15 Degrees from Normal
I love a good dark paranormal story, be it paranormal romance or urban fantasy, adult or young adult. I like things to go wrong, to be twisted and unexpected. I like characters that are hard and hard to love, but ya know…I also love when an author adds some comic relief to all that darkness, especially in the form of a crazy, kooky or obnoxious character. I love it when I run across a rare laugh out loud moment in a book, especially when everything else is so tense and suspenseful. It gives my emotions a chance to regroup before I plunge into reading the next fight scene or action scene, etc.
Here are a few examples of the kind of characters I’m talking about…
Myrnin, an old vampire/mad scientist in Rachel Caine’s Morganville Vampires series. Myrinin has some fabulously kooky moments and with his sudden decent into “the crazies” comes the threat he’ll kill Claire, the main character, who happens to be human and his sometimes lab assistant. Imagine a vampire who speaks in an old world way, dresses in dashing clothes from the past and…bunny slippers. Yes, bunny slippers. Well, sometimes he wears flip flops or goes barefoot. Hehe
Then there’s the obnoxious Grandmother Lynn in the book the Lovely Bones. When she shows up in the story, the characters are so sad, having lost their daughter/sister, Susan. The grandmother brings added “light” into the grieving household with her obnoxious comments and hard-boiled, no nonsense ways.
And one other character who stood out to me as so outrageous, you couldn’t help but think: Whose side is he on? This is the character Sherman Blackstone from the TV series Wolf Lake. This guy seemed to know everyone. Sometimes a joker, sometimes a wiseman to the shapeshifters at Wolf lake, you never really knew what his agenda was because he seemed to be stirring up both sides. Kind of like a kid poking a stick at a bear.
So, tell me about some of your favorite “slightly off center” characters, either in movies or books. What made them so memorable to you? Why did you like them so much?
24 people have bellied up to “15 Degrees from Normal”
I LOVE Sherman Blackstone! I have the whole series saved on my DVR from the last Sci-Fi run. Sherman is pretty much made of awesome. My absolute favorite episode is the one where he’s telling the story of the succession in the bowling alley. Laugh out loud crazy fun. <3
LOL! Was that not the funniest episode ever? Granted, it didn’t have the same feel as the other episodes, but I didn’t care. He was so droll half the time and goofy others, a true chameleon.
That episode made me think of the every-once-in-a-while goofy Supernatural episodes. Sherman…what a hoot of a character!
Achmed from Elizabeth Haydon’s Symphony of Ages series. I adore him despite his obnoxious comments and occasionally frustrating, rude behavior. He’s ruthlessly practical and very witty and his relationship with Grunthor and his developing relationship with Rhapsody are so much fun to read about.
I feel like House is the epitome of the kind of character you’re talking about. He’s annoying, cynical, rude, callous and insensitive (often deliberately so). He says the craziest things, completely off the wall stuff. He constantly pokes and tests and treats his best friend like crap. And yet we want him to succeed. I find him hilarious even as I wince when he says something particularly scathing or mean. I think we like him because he’s larger than life, because he might be annoying but he’s also usually right, because he forces the other characters to confront truths about themselves.
House! Omg, I can’t believe I forgot him.
I think we like him because he’s larger than life, because he might be annoying but he’s also usually right, because he forces the other characters to confront truths about themselves.
Yes, this! He’s SO larger than life. Granted, in real life he’d probably make you love to hate him, but I do love watching just how outrageous his fictional character can be!
I like Jim from Katie McAlister’s books. Of course, it might be because I have a Newfoundland myself. (Probably why I think the drool bib is hilarious.) I also love his overall wiseassish-ness. (it’s a word now. I just typed it.)
Drool bib? LOL! Doesn’t everyone love a good wiseass? Hmmm, I’ll have to check that series out.
Gotta say it’s “Nucking Futs Nix” from Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark series. She’s a little crazy, and says everything that comes into her mind. And she’s a seer and can predict the future. She steals every scene she is in.
I can’t believe I left Nix off my list. She rules! I’m hoping she gets her own story one of these days. Ever wonder what she did with all of the explosives she had in the car?
