# If you could be any occupation or race from literature... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 10, 2004, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-be-any-occupation-or-race-from-literature/239338 "2004-04-10T17:10:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-be-any-occupation-or-race-from-literature/239338/1 "2004-04-10T17:10:46Z")
I read a lot of science fiction. In said sci fi there are a lot of neat abilities, alien beings and special training regimens that I would like to experience. For example, you might say “I wish I could deduct like Sherlock Holmes” or “I wish I could cast spells like Harry Potter”… etc. Mine are: (see if you know where they’re from) 😃 Kourier Cosa Nostra Pizza Company Delivery Driver Hacker Fedaykin Death Commando Bene Gesserit Mentat Puppeteer Protector Gunslinger ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-be-any-occupation-or-race-from-literature/239338/2 "2004-04-10T17:13:49Z")
Researcher for the Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-be-any-occupation-or-race-from-literature/239338/3 "2004-04-10T17:32:19Z")
A Founder from Deep Space Nine with full abilities. No idea what job I would want though… something well paying, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-be-any-occupation-or-race-from-literature/239338/4 "2004-04-10T17:38:28Z")
Badass With A Cool Sword And Floating Castle like Lord Morrolan in Brust’s books. Or Bartender And Instellar World Saver And Mick of Time, like Callahan from Spider Robinson’s books. ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-be-any-occupation-or-race-from-literature/239338/5 "2004-04-10T18:20:07Z")
I would be a member of the Howard Families in Heinlein’s _Methuselah’s Children_ so I could live a really long time. I’d like to be like Lazarus Long and go into space real estate like he does at the end of the book. Or I’d be Hagbard Celine from Shea and Wilson’s _Illuminatus!_ Trilogy. ---
**Author:** ![Spudo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@Spudo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spudo)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-be-any-occupation-or-race-from-literature/239338/6 "2004-04-10T18:31:27Z")
Being a Prince of Amber would be cool. Or a Second Foundationer. Or a member of The Culture. ---
**Author:** ![Darkhold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@Darkhold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darkhold)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-be-any-occupation-or-race-from-literature/239338/7 "2004-04-10T18:34:19Z")
One of the Endless would be nice. They always complain about their duties but except for Death all they really seem to do is mope, get vengeance, or cause chaos. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-be-any-occupation-or-race-from-literature/239338/8 "2004-04-10T19:12:38Z")
A Liaden Scout! Alternate choices: A Witch of Lancre A Bard of Senniel One of the Old Blood Folk of the Six Duchies A Deryni A Tymbrimi ---
**Author:** ![Dahnlor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahnlor/32/533_2.png) [@Dahnlor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahnlor)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-be-any-occupation-or-race-from-literature/239338/9 "2004-04-10T19:15:30Z")
Istari Wizard (J.R.R. Tolkien’s _Lord of the Rings_, of course - think Gandalf) D ---
**Author:** ![Pythagras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/45deac/32.png) [@Pythagras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pythagras)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-be-any-occupation-or-race-from-literature/239338/10 "2004-04-10T19:16:07Z")
Duh… A hobbit! Where else would a bear snob fit in in Middle Earth? ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-be-any-occupation-or-race-from-literature/239338/11 "2004-04-10T19:23:32Z")
Hmmm… I wouldn’t mind being a Dragonrider, but that would be a LOT of work. Worth it though… to look into those eyes… Or a Tayledras Adept, at the very least a Scout. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-be-any-occupation-or-race-from-literature/239338/12 "2004-04-10T19:52:45Z")
Oh, or a Harper or DragonRider on Pern. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-be-any-occupation-or-race-from-literature/239338/13 "2004-04-10T20:01:50Z")
I’d be God from the Bible. ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-be-any-occupation-or-race-from-literature/239338/14 "2004-04-10T20:07:17Z")
> [@GMRyujin](#): > > Oh, or a Harper or DragonRider on Pern. Yay! What colour do you think you’d be? me… a green most likely. Gold is not for me I think. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-be-any-occupation-or-race-from-literature/239338/15 "2004-04-10T20:10:27Z")
Mad Scientist. Definitely Mad Scientist. ("‘God’s Domain,’ consider yourself my bitch!") Failing that…some kind of forge god, like Hephestos. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-be-any-occupation-or-race-from-literature/239338/16 "2004-04-10T20:20:00Z")
I’d probably really enjoy the quiet life of a Hobbit. Although if I felt the need for excitement and adventure I’d like to be a Deryni from the Katherine Kurtz book. One with healing power. And an earldom just south of Morgan’s. ---
**Author:** ![The\_27th\_Evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ebca7d/32.png) [@The\_27th\_Evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_27th_Evil)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-be-any-occupation-or-race-from-literature/239338/17 "2004-04-10T20:45:24Z")
I’d like to be able to watch people like Leon Trout from **Galapagos.** ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-be-any-occupation-or-race-from-literature/239338/18 "2004-04-10T20:57:11Z")
> [@Obsidian Flutterby](#): > > Yay! What colour do you think you’d be? me… a green most likely. Gold is not for me I think. Oh, I dunno. I wouldn’t be out for great things. I’d just wanna fly around, fight Thread, and fly around some more. Probably a brown or blue. Just another cog in the Weyr Machine. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Lobelia\_Overhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@Lobelia\_Overhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobelia_Overhill)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-be-any-occupation-or-race-from-literature/239338/19 "2004-04-10T21:02:44Z")
Oddly enough an Elf (not a hobbit) or Wobang The Infinitely Prolonged ---
**Author:** ![Delly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Delly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Delly)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-be-any-occupation-or-race-from-literature/239338/20 "2004-04-10T23:16:57Z")
Race: an Elf from Middle Earth, Rivendell most likely… As for occupation, be nice to have the skills along the lines of those that Fëanor had (he made the Silmarils). -Delly [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-be-any-occupation-or-race-from-literature/239338.md?page=2)