or an idiot in book two, don’t tell me. I’ll find out soon enough.) Ditto Richard over Jean-Claude in the early Anita Blake books. (I’ve not yet read all the later ones.)
So now I’m wondering: Who are your favorite good boy characters?
Me, I’ll forever hold something of a torch for both Faramir and Calvin O’Keefe. 🙂
* Obligatory exception: Han Solo. Han Solo is my own personal bad boy exception.