“Nucking Futs Nix” That’s classic!
Yes, the stealing of scenes seems to be these secondary characters’ M.O., even though it’s not due to a conscious effort on their part. LOL!
I have the first book in this series. Now I need to read it!
Grandma Mazur in Evanovich’s ‘Stephanie Plum’ series. Always makes me laugh my @ss off.
So many people have talked about this series. I’ve heard the entire thing has very funny LOL moments. I’ll admit, it’s daunting to think if starting such a long running series. Kind of like the In Death series (which is also highly recommended).
Haha she was the first character I thought of too!
She always cracks me up no matter the scene.
I think Raphael from Ilona’s series is pretty good too…and Andrea for that matter I guess!
Butters, from Harry Dresden, and Harry himself. Polka never dies! I just about lost it when I read that line, considering I’m acquainted with polka very well. Our own family has a concertina (if you don’t know, look it up, it should provide some amusement for ya:P ).
On Bones, a show that specifically deals with death, murder & mayhem, I like the conspiracy driven Hodgins & the other regulars that fill in for Zach. It provides a nice dose of comic relief and the show isn’t nearly as grim as it could be.
I loved the TV show Dresden Files, which my hubby said is funnier (lighter?) than the books. He liked the show but prefers the darker books.
I’ve watched a few episodes of Bones and can see what you’re talking about.
I love Jenks from Kim Harrison’s Rachel Morgan Series. Whenever he spews out “Tink’s panties!” I can’t help but laugh out loud.
Butters from the Dresden books is also a fabulous character.
Myrnin, definitely!
Zed and Adie from Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth series.
But the character who will always hold a special place in my heart for being “slightly off-center” is Fizban from the DragonLance novels. A bumbling old wizard who’s actually a god. Gotta love him.
I had to ask my hubby about the DragonLance books because I know he read them years ago. He remebers Fizban but he also mention Tasslehoff Burrfoot (often called Tas). He said he loved him because Tas always ended up with stuff in his pocket but he didn’t remember how it got there. Ha, an amnesiac clepto!
Yes, Tas is fun too, but he sometimes got annoying.
I wouldn’t call it clepto amnesia so much as short term mem… OH SHINY! Kender (Tas’s species) are like magpies and cats all rolled into one.
Joe or Stinkwort from the series by Mark Del Franco
Stinkwort? What a name! LOL!
Stinkwort is a flit and he hates his name, so he gets everyone to call him Joe
i hate the possibility of causing a stir of “i hate…!”’s and”i love…!”’s when i mention true blood, but i gotta put lafayette up there (along with maybe eric for sheer awesomeness) simply because you never know what he’s going to do next, but you do know it is going to be amazing. He has some really great one-liners too.
(im talking about the tv series here-he is very different in the books and unfortunately doesnt last long)
YES! Layfayette (the TV show version), what a hoot of a character. He definitely goes on the list as one of the most outrageous! Love watching him in action.
The most outrageous and obnoxious characters whose exploits I’ve ever enjoyed watching are Edina Monsoon and Patsy Stone of Absolutely Fabulous.
They are often drunk and/or stoned; they often get into trouble of their own making, and yet they manage to get out again relatively unscathed.
Their total trainwreck of a show is morbidly fascinating and has many funny and eeeww! moments. I have all five boxsets.
Little late to the party, but here are my toss ins (in addition to the ones already named):
Ivan Vorpatril from the Vorkosigain series by Bujold,
Iskierka from the Temeraire series by Novik,
Summerset and Masie from the In Death series by Robb(Roberts).
I would also say that even authors who may not have ‘commedic’ characters, often manage to toss in Comedy.
For instance when poor Kate was trying to figure Curran out, and all the shifters began pointing out how big a deal ‘food’ was. (And trying to convince Kate that Curran had ‘claimed her by feeding her’ as his mate.) Very serious conversation going on and then…everyone talking about that. It gave the same relief through laughter, and allowed the tension to build up again. Very nice Job Ilona.